I Don’t Want to Die as a Mob in My Second Life! ～A Story Where I Kept Training from Inside the Womb and Ended Up Being Mistaken for a Monster～ - Chapter 23: Kanata Smells Like Milk!!!

Chapter 23: Kanata Smells Like Milk!!!

“Good boy.”

“M-MAMMMAAAAAAA!!”

“Who are you calling ‘Mama’?”

This was after I had subdued the Conceptual Spirit Giant of the mythical metal [Hihiirokane].

As I watched over the giant, whose pride seemed completely shattered—

“Oooooh, you really went and did it, didn’t ya!”

A lively voice suddenly rang out.

Turning toward the sound, I saw a tanned, half-naked, lean muscular guy clacking his geta sandals as he approached.

…His hair was a reddish bronze, his body was covered in oni tattoos, and he was wearing an eyepatch.

Yakuza, maybe?

“And who might you be?”

“Ahh! Please, don’t hit me!”

I wasn’t even going to. I’m kind, remember? Kind Kanata.

“I’m just a humble Reisoushi, like yourself. A comrade, so to speak.”

“Oh, really?”

So the tattoos must mean he’s hosting a [Demon]-type Conceptual Spirit.

And the eyepatch… is it covering an injury, or is it cosplay to sync with a spirit?

Wait a second… I vaguely remember someone this flashy from Kyushu in my previous life.

“But to think you could tame [Hihiirokane]. As expected of ‘Kanata Soranaki,’ the demon child Ouma keeps a close eye on.”

The man stared at the kneeling giant with an impressed look.

Suddenly, Sharo shouted, “Ahhhhhh!”

Some of the regional Reisoushi also exclaimed, “Could it be…!”

Huh? What’s going on?

“It’s the underboss of the Muramasa Group, Hinosuke Muramasa, de gojaru!”

“What?”

I turned to look at the man.

“Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I’m Hinosuke Muramasa. Nice to meetcha.”

Wait, wait, wait—hold up! The Muramasa Group? That’s one of Japan’s top blacksmith workshops! They’re practically a giant corporation!

Their craftsmanship is unparalleled.

Their creations, under the prestigious Muramasa brand, are legendary. Even a single small blade can easily fetch 3 million yen.

If I recall, Sharo mentioned that her custom kunai was made by Muramasa.

“Oh, if it isn’t little Sharo. Been keeping well?”

“Don’t call me ‘little Sharo,’ de gojaru!”

“Hahaha. Oh yeah, I heard from old man Kirisame that one of the kunai I made for you broke, huh?”

As he said that with a laugh, Hinosuke pulled out a dagger.

Wait, what is he planning to do…?

“So, what caused it to break? If it’s because my craftsmanship was lacking, I’ll cut my belly open here and now to atone.”

“G-Goja!?”

Hinosuke sat down on the spot and stabbed the dagger into the ground in front of him.

“I’ll give you my guts, so please forgive me!”

“I don’t need them, de gojaru!”

Hinosuke Muramasa… his eyes were dead serious.

If there was a flaw in his work, he genuinely intended to die for it.

This man put his entire life into his creations.

“Even though I’m a Reisoushi, I’m just a behind-the-scenes guy who supplies weapons. I can’t hold a candle to those who put their lives on the line in the field.”

With that, he added, and his gaze sharpened as he looked straight at Sharo.

“That’s why I’ve made a pledge to my soul: ‘If I ever send out defective weapons, I’ll die for it.’”

—A pledge.

It’s a unique practice for Reisoushi, who manipulate souls, to impose restrictions on themselves.

In Europe, it’s called a “Geas,” and in North America, a “Geass.”

By binding your soul with a specific condition, you gain certain advantages, like enhancing your spiritual abilities.

However, the cost is steep.

“D-Die!? Are you serious, de gojaru!? Once you make a pledge, you can never break it for the rest of your life!”

Sharo’s face turned pale.

Exactly. A pledge is a binding contract placed on the soul, and it’s unbreakable.

For example, if someone pledged, “I won’t use my right arm in exchange for making my left arm stronger,” their right arm would spiritually “die.”

Even if the nerves were still intact or they got a prosthetic, it would never move again for as long as they lived.

Because of that, making a life-risking pledge is not something to be done lightly.

And yet, this man, Hinosuke Muramasa …

“So, little Sharo, what happened? Was my kunai broken by some random weakling? If that’s the case…”

Hinosuke picked up the dagger, his intent clear. Sharo immediately flailed her arms, shouting, “No, no, no, no, no, de gojaru!”

“It… it was broken by Kanata here, de gojaru…!”

She turned to me with an apologetic look.

“Huh? By Kanata Soranaki!?”

Hinosuke’s eyes widened as he stared at me in shock.

