The next morning arrived.
I’d been concerned since last night, and as it turned out, Eleanora was indeed nursing a heavy hangover. I had already prepared some porridge and miso soup made with mushrooms effective against hangovers, so I planned to let her eat whenever she felt up to it. In the meantime, the rest of us sat down for our own breakfast.
During the meal, I decided to share the information I’d gained regarding Lost Magic, framing it as "recalling something my grandmother once told me." Upon hearing it, Lord Rosenberg let out a thoughtful groan.
"The discrepancy in mana capacity and its subsequent influence... That would certainly explain it, but it poses a difficult problem."
"Can't you just reduce the amount of mana you use, nyan?" Miya asked.
"Miya, unlike mana, ordinary people can't even perceive magic elements under normal circumstances," Silia explained. "Even if you can feel the mana inside your body when using strengthening magic, you can't sense the magic present in nature, can you?"
"It is exactly as Silia-san says," Lord Rosenberg added. "For instance, one can adjust their mana to be half or even a tenth of the amount needed for a single spell, but magic elements are overwhelmingly finer than that. That is why, even if their existence is known as a matter of theory, manipulating them is considered nearly impossible for humans. If you were to intentionally let your mana dissipate without controlling it, it might approximate the state of magic elements. But whether one could actually manipulate it in that state... we would need to verify that first and then, if possible, engage in extensive practice."
With the help of Slime's Vision, I could observe the elements well enough, so I felt the possibility was still on the table. More importantly, I informed the group that I already had a potential collaborator in mind: Kormi.
"Absorption of mana directly from nature... You casually say the most incredible things, Owner," one of the adventurers remarked.
"I understand that it's a rule-breaking ability, but putting that aside for now, I believe I can get advice regarding magic elements if I consult Kormi. Since I won't be able to speak with him until I return to the Sea of Trees, I'd like to proceed with my own research here in the meantime. However, I'm also thinking of looking for a way to communicate with Kormi remotely using curse magic. What do you think?"
"There's no specific deadline, and since both are things you'll eventually have to do, it's fine to start little by little," Lord Rosenberg replied. "Your growth is remarkable, Ryoma-kun, and I would quite like to hear this Kormi-kun's opinions as well. Do you have a specific technique in mind?"
"Not at all, actually. Since Kormi's true body is an old house, I've considered various options, but nothing has really clicked yet."
I had heard that in foreign countries on Earth with wide roads, people sometimes moved entire houses by loading them onto large trailers. In this world, however, moving a house out of the Sea of Trees and into the city would be impossible, even with magic. I might be able to move just the desk that served as his heart, but I didn't want to risk hurting Kormi by recklessly separating him from his body, so I put that on hold as well. I was trying to conceptualize something based on communication technology like telephones or radio, but I didn't have that "Aha!" feeling just yet.
"In that case," Lord Rosenberg suggested, "how about putting the specific technique aside for a moment and honing your skills in curse magic to the next level?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Powerful techniques require a proportionately large amount of power. In the case of curse magic, that means confronting your own negative emotions and drawing out that power. To put it bluntly, it is a challenge to your own limits. Ryoma-kun, you have mastered the techniques I've taught you one after another. However, you have never used those techniques with your full strength, have you?"
Being told I hadn't used my full strength left me momentarily speechless.
"Just to be clear," he continued, "your attitude in class was always diligent and earnest. I have no doubt of that, nor do I intend to blame you. Rather, I believe the way you cautiously handled your negative emotions and power within a range you could control was a sign that you understood the dangers of the curse magic I taught. That is precisely why I believe it is worth a try. Normally, this isn't the kind of training one would ask a child with an immature spirit to perform, but I believe you, Ryoma-kun, have more of a right to attempt this than a clumsy adult who has merely aged without purpose."
Lord Rosenberg had likely sensed my true mental age. To be honest, I wasn't entirely confident I was a "fine adult," but at the very least, my spirit wasn't that of a ten-year-old boy.
Furthermore, Lord Rosenberg stated that the challenge to my limits would only take place while he was present to supervise. He would provide backup in the unlikely event of an emergency. I needed the curse magic training anyway, and since he had gone so far as to offer, I gratefully accepted.
"I look forward to your guidance."
"Very well. I shall make some preparations on my end, so let us attempt the challenge tomorrow. Ryoma-kun, please choose the technique among those I've taught you that feels most natural. You may even modify it to better suit your needs."
"And I'll try pouring my negative emotions into that magic to the absolute limit. Understood."
After that, the group split up. I worked with the Goblins to remove the fallen trees remaining on the road we had cleared yesterday. Sebas and Lord Rosenberg went to inspect the condition of the intrusion-warding ropes they had set up. The adventurer team and Yudam headed off to plant the Kareppashi trees that would serve as a firebreak forest.
With everyone's assignments decided, we headed off to our respective tasks for the day.
The work proceeded without a hitch until lunch. When everyone gathered in the dining hall once more, Eleanora finally appeared.
"Everyone, I caused a great deal of trouble for you last night," she said, bowing deeply as her opening apology. "Not only did I rattle on incessantly, but I also fell asleep and forced Welanna-sama and the others to look after me afterward."
"Don't call it trouble!" Welanna replied immediately.
"Mistakes made while drinking are common," another added. "It's nothing to worry about, and certainly nothing you need to apologize for."
"If anything, I'd say the way you were drunk was quite pleasant."
