Chapter 101
Chapter 101
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Major Remodeling of the Wood Magic Tower!
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The most eye-catching change was the spire that had looked like it might collapse at any moment.
It had been patched together with rough wooden planks, with ivy climbing up the green roof, giving it a rustic charm at first glance—
But it leaked like a sieve every time it rained, making it utterly unlivable.
Even so, they couldn't divert research funds to fix it, so they'd left it as a quirky design feature. Now, at last, it had been replaced with a luxurious brick roof!
Vice Wood Magic Tower Lord Stella and the Wood Magic Tower mage Cohen stood gazing up at the roof, sharing their thoughts.
"Somehow... it feels a bit lacking. There was a certain charm to the wooden roof..."
"What are you talking about, Cohen? Watch your words. That wasn't charm or anything—it was just a symbol of a rundown old building."
"I agree it needed fixing, but why not use sturdy wood? Now that we can interact with demons, we could have gotten some legendary Naitis trees, which only grow in lands infused with demonic energy."
"By the time those trees grew enough to make into planks, both you and I would be old men."
"No argument there..."
The two of them chatted about utterly pointless small talk, their faces beaming with innocent delight that didn't quite match the topic.
After all, this was the moment they witnessed the revival of the Wood Magic Tower, which had been little more than ruins!
As mages who had once been among the four who buried their bones here, their emotions ran especially deep.
And it wasn't just the symbolic spire that had been rebuilt.
The tower itself protruding above the first floor hadn't changed much—but the key was underground.
A massive room for labs, plus four whole underground levels of space, had been newly created!
Of course, completing this much space so quickly boiled down to two main reasons.
First, the Fire Magic Tower mages—who hadn't cooperated before—had used explosive spells to blast away the walls easily.
No longer competing over budgets like in the old days, and citing the logic that "helping the Wood Magic Tower means helping spread God's will directly, including through fertilizer," they got approval from Fire Magic Tower Lord Ian.
As a result, the earthworks time was drastically reduced.
Sure, if they were just holing up in a cave that might collapse anytime, they'd have stopped there—
But in a realistic situation where that wasn't feasible, the demons stepped in.
In terms of pure physical strength, they possessed bodies about five times tougher than humans—
Which meant they could build support pillars, ceilings, floors for the underground caves, and haul materials far faster.
"●◎▲▼○□◇◆■……(๑꒪﹏꒪๑)"
"You've worked hard. We'll of course pay your wages, and the Tower Master won't forget this favor."
"▼○□▲▼○◇◆ ⸜( •ᴗ• )⸝"
Watching the demons collaborate, Yunos gave a subtle smile as she thought to herself.
'The demons are definitely different from the ones I knew. Whether they were always like this or if it's "God's will" at work, I can't say...'
Still, if there was a path where no one died and no one killed, that was the one to take.
Ever since donning the green cloak, she too had begun pondering her role in this new world, one step at a time, while growing more aware of Igugwoden.
Anyway—
The Wood Magic Tower, now a proper large-scale operation, was about to embark on its first mission.
* * *
In the newly built massive conference room on the third underground level.
Reina, the Tower Master, gathered about ten of the tower's top mages. With a peculiar smile, she pulled something out and—
—thunk!
—slammed it down hard on the table.
It was holy water grown from Plain Fact—Cola.
"Here. Have a glass each."
Reina brought over several tiny glasses, poured a bit into each, and distributed them to everyone present.
"What's this? Liquor?"
"I heard there's a region that makes black beer..."
"No snacks?"
The assembled mages took theirs and sipped—
"This... this is it!!"
"Kyaa!"
"Igugwoden—!!!"
Just one sip, and their pupils turned square as they fervently cried out the name of "God."
For a fleeting moment, Reina felt a chill at the indescribable scene—
'Well, Cola is delicious... so this is probably normal?'
Having already tasted God's flavor herself, she brushed it off without a second thought.
"T-Tower Master! This doesn't taste like alcohol?! It's insanely good?!"
Reina slowly nodded at Stella's words.
"Right. It's not alcohol. It's a revolutionary drink to replace it—Cola."
"Cola... what an incredibly classy name!"
