Chapter 289

They reported the minor trouble at the Adventurer’s Guild in detail, laying the groundwork firmly in case anyone tries to pick a fight in the future, though they doubt it will happen again.

By the time they received their reward and returned to the inn, it was already completely dark outside.

So, Tatsuro and the others parted ways with Aarenfrit for the time being, and headed to their floor to have a late-night meal.

When they visited Leah, it was a good stopping point for her, so they ended up having the meal together. Naturally, the topic of conversation turned to what each of them had been up to today.

“Haha, that sounds like quite a hassle, big brother,” Leah said.

“It’s not a laughing matter, Leah. I never would’ve thought there’d be people who’d accuse us of stealing their prey after we saved them from near death,” Tatsuro replied.

“They mentioned Sido Village, right? If I recall, there’s a group living a bit far from here in the territory, in a place like a slum without laws. It’s said to be a place where kids are told to stay away from. From what I’ve heard, they have a custom where strength is everything, so they probably couldn’t back down, thinking they’d lose face if they seemed weak,” Leah explained.

“Strength is everything, huh? For people called mad dogs, their skills were pretty disappointing”

“Maybe it was all just bravado? Even a hollow front might offer some protection”

“Or maybe they were just childish, like playground bullies. It might not even be about strength—just being loud and annoying”

At Leah’s words, everyone nodded with an “Oh…” expression, fully convinced.

The conversation then shifted to Nana and Leah’s topic.

“The upgrade for big sister’s Gem Sword is complete,” Leah announced.

“Really? Thanks, Leah-chan!” Ai exclaimed.

“—Mmph!”

Ai hugged Leah tightly, pressing her face into her chest. Tatsuro watched enviously, secretly planning to get some affection tonight.

“—Phew! Okay, I get it, please let go!” Leah gasped.

“Aw, fine,” Ai relented.

Pushed away by Leah, Ai finally gave her some space. Confirming this, Leah took out the newly refurbished Gem Sword from her Item Box.

“Wow, the handle looks kinda mechanical now. It’s cool!” Ai remarked.

“Yes, if there’s anything that feels off when using it, please let me know without hesitation,” Leah replied.

What emerged was a Gem Sword with a completely revamped handle, excluding the gemstone blade itself. The core of the Magic Brain was fully embedded at the base of the gemstone, and while the blade itself appeared unchanged, the guard and handle had undergone significant transformation.

The guard was a rectangular block about three centimeters thick, with a thin tube extending from each of its four corners. The handle retained its original length but now featured a trigger, much like Tatsuro’s Rifle Staff. The top of the handle formed an inverted V-shape, with a socket designed to fit a thin, rectangular object.

Holding the new Gem Sword, Ai stepped away from the group to a wider space and swung it around.

“Hmm, as a Gem Sword, it feels the same as before,” Ai noted.

“Now, pull the trigger near the base of the handle. That will activate the core,” Leah instructed.

“Got it!” Ai replied.

With a childlike, innocent smile, Ai extended her right index finger and pulled the trigger. Just like with Tatsuro’s Rifle Staff, a high-pitched fweeen sound rang out as the core embedded in the Gem Sword began to glow blue.

“Now, channel your Ki and try to form a Beast Spirit Technique,” Leah directed.

“Aye, aye!” Ai responded.

Ai focused, releasing red Ki from the sword while concentrating on shaping it. Instantly, the Magic Brain began its calculations, automatically executing Ai’s desired form with optimal Ki usage. The result was a denser, more realistic giant red lion’s claw compared to before.

“Amazing! I’m barely controlling this myself. This way, I can focus on other things!” Ai exclaimed.

“Hehe, don’t be satisfied just yet, big sister. There’s a special gimmick here—” Leah said with a sly grin, pulling a thin, rectangular, glass-like transparent plate from her Item Box.

“—Th-that’s…!? What is it?” Ai asked.

“Why’d you act like you knew what it was…?” Tatsuro muttered, exasperated yet charmed by Ai’s antics as Leah explained the object.

“Do you remember the ring that seals attribute magic so others can use it?” Leah asked.

“Oh, yeah! But didn’t you say it could only go up to level 6, and since it’s faster to attack with our own power, you kept it for research?” Nana recalled.

“Exactly. And when we were choosing who to share dungeon information with, the Oni species offered those cards. They could temporarily seal magic up to level 10 and activate it at a set time. Remember those?” Leah continued.

Her words brought to mind the leader of Kettcherika, Ekoarichi, and the cardholder containing about twenty cards used as bargaining chips.

“Yeah, I remember thinking it was appealing because, unlike the ring, it wasn’t limited to attribute magic. Wait, are you saying this is…?” Tatsuro began.

“Yes. This is a new magical tool born from researching those,” Leah confirmed.

“Wow, what does it do, Leah-chan?” Ai asked eagerly.

“For its primary purpose, it can store magic up to level 10 and release it whenever you want. Let’s call it a Magic Seal Crystal,” Leah explained.

“That’s incredible. An upgraded version of the ring and cards, huh? And since you said ‘primary purpose,’ there’s a secondary use too, right?” Tatsuro deduced.

“Exactly, big brother. First, let’s try this: instead of level 10 fire magic, channel fire attribute Magical Power into it. Just hold it and pour Magical Power until it changes color,” Leah instructed.

“Got it,” Tatsuro said.

