Weekly chapters (1/2)
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Translator: Raizu
Editor: Mirp
Chapter 71 – ~I got my hands on an ancient super technology~
『Then, please excuse us』
[Yeah, thank you for the assistance.]
I saw off the working machine dolls who were slowly returning home.
About an hour ago, I returned to Clover with the working machine dolls carrying the materials for setting up the space-time warehouse. They rushed through the bustle of the evening like a procession of feudal lords.
After completing the installation of the space-time warehouse in one room of the lord’s mansion, the working machine dolls signed the delivery note and went home. Thank you for your hard work.
The space-time warehouse was installed in one of the warehouses built in the material accumulation area in the center of Clover. As far as I listened to the explanation, it seemed best to install it here.
It looked like a beautiful sculpture. Like an obelisk made of a crystal-like material that emits a faint blue phosphorescence. Was it as big as my chest? That’s the size of a small Washington Monument?
If you looked at the base of the obelisk, you could see a space of about two tatami mats in the back made of the same material as the ground surface of the obelisk. This was the storage and retrieval space.
[It looks pretty.]
Karen muttered quietly after peering into the space-time warehouse from my side. It looked like her eyes were sparkling somewhere, but well, she’s a girl, so she probably didn’t dislike shiny things like this.
Karen, who was quick to spot me with the mechanical dolls carrying the materials, watched the installation from start to finish with me. I also listened to a basic lecture on how to use the space-time warehouse.
The operation itself was simple. All you had to do was place the item you wanted to store in the storage space, touch the obelisk and wish to store it. Since I’m already registered as the administrator of this space-time warehouse, I’m the only one who can use it.
For the time being, I tried putting the items I took out of my inventory into the space-time warehouse. Weapons I made, monster materials that don’t have much value, etc. After trying to store and taking the items out several times, confirming that there were no problems, I went to store a large amount of materials in my inventory in the space-time warehouse.
The items were truly diverse. A large amount of food, weapons and armor, medicinal herbs, medicines, clothing, books, monster materials, some decorations, gold and silver treasures, gold coins, materials, etc.
[Oh… wow, amazing.]
[Well, I didn’t think too much about it and ended up tossing in a lot of things.]
A large amount of supplies were purchased in the Karendil Kingdom and the Mischronia Kingdom using the commercial guild, Zondark, and Ir-san’s contacts. Especially when it came to food, I mainly bought things that were old and tired. Because it wouldn’t deteriorate anymore inside my inventory.
The space-time warehouse seemed to have the same characteristics, so it could be said that I was really lucky to obtain it this time.
Gold and silver treasures and a large amount of gold coins; some were gifts from the Karendil Kingdom as a result of my participation in the Great Flood, while the rest were obtained as a result of selling various items at the commercial guild. This was also a large number, but it’s not something I could use up myself. There was no use for Clover either yet, but it would be absolutely necessary once trade began.
Karen’s eyes sparkled as she watched the various items being stored within. She seemed to be interested in shiny things, and she would raise her voice when I took gold coins, precious metal bars, gems or jewelry.
[You can come here and look at it as much as you want, but please don’t take the contents out without permission.]
[If you really need something, just tell me.]
[Okay.]
By touching and operating the space-time warehouse, I generated three spare keys that could be used by others to access the warehouse even if they’re not the administrator. Although it is called a spare key, it is not like a regular key, but a hexagonal crystal instead. It’s small enough to hold in your hand, and it’s very light despite its appearance.
[What are those?]
[It’s a key that allows people other than me to use the space-time warehouse. Here, try using it. Hold the key in your hand and touch the space-time warehouse.]
A list of stored items projected like a hologram opens in front of Karen who touched the key. Karen chose one of them and put it in her hand.
[Can I eat it?]
[Absolutely not.]
I immediately picked up the pungent barrel that Karen took out and put it away in my storage. Why did this kid pick Surströmming-senpai over anything else? To me it’s a weapon, not a food, okay? I was completely baffled.
[Who will have these keys?]
