The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 194: Interlude Mysty

As it had been decided that I would live in master’s mansion, I rearranged the detached smithing room into a workshop to my liking. I was very happy to be allowed to live together with my great master, who welcomed me as his bloodkin, a < Head Servant Leader >, and family,…Shuuya.

And in a break between the labyrinth adventures and my work as a lecturer, I started to remodel Eva’s magic wheelchair while keeping it a secret from master. Rebecca also came over to watch.

“The magic tool-like candle stand with its yellow flame is really pretty…this place is rapidly changing into a room befitting of a workshop, but isn’t it a bit too messy?” Rebecca asked.

“Nn, this messy state is important, I think?” Eva answered vaguely.

“Hmm, I see. Oh, there’s many tools I have never seen before. A magic tool to roll up parchments, or this, a bracelet that combines green and black metals? Going by its size, it’s for a sorcery doll?” Rebecca was full of curiosity. She and Eva talked while surveying my room.

“Yes, I added the metal I received from Eva, a bit of it. Right now it’s just the arm part, but it’s still in the middle of improvement. If the number of unknown metals from the labyrinth increases, I might be able to do a lot more things.” I explained.

“Hee, there’s also something spiky with intertwined metals. I don’t understand it at all, except that it’s amazing…nothing less of the metal expert Mysty, who works as lecturer and adventurer. I totally get why Shuuya likes you.” Rebecca praised me.

“Thanks, Rebecca. I will please master in my very own way!” I declared vigorously.

Once Rebecca heard those words, she looked slightly shaken and stammered, “…R-Right~, I-I think you’re doing y-your best. But…even I’m keeping at it!”

“Nn, Rebecca, don’t get all riled up.” Eva reigned her back in.

“Ah, yeah, sorry.” Rebecca yielded timidly.

This girl is interesting…blue flames are again dwelling in her eyes right now. I have to note it down in my memo pad at once.

□■□■

Report and Simple Investigation about Rebecca

When we all were indulging in perverted things, I heard from her that she’s a high elf.

Sometimes blue flames burn in her beautiful blue eyes. I perceive it as her high elf power manifesting its will from within her while linked to her emotions, even without her being aware of it.

In reality I think she has a good command over her blue flames, and I can assume that she has mastered that high elf power. I think it’s something close to an Extra Skill.

I can also deduct that it has an influence on her being strong at fire magic.

The reason why her high-ranked language magic has a firepower going beyond advanced level is due to that characteristic power of hers.

□■□■

“Wait a moment, you’re writing with a real verve while looking at my face, but you’re not going to research Eva?” Rebecca asked while puzzled.

“Ah, sorry.” I apologized.

“Nn, but that hand movement, is it a special skill of yours, Mysty? You scribbled things really fast while looking really amazing.” Eva asked.

Auuh, it’s slightly embarrassing. I’m not quite aware of my surroundings when writing…

“No, those were just some quick notes. Well then, I’m going to start the experiments with your magic wheelchair, Eva.” While writing things down on a parchment during those experiments, I unconsciously manipulated a metal in my hand.

“Nn, Mysty, what’s that mark on the metal?” Eva questioned.

“Isn’t it actually resembling the symbol on your forehead?” Rebecca added.

Just as Rebecca pointed out, I had naturally transformed the metal into the same shape as the crest on my forehead. I must have unconsciously invoked < Star Ore Casting >.

“…Ah, don’t mind it. Sometimes it turns out like this.” I dodged the issue.

Shit, shit, shit! Again while not being aware of it…

“Nn, got it.” Eva nodded with a smile.

But, maybe it’s related to that dream…? At that moment I recalled the past.

◇◇◇◇

I researched metals since I became aware of the things around me. Some thought that my elder brother’s influence didn’t play a small role in this, but it was actually different.

There was a dream that I have seen over and over again since my childhood. A strange city surrounded by metal. A mysterious city where humans with the same crest on their forehead as us of the Gustav family and people that resembled sorcery dolls were living together while helping each other.

