The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 72: Spirit Experience from the Magic Doll

Gomez is collecting the scattered baggage.

Fran is also stripping the valuable from the people I killed.

The surviving trader Taijiki is timidly approaching the corpses, helping to loot them quietly with a negative expression.

I carry a jute bag in my arms and load it in the carriage.

I brought it to the cart…but the metal parts of the wheel a broken.

Can this be repaired? I pick up one of the metal pieces on the ground.

Then, I hear Misty’s voice.

“I can fix it.”

She says confidently.

Like the magic wogan doll, I guess we could try.

I remove the shackles and free her.

Immediately, the crest on Misty’s forehead glows.

She extends a blackened finger towards the broken metal.

Interesting. The moment she touches the metal.

I was standing a little away, so I approach to get a better look.

When Misty’s finger touches the metal, branches like blood veins stretch across the surface, forming a small magic formation. The metal starts to wriggle like a living creature, creating threads to bind the broken pieces.

Oh, it only took a handful of seconds of she touches the metal.

So strange…

The broken metal joins together, and the wheel is repaired.

As expected of one who can create magic wogan dolls.

“Hyuu, that woman. Don’t ya think? Shuya had a reason for not killing her. Oi, everyone, the cart is fixed. These bags can be loaded!”

Holding a bag, Gomez whistles and shouts happily.

“Really? Then, I want to collect the pieces of the magic wogan doll, is that alright?”

Misty says confidently.

“Ah, it’s fine, however. In regards to fixing it, didn’t you say the wogan doll was broken?”

“I-I know…don’t look at with those scary eyes. Generally… it’s a small lump of dark green steel and yellow magic steel, the iron crystal core is broken otherwise it could be regenerated.”

Scary eyes…I just looked at her normally.

Misty says some unknown metal and collects it.

The parts she picks up are small.

Dark green metal and glowing yellow metal fragments.

In a short moment, she has gathered a small lump of metal.

The metal at her fingertips suddenly returns to a normal color, and she places it in her toolbox.

Her movements are professional. They demonstrate considerable experience.

The inside of her toolbox is full of special metals.

Letting her live has its appeal, kill her would be regrettable.

I can try asking her about what I don’t know.

While I’m thinking, Gomez has collected the scattered luggage and finished loading it on the repaired cart.

Oh, the horses increased.

One of Gomez’s clan members is returning with the horses that escaped.

The horses are connected to the wagon.

Also, the thieves’ belongings are gathered in one place.

They’re discussing the shares.

I join them.

“The thieves had decent enough equipment and gold.”

“Looks like it. From the magic users, I gathered a staff with a magic jewel of wind and one of fire. There are twelve silver coins.”

I as well as Thomas place the gold coins we collected in the sack.

The goods collected from the thieves and dead adventurers can become good gold.

Furthermore, because the thieves’ headquarters was nearby, besides the silver, copper and gold coins, the swords, spears, axes, bows, arrows, staffs, complete set of leather armor, and shields will be shared equally.

However, I took a captive, so I’ll decline.

Should I speak?

“Everyone, listen. I got the woman this time. So, you can have my share of the things gathered from the thieves. The reward from the commission is enough for me.”

Hearing what I said, Gomez’s eye open wide.

“-That’s incredibly generous?”

“The magic woman will sell for a good price, isn’t this quite a lot? You’re different fro captain, I might fall in love.”

“Certainly, however, Sheila. I feel bad comparing captain Gomez to the god rank magic spearman Shuya-san.”

“Isn’t that right? That retreating figure…it’s also totally influenced.”

“Eh, Shuya-san also has that amazing black cat Familiar, I wouldn’t want to steal from its owner. Doesn’t he look cool…I couldn’t complain no matter what happened.”

“Y-you people, I’m different? Then… doing as you please… this isn’t how professional adventurers should act.”

Gomez tries to act tough, but his attempt is weak.