[The master key will be Marl’s, while the spare keys are for Kusuha and Deborah.]
[I want one too.]
[Nope]
[Don’t make a face like that.]
I won’t give in to Karen’s teary eyes. Never.
[Hmm…. maybe if I give you the『kupukupu』like Marl-neechan does at night]
[Please stop, I will die.]
Is it Marl, or is it the influence of Marl’s education? Or was it the influence of the night demon? From the beginning? This kid was dirty to begin with. Where did she get this strange knowledge from… I don’t think the evil god imprinted it with something subliminal.
Even so, well, I was able to get a convenient thing at a really convenient time. Managing a large amount of funds, materials, and food by myself was a heavy burden and inconvenient. I had to go out and put it in and take it out every time I needed it.
It was also dangerous. If I, carrying a large amount of supplies, collapsed somewhere, this country would dry up in no time. Of course, the food warehouse and material warehouse had a reasonable amount of supplies, but their capacity was extremely limited. Fresh food couldn’t be stored for a long time because it would rot.
In that respect, this space-time warehouse could be said to be a magic tool that overcame the weaknesses of capacity and deterioration of items. It had almost unlimited capacity and didn’t degrade the items it contained. It could be said that it had the same performance as my storage except that it is not portable.
With my current skills, I thought that if I took the time to analyze this space-time storehouse, I might be able to replicate it. So I was staring at the assembly work, but there were too many technologies that I couldn’t understand. It seemed to be a technique that is not supported by the magic tool creation skill that I have as a skill.
[It’s a present from Moribito-san, isn’t it?]
[Um. Well, it’s something like that.]
I don’t know how to tell that I got it from a visitor campaign.
[Does that mean the Moribitos have agreed to cooperate with us?]
[That’s not exactly what happened. I think… they should be left alone.]
While stroking Karen’s head, I recalled about the guardians, and melancholy welled up. Not being acknowledged by anyone, not being rewarded, just fulfilling their duties continuously…. There’s no saving them, since they don’t think they’re miserable or anything. My sympathy and pity were irrelevant and unnecessary.
[What’s wrong? Taichi, you look lonely.]
[I’m thinking about the guardians just now.]
At my words, Karen tilted her head in curiosity.
[The guards are… Well, they’re like grave guards who guard their master’s grave all the time. Nobody will praise or recognize their effort, but they will continue to protect it forever nonetheless. That’s how it is. They cannot question it, nor are they capable of feeling unhappy about it. That’s just how they are.]
[That’s how they were made. Guardians are like magic tools made with extremely advanced technology.]
[That’s right…. It’s kind of sad.]
As we were talking, Deborah, still wearing an apron, appeared while holding a wooden box. She peered at me from outside the door and tilted her head. What’s so popular about tilting your head?
[What are you doing here? This is an empty warehouse, right?]
[Yeah, you’ve come to the right place. What’s that? Potatoes?]
[Yes. I was thinking of using it for dinner. I got a lot because it can last for a long time and can be used in various ways.]
[Okay, can you put those potatoes here?]
[Hmm? Very well. What are you going to do?]
Deborah obediently placed the wooden box containing the potatoes in the storage space of the space-time warehouse while voicing her doubts. I operated the space-time warehouse and stored the box containing the potato.
[It’s gone?]
[Umu, this is called a space-time warehouse. It can store things almost inexhaustibly without deteriorating.]
[What’s with that tone of speech… but it’s nice to be able to store a lot of raw food without having to be worried that it’ll go bad.]
[That’s right, that’s right.]
I gave Deborah a lecture on how to use the space-time warehouse and gave her a spare key. It’s not difficult to use, so Deborah mastered how to use it quickly. She was seemingly impressed when she took out the potato box and other food items from earlier.
[Deborah can keep the key.]
[Huh? Me? Won’t Marl, Tina, or Kusuha-neesan be a better choice?]
[Yeah, I made three, and I’m planning to give the rest to Marl and Kusuha. I want Deborah to keep one of the three.]
