Lily's Observatory

When I mentioned the land, the two of them looked dumbfounded. The first to voice her doubts was Marceline. “Why would Otsugi-dono want such land? With this much orichalcum, you could buy property in the noble district. … And if it’s outside the city walls, there’s no guarantee of safety. Isn’t it far too inconvenient for anything?” “Yes, ordinarily that would be the case. But if you work backward from the reason I want land, the area beyond the walls is actually more suitable.” I then laid out my reasoning. First, a factory requires a large plot of land. Inside the capital, every space is already occupied with buildings. There may be small vacant lots, but they would be unsuitable for a factory. Building inside the city would mean negotiating evictions and compensations — a waste of effort. Then there are the issues of noise, waste, and water supply. A newly built factory echoing with noise day and night would be unbearable for nearby residents. Industrial waste poses its own challeng...

A few days after the commotion in the dungeon, I summoned Marceline and Shuri. I now had a bargaining chip — orichalcum. I’d been considering this for some time: once I secured enough funds, I wanted to build a factory for enchanted tools. With « Calculator » making enchantments more efficient, it now seemed possible to run a smaller-scale factory and still turn a profit. That meant the next step was obvious — secure land as soon as possible. Which is why Marceline, Shuri, and I were now sitting together in the shop’s office. “So, Otsugi-dono. What’s the matter this time?” Marceline opened the discussion. “Yes. In fact, I managed to obtain something like this.” With a solid thunk, I set the orichalcum on the table. Marceline practically jumped out of her seat in surprise. “O-orichalcum! How could you possibly have such a thing, Otsugi-dono?” “As for the circumstances, that’s a secret. But the fact remains that the orichalcum is right here.” I shifted my gaze toward Shuri. “Hmm, hmm. No...

When I came to, I was lying on a bed. From the surroundings I realized this was Arisa’s room. Looking out the window, it was nighttime — I must have slept a long time from the backlash of the enchantment. “Hmm.” I glanced around. Arisa was beside the bed, half-asleep in a chair, watching over me. She must have been nursing me. Her thoughtfulness warmed me, and I couldn’t help but grin. But there were more important things to think about right now. First — the enchantment had succeeded. For a brief moment I had the Calculator’s power; I processed a vast amount of information and gained answers, a wealth of knowledge. It had been only an instant, so I couldn’t have verified every piece of knowledge stored by « Complete Record », but even that glimpse produced more than enough remarkable results. I discovered combinations of skills I’d never considered before. That outcome was expected and not terribly surprising — my intellect alone couldn’t exhaustively test every possible synergy betwe...

The day after returning from the dungeon. I finally decided to attempt an “experiment” with «Calculator». I had long taken an interest in Arisa’s skill, «Calculator». But its potential applications were so broad that I hadn’t been able to pin down a concrete use. However, during the recent dungeon expedition, I gained a much clearer understanding of its capabilities. So now I’m ready to test out a method I’d been considering for some time. “What exactly are you planning to do?” I called Arisa over and had her meet me behind the shop. While I began inscribing magic circles on the ground one after another, I explained the outline of the experiment. “It’s simple and natural. Arisa, you already know I’ve been studying enchantment magic for quite a while, don’t you?” “Yeah. Thanks to that, old man, you’ve been able to develop all sorts of magic tools, right?” “Exactly. By applying my skills to various items, I can produce magic tools that would normally be impossible to develop, and at low ...

The battle over, I headed back to where the children and Arisa were waiting. Since I had also taken care of cleaning up the mithril golems afterward, it ended up being early morning by the time I returned. The children might already be awake, or perhaps, under Arisa’s judgment, they might have already started preparing to escape. So I thought, but it turned out to be needless worry. The children were still fast asleep beneath the mithril plate disguised as rock. And Arisa had been waiting quietly for my return. The moment she caught sight of me, she rushed over. “Ossan!” She threw herself into my arms. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” Her voice trembled just a little. I must have caused her quite a lot of worry. To sadden my niece like this — what a failure of an uncle I am. “I’m sorry, Arisa-san. I’m late.” “Shut up, you idiot. That doesn’t matter.” She clung to me tighter, as if to reassure herself that safety had returned. “The crisis is over. The culprit has been defeated. So, it’s safe ...

Schuberich’s wounds had completely healed. Perhaps overconfident, he strode toward me without a hint of guard. “Go on, attack me if you wish. No matter how much damage you inflict, I will regenerate at once. … Considering your blows can even shatter Orichalcum, they must take considerable effort. Surely you cannot unleash such attacks indefinitely.” A completely misguided assumption. It’s only « Leg Jitter », after all — I can kick endlessly until I starve to death. And I still have plenty of Mithril in stock. I could fight on for quite a while. If it came down to a contest, whether the dungeon’s energy runs out first or my metals, I’d take that bet. But that won’t be necessary this time. From the moment my opponent turned out to be Orichalcum, my victory was practically assured. “If you’re so confident, then naturally you’ll withstand my next strike as well?” I goaded him with the question. “Of course. Whatever trump card you try, I shall endure — and then regenerate!” He rose to the ...

