A Creative Alchemist Enjoys His Freedom – After Being Banished from His Hometown, He Is Now Free to Create Magical Items with Incredible Effects Under the Control of the Demon King - Episode 26

Episode 26: “Holding a Tea Party”

　──Thor’s point of view──

　The next day, Agnis and General Raizenga returned to their territory.
　In the end, the general said, “I will prepare a workshop and a residence for you in my territory.” It seemed that he did so as an apology and a token of gratitude for what had happened.
　When I asked if I could go and check it out at some point, General Raizenga nodded.
　Agnis also said, “I’m looking forward to it.”

　Agnis seemed very embarrassed, as it was probably her first time to appear in public in casual clothes.
　By the way, she was wearing the sky blue dress that Mabel had given her. Agnis didn’t have any casual clothes yet, so Mabel had lent them to her.
　The General had said, “When we return to our territory, I plan to have clothes tailored to suit Agnis. Please look forward to it.”

　I would also go and check out the land for the workshop soon.
　When that happened, I would be able to see Agnis in casual clothes. I was looking forward to it.

　And so I saw off Agnis and the general──
　I returned to the room and decided to continue my research.

“This stone Agnis gave me…『Meteorite』”

　I was in the “temporary warehouse” with the black stone and was doing appraisal.

　Agnis gave me the alchemy materials through Mabel.
　It was a black stone about the size of a pinky finger.
　It was a stone that did not change even at high temperatures, and it seemed to have fallen near the mine.

『Creative Alchemy』 Appraisal ──

──────────────────

『Meteorite』

　A stone that fell from the dark space (sky).
　It has different attributes and compositions than materials found on Earth.

　Attribute: Space ×3, Darkness ×2, Earth ×1

──────────────────

“It’s the first time I’ve seen『Space Attribute』.”

　When I thought so, 『Creative Alchemy』 reacted.

『You have awakened to a ‘Space’ attribute’ by a successful appraisal of a meteoric stone.』

『It is possible to add the ‘space attribute’ to the item you create.』

　──Since coming to the Demon King’s territory, I have been able to use new attributes one after another.

The five elements of the other world were “wood, fire, earth, metal, and water”.
　The meteorite that fell from the sky contained the ‘space attribute’.
　All of these things I would never have known about if I had stayed in the Empire.

　I felt kind of excited.
　I had to be grateful to Demon King Luquier for giving me the materials and a place to live.
　Let’s keep making new items for her too.

    In the “Simple Warehouse”, a furnace and a workbench were installed.
　These were stored in the things that the Minotaur and the others delivered to my room.
     I had used the item organisation function of the “Simple Warehouse” to arrange the items in a nice way.

　Mabel brought the small stove and table.
　There was a tray with tea utensils on the side.
　This was the tea party space for me, Mabel, and Demon King Luquier.
　We were all planning to meet again today at around 3 p.m.

“I hope you enjoy it too, Your Majesty.”

　I left the workshop.
    To create items with meteorite, I needed materials.
　I was planning to find something suitable in the storeroom next door, but…

“I need to tidy up this room a bit more.”

　The storeroom next to my room was so cluttered with things that you couldn’t even see the floor.
　The Demon King and Mabel called it “junk,” but to me it was a treasure trove.

“Let’s classify them for now. I need to separate what I’m going to put in the ‘simple storage’ from what I’m going to keep in my room.”

　Let’s start with books.
　The book on the Hero’s World was valuable. It would give me hints for creating future items.
　 I would probably keep it in my room so it didn’t get wet or torn.

“Which one should I start with first?”

　The first important thing was a book filled with items from another world, like a “mail order catalogue.”
　I looked around and found another book just like it.
　Just to be sure, let’s check the contents.

“…I see. That’s interesting.”

　I sat down.
　I started reading.
　An hour had passed.

“–Ha! That’s not good.”

　If I didn’t clean up quickly, it would be time for the tea party.
　The Demon King Luquier’s schedule finally matched up, and it was the first time the three of us could have a tea party together.
　I had to clean up before that.

　The next book… was this a book from this world?
　It was a record from when the Demon King’s territory was established. I think it was written by the first Demon King.
　It described the types of demons and demi-humans that lived in this land, their characteristics, and their living environments.

“…Interesting.”

　I sat back down.
　I started reading.
　Two and a half hours passed.

