Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 157: “The Demon Lord’s Domain–Noza Town Joint Investigation Team Works in the Shadows (5)”
“I don’t sense any magic. Appraisal Grasp can at least identify 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 Appraisal Grasp, I could only determine the materials.
“Your Highness and alchemist-sama, please investigate the box.”
Dorothy-san spoke.
“Misana-san and I’ll 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. It uses something called ‘concrete.’ We’ll need to investigate whether it can be made in this world or whether an equivalent material is already in use.
I heard that even attack magic couldn’t open it, so it likely has fire, impact, and cold resistance.
As for opening it, I suspect turning the dials on the side in a particular sequence will release the lock. The lack of a key probably means anyone who knows the sequence can open it.
Huh? There’s a bundle of papers beside 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 incomplete. The latter half appears to be missing. Let’s see… 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 writing in this manual is the same as that in the Mail-Order Catalog. In other words, this is an item from the Heroes’ 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 heroes could use Item Boxes or Storage Skills, right? You even made a Simple Storage. Why would they need a Fireproof Safe with no magical power?”
“Indeed, Mabel-sama makes a good point.”
Sophia nodded at Mabel’s words.
“If it held something important, they could simply place it in an Item Box or Simple Storage. Why would people 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 designed according to a completely different concept from an Item Box or Simple Storage.”
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 lacked the Storage Skill—it was a rare ability. So there must have been people in the Heroes’ world without it—”
“I understand. I also read many history books in the detached palace.”
“So people in the Heroes’ world who lacked the Storage Skill needed a safe place to store their belongings…”
“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, they couldn’t leave an important magic item like a Simple Storage there. Retrieving things would be difficult, and it might eventually be destroyed.”
“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 Simple Storage is to hold many items and keep them readily accessible.
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 given that the heroes from another world were battle-hardened warriors always striving to be the strongest, it wouldn’t be surprising if they prepared for defeat against magical beasts.
The Mail-Order Catalog shows that the Heroes’ world possessed many extraordinarily powerful items. It’s entirely plausible that they prepared a storage container that was simply tough and secure so those items wouldn’t be lost.
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 Miniature Simple Storage.”
“I understand, but if we return to Noza Town empty-handed and then suddenly produce that box, everyone will be shocked.”
“Then how about this: we’ll store it in the Miniature Simple Storage for now, and load it onto the carriage once it arrives. Would that be acceptable?”
“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 subduing the Dark Wolves and were now standing guard with Erte-san over the captured men. The men, bound and covered with Noise-Cancelling Coats, 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- or Dark-Element attack magic—”
“Meaning Light-Element magic can pierce the door.”
“Exactly right.”
“But Light-Element attack magic is very powerful. It might 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’ll 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-Element 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. Soleil can vouch for their effectiveness.”
“I absolutely can!”
The winged pixie Soleil, who had somehow returned unnoticed, raised her voice from inside the hood.
“The UV-Cut Parasol nullified Soleil’s Vivid Strike. It’s truly 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.”
A Light-Element offensive spell has enough power to destroy the Fireproof Safe’s locking mechanism.
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 the 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 magical 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. She had clearly adjusted its power.
“Firing! Vivid Strike!!”
Whoosh!
Sophia swung her arm.
The glowing sphere 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 were two metal bars, so I asked her to fire at the other one as well, carefully aiming 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 its internal structure. Because you aimed with that mysterious parasol and… um, the Laser Pointer, I could focus entirely on controlling 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 Misana-san were watching me intently beside the safe.
Acting like this in front of the Lady Omawarisan Unit wasn’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 Grasp 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.