Chapter 41 – Training and Invitation
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After lunch, I succeeded in creating 『Alcohol』 and 『Vinegar』 out of 『Wild Grapes』, and 『Sugar』 out of 『Sugar Beet』. Moreover, it also became possible for me to create 『Glass』, a dear wish of mine.
For that, I created 『Sodium Carbonate』 out of 『Ashes of Plants such as Kombu』, 『Calcium Carbonate』 out of 『Shell』, and 『Silica Sand』 out of 『Sand and a Part of Sea Sponges』. Then I combined those three.
For the time being, I put the 『Alcohol』 and 『Vinegar』 into the newly-created glass bottles and handed them to Shion.
“Yahooo…! Thanks, Sousuke-kun!”
Shion accepted the bottles from me with her eyes sparkling unusually, but she probably has been troubled about the lack of seasonings as the one in charge of cooking. Or maybe it’s the magic power of sugar?
As for the window glass, I think it’s okay to take care of that later. As promised, it’s time to get to that magic training with Minori, who’s wearing a ponytail hairstyle today.
“Ah, right, Minori, would it be okay if I got you to produce huge swathes of hot water in line with your magic training?”
“Yes. It’s for the bath, right? Of course I’m going to help.”
The other three got on Mashiro’s back and headed out on their exploration, so there’s no need to worry about our surroundings right now. I placed the stone bath in a location slightly away from our home and filled it with a vast amount of water.
Minori then cast 『Fireball』 at it, heating the water. As soon as the water boiled, I stored it away alongside the bath, before redeploying the bath on its own. Next, we repeated the whole process.
Each time Minori shot her 『Fireball』, she widened the distance, working on improving her accuracy and targeting.
“Ohh, if it’s a stationary target, you almost don’t miss it at all.”
“Thanks. I have been targeting the center of the bath each time, but it’s still somewhat off…”
It appears that she still sees some room for improvement. However, this earnestness also makes her quite reliable.
“I think you won’t learn such small adjustments unless you repeatedly train them.”
“Yes. That’s why I will be happy if you call me whenever you might need my magic.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Also…sooner or later, I would be glad if you could accompany me for moving targets…hunts…,” Minori said while being fidgety.
“Ah, you want your revenge, huh? There’s still some boar meat left, so as for targets…how about goats or deer? Though I’d really love to eat some beef, too.”
“Cows are domesticated animals, so it’d be hard to imagine that they’ll appear in a forest as wild animals, but…I guess everything goes on this island.”
“I see. Anyway, I do agree with going on a hunt.”
If Minori becomes able to hit moving targets with her magic, her reliability as a combat asset will spike. I don’t want to consider it too much, but it’s possible that the mysterious blackboard will lead us to fight against monsters, or perhaps a battle between fellow transferees will erupt.
In preparation for such times, it’s indispensable to have combat abilities at our disposal.
After heating a massive quantity of water, we moved to another place, shifting to lumbering.
“Ah, Kuno-kun, could you talk about something to me so that I can train my concentration?”
“Oh, that’s a great training method for sure.”
Actual combat is rarely encountered in calm situations, such as during training sessions. It’s a smart idea to get used to elements that disturb your concentration, such as noise, during your training.
“Hmm, okay. Let me see. Today we went to the sea. I made some 『Bittern』 out of the ocean water.”
Minori unleashed a 『Windblade』, felling a tree several dozen meters away.
“I see. As expected, your recognition appears to influence what you can itemize.”
“Yeah. If you think about it closely, I should have noticed that the wood has been uniformly labeled as 『Lumber』…”
Given that it was normal in the games I played, I didn’t realize it until later. No, the fact that I couldn’t get 『Bittern』 was first pointed out by Chiyu. And Minori gave me that hint that there was a method to 『Itemize』 it.
The 『Sheep Wax』, which I didn’t discover back when we shorn the sheep’s pelts, was inside my 『Inventory』 when I searched it after talking with Minori.
“Yep. How about this amount?”
“It’s turned into quite a huge amount. There’s also a share from the first day in there.”
As predicted, my 『Inventory』 doesn’t show every item it has stored. Instead, it displays things in a way that makes it easier for me to use and understand my ability.
