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 48

Episode 48: “Thinking about how to thank someone for helping you”

　The place where the second house was located was very biassed in the magic of the land.

　Flap, flap. Flap, flap, flap!

　On the roof were fire-attribute winged fairies.
　And there were three of them.
　The bright red-haired, winged fairies stretched their arms towards the sky and swayed back and forth.
　Maybe it was an image of fire.

　Next to them was a yellow-haired winged fairy with earth attributes.
　Just one person, and very shy, with just her head peeking out.
　No other winged fairies were seen.

　In other words, the magic of the fire was very strong in this place. There was also the magic of the earth.
　However, it seemed that other magical powers were so weak that they couldn’t be sensed.

　This place was on the side of the hot springs and was close to the volcano.
　This might be why the fire magic was so strong.

　The building was still new and looked like it could be used without any renovations.
　The hot springs and the town were both nearby. The location was great, but…

“Could you put this on hold for now and show me to the next location?”

　I asked Agnis and Rondal-san for help.
　I felt bad for the two of them, but I didn’t think it was suitable for alchemy workshops in places where the magical power was too biassed.

　And so we moved from the second mansion.
　We went straight to the final 『Workshop candidate site』.

“This will be the last place.”

　Rondal-san said, stroking his beard.

　In front of us was a two-story mansion.
　It was big enough, the garden was spacious, and it even had a well.
　The well was overflowing with water and appeared to be regularly maintained.

“This is an old house… and there’s no record of who used it before.”
“You don’t know who was using it…”
“Yes. It is the General’s property, so the staff in charge maintain it on a regular basis, but I am not comfortable recommending a place of unknown origin to Thor Kanan-dono.”
“But the building is sturdy.”
“Well, it’s the General’s property after all. I manage it properly.”

　Rondal-san puffed out his chest.
　The building itself was not bad.
　Looking at the blueprints, it seemed there was a large hall inside that could be used as a workshop.
　There were many water sources within the mansion, which make cooking and laundry easy.

　It was nice that the bathroom was spacious.
　I was just planning a 『Fizzy Bathtub Strategy』 that would apply the 『Foot Bath』 concept.
　If I could create an item that could make an entire large bathtub fizz, I would be able to make the bathtub in the Demon King’s castle fizz as well.
　Luquier would be happy, and it would also be good for the health of the people in the Demon King’s Castle.

　Since the mansion’s bath was spacious, naturally, the area where the water was boiled was also spacious.
　The water boiler was highly heat resistant, so it should be possible to conduct research using fire there.

“Yeah. Not bad.”

　There were no demon beasts around here. There were no safety issues.
　The only thing that bothered me was that it was a little far from town.
　It took a little over an hour to walk to the town. It took more than twice that to get to General Raizenga’s mansion. So it was not that easy to get there.

　However, the forests and mines were very close by, making it ideal for gathering material.
　I could also see the western forest. I could also go see the winged fairies.

“So, what are the opinions of those feathered fairies…”

　I looked at the roof of the building.

　Flap, flap.
　Hop, hop, hop.

　They still peeked out from the roof.
　This time there were two each of earth, water, and wind attributes, and one fire attribute. A total of seven.

　Among them, there are two children holding black flowers. What is that?

“Perhaps it represents dark magic?”

　Nod nod, nod nod.

　The winged fairies holding flowers nodded.
　René was the only dark winged fairy, but she was taking good care of Soleil.
　That was why I guessed they used flowers instead.

　That meant René also came to see the magical powers.
　Or perhaps this flow of magical power was common knowledge among winged fairies.
　Either way, the important thing was──

“The magical powers that reside in this land are strong earth, water, wind, and fire, as well as darkness.”

　Nod nod. Nod. Mmhmm. Nod nod, nod nod!

　The winged fairies lined up in a row, nodding one by one.
　It seemed to be correct.

