That Time a Shut-in for 300 Years Continued to Make Antiques , but All of It Turned out to Be Cheat-Level Magic Tools - Chapter 62

“Alright, I got it! So, I just need to go and give those sloppy, annoying guild clerks a piece of my mind and set them straight in one go, huh?”

“No, that’s not it.”

We discussed the need to brand the magic tools for sale and the materials necessary to convince the commercial guild of its importance.

However, during the explanation, for some reason, Kikkori started getting angry about the deposit, looking as if he was about to storm off and throw punches.

Of course, I stopped him, but as expected from his appearance, he seemed to have a rather short temper.

“Such intimidating tactics won’t lead to a real solution. More importantly, you’d only be putting yourself at a disadvantage.”

“Hmm, but then, what should I do?”

“That’s the point I’m trying to make. If it’s acceptable, Kikkori-sama, when these magic tools are sold, I’d like you to sign here, agreeing to purchase them at the current price.”

“Heh, hehe, well, if such a beautiful Miss Mei is asking, how can I refuse? But, are you sure about this?”

“If you provide a handwritten signature, it might seem odd, but to convince the commercial guild, they need to understand the value of branding.”

“I see. Got it! If that’s okay with you, Miss Mei, I’ll sign to buy 10 or even 20 items!”

Kikkori took the pen I had prepared, breathing excitedly, though he seemed to misunderstand something.

“Just to make it clear, this isn’t just for show. Of course, there’s no obligation unless they’re officially sold, but it’s a promise to buy once they are.”

“…I see. Hahaha! I like your style, monk! Not trying to deceive with random numbers, but handling it the proper way!”

As he said this, he clapped me on the shoulder—hard. His strength made it a bit painful.

It wasn’t as though I said anything special. If we were dealing with someone easy to fool, I could have written anything and submitted it.

But the commercial guild is sharp when it comes to money, so it’s better not to deceive them recklessly.

“Alright, if the branding is successful, I’ll buy three sets. That should be enough to get even the most dormant craftsmen moving.”

He then signed with the pen I had lent him.

“No way, this pen is amazing! It never runs out of ink, fits perfectly in the hand, and is so easy to write with!”

“Ahh, that’s an inkless pen. It’s the same basic structure as the one we discussed earlier. It can write for half a year without needing ink, and the cartridges are easy to replace.”

“…But it must be expensive, right?”

“Well, normally I’d want a gold coin for it.”

“But?”

“Right now, just five large silver coins!”

“What a deal!”

In the end, he also contracted to buy five inkless pens.

With the threat of monsters dealt with, we arrived at the Catastugi tree, listening to Kikkori hum along the way.

“Here we are, the Catastugi tree… but this is a tough one.”

“What do you usually do?”

“Well, I mostly rely on adventurers, but I also use disposable magic tools—explosive ones. I have one with me right now.”

“Show me.”

Kikkori showed me the tool, a rather ridiculous one at that. It had a randomly engraved spell on a poorly processed magic stone inside a red crystal.

It would explode on impact, but the impact detection was so weak that carrying it around could easily trigger it accidentally.

There had been incidents of magic tools from the Magic Guild going haywire, but selling something like this seemed far more problematic.

“Where did you buy this?”

“Ah, from a shop under the Doyle Commerce Guild. But it’s pretty expensive—one costs a gold coin.”

The same price as the inkless pen I’d shown him earlier? And to think I found that expensive! This was actually worse. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got.

“Let me tell you, carrying something like this is dangerous. It could explode accidentally. And one of these wouldn’t be enough to bring down the Catastugi tree.”

“Ah, yeah, you’re right. I’d have to throw it a few times. It’s really that dangerous?”

“Yes, which is why we’ll do this!”

“AAAAHHH!”

I threw it at another Catastugi tree. A small explosion followed.

From my perspective, it was a rather weak explosion.

“Hey, hey! I mean, I know it’s scary if it goes off on its own, but…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll pay for it. If something like that were to hurt a valuable customer, I wouldn’t be able to stand it. Mei?”

“Here you go.”

“…Hmph, I don’t need it. If you did it for my sake, then taking money wouldn’t be cool!”

Declining the coins Mei had offered, Kikkori maintained his tough stance.

“But the fact remains that without it, the Catastugi tree won’t budge.”

“Don’t worry. Naturally, I’ve prepared a magical tool that can handle it.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Yes, well, take a look at this.”

I then pulled an axe from my bracelet, causing Kikkori’s eyes to widen in surprise.

“Just an axe?”

“Not just any axe. This is a super magical vibration axe. It enhances the blade’s sharpness by converting magical waves into vibrations.”

“Vibrations?”

“Yes, when you channel magic into it, it enhances the sharpness through those vibrations.”

As I channeled magic, the axe blade faintly glowed, signaling its activation.

“Do the vibrations really make a difference?”

“It’s ultra-fast. To the naked eye, it appears still, so there’s no tremor in your hand.”

“Hoee, but are you sure about that?”

“Well, watch this. But first, please put on this bracelet.”

“Huh? This one?”

After I demonstrated by putting on a bracelet myself, Kikkori followed suit.

Alright, now we’re ready. I stood in front of a nearby Catastugi tree and swung the axe lightly, almost like caressing the tree.

“There, it’s cut.”

“…Huh? No, no, what are you talking about? You missed, right? Pfft, haha! Well, it can’t be helped. You’re still a child. Felling trees isn’t as easy as you think.”

“What are you saying?”

I stepped away from the Catastugi tree and stopped the magic flow. Immediately, a line appeared on the trunk, and the tree fell.

“What the—!”

Kikkori was astonished, his eyes nearly popping out.

“Hey, you! A kid with such talent!”

“No, no, it’s all thanks to this super magical vibration axe. With this, anyone can do it. Want to give it a try?”

“Eh? Can I?”

“I need to see if it works as a product anyway. Channel the magic here, on the handle.”

As I explained, Kikkori, with a serious expression, stood in front of the tree and swung the axe.

“What the! There was no resistance at all! I just swung right through it!”

“Right, right. That axe is that sharp.”

“It’s amazing, but no, it’s unusable!”

“Hm? What’s the problem?”

Kikkori spoke seriously—perhaps something only a professional woodcutter would notice that I hadn’t considered.

“It cuts too well. Listen, a woodcutter calculates the direction they want the tree to fall while cutting. Normally, you cut one side first to control the balance. But with this, that’s impossible.”

“Hm? Is that all? That’s no problem. Haven’t you noticed?”

“Noticed what?”

“Kikkori-sama, you did indeed just cut the tree with that axe, but it hasn’t fallen yet.”

“Eh? Oh! Now that you mention it! But why?”

“That axe uses vibrations and magical waves to enhance its sharpness, but that’s not all. It also temporarily magi-binds the cut surfaces, stabilizing them with magic. So as long as the axe is activated, the tree won’t fall.”

“Eh? So what does that mean?”

“If you deactivate the axe, the tree will fall—and it will fall in the direction you imagine.”

“Ho, really…”

Still in disbelief, Kikkori stopped the axe’s vibrations. Then, the Catastugi tree fell in the direction opposite to where we were standing.

“Awesome! Is this for real?”