Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Corin's Shadow (8)
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Several days passed.
"Then, come back safely. Cal."
"Yes, Lord Theodor."
"Ah, wait a moment."
I stopped Calisto just as he was about to leave. Then, I handed him a pouch I had prepared in advance.
"This is……."
"Cookies. I tried imitating the Rembe cookies from the elves, but they're not perfect. Still, they're edible enough."
The recipe for the elves' Rembe cookies and Rembe bread was passed down in strict secrecy, so perfectly replicating it was impossible. But I could roughly guess the ingredients and method, so I made a clumsy attempt. I thought of Calisto, who had to go on an orc subjugation mission that wouldn't suit his tastes.
"Lord Theodor……!"
Sure enough, Calisto looked deeply moved as he alternated glances between me and the pouch. Like a Korean who's been living abroad for years and finally encounters gochujang.
"Don't get your hopes up too much."
I waved it off, but Calisto still gazed at me with sparkling eyes.
"I tried making them myself, but I couldn't even get the ingredients. How did you……."
"I have seeds from Lyset. I used those."
"You're truly amazing."
"No, it's not that big a deal. The taste will be different anyway."
"I'll savor them gratefully."
"Yeah, yeah. Now go. You'll be late."
Calisto carefully tucked the pouch into his bosom and departed. The mercenaries joining the orc subjugation had already signed up long ago, so he was probably the only one applying now. He'd naturally draw attention. After that……he'd handle it himself. As Calisto said, no one was as accustomed to killing orcs as the elves.
"That elf is finally gone."
Hmph. El grumbled in a dissatisfied tone while glaring at Calisto's shrinking figure. Even after spending time together, things hadn't improved between El and Calisto at all. It was regrettable, especially since we didn't know how long we'd stay in Corin.
"You could've sent me instead, and I would've done just as well. Probably even better."
"Of course, El. I know your skills. But in your case, there's a risk of your identity being exposed, so I'm just being cautious."
It had been a long time since the Reinhardt family was wiped out, and El had changed beyond recognition from before, but who knew if someone might recognize him someday, somewhere. Especially in a big city like this.
'Better safe than sorry.'
Besides, even though Calisto had taken on some work for us, we still had plenty to do. Tonight, when Lloyd returned, we had to make contact with Lewis.
El and I headed to the bustling shopping district. To check El's weapons and gather materials for a totem. We stopped by the blacksmith first. Thanks to all the recent events, El's armor had scratches here and there, so we had them smoothed out. I also bought him a few new throwing daggers.
"……."
I glanced over the arrows lined up on one side of the smithy, then lightly touched one with my hand gloved in Starfish Leather Gloves. Normally, it would feel like a burning pain, but the gloves made it harmless.
'But somehow, using these doesn't sit right with me.'
Arrows were still better when I made them myself. Carving wood or bone wasn't that laborious. It even put my mind at ease…….
I turned my eyes away from the smithy's arrows.
The smithy looked quite empty. Probably because all the decent weapons had been snatched up by mercenaries preparing for tomorrow's subjugation. Even the blacksmith working on El's gear looked fatigued. Anticipating we'd need to return, I paid him generously before leaving.
"What totem are you making this time?"
El asked in an expectant tone, having benefited greatly from the totems I'd made so far. I pondered for a moment, shrugged, and replied.
"Who knows. Pure white wool would be nice……but the mercenaries have probably bought it all up for the orc subjugation."
"Pure white wool?"
"Yeah. There's a superstition that orcs hate the smell of pure white wool. It's not a superstition—it's true…… Anyway, since it works, it's all gone by now."
"Then what do we do?"
"We'll use another method."
El and I entered a monster byproduct shop. Unlike the smithy, it was overflowing with goods. Probably because mercenaries from other regions had sold off all their byproducts.
"Hello."
"Welcome."
I scanned the interior, then asked the shopkeeper.
"I need iron hedgehog spines. How many do you have?"
"Two bundles."
"I'll take both……and do you have snowfield bat wings?"
"Let me check……three pairs."
"Give me two pairs. And one small mud rhinoceros horn."
"No large horn?"
"Yes. It has to be the small one."
"The condition isn't great."
"That's fine."
"If so."