[W, why me? If it’s three, then Marl, Tina, and Kusuha-neesan would be appropriate, right?]
[Deborah will be able to move around easily. Of course, I will give it to Marl and the others, but Deborah is the only one who can move freely to some extent and she’s also someone I can entrust something like this to with peace of mind. Please.]
Melchina would probably be fine, but she’s just a useless elf. Besides, she had too much freedom and didn’t like such neat work. If I let her do as she liked, she would look around the city and hunt the surrounding monsters. Well, I guess that sort of thing fits her. Or rather, when she’s in Clover, she’s mostly sticking together with me, lately.
What Deborah mostly did was assisting Tina, Marl, and Kusuha, as well as taking care of small domestic matters with Yamato, although the horse beastkin usually tackled most of the work. She’s also taking care of the three young beastkin girls at the same time. All in all, I think she’s doing well. Unlike Melchina, Deborah was more passive, owing to her shyness. As for me, I want her to stick with me a little longer.
[Ah, uh… I, I understand.]
[Un, please. But I can’t give it as it is. Lend me a minute.]
Taking back the spare key from Deborah, I quickly processed it into a pendant with magic using the silver wire used for accessories. Silver was easy to process and good looking after all.
[There you go.]
[Thank you… I will cherish it.]
When I handed the completed spare key pendant to Deborah, Karen headbutted me. Well, as expected of a sheep girl, she had a pretty good head butt.
[I want one too!]
[Eh… hmm. Oh, look, it’s almost time for dinner.]
I can’t give her a spare key, but I guess I could give her something else? I had some crystal fragments in my inventory similar to the one I gave to Deborah, so I’m going to make a pendant with almost the same design. Better do it for everyone. Hmmm… I didn’t know what to do.
[Yeーs, I have a present for everyone before dinner.]
Yes, thank you Karen-san and Marl-san, for being very enthusiastic. But didn’t I already give one to Karen?
It’s a rule of ours to eat dinner together as much as possible. During the day, we may work in various separate places, so it’s difficult for us to eat together. But as long as any of us were not outside Clover, we’d eat dinner together.
It’s my selfish attempt to try to get together with everyone at least once a day. After all, I wanted to see everyone’s faces.
I distributed the pendants to everyone and explained the situation.
[Today, I went to see the guardian. Due to various reasons, I was given a magic tool called a space-time warehouse. In exchange for not being able to carry it around, you can store a large amount of supplies without deterioration.]
[That’s amazing. So you were able to build a cooperative relationship with the Moribitos?]
[No, I just got lucky. It’s a little bit sad but… well, I guess it’s fine. Anyhow, it’s impossible to negotiate with the Moribito. They won’t harm us, but conciliation is impossible. They have the ability to speak, but don’t have a will of their own. Like a doll. They don’t accept orders other than from their master, who has been long gone. And I suppose there’s no way to take over the spot as their master.]
[Fumu… so we are just going to leave them alone?]
[Yeah. They’re like grave keepers who just maintain the remnants of a civilization that died over 10,000 years ago. It’s best to leave them be.]
Everyone seemed to have accepted my explanation.
[So, master, what is this crystal pendant…?]
[Isn’t this a little bit roughly crafted?]
[Hahahaha, honestly, I can’t deny that it’s a little rushed. Regarding the space-time warehouse I mentioned earlier, I made three spare keys so that even people other than me who are registered as administrators can put in and take out items. I already gave one to Deborah, and the other two I gave to Marl and Kusuha.]
[Fumu, I was wondering why there are two, but one is certainly shining faintly.]
[Three… isn’t that a bit too many?]
[I put the balance of things around here into consideration, and I want you all to think about it as well. For now, that’s the pendant. When I gave Deborah the spare key, Karen begged me for one as well. So I thought I’d give everyone the same gift]
[I see… Well, I like it because it feels handmade. I like it]
Fram smiled as she held up the pendant to the magic light. Princess Kalnera, who had been complaining about the poor construction, was also grinning for some reason, so I think the strategy wasn’t a failure.