"We didn't even notice when you had started getting tipsy."
"Besides," Jeff chimed in, "that doesn't even count as a mistake. Among adventurers drinking heavily at a tavern, there are guys who start singing and dancing buck naked, or even those who start brawls, you know?"
"That's just because those guys are weirdos—don't lump us in with those idiotic men!" Miya snapped. "Well, Jeff's story is an extreme case, but it's true. Last night was a very good kind of drunk, nyan."
"Hearing you say that is a relief..." Eleanora said, finally raising her head, though she still looked a bit conflicted.
"By the way, how are you feeling? You still look a bit pale," I noted.
"I'm much better now that I've rested. Also, the soup you provided earlier really helped settle my stomach."
"That's good to hear. Do you think you can eat lunch?"
"Let's see... I'll stick to just bread and soup for now."
"Understood."
And so, everyone else had a hearty meal while I prepared something light for Eleanora. During the meal, we checked the progress of the morning's work, providing an update for her as well.
"I see... The planting of the firebreak forest has progressed quite a bit, then."
"Yudam-san used magic to grow the saplings between tasks, so the work went smoothly," I explained.
"The Owner dug the holes using the same method he used for the road, so we just had to place the saplings and backfill them," Yudam said. "We were able to use the Scavenger Slime Fertilizer, so getting the cuttings to root was easy. We managed to prepare a fair amount because of that. However, it's still not enough to line the entire length of the road. Also, we have to keep casting magic to turn the planted saplings into mature trees, so it'll still take some time before the firebreak forest is complete."
"There's no rush for that, so it's fine," I assured them. "The removal of fallen trees is also progressing. During this stay, we'll be able to get the road into a state where a carriage can at least pass through. Once that's done, I'll be able to use my own mana for the firebreak forest, so let's just tidy it up bit by bit."
If I wanted to put more work into the road, I could pave it or add more drainage features. I could turn the area used for lumber storage into a field, or install a water wheel in the mountain stream to allow for simple processing. There were endless improvements that could be made. Once I started working on one thing, the list of projects I wanted to tackle kept growing, but the primary reason I was working on the mountain was to maintain appearances as the land manager. Now that I'd started, I had no intention of quitting halfway through, but I didn't need to get everything perfectly in order immediately. I could just work on it leisurely over time.
"By the way, with the work done so far, it's already looking fairly respectable, isn't it?" I asked.
"More than enough," Eleanora replied. "No one could find fault with what has been done. Even if someone did, I would take responsibility and handle it."
"That's reassuring. I'll count on you."
"As you wish."
As we spent this peaceful time together, lunch and the after-meal tea time came to an end.
"Takebayashi-sama, I shall handle the clearing of the dishes," Eleanora offered.
"No, no, I'm just going to ask the Cleaner Slimes to do it anyway. Eleanora-san, please keep resting."
Willieris had mentioned that Eleanora was so capable that she ended up bored, but she probably wasn't back to full health yet. I had no intention of making her work while she was feeling unwell.
"The work I'll be entrusting to you is your duties as a secretary. Once we return to the city, the workload will increase all at once... Or rather, I'll keep coming up with things I want to do and throw all the fine details your way. I'm going to be a very troublesome type of boss, so please just rest when you're not feeling well."
"...I understand," she said, reluctantly backing down.
While this exchange was happening, the Cleaner Slimes had already finished washing the dishes.
"Well then, they're already finished, and I should also—"
"A pervert, nyan!!"
"!?"
Just as I was about to head back to the fallen tree removal work, Miya, who had gone out for the planting work a bit earlier, burst into the dining hall with enough force to blow the door off its hinges. Her entrance was shocking enough, but what was this about a pervert?
"What happened?" I asked.
"An intruder, nyan! and he looks like a noble!"
I understood the gist of Miya's exclamation, but why would a noble be here? I involuntarily looked around at Eleanora, then at Sebas and Lord Rosenberg. It seemed no one had any idea. Of course, neither did I.
"Could you tell us the situation in detail?"
"As I was heading down the road Ryoma made, I found a man about halfway down toward the base of the mountain. He was collapsed on the ground like he'd died on the spot, nyan. He's conscious, but he can't talk properly. I judged he was a noble based on his clothes."
Since he was an illegal intruder, but potentially a noble, Yudam was currently dealing with him with extreme caution. The adventurers who were with them were on standby and alert just in case. Miya had apparently come to contact me and fetch someone besides Yudam who could handle a noble guest.
"A noble collapsed in the middle of these mountains, and alone?" I mused.
"Suspicious, indeed," Sebas noted. "There is no information regarding any particularly dangerous areas or bandits appearing around here. It is hard to imagine a noble collapsing without even an attendant. Even before that, your ropes are strung around the mountain, Takebayashi-sama."
"We went around this morning and confirmed that the effect is still sufficiently present," Lord Rosenberg added. "The ropes don't completely encircle the perimeter, so intrusion is possible from there, but... since we prioritized stringing the ropes on the side with the road, the gaps are on the opposite side. If he reached the road by following the ropes to find an exit, he would first have to enter the mountain deep from the other side. At that point, it's unnatural no matter how you look at it."
"We don't know why that man is here either, but we need backup right away, nyan!" Miya urged.
"You're right. Let's head there for now."
Praying that this wouldn't turn into something troublesome, we rushed to join Yudam.