　Of all the candidate sites for the workshop, this one had the most magical power.
　The first place was easy to access but had weak water and earth magic.
　The second place had too strong a fire attribute.
　And since this place had a good balance of all five attributes, it was perfect for a workshop.
　The problem was the distance to town… but I guess I should prioritise magical power after all.

“Winged fairies are amazing.”

　Mabel whispered in my ear.

“Even for elves, it’s hard to measure the magical power of the land… but the winged fairies can sense it intuitively…”
“I think Mabel is the one who’s amazing for noticing the winged fairies.”
“No… I was looking at Thor-sama…”

　Mabel muttered embarrassedly.

“I also wanted to see what Thor-sama was seeing… and then I noticed a winged fairy.”
“I, I see…”
“That’s right……”
“…………”
“…………”
“Ah, more importantly, I’d like to talk about the winged fairy.”
“Y-Yes. You’re talking about the winged fairy.”
“Why do you think they’re following me?”
“That’s probably because… when we went to the forest earlier, Thor-sama mentioned the workshop to her.”

　I thought so.
　While Mabel and Agnis were making clothes, I was chatting with René.
　At that time, I told her that I was going to go and see the workshop site.

“So that’s why they helped me? There’s no need to push themselves…”

　When I said that, Mabel laughed.

“It can’t be helped. Because the winged fairy (pixie) is a loyal race.”

　I understood that. Even though they’re shy, they tried their best to follow me.
　Even now, the winged fairies were hiding behind the roof.
　Some kids’ clothes were getting caught in the chimney and were starting to fall off.

“The reason why the winged fairies don’t go out in public is because they’re embarrassed to wear leaf clothes.”

　I said.

“Also, René said that their clothes will wither quickly and have to be remade with new leaves.”
“That’s true. In fact, she even said that everyone wanted to live with the people of the Demon King’s territory.”
“Hey, Mabel.”
“Yes, Thor-sama.”
“If I want to give my items to a large number of people, I need to get permission from Chancellor Kelve. But… if I just give them to a few acquaintances, is it okay?”

　Mabel’s face took on a difficult expression upon hearing my words.
　I continued.

“How about giving some clothes to people who helped me with my work?”
“It’s just barely…”
“Just barely.”
“But I think it sounds like you, Thor-sama.”

　Mabel said, laughing.

“One outfit each for the earth, water, fire, wind, and dark winged fairies, right?”
“Two of each, taking laundry into consideration.”
“That’ll be ten…”
“If we do that, the fairies will be able to appear in public. I think they’ll be able to live freely with the people of the Demon King’s territory.”
“I understand, but──”

　Mabel tilted her head.
　I guessed it was the fine line between whether or not permission was needed.
　I had already given the winged fairies light-element clothes and a 『Foot Bath』.
　I guessed I should get permission to give out any more items.

“It will take some time to deliver the application to the Demon King’s Castle.”
“Yes. Even if we rush it, it will at least take one day to get to the castle. It will probably take about two days round trip.”

　Flap, flap. Flap, flap.

“It’s hard to prepare fast horses. I think if we ask the General he can provide us with a fast horse… but I don’t want to cause him that much trouble.”
“I believe there is a regular service from the General’s territory to the castle. How about taking advantage of that?”
“It will take time, but that’s the safe option.”

　Flap, flap, flap! Flap, flap!

“After I return, I’ll write an application, find the place to send a regular mail… and then send it. It’s not like I have my own personal correspondent to deliver my letters…”

「「「「「「「We’ll deliver it!!」」」」」」」

　It was sudden.
　The winged fairies, who had been hiding behind the roofs, suddenly appeared.