“I don’t care. Gomez, may I share with your clan?”

Fran agrees as well.

“That’s right. I agree. However, Shuya. If you say you want gold later, it’ll be too late~.”

“Haha, I understand.”

“Well then, let’s get this split up.”

The spoils are divided up equally.

The result is that Gomez’s horse is bulky with baggage.

In the end, Gomez places their portion of the spoils in the repaired cart.

Fran has a strong magic beast, so it should be okay.

Once the preparations are finished, Gomez speaks.

“Friends can pick up the cards of adventurers who died.”

“Alright, something like a funeral.”

“Fu, saying something like a priest. We are adventurers who stand next to death. I think it’s a cheap request and part of the job’s pride. It seems cold, but rather than spending the time mourning, finishing the request of protecting the merchants is more important.”

I see.

I didn’t actually see him fight, but I can tell from how he talks to his clan.

I learned the feeling of an adventurer.

“…Adventurer, huh?”

“AH, so, let’s leave soon?”

That’s right.

It’s my own fault, but I don’t like this place filled with corpses.

“Roger.”

I reply immediately.

“I can go anytime as well.”

“Fran, you take the lead this time.”

Gomez wants to leave the position of leader to the B-Rank Fran this time.

“…Understood. However, there aren’t many people. It will probably go from now on.”

“It’s because of that.”

After Gomez agrees with Fran, he looks at me.

“I’m fine as well.”

“Understood. Then, everyone, we’re leaving.”

“”Ou.””

Like that, the caravan begins to advance.

The loaded cart and covered wagon start to move. The beastman who was acting as coachman died, so one of Gomez’s clan members took over.

Fran and I take the lead while Gomez follows behind.

Rollo sits on the back of Popobumu’s head while I hold the captive Misty from behind.

We spent how many hours glued together.

“Is it okay for me to keep sitting here?”

Misty’s hands are still restrained.

She seems to not be satisfied with how she is sitting on Popobumu.

“That’s right. Do you need to pee?”

“N-no.”

“Is that so, you’re a bit close, please endure.”

“…Fuun, my butt feels weird.”

This feeling on my crotch is uncomfortable.

I just need to endure.

“Noisy. Should I drag you by a rope?”

“I don’t wanna, I’ll die if you do that.”

“Since that’s the case, even if there’s an ulterior motive, please endure. (TL: There’s a play on words here, ulterior motive can also be penis) What about the situation now? You’re going to be sold as a slave, isn’t there the possibility you’ll be sold as a sex slave?”

“Uh, I, I don’t want that… Haa, why, such a thing…shit, shit, shit…”

Uhe, she’s moping.

She keeps muttering shit over and over…

“Oi, stop saying shit. You were supposed to have been nobility…”

“It can’t be helped, it’s a habit…”

“Habit…”

“-Yeah.”

Suddenly, she turns around to glare at me.

…I don’t want to talk about shit, so I should change the subject.

That’s right. I’ll ask about the magic doll.

“Moving on, I’m curious about the tech behind the magic doll. Rollo took it down, can you make a wogan doll like the one that fired the giant bow?”

“I can only make it if I have a lot of money. To start with, it can be done with the workshop of someone related to nobles, borrowing a workshop, using the money to build one, making tools, and having access to large amounts of high-class materials.”

A facility, equipment, and materials are necessary.

I’m interested in the magic wogan doll, but it’s impossible unless one is rich.

I’m curious about the internal structure of a magic wogan doll, it’s something different.

Iya, initially, I don’t need to get caught up in this medieval world, there may not be anything like a machine.

She’s an expert, so I’ll try asking a little.

“…Hou, a load of money. I want to hear about something technical, how is a magic wogan doll controlled? Does it have a circuit based CPU to control it? Can the golem only follow the instruction given? Or, does it surpass AI, does the magic doll possess a sense of self? The magic wogan doll you made was slow, but wasn’t its aim really good? Does it have special sensors built it? And then, can you make the magic doll move faster?”

