The reason Madi completely ignores me isn’t that I did anything wrong; he’s just infatuated with Arisa. Since Arisa lives alone, it seems he dislikes that I frequently visit this tool shop.
After all, it’s one thing to meet as customers or work acquaintances, but it’s another when a clueless guy like me is relying on her for his daily life.
Madi himself seems to have had similar protection in the past, as he shows a degree of consideration by not openly saying he dislikes me or telling me to leave.
Though he also seems to have little interest in others.
“Centui, what do you want to ask?” Arisa brings the conversation back.
By the way, Arisa’s evaluation of Madi is that he’s “helpful but restless.” Although he ignores me, he apparently keeps an eye on me, likely because we run into each other so often at the tool shop.
Men’s feelings can be so complicated. It’s fine; you don’t have to come check on me.
“What’s the situation with buying houses or land around here?”
I know there’s a real estate agency, so I’ve learned about how to buy a house in town. But what about land saturated with mana?
“Oh, so you’re finally thinking of leaving Arisa behind! Get out of here quickly!” Madi exclaims with an extremely pleased expression.
“There are two patterns for powerful [Givers]. You can either build a house outside the town or find one in a town that has a certain level of management. If you’re dealing with materials rich in mana, it’s bound to be that way.”
I heard that from Arisa.
The management can be the town mayor, a lord, or even the Adventurers’ Guild. The Japanese government still exists in some form, but in a world where monsters and fiends attack, local autonomy has become more pronounced to ensure quick responses.
You can’t get stronger without mana, but if the mana is too dense, it can’t be absorbed, and doing so can turn you into a fiend. The town’s residents are weak.
If there’s absolutely no mana, then Recovery Potions and magical devices won’t work effectively either. So, mana is both a necessity and a burden.
Just leaving powerful materials lying around can spread mana, and even production losses can cause it to scatter around. If you keep that up, small mana accumulations can form, leading to monster births.
I use fairly strong materials, but since Recovery Potions are invaluable for the residents and I can quickly turn them into finished products—“good things”—I haven’t received any complaints.
I don’t quite understand the nuances yet, but it’s likely that Arisa considered all of this when she provided me with materials.
Additionally, in my case, my [Holy Mark] is powerful, causing me to unconsciously absorb any surrounding mana that spreads out. This means that there’s a danger of absorbing too much mana, and I was the first to be warned by Arisa about this.
However, neither this man in front of me nor the town residents know how far I’ve gone. It would be dangerous if they found out, so I keep silent.
I’ve been gathering mana too much! Although I’m holding back, as a demon lord, I tend to collect it more than I should! While I do release some mana, it’s the kind that isn’t good for humans!
Because I’m a demon lord!
“This town’s tool shop and guild bring in materials, making it difficult for new, powerful [Givers] to start. There are barriers that prevent mana from leaking, but the malice born from the fears and assumptions of the surrounding people can’t be underestimated,” Madi says seriously.
He might have left this town for the same reason he just mentioned—since Arisa is here, having someone with significant influence might not be good for the area.
—It’s also not good to have a demon lord around without any preparations, so I plan to retreat quickly to the mana-rich mountains.
“I have a room in the castle, but a freelance [Giver] usually builds a house at a moderate distance from town. If you’re going to use a familiar, that’s even more important.”
When Madi mentions a familiar, he’s talking about magical beasts equipped with magical devices that bind them to humans. There are various types, including magical beasts for transportation and magical birds for delivering letters. Depending on the species, they may also be referred to as summoning beasts or familiars.
[Givers] often use humanoid-like magical beasts as familiars to help grow medicinal herbs or prepare things for crafting.
Unlike horses or birds, they tend to have higher intelligence, which can cause residents to worry about what would happen if their magical devices were removed.
“You don’t have enough achievements to work in the castle, so I recommend living outside the town,” Madi advises.
By hinting at my move, it seems Madi has dropped his subtle consideration for me, revealing his original caring side. He’s gone from ignoring me to talking a lot.
I’ve already been recommended to look outside by Arisa, and working at the castle sounds troublesome, so that’s not an option for me. However, when Madi refers to “outside,” he likely means a place sufficiently distanced from town rather than a mana-rich area.
Still, a lifestyle where a familiar does all the work sounds nice. If I can get some mana and good food, that would be great.
“Once you build, you own it as long as there are no complaints for five years. You should stay a little further from the area where residents gather firewood. If you can place a mana barrier to ward off monsters, it’s free,” Arisa laughs.
I see. Land with monsters seems to become manageable land, I roughly understand.
I wouldn’t want to be told to give up my land because they want to manage it after I’ve put in the work, so it would be best to find a difficult terrain for people to approach.
“It’s better to stay away from this town. They often check for mana accumulations, so in that sense, it’s troublesome. That’s why I moved,” Madi shares, speaking from experience.
“Where’s a town with abundant ingredients and good food? I’ve done some research, but is it Zaha?”
I’m tired of eating out in this town all the time.
Eating out tends to focus on easily obtainable meat, which includes wild boar, cow, or deer monsters, offering a decent variety. But it’s still meat.
I might have managed with regular pork, but it always carries a slight gamey smell, each with its own peculiar taste. I’ve heard that the meat from stronger monsters is delicious.
However, strong monster materials are usually bought up before they even make it into general circulation, so it’s rare for them to come around.
Vegetables tend to be easy to preserve, with beans and tubers being common. There’s a refrigerator, but it hasn’t yet spread to general households or public dining halls.
If only the menus at eateries were rich and tasty! Or, I’d like to cook for myself. If it comes to that, I’m prepared to grow vegetables!