The shopkeeper promptly brought out my orders and began wrapping them in coarse cloth. The iron hedgehog spines were so sharp they pierced the cloth, requiring an extra layer.
"Thank you."
The small mud rhinoceros horn was in poor condition, so I got it at a bargain price. Good deal. We grabbed some skewered meat sprinkled with Charlotte seasoning for a quick bite in the shopping district, then returned to the inn.
"Now, let's finish before dinner."
I flung open the small bathroom window, brought in a tiny cauldron, and lit a fire beneath it.
"El, wait outside."
"Yes."
"Don't open the bathroom door by mistake. The smell will be terrible."
"Got it. I'll keep that in mind."
With the door closed, I added crimson millet stems to the boiling water and began simmering them. Soon, red liquid seeped out. I tossed in the snowfield bat wings and turned up the heat.
-Bubble bubble!
-Blug blug!!
As the cauldron boiled, a foul stench spread. Even with my nose plugged by mint-soaked cotton prepared in advance, the revolting smell seeped through.
"Ugh!"
As the snowfield bat wings melted, the water filling the cauldron turned into a thick pink gruel. I fished out the wing bones with tongs and added the small mud rhinoceros horn to the gruel.
Now it was a race against time—and my stomach.
Mud rhinoceroses have two horns. One is the large lower horn, and the other is the tiny upper one. The large horn is for attacking foes—extremely hard and tough, rivaling steel in strength. It's often used for sword hilts.
The small horn was entirely different. It wasn't for combat to begin with. Unlike the large horn, its interior was hollow, containing the mud rhinoceros's mana 'cores.' These crude bead-shaped cores were once sold like hotcakes as an aphrodisiac, but suddenly rumors flipped, claiming the opposite, and demand plummeted.
'Works in my favor.'
Clack clack, the small mud rhinoceros horn bumped against the cauldron, making harsh noises. I stirred vigorously until the sound stopped. How much time passed?
-Ting~!
-Ting-a-ling-ling~!
Suddenly, a clear, transparent chime rang out. The horn had fully melted, revealing the cores inside. I stirred diligently, extracting the pearl-like, pristine glowing cores. The remaining liquid…….
-Pop!
I opened the Dimensional Garden and handed it to Pyu.
"Use it as silver fir fertilizer."
-Pyu pyu!
Since it contained mana, it was technically edible for humans……but the disgust factor meant no one would. Fertilizer it was.
"Whew……."
While waiting for the bathroom smell to dissipate, I counted the cores. One, two……three. Just three? Usually four. Still, one was exceptionally large and fine. Worried about the horn's condition, but this was top-grade.
I set the cores aside and moved to the next step. I laid out the iron hedgehog spines on the floor……
"Legion."
"Ugh, Theo. Smells."
"Bear with it a bit. It'll clear up soon."
"Theo. Me. Hate. Smell."
"I'll plug your nose."
I grabbed Legion's head, which was barely peeking from my bosom, and stuffed mint-soaked cotton into its tiny nostrils. Hilarious sight. If I had a phone, I'd snap a hundred pics.
"Theo. Ugh. Itches. Nose. Itches."
Legion whined nasally for a while until it got used to the cotton, then emerged to scout around.
"Good boy, Legion. Help me out?"
I soothed Legion, placed it on a wooden chair, and picked up an iron hedgehog spine with tongs.
"Now, breathe fire here. Not too much—just a light scorch."
"Theo. Me. Light?"
"Yeah, light."
Legion bobbed its head up and down, then parted its mouth slightly and huffed! out black flames. The iron hedgehog spine, notorious for being impossible to heat even in a proper forge, glowed red-hot. I seized the moment and bent it into a circle. The needle-sharp spine bent like wire.
"Perfect, Legion."
"Theo. Me. Perfect?"
"Perfect. One more?"
"Theo. Me. One more."
Huff! Legion inhaled and spat black flames. I quickly bent the heated spine. Repeating this, soon the floor was piled with round rings.
"Phew……."
Thanks to Legion's flames, the bathroom was steamy hot. I wiped sweat-drenched brow, then wove the iron hedgehog spine rings onto golden silkworm thread. I interspersed the cores. Clink, clink—the rings chimed crisply against each other.
[Totem: The best defense is a good offense has been completed.]
"Done!"