Uh, um, sorry! I didn’t realize it was something you’d staked your life on, and I broke it!

“So… it was you… it was youuu…!”

Hinosuke trembled, his face turning beet red, a tear glimmering at the edge of his lone eye—was that from rage?

He rose like a ghost, staggering toward me. And then—

“This is frustrating! But if someone like you was the one to break it, then it makes sense!”

He suddenly smacked me on the shoulder with a loud THWACK. Wait, what?

“Um, Mr. Hinosuke?”

“Ahhh, I’ve been bested, bested. Sorry, little Sharo, but if it’s someone like Kanata, I can’t complain. This wasn’t because of ‘weakness’—it’s because of my own ‘lack of skill.’”

Wiping a tear with his finger, Hinosuke gave a broad grin as he looked at Sharo.

“If I know where I’m lacking, the only answer is to improve. Next time, I’ll craft a weapon that no monster can ever break. Count on me again, little Sharo!”

“Y-Yes, de gojaru! I’ll leave it to you, de gojaru…!”

Sharo nodded nervously, a cold sweat on her face.

She must’ve realized it too—the sheer weight of resolve this cheerful man puts into his craft.

So, this is the underboss of the Muramasa Group, one of Japan’s top blacksmith workshops.

“Now then, Lord Kanata~”

Hinosuke looked at me with a wide grin.

L-Lord?

“You’re referring to me?”

“Of course. If someone can break one of my prized weapons, I’ve no choice but to call them ‘Lord.’”

No, no, that’s way too much praise…!

You might act friendly, but you’re still the underboss of the Muramasa Group!

That’s like being the heir to a massive corporation—the top of Japan’s elite class!

Being called Lord by someone like that makes my mob-like insides squirm with discomfort…!

“Or would you prefer to be called ‘Lady’? You’ve got the kind of face for it, y’know.”

“No, Lord is fine, thank you.”

Please spare me the humiliation of being called Lady. I’d much rather be Lord.

“Alright then, Lord Kanata it is. I’ve gotta say, on behalf of all blacksmiths, thank you. Capturing [Hihiirokane] is undoubtedly going to revolutionize the Spirit Conductor world.”

As Hinosuke slapped the giant’s blazing-hot body with enthusiasm, I couldn’t help but wonder—doesn’t that burn?

The giant, meanwhile, briefly glared at Hinosuke, growling, “H-HUMAN…!” but the moment I fixed my gaze on it, it let out a nervous “HIIEE?” and shrank back. Adorable.

“Wa-hahaha! Lord Kanata’s got this one trained real good! At this rate, if we keep it busy producing [Hihiirokane] until it disappears, we’ll get a significant haul!”

“Agreed.”

Conceptual Spirits are beings of pure fantasy. They always vanish, and it happens in one of three ways:

-By fully unleashing the concept they embody.

-By taking too much damage in battle, either spiritually or physically.

-Or, if captured and left unsatisfied for about a week, they simply fade away.

Those are the three paths to their disappearance.

However—

“It’s a shame. If someone could form a ‘Soul Bond’ with it, we could keep it around indefinitely.”

There’s one way for Conceptual Spirits to avoid ascending.

They need to find a human partner—essentially, becoming a hosted spirit.

By doing so, the spirit anchors itself to the human’s existence and remains in this world. That’s what’s known as a Soul Bond.

But the requirements are pretty strict.

“First, the soul’s wavelengths need to be aligned. Well, that can be forcibly achieved in various ways—like the Reisoushi wearing something related to the spirit, agreeing to fulfill the spirit’s wishes over time, or… in the case of someone like you by outright ‘training’ the spirit into submission.”

With a wry smile, Hinosuke spoke about the final hurdle.

“But,” he added, crossing his arms and letting out a thoughtful hum,

“there’s this thing called the ‘taste of water.’ The taste of spiritual energy absolutely has to match.”

Exactly. The problem lies in the spiritual energy as food.

Spiritual energy is both nourishment and a fundamental component for Conceptual Spirits. To survive, they’ll rely on absorbing it from their Reisoushi partner.

Wild Conceptual Spirits also consume Reisoushi entirely, spiritual energy and all, hoping to extend their existence or evolve, like [Doll] did.

But if they’re feeding off you long-term and the taste doesn’t suit them, they’ll get stressed, weaken, and eventually ascend.

“I heard from a captured [Lolicon] spirit that young girls’ spiritual energy tastes delicious.”

“That’s a pretty extreme example. Although I bet your spiritual energy, Lord Kanata, could trick a [Lolicon] into feeding off you.”

Who are you calling a loli?

