kscans

Chapter 27 - A Rest Day Where the Tower Seems to Be Turning into a Home Base

Once things had settled down, Mireille began processing the materials from the Helkaarn she had butchered yesterday, along with the other materials she had gathered.

"Helkaarns are amazing...! Not only are they big, but every single part of them has a use. They can be used for fire-based bombs, armor, everyday items... the possibilities are endless!"

Mireille explained that for small monsters like magical birds and slimes, you had to gather several magic cores to use them, and they were often used for disposable items like cold compresses. However, a single Helkaarn magic core possessed a great deal of power. A few of them could power a town, and even one could be used to create a formidable fire-attribute weapon. Its hide, when processed, could apparently be used as an insulation cover for large Magic Furnaces like the one in the Royal Capital. It improved the entire city's mana efficiency, so it rarely appeared on the open market. For personal use, it could be made into the highest quality fire-resistant cloaks and robes.

Once she started talking, it seemed like she could go on for the rest of the day, so I said, "Won't the quality of the materials degrade if you don't process them soon?" She rushed back to her workbench on the third floor, her eyes still sparkling with excitement.

Today, we planned to rest at the tower and do what we could.

I decided to return to my Townhouse for a bit and take a shower for the first time in a while. In the bathroom, I undressed and removed the All-Purpose Bandage from my body. My wound had healed to the point where the scar was barely visible.

"A wound that bad, healed to this extent... All-Purpose Bandages are seriously monstrous."

I looked at my torn shirt. The area around where Mireille had carefully mended it was covered in a wide, hardened patch of my own blood. I had only been caught by the Helkaarn's horn, but I must have bled quite a lot. The wound had been much deeper than I thought, but I felt no damage at all.

I stepped into the hot shower. The smell of sweat and blood washed away, replaced by the scent of soap, and the tension finally left my shoulders.

...Honestly, I wanted Mireille to take a shower here too. But the ring wouldn't let her move from the tower. It was designed to fit Leonhard perfectly. Besides, what kind of person brings an eighteen-year-old girl he isn't even dating into his home to take a shower?

At first, I had considered hiding her at the Townhouse. But involving the caretaker couple was too dangerous. They were both elderly and had always been good to me. I couldn't just dismiss them.

That said, if the Monster-Repelling Bell ran out, yesterday's nightmare could happen again. Finding the Sleep Orb was just a stroke of luck. If things had gone even slightly differently, both Mireille and I would have been finished yesterday.

It must be an amazing material, but that meant the monster was just as amazing, and even that sword couldn't stand up to it.

I'd only known the name Tree Sea Defense Force before...

If they dealt with those things on a daily basis, weren't they the strongest fighting force in the country? At the very least, there wasn't a single person in the First Knight Order, including myself, who could take down that monster with zero casualties.

...First, I needed to set up the bare minimum of defenses here. I could buy some women's armor when I returned to work next week. People would probably think it was for a mission. I should also leave my own armor and wear at the tower.

And then there was bedding. If Mireille was okay with it, I would borrow the fourth floor and stay over even after work started. We spent a night together in a tent, so we didn't need to be so formal now. The most important thing was to be able to notice immediately if something happened. ...Though really, it would be best if I could sense danger right away.

I'll bring food, and some alcohol too.

"...Phew, this is a lot of stuff."

My hands were full of luggage. Realizing I couldn't carry it all in one trip, I made several back and forth.

--And just like that, I realized the tower was becoming my second Townhouse.