Chapter 45 – Master and Disciple (5)
Early that morning.
“Ummmm… It’s the owner… Break the horn with both hands like that… If you mess it up, I’ll beg you… Since you’re secretly strong, be a little more kind…”
… What the hell am I doing in that child’s dream?
Roden opened Roxia’s door slightly to see the girl talking in her sleep without knowing the world. Then, Roden closed her door again and headed for her basement studio with quiet steps.
Roxia, who has always been by her side to assist Roden in her work, has thinned her knowledge of herbalism and alchemy, but… She needs Roden to work alone and covertly, as she needs to handle the things she’s about to deal with only in expert hands.
It wasn’t obtained through a dignified process, and it’s not the kind of thing that a kid like Roxia can deal with. Even if you get help, it’s right to receive it at least after you become an adult.
Thinking so, the plants Roden took out of his inventory were the Ashas flowers and stems he had brought while he was cleaning out the windows of the Petrog group in the port city the other day.
Then, as he took out the preparations including materials one by one, he put on work clothes thoroughly, paying more attention to the area around the respiratory system than usual.
Of course, at the level of Roden’s mind and body, even if he absorbs some of the narcotic substances that will flow out during the manufacturing process, he can resist enough if he wants to.
Even so, the reason to protect the body with work clothes is to thoroughly develop the mindset as a person who handles drugs before discussing resistance.
I know the method, but I can’t be too proud of the knowledge in my head. This time I’ll have to refer to the book.
Roden, who finished his preparations, rummaged through his inventory and took out a book in the form of paper woven with threads. It was a book he had obtained when building knowledge in the Eastern Continent.
Palakpalak, he combined the knowledge written in the book with the knowledge in his head and began to make medicine with a calm mind.
The drug Roden is challenging this time is… It is often referred to as weak medicine. Of course, do not forget to pay enough attention to ensure that there are no side effects and dependence by adjusting the concentration to a safe level.
… After a while, Roden, who had spent a considerable amount of time working carefully, took off his work clothes while rubbing his stiff shoulders.
“Huuuuu…! Will it take about a week for the added ingredients to be sufficiently mixed? After everything is completed, I will do a light experiment first.”
Then, looking at the unfinished handmade aphrodisiac, I couldn’t stop the insidious imagination from rising in my head.
Thanks to the combination with the potion that restores stamina, the opponent won’t fall down easily if they eat it, so you’ll be able to enjoy a very enjoyable time for a long time.
It is a product made purely for use only by the person himself. In the first place, it cannot be sold because it is secretly made without permission from the lord.
If the safety is confirmed through the experiment, the target to use the aphrodisiac is, of course, merim.
Roden had only indulged her desires by making occasional visits to her red light district until he first became involved with her.
However, as he had a steady relationship with Merim, his sexual desire was ignited in earnest, albeit belatedly, and he even made homemade aphrodisiac.
Since it is a precious material that has been obtained, it would be okay to pursue new challenges and stimulation from time to time.
With the lid on her medicine completely closed, Roden put the box containing her test items in the coolest corner possible.
It’s natural because there are other boxes around, and I’ve always told Loxia not to touch the medicines stored in the box, so this is enough.
After finishing his work, he took off his overalls and decided to check and organize some items in his inventory before going up and washing up.
Come to think of it, Roden has benefited a lot from the inventory, a supernatural ability that only became aware of its existence after the third loop.
The official name is completely different, but Roden is very familiar with the word inventory, so he has been calling it that way from the beginning until now.
I’ve tried various things… Regardless of the size, living creatures cannot be stored, and excessively bulky items cannot be stored. The capacity limit is approximately 200Kg, so it is quite generous.
Other than that, there are no restrictions whatsoever.
If you leave things stored for too long, dust can accumulate, and you need a trick to get out exactly what you want.
Now that Roden, who is completely proficient, can pull out anything he wants from empty space with just his hand, it is an almost universal backpack.
After rummaging through the inventory and taking out scrolls and artifacts, Roden spread them out on the floor and checked them one by one.
First of all, the scrolls. Among the scrolls obtained through the deal with the eccentric witch, there are three scrolls left, including the one that was given back to Roxia.
If this runs out, Roden will try to contact the witch again.
Then the crow that distorts perception, the hourglass of imperfect time, the magic-powered bio-metal sphere… An artifact with the name, and the beloved sword he used when he was a hero caught his eye.
Originally, he owned a few more artifacts, but in the past he disposed of them at high prices except for those he needed.
“…Didn’t you think we should have sold this at the same time?”
Roden muttered that while wiping off the dust accumulated on the bowling ball-sized iron ball, chewing the cud over the information he had learned from several experiments in the past.
To put it simply, it is a rare artifact that can act as a prosthetic arm that can replace a damaged arm or leg.
I’m keeping it for now in preparation for the one case in case. As you can see, it’s an artifact that’s stuck in the inventory and eating a lot of dust, so it’s a problem because it takes up space unnecessarily.
It’s best if this kind of thing is never used, so it would be fortunate… ．
Anyway, after wiping off the remaining artifacts and the dust accumulated on his beloved sword, Roden put them back in his inventory.
