Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 155

“Ah, Shuu-san! Just the person I was hoping to see!”

As I approached Lumia’s shop, I ran into Lumia coming out. She seemed to be flipping over the signboard on the door, so I thought she might be going shopping, but apparently not.

Lumia’s face brightened as soon as she saw me. It seemed like she had something to discuss with me.

“What’s up?”

“Sorry, could you come with me for a moment?”

Lumia rushed over and said quickly, then grabbed my hand and started walking.

I’ve lived a decently long life in my past, so it’s not the first time I’ve held hands with someone, but it still makes my heart flutter when it happens suddenly.

And when it’s with a beautiful girl like Lumia, it’s even more so. Her hand feels soft, as expected of a girl’s.

But despite holding hands like this, Lumia seemed oblivious.

“…Lumia-san, you don’t seem to mind this kind of thing much, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“Holding hands like this.”

When I said that, Lumia turned back and her gaze fell on our hands.

“Eek! Ah, um, sorry! I was in a hurry and just…”

Lumia turned red and let go of my hand.

I felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. It’s not like Lumia wasn’t aware that we were of opposite genders.

“Oh no, it’s okay. Anyway, what’s up?”

It was an awkward atmosphere, so I asked before we entered the shop.

Lumia, who had been flustered when she got to the point, quickly regained her composure.

“Actually, the mana Cauldron we use for alchemy has run out of mana. I was wondering if Shuu-san could help inject some mana into it.”

“I see. I don’t have any particular plans for adventuring today, so it’s fine.”

“Thank you! Then, this way!”

Guided by Lumia, I entered the back room of the shop.

Lumia’s workspace, which she normally used, was larger than the sales space.

There were many test tubes, beakers, bottles containing materials, and various instruments that seemed completely unfamiliar just by looking at them. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a school science lab.

The well-organized tools and materials were a testament to Lumia’s management.

And behind them was a large cauldron.

A glossy black cauldron adorned with several magical runes and gold decorations.

It seemed quite large, about 120 centimeters in size.

“So this is the mana Cauldron. It’s my first time seeing it.”

Mana pots are tools used for synthesizing materials, commonly handled by alchemists in games. Seeing it in person somehow feels moving.

However, as I thought about that, something occurred to me.

“Huh? But, even without a mana Cauldron, you can still perform alchemy, right?”

Previously, Lumia had demonstrated alchemy skills by synthesizing materials.

It involved synthesis, drying, or extracting components.

Despite having such skills, what was the purpose of this cauldron?

“Of course, alchemists can use their own skills to perform alchemy. However, it’s not suitable for mass production, so we have mana pots to complement that.”

“I see, it’s like a supplementary tool then.”

“Yes, it’s versatile, used for a wide range of tasks from mixing materials to cooking!”

“Huh?”

Didn’t she mention that it’s also used for cooking now? Could it be that she’s always been using this mana Cauldron to cook meals and sweets… No, that’s probably not it. It must have been a misunderstanding.

【Mana Cauldron – Highest Quality】

Efficiently performs alchemy such as synthesis, separation, heating, and cooling.

Capable of boiling, baking, steaming, and all cooking methods, making it a versatile cooking utensil.

An indispensable tool for alchemists.

Created by Saffy. Its value is equivalent to a national treasure.

When appraised, the description exactly matched what Lumia had said.

It also mentioned being a versatile cooking utensil…

Well, as long as the food tastes good, it doesn’t matter how it’s cooked.

Let’s not dwell on this.

Besides, the material’s value is gold-colored. I wonder how much material Saffy poured into it.

“So, I just need to infuse mana into this mana Cauldron, right?”

“Yes, please pour it directly in.”

As instructed by Lumia, I held my hand over the mana Cauldron and infused mana into it.

The mana Cauldron began to absorb mana vigorously. Along with it, the Cauldron emitted a faint glow, but it was still weak. It seemed far from being fully charged.

Observing this, I increased the amount of mana I poured in. The glow of the mana Cauldron intensified, steadily absorbing more and more of my mana.

It feels like it’s absorbing as much mana as the Sea Guardian’s Bracelet, yet it’s still not full.

The mana Cauldron is amazing.

Lumia isn’t calling out, so she probably wants me to pour more.

I increased the output and sent more mana into it.

Then, the mana Cauldron emitted a strong light and started flickering.

Huh? Isn’t this a dangerous situation?

“Shuu-san! Please stop the mana!”

Thinking that, I stopped as Lumia commanded.

“Incredible. It’s the first time Master’s mana Cauldron has been filled to the brim.”

“Huh? Isn’t it always filled to the brim?”

“Master’s mana Cauldron, probably due to its special quality, has an endless capacity for mana.”

After all, it’s the highest quality mana Cauldron.

It’s a mana Cauldron made by a master-class alchemist. It must be made entirely of top-quality materials. It’s only natural that it requires an absurd amount of mana.

“The court wizard couldn’t fill it even after a month of pouring mana continuously. So, I was surprised to see it filled in one go.”

“I see.”

Court wizards are elites among wizards, working in the royal castle, right? Naturally, they have more mana than your average wizard.

For someone like that to fail to fill it up in a month, and then for it to be filled in an instant…

I thought I had a lot of mana because I received this body from the gods, but it feels like there’s far more than I imagined.

“With it being endless like this, it must be quite challenging to manage.”

“Usually, Master and I carefully manage the excess mana, but it seems Master got drunk and forgot to refill it…”

“So, the mana ran out, and it stopped working?”

Yeah, that’s what I suspected.

“Once it runs out, it requires an enormous amount of mana to start it up again. My mana alone wasn’t enough, and Master wouldn’t wake up, so it was quite a struggle.”

“And that’s when I happened to come by.”

“Yes, you arrived just when I was about to ask for help. Thank you so much!”

Lumia bows her head gratefully.

“You’re welcome.”

It feels good to be able to help a friend.

As Lumia and I share a laugh, the cause of the mana Cauldron’s malfunction arrives.

Even though it’s close to noon, she’s rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“What’s all the commotion about so early in the morning?”

“Good morning, Saffy— Wait, what are you wearing!?”

I follow Lumia’s gaze to see Saffy in black underwear. Her fair skin and well-shaped figure are boldly exposed.

Saffy’s eyes widen as she meets mine.

“Oooooo! My mana Cauldron is full! What’s going on!?”

Without paying attention to my outburst, she leapt towards the mana Cauldron.

Huh? Isn’t this the kind of situation where women usually scream?

“This is no time for that, Master! More importantly, please do something about that outfit! Shuu-san is here, you know!”

“Oh, right! Did Shuu-kun fill it up with mana? I had a feeling he might, but did he really fill it up in one go!?”

Despite Lumia’s shouting, Saffy is too excited about the mana Cauldron to listen.

She’s still coming at it in her underwear as if it were a normal day. It’s quite a sight, with her ample chest and slender waist on display.

“I’m sorry, Shuu-san! Could you please step out for now?”

“Oh, uh, sure.”

Feeling flustered by Saffy’s indecent appearance, I was promptly pushed out of the room by a panicked Lumia.

“Hey, Lumia. Why are you getting in my way? It’s the first time my mana Cauldron has been full. I want to know what happened.”

“I’ll tell you everything, so please do something about your attire.”

“It’s just underwear. Shuu-kun has seen me in my swimsuit in Lindblum. It’s not that different, right?”

“It is different! Swimsuits and underwear are totally different!”

Ignoring the occasional voices I hear, I try to calm my mind in the shop space.