Chapter 142: Abusive and Unethical work environment of my self-employment is forever exploitative.
And then I proceed with the creation of magic stone batteries and accumulators, and their charging, or rather, mana infusion.
A new discovery. A new product, undoubtedly a commercially successful item. Preserving magic power to use it when necessary. A perfect countermeasure for running out of mana? It goes without saying that the rear guard would be interested, but everyone else also uses mana for enhancement, so it will undoubtedly sell. I’m going to be rich.
In fact, running out of mana and going back for rest was one of the reasons why the progress of exploration was so slow. Being able to store mana should allow fighting safer and longer. This should be distributed as fast as possible.
The mechanism is simple, apparently, lining up numerous magic stones allows for the circulation of magic power to be contained in them, invigorating it, using that principle, magic stones can be arranged and combined to create battery cells and accumulators. The principle was described in 『How to Magic Tools!』, but since the people of this world lacked knowledge of accumulators or batteries, it wasn’t put to practical use. In short, it’s a mana bank. Having a battery where MP can be saved should allow people to avoid running out of mana, as well as using normally impossible heavy mana consuming techniques. Everyone needs them, it should sell, it should bring profit.
But because the connection method and quality of magic stones impact the efficiency, I now have to do all of it manually while probing and verifying various points. Without the proper know-how, I can’t proceed to mass production. Maybe there is a second volume of 『How to Magic Tools!』somewhere? It’s most likely banned though. Maybe there is some kind of a book written by an ancient scholar?
For starters, a set for everyone. I don’t need one. Yeah, I had no idea but turns out, I already had one? Or rather, I was using it. The method of creating magic stone accumulators and magic stones batteries requires arranging numerous magic stones and pouring mana through them. And I have a whole mountain of high-quality magic stones just lying in my item bag. An item bag is constantly absorbing the magic power of its user and pouring it inside. In other words, it turned into a super enormous accumulator? Which explains why I seemed to have almost bottomless reserves of mana no matter how much of it I used? As well as the reason for the rapid growth of 『MP Recovery』. I was repeating the circle of accumulating mana and using it and then accumulating it to use it again. All the time without my knowledge. And when I was running low on mana, I was absorbing it from the battery inside the item bag. That’s why 『MP Recovery』evolved into『MP Absorption』. I had no idea until I read 『How to Magic Tools!』. As expected, books are essential. I should summon a courier!
And since I now have a Mana Absorption skill, I guess I’m now constantly absorbing mana from my surroundings and charging the accumulator with it? I mean, I had enough mana to remodel mountains stretching for a great length. Thinking for a bit, it should’ve taken an insane amount of mana. But I didn’t notice anyway.
So late into the night, I’m busy sneakily working. Armored Pres-san is in a knocked-out state, sleeping. Long white legs of divine beauty are peeking out of the blanket, exposing even the most captivating and alluring pure white thighs, but that is a trap! Most definitely a trap! Many and many and many times I got caught into that trap and had a terrible time. It’s a trap meant to have me endure a scolding in the morning without getting a speck of sleep! For real!
「Hmm, I’d like to go back to the cave to make a sauce workshop, and I still haven’t even began work on poultry, with the whole idea verging on the brink of collapse, and the garden was just left as it is after creating it, and I also want to enjoy some bubble play in the jacuzzi. I do have my own home, why don’t I get to stay there?」
The stable supply of eggs and bird meat is an urgent business. Both for omurice and for oyakodon. Aaah, I want nori, and we also lack Katsuobushi, green laver, and simply marine products? I don’t see us getting to the sea any time soon, then inland… Right, corn! Even though I served omurice, I couldn’t add potage to it. Let’s search for corn. We already have onion and spring onion, so what’s left is… Butter, I guess? Ah, I’d also like cheese! Agriculture demands innovations, and it is also urgent! I’m not even a part of the fief population, so why do I have to reform agriculture? What kind of side job is that? [1]
Grumbling, I stick to the work. Is it the effects of『Loner』,『Hikikomori』and『NEET』that allow me to stealthily act at night without sleeping? No, I want to sleep anyway? But there is still work left? Perpetual abusive self-employment?
During today’s meeting, I understood the issues of each party, so I’d like to make items to counter them, so sleepy, when I’m done, the geeks will get their share at the special rip-off price, after all, right now they are sleeping happily. Let’s rip them off, absolutely!
