Chapter 40: Magic City(3)
Chapter 40: Magic City(3)
“A personal request?”
“That’s right... As you may have guessed, it’s not a particularly safe one. No one else would take the job, which is why I’m asking you.”
Just how dangerous could it be? Still, if I could get my hands on that brilliant Magic Storage Orb, I was willing to do just about anything.
“Husband... please don’t do anything dangerous.”
Natasha, who had been listening quietly, tried to dissuade me, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least hear the details.
“Could I hear the story first?”
“My request is simple. Ten years ago, there was a time when disappearances were frequent in the Magic City. My grandson went missing back then. But I know it! My grandson is definitely still alive!”
“So you want me to find your missing grandson. That doesn’t sound as dangerous as I thought.”
“Well, that depends on where he went missing, doesn’t it? The place my grandson disappeared... is the abandoned mine behind the Magic City. Of course, when my grandson worked there, it was a perfectly normal mine. But after he vanished, all sorts of grim rumors started to spread. Now, no one dares to go inside.”
“...”
Talk about good timing. I was planning on going to the abandoned mine in the Magic City anyway.
Of course, I would never go to such a scary place alone.
But if I went with Lina and the others, it would be 100% safe. This wasn't a bad deal at all.
“Alright, ma’am. I’ll accept your request.”
“Oh! Really? Are you sure? I already told you it’s an abandoned mine with many frightening rumors, didn’t I?”
“I have business there anyway. I’ll be going in with my companions. Please just wait until then.”
“I’ve waited ten years... what’s a little longer? I’m counting on you!”
The old woman grasped my hands, her eyes welling up with tears. It made me think of my own mom.
I was patting her back as she cried for a good while. Suddenly, as if she’d just remembered something, she spoke up.
“Wait right here for a moment. Looking at you, I feel like I’m seeing my own grandson. He was a handsome, dependable young man, tall and well-built just like you. He worked as a miner... but he always used to say that one day he’d make a name for himself as an adventurer. I had something prepared for him. I’ll entrust it to you.”
The old woman disappeared into the back. When she returned, she was holding a set of clothes.
“They’re magically treated. They may look like ordinary clothes, but they’re woven with steel thread and enchanted, so they’re incredibly durable. An ordinary sword couldn’t even cut them.”
Ooh. Such a valuable item. Enchanted equipment was extremely expensive.
“I’ll give you this in advance. If you rescue my grandson, I’ll give you the orb then. Please... be careful. The more I look at you, the more you resemble my grandson. Sniff... sob...”
“What’s your grandson’s name?”
“Jamie. His name is Jamie. He has your face, but his hair is brown.”
“And the clothes he was last seen wearing?”
“He was a miner, so he would have been in his work clothes.”
“With just that, it might be difficult for me to recognize him...”
“He wears a necklace. A locket with a family photo inside. Jamie never takes it off. I should be in that photo, too. Though it’s a picture from ten years ago...”
“Looks like me, brown hair, a necklace... miner’s clothes. If I find him, I’ll be sure to bring him back, ma’am.”
“I’m counting on you. For now, try this on. The size adjusts automatically, so don’t worry.”
Magic really was amazing. As soon as I put on the clothes the old woman gave me, the size adjusted to fit my body perfectly. How strange.
“It looks great on you, Husband!”
“Thank you, Natasha.”
“It’s as if my grandson has come back alive... He was so handsome and tall, just like this...”
Thanks to the magical treatment, the clothes felt as light and thin as regular cotton. It was like wearing a high-end, custom-tailored suit.
I had my doubts about whether something like this could really block a sword, but since the old woman said she’d prepared it for her grandson, I decided to trust it.
Kerry and Natasha left the shop, seen off by the old woman who followed them all the way to the door.
“Husband. Are we all done with our business now?”
“Yes. There’s nothing else urgent.”
I had wanted to learn more about the magic orb, but judging by the old woman’s reaction, it seemed unlikely I’d find anything by wandering around the Magic City.
It would be better to ask the person who actually made the orb rather than exhausting myself for nothing.