“Higher-level spirits prefer dense, high-quality spiritual energy that matches their attributes. And some, like that [Lolicon], seem to need specific ‘flavors’ or spices. But in the end, it comes down to ‘density and attribute.’ If those two don’t align, there’s no point in trying.”

And with that, Hinosuke approached [Hihiirokane], raised his hand in front of its mouth, and continued:

“When it comes to metal, it’s all about ‘fire, earth, and lightning.’ I happen to have both fire and earth attributes. Thanks to my pledge, I’ve got plenty of spiritual energy, too. The taste should match, but… let’s see!”

Spiritual energy flowed out from Hinosuke’s hand.

The bluish-white energy transformed into flames and sand as it was absorbed into [Hihiirokane].

That’s because when spiritual energy is intentionally focused to match its attribute, it takes the form of semi-spiritual natural phenomena.

Since it’s semi-spiritual, it vanishes quickly, but it can still be used in combat.

That’s why Sharo and Setsuna from the Kirisame family can generate water and ice from nothing—by using spiritual power to manipulate the moisture in the air and converting their own energy into those forms.

“Well? How’s it taste!? How’s the flavor!?”

“GGGHHH…!”

Hinosuke began sweating nervously.

It’s no surprise—he was pouring out his life force in the form of spiritual energy.

Meanwhile, [Hihiirokane] gulped it down enthusiastically, its expression thoughtful as it judged the flavor… until finally—

“BLEH—TASTES HORRIBLE, GYAAHH!”

“Ehhhh!”

The giant roared, sending a shockwave that knocked Hinosuke onto his backside.

“What do you mean my spiritual energy tastes bad!?”

“IT’S JUST… TOO BLAND, GUGO. NOT DENSE ENOUGH, GUGO.”

“Ughhh. Well, I suppose you’re a high-level spirit and a massive one at that…”

“AND, ON TOP OF THAT, YOUR HANDS SMELL SWEATY, GUGO. IT’S UNPLEASANT, GUGO.”

“What did you just say!?”

As expected of the proud [Hihiirokane].

It might’ve given up completely in front of me, but with others, it’s still as picky and stubborn as ever.

“ALSO, I’D LIKE A ZESTY KICK FROM A LIGHTNING ATTRIBUTE, AND A MELLOW TOUCH FROM WATER, GUGO.”

“Haahhh!? You’re saying you need four attributes!? Even having two like me is already pretty rare! Don’t push your luck, you metallic moron!”

At last, Hinosuke lost his temper and kicked [Hihiirokane].

But his opponent was a metal giant. The only result was a satisfying KA-RIIING sound, with no visible effect on the giant.

On the other hand, Hinosuke grabbed his foot, groaning in pain, “S-So hard…!?”

“Damn… as expected of the mythical metal [Hihiirokane]. With hardness like this, it’ll be a joy to work with later. But still, how do we solve this spiritual energy problem!?”

Scratching his head in frustration, Hinosuke turned to the regional Reisoushis and shouted, “Hey! Anyone here got four attributes!?”

Of course, they all shook their heads vigorously, shouting, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!?”

“Haaah… yeah, figures. Even among the small number of Reisoushi, those with multi-attribute energy are even rarer. Which means there’s no one here who can satisfy this oversized pain in the neck…”

As he struggled to come up with a solution, it suddenly occurred to me—I might actually be able to pull this off.

“Uh, should I give it a shot?”

“Hmm?”

Hinosuke gave me a suspicious look, tilting his head. “Lord Kanata? You?”

“The Soranaki family is known for having a strong wind attribute, right? Even those genius twins are supposed to be like that.”

Oh, my sister and brother. I wonder how they’re doing.

“I’ve got no doubts about the density of your spiritual energy. After all, it caused quite the commotion. But your attribute is probably wind or something, right?”

“Actually, I can use all of them.”

“Huh?”

“Fire, water, earth, lightning, wind. I can produce spiritual energy for all of them.”

“Wait—WHAAAAAT!?”

Hinosuke practically shouted his lungs out. Well, he is a blacksmith; they’re naturally loud.

“Are you serious, Lord Kanata!?”

“Yes. So, let me give it a try.”

I raised my hand in front of the giant’s mouth.

The moment I did, [Hihiirokane]’s eyes widened in surprise.

“GUGO!? MAMA, IT SMELLS LIKE MILK…!”

“I’ll kill you.”

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[Tips]

The Muramasa Family: 

A prestigious household from Kyushu and Shikoku, holding the official rank of Junior First Rank. The current head is Togo Muramasa, the 16th generation leader.

The family was founded 500 years ago during the Sengoku period by the genius blacksmith Sengo Muramasa, who suddenly appeared from among the common folk.

