Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 116: Negotiation

Episode 116: Negotiation

“—’Colossus’ remains, you want to trade them, huh?”

“It’s a resource of immense historical value. We will prepare the best compensation we can. Even if you can’t fully give them to us, could you at least allow us to study them during our stay?”

Xanthos spoke with a serious gaze directed at me and Fisu. Next to him, Tanasis nodded enthusiastically, his eyes even more bloodshot than Xanthos’.

“I don’t have the authority to decide that. Katsu defeated the ‘Colossus’. It’s up to Koya what happens next.”

“Hmm, that’s true…” 

I thought for a moment. Did I actually need the remains of the “Colossus”? Not really. Once the analysis was complete, I could replicate it endlessly with the [Replicant Form]. Since I would be staying in this country for a while, it wouldn’t hurt to gain some favor. 

But there was also the downside that the replicated weapons couldn’t be modified. It’s hard to say if there would never be a situation where I’d need to use those remains as material in the future. So the answer was simple.

“Alright, I’ll lend them to you while I’m here, and you can continue your research after I leave. But there may come a time when I really need the ‘Colossus’ remains. If that happens, I’ll be using them.”

“No problem. I’m grateful. I will certainly repay you accordingly.”

“But please wait a little longer for the transfer. I want to analyze them first.”

“Oh? Katsu-dono’s Attribute can also analyze……  but I dislike prying on your personal information, so I’ll forget that.”

It was decided that the “Colossus” materials would be handed over in five days. Analyzing them could be done overnight, but having a backup wouldn’t hurt.

“I have nothing more to add. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

“Well then, I have a question. How did you two come to this country? It has been a thousand years since any visitors have arrived, so it is said that ordinary means of travel are impossible.”

“…Huh? Are we the ones being asked here?”

“…I’m sorry. You can ignore that question about him.”

“Well, I don’t mind talking about it…”

I cleared my throat, signaling I was about to share our story.

“We were fighting the ‘Colossus’ above. When I unleashed a high-power attack to defeat it, the ground cracked, and we fell into a cave. As we explored, we found a jewel beast , and after defeating it, the ground cracked again. It led us to this country.’

I summarized our tale. There was also the incident with the Demon Cult after fighting the “Colossus”, but I didn’t think it was necessary to mention that.

“A jewel monster… the ‘Colorful Claw Skin’. To think you defeated it alone… No, it’s not surprising since you’ve already defeated the ‘Colossus’.”

“The ‘Colorful Claw Skin’…?’

“It’s the nickname of that monster. It’s a formidable beast that has a contact ban on it.”

Tanasis’ words contained an unsettling undertone.

“…Did we make a mistake by defeating it?”

“Ho ho, if you were able to defeat it, there shouldn’t be a problem. The wise ones banned contact to prevent reckless battles that would cause unnecessary deaths among warriors, and they feared that the ‘Colorful Claw Skin’ would take notice of this country. That vertical hole wasn’t important in terms of resources, after all.”

I see, so it’s a warning to avoid provoking it due to the danger.

We continued asking each other questions, and Tanasis also asked me about the surface. We both had plenty of questions left. But as the light from the sunstone began to fade, we moved to the prepared dwelling.

“It’s getting dark, but it’s not sunset… How strange.”

In this country, as bedtime approaches, the light from the Sunstone gradually decreases. I had just heard about this earlier.

“What is ‘sunset’?”

“It’s when the sun is setting and turns red.”

Xanthos volunteered to guide us. As the head of the Sentinels—sort of like the police in this country—he was likely keeping watch as well.

“The sun on the surface changes color… Why is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“If I remember correctly, it has something to do with light scattering.”

I dug up some knowledge from my previous life’s classes.

“Light scattering…?”

“I’ve never heard of that before… Is it knowledge from the surface?”

“Ah, well, I don’t remember the details clearly either.”

As I spoke, the desired mansion came into view. In fact, it wasn’t far from the plaza we had just been in. It was right next to the Sentinels’ post.

“It’s a splendid place.”

“It was used as a training dormitory until recently. We hurriedly cleaned it out before it was demolished.”

It seemed there was a reason why so many Sentinels had been bustling around during our discussions. Normally, I was about the size of a house. But now that most of my body was stored in an expansion bag, this mansion should be just fine for me.

“There may be some differences from the surface. For a while, I will stay here and teach you household chores.”

With that, Xanthos opened the door and walked inside without taking off his shoes. Fisu followed right behind him. Both Fisu’s country and this one used Western-style homes, which was convenient for someone like me, who was always in contact with the ground.

I slimmed my body to slip through the door. The entrance was narrow, but the interior was spacious. It was an entrance hall, or maybe a foyer, with a large staircase leading up to the second floor.

Xanthos didn’t go up the stairs; instead, he walked to a room on the right.

“You don’t know about artifacts, do you? Perfect timing—I’ll show you the bath and explain how to use it.”

“There’s a bath? In one house? Not a public bath?”

“Of course there is. In fact, I’m more unfamiliar with the concept of a public bath. Do many citizens wash their bodies in the same place on the surface?”

I had heard before that there was a public bath in the mining town. In mountainous areas, water was only available from the storage tanks, and all you could do was wipe yourself off. I had left that storage tank above ground. But if there was a bathtub here, I should be getting some benefits.

Behind Fisu, who seemed to have lightened her step, I decided to ask a question.

“How do you prepare the bathwater? Are you making it with an artifact?”

“We use water from the underground lake. Artifacts capable of material creation are extremely rare and consume a lot of |Mana|. It’s much more efficient to draw water and heat it.”

“Oh, I see.”

Before long, we arrived at the bath area. It was about four times the size of a normal bathroom, with several sets of cloth-like items, soap-like substances, buckets, and mysterious tools sticking out from the walls. 

That was all there was.

“…Where’s the bathtub?”

“Bathtub? What’s that? Is a bathtub on the surface a place to wash your body?”

“So in the underground, showers are the norm?”

(Note: It important to note that the word “Bathtub” is written in katakana in Xanthos’ dialogue. It implicates the foreignness of the word to him)

As I was being taught how to use the mysterious tool—an artifact for showers—I couldn’t help but feel a culture shock.