Arc 3: The Crystal Monster

Chapter 21: Rain and the Shougi board

Two weeks after returning from the capital. It’s raining outside. It began 3 days ago and hasn’t let up yet. It seems that this world also has something like a rainy season also.

Until the rain stops, work from the guild is suspended. With that said, I’m studying magic. Well, the book I bought from the capital was just the non-attribute magic book that I it looked like I could pick spells up from.

About 500 pages… I’ve only read about 1/3 of the entire book but, there were a grand total of 4 that seemed to be of any use. Each page held about 50 spells so there were about 25000 spells in all… So, sooner or later there would be about 4 out of every 25000~ about 1/6250th … huh?

What I picked up were:

Magic effect given to material items 「Enchantment」,

Paralyze a target and make them immobile 「Paralyze」,

Change the shape of mineral and wood products 「Modeling」,

Search for identified subjects 「Search」,

these 4.

Among these 「modeling」 and 「search」 were fairly helpful. Well, they’re also somewhat inconvenient as we.

「Modeling」 takes the material you have and reforms it into the image you have in your mind. In addition to taking a considerable amount of time (it’s not something that can be done in an instant), if you don’t have a firm image in your mind it’ll turn into something strange.

As a test, I made a Shougi board (Japanese chess) but, there was one row too many, and grid squares were too big and the lines had bulges in them.

A detailed image was considerably difficult to hold. It was much easier to make one by looking at an image of the real thing, so I brought up the image of a Shougi board on my smartphone and completed the board while looking at the image.

「Search」 was something that was useful for acquiring the location of lost items, or so I thought. Actually this magic was able to search more broadly.

I thought that this world had no vanilla, but I did a test search in the market and quickly found it.

It wasn’t the vanilla that I know but 「Koko」 as it was called, had the unusual shape of a petite tomato. However, it looked and smelled just like the real thing, so it was a good enough alternative.（tln: Pronounced like cocoa)

Even though the name and shape were different, the thing I determined to be 「Vanilla」 resulted in a hit it seemed. It’s really broad.

But, this was also a fault as well as the narrow useful range. About 50-meters in radius from the central point. It wasn’t really something that could be used to search for another person.

「I’m hungry……」

When looking at the time it was well after lunch, no wonder.

I put away the book, looked the hotel room, and went down stairs. In the dining room were Doran and the 『Weapon shop Kumachi』’s owner, Bararu were sitting, facing each other. Between the two was that square-grid board made of wood.

「Shougi again?」

「Yep」

With his line of sight nailed to the board, without looking replied Doran, as I smiled in amazement.

The Shougi board was only something I made for the “modeling” test, but the one with the most interest in it was the inn’s Doran-san. After explaining the rules, he was perfectly addicted to it and tried to rope anyone he could into a game. Bararu was just as addicted and whenever they had any free time the tiles would be snapping away.

Well, honestly Bararu-san’s addiction saved me. Until he came along, with no other opponent to play, I was made to play countless times.

Even though I knew the rules I wasn’t very good at it. It wasn’t something that I really wanted to do. In the beginning I could win, but right now I’m no match for Doran. Because it’s something you like you naturally get good at it, is something that’s often said.

Asking Mika who was in the kitchen for some lunch. Not wanting to interrupt the two as they played sat a little bit away from them.

「Bararu, is the shop ok?」

「In this rain there won’t be hardly any visitors. I left things to the wife. Anyways, Touya-dono, could make another Shougi set?」

「Eh? I already gave a set to you didn’t I?」

Wanting to practice at home, made another set and gave it to Bararu the other day and had just handed it over.

「Shimon from the Item’s shop said he wanted one. Please」

「Well, it’s ok but…」

Someone that was better suited should make one, or so I though, it takes quite a while to actually make a proper board.

「Ah, thanks. With this,」

「Check」

「Nu!?」

Doran was folding his arms glaring at the board after he’d said that, then Bararu folded his arms as well and glared at the board. They’re really addicted. I didn’t think it would be like this.

「Here you go~. Hey you two should give it a rest.」

「Sorry. Only these guys right.」

With an imploring face, Doran looked at Mika. Well, if it wasn’t raining, these two wouldn’t spend the entire afternoon playing. Using the rain as an excuse was another way to look at it.

What Mika had brought for lunch was Mountain herb pasta, tomato soup, and a pair of sliced apples.