I haven’t told anyone about this weird dream. Even not master.

It would be fine to talk about it to Shuuya, my great suzerain, but it’s far too crazy a dream, environment, or rather, ancient city?

However, it was an abnormally bright city, considering it was illuminated by artificial magic tools. And yet, the sky was abnormally dark, too.

I don’t want to be seen as insane, seeing as everything in that dream is different. That’s the reason why I haven’t mentioned it.

The sorcery dolls living in that city had refined shapes. I could sense that they were moving on their own accord rather than on orders.

When I saw those sorcery dolls in my childhood, I received a shock. There was a huge gap and difference to my own sorcery doll engineering. Above all, I didn’t feel like I could make something like those sorcery dolls from my dream…

Even though it was a dream, it was different from my desires.

I don’t understand…shit, shit, shit! That’s what I always thought as a child.

I couldn’t tell father, mother, and of course brother about the contents of this strange dream. There was a profound reason for it.

It’s because I became oddly skilled at handling metals each time I dreamed of the ancient metal city…

Given that I couldn’t say that it was because of a dream, I devoted myself to research everyday while keeping the dream a secret.

And when I turned eight years old I finally used < Star Ore Casting > for the first time, and created a simple golem from scratch. I was praised a lot by father and mother for this since I had exceeded the stage of an adult by handling Magic Steel Techniques through basic mana manipulation.

“As expected of our child. Starting with the basic technology, everything is first class.”

“You are the pride of our Gustav family and on the same level as your elder brother, Sol, who’s a Magic Gold Artisan.”

“Yeah. It’s a family lineage of those chosen by the gods.”

I was happy to see my parents smile. But it could be called only natural for me, seeing how I had the specialized skill for sorcery doll creation called < Star Ore Casting > that surpassed < Magic Ore Casting >.

However, probably around the time when I became nine years old, that dream took a sudden turn.

Countless forces of darkness advanced on the ancient city, where the humans and sorcery dolls were living, and the entire city was destroyed. Violated and overrun humans and sorcery dolls could be seen everywhere. On that morning I woke up while feeling a chilling fear as if those events were taking place in reality. My whole body was drenched in cold sweat.

Naturally I continuously unleashed my favorite, dirty word, shit, which I didn’t stop using even after being warned about it by father and mother. And then I got up from my bed while making sure to suppress the throbbing in my chest with my hand.

I opened the window and the room’s door in a hurry. I wanted to breathe in the outside air.

“――Milady, good morning.”

“Morning.” I looked outside while replying to the servant indifferently. The name of this servant in front of me was Chavez. He was my exclusive servant.

“You don’t look very good. Besides, the great crest of the Gustav family on your forehead is mysteriously shining…” Chavez pointed out.

I didn’t know that it was shining. I wondered whether it was related to the dream?

“…I see. Don’t worry about it.” I answered.

“As you wish. Milady, are you going to wash your face?” Chavez inquired.

“Yes, please.” Upon my answer, Chavez called for other servants.

I washed my face with life magic at the simple bucket they had prepared.

“We shall prepare your change of clothes.”

“No need. Everyone, can you leave my room? I’d like to study.” I instructed them.

“Understood.”

I also kept my distance from Chavez and the other servants in such a manner. Of course I didn’t attend the noble school in Hekatrail much either.

I hadn’t taken anything but the minimum classes on how to manipulate mana, and instead gained my knowledge by researching metals at home. As I was only researching while staying indoors, my parents worried about me.

Yet, my brother didn’t show any interest in me as he was concentrating on his ring creation study, and didn’t even try to get in contact with me.

When I turned fifteen while continuing such a lifestyle, I consumed mana by using the Black Life Furnace Workshop owned by the Gustav family, and managed to create many sorcery dolls even while getting scalded by the boiling metals.

Among them was one I really liked and thus named it Totto.

“What magnificent sorcery doll. For you to build such smooth sorcery dolls by using Tough Gold Steel, Spirit Steel, Spirit Copper Thread, wood and straw threads with a high-density crystal core, which consists of Magic Black Soft Steel and the fine powder of a firebird’s horn, in the center…”

“As expected of milady!”

