WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Made Magic Easier by Changing the Formula ◈
Chapter 29: The Genius Repairer’s Night Is Busy
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“Pant... pant...”
Nen stared at Boros’s fallen corpse, breathing hard.
The Sword Expert who had been pressuring her with blue aura moments ago was stiffening helplessly, their throat pierced.
Compared to when Kalik had driven her to the brink of death, the change was nothing short of earth-shattering.
“Do you believe it now? Your Mutant Core isn’t a curse. It’s a blessing.”
“Thank you so much. I’ll find a way to repay this kindness.”
“Kindness? Forget it. You beat that bastard, and that’s enough for me.”
Honestly, it had been a somewhat experimental formula.
Nen had proven I wasn’t wrong.
Thanks to that, I could make something new again.
“But, Hans... this goes far beyond a simple favor. The flow of mana in my body is more precise and solid than ever before. I even avenged my master.”
Deep trust filled Nen’s eyes.
Well, there was nothing bad about her being grateful.
But this wasn’t the time to get sentimental.
‘Two of Kran’s scout units have already been wiped out. They’ll soon send large search parties through this area.’
I looked around as I spoke.
“We can share our feelings while we travel. First, let’s treat your wound.”
I couldn’t leave Nen’s bloodied shoulder as it was after Boros’s sword had struck it.
[Third-Tier Transformation Formula: Rapid Healing]
A formula made by modifying Healing Light, a third-tier spell.
It healed a little less, but consumed less mana and activated faster.
Flash.
A gentle light wrapped around her shoulder, and the torn flesh sealed together in an instant.
“...Ah.”
Nen touched her shoulder, her eyes widening.
She looked at me as though she couldn’t believe it.
“I keep relying on you, Hans.”
“It’s nothing, so don’t worry about it. More importantly, I need to clean up.”
“Clean up?”
While Nen tilted her head, I gathered the Reinforced Mana Threads I had spread around us.
Whirr.
The equipment and belongings scattered around the Kran elites were sucked one after another into my subspace.
Boros’s longsword, Dekan the mage’s staff, leather armor, pouches of gold coins, emergency rations, even small flints.
In an instant, the corpses were lined up on the ground in a miserable state, wearing nothing but underwear.
Nen’s mouth fell open.
“You’re truly thrifty and thorough, Hans.”
“It would be a waste to leave it behind. If I clean and repair it properly, it can all be sold or used as materials.”
“Then take this too.”
A quiver had fallen in a blind spot where I had missed it.
Nen picked it up and held it out to me.
“Haha, thanks.”
“It’s nothing. I should at least be useful in this way.”
Nen carefully searched the area for anything else that might have fallen.
I watched her with satisfaction.
Really, I was only taking things because I had plenty of room in my subspace.
The real treasure was the orb.
‘Mana accumulates when enemies are killed... It really is a terrifying item.’
The Empire was at war now, with death everywhere.
For this orb, it might be the most fertile charging station imaginable.
“Let’s get going. We’re headed for Bellat.”
“Yes.”
Nen took her dagger and followed behind me.
* * *
There were two routes to Bellat.
The southern main road, packed with refugees.
And a forest path without a soul in sight.
The main road had many people.
And many people meant many eyes.
After taking out two of Kran’s scout units, there was no reason to show our faces on a crowded road.
Besides.
‘The forest has plenty of demon beasts.’
The demon beasts that made coachmen and refugees tremble meant something entirely different to me.
Food for the orb.
“Let’s take the forest instead of the main road.”
“Yes.”
Nen followed without hesitation.
The forest air carried a foul, fishy scent.
‘It’s already crawling with demon beasts.’
Normally, demon beasts lived only deep within the demon realm.
It wasn’t normal for this much Demonic Energy to fill such a low forest.
Grrr.
Red eyes gleamed between the bushes.
Eight legs.
A body as large as a carriage wheel.
It was a giant spider, every leg bristling with hairs like iron saw blades.
‘A Black-Iron Sawtooth Spider.’
I had seen one in a demon beast bestiary.
Its webs were finer than silk thread but as tough as steel.
When those webs were gathered and woven together, ordinary blades could not pierce them, and they even repelled mana.
They were first-rate material for defensive clothing.
‘Precious material came to me on its own.’
It wasn’t a frightening demon beast.
It was a sack of treasure.
Whoosh!
The spider’s sticky web shot toward me like a net.
But I had a weapon that was its natural enemy.
[Reinforced Mana Thread]
Whirr.
The mana thread wrapped around its web and wound it back in reverse.
No matter how tough it was, before Reinforced Mana Thread, it was nothing but a tangled bundle of string.
Screee!
The spider struggled as its legs became trapped in its own web.
The problem was how to kill it.
If I used fire, its silk glands would burn.
If I froze it, the tissue would be damaged.
‘Neither will work.’
Crushing its insides would destroy the silk glands I wanted.
