Kays Translations

Chapter 38: New Allies

"I have an idea! Do we still have any perception-blocking magical tools?"

I had also considered turning perception-blocking magical tools into artifacts.

Artifacts don't require magic stones.

It won't burden Lido.

But those perception-blocking magical tools were destroyed by Arthur.

Wait a minute...

"Gale! Let's go get them. Hurry up."

"Hey, wait a minute, that's..."

"No time, let's hurry!"

Without giving Gale a chance to say anything, I climbed onto Lido's back.

"Takumi, the perception-blocking magical tools were destroyed in the battle against the 'Sword Saint'."

"I know. But maybe we can make it work somehow. Please cooperate with me, we might be able to save Lido."

I didn't want to give Mia any unnecessary information.

With the 'Deform' skill, whether the target is broken or not doesn't matter.

I organized the information in a way that made it easy for Mia to visualize the subject.

That should work.

Gale understood with a single word.

Then he went and brought the perception-blocking magical tool.

It was a silver disc with a diameter of about one meter.

Belts extended from the disc in all directions.

They must have attached it to Lido using these belts.

A large needle was protruding from the back of the disc, but it was broken halfway.

"Is this needle the part that broke?"

"Yeah, that's right. We used to insert this needle into Lido and send the magic stone energy to the magical tool."

This seems to work without any tweaks.

It would be better if Mia also heard the details of its functions.

"Okay, let's go back."

◇

Lido was sleeping on the shore of the lake, lying down like a dog.

We don't have much time to be together, so I want him to rest quietly during this time.

Now then, let's check the remaining concerns.

"Princess, there's something I want to confirm. Does Lido attack the human race and the dwarf race?"

"...Yes, he does."

Seriously?

"Why haven't I and Mia been attacked?"

"Lido is intelligent. He thinks of you both as his allies since we're together."

“Can we prevent Lido from attacking the human race and the dwarf race? If we’re attacked, can he then fight back without hesitation?"

"Lido can do it. It's impossible for other monsters, except for special ones like him. I understand your concerns, but why are you asking this now?"

"We're going to fix the perception-blocking magical tools. However, if there's a possibility that Lido might become an enemy, we can't fix them. It's too dangerous."

I can't compromise on this.

Perception-blocking magical tools that hinder recognition are like natural enemies of the 'Heart Wall' barrier.

"I understand.  I'll definitely convince him."

I don't doubt her, but there's a possibility that someone might try to take the magical tools from her. So let me get a little insurance.

"I trust you. Now, can you tell me the functions of this magical tool?"

Gale explained to me about the perception-blocking magical tools.

Using this magical tool, it doesn't make you completely invisible, but rather makes it difficult for others to perceive you, similar to a stone lying on the ground.

It's not a function that completely avoids detection, so if you speak or make large movements, the opponent will notice.

It only activates for a short time, but it consumes a large amount of magic stone energy, so it's difficult to find the right timing to use it.

"Mia, can you imagine it?"

Mia nodded.

"Princess, Gale, I want what we're about to do to remain a secret."

I looked at the faces of the princess and Gale.

"I promise not to tell anyone. I won't even tell my father."

"I swear I won't utter a word about it."

◇

――Using Mia's 'Deformation' skill, we created a 'Cognition-Inhibiting Artifact' using the material of the 'Cognition-Inhibiting Magical Tool.'

When the princess and Gale saw it, they were speechless.

For some reason, the 'Cognition-Inhibiting Artifact' Mia created took the form of a hat.

It still looked like a silver disc, but the inhibiting effect would activate when the disc was placed on the head.

Of course, it didn't require a magic stone.

I changed the durability of the disc from 61 to 21 with the 'Tampering' skill.

Since it would be out of our hands, it would be dangerous if it remained usable forever.

To improve its practicality, Mia created a large hat from the fabric she had stored in her stuffed animal's pocket.

The hat was a rimless type called a skullcap that fit perfectly on the head.

It even had a chin strap to keep it from falling off the head.

The silver disc, the 'Cognition-Inhibiting Artifact,' was placed inside the hat.

When we put the finished hat on Lido's head, we couldn't recognize him unless we were very conscious of him.

The appearance of the dragon wearing a hat with a chinstrap was very surreal, resembling a Tengu wearing a hat.

"Wow!"

The princess and Gale exclaimed in surprise.

"Did you really create an artifact?"

"Takumi, Mia, who are you? No, who exactly are you?"

"Ka, Karla-sama, please calm down! Takumi and Mia might be descendants of the ancient people."

The princess and Gale were completely baffled.

What on earth are the ancient people?

"Calm down, Gale. We're just people from another world. We're not descendants of the ancient people."

Afterward, we briefly explained our skills.

It seemed like they understood why we wanted to keep these skills a secret.

"Takumi and Mia, you are indeed people from another world. But your abilities surpass those of ordinary humans. You have recognized us, the demon tribe, as your allies. You have trusted us. Instead of calling me princess, please call me Karla! I want to be your companion, not defined by my status or title."

"Takumi and Mia, you've saved my life multiple times. It might be late to say this, but let me join you as a companion as well."

I and Mia locked eyes and smiled.

Though we didn't say it aloud, Mia must have been recalling that moment too.

With the addition of these two new members, our group grew to six.

I'll definitely bring you back to life... just wait.

We decided to stay the night.

Karla made Lido promise not to attack humans or dwarves on his own.

And once again, she introduced me and Mia as her companions.

With this, it seemed our group had become six people and one creature.

"Alright, we have plenty of food, so let's have a welcoming party for our new members tonight!"

◇

--The next morning...

"Lido, remember to keep wearing the cognition-inhibiting hat. It's fragile, so be careful. This place is dangerous, so swim across the lake and head to the foot of Shirakami Mountain. Rest there and make your way back to 'Zoff.' And then..."

She's like a mother.

They must share a deep affection for each other.

The conversation seemed to have ended.

We waved our hands toward Lido as he swam away from us, praying for his safety.

Indeed, cognition inhibition is truly amazing.

If you let your guard down, you won't even notice Lido.

"Well, it's about time we go. If we don't safely reach 'Zoff,' Lido will be mad at us."

"Hahaha, no doubt about it."

During yesterday's welcoming party, our bonds grew significantly stronger.

"Takumi, Karla wants to visit the Dwarf capital, 'Gonhillrim,' before heading to 'Zoff.'"

I felt that Mia and I had also become much closer.

The girls, Mia and Karla, seemed to have developed a great friendly.

"That works for me, but what's the reason?"

"There are also demons living in 'Gonhillrim.' We can arrange for a dragon there. It's the fastest way to leave the demon territory from the Shirakami Dungeon and reach 'Zoff' by dragon."

"Alright then, let's aim for 'Gonhillrim.'. Let's go to Kukuto-san and Marle-san's hometown!"

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