"But how does it have this fizzy bite...? Truly wondrous."
"Where'd you get it?"
"Listen up, and I'll explain slowly."
Reina laid it all out: meeting the Saintess, infusing holy water with God's power to create Cola, and how the idea struck her while eating chicken.
"So... the Saintess wants us to make something as close as possible to this?"
"Yeah. It's God's will, she said. Of course, now that I have some, it's not impossible—but as you all know, making fertilizer guzzles way too much 'Plain Fact,' the essential power for it. She wants to minimize that somehow."
Everyone present had been on the fertilizer expedition, so they easily grasped what "high Plain Fact consumption" meant.
"But if we cut back on Plain Fact, how do we even make something like this...?"
"Simple, Isaac. Think about what we mainly do."
"Well, we've been focused on fertilizer lately, but originally it's potions... Ah."
Isaac clapped as realization dawned.
Exactly.
Making something like this might not seem like a mage's job—but where were they?
The Wood Magic Tower had long veered off the royal road of magic with its diverse potion brewing.
Who else but them could do it!
"Right. It's something only we can pull off. Got it?"
"Understood."
Reina scanned everyone's faces and stretched her hand high overhead.
A cute habit of hers to grab attention, given her short stature.
"So, everyone—pitch ideas to replicate this unique 'flavor' and the 'zing' like drinking beer! Anything goes. Start from a 'potion brewing' angle."
"Even so, I've only been with the Wood Magic Tower a short time, so I don't have much potion experience..."
"We'll quickly cover the basics—me and Stella. Plus Isaac and Cohen are here."
"In that case..."
Satisfied with the response, Reina cleared her throat lightly—
"Let's take it step by step. Flavor replication or zing replication—which is easier? And in my view, the much easier one is—"
""The zing!""
The mages chorused in perfect unison.
"From a potion-brewing mage's perspective, nailing this novel flavor seems harder than recreating the beer-like thrill."
"Isaac, didn't you say your family runs a brewery?"
"Well, yeah, but... I don't think it applies to making Cola."
"Mind sharing why?"
Isaac, mid-chat with Cohen, bowed his head slightly at Reina's question.
"Simple. This zing comes from fermentation. But the Cola you gave us has none of that funky fermented smell... it's refreshingly clean instead. And you said it's not alcohol, right, Tower Master?"
"Yeah."
"Even if there was a way, it'd end up as booze if we brewed it like our beer... so maybe a totally different approach?"
"Hmm..."
As they all huddled and pondered—
"Wait a sec."
The one raising her hand was Yunos, the genius mage who had once led a Demon King subjugation party.
"Tower Master. This zing... from a mage's view, what does it feel like?"
"Hm?"
"I mean from an elemental mage's perspective."
Elemental magic—
The most basic building block of magic, the reason towers were named after elements like "Fire Magic Tower" or "Water Magic Tower."
Anything from spewing fire or making ice fell under it.
"Well... lightning magic, right?"
"Exactly. Hear me out—if we use a very faint lightning spell on water and bind the aftereffect effectively into the water... it won't be perfect, but it could get pretty close, no?"
"...Yunos. Are you saying zap people's mouths with lightning?"
"Of course not! Here, Stella—mind if I?"
"Eh? Me...?"
Yunos strode over to Stella, extended a finger slightly—
And pressed it right to her shoulder.
"Kyaa, wh-what are you—!"
—Zzt.
"Ah..."
"How's that? Hurt?"
Stella shook her head vigorously at Yunos's question.
"No. Just a tiny, tiny zing...?"
"That's the level of magic. Too weak to affect the body. You could dip your hand in water with this much power and it wouldn't hurt much. Want to try, Tower Master?"
"...Nah. I'll just commend Stella's sacrifice."
"More importantly, you can use lightning magic too?"
Unlike the awestruck old mage nearby, Yunos replied casually.
"I can handle any elemental magic."
"Really?!"
"Yeah. That's why every tower was clamoring for me—I can wield all elements freely."
"What astonishing talent... Wow."
Reina had known, but it must have shocked the other mages.
She'd wanted to recruit Yunos too—just lacked the budget.