‘There’s only one answer.’
[Third-Tier Transformation Formula: Vibrational Shatter]
Hummm.
I wouldn’t touch its shell or the silk glands in its abdomen.
Only a precise vibration, aimed directly at its windpipe.
Screech!
The spider shuddered, then curled its legs and went limp.
Its breath alone had stopped, while the silk glands remained intact.
Clean.
‘The materials aren’t damaged.’
I immediately glanced into my subspace.
The gray orb.
The mana from the spider whose life had just ended had already been absorbed into it.
No matter how many times I saw it, it was incredible.
“Hans, how should I prepare it?”
Nen looked at the spider corpse and asked.
“You need to cut open its abdomen and take out the silk glands. You must not burst them. Can you do it?”
“Yes. I’ll try.”
Nen was deft with her hands.
She cut open the spider’s abdomen precisely, removed the transparent sacs of silk glands, and carefully put them away without bursting them.
“Should I gather them like this?”
“Good job. You’re really good at this.”
Perhaps pleased by the praise, Nen’s lips curved slightly.
Meanwhile, more demon beasts gathered around us.
Nen stepped forward again.
“Rest, Hans. I’ll handle the demon beasts.”
Flash! Flash!
Each time her dagger flashed, demon beasts fell helplessly.
After learning the new Breathing Technique, demon beasts at this level weren’t even a workout for Nen.
“Leave the demon beast spiders to me.”
If she cut them with her sword, the silk glands would burst and become useless.
“Yes. I’ll only kill the other demon beasts.”
Flash! Slice!
Guaack!
Even without lifting a finger, mana steadily filled the orb every time Nen cut down a demon beast.
‘This is easier than I expected.’
I only moved whenever a Black-Iron Sawtooth Spider appeared.
By the time we had roughly cleared out the demon beasts, the sun was setting.
“Let’s stay here tonight.”
We found a suitable cave and settled in.
My stomach rumbled.
We had walked and hunted all day.
I took some dried meat from my subspace.
“This is all the food I bought.”
When I handed it to Nen, she stared at me for a moment, then suddenly shook her head.
“Wait, Hans. Don’t eat it. Please wait a moment.”
“Why?”
“I can’t let my benefactor settle for a meal like that.”
Nen moved like the wind.
She gathered dry branches to make a fire, then prepared meat from one of the demon beasts we had killed earlier.
The way she skillfully added preserved herbs or spices was far from ordinary.
Sizzle.
Before long, a savory scent spread through the cave.
“Here. It isn’t much, but please eat.”
Nen held out the well-cooked meat.
I took a bite.
‘Hm...?’
It was delicious.
Juices filled my mouth.
It was nothing like dried meat.
“Thanks, Nen. I’ll enjoy it.”
Nen’s face brightened.
“Leave the food to me from now on.”
“You don’t have to. I bought plenty of dried meat.”
“At least while I’m with you, I’ll take care of your meals.”
Nen’s gaze was firm.
I had saved her life and taught her the Breathing Technique.
She wanted to repay me somehow.
“Fine. If it puts your mind at ease, let’s do that.”
“I’m glad there’s something I can help with.”
Honestly, it wasn’t bad.
When I was alone, I always settled for simple meals.
Night deepened.
After eating, Nen maintained her dagger beside the campfire before eventually falling asleep.
I wasn’t sleepy.
I had never needed much sleep in the first place.
‘Let’s do some work.’
When I looked into my subspace, it was packed with materials collected today.
Silk glands from Black-Iron Sawtooth Spiders, the fur hides of Steel-Mane Wolves, and scaled hide from a basilisk subspecies caught in a swamp.
‘Each of these will become something useful.’
My hands itched.
Then I noticed the old maid uniform Nen had shoved into one side of her bag.
It was torn long across the right shoulder where Boros’s sword had grazed it during the battle.
‘Don’t tell me she plans to wear that again?’
Since she hadn’t thrown it away, she probably had only one spare set of clothes.
She would likely stitch it up roughly and keep wearing it.
She didn’t seem to mind, but it bothered me.
‘Whatever else happens, I can’t stand seeing someone wear rags.’
As a repairer, I could never allow it.
Careful not to wake Nen, I quietly took the old maid uniform from her bag.
[Mana Stitching]
Swish. Swish.
Without leaving a trace.
So it was practically as good as new.
Since I was working on it anyway, I repaired the frayed cuffs and worn collar as well.
Then.
‘...This shoulder is the problem.’
The place Boros’s sword had cut into that afternoon.
Her right shoulder.
I had looked at it carefully while treating her wound.
‘Nen’s swordsmanship has improved dramatically with the Breathing Technique supporting it, but she still has one critical weakness.’
Her right shoulder.
I didn’t know whether it was the limitation of Nen’s swordsmanship or simply her inexperience, but that spot opened for an instant.