“You have really exceeded simple < Magic Ore Casting >.”

“Even us, who work at the workshop, are proud of you.”

I was praised by various craftsmen such as Magic Gold Artisans, Magic Steel Engineers, and Magic Shell Doll Makers.

I honestly accepted their praises and continued those joyful days by repeatedly experimenting to fuse new metals while using Totto.

And then my brother, who I believed to have been married with his rings, married a woman. That was a big shock. For my brother, who was so enthusiastic about creating rings, to have had a woman…I didn’t know.

She was a beautiful woman called Theta-san. They apparently went on a date at the Heim River.

Shit, shit, shit! Explode, stupid brother!

Will I be able to find a man in the future? But I enjoy tampering with metals…humph, shit, shit, shit!

Even if I were to create a new family, I would still devote myself to my research.

Seemingly worried that I wouldn’t find a good man, my parents brought up talks about formal wedding meetings, and when two years had passed, I was notified that my brother’s wife fell ill as I was researching. And then, several days later…I received a message that she had passed away.

Brother’s face was dyed in despair…

Although I hadn’t talked much with him, I sympathized with his situation. However, from that time…brother went mad.

Without even holding a funeral for his wife, he stored her remains in an airtight container made out of magic gold, and began some incomprehensible research.

Of course, father and mother blamed Sol-niisan strongly. However, my brother didn’t give a damn, and gradually even became hostile to us, his family.

Moreover, he read a large number of the books handed down from the olden Gustav family generations, and slowly started to associate with strange folks. And then, at last, he caused a major incident by murdering members of the magic guild.

I thought my brother Sol Gustav, who had killed a noble descendant, would be arrested by the guards right away, but without even letting them get close…brother killed all those who tried to approach him, and using an experiment, he escaped from Hekatrail, leaving us behind with nothing but despair…

My father banished my cursed, shitty brother. However, there was no way for such a thing to go unpunished… The Gustav family was immediately crushed by the shitty Marquis House ruling over Hekatrail. All belongings and money was taken by the nobles belonging to the Marquis House.

Father and mother, who lost everything, were exiled from Hekatrail to the boonies, and while wandering a forest in despair, they died…

Given that I managed to hide my favorite sorcery dolls before they could be confiscated by the Marquis House, I loitered around the forests in a gloomy mood while using my dolls…

…Shit, shit, shitty brother. Don’t fuck with me. Shit, shit, shit, those fellows from Hekatrail are in the wrong, too.

Even though we didn’t do anything, we were scorned as trash and garbage. I shifted my focus towards criminal activities.

It was the same for the servants who had worked at our mansion. Even Chavez…and the servants who had praised me…all of them ran away.

It was all because that shitty brother of mine. I hated everything in this world.

This world is full of hate…that idea festered deep in my mind.

At the time when I fell into desperation and attacked everything, be it monsters or merchants, by using my sorcery dolls, I was surrounded and recruited by a thieves’ gang.

I think the me back then wished to die.

When I had carried out several jobs with the thieves’ gang, I met Shuuya. And he rescued the helpless, trashy me.

His words of farewell still echo in my ears.

A meeting that cleansed my body and soul…it’s a feeling I can’t possibly explain with the word benefactor, but if I hadn’t met him, master…I would have…

◇◇◇◇

“Nn, Mysty, tears?” Eva asked.

“Ah…no, I ended up recalling the past after seeing the metal crest…by the way, what about Rebecca?”

“She went to Balmint on the courtyard.” Eva replied.

“I see…” Rebecca seems to be the type that easily loses interest.

Once I turned my eyes towards the workshop’s entrance, “I heard that you had been in a thieves’ gang in the past,” Eva asked bluntly.

“…Yeah, I’m a murderer…” I whispered while averting my eyes from Eva’s pure face.