“This is no good. I’m not making much progress cleaning up…”

　I hadn’t read books anymore. I just collected them.
　As I was thinking about that──

“Thor. Are you in your room?”

　After the knock, there was the sound of the door to the next room opening.

“–What? He’s not there.”
“Luquier-sama… you can’t just come in without permission…”
“Thor said I could come in when it was time for the tea party. I can’t wait.”

　I heard the voices of Mabel and Demon King Luquier from my room.
　It looks like it was time for a tea party. I would move to the other room too.

　Maybe I would put the book I was reading in this wooden box.
　Thinking about that, I picked up a random wooden box and…

“Huh?”

　Under the wooden box, there was a sword with a sheath in it.
　It had a familiar shape.

“It’s the same as one that was held by the statue at the entrance. Is it a magic sword?”

　If you looked closely, it was different.
　It was too short. The statue was holding a large sword that was just over one metre long, but this one was less than one metre long.
　The patterns on the hilt and scabbard were also different. The magic sword on the statue had a complex pattern engraved on it, but this one was a simplified version.

“『Appraisal Grasp』”

　I activated 『Appraisal Grasp』 of 『Creative Alchemy』.

　When I appraised the magic sword…

──────────────────

『Magic Sword (Replica)』
　Abilities: Increases strength.
　Attributes: None in particular.

──────────────────

“I see. It’s a replica of the magic sword.”
“Thor. Are you there?”
“Your Majesty the Demon King. Here.”

　That was perfect. Let’s ask Demon King Luquier.

“I was hoping to meet Your Majesty as well. Can I talk to you for a bit?”
“Um, okay. Well then, excuse me.”

　A door in the wall opened, and the blonde demon king appeared.
　She saw me and smiled happily.

　The Demon King Luquier was currently not wearing a mask or robe. Her face was bare.
　She was wearing a jet-black and puffy dress with a lot of ribbons.
　As if she noticed my gaze, she spun around in front of me.

“It suits you, Your Majesty the Demon King.”
“…Luquier is fine.”

　The Demon King Luquier’s cheek turned red and turned to the side.

“You already know my true face. To be called Your Majesty by someone like that… is just too cold and unkind.”
“No, that’s not really the case.”
“Then I give you an order. If you consider me your friend, then you will call me by my name.”
“Is there such an order?”
“In the Empire, the Demon King is supposed to be the tyrant, right?”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Well, if that’s the case, I don’t mind being selfish.”

　The Demon King Luquier grinned, showing off her white teeth.
　I raised both hands in surrender.

“I understand, Luquier-sama.”
“That’s fine. By the way, what were you doing in the warehouse?”
“I found this.”

　I held out the sword, still in its sheath.

“This is: Is this a replica of the magic sword?”
“What is a replica of the magic sword?”
“The only added effect is increased strength.”

　I explained how I found the magic sword and its abilities.

“It’s a different length than the one the statue is holding; what’s that about?”
“What do you think, Thor?”
“It’s just made of iron, and the only additions are to increase its strength, so it’s probably a prototype. There must have been a blacksmith who tried to recreate the lost magic sword. But it was nowhere near as strong as the magic sword, so I think they left it there. The blade was also crushed to make it uncuttable. It’s a disposal item.”
“That’s amazing, sir. That’s right.”

　Luquier chuckled.

“In my grandfather’s time, there was a plan to revive the magic sword. The elves and dwarves worked together to create the magic sword, but…”
“So in reality, there was a limit to how much strength could be increased?”
“Yes. It’s just as you predicted.”
“May I have this sword?”

　When I asked, Luquier looked puzzled and said,

“Why do you ask? This is your room. Of course it’s okay.”

　With a gentle smile, she nodded as if it were obvious.
　Her appropriate age ──with face of a 15-year-old girl.

　I think that was unfair.
　As a friend, I want to do many things for her.

“Luquier-sama.”
“What’s the matter? Thor.”
“Luquier is so cute…”

　No, calling Her Majesty the Demon King “cute” was rude.
　No matter how much someone called you a friend, you still needed to show basic courtesy.

“Luquier-sama is in a difficult position because she is attractive, and I don’t think it’s good to carelessly smile at someone without a mask on. It makes me want to do anything for them.”
“──What!?”

　Luquier’s eyes widened.

