Volume 6 Chapter 11 (2/2)
The giant white cat, or rather, Kohaku the Byakko said so as he yawned.
He was a veteran warrior and reliable monster. If I were to consult with him, I could be sure to receive an insightful and adequate answer drawn from his long years of experience.
However, in this place, he seemed to be just a gigantic cat. It was truly a relaxing atmosphere.
”Are you still acting as the watch-tiger?”
”Well, no. The task force led by Wight…by Duke, so long as they have information provided by the intelligence corps, they can go to the site in question and do their job. I might not look like it, but I'm an expert in covert operations. In my days off, I generally come here. This place is very calming, after all. So, in exchange for devouring any intruders, I get to take the most satisfying naps here. Hey, master, it seems you're badly hurt inside. Well, you're here so it's fine. This place is effective those kinds of things too.”
As to be expected of him, he sensed I was in pain due to the naming.
”Yeah, I'll be using this place too.”
With my desk and chair set up and with my documents at the ready, I began work.
As I made progress, I felt the mysterious calm this place gave to me.
Hmm, maybe even after I've fully recovered, for a change of pace, I'll come work here a few times a week.
After some work, Aura came along. Unexpectedly, Kuina and Rorono were also brought along.
”Oto-san, we brought something good!”
”Kuina might have thought of it, but I was the one who made it.”
”Now, now. Rorono-chan, Kuina-chan, no fighting.”
What Kuina held in her hands was a big parasol.
After arriving, Rorono skillfully worked on my desk and made a connection point for the said parasol. When she attached the parasol and opened it, it blocked the sunlight and thus made me feel more at ease.
”I'm very grateful for this. I'll be able to make better progress in my work.”
”Kuina is a master at napping, so Kuina knew something like this was necessary!”
I see. When Kuina heard from Aura that I will be working here for some time, she asked Rorono to make this.
”Kuina, Rorono, thank you. Come here.”
When I said so, the two dashed toward me.
When I proceeded on brushing their heads, the two gave delighted smiles.
”Since everyone is here, let's have a snack. The snacks for today are apple pies. I got the recipe from the apple pie we ate in the feast the other day! I made it with my best efforts but as to be expected, it's nowhere as delicious as the apple pie from that day. However, thanks to the recipe, it's still very delicious!”
”Wooow, Kuina loves apple pies!”
”Aura's sweets are very delicious. I'm glad I came here.”
The two, who were very fond of sweets, had drool at the corner of their mouths, so I wiped it off.
Kuina frankly gave her thanks while Rorono was shy and roundabout in doing so.
Like that, the High Elves who were in the middle of work joined us in what became snack time.
As Aura said, her apple pies were indeed inferior to the ones from the other day, but it was nonetheless plenty enough delicious.
I'll ask her to make it again.
◇
After snack time was over, everyone except for Aura and Kohaku left.
Kohaku had already seen through my condition so I figured there would be no problem even if he stayed.
”Well then, master, let's begin. I took a guess on which active ingredients might be effective in your recovery and made 6 enhanced potions. Now, let's test which is the most effective one by one.”
I nodded to what Aura said and did as was instructed.
Each and every one of the potion she gave me was purposefully made sweet using flavoring, making them easy to intake.
After each potion, she pressed her forehead against mine and checked for any change in my body. And then, after confirming each result, she wrote it down.
When we were finished with all six, she reviewed her memo, took two potions from the six, mixed the said two in a 3:1 ratio, added in a few other medicines, and then performed some kind of magic.
”Master, I've finished identifying the most useful active ingredients. I combined the two most effective ones, and then, to make it more potent, added in some auxiliary medicines and did some magic.”
Aura explained what she did and then handed over a bottle full of potion.
”If I drink this, will I recover my magic power faster?”
”It remains to be seen, but by my estimate, if you spend time in this place, drink that potion daily, and receive treatment magic from me, then I expect you to recover in about 8 days.”
As to be expected of an Ancient Elf, my recovery time was now shorter than what I initially expected.
”Thank you. You're a lifesaver.”
”Yes, but, please do be careful of the amount you intake. To make the potion as potent as possible, I've made it so strong that it's just a step away from being poison. Please strictly stick to this dosage: three of that bottle's cap's worth of potion every 8 hours. If you miss even one dose of it, your recovery will be delayed, but take too much and your life will be at risk.”
”Yeah, I'll be careful.”
”Please, really do. And then, after that, I think it would be best for you to stay here as much as possible. You should sleep here even. I'll ask Rorono to make a tent.”
”We're going that far?”
I was not fond of putting too much effort for so negligible gain.
”The time one spends sleeping is not insignificant, right? So, of course it's better to put that time into speeding up the recovery instead.”
When she puts it that way, then yeah.
I sleep for about 6 hours every day. Not putting those 6 hours toward recovery was inefficient.
”Fufu. Hey, master. Today's my turn at Oto-san's day. If we spend the night here, even if you scream, no one will come.”
”…What are you playing at?”
”We can do it.”
She smiled and then immediately answered so.
Aura liked to joke about such things even though in the inside, she was a very shy person and would be unable to do those things.
”You know I don't like that kind of joke.”
”Fufu, I've been found out. Anyway, I'll contact Rorono right away and ask her to build the tent!”
She said so and then left like the wind.
While smiling wryly at her, I sent her off.
Even so…
”For me to recover in just 8 days, that is definitely good news. I'm so glad that I have Aura.”
It seemed like my magic power and my Demon Lord powers—which included [Storage] and [Demon Lord Book]—would return much sooner. Just to have my Demon Lord powers in time for me to spectate in Stolas's [War] was reassuring.
Kuina doesn't like to be put into my [Storage], but other than her, everybody else will comply. I'll put some monsters into my [Storage] and bring them along as insurance.
As I thought of such things, a blue bird flew toward me. Tied in its ankle were letters.
This blue bird carried letters not between humans but between Demon Lords.
This time, the blue bird had two letters. I grabbed those letters and read them. One was from Stolas, giving me details on her [War].
As for the other one…
”……for it to coincide with me losing my magic power, it's too suspicious.”
When I read the second letter, my face became stiff. Needless to say, I was not a fan of its contents. At the same time though, it was something I could not ignore.
The sender of the letter was the one that tried to make Marcho fall: the [Black] Demon Lord. According to his letter, he wanted the two us, and only us, to meet.
As for how he sent it, he probably intercepted the blue bird as it carried the letter from Stolas and then attached his own.
It was as though he was challenging me. Well, I'll bite.