To meet the White Witch, I’d have to wait until nightfall. And honestly, since it was my first time here, I wanted to see the sights of the Magic City myself.
“A date! It’s a date!”
Natasha looked excited, too. It was then, on our way out of the shop and toward a famous tourist street, that I saw a familiar face.
It was Victoria.
“Victoria? You’re back already?”
It seemed Victoria had finished her business and was on her way back to our inn.
“...”
But she didn’t look well.
She stood there, hand over her mouth, trembling as if she’d just caught her boyfriend cheating. We’re not even dating. What’s with her?
Natasha’s triumphant, victorious smile made her look just like the villainess in a soap opera who had stolen the male lead.
“Husband, just ignore her. Let’s hurry up and go on our date.”
“...Stop. I... I will go with you.”
“What? This is our date. Didn’t you hear me?”
“Kerry. I’m going with you, too. That’s alright, isn’t it?”
Victoria and Natasha glared at each other as if they wanted to kill one another. Then, they both turned to me simultaneously, demanding an answer.
Ah, to hell with it. Whatever happens, happens.
In the end, I had no choice but to spend the day sightseeing with both of them, watching them bicker the entire time.
After a long day of sightseeing, we returned to the inn late at night.
The constant power struggle between Natasha and Victoria had been completely draining, but I suppose something like this wasn’t so bad once in a while.
The old woman, looking well-rested, greeted us with a comfortable expression.
“You’re back late, eh? Son-in-law. And the noble lady is with you? Come on in.”
“Where is Lady Lina?”
“Miss Lina hasn’t returned yet. She’s taking longer than I thought.”
It was Lina’s business. I was sure she could handle herself.
“Well then, Natasha, Victoria, I’m going to head to my room now.”
“...”
Both Victoria and Natasha looked at me with disappointment.
Amidst it all, Victoria discreetly flashed me that obscene finger sign of hers, but I shook my head firmly.
I had something to do tonight. I had to visit the White Witch and ask her about the orb.
“Hmph!”
Victoria, apparently offended by my rejection, sulked and stormed off to her room.
“Husband. Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You too, Natasha. Sleep well.”
At last, Kerry could be alone in his room. Phew. What a hectic day. Still, the sightseeing hadn’t been bad.
There weren’t many places in this other world with as much to see as the Magic City.
In particular, the various strange magical tools seemed to be the very embodiment of a man’s fantasy.
Of course, they were ridiculously expensive and difficult to use, so I didn’t buy any.
As dawn approached, Kerry got out of bed. Oops, I must have dozed off.
Well then, shall I pay the White Witch a visit?
Kerry placed his hand on the White Witch’s seal. As he pressed the code, like a digital door lock, his vision began to shift.
To a pristine white bedroom. No matter how many times I saw it, this place was weird.
I looked around, but the White Witch was nowhere in sight.
The bed was draped with a white lace canopy. She must be sleeping. It made sense, given the time.
Kerry pulled back the lace and approached the bed. The White Witch was sleeping soundly, bundled up under the covers.
She’s actually kind of cute when she’s asleep.
“Wake up, Witch.”
“Hnnngh...”
“I said, wake up.”
“Haaah... y-you mustn’t do that... Kerry...”
What was she dreaming about? What mustn’t I do?
“Get up. If you don’t get up soon, the gender-equalist inside me might just awaken.”
At that, the White Witch’s eyes shot open. That incident must have really left her with some trauma.
“...Gasp! Kerry? You’re here... It’s so late...”
“Sorry. But if it’s not nighttime, I’m always with my companions, so I don’t have a chance to come alone.”
“...I understand. You may come whenever you please, even at night.”
The White Witch slid out of bed. Her nightgown was slightly askew, revealing the full cleavage of her ample chest.
“Eek! D-don’t look!”
“...You’re the one showing it off. Besides, haven’t we already seen everything there is to see?”
“A-anyway, hurry and get away from the bed. I am going to... change my clothes.”
After a short wait, the White Witch reappeared in a neat set of clothes. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to just stay in her pajamas?
“So, what brings you to me today? You only ever visit when you have business with me, don’t you?”