“Ho~… so you think you can stop me?” Schuberich readied himself as he spoke, preparing for battle. “My body is forged from the legendary metal, Orichalcum. I feel no real strength from you. … Do you really believe a lowly human like yourself can break through this defense?” He seemed utterly confident in his protection. Looking closely, both Schuberich and the surrounding golems were all made of the same colored metal. That must mean they were all composed of Orichalcum. Orichalcum is among the highest-grade metals in this world. Extremely durable, resistant to heat and magic, and utterly unbreakable by half-hearted power. It’s prized for weapons and armor, so much so that even S-rank adventurers seek it out for their equipment. If his entire body is made of Orichalcum, it’s no wonder he’s so sturdy. But for me, that makes things all the more convenient. “Let’s test whether I can break through or not.” I said that and quickly closed the distance to Schuberich. When it comes to speed, I...

I left the children and Arisa behind and stepped into a more open space. If the enemy was truly searching for us, combat could break out at any moment. In that case, such a wide area worked to my advantage. It made spotting an approaching foe easier, and I wouldn’t be hindered when moving during battle. I waited there for some time. If enemies were to come, it would likely be from the depths of the dungeon. That meant that if I waited here — closer to the depths than where the children were hidden — I would encounter them first. After nearly an hour, I sensed a commotion approaching from deep within. “Well, well. To be lying in wait — you’re a bold one.” A voice rang out. What appeared was several dozen golems, and among them a single humanoid-shaped one. The one who spoke was the humanoid golem. “Nice to meet you. I am Yuichi Otsugi. May I ask your name?” “How courteous, introducing yourself first. Very well, I shall etch my name into your very soul.” The humanoid golem spoke with an ...

Once the children had fallen asleep, I quietly slipped away. I pulled my robe over them before leaving. “Now then, Arisa-san. There’s something I’d like to ask of you.” “What is it?” “I need you to watch over the children.” “You’re going somewhere, old man?” “Yes. To deal with the enemy.” At my words, Arisa’s face tensed. “So it really is bad, huh?” “Yes, it’s bad.” I nodded at her question. On the way here, we had fought off countless golems. If this abnormal situation is the work of someone’s hand, then it’s best to assume our movements have already been noticed. The enemy is surely searching the dungeon for us even now. Spending the night holed up inside is a risk. Of course, trying to push through the dungeon without rest isn’t much better. Dragging exhausted children while running from an unknown enemy is not a wise plan. “That’s why I’ll draw them away. If possible, I’ll defeat them.” I would act as a decoy and face the enemy alone. If I defeated them, we’d be safe. If not, the o...

Once the soup was finished, all that was left was to sleep. We hadn’t brought much luggage, so we huddled in the shadow of some rocks, wrapped in our cloaks. It wasn’t comfortable, but if we crawled into sleeping bags, we wouldn’t be able to move quickly in an emergency. For adventurers, the basic rule was to sleep in a state where you could act at any moment. For a while, Arisa and I kept watch while the four children lay down to try and sleep. But they must not have been able to settle, because they kept fidgeting restlessly. Eventually, unable to take it anymore, Joan-kun sat up. He shuffled over to me and plopped down at my side, leaning on my shoulder. “What’s wrong, Joan-kun?” “The ground’s too hard, I can’t sleep, Ossan.” “I see. But there’s no helping it this time. Try to find a position that makes it easier to rest.” “Then sleep next to me, Ossan!” Joan suddenly blurted something unexpected. “If you’re nearby, I feel like I’ll be able to relax and sleep.” (E/N: He's just a...

Because of the emergency, we were forced to withdraw. The problem, however, was the distance to the exit. This expedition had been planned as a two-day, one-night exploration, so we had already advanced deep into the dungeon. Even if we turned back now, there was no way to return before midnight. If I were alone, it would be manageable. But I had children with me, and children grow sleepy at night. If we ran into monsters while they were drowsy and sluggish, it would only put them in danger. After weighing the risks, I judged that forcing a night march was unwise. Which meant, despite the unease, we would camp in the dungeon. To avoid worrying the children, I explained simply that we’d head back to report something strange to the Adventurer’s Guild. Thanks to that, they weren’t frightened, treating it like ordinary camping practice instead. Or rather, more like a campout to them — they chatted happily. “He~h, so this is Tiana-chan and Tio-kun’s first time in a dungeon too?” “Yeah. The ...

