Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 157: “The Demon Lord’s Territory & ‘Town of Nosa’ Joint Investigation Team, Moves in the Shadows (5)”
“I don’t feel any magic power. Using Appraisal Insight… I can at least tell the materials. Iron and… concrete? A material unique to another world, perhaps. How fascinating…”
I touched the “box in question.”
There was no magic power. It didn’t seem to be a magic item.
Even with the Appraisal Insight skill, I could only determine the materials.
“Your Highness and alchemist-sama, please investigate the box.”
Dorothy-san spoke.
“Misana-san and I will deal with the magical beasts. Erte-sama, please keep an eye on the men. We’ll interrogate them later.”
“Understood. However…”
Erte-san shook her head.
“It’s unfortunate that the man with blue hair isn’t among the captured.”
The man with blue hair… the presumed mastermind, Daryl Zanno.
It seemed he wasn’t in this cabin.
…Let’s finish investigating the box before he returns.
“I’ll take a closer look at the box. Sophia-sama, Mabel, please help.”
“Understood, Canaan-sama.”
“I’ll help too!”
We turned toward the box at the center of the room.
“So this is the ‘box in question’…”
Mabel stared at the box in awe.
I understood the feeling.
It was an item from another world. Even I was moved.
I planned to give this to Sophia to use in negotiations with the Empire.
Of course, we would examine it thoroughly first.
“Canaan-sama.”
“Yes, Sophia-sama?”
“What are your thoughts on this box?”
“My opinion?”
“If you’d share it with us.”
“…Well then. If you’re okay with just my assessment.”
I took a deep breath.
And then—
“There’s no doubt this comes from another world. A box of this shape doesn’t exist in our world.
What stands out is the material. This uses something called ‘concrete.’ Whether it’s possible to create it in this world, or if an equivalent material is already in use, will need to be investigated.
I heard that even attack magic couldn’t open it, so it likely has fire resistance, shock resistance, and cold resistance.
As for how to open it, I suspect that turning the side dials in a certain pattern will unlock it. The absence of a key likely means it’s designed so that anyone who knows how can open it.
Huh? There’s a bundle of papers next to the box. They’re charred, but some of the text is readable. It says ‘User Manual. Fireproof Safe’… I see, this is a ‘fireproof safe.’
However, the manual is in poor condition. And it’s incomplete—it looks like the latter half is missing. Umm… the structure of this item is—”
“Canaan-sama! Canaan-sama!”
“Thor-sama! Are you alright!? Thor-sama!?”
…Ah.
When I came to, Mabel was shaking me.
Whoops.
I got so caught up in the excitement of encountering an item from another world that I started rambling.
Can you blame me?
The letters in this ‘manual’ are the same as in the ‘mail-order catalog’—in other words, this is an item from the Hero’s world. It’s incredibly fascinating.
I want to copy the manual immediately and make versions for storage, analysis, and distribution.
“Umm… this seems to be an item from another world called a ‘fireproof safe.'”
I explained.
“It’s a box made to protect its contents from fire and impacts. It’s quite sturdy.”
“A ‘fireproof safe’… So it has resistance to fire?”
“Exactly, Sophia-sama. However, since it has no magic power, its protection is purely physical.”
“… Thor-sama. I have a question.”
Suddenly, Mabel raised her hand.
“Is this something from the Hero’s world?”
“I don’t know. But it’s possible.”
“But the Hero could use an ‘Item Box’ or ‘Storage Skill,’ right? You even made a ‘Portable Warehouse.’ So why would they need something like a ‘fireproof safe’ that has no magical power?”
“Indeed, Mabel-sama makes a good point.”
Sophia nodded at Mabel’s words.
“If it were an important item, they could just store it in an ‘Item Box’ or ‘Portable Warehouse.’ So why would someone from another world make something like a ‘fireproof safe’?”
Mabel and Sophia’s doubts were completely valid.
I had wondered the same thing when I first saw it.