“Okay. It looks like your ability still has a lot of room to grow.”
“Room to grow?”
“Even if it’s lumber, it’s not like every type of wood is suitable as a building material, correct? Your ability might have a special function that it will only 『Itemize』 wood…if it assesses the wood as usable to build a house.”
“Oh, I get it.”
My 『Crafting Ability』 is based on a concept I got from games. It might depend on the game, but the ones I played always decided the places where you could collect wood. Although the felled trees would be divided into various ranks such as 『Lumber』, 『Normal Wood』, and 『High-Class Wood』, you could use them for construction and multiple tools within a set range. Since my ability has been formed based on my imagination, my inventory might have been supplemented with the special process called 『Itemize』, instead of just having 『Storage』.
In that case, you might say that my ability is more of a cheat than I expected. It depends on my own imagination, and I can freely use it as an almighty tool, like with the wood.
It means I can neatly sort out the elements that make up ocean water, as long as I possess the necessary knowledge.
“You sure are smart, Minori.”
“…It’s because I don’t have any redeeming traits besides my diligence in studying.”
“I don’t think that’s true. You’ve been doing your best as class president, and you possess a sense of responsibility, cooperativeness, as well as a desire to improve yourself.”
“S-Stop it. You make me miss my spells.”
Because Minori is embarrassed, I continue speaking, using the training as a pretext.
“No, you must make sure not to have your concentration disturbed, even if you receive backhanded compliments. This is also part of your training. Minori, you don’t show off your knowledge, but teach others various things to supplement what they don’t know. You’re a huge help, to be honest.”
“K-Kuno-kun, similar applies to you as well. You’re as kind as you’ve been in Japan, despite this weird situation. It wouldn’t be strange for people to change if they got such an amazing ability…”
Like…those people in manga, who get cocky after obtaining power or getting rich? No, Minori ran into two guys on this island who leered at her in a perverted manner, didn’t she? Maybe she’s referring to kind people who turn into assholes due to panic or other factors.
“It might just stem from me being a timid guy.”
“You got it backward. People who become generous due to temporary success or a change in their surroundings are small-minded. Those who stick to their principles regardless of the circumstances, like you,…are truly strong.”
I intended to make her embarrassed, but now she’s turned the tables on me.
“Ahahaha, thanks.”
“No, I should be thanking you. …I know that I’m not cute, unlike the other three girls, but you’re treating me nicely without letting me feel any of that, so I’m very thankful.”
I tilted my head in confusion at her words.
“Hmm? No, no, I never thought that you’re inferior to the other girls in any way.”
“You’re kidding. You must have heard all the different things said about me in class. Things like 『She’s not cute』, 『What an irritating girl』, 『Loves to preach』, or 『She’s always glaring at others』. And there’s plenty more where that came from…”
Did Minori take such a tasteless slander seriously…? No, maybe she’s always been told such things, not just limited to her time at high school.
If that’s the case, it might be understandable that the accumulated remarks of others have influenced her self-esteem.
“I don’t really get any of that, but I haven’t said any of that.”
“…I know. You’re not the kind of person to say such things.”
“Then let me tell you what I think. Minori, you’re pretty and reliable. I’d like you to teach me all sorts of things, and your sharp look has its charms, too.”
Those were words that usually don’t fit me, but I still voiced them out without shame to deny the words of others who have been hurting her up until now.
“――――gh.”
Minori stopped while holding her wand ready to cast the next spell.
“Of course, it’s your free decision whether you’re going to believe me, your friend, or those slandering idiots.”
Eventually, she turned her back on me and quietly muttered, “…I-I want to believe your side, K-Kuno-kun.”
“Then please do just that. I’m not going to keep you four girls company while ranking you or anything like that.
“…You might not rank us, but there are differences.”
“Huh?”
Minori turned around in my direction, her face bright red.
“I-If you truly c-consider me to b-be b-b-beautiful…”
She approached me, step by step, eventually grabbing my sleeve.
“…C-Can I also enter your harem?”
My heart beat fast as she looked up to me, her eyes moist.
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