“Why are the winged fairies here?!”
“Oh, so many winged fairy!? It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this…”

　Both Agnis and Rondal-san were surprised by the sudden appearance of the winged fairies.
　But the winged fairies didn’t seem to mind them.
　Or rather, they didn’t even try to make eye contact with them. They must be embarrassed…

　The hair colours of the winged fairies were yellow, blue, red, and green.
　The winged fairies of each element—earth, water, fire, and wind—were flying around my face, staring intently at me.
　They all spoke to me.
　Each one of them said something like this──

“Alchemist-sama is Soleil’s benefactor.”
“When you need help, we’ll help you unconditionally.”

　──The earth-attribute winged fairies were calm and polite.

“…deliver letter.”
“…It’s not impossible. We want to do it.”

　──The cool ones were the water-attribute winged fairies.

“If what you want is something related to the winged fairies! Iーwillーdoーit.”

　──The one tugging eagerly at the sleeve of my shirt was a winged fairy with a fire attribute.

“Just drop the letter, and we’ll carry it! We’ll scurry to the castle!”
“I, it’s embarrassing to show myself in public… Ah, my clothes are coming undone again…”

　──The ones who were talking with their feelings were the wind-attribute winged fairies.

“──Wait.”

　I said.
　The winged fairies became completely silent.
　Then I looked at Mabel next to me.
　I looked at Agnis, then at Rondal-san.

　When they realised they were not hiding themselves, they began to panic.
　And then──

「「「「「「「That’s it!」」」」」」」

　The winged fairies all hid inside my jacket.
　No, that was impossible──or so I thought, but it wasn’t. Four of them were hanging in clusters on the inside of my jacket, and the remaining three were clinging to my back, in everyone’s blind spot.
　…Um, what should I do?

“For now, I’ll start with thanking you… I guess.”

　I bowed to the winged fairies hiding inside my jacket.

“Thank you for your advice about the magical power of the land.”

　The winged fairies all replied in unison, 「「「「「「「Nooooo」」」」」」」.
　They were clinging to my jacket as I was bowing.

“Thanks to them, I’ve discovered a land filled with magical power. I think this is the best place to open a workshop.”

　After I told the winged fairies, I repeated the same thing to Agnis and Rondal-san.
　Of the three locations, I would keep this one first.
　Then we would discuss how to renovate the building.

“I’m going to the Western Forest once more.”

　 I said that after looking around at everyone.
　I told them that I wanted to give winged fairies some 『Magic Woven Fabric』 clothes.
　I had seen leaves’s clothes come undone many times, and they helped me out with the magical power of the land.

　However, it wasn’t possible without getting permission from Luquier and the Chancellor.
　Even if I submitted the application, providing ‘magic woven fabric for all the winged fairies’ would be impossible. The impact would be too great, and I couldn’t make a lot at once.

　…I couldn’t make it… No, I didn’t think that was the case.
　It was going to be a lot of work, but it sounds fun.
　Yeah. I guessed it was fine. If it was about 100 items, I could work for three days straight…

“Thor-sama.”

　When I noticed, I saw Mabel looking at me with a worried look on her face.

“I have been instructed by Her Majesty to not let Thor-sama pull any all-nighters. If Thor-sama tries to stay up all night, I am to use any means necessary to make him fall asleep…”
“How did you know what I was thinking, Mabel?”

　Or rather, why would Luquier give such orders…?

“Her Majesty has entrusted me with managing Thor-sama’s health. In order to do that… I need to be able to look closely at Thor-sama and understand his feelings.”

　Mabel explained emphatically while staring at me.
　If that was the case, there was nothing I could do about it.
　I couldn’t let Mabel or Luquier worry.

　There were two pieces of magic-woven clothes of each earth, water, fire, and wind attributes.
　There were also two dark attribute for René. One more light attribute for Soleil.
　I would get permission from Chancellor Kelve and make it.

　The application form was in an ultra-compact simple warehouse.
　I would fill in the necessary information on it and have the winged fairies (pixies) carry it.

“But before that, I want to go and see how the light-winged fairy Soleil is doing.”

　I lifted my jacket and said to the winged fairies clinging to me.
　The yellow- and blue-haired winged fairies nodded in agreement.