To think the talent everyone coveted was now in a green cloak, under her, calling her "Tower Master"...
'Uhehehe... Plain Fact is the best...!'
"Tower Master."
"Eek!"
Yunos suddenly invading her personal space made Reina let out a very flirtatious squeak.
She whipped her head away, avoiding the close face.
Even as a fellow woman... she had this handsome vibe.
If not for those imposing breasts asserting their presence, she'd pass for a handsome guy.
"So? Can you bind it? Applying elemental magic to liquid has always been impossible... but with mana plus Plain Fact power, maybe?"
"Ah..."
Reina closed her eyes quietly, sensing the Plain Fact.
And realized once more.
With this power, nothing was impossible.
Plus, for something this minor, she instinctively knew it wouldn't take the time like making fertilizer.
"Looks good. Let's try it."
* * *
"Here goes!"
Zzt!
Yunos channeled lightning magic into a basin full of clear water.
At the same time, Reina's eyes sparkled—
"Hyaat!"
—and she used a spell to bind a tiny amount of ambient "Plain Fact" into unity.
But—
—Gulp, gulp.
"...Same. It won't bind."
No matter how many tries, she couldn't time capturing both water and lightning together.
"The spell's perfect..."
"Seems... the lightning dissipates too fast in water. But ramping up intensity risks danger... guess it's a fail."
"If the lightning just didn't vanish, it might work?"
"Lightning magic exerts its effect instantly on use—that's impossible."
Yunos sighed wistfully but soon laughed heartily—
"Well, what can ya do! No tool to sustain bound lightning, so another approach. My bad—I missed the mark. Sorry."
'Huh...?'
Hearing Yunos, Reina nodded as something clicked.
"Wait. How about aura on a sword?"
"Pardon?"
"No, like coating a sword with aura—the magic lingers. Could we use that to bind it?"
"...Ah!"
Sure, the intensity was too weak for a proper "aura blade" worth anything—
But as long as the lightning clung persistently, it was fine.
"Here's a longsword!"
"Ooh! Then let's test right—"
That moment.
"...Hold on!"
"Stella?"
"Aura weapons are for elite genius knights among the skilled! Mages like us can't maintain them even if we hold one."
"...Was that so?"
"You didn't know, Tower Master?"
"Nah, never planned on knighthood... just thought aura weapons were strong, that's it."
"Then we'd all be using them already..."
Yunos silently applied faint lightning magic to the weapon.
The sparks lightly wrapped the blade—
Then, poof, vanished.
"...Yeah. Feels like it fades when you try to move with it."
"Then call a skilled knight?"
"Well, sure, but..."
At Stella's words, Reina smirked confidently and wagged a finger.
"Hang on. I know just the person."
* * *
"Uh..."
The person Reina brought.
It was Holy Knight Dish—Luca—from the cathedral, who had recently said, "Call on me anytime you need help."
"So... you called me to use an aura weapon?"
"Y-Yeah... since you offered help, I thought..."
She'd gone confidently, managed to drag her here somehow—
But shy around anyone but close acquaintances or her tower mages, Reina fumbled awkwardly.
Hearing the gist, the earnest Luca replied in a serious tone.
"Aura weapon... Never tried, but I'll give it a shot."
"Here. Take it."
Yunos handed Luca the sword and swung faint lightning magic onto it again.
And Luca...
"...!"
Took it and wielded it freely like an extension of her body.
The aura held steady.
"As expected of a Dish of Holy Knights...! Aura weapons are a breeze for you!"
"It's nothing special... So, dip this in water now?"
"Yes! Please!"
Luca looked awkward at the praise, but plunged the lightning-wrapped sword into the water with a reluctant expression.
Then, as Reina's eyes lit up—
—Bang!
A tiny explosion sounded under the surface.
"Got it...!"
Hearing the voice, Luca slowly withdrew the sword.
Reina carefully scooped a cup of the water and poured it straight down her throat.
—Zzt!
"...Kyaa!"
Reina's cheer echoed, followed by relieved voices all around.
Imperfect though it was—
The "pseudo-carbonation" of this world was born: the faint afterglow of lightning magic, bound in water by Plain Fact's power, tingling the mouth.