“Nn, Mysty, you don’t need to hold back. I’m the same. At the time when I came to this city, I was attacked by adventurers whom I considered to be my comrades. I turned the tables on them, and killed and seriously wounded them.” Eva explained with an expression as if it was very natural.

Her violet eyes were full of power. Her smile was beautiful, but she reminded me of a death goddess.

“…That’s only justified. But, in my case it’s unforgivable. I was hired by a thieves’ gang that attacked caravans, adventurers and innocent people.” I corrected her.

“No, it will be forgiven. I know. Mysty, you regret it from the bottom of your heart. I know that you’re thankful to Shuuya, and about your feelings of love and respect towards him.” I was comforted by her.

What a gentle woman. I fully understand the reason why Shuuya likes her…

I’m sure everyone is being healed by her. She seems to also be friends with Rebecca and Viine.

“Thanks, Eva. I will evolve this magic wheelchair soon.” I expressed my gratitude.

“Nn, do your best, Mysty.” She encouraged me.

I resumed my work after nodding and asked, “Eva, can you pour your mana into this?”

“Nn, sure.”

I see, it’s linked to Eva’s mana. I’m sure very sophisticated techniques and unknown magic skills had been used on this. Trying to improve the wheelchair without analyzing the core’s structure…

It might be possible to fiddle with its transformation device, if I fuse Black Magic Soft Steel into the Green Emperor Steel on the axis while having Eva pour her mana once more and taking out this Almarigit material.

“This Gudola wood and the adamantine wood here, at the core, are supplied with your mana through the Spirit Steel connected to the core.” I explained.

“Nn, yes, my blood and flesh has been used as well. It was created by a dwarf family. But, Mysty, you’re amazing. You identified the material without using appraisal.” Eva was surprised.

“Fufu, thanks. But, in this case…completely disassembling it will be difficult.” I had to yield.

The dwarf family, which constructed this magic wheelchair, is amazing.

Starting with the Magic Steel Techniques of < Magic Ore Casting > used in the creation of sorcery dolls, the wheelchair had been created by combining blood, mana, an unknown refined gold material, many crafting skills, and enchanting techniques…

Even if I had a mana composite furnace and the new materials, it would be still difficult for me to reproduce it.

“…It’s fine to do as much as you can.” Eva said in a reserved manner after seeing my grim expression.

“Okay. I will improve it as far as I can right now.”

I worked on those improvements while doing my job as lecturer.

Most recently I have deepened my interaction with my coworker Rin-san after becoming good friends with her, and was praised with “You’ve completely become like a teacher.”

And then, on a certain day when I came back from my job, I saw Shuuya training in the courtyard. He was holding a yellow spear in his hand.

I wondered whether he was doing some kind of martial arts demonstration. Once he rotated the spear in his hand as if revolving a writing brush on top of his palm after performing a thrust that seemed to rip through the empty space, he kicked up the spear with his foot, and jumped up high into the air in two stages as if chasing after that spear. In the air he summoned a magic sword in his left hand, and rotated to the left, mowing down the air with his sword.

The instant he caught the spear with his right hand while revolving in midair, he erased the magic sword in his left hand. And then he jumped even higher into the sky, obviously having created footholds in the air, shot < Chain > as if to stab the ground diagonally below him. However, the chain stopped on the way.

As I wondered what he was doing, he started to skillfully run on top of the chain that extended towards the stone paving. Once Shuuya ran down to the stone paving while thrusting and sweeping at the air with the yellow-bladed spear, he drew an arc with the spear that had maintained a mowing trajectory, and then stopped moving.

Wow, what moves…a spear prodigy, no, a divine spear master. Too cool…

Ah, I mustn’t. I shouldn’t be simply fascinated but have to write it down.

Just as usual I write about Shuuya’s strength.

His spearmanship is amazing. Where does he grow the muscles for that? Why are the chains extending? Is it because he’s the suzerain-sama of the Light Demon Lucival? I want his blood, but I wonder whether he will let me drink it? Blood…if I asked Shuuya, master, I’m sure he would accept it.