I rapidly unload all my questions.

“…”

Misty turns back around and looks down to think.

Fallen silent.

“Oi, why are you quiet.”

“You, who are you?”

She suddenly jerks her chin up and turns around.

We’re stuck together, so her face is too close.

-Her face is pretty. I unintentionally stare at Misty’s face.

After all, this woman came from nobility.

She has powdered makeup on, and I can smell perfume.

Her arched black eyebrows are nicely shaped, her dark brown eyes are big.

Her red lips are small, the corners of her lips raised.

Misty’s is smirking.

I seem to have aroused her interest in me.

That reminds me, I didn’t give her my name.

“…I’m Shuya Kagari. C Rank Adventurer. I have no other title.”

“Hm…Shuya, I’ll be in your care.”

“Ah, yoroshiku. Then, my question…”

-I understand. I’ll answer. However, isn’t Shuya smart? Honestly, I was surprised. An ego, soul, magical life I know, but Shi-Pi-Yu (CPU), E-Ai (AI), PuRoGuRaMu (Program), Denkikairo, Sensor, it’s my first time hearing these, you suddenly pulled out words a magic engineer might use…to start with, ordinary adventurers wouldn’t say those things.”

“…Such a thing doesn’t matter.”

Misty’s eyes narrow.

She then continues with an expression that says it can’t be helped.

“Hai, hai. Then, first is the command system. However, it can somewhat be manipulated by the craftsman. How long the command is depends on the ‘master’s mana quantity’ and ‘perseverance,’ then, then, the person with the unique comes, furthermore the material is the ‘high-performance iron crystal core…’ for example, the white core furnace Kirianohas. An exclusive furnace for the white core kiriano. A military’s arsenal. If you have those, I could make another like the one you broke. If I have even higher-class materials and a composite furnace, because the size of the command can be extended substantially, perhaps a high-level magic doll that imitates life could be created…”

The creator’s mana reserves, perseverance, even then it’s useless without the unique skill.

Extraordinary, what I broke was the white core kirianohasu high-class military weapon. It was a battle so it couldn’t be helped.

“…That is, it seems to be amazingly expensive. White core furnace, wielding a military-grade weapon, isn’t that a lot?”

“Of course. It’s not only the military, but there are also nobles with them too. Nobles need to display their power after all. So, it costs a lot of money. This furnace isn’t one used for casting or blacksmithing, it needs to be made with special materials and a unique smithing skill.”

How complicated, a skill is needed to make the furnace.

Blacksmith, money, etc., it’s profound.

Then, I remember the strange furnace at the back of Zuro’s house.

Was that a specialized furnace…

“Hou…”

It’s difficult, so I make an understanding expression and mutter.

“After that, it’s difficult, and costs a lot of money, but making a small wogan doll is possible. The efficiency is affected by the materials. Lastly is the soul. To start with, making a magic doll with a strong ego is impossible. It’s unreasonable. It will faithfully listen to the master’s commands… I said it before, but it’s imitation. It may look like it, and it may feel like, but it’s not realistic.”

An ego is impossible…I guess?

In Zoru’s diary, he wrote about creating the magic doll that imitated his wife, Theta, but he didn’t completely use techniques for making magic wogan dolls.

Did he get them from the deal he made with Seventh Demon General Sabido?

The technical aspects may have been similar, but Theta was able to maintain an ego through spirit absorption, sorcery, spirit techniques, magic, sacrifices, a catalyst using a summoned demon, accessing the spirit world among other things, crossing the veil into the spirit world, preparing a ritual, reviving the deceased = gathering souls, they might be possible to summon.

The Theta from then certainly had an ego.

That expression at the end was a real woman…

However, all those events were a god’s bad joke. Asking about that would wasteful.

“…Unreasonable. Of all the geniuses who make magic dolls, such ones were made. Have you heard of them?”