His unmatched craftsmanship earned him recognition from many daimyos, and he was even granted a noble bride from the esteemed Kikuchi family—a legendary lineage of blacksmiths from Kyushu who had fallen during the same era. Thus, the proud Muramasa family made its explosive debut in history.

Over time, as firearms and other new weapons rose to prominence, the family absorbed every new technology, adapting seamlessly to the times. This insatiable drive reflects the spirit of their founder, Sengo Muramasa, who came from humble beginnings.

Their motto: “We’ll do whatever it takes to make stronger weapons.”

This philosophy continues today, with the next head, Hinosuke Muramasa, being so impressed by Kanata Soranaki for delivering [Hihiirokane] that he happily went to personally thank him.

Tattoos:

Both a fashion statement and a form of formal attire for Reisoushis.

They’re an effective way to improve resonance with spirits.

For example, if hosting a beast-type Conceptual Spirit, getting a tribal-style tattoo resembling claw marks can significantly boost the spirit’s enthusiasm.

Alternatively, like Hinosuke, you can simply get a straightforward design depicting the spirit itself.

However, be careful—poor-quality tattoos might make the spirit angry enough to ascend out of spite.

[Soul Bond]:

A connection formed between a spirit and a Reisoushi.

By linking their souls at a fundamental level, the Conceptual Spirit can remain in the physical world indefinitely.

At the same time, the Reisoushi gains the right to interfere with the spirit’s soul, enabling advanced techniques like Spirit Hosting.

However, forming this bond requires two crucial factors:

-Soul wavelength alignment. This can often be achieved through compromise from the spirit if the wavelengths are somewhat compatible. During this process, some spirits may demand trivial or selfish conditions, such as “Feed me gourmet meals daily” or “Bring me women.”

-Matching the taste of spiritual energy.

Take a page from Kanata’s book and consider training the spirit into compliance.

[Pledge]:

A specialized technique for Reisoushis.

A pledge is a self-imposed contract where you trade something you won’t (or will) do for something you want to gain.

This is a unique ability only Reisoushis possess, as they can manipulate their own souls.

By creating a pledge, they enhance certain abilities in exchange for restrictions or sacrifices.

-Simpler pledges come with lower risks but offer minimal benefits.

-Complex or extreme pledges provide greater power but come with significant costs. 

Once a pledge is made, it cannot be undone until it is fulfilled—or the user dies.

For this reason, creating a pledge with severe consequences should always be done with extreme caution.

That said, pledges aren’t some omnipotent trick where “losing something lets you gain everything.”

They are techniques that alter the soul, and as such, cannot easily modify the body or brain’s physical capabilities in reality.

Spiritual Energy Attributes:

The “quality” of spiritual energy, deeply connected to an individual’s temperament.

Fire: Passionate, quick to anger.

Water: Calm, adaptable.

Lightning: Intense, impulsive.

Earth: Stubborn, self-sacrificing.

Wind: Flexible, easily influenced.

These are general tendencies.

Since a person’s temperament is largely shaped by their brain structure and upbringing, certain attributes tend to run in families over generations.

[Semi-Spiritual Body]:

A state that is both material and spiritual energy—a physical manifestation of nothingness.

In Western terminology, it’s called “Ether”, and in Indian traditions, it’s referred to as “Akasha.”

This is the substance that forms the bodies of Conceptual Spirits, allowing them to possess temporary physical forms that can interact with or destroy real-world objects.

Any material generated by a Conceptual Spirit is also a semi-spiritual body.

Similarly, Reisoushis can convert their spiritual energy into semi-spiritual bodies, creating natural phenomena related to their spiritual energy attributes: fire, water, earth, lightning, or wind.

These phenomena are often referred to as “Elements.”

However, semi-spiritual bodies will vanish if separated from the Conceptual Spirit or Reisoushi. The time it takes for this to happen depends on the substance:

Fire, Lightning, Wind: A few seconds.

Water: Around 10–15 seconds.

Earth: Close to a minute.

How to Maintain a Semi-Spiritual Body Longer:

-Infuse a large amount of spiritual energy during creation.

-Continuously replenish it with spiritual energy.

[Hihiirokane] and other mythical metals can typically be maintained using method (②): continuous spiritual energy infusion. 

Since “metals” created by high-level spirits can last for several hours, they can be used as weapons during that time. By replenishing spiritual energy or keeping the item close to the Reisoushi’s body, it’s possible to sustain their existence almost indefinitely.

Scent:

An important factor in social interactions.

Hands, in particular, are often used for work, making them prone to picking up various smells, which can reveal a lot about a person.

For example, Muramasa Hinosuke, being an extremely busy and popular blacksmith, tends to carry a faintly sweaty smell.

Meanwhile, Kanata Soranaki smells like sweet milk—because he’s still a baby.

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Training Arc: Two Chapters Left!

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