“Hey, why do you have to say it like that? It’s true I came because I need something, but...”
“Hmph! I knew it. Just tell me what it is.”
I told her about my trip to the Magic City. For the record, I had already told her the whole story about getting stranded with Victoria.
While I had been going through a rough time, the White Witch had enjoyed it as if listening to an exciting adventure story.
As expected, her eyes lit up today as well when I mentioned the Magic City.
“The Magic City... I recall visiting it a hundred years ago. From your story, it seems to have changed quite a bit. It is also where those foolish fools from the Magic Tower reside. Kerry, do not get close to those Magic Tower bastards. They were a bunch of insufferable curs who were jealous of my talent. They would surely be the same toward you.”
The Magic Tower, huh. I didn’t think I’d have any reason to go there for now.
“Stop getting lost in my adventure story and answer my question. Where do I have to go to get a magic orb?”
“That is...”
“That is?”
“I do not know.”
“...You want me to knock some sense into you again? If you don’t know, just say you don’t know. Why act all high and mighty?”
“C-calm down. It is merely a bad habit of mine. I will try to fix it in the future... Besides, if there are none for sale in the Magic City, where the trade of magical tools is most active... wouldn’t it be the same elsewhere? They were not very common even when I was making them, so I suppose many have been lost over the past hundred years.”
“...Ah. This is a pain. I’d really like to have more of these orbs. Preferably a higher-grade one than what I have now.”
“It cannot be helped. The ore that serves as the raw material is a rare substance, and no one besides myself knows how to make them.”
“...”
“Still, is it not a good thing that you have even one Magic Storage Orb? And if you wish... I can inscribe a different spell on it, other than the Wind Blade magic it currently holds.”
“!”
“I-I apologize for not telling you sooner! But I have been alone for so long that I had forgotten! Please do not be angry! You must not let the gender-equalist inside you awaken!”
The White Witch was stammering out excuses, but Kerry wasn’t listening.
It wasn’t because he was angry. He could use magic other than Wind Blade. He was so happy he was grinning from ear to ear.
“Then... Flame Magic! Please inscribe it with Flame Magic.”
Fire was the best way to deal with those ghouls.
He still shuddered, remembering how the Combined Ghoul had started to regenerate even after its body was completely sliced apart.
“...Very well. I shall go and retrieve the device. For your information, that orb is of the lowest grade, so it can only hold low-level magic.”
“Don’t tell me... higher-grade orbs can hold better magic?”
“But of course. A top-grade Magic Storage Orb can hold even my most powerful spell. Although... I only made a few even a hundred years ago. On the surface now... there are likely none left.”
Ah, I see the light. A life in another world, filled with fantasy and adventure, was unfolding brilliantly before my eyes.
Kerry handed the orb to the White Witch. She said she had a separate workshop and led him there.
As befitting an archmage’s workshop, there was a lot of cool-looking equipment.
“It has been a long time... I am not sure if this will work.”
“What happens if you fail?”
“The orb will break.”
“Then you’d better be prepared to be broken along with it.”
“...Do not worry. Such a thing will not happen.”
The White Witch began her work. Not wanting to be a bother, Kerry returned to the bedroom.
Being alone in the bedroom was incredibly boring.
How did she spend a hundred years alone in here? It was something Kerry could hardly even imagine.
As he wandered around the room, the bed caught his eye. It was the bed the White Witch slept in.
Kerry threw himself onto it. Wow. This is a high-quality bed. The feeling of lying down was extraordinary.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a nap. After all, it was the middle of the night, when he should have been sleeping anyway.
With the real intention of getting some sleep, Kerry slipped under the covers. It was then that he felt something damp inside the sheets.
Feeling uneasy, he lifted the blanket and checked his hand. A sticky liquid?
He instinctively sniffed his fingers. It smelled exactly like a woman’s most secret place.
Judging by the wet spot on the bedsheet, it was definitely arousal fluid.
He suddenly remembered the White Witch’s sleep-talking from when he’d arrived.
[Haaah... y-you mustn’t do that... Kerry...]
Ah. Could it be? That. A smirk spread across Kerry’s lips.