Since the Steel Giant Golem was taken down in an instant, the rest of the fight was easy. I blew up small clusters of golems with minor self-detonations, while the three in the rear sniped the rest one by one with magic. When their numbers thinned, we used the chance for training. I let Joan-kun and Arisa take the vanguard, practicing coordination with the rear guard. The two of them swung their clubs, knocking golems off their feet one after another. As soon as a golem toppled, the rear unit poured concentrated fire on it. By the time it was finished, the vanguard had already brought down the next one. The loop repeated endlessly. During that mechanical rhythm of battle, I noticed something—Arisa’s skill, « Calculator ». It was clear that its high processing power could be applied to more than just numbers. Arisa dodged every strike with uncanny precision, as if she were predicting the future, and knocked down golems with the most rational efficiency. It wasn’t random or whichever tar...

After defeating the Mithril Plate Golem, I used my « Iron Blood » skill to extract only the mithril from its surface, then continued our exploration. Since then, we hadn’t run into any monsters. Lucky, or unlucky. In exchange, we found plenty of ore veins. But so many veins and no monsters? That was unnatural. Ore veins are a byproduct of golem generation. Two possibilities came to mind. One, the monsters were gathered somewhere else in a horde. Two, a massive, powerful monster was responsible for the number of ore veins here. Either way, it could be dangerous for the children or for Arisa. We’d have to stay sharp. “O-ossan.” Lost in thought, I heard Joan-kun call out from the front. I focused my gaze in the direction he pointed. Speak of the devil — up ahead loomed a massive Steel Plate Golem. Surrounding it were several dozen more Steel Plate Golems. So it seemed both my guesses were right. “Looks like we’ve got a tough one. I’ll take point, so everyone else fall back to safety. Aris...

With Joan-kun leading the way, we continued our exploration. While teaching him the basics of keeping watch over the surroundings, I left most of the decisions up to him. As we pressed on, we discovered several ore deposits. Using the skill « Iron Blood », I extracted only the metallic resources and quickly moved on in search of the next. Before long, after finding a few deposits, we finally encountered a monster. “Oh my, this is unusual.” What appeared before us was a creature known as a Mithril Plate Golem. In this area, they are supposed to be exceedingly rare, so it seems we were lucky to run into one. Normally, Rock Golems, Aluminum Plate Golems, or Iron Plate Golems show up in this region. But on rare occasions, exceptional variants appear — among them, the Mithril Plate Golem. It uses the rare metal mithril for its outer plating, giving it high durability and strong resistance to magic. That said, its core is the same as any Rock Golem. Meaning, in truth, the threat level is ver...

Once the commotion over my level had settled down, we were finally able to resume exploring. The area where golems appear is considered one of the least dangerous zones. Golems are mindless creatures that move automatically, so they don’t lay traps or attempt ambushes. That makes this place the perfect training ground for beginner adventurers. Since multi-dungeons are artificially created and adjusted to be low-difficulty, the common practice is for new adventurers to gain their first experience here. Naturally, I followed that precedent. The plan was simple: first I’d defeat the golems to power-level them up to stats comparable to novice adventurers. After that, I would let the five handle dungeon exploration on their own while I supervised, giving pointers and guidance along the way. This way, each of them could gain ability suited to their level. Tiana-chan and Tio-kun, who wanted to become adventurers, of course. But I also wanted Arisa-san to acquire those same self-sufficiency sk...

I displayed my status plate, enlarging it so everyone could see clearly. —————————— 【Name】Yuichi Otsugi 【Level】215 【Strength】A 【Magic】A 【Endurance】A 【Agility】A 【Attribute】None 【Skill】ERROR —————————— “Ha— eh? Two hundred!?” Seeing my level, Tio-kun let out a voice of shock. The other four froze in surprise as well. “O-ossan, you’re seriously amazing. Damn, I’ve never even heard of anyone reaching two hundred!” The first to recover was Joan-kun. His eyes sparkled as he looked up at me with admiration. “I’ve heard that even S-rank adventurers only just break past a hundred. But Otsugi-oji-san, your level is nearly double that. It’s unbelievable.” Tiana-chan, still astonished, added some background knowledge. Thanks to her, Joan-kun seemed even more impressed, gripping my hand and shaking it wildly. He was clearly excited. “Well, unbelievable or not, I agree. Even at two hundred, having all stats stuck at A is far too low, don’t you think?” “No, that’s not the part to focus on,” Arisa cut...

We advanced through the Multi-Dungeon while keeping formation. I took the lead. Behind me were Tio-kun and Tiana-chan. Further back, Joan-kun and Rosa-chan. Arisa held the rear. Our first destination was the area rich in mineral resources. In dungeons that spawned golems, mineral veins were often found as a byproduct. These veins regenerated repeatedly within the dungeon. The leading theory was that they were like the waste products from the golem creation process. In other words, the discarded residue formed mineral deposits. Indeed, the type of golem that appeared always matched the type of minerals found in the veins. Since weapons and armor would certainly sell well thanks to wartime demand, I was hoping we could secure some high-quality metal resources. In fact, one of my skills was called «Blood Iron». It allowed me to dissolve metallic substances into my blood. By using it, I could store far more metal resources than with a simple storage pouch. The drawback was that both absorp...