Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 115: Extra Story — Thor, Rukie, and the “Terrifying Sleeping Bag”
This time, Demon Lord Rukie asks Thor to craft a few items…
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“I have a request for you as an alchemist, Thor.”
“Understood. I’ll take it on. I’ll get started immediately.”
“Wait, wait. Hear the details first.”
This was the throne room of the Demon Lord’s castle.
As I was about to return to the workshop, Rukie, dressed as the Demon Lord, stopped me.
“My apologies. I just…”
“Being diligent about your work is a good thing. Now, about the request—”
Rukie began to explain what was happening near the border.
Near the Demon Lord’s Domain lay the territory of Count Garua, a noble of the Empire.
A while ago, he was scheming together with my father.
Afterward, he fell out of favor with the Council of High Officials in the Imperial Capital and was reassigned to another territory.
“According to Kelve’s investigation, that land seems to be troubled with various problems.”
Rukie continued.
“Count Garua fell from power, and many of his subordinates abandoned the territory. Security worsened, and some turned to banditry near the Demon Lord’s Domain.”
“Is that so…?”
“Of course, they haven’t attacked villages, towns, or travelers. So far, they have only stolen crops from fields and fruit from orchards. But if left unchecked, they may target livestock next, and eventually people. We must act now.”
“I understand.”
I nodded.
“What measures has the Demon Lord’s Domain taken so far?”
“We have increased the number of soldiers and have them patrol frequently. But the border area is vast. There are some forts, but they’re spaced far apart. Because of this, the soldiers in charge of patrols have to camp out…”
“…Camping drains physical strength, doesn’t it.”
“That’s why I have a request for you, Thor.”
Rukie leaned forward from her throne and said,
“Can you prepare an item that allows soldiers to camp comfortably without losing their strength?”
“In that case, how about a ‘sleeping bag’?”
“A ‘sleeping bag’?”
“I found such an item in a ‘Mail-Order Catalog’ before.”
A “sleeping bag” is a bag-shaped piece of bedding.
The catalog said things like, “Fluffy and soft, it’s as comfortable as floating in the air,” “Exceptional heat retention guarantees comfortable sleep. It’s fine to lie horizontally or vertically!” and “Perfect for mountain camping or emergency use.”
There was also a photo.
It showed a person sleeping comfortably inside a ‘sleeping bag’ set up on a mountain slope.
The photograph showed a place so high that clouds lay below the sleeper’s feet.
A ‘sleeping bag’ seemed to be an item that allowed someone to sleep comfortably and safely even in such a place.
“I see. Such an item exists.”
Rukie nodded, apparently convinced.
“In that case, it takes up little space. You can lie on the ground without losing body heat. If it can be used vertically, you could even lean against a rock wall to sleep.”
“Since it has ‘comfort as if floating in the air,’ hanging it from a rock wall might also be good.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“To prevent falling while sleeping, how about fixing it with a ‘chain lock’?”
“A ‘chain lock,’ huh? That’s the chain that digs into rocky surfaces, right?”
“Exactly. If you stretch ‘chain locks’ horizontally like a clothesline and hang several ‘sleeping bags’ on them, everyone can sleep together. If something happens, you can respond in an orderly fashion.”
“Good.”
“Also… the ‘sleeping bags’ will be made from ‘Dark-Element Magical Weave Fabric.’ They’ll react to the faint magical power of the wearer while sleeping. If they blend into the darkness, stealth operations are also possible.”
“Understood. The remaining problem… would be the clothing worn while sleeping.”
“I’ll provide ‘Transforming Pajamas.’ They’re very comfortable to wear.”
“Very well. Then, I command you, Alchemist Thor Canaan—”
Rukie rose from the throne and declared.
“Prepare a number of ‘sleeping bags’ and ‘Transforming Pajamas’ for the soldiers! Afterward, teach Raisenga’s subordinates how to use those items. Understood?”
“Understood, Your Majesty!”
And so, I began preparing the items.