‘Should I alter her sword forms?’
I considered it for a moment.
‘If I examine the flow of mana, I could force something to fit.’
But I soon shook my head.
‘No. It’s too much.’
Swordsmanship wasn’t my field.
I dealt with magic formulas. I didn’t know swords.
‘If I meddle clumsily, I might ruin Nen’s swordsmanship instead.’
And more than anything.
‘The weakness in her sword must be something Nen confronts and realizes for herself.’
Instead.
‘I should protect her shoulder while she works to cover that weakness.’
Basilisk scaled hide.
Top-quality material with magic resistance and waterproofing.
I would add Black-Iron Sawtooth Spider thread to increase its strength.
‘This will make excellent material for shoulder guards.’
I wouldn’t simply place something bulky on her shoulders like ordinary armor.
If I did, it would ruin the look of Nen’s maid uniform.
‘If I’m making it anyway... it should look good too.’
I would make it look like a decorative layer of fabric added to the shoulders.
It would look natural, as though it were part of the maid uniform.
Shick. Shick.
My hands became busy.
I shaved the basilisk scales thin, quilted them densely into the inner layer, and shaped the grain with Black-Iron Sawtooth Spider mana thread.
I covered the outer layer with fabric matching the maid uniform so it wouldn’t show.
Since I was doing it, I made shoulder guards for both sides.
‘They need to be on both sides to keep the balance.’
However, I quilted two more layers of scales into the right one and wrapped it with one additional layer of mana thread.
They looked identical from the outside, but the right side was much sturdier.
That was where Nen’s weakness was.
‘Once she covers that weakness herself, she won’t need these shoulder guards anymore.’
Until then, they would cover Nen’s opening.
* * *
The next morning.
Nen opened her eyes, looked into her bag, and was startled.
“Hans, this is...?”
The maid uniform that had been torn was whole again, as good as new.
Fine decorations had been added to both shoulders where there had been none before.
“Try it on. I added shoulder guards too. They’re removable, so you can attach them to other clothes when you change.”
“Shoulder guards?”
Nen’s eyes widened.
She touched her shoulders with a stunned expression.
“They just look like decorations made from extra fabric...”
“I made them that way on purpose so they wouldn’t stand out. There are basilisk scales quilted inside, so they’ll block most swords.”
“...”
Nen couldn’t continue speaking.
“And.”
I added,
“Your right shoulder... When you swing your sword, there’s an instant when it opens up. Do you know that?”
Nen’s eyes grew wide.
“You noticed that?”
I had.
I didn’t forget something once I saw it.
I had seen how Boros had wounded Nen’s shoulder, too.
Scritch. Scritch.
I quickly drew the movement on the ground.
“Here. Like this. Nen’s sword left an opening. Then Boros’s sword came in like this.”
“Ah...!”
Had she realized something?
Nen stared with wide eyes, her mouth open.
“How can you remember that? Hans... you really are amazing. Miss was right to call you a genius.”
“I only happened to remember that scene. Anyway... that’s why I made the right shoulder guard sturdier. Until you fully cover that weakness, it will block attacks for you. So fight confidently when enemies appear.”
“...”
“Improving your swordsmanship isn’t my field, so this is as far as I’ll go. Nen must confront it and realize it for herself.”
Tears welled up in Nen’s eyes as she lowered her head.
“Thank you so much, Hans... This is truly important teaching for me. I’m relying on you again.”
“It’s nothing. Come on, let’s get going.”
I packed without making a fuss.
Nen held the maid uniform carefully and spoke.
“And maybe it’s because of these shoulder guards, but the uniform has become so beautiful.”
“Has it?”
Of course it had.
I didn’t show it, but.
‘If I’m going to repair something, it should look beautiful too.’
That was my pride as a repairer.
My hands never stopped as we traveled.
This time, it was my parents’ turn.
‘I can’t visit empty-handed without gifts.’
And I might as well make something for my maternal grandfather too.
“Clothes would be good. Among them...”
After thinking it over, I chose undergarments.
[Magic Armor Fabric Undergarments]
I densely stitched Black-Iron Sawtooth Spider thread into the finest cotton fabric I had brought from Rowen.
I used Steel-Mane Wolf fur hides as lining to keep them warm.
They would feel as light as if they were barely being worn.
But when struck, they would instantly harden and protect the body.
One stitch at a time.
During the day, we hurried along the road and hunted demon beasts.
At night, once Nen was asleep, I sat beside the campfire and sewed the clothes stitch by stitch.
And finally.
After walking for several more days, we emerged from the forest and reached the end of the road.
“...That is.”
Nen stopped walking.
In the distance, enormous city walls cut across the horizon.
Bellat, the southern military city.
It was on an entirely different scale from Rowen.
Countless flags fluttered above the towering walls.
‘Have we finally arrived?’
It was a strange feeling.
The city gate was drawing closer.
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