Taking the Magic Seal Crystal, Tatsuro channeled fire attribute Magical Power into it as instructed. Like a sponge absorbing water, the crystal soaked up his Magical Power, quickly turning red.

“Is this good?” Tatsuro asked.

“Yes, it’s fine. Now—” Leah confirmed with her All-Seeing Eye before inserting the crystal into the socket at the inverted V-shaped handle of Ai’s Gem Sword.

“Now, big sister, channel Ki while focusing on releasing the Magical Power,” Leah instructed.

“Release the magical power, got it. —Hmmm!” Ai focused.

Holding the Gem Sword in a proper stance, Ai channeled Ki while concentrating on releasing the Magical Power. The Magic Seal Crystal’s color faded back to transparent, and the blade became enveloped in bright red flames.

“—Whoa! It’s burning! Is this okay!?” Ai exclaimed.

“It’s fine. Now, like when mixing Ki and Magical Power, incorporate it into your Ki and control it,” Leah directed.

“Got it!” Ai replied.

As everyone watched, Ai mixed her Ki with the blazing flames of Magical Power, gradually gaining control. The flames subsided, forming a Ki blade infused with fire attributes. When she activated her Beast Spirit Technique, a giant lion’s claw imbued with scorching heat materialized.

“Amazing! It’s like a magic sword!” Ai cheered.

“It’s literally a magic sword, isn’t it? It’s fire attribute Magical Power now, but changing the attribute in the Magic Seal Crystal could let it take on various attributes,” Tatsuro observed.

“Yes, but it’s single-use. Once used, you need to swap out the Magic Seal Crystal cartridge for another use, so it’s best saved for critical moments,” Leah explained.

“Now that I think about it, while I was helping, I didn’t notice, but if we can store Magical Power, could we put Father’s Magical Power in there as emergency rations for us?” Nana asked.

“Yes, that’s possible. However, the amount of Magical Power needed to sustain your bodies, Cardina and the others, is far beyond its capacity, so it’d truly be just emergency rations,” Leah replied.

“Still, that’s helpful!” Nana said.

Since Spirit Division skills use nearly half of one’s Magical Power, the risk of destruction is high. But having even emergency rations for quick recovery would make them much easier to use.

“The remaining issue is quantity. They’re time-consuming to make, so we only have two right now,” Leah noted.

“Are materials an issue?” Tatsuro asked.

“No, with your Infinite Item Field for replication and the rare minerals we got from the treasury, we’re covered,” Leah replied.

“So, with enough time, we can mass-produce them?” Cardina asked.

“That’s right,” Leah confirmed.

For now, with only two available, Tatsuro infused them with fire and lightning attribute Magical Power for Ai’s use.

“By the way, the tubes at the four corners of the Gem Sword’s guard contain Return Stones. Each use consumes one, so replace them when they run out. Here’s a spare magazine,” Leah added.

“Okay!” Ai replied.

After a brief lesson on using the new Gem Sword, Ai stored it in her Item Box.

“Next, I’m thinking about upgrading big sister’s gloves and enhancing my own mobility. Big sister seems fine barehanded, but for finer Ki Manipulation, it’s better to have them. As for me, mobility is my bottleneck,” Leah said.

The group of Magical Entities like Cardina had been significantly enhanced by Spirit Division skills, so prioritizing Ai and Leah made sense.

“Bottleneck or not, you’re still faster than me,” Tatsuro teased.

“But for a pure Mage like you, big brother, you can fight without moving much. In my case, my Smithing Skills for transformation and creation require direct hits, so I’m thinking of making a vehicle loaded with Magic Brains,” Leah explained.

“Here comes the G*ndam, maybe? So exciting!” Ai chirped.

“Was Ai always that into G*ndam?” Tatsuro wondered.

“I mean, I’ve never even seen it,” Ai admitted.

“You’ve never seen it!?” Tatsuro exclaimed.

“What’s this G*ndam you keep mentioning?” Leah asked curiously.

Intrigued, Leah prompted Tatsuro to explain what he vaguely knew about it, and he managed to convey the gist.

“A giant humanoid vehicle piloted by people to fight… Your world is that advanced, huh? I need to study more before going there!” Leah marveled.

“No, no, no, it’s a fictional weapon! Our science isn’t that advanced!” Tatsuro corrected.

“Really?” Leah asked.

“Yeah, it’s just something from an anime—a story—so don’t worry about it,” Tatsuro reassured.

“Oh…” Leah said, visibly disappointed.

Seeing her crestfallen expression, Tatsuro resolved to take her to Odaiba once they returned to their world. It might not move, but the sheer scale would be impressive.

“Anyway, we got sidetracked. Can I ask what you’re actually planning to make?” Tatsuro asked.

“Well, the idea of a piloted vehicle is correct. The shape… I haven’t decided yet. I’m still thinking about what would work best,” Leah replied.

“Got it. So, what about Mom’s gloves?” Nana asked.

“For big sister’s, I’m thinking of thin gloves that won’t interfere with holding other weapons. Design-wise, they might end up matching big brother’s,” Leah said.

“Matching? That’s gonna be fun, Tatsuro!” Ai said excitedly.

“Yeah,” Tatsuro replied, his lips curling into a smile at Ai’s adorable enthusiasm.

Unable to resist, Tatsuro pulled her close, hugging her from behind. Ai accepted it, tightly gripping the arms wrapped around her waist.