I love his gentle parts. However, we have sex always together with everyone, and I can’t do it with him alone…shit, shit, shit!

Because I had started to complain a bit too much there…I stopped scribbling down my thoughts at that point.

I removed my eyes from Shuuya…

“Nyaa.”

“Kyukyukyu～”

…and turned them towards the owners of those cute voices. Rollo-chan and Balmint were frolicking around at the part of the courtyard with the large tree.

Ah, she changed into her black panther form.

…I guess it’s her motherly breastfeeding time. That’s what I thought, but it was something else…Rollo-chan was peeing against the big tree with such a force that I could hear it all the way here.

While revealing an expression overflowing with an indescribably wildness, she shook her butt. Aww, Balmint is imitating her…

I wonder whether it’s alright to leave Balmint’s education to Rollo-chan at this rate. I’m slightly worried. Rollo-chan was sniffing the smell of Balmint’s pee.

Ah, I see. It might be Rollo-chan’s very own way to check his health condition. Although it might be something completely different, too.

“…Yo, Mysty. Good work with your job.” Master spoke to me as I was watching the charming (?) spectacle at the tree.

“Yeah, I’m back. You were training by yourself? What about the others?” I asked.

“Yep, Helme went somewhere while holding the broken Millennium Plant. Yui and Kaldo have a job for the dark guild. Eva and Rebecca are out shopping. They said they would buy spare leather armors and not go around eating delicious things.” Shuuya explained.

But, Viine, who’s always at his side, isn’t here, is she?

“…I can imagine. But, what about Viine?” I probed further.

“Viine has a job as market researcher and detective assistant. The pickpocket group at the free market of the tea shop, where Rebecca used to work, has become active, and I heard from Rebecca that there had been missing people, limited to teenage girls only. I was curious whether it was a kidnapping of women. When hearing that, Viine said that she would go investigate personally and asked me to wait for her report. I thought I might as well leave some things to her from time to time. She seems to be investigating the background of the incidents, including the pickpocket group. I think Viine is enjoying herself since she had that smile characteristic to her plastered all over her face.” Shuuya recounted the course of events.

Hee, how rare of him to not get involved personally if it’s related to women…

Well, maybe he just wanted to train his spearmanship, though.

Ah, if everyone’s out…I can monopolize master, Shuuya, for myself!

Once that wretched thought popped up in mind, Shuuya asked, “Mysty, we haven’t awoken your blood mana, have we? Let’s do it now?”

“Ah, sure.”

“You will need to be lightly dressed.” Shuuya’s look became slightly lewd, but I was very happy that he was looking at me as a woman.

“Okay, I will go change my clothes.”

Once we went to the main building together after I finished changing my clothes, master ordered the maids to not come to the second floor.

We ascended the spiral stairway with the nice-feeling wooden steps at the end of the corridor, passed through the place with the fireplace, left towards the veranda, and then headed to the place with the earthenware bathtub.

Master passed me a bracelet called Virgin Blade, and then explained various things while looking awkward.

“The sensation of blood, huh? I suppose I have to endure the pain.” I summarized.

“Yeah, well, please bear with it.”

“Okay, I will do my best.”

And then I continued to spill blood for some time while feeling the pain.

The instant I grasped the sensation, I obtained < Blood Path – Open First Gate > as skill. Next my combat occupation had a class up to < Blood Steel Doll Maker >!

I couldn’t procure a new skill for the golem manipulation, but my combat occupation changed.

So this is blood manipulation…my feet feel slightly itchy, but it’s surprisingly simple…

“Oh, you succeeded? I see that you have properly absorbed the accumulated blood.” Shuuya said.

“Yeah!”

My expectations for afterwards went up since it was just us two, but it finished with a light kiss. It’s because Rollo-chan and Balmint kicked up a fuss, and stormed into this place.

Rollo-chan jumped on Shuuya and licked his face. Balmint flapped his small wings and came to embrace me…

Jeez, shit, shit, shit! Just because you’re cute!

One day I will tell Shuuya about my dream…privately…