“I want to check if there are any strange effects from wearing the magic woven fabric’s clothes. So please go back to the forest first to see if it’s okay if I go check on Soleil.”

　I continued.

“Also, I’m wondering if it’s okay for us to enter the forest. If it’s difficult, I’ll just talk to René at the forest entrance.”

“”We understand!””
“…Got it” “…Leave it to me.”
“I’ll return with the speed of an arrow of fire!”
“La la la-” “Wah, waah. Wait, wait!”

「「「「「「「Well then──!」」」」」」」

　Whoosh.

　The winged fairies all flew off at once towards the western forest.
　Me, Mabel, and the stunned Agnis and Rondal-san were left behind.
　Leaving aside Mabel, Agnis and Rondal-san were in a daze.
　They seemed surprised by the sudden emergence of the winged fairies (pixies).

“Thor Kanan-sama… what on earth happened?”

　That was all Agnis could finally mutter.

“When did the winged fairies appear…? How long have they been here…?”
“Actually… they’ve been here all the time.”

　I said.

“The winged fairies were following us from the western forest.”
“That mysterious race, Thor Kanan-dono?”

　Rondal-san exclaimed.
　Unable to hide his surprise, he scratched his beard vigorously.

“How did you gain the trust of the winged fairies?! I’ve never seen them get so close to a human! Hiding in human and demi-human clothing… how much trust do they need to have to be able to do that…”
“Because those kids are a kind of indebted race.”

　I guess they felt indebted to me for giving Soleil a 『Foot Bath』 and the 『Light Magic Woven Fabric』 clothes.
　So it seemed the whole race had decided to help me.

“They came to help me choose a piece of land. That’s why I said things like, 『The well is dry』 and 『It might be hot』.”

　I explained the situation to Agnis and Rondal-san.

“So, that’s not my ability. The winged fairies just taught it to me──”
“No, if you have obtained the 『Divine Protection of the Winged Fairy』, then that must be due to the ability of Thor Kanan-dono…”

　Rondal-san was trembling as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“No, I never expected to see such a mystery at this age… That was astonishing.”

　Then, Rondal-san took a breath and looked at me.

“For the time being, is it okay to say that the site selection is complete?”
“Yes. I’d like to set it here.”

　I said, looking up at the building.

“The winged fairies told me that there is earth, water, fire, wind, and dark magic here. This is the best place for alchemy. Please let me live here.”
“I understand. Let’s talk about renovating the workshop.”
“Please”
“I’m going back to Young Master Raizenga—no, to the General. I will report back on the selection of land, but what about the winged fairies (pixies)?”
“I’ll let Agnis know about that. I’d like you to keep it a secret until then.”

　Agnis said, clutching the chest of her dress.

“This is about the trust between Thor Kanan-sama and the winged fairies. I want you to leave it to Agnis to decide how to make it public.”
“I understand. My Lady.”

　Rondal-san bowed.

“If you can trust Thor Kanan-dono, then I must trust him too. After all, my role is to show him the site. I will keep the winged fairy in my heart.”
“Thank you very much. Rondal-san.”
“No no, you have shown me something extraordinary.”

　Laughing, Rondal-san said,

“There has never been a place in the history of the Demon King’s territory where winged fairies happily fly around people. I think I understand how the alchemist Thor Kanan-dono will change the Demon King’s territory from now on. To be able to see that through, I will consider myself to have lived a long life!”
“I’ll try not to cause too much trouble… yes.”
“Oh no, don’t worry about it. See you then!”

　And with that, Rondal-san returned to the mansion.
　After he disappeared from sight,

“Well then, let’s go meet René and Soleil.”
“Yeah. Thor-sama.”
“I’ll accompany you!”

　We decided to head to the western forest again.

Translator Note:- There are many times you might feel sentences are cut short or should have been combined those sentences. I also feel the same way, but I don’t like to change the author’s writing style.