And the answer is—
“Probably because this safe was made with a completely different concept than an ‘Item Box’ or ‘Portable Warehouse.'”
I said.
“First of all, this ‘fireproof safe’ was likely made for people who don’t have storage skills.”
“Ah.”
“When I was in the Empire, I read in a history book that ‘even some Heroes didn’t possess the Storage Skill—it was a rare ability.’ So there must’ve been people in the Hero’s world without that skill—”
“I understand. I also read many history books in the detached palace.”
“So for people in the Hero’s world who didn’t have the Storage Skill, they needed a safe place to store their items…”
“Exactly. I think that’s one of the intended uses of this ‘fireproof safe.'”
I continued.
“A second possible use, judging from the fact that the box was summoned alongside magical beasts, is that it was used to store items in dangerous locations.”
The ‘fireproof safe’ was summoned into this world around the same time as the giant scorpion magical beast.
Which means it had been placed near that scorpion.
“It was placed in a magical beast’s habitat…?”
“In that case, you wouldn’t be able to place a valuable magical item like a ‘Portable Warehouse’ there. And retrieving items would be difficult… not to mention it might get destroyed over time.”
“But a ‘fireproof safe’ could physically withstand a magical beast’s attack. So its purpose was to endure such attacks and store a small number of important items.”
In other words, it’s a difference in purpose.
The purpose of an “Item Box” or a “Portable Storage” is to store a large number of items and to make them easily accessible at any time.
The purpose of a “Fireproof Safe” is to withstand attacks from magical beasts and to store a small number of items.
That’s why it probably has “fire resistance” imbued. After all, there are plenty of magical beasts that breathe fire.
“In other words, this ‘Fireproof Safe’ is a storage container designed to protect items from magical beasts. It was probably installed at military outposts to store weapons, documents, maps of the area, and so on.”
“That makes sense. A box this sturdy wouldn’t be breakable by any magical beast.”
“So if the fortress was on the verge of being overrun by magical beasts, they would store items in here that couldn’t be taken away. That would prevent the loss of documents and the leakage of items. And then—”
“Once they retook the fortress, they could open the safe and retrieve the items safely. Or they could sneak in, retrieve weapons, and attack the fortress from within. Maybe that’s why the ‘Fireproof Safe’ was created?”
“That makes sense!”
Of course, this is just a hypothesis.
But considering that the heroes from the other world were always battle-hardened warriors aiming to be the strongest, it wouldn’t be surprising if they prepared for defeat against magical beasts and came up with countermeasures.
Looking through the “Mail Order Catalog,” it’s clear that the world of heroes had an abundance of incredibly powerful items. Preparing a storage unit that was simply tough and secure to prevent the loss of such items is entirely plausible.
That’s why this “Fireproof Safe” was created—or so goes my theory.
“So, what shall we do with this box, Sophia-sama?”
“It seems to be quite heavy. We’d need to arrange for a carriage to move it.”
“Yeah. The people who stole the box probably used a carriage too.”
“They were ‘Beast Tamers,’ after all. Maybe they had magical beasts pull the cart.”
“That’s quite likely.”
We’ll probably find out those details by interrogating the men.
I hope at least one of them is a “Beast Tamer.”
If none of them are… things will get complicated.
“But if we’re moving the box, I could use my ‘Ultra-Compact Portable Storage.’”
“I understand that, but if we go back to the town of Nosa empty-handed and then suddenly pull out ‘that box,’ everyone’s going to be shocked.”
“Then how about this—we store it in the ‘Ultra-Compact Portable Storage’ for now, and once the carriage arrives, we load it onto that. Would that be okay?”
“Yes, that sounds like the safest option.”
“Got it. In that case, can I open it first?”
“Of course… Huh?”
Sophia’s eyes went wide.
“Canaan-sama, can you actually open this box?”
“With your and everyone’s cooperation, Sophia-sama.”
I turned toward Dorothy-san and the others.
Dorothy-san and Misana-san had finished subjugating the Dark Wolf and were now standing guard with Erte-san, watching the men. But the men, tied up and with “Noise-Cancelling Coats” draped over them, were completely motionless.
