A Brief Report

We decided to return to the dungeon for a while and report to Haku-san. I thought it would be fine to do so via email, but she wanted to see Rokuko in person, so we set up a parasol and table on [White Beach] and had a report meeting and tea party while enjoying the view of the blue ocean. Chloe-san and Kinue-san served us elegantly during the tea party.

Soto? Yeah… she was on standby today. We didn't know what she'd do, so given that she hadn't been nominated by Haku-san to attend, it's obvious we wouldn't have invited her. She had a past of eating leggings during their first meeting, after all.

Fortunately, I didn't have anything particularly guilt-inducing this time, so my stomach felt at ease… Sorry, that was a lie. Even though we were [Possessing] Narikin and Rokufa in the Holy Kingdom, I was keenly aware that I'd been flirting quite a bit with Rokuko, so I was somewhat prepared to be killed.

"… Alright, I've copied the map, and here you go."

Haku-san took the map I handed her, which showed the suspicious location, and nodded in satisfaction.

"A fruit orchard in Sunstar… Hmm, I thought it was suspicious, but the fact that they could immediately harvest five hundred melons is obviously strange. You did well in finding that out."

"They also seem to have some magic tool capable of driving away birds and insects. Since the monsters we are using for [Possession] aren't suitable for infiltration, it might be better for us to leave it to the spies you've sent in if you want to investigate further, Haku-san."

"A wise decision… now that you've so accurately narrowed down the scope, it's easier for us to take action. We'll share any information we find."

Haku-san handed the map to Chloe-san and took a sip of her tea.

"Still… Kehma-san, you've conducted quite a bold investigation, haven't you?"

"Ah, sorry. I wonder if it would cause trouble for Haku-san since I'm treated as an imperial noble."

"No, it's not a problem because our country doesn't have a noble of the name [Narikin]. There might be an adventurer named as such, but even foreigners can make it to C-rank."

In other words, she seemed to be saying, [You can play dumb if someone accuses you, so do as you like].

"I was not talking about that, but the five hundred melons. That's not a quantity one would consume personally."

"You're absolutely right, Anee-sama. Even if we ate and ate, there would still be endless boxes of melons. I don't want to see melons for a while, although melon bread would be fine."

"Be careful not to eat too much and vomit."

At Rokuko's shrug, even Haku-san couldn't help but smile wryly.

"Ah, and also, it's not impossible that you could be brainwashed by that chaos dog, so be sure to use the [Alarm] that you received from Otou-sama regularly. With his power, it could at least dispel anything caused by magic or skills."

"Ah—… yes."

"Come to think of it, Kehma, you wouldn't usually be so extravagant with money. Hopefully you're just feeling grand while traveling."

"Using [Possession] tends to pull one's consciousness into the body, so that might have an influence as well. The monster I am possessing is a Living Armor that has been humanized, right? Since the body structure is fundamentally different, I think it would have a significant influence."

So, being pulled into the body had an effect like that… Indeed, my tone of voice naturally shifted to be more arrogant when I used [Possession] on Narikin. Some of that was part of the act, though.

"As for Rokuko-chan's vessel… was it an Angel? You chose another peculiar one, didn't you?"

"When you get used to it, it's quite cute, you know?"

"Really? But Rokuko-chan, be careful not to be too influenced, okay?"

"Don't worry, Anee-sama, if anything, I'll be the one influencing her!"

Well, it might be that Rokufa was unexpectedly close to Narikin and more proactive due to Rokuko's influence.

"However, as long as you're traveling with that chaos dog, the risk of being brainwashed cannot be eliminated. When the monsters you've sent return, don't forget to let them hear the [Alarm] right away."

"Yes, understood. I'll keep it in mind."

It might be a good idea to have Soto take them the [Alarm] for a bit and not wait for them to return to get it done… Ah, right. Soto's ability to transport things like that was still a secret from Haku-san.

"Anyway, here's the reward for the information."

"Ah, thank you…!?"

It was a bag full of gold coins… It looked similar to what Wataru usually brought, so it was probably worth about a hundred gold coins. The weight when I lifted it felt like that, too.

"Is it okay to take this much?"

"It's fine, the information was quite valuable… Remember, Kehma-san. Being stingy with rewards for such information usually doesn't lead to anything good."

"I'll learn from that."

Haku-san laughed while hiding her mouth. Information is important, don't skimp on it. Yep, got it.

"… Still, I can't see you eating all five hundred melons. If you send them from the Holy Kingdom to Golen, bring them to me. Using that route won't leave any traces, so I'll take as many as you want."

"Ah, yes."

"Of course, if they're in edible condition, I'll pay the corresponding value. I have plenty of subordinates for [Storage], so don't hesitate to use them. Sounds good?"

… Haku-san really loved melon cream soda. I'm sure she'd be thrilled if I sent her soda water and ice cream as a set.

And subordinates for [Storage], huh. Well, it's no doubt that a warehouse where time stops is extremely convenient, but having dedicated subordinates for that sounded just like Haku-san.

"Anee-sama, you have monsters for [Storage]?"

"Yes. You can even have magic swords learn [Storage]. It's quite convenient."

I see, if it's a monster-type magic sword instead of a magic tool, it can use scrolls. And while they couldn't activate magic that required chanting, [Storage] was a magic that didn't require it.

It really did seem convenient in various ways. Moreover, since they didn't have lifespans, they could be used for a long time. My Ring Succubus could be used normally as well and it seemed like she could use normal chanting spells… I'll have her learn it next time. If three of us can use [Storage], our [Storage] capacity will straight up be tripled… But Soto's dungeon is in another league!

"… Mmm?"

Wait a minute? If that's the case, couldn't I scatter magic swords that have learned [Storage] around the dungeon… they would naturally spread all over the country. Since they'd be my subordinates, they could also be connected to Soto's [Storage]…

Well, from Haku-san's point of view, it might feel strange to see me [Wasting] them like that. I guess one or two under the pretext of a super jackpot for attracting customers would be the limit. It's likely that adventurers would come flocking anyway, so maybe I should refrain…?