I got some handy-sounding titles and a skill, so I activated and tried again.
Ah, much easier.
Once I’d re-formed the stone, I could mold it like putty. Once it hardened, I’d need the Stone Object spell, but in this state, my regular magic and Magic Hand could both work with it.
Hmm.
I’d played around a bit, familiarizing myself, and the lump in my hands had formed a Water Pearl.
I’d been curious and taken some time applying a lot of magic, and the water stone really had turned into pearl.
The size of it was much smaller.
I think because it had been lacking in materials of the water attribute.
“Did you find the thief?”
“Search everywhere! The future of our kingdom depends upon it!”
My “Keen Hearing” picked up soldiers combing the mountains.
Not really the time to horse around.
I took out the actual pearl’s shards and dust and re-formed them into a single Water Pearl.
It had lost some bits during the explosion, so I think it was a tad smaller than the original, so I added in the one I’d accidentally made to enhance it.
“I see someone over there!”
I put the pearl in a Magic Blocking Bag and dropped it next to the batfolk thief (who was still knocked out).
That settled that.
Perhaps I’d been optimistic.
“How could this happen, ribbit?!”
Around the time the Water Pearl arrived, I’d switched back to Kuro and popped by the frog king’s chambers.
“We spent a hundred years cultivating this into the shape of the device key! Why is it round, ribbit?!”
“Did the thief swap it for a different pearl?”
“Why on earth would they do that, ribbit? Think before you speak, ribbit!”
The king kicked the minister for that careless remark.
I had not imagined the blown-up pearl had a specific shape.
“Damn you! Damn you!”
“Y-Your Majesty, curtail your fury!”
Yeah, I couldn’t let this power harassment go unchecked.
“You seem beside yourself, Your Majesty.”
“Who are you, ribbit?”
“Intruder! After him!”
The minister yelled, and the knights tried to burst in, but I’d used Sticky Net on the door to block their entrance.
“Don’t be hasty. I’m Kuro, a follower of the hero Nanashi. I mean you no harm.”
“A follower of the hero, ribbit?!” the king exclaimed.
I took the pearl from him.
“Th-the pearl!”
“Watch.”
I cast Mana Section, then used Stone Object from my spell menu to change the shape at will.
“He’s molding it, ribbit?!”
“I can make this any shape you like.”
“Wh-what do you want, ribbit?!”
“I don’t want that lake getting any dirtier.”
It would ruin the good food.
“Poppycock—”
“Y-Your Majesty!” the minister shrieked in his ear.
“Keen Hearing” told me he was arguing that my motives didn’t matter if I could fix the key.
“Fair enough, ribbit. Make yourself useful to me, ribbit.”
The frogfolk king leaned back in his chair, stroking his goatee.
Attitude aside, I’d better wrap this up before he changed his mind.
The minister brought over a mold for the key’s shape, so I altered the pearl to fit it.
I handed the finished pearl over to him, and he left the room, holding it high.
Not long after, the soldiers carried him back. Badly out of breath, he reported that the device was functional again. Clearly, he’d run the whole way there and worn himself out.
“I’m grateful to you, ribbit, follower of the hero—”
“Kuro.”
“Sir Kuro.”
The failing device must have been very stressful for him—the deep furrow in the king’s brow finally relaxed, and he gave me a grateful hug.
We rolled straight on in to a banquet, and the king, minister, soldiers, and ladies-in-waiting all did a hopping dance with lots of liquor.
This last beverage was a local product, a very red drink made from fermented Mazuna eggs—distinctively flavored, but not that high-proof. It certainly chose who drank it, but it went great with the lotus root and Mazuna deep-fried dish the maids brought me.
“My bosom buddy, Kuro! What reward do you desire, ribbit? I know! My daughter’s hand in marriage, ribbit!”
The ratfolk had done the same thing. Why were kings so eager to marry off their daughters to saviors of the land?
There was a frog in a dress next to him, not looking especially displeased.
Perhaps frogfolk were amenable, but my tastes didn’t stretch that far, so I bowed out.
“I’m sure there are frog knights who would be a better match.”
Several knights had been giving me jealous looks. I couldn’t tell which frogs were good-looking or not, but given how the maids flattered them, they were likely hunks.
“Then how can I repay you?”
“Hmm.”
Honestly, all I wanted was clean lake water.
“How about trading rights for Mermaid Tears? I operate a trading company that may wish to bring them to Shiga.”
“Oh! We would love to trade with a country of that size! Absolutely consider it! Your Majesty, we must accept this offer!”
One of the ministers was very eager, and that got through to the king.
“Mm-mm. That would certainly be profitable, ribbit. I have no qualms about granting trading rights, ribbit. But that benefits us and hardly repays you, Kuro, ribbit.”
It was more than enough, but he didn’t agree.
“Your Majesty, you must not trouble the man,” the frog queen admonished, but he was stubborn.
I spotted something unusual around her neck.
“Is the gem on that necklace a dark stone?”
“Oh, you can tell? It’s a protective amulet employing a dark pearl.”
“Yes, ribbit, it was excavated from a cave on the lakebed—”
“Your Majesty!”
The ministers rushed to shush him.
They’d rushed so fast, they’d wound up piled in a heap on top of him, so I hoped they’d get off soon.
“I heard nothing. Queen, may I have a look at that pendant?”
“It’s a national treasure—but I suppose the savior of our country has earned a look.”
“I thank you.”
I took the pendant from her and took a close look at the rune carved in the gem and at the spells engraved on the frame.
This would generate a barrier with a darkness attribute. Blocking not just attack spells but also fire and acid. I got the gist, so once I got back, I could use dark stones and pearls to make my own.
“A wonderful amulet,” I said, returning it to her.
I assured the king that would suffice, but he insisted on granting me something tangible, so I accepted a present made by the kingdom’s most celebrated magic craftsman. It was a very impressive-looking tool, so I figured we could put it up for display in the Echigoya Company headquarters.
“Is this our fifth country?”
“No, our sixth.”
After leaving the frogfolk kingdom, we’d been touring the jungle’s neighbors, staying three days in each. We were finally at the last of them—Blybrogha itself.
If we went any farther, we’d wind up in the woods where the Bulainan lived, but if those research-loving elves got their clutches in me, I’d be stuck there for months. Best not to visit at all.
Blybrogha was run by a type of fairyfolk called “leprechauns,” but it had lots of other fairy and beastfolk living here. No elves, though—they kept to themselves.
“Any demons?” Arisa asked, annoyed.
Every country we’d visited had lesser demons up to something.
“Nope, we appear to be good.”
From what my map told me, no demons or worshippers here.
“Long noooose?”
“An elephant, sir! I’ve never seen a giraffe, but I have seen an elephant before, sir!”
This country used elephant-turtles to transport goods, and had quite a lot of them. That had helped their Prince Smartith earn himself a solid rep in Shiga Kingdom.
They had unique architecture—half plant, half building. We headed down the main street, tasting the wide variety of local produce, making some big purchases. Many of the fruits were on the smaller side, but all were sweet and tasty.
They had a ridiculous number of herbs—to the point where they had stores that only sold herbs. Even the food from the stalls was seasoned with a ton of them.
“It’s so hot here. Because it’s next to that jungle?”
“Probably.”
The City Core could adjust the temperature, but it wasn’t like there was a physical wall around the jungle border, so it made sense the neighbors would be affected by the temperature within.
“Pretty.”
“Yes, Mia. Jewels and related crafts are plentiful, I report.”
This country’s jewelry and silver were the pride of the southwest, and even Shiga imported a bunch of them.
“They’re so cheap!”
“Maybe a third the price we see in Shiga itself.”