En Route (2)

We were en route to the second post town after leaving Mikhan.

We'd reached a rocky area with plenty of cover. Although visibility was somewhat limited, it was a main road, so security was good.

… The post town last night was pretty nice. Being able to sleep properly in a private room was a world of difference from camping in a tent.

We stopped for a bathroom break. With all the cover and no enemies around, it was a perfect spot.

We decided to have lunch after finishing our business.

"Phew…"

… As long as you're alive, physiological needs are unavoidable. I'm no exception. Rokuko is, though, since she's a Dungeon Core.

"Ah, Master Kehma. Allow me to join you."

"Whoa!? Why'd you come here!? I'm in the middle of something!"

"Now, now. The men in the knight order always did this together, and I wanted to try it too. This seemed like the perfect opportunity!"

Shikina said this while standing next to me.

"But you're a girl! You can't—"

"～♪"

… Oh, right. She got doused with that [Futanaru] magic drug so she has that now. I'd forgotten. Wait, she still has it?

"My, it truly is convenient! My pe…"

"Don't even say that, you shameless girl. Girls shouldn't talk about things like that."

"Oops, excuse me. But this was really hard to get used to, you know? After all, I now have two holes for peeing, and if I don't tense up properly, it leaks from both. So from the hips, I have to, like, squeeze…"

"I don't need the details. Girls shouldn't talk about peeing like that."

As always, she won't stop on her own.

"… Um. So, you still have it? When's it supposed to go away?"

"The Commander estimated it would disappear within a year… but it's completely become part of me now. Well, it was always part of my body, technically… You know, I've come to think of it like my own child. When I pet it, the way it grows bigg…"

"Ahem! Well, anyway, you're going back to your family home in the imperial capital, right? Will that… be okay?"

The daughter I was entrusted with hadn't exactly been damaged… but she did end up with an extra part.

If her parents find out, they might have some words for me. I'm a bit worried.

"Well, if it's just a short stay, I think I can hide it…"

"Don't worry! After all… I have now experienced manhood! With this very body!"

"That's exactly what I'm worried about!"

Don't phrase having that grow on you like that, even if it's technically true. Seriously, I'm begging you. I don't want any more trouble.

"Still, I feel like this has deepened our bond, Master! So this is what they call bonding through peeing together! I'm moved!"

"This is… I don't even know what to say. Please never do this again. It's wearing on my sanity."

"Aww! … Fine then, next time I'll join Wataru-sensei or Gozoh-dono!"

Since the next victim wouldn't be me, I decided not to say anything more.

Best not to poke the snake unnecessarily…

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

After our meal, I suddenly remembered how I was the only one left out when we dealt with the Flame Dragon the other day. It had been bugging me a bit, so I decided to ask Ichika about it.

"Hey, Ichika-sensei. Got a minute?"

"What's up?"

Hmm, how should I put this? First, I was curious about why everyone was wary of Igni but readily accepted Ittetsu.

"Why was Igni not okay but Ittetsu was fine?"

"Oh, that's a matter of scale."

"Scale?"

When I echoed the word, Ichika nodded.

"Ya could also call it rank. First, between Igni and Ittetsu, Ittetsu's higher. And Ittetsu is just way too high."

"… That makes even less sense."

If he's higher, shouldn't Ittetsu be even more frightening?

"Hmm, to put it in terms ya'd understand… it's like the difference between flour and a wheat field? Igni's the flour, Ittetsu's the field."

Ah, I was starting to understand what Ichika meant.

In other words, it's the difference between being able to grasp the value at a glance versus not.

To put it another way, it's like comparing a truck to a skyscraper, or a dump truck to the earth itself. Which one would do more damage if it hit you? … Well, maybe that's not quite right either.

"Igni's, well, obviously strong in a way even I can understand. Ittetsu is… incomprehensible. After watching ya talk with him, all we could think was [I guess he's a good person], Goshujin-sama."

"It's that big of a difference?"

Saying this, Ichika leaned in and whispered so only I could hear.