They should be fine even if we take our eyes off them for a short while.
“Would you lend me your help, Erte-san? Dorothy-san, Misana-san?”
“O-of course. But… can we really open ‘that box’ right here?”
“…I-I can hardly believe it.”
“…This is shocking.”
Dorothy-san and Misana-san both looked wide-eyed.
“Fortunately, we have an instruction manual here. It explains how the door is locked. However, we’ll need Sophia-sama’s magic to open it.”
“Understood! You mean to destroy the door using ‘Light Attribute Attack Magic,’ right?”
“Exactly.”
I nodded.
“This ‘Fireproof Safe’ was made to withstand magical beasts. So it resists fire. But no magical beast uses ‘Light Attribute’ or ‘Dark Attribute’ attack magic—”
“Meaning, we can pierce the door using Light Attribute magic.”
“Exactly right.”
“But Light Attribute attack magic is very powerful. There’s a chance it could accidentally destroy the contents…”
“It’s fine. I’ve made preparations.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about.”
Sophia nodded in satisfaction.
But Dorothy-san said—
“No, Your Highness. Perhaps we should hear the explanation first—”
“If Canaan-sama says so, then it will be fine.”
“Yes. When it comes to handling magic items, there’s no one more knowledgeable than Thor-sama.”
Sophia and Mabel exchanged glances and nodded.
Thanks, you two. But let me explain first.
“According to the manual, the door is secured by a metal plate.”
I opened the manual and pointed to the diagram of the safe.
The right half of the diagram was torn off, but it didn’t affect the explanation of the internal mechanism.
Though, I wonder why the second half is missing. Did those guys in the hut rip it?
If so… I’ll need to have a word with them later.
Destroying valuable documents in another world… as an alchemist, I can’t overlook that.
Well, putting that aside—
“The mechanism is simple. A metal rod holds the door in place. If we just destroy that part, we can open the safe without affecting the contents. As for how we’ll do that—”
I continued explaining.
By combining the information from the manual with my magic items, we should be able to open the safe without damaging what’s inside.
“Yes. That position should be perfect. Dorothy-san and Misana-san, please keep holding the parasols like that.”
I called out to the two of them.
Dorothy-san and Misana-san—
“…Misana.”
“…Yes, Captain?”
“…Why are we holding open parasols indoors?”
“…These are sun umbrellas. But it’s nighttime right now. I can’t help but feel like we’re doing something weird.”
They glanced at each other.
Still, they held the parasols steady and guarded the “Fireproof Safe.”
As expected of them.
“…Canaan-sama.”
“Yes, Sophia-sama?”
“Those umbrellas that Dorothy-sama and Misana are holding…?”
“They’re ‘UV-Cut Parasols.’ They block Light Attribute magic.”
“‘UV’? Does that stand for ‘Ultimate Vivid Light’?”
“Correct. As expected of Sophia-sama. Excellent insight.”
“Um… Do those oddly wrinkled umbrellas really have that much power…?”
“They’ve already been tested. Soliel can vouch for their effectiveness.”
“I absolutely can!”
The fairy pixie Soliel, who had somehow returned unnoticed, raised her voice from within her
“The ‘UV-Cut Parasol’ nullified Soleil’s ‘Vivid Strike’. It’s truly incredibly effective.”
“That’s why, even if the magic veers off target, the ‘Fireproof Safe’ won’t be damaged. Even if you fail, you can try again. So don’t hesitate to fire away.”
The power of a light-attribute offensive spell is enough to destroy the locking mechanism of the fireproof safe.
But that might also damage what’s inside.
In that case, we can just protect the other parts with the UV-Cut Parasol. Simple enough.
“B-but, I’m not confident I can aim precisely at just the lock. It’s difficult to be that accurate…”
“I see. In that case, let’s use this.”
I took out a laser pointer.
I activated it and shone the light into the gap in the fireproof safe’s door.
“Please cast your spell along this line of light.”