“…You were quiet for a long time, what were you thinking ”

“Don’t mind it, answer my question.”

“Ah, your eyes are scary again. They don’t exist. My former older brother was someone said to be a genius… still, it was unreasonable. His specialty was a master magic goldsmith…he had a unique magic crafting skill called amudo, it was a skill that could make the magic wagon dolls crafted by other magic engineers look ordinary…”

I know about Zoru already, but I’ll try asking.

“You older brother, he was Zoru Gustave.”

When she hears me, Misty twitches.

“-After all, you know the name of my house, you know about my screwy older brother, so, the source of the massacre, the A class offender who disappeared…my famous older brother. That guy, the Gustave House… If I can find him, I’d like to kill him with my own hands…”

If I tell her I killed her older brother she might receive a shock.

I stay quiet…

“I see, other than that, I want to hear more about magic wogan dolls with a high-class mind.”

“…I’m also interested. I’ve said it before, even if I made the highest class magic wogan doll, giving it a sense of self is impossible. The size of the imperative statement is limited.”

Should I keep asking Misty? When she said that, she has a tired expression.

However, she continues talking.

“Isn’t this a normal conversation?”

“Certainly…god, demonic beings, god relics, if you use a special magic tool. But those are completely different fields so I wouldn’t know. If something like that could indeed be made, wouldn’t history be different? …Ma, still, it’s probably impossible. Even if I prayed to the mechanical Kami Dues Ex Machina, such a miracle wouldn’t happen.” (TL: Heh, the god of machines is called Dues Ex Machina)

The name of a god I haven’t heard before appears.

Zoru didn’t write about a god of machines in his journal. I remember the names of the god of life and death and the god governing demon life were written. Such a god wasn’t in the picture scroll Kuna had either. Is it a god from a different dimension?

We advance while I listen to a lecture of Magic Wogan dolls from Misty.

-Several hours pass.

Fran runs to the front.

“Time for a break. Everyone, feed your own horse or magic beast.” (TL: Normally “mina” is used for everyone, but “各自” means “every individual”)

She lifts her hand and hails everyone.

I was called the same way and match everyone’s pace to take a break.

I give popobumu water to drink and feed him dry grass. Popobumu snorts happily as he eats.

Oh, someone is coming.

I noticed, but I rub Popobumu’s neck without turning around. Someone speaks from behind me.

“Excuse me.”

“N?”

The one speaking is the merchant Taijiki from the Luxor trading firm.

I turn around, he is lowering his head several times.

I understand he’s not trying to flatter me, but it is instead the merchant’s peculiar attitude.

His expression is filled with desperation. This is probably a good person.

“Thank you very much for this time. I won’t forget this favor. And then, when we arrive in Holkerbam, please come to Luxor trading firm. Almost certainly, chairman Dominica will be happy.”

I probably won’t go.

However, I’ll give a passable response.

“If I find the opportunity.”

“Hai, I understand.”

After talking with Taijiki for a while, he lowers his head several more times and returns to the covered wagon.

After the caravan finishes its break, we advance west.

A milky-white thin fog is gradually produced by people.

The visibility has become poor.

However, even though the visibility is poor, Gomez who has taken over the lead from Fran continues charging through the fog.

Is Gomez is a hurry?

While staring ahead, suddenly-N? The humidity suddenly increased?

The sad, cold air brushes my cheeks.

Somehow, a warm wind is blowing from behind.

Furthermore, the sound of wind is hidden.

A gray lump bordered by milk-white fog wriggles.

And then-it chases after the caravan!

“Shapushi!”

Fran shouts.

And, the tepid wind bays and goes mad. I can feel the lump of grudges, ominous, gloomy voices float around.

“Ignore them! Escape from the fog, don’t fight it! Run, so they don’t possess you!”

“”Roger.””

In response to Gomez’s hoarse shout, the caravan speeds up.