After getting out of the basement and washing briefly, he immediately fell asleep.
* * *
While the ten days passed, Marill, who had visited Roden every three or four days and received constant instruction, began to step on the extension of her past training today by visiting the potion shop with her older sister, as usual.
As soon as she started, she drew her sword and buckler in front of Roden’s eyes, took a stance, and swung her lightly into the air a few times.
“Huh… How is it?”
“Now, even without being conscious of it, the posture comes out naturally. The posture to wield the sword is cleaner than before, and it seems like you practiced a lot until you come back.”
“Thanks to what I learned from Mr. Roden, my overall movements are much better than before. Last time I hunted, not only Merim, but Captain and Junoa also praised my movements, right?”
As a result of her diligent follow-up as she taught, as she watched Marill’s meaningful achievements, Roden, who felt good inside her, clapped her hands lightly and decided to proceed with her today’s class.
“Isn’t it boring to just wield a knife in the air?”
Saying that, Roden grabbed her prepared wooden sword and pointed the blunt tip at Marill.
The wooden sword Roden had carved was made for training purposes, with both the blade and the tip blunt. It could be described as a club in the shape of a sword.
It is obvious what it means for the person teaching the sword to hold a wooden sword.
Ah… ，I can finally cross swords with Mr. Roden!
It was obvious that she would take care of it in moderation anyway, but Marill, who was filled with anticipation at the thought of being able to compete with a competent person, looked around her and looked for something else that should have been prepared, but she couldn’t find it.
“Looks like you’re looking for a wooden sword, but I’ve prepared just one. You just attack with the weapon you’re holding.”
“Yes? Fighting with a real sword?”
“If you want to improve your skills quickly, it would be more efficient to use a weapon that you normally wield rather than a wooden sword.
“…All right.”
Marill hesitated for a while, but she soon made up her mind, and she looked at Roden, who was holding her pose while she was contemplating.
She’s just holding a wooden sword, but it’s like she’s become a completely different person.
The other person is taking an unshakable posture that gives the illusion of looking up at a huge tree that has already rooted nicely, so I feel a sense of security and trust.
“Don’t worry about anything, it’s okay to attack with all your might.”
As soon as she heard her say, “Let’s begin,” Marill lunged at Roden.
Kaaang! Even when her wooden sword collided with the sword, a sharp sound resounded as if her swords were clashing with each other.
In that state, when Roden angled her wooden sword inward and applied force, the sword Marill was holding instantly floated into the air.
Then, with her empty hand, she grabbed her arm swinging her buckler, then pulled Marill’s body tight and hooked her leg.
Marill, who fell to the ground, tried to stand up straight away, but the tip of her wooden sword was aimed at her throat.
“Oh, that’s amazing. Mr. Loden… It’s more than I could have imagined.”
“I tried to make it as real as possible, so I ended up handling it a little rough.
“It’s okay! Please keep asking until the time is right!”
“Okay, stand up again and get up.”
“Yes!”
She doesn’t like people who work hard, and it’s the same with Roden, so she liked Marill’s attitude, which still ignited her motivation.
… After that, her Marill body rolled on her ground well over ten times before it got dark.
“Haa… Haaa…!! Haa…!”
Marill was mindful of her opponent’s counterattack and showed more efficient moves each time she charged again, but she was countered every time or rather stabbed in the vitals before she could even swing her sword. Her attack was only one against Roden. Never reached.
As she swung her weapon and fell over and over again without a moment’s rest, Marill felt like her energy was draining out.
As she lay helplessly on the ground, pearl-like transparent sweat flowed down her body, while Roden’s breath was not disturbed, let alone a single drop of sweat.
“I thought you’d say you wanted to take a break in the middle, but you’re surprisingly tough. Today was especially hard.”
Laying down her wooden sword, Roden reached out to help her Marill stand up easily.
“Ah…Now it’s dirty because I’m covered in sweat.”
“What’s so dirty about the sweat you shed from training? Don’t worry about it, hold my hand and wake up.”
Marill was delighted with Roden’s words, but apart from her emotions, she was still hesitant.
I don’t know Mr. Roden, but I care… ．
“…Yes. Thank you again today.”
Realizing that she shouldn’t betray her partner’s goodwill, Marill stood up shyly, holding his outstretched hand, and she leaned lightly on Roden’s body as they walked to the front door of the store.
For some reason, I was so happy at this moment.
“Clean!”
“Clean!”
Merim and Roxia, who were waiting at the door, cast the clean magic they had prepared in advance as soon as they ran into Maril, who was covered in sweat and dust.
The effect was great, probably because two people used it at the same time, and Marill quickly returned to her clean appearance.
“Ah… Thank you.”
“Mr. Roden is really… He takes care of it in moderation.”
“Then you can’t train. This is also something that you care about in your own way.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Merim’s attitude toward Roden was the same as usual, but I felt a strange grunt.
However, if tomorrow night passes, Merim will change like a gentle sheep again for a while.
Tomorrow is the day when Merim visits Loden’s store from morning to teach Loxia, which means that she will have a private time with her at night.
Roden was already excited at the thought of using the aphrodisiac, which he had just finished testing, on the cheeky wizard with his manner of speaking.