“Wh, what are you doing all of a sudden?!”
“No, I was just saying what I thought.”
“Y-you, I don’t think it’s right to say something like that so quickly!!”
“Ah, well, I don’t have the power to fight in the Empire. So, I didn’t really have anyone I could talk to. But Your Majesty—no, Luquier-sama and Mabel, you’re willing to listen to what I have to say, right? So I was happy, and I ended up saying…”
“You must have had a hard time too…”
“But if it bothers you, I’ll fix it.”
“…There’s no need to fix it. I’m being frank with you.”
“Kindness is one of your virtues, Luquier-sama. I think that’s a good thing about you.”
“Oh lord!”
“So why are you angry, Your Majesty?”
“I’m not angry! And I told you to call me Luquier! You are really…”

“The tea will get cold, Your Majesty. Thor-sama.”

　Suddenly, I noticed Mabel looking at me from the other side of the door.
　Her elf ears twitched, and her expression looked somewhat complicated.

“Sorry, Mabel.”
“Um, well. I’ll be there right away. Thor, this sword is yours, now.”

　Luquier picked up the black magic sword that was on the floor.

“As a proof of that, let me formally give it to you here.”
“Thank you, Luquier-sama.”

　I looked up at Luquier’s face, and then,

“Your Majesty──No, Luquier-sama.”
“Well, Thor.”
“Can I turn this replica magic sword into a real magic sword?”
“What?”
“One of my dreams is to create a sword that surpasses the holy sword in the empire. But I have no fighting ability. Even if I create an amazing sword, it will just go to waste.”
“……I see”
“So I want to make a great magic sword and have Luquier-sama use it. I heard from the general that the you’re going to defeat monsters, right? I’d be happy if you could use it then.”
“I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you, Thor.”

　Luquier placed her hand on my head.
　Then, with a gentle smile,

“But there’s no need to be so concerned about it.”
“What do you mean, be concerned?”
“You are concerned about my concern about my own physical weakness, aren’t you?”

　Luquier wrapped my cheeks with both hands.
　She murmured quietly, so close that I could almost feel her breath.

“But that’s okay. Thanks to you, I have gained General Raizenga’s absolute loyalty. If word spreads, those who doubted my strength will surely change their minds. I may… be able to remove my mask soon.”
“…Your Majesty.”
“Therefore, there is no need for you to rush to create a magic sword. You should just make what you want to make.”
“No. I just want to see you use the magic sword, Luquier-sama. I think it would be incredibly cool.”
“──What!?”
“But… I see. If you are going to remove your mask, then there has to be a magic sword that matches it. What about a magic sword that reveals your true form as soon as you remove the mask? The magic sword of “inhibition recognition”… with the true form of the Demon King… Yes. It may be good.”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait!!”

　Demon King Luquier lightly patted me on the cheek and then softened it.

“Oh lord! Why is that happening!?”
“Well, normally you give a scarf or gloves as a gift to someone you’re close to, right? When you do that, you think about whether it will look good on them, right? And you have to ask the recipient’s opinion, too.”
“Do you gift a magic sword like a scarf and gloves?”

　”Oh, come on,” Luquier said, releasing my face.

“Besides, we won’t need a magic sword to defeat the monsters this time.”
“Really?”
“I’ll lead the troops. Unless it’s a crushing defeat, the Demon King himself won’t swing his sword, right?”
“Indeed”
“That’s right. What we need this time is something that can safely attack the demon beasts from a distance. Moreover, it would be preferable for it to be something that anyone can use. Not a weapon, but an item that will help with combat. In that case, Chancellor Kelve wouldn’t say anything either.”
“……I see”

　Thank you for the great idea, Your Majesty.

“An offensive support item. Something that would allow Luquier-sama and the others to safely attack demon beasts from a long distance, right? I understand. I’ll see if I can come up with something like that.”
“Uh, alright.”

　After thinking about what I said for a bit, Demon King Luquier said,

“My alchemist is really motivated. There’s no reason to stop him. Thor Regus. I leave it to you.”
“Yes, Demon King Luquier.”

　I was sure there was an item in the book I read earlier that could be used in long-distance combat.
　I would find it later and work it into something usable.
　This was also so that Demon King Luquier and the people of the Demon King’s territory could safely subjugate demon beasts.

“Well then, Thor. It’s time for tea.”
“That’s right. Let’s go to the next room then…”
“Hey, Thor. Don’t glance at the book containing the item.”

　Luquier put her hands on her hips and looked at me in amazement.