「Speaking of which, Mika, do you know where the others are?」

「Lindsey is in her room I think, Elsie and Yae went out.」

「In this rain?」

「They went to Parent to buy a brand new cake.」

Oh, that huh? After finding the vanilla after, I talked to Aeru and made the Vanilla roll cake.

Well, I taught them how to make it and told them the recipe, but I basically watched. But, it was still delicious. I got carried away and had them make the Strawberry roll cake too.

When Elsie found out about, she wanted to know why I didn’t bring any home, and grabbed my neck. How unreasonable.

The new cake was going on sale today. …Even still, they didn’t have to go out in this rain.

The attachment to sweets is scary.

「I’m home, Uwa- I got wet-」

「I’m home degozaru.」

Otto, speaking of the devil the two came right through the door. Closing their umbrellas and leaning them against the entrance.

This world doesn’t have any vinyl umbrellas. It has the shape of an umbrella but they’re basically made of cloth. Even still they were soaked in tree resin making them water-repellent.

「Welcome home. Did you buy it?」

「Perfectly. Thanks to the rain there were actually fewer people.」

Elsie lifted up and show the bag. What a nice smile, really.

「It was delicious degozaru」

「Ne~」

You ate some already? Just how many were there?

「Here, this is Mika’s.」

「Thanks. I’ll pay for it later.」

Elsie pulled out 4 white boxes from the bag and placed one in Mika’s hand. Mika shrewdly asked

「What about the rest?」

「One if for Lindsey, one more is for us, the last one is to be delivered to the Duke」

「Eh? Me?」

Speaking of, are you girls going to heat more!?

「Who else other than you can go to the Capital in this rain? Isn’t it common sense to give something to those that help you?」

You guys should come too, is want I wanted to say but refusal was scary. What is that–?

There’s no helping it, might as well go. Since its food it’s something that should be eaten as soon as possible.

And, that’s right, last time I went to the Capital, the duke showed great interest in Shougi. I should bring a set as a gift.

After telling Doran in advance, I used some of the scrap that was piling up in the back. Using 「modeling」 I made two sets of both Shougi boards and pieces. I’ve gotten used to making them after making them so many times.

I completed them in about 10 minutes. I tentatively checked them. Yep, they’re alright. One time I made one too many rooks and bishops before.

「Well, I’ll be back.」

Taking an umbrella, to use “Gate” I returned to the backyard. So that it would attract as little attention as possible.

The exit should be…in the shadow of the mansion’s gate is fine?

「Gate」

「Delicious! This is Delicious!」

「That’s disgraceful, Sue. But, it’s really delicious. This roll cake.」

Madame Ellen and Sue were overjoyed to eat the roll cake. Bringing it was effective. The duke also ate it noisily.

「Well, I could eat this all the time, I’m envious of the people in Leaflet. If I could use “Gate” like you I would go buy it every day.」

「If you would like, I can tell your chef the recipe and how to make it. It’s not really a secret.」

「Really, Touya?! Mother, we can eat this every day!」

The one that reacted most strongly was Sue. Oi, you’re drooling, daughter of the duke.

「Oh Sue. If you were to eat this every day you would get fat. Eat it only every other day.」

Laughing pleasantly at the duchess’s comeback. Every other day shouldn’t change much. But, if when I come back and Sue was really fat, then I’d feel a little guilty…

「And, that’s the Shougi that you mentioned before?」

「Yes. This a two player game, therefore would you like to play?」

I set the board and pieces in front of the duke and set up my pieces up on the board.

「Father! Me too!」

「Well, wait a moment. I’m going first.」

The duke imitated me and set up his pieces. Ah, the rook and bishop go are backwards.

「First, the movement of the pieces. This is called a 「Pawn」, it’s something like a solder. It can move forward only one space, but when it enters the opponents position───」

「Fumu…」

The duke learned the movements of the pieces one after the other. He’s learning pretty quickly. If it’s like this then he’ll improve in no time.

But, I didn’t have time to regret that……

「One more game! Just one more game! The next one will be the last!」

I already heard that line…… In the end, the Duke was just as addicted as Doran, challenging me to endless games. It’s already night time you know…… Sue, who had gotten tired of waiting, had fallen asleep on the sofa.

I had already thought this but, this world has very few amusements. So I get the impression that it would be like this.

「This is really interesting. We should get elder brother to try this!」

I was finally liberated at midnight The Duke said something completely unexpected. I didn’t think it would happen but, the King wouldn’t get addicted would he? There will be no playing Shougi instead of politics…

Ah, the rain let up.