──A few nights later, near the border of the Demon Lord’s Domain──
“…Hey. Haven’t we entered the Demon Lord’s Domain by now?”
In the darkness, one of the warriors muttered.
They were a unit of a dozen or so men.
They had originally been subordinates of Count Garua, the border lord.
The count had been demoted, and as a result, a factional struggle broke out among the soldiers.
It was between the soldiers favored by the border lord and those who sided more with the common people.
With the border lord gone, the former’s position worsened.
Especially the soldiers who had arrogantly used the border lord’s authority to boss others around could no longer stay in the town.
So they wandered near towns and villages, living by stealing crops.
They had come deep into the border because the forests near the Demon Lord’s Domain were rich.
Especially recently, they had heard that an orchard had been established near the rocky mountains. The surrounding cliffs were sheer and made it hard to be seen.
After learning this, they decided to steal the crops—but—
“W-We should go back after all. It’ll be bad if we get spotted by demi-humans or demons.”
“Nah, I think we can manage one more time, right?”
They whispered among themselves.
“The Demon Lord’s Domain is inhabited by demons and demi-humans. They’re powerful races, but probably not as clever as humans.”
“They shouldn’t be able to react immediately. If they move, we’ll just move away.”
“Besides, the rumors about demons and demi-humans being strong are just hearsay, right?”
“The war between humans and the Demon Lord ended 200 years ago.”
“W-We probably don’t have to be so scared anymore, do we…?”
The warriors laughed quietly in the dark.
Feeling emboldened, they stepped forward.
Deeper into the forest.
Toward the orchard maintained by the Demon Lord’s Domain.
“The Demon Lord’s men must realize they can’t win against the Dorgalia Empire, which values military power.”
The warrior who seemed to be the captain laughed.
“The demons lost to humans. They no longer have the resolve to fight humans—”
Muttering this, they proceeded further into the forest.
Just as they were about to step into the orchard, they suddenly stopped.
They saw the rock wall.
A jet-black, sky-piercing rock wall.
And there was something there.
What they first saw was a tiger with pure white fur.
Its head was probably a size larger than a human’s.
On its forehead was a bright red stripe.
But it had no body.
Below its neck—there was only pure black darkness.
Only the tiger’s pure white head faintly emerged from the night’s darkness.
Next to it was a wolf’s head.
Its eyes were closed, bowed down silently.
Next to that was a huge lizard, a cat, a dog, a sheep, and a goat.
All of them were only heads.
“““──E-Eeep!?”””
The warriors let out screams.
Their bodies started trembling violently.
“…A-Are these beast heads lined up…? W-Why!?”
“…Is this… from the Demon Lord’s men?”
“…Did they hunt beasts and leave only their heads… to be seen by us…?”
Then the warriors realized.
──“This is a warning.”
The Demon Lord’s men had known they would come here.
That was why they lined up the severed heads of beasts in this place.
As a warning to these desperate warriors.
‘Next time, it’ll be your turn to end up like this.’
──That was the message.
“““E-Eeeeeeek!!?”””
The warriors screamed in terror.
They had underestimated it.
They had disrespected the Demon Lord’s Domain.
They never imagined they would go this far.
The warriors fled at full speed.
Their legs tangled, they fell many times, scraping their faces on the ground.
They didn’t even notice their weapons slipping from their trembling hands.
All they could think about was getting away from here.
But—
──Rustle, rustle rustle rustle!
Hearing the sound, the warriors turned around.
“““…Geh!?”””
In front of their eyes—animal eyes were opening.
They moved sharply, locking onto the warriors.
Maybe it was an illusion created by darkness and fear.
Before they knew it, the animals’ bodies had emerged from the darkness.
Tigers, wolves, lizards, cats, dogs, sheep, goats… They were slowly starting to move, as if just waking up.
They stood up on two legs with a sway.
They moved their heads and caught sight of the warriors.
Then they began sprinting toward the warriors like runners in a short-distance race.
Straight toward the warriors.
