Nerunes Laboratory

Well, I decided to go straight to ask Rin whether or not itd accept our control.

[Refused.]

It responded immediately.

That so? Itd be a great help if you did but I guess you dont want to be my follower after all?

[Yeah, Kehma is, weak, so no. Besides, when winter ends, Im leaving, on a journey.]

Ah, so its just here for the winter? So it came to our dungeon just to wait out the winter huh.

It couldnt leave the dungeon if it entered the dungeons control? Wait no, doesnt Haku-san bring Chloe with her? Even Haku-san, herself a dungeon core, can go out, so it should be able to.

Is there a reason for your journey?

[ Yeah, to look for, master. Not, here.]

Master? So its a married female? [1]

[ No, Im saying, boss. Also, I dont have, a sex.]

It revised what it said, did it understand something from what went through the golem?

Rather, it doesnt have a sex? So thats why its wolf form doesnt have one either? Well, according to that talk about slimes with Ontentoo, they self reproduce.

No, more importantly, it has a boss? Maybe its tamer? So Rins a faithful doggy that goes out looking for its missing owner huh. Ah, itd be faithful slime since its a slime though.

So Rin had a boss huh. What kind of guy is he?

[Stronger than, me.]

Seriously? Someone even stronger than Rin

[I am, strong, because of boss, training.]

Seriously? So hes your teacher? [2]

[Yeah. Master could also, train when I find, master.]

Id be fine entrusting the golem if he could make it stronger. But really, what kind of guy is stronger than Rin?

Now that the mysteries have deepened, I decided its about time to end it for the day.

Well then, go ahead and eat me. Here.

[Nnn~ no, Im fine. Kehma is, my follower, after all. Besides, Im not, hungry.]

Really?

[Yeah. Thanks, cya.]

Hmm. Did my intimacy level go up?

This was the first time I could finish a conversation with Rin without being eaten.

*

Well, its a shift in topics, but its about making magic tools.

It looks like Nerune figured out the basics, so shes gotten to the point of being able to make the kinds of magic tools Kantra knew: fire, water, earth, and light.

That just means things related to elements coming out of simple magic formations, the so-called fundamentals of magic tools. I think that much is amazing enough though.

I decided to try it out on a golem immediately. I had her carve out a magic formation on an iron golem Id prepared. Then, I completed it by melting a matching-attributed magic stone onto it.

The results:

One that emits sand from its abdomen, a sand golem. It wasnt particularly useful other than being gritty.

One that emits water from its knees, a water golem. It wasnt particularly useful other than for getting its feet wet.

One that emits fire from its face, a fire golem sorry, there wasnt any deep meaning to it.

One that emits light from its right hand, a light golem. Hmmm, it wasnt particularly useful other than being bright.

With that, four golems that werent particularly useful were completed.

Concerning the fire golem, I just thought itd be cool to have one that could spit fire like a flamethrower.

Though well, I seriously want a non-physical way for them to attack I wonder how? The feelings off.

How should I say it, with their standalone power, theyre strong enough to be dungeon traps theres even a water one like the [Water Source].

T-theeese are just magic tools made by a beginner like meee, they absolutely couldnt win against dungeon traps~. That would be like a new adventurer challenging god~

Thats true too.

Well, they do have the advantage of being able to be installed on golems Yep, lets have these guys be a new series, the magic tool golems.

The goal is golems that can use magic, guess we could call them gargoyles?

If its gargoyle, theres already a monster named that~. They really are statues that can use magic though~

Ah, so they exist Then magic golems, nicknamed gargoyles. Nerune, from here on Ill be counting on you to research magic tools and magic in order to have golems that can use magic.

Okaaay, understooood~

By the way, gargoyles are 10,000 DP each. And thats just for the stone ones. Bronze-types are double that

So expensive. Itd be better making them myself after all.

Ill prepare magic stones and tools for your research. Ah, and make you a room too. Itll be a room isolated from the dungeon, but Ill put a dummy core there so you can get in and out.

Research a room A LABORATORY~!!

Nerunes eyes sparkled as she banzaid.

Master, thank you sooooo much! Ill do my best~! Ill do it~!

Y-yeah. Work hard.

By the way, just research magic tools~? Researching stuff like magic skills are no good~?

Nn? Hmm, right Ah, then look into how magic skill scrolls can be made with magic formations, thatd be related too yeah?

I understand~! Nerunes Laboratory: focusing on magic formation research~! Ill study~!

Yeah, I look forward to your results.

Nerune really is excitable when it comes to things about magic.

For her to be that happy about a laboratory, I guess apprentice witches love studying magic after all

Ah, sorry master. For study materials, Id love some magic skill scrolls~. And~, and and~, only if you could, an assistant is that no good~?

Scrolls should probably be as expected for research costs. Lets prepare a few low class ones like [Fireball] and [Light].

And an assistant, huh. Hmm a goblin probably wouldnt work. I wonder what would be a good pick, maybe another apprentice witch like Nerune? I prefer keeping with going for diversity than getting more of the same monsters. Should it be another kind then?

Then lets go with giving the next monster Rokuko gets from the gacha as your assistant.

Yes~! Thank you~! Go, gargoyle~! Yay yaya, ooooh!

Nerune was getting pretty psyched up.

Right, Nerune was happy when she heard about a laboratory, so shell definitely like a white robe. I looked for the outfit and bought it for 30 DP.

Nerune, take this. Its a researchers outfit. It can be worn on top of your clothes.

White clothes~? That doesnt feel very witch-y

Oh? Shes disappointed now, dang it.

It suits Nerune well though. So well that I want to massage her feet. No, I wont actually do it though.

Lets at least have Rokuko get a good assistant for her.

And so I looked for Rokuko. I found her immediately after looking at the map, though. She just finished spinning the gacha in the master room.

I said she could spin it once for each time the saintess died, so it looks like the saintess got killed by Rin again. You dont learn huh, saintess.

Moreover, a green dot representing an ally appeared next to Rokuko. Looks like she got a monster. I opened communications with Rokuko, who was in the master room.

Oi Rokuko, can you hear me?

[Ah, Kehma. I can hear you! I just did the gacha. Todays spin was a monster!]

Yep, thats good. So, what is it?

[Mmm, a gargoyle, some kind of statue thing.]

The heck kind of amazing luck does this girl have?

Footnotes:

Word used for master can also mean husband. Return

Uses shishou here, closer to a mix of both master and teacher