“Huh?”
“No need to overthink it. Just cast it casually—it’ll hit the target.”
The laser pointer creates a flow of magic power toward the target.
As long as you aim it properly, it should only destroy the locking mechanism of the fireproof safe.
“O-okay. I’ll try.”
Sophia said that and began her chant.
“O great light, strike strongly those who block your path!”
A glowing sphere of light formed at Sophia’s fingertip.
It was about the size of a pebble. Quite small. Looks like she’s adjusted the power.
“Firing! Vivid Strike!!”
Whoosh!
Sophia swung her arm.
The glowing sphere of light rode the laser pointer’s beam and shot forward.
Two UV-Cut Parasols awaited ahead.
The Vivid Strike tried to pass through the gap between the parasols, but it was slightly too large. The light sphere touched the parasol’s surface—and was shaved down.
The now appropriately-sized light flew into the gap of the fireproof safe’s door.
It scraped the door slightly, then Vivid Strike vanished.
According to the manual, there should be two metal bars, so I asked her to fire at the other one too. Carefully. Aimed precisely with the laser pointer.
Then—when I grabbed the handle of the safe and pulled the door… Yes. It moved.
Sophia’s spell had destroyed the locking mechanism of the fireproof safe.
“Well done, Sophia-sama.”
She’s amazing, really.
Vivid Strike didn’t pierce through the safe. That’s because Sophia adjusted its power.
That’s why the light-attribute offensive spell only destroyed part of the safe’s door and the components fixing it in place.
“I-it wasn’t my doing… It was all thanks to you, Canaan-sama.”
Sophia shyly looked down and said:
“Because Canaan-sama translated the manual, I understood the internal structure. Because you aimed using that mysterious parasol and… um, ‘laser pointer’? I was able to focus solely on adjusting the power. It was all thanks to your support, Canaan-sama.”
“Even so, I appreciate it. Sophia-sama, you’re very dependable.”
“Say that one more time, please.”
“Huh? Um… You really are amazing, Sophia-sama. Very reliable.”
“Please say it like you would to Mabel-sama when she brings you tea after an all-nighter.”
“You’re incredible, Sophia. Thanks.”
“────!”
Sophia clutched her chest and trembled.
Oops… I got carried away.
Sophia does things like this sometimes. I need to be careful.
Nearby, Dorothy-san and Missana-san were watching me intently next to the safe.
Acting like this in front of the Lady Omawarisan Unit isn’t a good look…
“Alchemist-sama.”
“I’m sorry, Dorothy-san.”
“Even if there was no other way, it’s a pity the safe had to be broken.”
But what Dorothy-san said next was unexpected.
“Her Highness was also considering how to use this box, but now the lock won’t close. That alone is… quite unfortunate.”
“No, I plan to repair it properly later.”
“Huh?”
Dorothy-san looked completely dumbfounded.
This time, we only broke the metal rods that held the door in place.
Something like that should be fixable with my skill, Material Transmutation.
“Also, according to the manual, there’s a ‘Reset Switch’ on the inside of the door.”
“Reset switch?”
“This safe can be opened by rotating the dial in a specific sequence. But secrets can’t always be kept forever. So it’s designed so the procedure can be changed periodically. If we restore the metal parts, press the reset switch, and set a new sequence—”
“We can… make it so… it was never opened…!?”
“In that state, it opens up a lot of possibilities, right?”
As I said that, Mabel nodded and Sophia gave a bold smile.
Looks like both of them understood what I meant.
We’re the only ones here now.
The Dark Wolves have been defeated.
The men guarding the box are wrapped up in an inverted Noise-Cancelling Coat. They can’t hear a word we’re saying.
Only we know the box has been opened.
“Well, in any case, let’s check what’s inside the box first.”
I placed my hand on the fireproof safe.
Before opening it, I activated Appraisal Awareness again.
—No suspicious traps. No magical defenses either.
It should be safe to open.
“Alright, I’m opening it now.”
And thus, I slowly began opening that box.