“““Gyaaahhhhhhh!!”””
The panicked warriors fled, tumbling as they ran away.
Amid their screams echoing, the chase continued—
“D-don’t come! Please don’t come any closer!”
“P-please forgive me! I’ll never enter the Demon Lord’s Domain again!”
“Eeeeeeeek! H-help! M-mother!!!”
The fleeing warriors, and those who were caught, could do nothing but plead for mercy.
——A few days later——
“I see. When sleeping in these black ‘sleeping bags’ hung in the dark, they look like severed heads.”
“That was a blind spot.”
“The Dark-Element Magical Weave Fabric sleeping bags literally blend into the darkness…”
“Moreover, since the soldiers were disguised as animals in ‘Transforming Pajamas,’ no one realized they were alive and breathing…”
“They misunderstood and thought those were rows of severed animal heads as a warning to intruders…”
“That was a blind spot.”
“Even as an alchemist, it was unexpected.”
Of course, the soldiers of the Demon Lord’s Domain caught the intruders.
However, they were in complete panic and couldn’t even speak properly.
They must have seen something truly terrifying, General Raisenga reported.
“However, it seems the comfort of the sleeping bags was excellent?”
“That’s good. We put a lot of effort into making them.”
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“Comfortable Sleeping Bag” (Rarity: ★★★★★☆)
(Element: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Darkness)
A luxurious and comfortable sleeping bag made from five layers of Magical Weave Fabric.
The Earth-Element Magical Weave Fabric is durable and blade-resistant. Even on rocky ground, the person inside doesn’t feel the uneven surface.
The Water-Element Magical Weave Fabric conforms to the body and provides a comfortable sleeping experience.
The Fire-Element Magical Weave Fabric retains heat and maintains body temperature even in a blizzard.
The Wind-Element Magical Weave Fabric allows moisture to escape, keeping the inside dry.
The outermost Dark-Element Magical Weave Fabric reacts to the faint magic emitted during sleep and blends into the darkness, making the sleeping bag difficult to find at night.
A wonderful sleeping bag usable vertically or horizontally.
Because it requires a large amount of magic cloth, the cost is high.
Physical destruction resistance: ★★★★ (Can block claws of magical beasts)
Durability: 3 years.
Note: When washing, turn it inside out.
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“I also tried using it… it was really comfortable.”
For an item from the Heroes’ world, it was a little underwhelming, though…
I recalled the catalog contents.
Since the pictured use was in snowy mountains, the sleeping bag likely has functions for survival in cold, thin air environments.
Perhaps it also has functions to make the surrounding environment comfortable or even enable fast travel wrapped inside it down to the mountain base.
I wanted to test those functions too, but—
“Since this time was urgent, we prioritized simple performance and quantity.”
“I-I see. But even as it’s, I think it’s good enough.”
Rukie said that with a nod.
“However, when used outdoors, blending too thoroughly into the darkness is troublesome. It’s also a problem if someone mistakes sleeping soldiers for severed heads—”
“That’s true…”
I was glad to receive such feedback.
Knowing the flaws means I can improve them.
This time’s problem was simple.
Make sure the sleeping bag doesn’t blend into the darkness.
For that—
“Then, let’s add the same effect as the ‘Transforming Pajamas’ to the sleeping bag.”
“What do you mean?”
“Make it an animal-like sleeping bag.”
“So if you sleep inside, you take on the form of an animal?”
“Precisely, only the sleeping bag takes the shape of an animal.”
“Hmm. Let’s try it!”
I tried it.
“T-Thor-sama is being eaten by a bear! P-please stay with us! The wound is shallow! Toooorrrr!!! Waaahhhhh!!!”
It was a failure.
“…Was it necessary to make such a realistic bear?”
“…Making the sleeping bag’s entrance the bear’s mouth was also a mistake.”
So, I ended up having to improve the sleeping bag again—
It seemed it would still take a long time before the sleeping bags would be officially adopted by the Demon Lord’s Domain soldiers.