For starters, I made 60 mana accumulators, and specifically for the rear guard, 90 mana batteries, so I will be able to start selling from the morning. With this, I will be a rich man when everyone wakes up. The problem is that the girls went bankrupt buying clothes and don’t have any money. And they are already in debt from buying rings yesterday? Ah! If I make mana accumulators in the form of bracelets they will sell! They will probably end up resembling praying beads, but if I combine various colors nicely they should sell! Hehehe, with this the girls are bound to sink even deeper into debt. They should suffer the same poverty that I do.
And for some reason, I have tons of requests for custom-made clothes, even though they have no money? But all they have is design and color, no mention of sizes and dimensions at all? Am I supposed to take measurements? They won’t make pattern paper or something themselves? Do they want to make a healthy highschool boy take highschool girls’ measurements? But I want to make Vice President A-san’s order, which is a long tight leather skirt with a slit. So much so that I’d like to go and take measurements right now. Next time, let’s make it for Armored Pres-san. I’ll strip her immediately after she puts it on, but I want her to try it on anyway. Rather, she should wear it precisely so I can take it off! No, I’m fine with going at it even without stripping? Seriously.
Should I also upgrade Armored Pres-san’s and my equipment with mithril as well? The items are already cheat-grade, so I don’t think it will boost their performance any further, so I guess it’s fine to leave it for later? Ah, but Armored Pres-san’s 『Mantle of Storage』is shabby, so let’s add mithril to it. Yeah, but in that case, I will have to disassemble all of my equipment and upgrade it as well? Eehm, the staff has 『Spatial Staff』,『Magic Katana』,『Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds』, which won’t benefit from this so whatever, it’s a Divine Sword after all, and then 『Elder Treant Cane』. The mantle got『Invisibility Cloak』,『Cloak of Magic Reflection』and『Cloak of Evasion』, and then boots with 『Boots of Acceleration』,『Enduring Greaves』,『Sticky Boots』, the gloves 『Gauntlets of Contradiction』and『Magician’s Gloves』, and what is going on with the rings? 『Trap Ring』,『Demon Ring』,『Faerie Ring』, and『Ring of Golem Maker』that I left with Master Golems, plus still unused『Ring of Dungeon Master』. Ah, there are clothes as well, 『Garb of Herculean Strength』seems like it could be upgraded, and 『Black Hat』too, BUT LIKE HELL I CAN DO IT ALL IN ONE NIGHT!
It’s an excessively heavy workload. A side job with an excessively heavy workload? Is there no end to my self-exploitation? Even though it’s just a side job? How does a side job on self-employment end up as an exploitative enterprise? I don’t even get who is exploiting who when all I do is work alone at home for myself!
And I also got a lot of additional orders from the general store? I have to hurry up and develop the town already, or I will end up supporting the whole town economy with my nighttime work? I’m so sleepy. Our naked battle dragged out for longer than I expected? I didn’t even get to carry out my woodpecker strategy? After continuously going up and down the Dungeon Emperor ended up going down and sinking into the bed. But without the side job there won’t be any money for me? And there are tons of orders. Isn’t it weird for the entire town’s economy to be relying on my little cottage industry? There is just no end in sight? Even though white thighs are inviting me? Aaaah, this one is marked as urgent! Wait, isn’t the general store shopkeeper writing urgent on everything?! And what the hell is that 『rice with mushrooms for three people ASAP』? That’s just your meal, isn’t it? Am I a restaurant or something?! Aaah~ and I have to leave for a dungeon in the morning…
On and on I kept molding and manufacturing merchandise flying through the air, with one process linked into another like in some sort of a conveyor, putting the finished product into the storage, but there is no end to it, not even a sign of it, order forms are still just as numerous, their number didn’t just go over the limit, it spiraled through the roof, turning into a drill piercing the heavens! That’s just way too much!
「Enough! I can’t take this anymore! Limit break! Onward to round three! To the bed! I shall become the woodpecker!!!」
(Third round in the process. Cannot be shown~.)
I got scolded the very first thing in the morning.
Day 48 – Over. Currently getting scoldings on Day 49.
[TL Notes:
[1] Oyakodon is a combination of chicken and egg on rice.
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