“Pardon me. What did you just say?”
Rei pressed a finger to the bridge of his nose as he spoke.
Oh, was I being unclear? I didn't think I’d said anything particularly complicated.
We had arrived to reinforce Cygnil around noon. Since then, Rei and his group had been busy with the cleanup and administrative work while we spent the time conducting a small experiment. When night fell, we reunited in the Magic House we’d set up inside the command tent near the dungeon to discuss what we’d all been up to recently… or at least, that was the plan. However, Dolga insisted that I report the results of my experiment first, so I’d just finished doing exactly that.
“Well, you see. I ran an experiment to imbue the Clean spell with an antibacterial effect, and it turned out to be even more effective against the Sticky Silver Species than I expected.”
The experiment had been a massive success. Just as I’d hoped, I was able to purify the Silver Abominations simply by touching them while the antibacterial effect was active. Although I didn't witness it firsthand, I suspected the pure purification power might even surpass that of the Haniwa Knight. Of course, the effect imbued via Clean isn't permanent, so it requires periodic reapplications.
Since I’d obtained better results than anticipated, I got a bit carried away and kept going… and ended up annihilating every Silver Abomination all the way down to the fifth floor. The whole process probably didn't even take two hours. That was mostly because the synergy between the Air Golem and the antibacterial effect was simply too perfect.
Because the Air Golem is transparent and possesses a faint presence, it can approach enemies without being detected. On top of that, it can lower its body's density to stretch itself thin and wide. While there are limits to that, I built this one with a system that allows it to be replenished with air remotely. By constantly pumping in more air from outside the dungeon, I was able to stretch its body across a wide area and purge the Silver Abominations in bulk.
The Air Golem reported the status of the labyrinth to me in real-time. He can’t speak himself, but the Petit Golems translated for him, so communication wasn't an issue. He really is quite the handy golem, capable of handling everything from wide-area annihilation to reconnaissance.
Of course, the Air Golem has no direct combat power, so he’s vulnerable to ordinary monsters.
“—And so, I’ve managed to drive out all the Sticky Silver Species from the lower floors.”
I explained it more thoroughly this time, so surely they’d understand… and yet, Rei’s expression remained strained. It wasn't just him, either; Mil and Sally looked just as overwhelmed.
“Oh… was I not getting through to you?”
“No, I think I understand the literal meaning of your words…” Rei began.
“It’s just,” Sally added, “the scale and the sheer speed of it are so far beyond common sense that my brain is struggling to process it.”
“A bridgehead for a counter-invasion was established in the blink of an eye,” Mil said. “Man, I wish I’d seen that.”
It seemed they understood the situation. They were just… shocked? Their reactions were incredibly sluggish. It appeared the impact was much stronger than I had anticipated. Come to think of it, Dolga had looked exactly like this during the experiment. Now, he was just smirking as he watched Rei and the others struggle to cope.
『Well, you’ll get used to it soon enough. Tort is always doing startling things, after all. Oh, that’s right! Speaking of surprises, we should have that! Tort, give Rei and the others some too!』
Shiroru started making a fuss. By "that," she meant the Russian Takoyaki. She really does love those things.
With that, it was time for dinner. I brought out the takoyaki, along with curry and hamburgers. Setting the curry aside, it seemed hamburgers had already become famous in Cygnil, as Rei and his group had eaten them before. But I wondered how they’d find this version.
“Ta-da! It’s a chicken burger!”
“A chicken burger? The filling is different from the ones I’ve had before,” Rei noted.
『What! I haven't even had this one yet!』 Shiroru complained.
“It’s a brand-new menu item!”
Hehehe. I’d been making nothing but purification Magic Tools lately, and that was starting to get a bit dull. I’d been secretly brainstorming new recipes. Since I didn't have much time, I focused on simple variations, and the chicken burger was the easiest to pull off.
I just replaced the standard patty with chicken Tatsuta-age. Making the fried chicken wasn't difficult—you just marinate it, coat it in potato starch, and fry it up. I seasoned this batch with soy sauce and drizzled a sweet and spicy glaze over the meat after frying. I thought it turned out quite well…
“Whoa, this is delicious!”
It was a hit with Rei, Mil, and Sally, but Halfa was the one who enjoyed it most. I’ve been traveling with her for quite a while now, but I guess there are still things I have to learn about her tastes.
Actually, even when I say it’s been a long time, it hasn't even been a year yet. So much has happened that it just feels longer.
“W-What are those?”
“Wait, are those dolls?!”
Rei and Mil suddenly shouted. I looked down to see that the Petit Golems had slipped out of my pocket at some point. I suppose they couldn't sit still once they heard about a new burger.
Allen and the others were biting into the chicken burgers from all sides. Since they were currently in their palm-sized bodies, the burgers were massive compared to them, but they didn't seem intimidated at all. They really were quite the bunch of gluttons.
Sally observed them with intense curiosity.
“Are these the golems you mentioned earlier? Do they actually eat meals?”
“Yeah. Sorry, I forgot to introduce them. As for greetings… maybe we should wait until they’re finished.”
They seemed much too busy eating to say hello. Well, the Silver Abomination lackeys had been cleared out for the most part, so we had plenty of time. There was no need to rush.
Our dinner party continued late into the night. Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, and I think Rei’s group, Lowell, and Spira really bonded. I’m glad it turned out to be such a pleasant evening.
Now then, my spirit is fully recharged… I’ve got to put my all into finishing off those Silver Abominations!