Chapter 171
The Witch’s home has a door that we haven’t opened before .
It’s a door that the landlord herself told us not to open .
I had just come towards that door with Erika beside me .
[Can I come in?]
[Well, I suppose you have earned enough trust from this mistress . ]
[Or so she says, Pigimaru . ]
[Pinyyuuu . ]
Pigimaru is also together with us .
[Come, let’s go in . ]
Beyond the door was a hole leading downwards .
It seems that there’s still a place even further underground .
Taking the ladder installed nearby, we began heading downwards .
When she finally reaches the bottom, Erika nonchalantly steps on the ground .
I also got off the ladder too .
What we found on the end of the ladder is——
[This place should be the Witch’s Laboratory huh……]
I guess you could call this something like Erika’s workplace .
This place is about the size of a school’s Science Laboratory .
Equipment that looks like they were used for experiments are lined up on desks and shelves .
I could also see that standard mysterious liquid that had those bubbles frothing out of its conical flask .
……The room temperature in this place is higher than normal .
It’s not that unbearable, but it does make people sweat a bit .
I could also see some doors leading to other rooms .
Then, Erika pointed to a door on the right hand side of the room .
[This way . ]
Erika opens up that door .
When I entered the room, I came upon shelves that were lined up in a row .
It looks like these were handmade shelves .
Each step in those shelves were lined up with vials .
The vialed parts that were supposed to belong to monsters were sorted out together .
It kind of reminds me of that so-called formalinization……
[It looks like you went to a lot of trouble to preserve them . ]
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[It’s a little too hot in this room though . ]
[Normally though, I had an image that you would lower down the room’s temperature though . ]
[The things inside this room must be kept within temperature . Fuuuuu…… It’s really hot in here . ]
Erika wiped her jaws .
The clothing she’s wearing looks like it would be quite refreshing, but her tanned skin is dripping in sweat .
I see .
Perhaps, the reason why she’s wearing outfits like that was because she’s working in a hot room like this .
[Puyuriii~……]
Pigimaru also looks like he’s getting a little sluggish from the heat .
It looks like he turned into a lifeless mochi .
[Hold on a second~……]
Standing on her tiptoes, Erika checked the shelves one after another .
It appears that she doesn’t remember everything about where things go and where she kept certain stuff .
[The fact that you’ve gone to such great lengths to preserve them… That means that they’re quite valuable, aren’t they?]
[Of course, they are . ]
[Then, what’s your conditions for supplying me with this?]
[Nothing really? I don’t really have any conditions for this . ]
[……You’re just going to give me without any sort of conditions?]
[You can just say it’s my thanks for the whiskey . ]
[………………… . . ]
So it’s thanks to that huh .
It seems to have done more for me than I ever expected .
……But well, she may have been willing to give it to us unconditionally from the start .
Erika stopped in front of one of the shelves .
Then, she started looking around nearby .
It seems like she’s searching for something .
Then…
[Fuuuuu……]
Sighing, Erika crossed her arms .
She’s intensely staring at the top of the shelf .
In the end…
[Touka . ]
[Hmm?]
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[Lend me your shoulders . ]
She requested to ride on my shoulders, and I’m someone who complies with her demands .
[Is this alright?]
[Thank you . ]
The thing she was probably looking for earlier was a ladder .
[……………… . . ]
She’s lighter than I thought she would be .
[I’m sorry if I’m sweaty, but you’re also sweaty anyway . I’m enduring it myself, so you should also endure it . ]
[……It’s fine, I’m already used to enduring . ]
Erika placed her hands on the edge of the shelf and peered at the stuff above it .
[Well, it’s not good if you’re always enduring things…… You should just always be prepared for the right moment—– oh, found it . ]
It appears that she found what we’re looking for .
Dropping down on my knees, Erika gets down from my shoulder .
In her hand was a vial the size of a human’s head .
[Yes, I think this is it . ]
I check the contents of the vial that Erika passed towards me .
[Yeah…… This really is what I’m looking for . ]
[Why don’t you just make it here? I can lend you my equipment, you know? Erika is also interested in that Enhancer . ]
With that comment from Erika, I decided to move on to creating the Enhancer .
This place certainly is quite filled with various equipment……
I went back to my room once more to get some of my materials .
[Now then, I guess I’ll start . ]
Erika also helped out in making it this time, so I quickly finished making the Enhancer before I knew it .
Then, Erika pointed to one of the doors with her thumb .
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[If you’re going to administer the Enhancer to Pigimaru, how about we use that room instead? It’s a little hot in here .
According to Erika, it’s a spacious room built with sturdy walls .
It seems that it’s mostly used to test the effects of powerful magic tools .
Well, there’s no reason for me to say no .
I stepped into the room .
[………………… . ]
How refreshing .
It feels similar to that feeling I get when I walk into an air conditioned store on a hot summer day……
[Now then, let’s do this . ……Are you ready, Pigimaru?]
[Pinyuu~! Pigii! Pigiii! Piggiiiii!]
Pigimaru is extending and retracting his protrusion alternating from left to right .
It kind of looks like he’s doing Seikendzuki……
It may be that Pigimaru is also spirited in his own way .
(T/N: Seikendzuki is something mostly seen in karate . They’re just mostly really fast and strong straight punches . What Pigimaru is doing is that karate practice where they alternately make straight punches with their left and right fists . )
This time too, I used the Monsters Enhancer according to the instructions .
The effect of this experiment towards a slime……
According to the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” I’ve brought with me along with the materials—–
[Pigii……? Pii…… Pipii?]
Pigimaru began to faintly glow .
While he’s glowing, he also appears to be increasing in size .
[Pigigii……!? Piiggyyyyyiiiiiiiii————-!]
Bang!
Erika looked at “that thing” that had swelled up and reached the ceiling .
[You’ve developed something really outrageous, Great Sage……]
Yes, Pigimaru—–
—started to turn gigantic .
The ceiling in this room is quite high .
And yet, his size has already reached close towards the ceiling……
You could say that he had turned considerably gigantic .
[Pigimaru . ]
[Pii!]
Even as it grew larger, he still had his adorable purr .
[Can you try turning back into your original size?]
[Pimuuu?……Piii! Pimumumu…… Pyuuuu~……]
Just like a deflating balloon, he shrank back his size in no time .
In the end, he returned back to his original size as if nothing had happened .
That’s right… To put it simply, the effect of the Enhancer this time is “Gigantification” .
However—– That may just be a simple way to put it .
[Fuuuuunnn……]
Erika looks impressed .
[The idea of making it gigantic by increasing its density……]
[Personally, I think we’ve been able to raise the level of our capabilities by quite a bit with this enhancement . The effect of this enhancement, by itself, may look really like the epitome of simpleness but…]
However, because of its simplicity, it can be used in a variety of ways .
Erika looks like she’s trying to see through me .
[The way to use this ability…… It seems that you’ve already assembled it inside your head, huh?]
Bending down, I put my hand in front of Pigimaru .
[Pii?]
[Whether it works the way I want it to, I’d see it after I verify it in the future……]
There are still some things that I need to verify .
Not all data is recorded in the “Encyclopedia on the Forbidden Arts” .
What things could be done, and what are things that couldn’t be done…
To what extent could I use this skill…
I would need to make sure of these things first .
But well, for now—–
[Without a doubt, this would definitely broaden our ways to fight . ]