“I’m going to have an important discussion over tea. I’ll also need to prepare the documents Raizenga asked me to prepare.”
“Documents?”
“Or rather, it’s a blueprint. For a workshop and a house to be built for you in Raizenga’s territory.”

　Luquier said as she raised her hand.

　Mabel, who had been standing behind her, took out parchment, a pen, and ink.

“Eh? So you’re going to take my advice into account when building the workshop and house?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Didn’t you say so earlier, Thor? A gift should be chosen after listening to the opinion of the person it’s for.”

　Luquier laughed, and Mabel closed one eye at me.

“So let’s talk over some tea. About the workshop and home you will be acquiring in the near future, Thor.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Ah, but your main residence is here. Don’t you want to spend all your time in their territory, right? You probably know that.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
“…I told you to call me Luquier, didn’t I?”

　After that, we went inside the “simple warehouse.”
　As the three of us drank tea, we talked about the layout of the workshop and house we were going to build in the Shogun’s territory.

“Thor, you’ve been talking a lot about the workshop. Why don’t you focus a little more on the living space?”
“Hmm. I thought it would be nice to have a place to sleep and wake up.”
“No. A place to live is important. You have to think about your health, too.”

　That being said, I didn’t really care about the living space.
　The government dormitory I lived in when I was in the Empire also only had a bed in the room.
　However, I didn’t even want to remember the Duke Mansion…

“Can you think about the living space, Mabel?”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course. I’m sure you’ll be taking care of me over there, so I’ll just make sure that is comfortable for Mabel to use.”
“Okay! Leave it to me!”
“That’s not fair, Mabel. Let me think about it too!”
“Yes. Let’s think about it together, Your Majesty.”

　We each decided to come up with ideas for our new home.

　──And then, when everyone had finished drinking their tea.

“Okay. This is what the workshop looks like.”
“We now have living space, Thor.”
“Check it out, Thor.”

　Mabel and Luquier showed me the blueprints for the living space.
　It was quite beautifully drawn.
　It had quite a lot of rooms. General Raizenga was the one building it, but I wonder if he’ll be able to afford it. Also…

“Did Mabel write the bedroom part?”
“Yes!”
“Why are there two beds?”
“To take care of Thor-sama.”
“Why is there a bathroom big enough for three people?”
“To take care of Thor-sama.”
“More details.”
“Since you work in alchemy, Thor-sama, I think it would be best for someone else to wash every inch of your body when you take a bath. For example, if there were pieces of wood or metal on your body, they might fall off and get mixed in during the alchemy process.”

　That made sense…
　Oh well. I would just hand it over to the General.
　If there was something wrong, General Raizenga would fix it.

“…Hey, Mabel.”
“What’s the matter, Your Majesty?”
“The bathroom is spacious, but the hot water bathing area next to it also seems strangely spacious. What does this mean?”
“Well, that’s…”

　For some reason, Mabel’s face turned red.

“I thought that there might be times when you would like to use alchemy to modify your home, Thor-sama, so I built it with plenty of room for manoeuvring.”
“I see! That’s Mabel for you.”
“Yeah, that’s certainly possible.”

　I might find the “hot-water bath items” from the Hero’s World soon.
　Then I would probably want to remodel the water heater at the villa too.
　I guess Mabel was making space to make that easier.

“Thanks, Mabel.”
“No, no. If Thor-sama and I were to live in this house… there would be a place like that. I think it would be better if there was enough space to do that…”
“But it looks like it’ll be costly. If General Raizenga says it’s no good, then we’ll give up.”
“I think that’s okay, Thor?”

　Mabel said, grinning.

“I’m sure Agnis will put in a good word for me. I’m sure that she will understand my intentions…”
“……Is that so?”
“That’s right”

　For the time being, I had decided to submit the designs for my home and workshop to General Reizenga as is.

　I wondered what the General and Agnis were doing these days…?
　I was told they had the talk with the Empire about the demon beast subjugation, but I’m a little worried. It would be better if the Empire didn’t try to make impossible demands from the Demon King’s territory.

　I’d better make a “Magic Item for Long-Range Combat” just in case the Empire says something.
　An item that could defeat the monsters without alarming the Empire and without putting the Demon King’s Territory at risk──If there was such a thing, then even if negotiations with the other side broke down, there would be no problem.

　I think I could find things like that in the mail order catalogue.
　After all, there was the item list from the Hero’s World──

　──Thinking about such things, I enjoyed the tea party with Luquier and Mabel.