I clap Popobumu’s side and speed up.

I can feel Misty trembling.

Before long, the milky-white fog surrounding our bodies disappears.

The squirming fog that was chasing the caravan screams before receding.

Even though the eerie fog is gone, the caravan maintains its fast speed.

Gomez is desperate to escape.

Then ground has changed into a shallow marsh, we rush to an area dotted with sparsely growing white birches.

Popobumu cautiously steps on the muddy ground making squishy sounds as we advance.

The breathing of the horses and magic beasts are rough.

The caravan then relaxes and slows to a walking pace.

Gomez sighs before talking.

“Fu, the Shapushi from earlier are troublesome. They disappeared with the fog, but…”

I agree and nod,

“Those gray lumps of fog felt strange.”

“I can still hear the sounds…if someone has the light attribute, it would be easy, but we can’t use it, and Shuya must not have it either, right?” (TL: Uh, yeah, sure.)

The light attribute surely is possible. I don’t know any.

“It’s impossible.”

“I can’t use it either. For the time being, I have holy water, but there isn’t much. Escaping was the right choice.”

The red-haired Fran says in irritation. If a B ranked adventurer is behaving this way, the Shapushi must be dangerous.

“You need holy water? As expected.”

“Ah, it’s from experience. I only happened to have it…I remember that this is a historic battleground. I don’t know what happened, but honestly, it was eerie. Did you not advance earlier? Gomez was leading.”

Fran’s face stiffened during the thieves attack, an expression of fear rises smoothly. Gomez nods with a bluish face.

“…That’s right. I understood. We should continue. We’re already on the eastern side of Holkerbam. There are stone statues with large heads in the swamp. Around here, in addition to the Shapushi, there are goblins and orcs. However, if they aren’t in the way they can be ignored. The luggage is full, so moving is given priority.”

The pale looking Gomez says while scratching his beard.

Thus, while watching the surrounding, grasping the reins with one hand, I run forward.

We gallop forward.

After a little while, a highway appears.

The soil doesn’t change much and remains muddy. I thought that it would be troublesome if goblin or orcs attacked because of how slow we are.

I can see a goblin in the distance, but fortunately, they don’t attack.

Nevertheless, the unpleasant mud remains, and it becomes a slight upslope.

The gentle upward slope continues.

Our footsteps are soft so the rising slope feels refreshing.

Before long, we arrive on a big hill. The Haym river is visible from here.

On the right side of the hill, there are stone statues with giant heads buried in the ground.

-The view is beautiful. My hair sways in the wind.

The caravan follows the highway leading from the fill while enjoying the view.

And thus, evening passes, and it becomes night.

“It is another day to Holkerbam…we’ll camp here tonight.”

“Roger. I agree-”

Fran agrees with Gomez’s plan then stares at me with brown eyes.

“Got it. We’ll stay here tonight.”

I respond to her questioning look and agree.

“Well then, you prepare for camping.”

“Ou.”

“I’ll use magic.”

Gomez quickly instructs a companion.

Each member of his party acts swiftly.

A female magic user turns on a lamp and Gomez removes several poles from his luggage to assemble something.

He stabs the iron bars into the ground and makes them intersect.

A fireless lamp is connected to the intersection of the rods.

It feels like a pale fishing fire.

Then, Fran finishes setting up camp before saying she’s leaving for “scouting.”

She mounts her magic beast without waiting for a response, clapping the magic beast’s sides, she heads in the direction of the ruins of the stone heads.

She heads for the stone heads.

They were probably modeled after Elves. The heads all have long ears.

I’m concerned about what Fran is doing…

I don’t chase her.

Anyway, she’s probably waiting for the transparent hawk.

Is she following me? She may have participated in this quest by chance, but someone has been following me, and it’s probably been her.

Different from my expectation, this time it might actually be flower picking (Nature Calls Me)…

Now then, I guess the pheasant should be done soon.

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