"By the way, Goshujin-sama… in terms of magical power alone, yer probably the same?"

"Huh?"

"Yer a hero, right? It'd be natural for ya to be that strong."

"… But I haven't done any training at all?"

Ichika shrugged and sighed. What's with that [Come on now, Goshujin-sama, ya don't get it, do ya?] gesture?

"Goshujin-sama uses [Create Golem] almost every day, right? Ya haven't forgotten that's magic, have ya? Also, I've heard that things like meditation and faith can raise magical power too."

"… Wait, does that mean sleeping counts as training?"

Come to think of it, back when I first had a Dungeon Battle, I'd run out of magical power constantly and had to drink mana potions while using [Create Golem]. Now that never happens. I do still sip on mana potions occasionally since the bottles are useful and they don't taste bad.

"Also, I've heard that repeatedly using up all yer magical power and then letting it fully recover can improve yer recovery rate and maximum capacity. Not sure if that's true though."

I see, so depleting it improves recovery rate, and storing it increases maximum capacity… or something. Though she said the truth is questionable.

"So, this is just my theory, but… say heroes have a hundred points of talent. Wataru split his fifty-fifty between physical strength and magic, right? But ya put all hundred into magic. See? It makes sense."

"Yeah. Good thinking, Ichika. That theory holds up."

"Also, Goshujin-sama, do ya know how far ya can go with magic? Yer upper limit, I mean."

"…"

Crap, I have no idea. I mean, magic is something where [if you can imagine it and have the magical power, you can do anything], so what would be the upper limit of that?

That's like one of those paradoxical questions where you're asked [Yes] or [No] to [Is your answer 'No'?]

… Come to think of it, I once tried to summon Ichika by modifying [Summon Gargoyle] and failed, but that should be possible if I reworked it from [Teleport] or something. As long as I have enough magical power.

"If ya can't answer immediately, that says it all. Honestly, none of us can figure out how strong ya are, Goshujin-sama. Not me, not Gozoh, not Wataru. Magically speakin'."

"What about physically?"

"Without the Cloth Golem, I could probably push ya over, yeah? Ya'd probably lose to a Pavera street punk."

Oh. So I'd lose without it. Well, I'm confident in that assessment too, as long as I'm not using magic.

"Hey, am I actually pretty amazing?"

"Yer just realizin' that now?"

Ichika said in exasperation. Then she thought for a moment.

"Well… when it comes to combat… Goshujin-sama, yer magical power is too strong. When ya were standin' next to Igni, her magical power was completely drowned out and I couldn't even see it. In terms of magic, yer easily S-Rank. In actual combat, ya'd be done for if someone got close without the Cloth Golem, but with it… ya'd be able to hold yer own against B-Rank adventurers… yeah."

Having gathered her thoughts, Ichika turned to face me again.

"Objectively speakin', yer amazin', Goshujin-sama."

"O-Oh."

So I am, apparently. Makes sense. Otherwise, there's no way I could have become a B-Rank adventurer without connections alone.

… Well, it is mostly connections though. The dragon subjugation was thanks to my connection with Ittetsu too.

"Oh right, tonight's dinner is meat from the great boar that Niku-senpai and the others hunted. Wataru sliced it real thin and we're gonna boil it!"

"Shabu-shabu, huh. Is there any sauce?"

By the way, this world has shabu-shabu too. Apparently the God of Food, Hero Ishidaka, spread a lot of things around… I wonder if he also taught people about draining blood?

It's possible he didn't spread that part. It's a technique that could make money, after all.

"… What if there was a magic that could drain blood all at once?"

"Hm? Where'd that come from? But yeah, that'd be super convenient. Can ya do it?"

"Would it be space-time magic, or water magic? Make all the blood in the body teleport out, or have it gush out from the wound… Well, it doesn't seem impossible."

"If ya used that on a livin' person, they'd die instantly… Goshujin-sama's scary."

Hey, don't say things like that. It's supposed to be a convenient magic, not an instant-kill magic.

… I guess that's what they mean by [it depends on how you use it].