Kays Translations

Chapter 115: Extra Edition — Thor, Rukie, and the “Terrifying Sleeping Bag”

This time, it seems that Demon Lord Rukie is going to ask Thor to craft some items…

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“I have a request for you as an alchemist, Thor.”

“Understood. I will take it on. I’ll get started immediately.”

“Wait, wait. Hear the details first.”

This is the throne room of the Demon Lord’s castle.

As I was about to return to the workshop, I was stopped by Rukie in her Demon Lord attire.

“My apologies. I just…”

“Being diligent about your work is a good thing. Now, about the request—”

Rukie began to talk about what is happening near the border.

Near the Demon Lord’s territory lies the domain of Count Garua, a noble of the Empire.

A while ago, he was scheming together with my father.

Afterwards, he fell out of favor with the imperial capital’s high-ranking council, and it seems he 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 left the country. Because of that, the security has worsened, and bandits have started appearing. Some of them have even come near the Demon Lord’s territory.”

“Is that so…?”

“Of course, they are not attacking villages, towns, or travelers. It’s only theft of crops from fields and fruit from orchards, to that extent. But if left unchecked, they might next attack livestock, and eventually people. We must take measures now.”

“I understand.”

I nodded.

“What kind of response has the Demon Lord’s territory 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 are spaced far apart. Because of this, the soldiers in charge of patrols have to camp out…”

“…Camping drains physical strength, doesn’t it.”

“That is 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 bedding.

The catalog said things like: “Fluffy and soft, it’s as comfortable as if you were floating in the air,” “Exceptional heat retention guarantees your comfortable sleep. It’s okay to lie down horizontally or vertically!” “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 height was such that you could see clouds below their feet.

A ‘sleeping bag’ seems to be an item that allows you to sleep comfortably and safely even in such a state.

“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 orderly.”

“Good.”

“Also… the ‘sleeping bags’ will be made from ‘Dark Magic Woven Cloth.’ They will 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 will provide ‘cosplay pajamas.’ They are 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 ‘cosplay pajamas’ for the soldiers! Afterward, teach Reisenga’s subordinates how to use those items. Understood?”

“Understood, Your Majesty Demon Lord!”

And so, I began preparing the items.

──A few nights later, near the border of the Demon Lord’s territory──

“…Hey. Haven’t we entered the Demon Lord’s territory 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 territory 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.

Having gotten that information, 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 territory is inhabited by demons and demi-humans. They are 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.

Towards the direction of the orchard maintained by the Demon Lord’s territory.

“The Demon Lord’s men must realize they can’t win against the Dolgaria 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 will 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 territory.

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 I knew it, the torsos of animals had appeared 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 started running in a sprinter’s form, like a short-distance runner.

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 will never enter the Demon Lord’s territory again!”

“Eeeeeeeek! H-help! M-mother!!!”

—The fleeing and captured warriors could only 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 magic cloth sleeping bags literally blend into the darkness…”

“Moreover, since the soldiers were disguised as animals in ‘transformation 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 territory caught the intruders.

However, they were in complete panic and couldn’t even speak properly.

They must have seen something truly terrifying, General Reisenga had said.

“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 by layering five layers of magic cloth.

The earth magic cloth is durable and blade-resistant. Even when laid on rocky ground, the person inside does not feel bumps.

The water magic cloth fits the body and realizes a comfortable sleeping experience.

The fire magic cloth has high heat retention, maintaining body temperature even in blizzards.

The wind magic cloth releases sweat from inside, keeping it always dry.

The outermost layer of dark magic cloth changes color to blend into the darkness due to the faint magical power emitted while sleeping, preventing the sleeping bag from being found 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 a hero-world item, it’s a bit 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 is, I think it’s good enough.”

Rukie said that with a nod.

“However, when used outside, blending too much into the darkness is troublesome. It’s also problematic if someone who sees the sleeping soldiers is startled by ‘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 does not blend into the darkness.

For that—

“Then, let’s add the same effect as the ‘transformation 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 territory soldiers.

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