[Um… is it okay if I get one too?]
Princess Kalynella’s maid, Stella, was the only one with an indescribable expression on her face. Her position was rather ambiguous. Princess Kalnera was one of my wives, but she was just her attendant maid. It’s not like she’s also my wife.
[Wouldn’t it be only to be the only one left out? I would cry.]
[Eh, eh… that, thank you for your excessive concern.]
It’s just a matter of sloppiness, but since we’re sitting together at the table like this, she’s also family. I had to think carefully about how to handle it.
[Let’s all go see the space-time warehouse after dinner. It would be better if all of you know how to use it. And it would be nice to take a walk at night with everyone sometimes.]
[Yes, let’s do that. ]
[Un, let’s eat then.]
Everyone said their bon appetit and started eating.
Today’s menu was vegetable soup, mashed potatoes with bacon, and some kind of meat steak. Recently, our annual event is guessing the type of steak meat. If I looked at it with an appraisal eye, it’s an easy win, but I didn’t do such rude things. It’s fun to guess the texture and flavor of the meat.
[What is this… I’ve never eaten this.]
[It’s a strange texture. I might like it quite a bit.]
I took a bite of the steak and tilted my head. Melchina, who was sitting next to me, also ate this meat for the first time. Looking at the reactions of the other wives, other than Deborah and Shitan who cooked it, it seems that they knew… Hmm?
What’s with Kusuha’s complexion?
[This texture and taste… no way. But.]
She mumbled something. It’s definitely an amazing piece of meat. I felt like I knew a similar texture, though this one was a bit more muscled. It’s not bad and it’s not hard, but it’s crunchy and hard to chew. hmm?
[Isn’t any meat good?]
[It’s chewy and delicious, isn’t it?]
Deborah was eating with a clear face, but Shitan had a subtle smile that seemed to be troubled. Her tail was also drooping and lacking vitality. I know when Deborah and Shitan behaved like this, it sucks.
[Hmm, what is it? I have no idea.]
[I’m in the same mind with my sister. But I might like it quite a bit.]
[Uhm, I think I’ve eaten meat with a similar texture…]
[Korikori Kunyukunyu.]
[Hmm. It looks like an animal’s internal organs.]
『That’s it』
Multiple voices, including myself, overlapped with Sherry’s remarks. Surprised, Sherry’s ears stood up and trembled.
Yes, it’s like horumon. This addictive squeaky feeling. But what is this mysterious meat that has a chewy texture like Horumon? I had no idea what kind of meat it was. No, wait, I felt like I shouldn’t pursue it too much considering that reaction from Shitan. I had a bad feeling.
[Wait, stop pursuing—]
[It’s grandwurm meat.]
[It’s what meat!?]
I instinctively looked up at the ceiling while holding a knife and fork. Grandwurm, grand worm? I’d never seen it before, but it must have a delicious color and shape. I’m sure it’s not something like a stupid big earthworm. Surely, right?
[Grandwurm… A snake-like monster with a total length of several tens of meters. It has no eyes but has sharp fangs. It swallows anything with its big mouth. It looks obscene when its mouth is closed.]
[Why did you have to explain it? Or rather, it’s not obscene.]
Karen explained while continuing to eat at her own pace without worrying about it at all. There were several victims who had lost their appetites in Karen’s commentary. I was one of them.
[Don’t leave any leftovers. Whatever the reason, eat the prey you hunted. Don’t forget to be grateful to the prey that gave you your life and the hunters who risked their lives to hunt their prey.]
Deborah’s food was delicious, but she wouldn’t allow any of us to leave any leftovers despite the ingredients being gross. Well, it’s true that no matter what the source was, if you cut it up and cooked it, it’s just food. Yes.
[Uneuneー, kishaー]
[Hey, stop.]
I ate the Grandwurm steak while being exposed to Karen’s sneaky mental attacks. However, the mental attack wasn’t just on me, it was also attacking my allies, so Karen was sent to a sermon room called a bath by her sisters.
Serve you right.
Nega Translations 
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