Jigglypuff's Diary

After lunch.

Sebasu-san and the others made some soup and sandwich for lunch, and now we were having tea.

The mountain shed has been properly cleaned thanks to the slimes, but it might be a bit too small to fit all 10 of us.

Other than the toilet, there was basically just one big room, and there were no furnitures, so we’d have to share the room and sleep on the floor.

We won’t be able to separate the men from the women. I don’t know, maybe there’s just too many of us for this operation.

“This lodging was mainly built to allow personnel managing the territory or performing purification to spend the night, after all. To that end, it was enough as long as the lodging could protect them from the elements. However, exorcists often brought people with them, and there was no way to tell how many disciples and assistants they would bring each time, so rather than prepare many small rooms, it was decided to prepare such lodging with one big room instead.” [Rosenberg]

“Right, and it also only gets used a few times a year at most, so there’s no one to clean it.”

“Right, right, but that’s all in the past because now you’re in charge. Feel free to touch the place up as you wish.” [Rosenberg]

“In that case, I’ll go build some extra rooms later.” [Ryouma]

“Later?” [Rosenberg]

“Just 30 minutes. With my slime and my magic, I’ll give this place a makeover in no time at all.” [Ryouma]

By using the Huge Bush Slime to clear the grass, then checking and leveling the ground with Soil Slime through slime magic and then leaving the foundation work to the Huge Rock Slime, everything up to the base should be doable in one go. After that, I can just use slime magic with the Sand Slime to place a 3D-printed-style structure on top.

That’s probably more than enough for a makeshift extra room, but it seems Lord Rosenberg wasn’t aware of my background in construction and was only confused by my explanation. Fortunately Sebasu-san, who was serving at the time, stepped in to explain.

“Well, it’s normal to think that. It’s Ryouma that’s the weird one.” [Jeff]

“We had the same reaction when we saw the year end changes of the city too.” [Wereanna]

Jeff-san and Wereanna-san laughed from across the table.

Slimes are just too convenient, so convenient that I imagine it must be hard to believe without seeing.

“Now then, shall we get going?” [Wereanna]

“You’re done eating? There’s still plenty of food left.” [Ryouma]

“One bowl’s enough for me, nyaa.” [Miya]

“We haven’t worked all that much just yet. At this rate, we’ll end up as wage thieves.” [Jeff]

“To make up for this delicious lunch, we’ll search every nook and cranny of the east!” [Syria]

“We’ll help out with the west too if you think it’s safe.” [Mizelia]

At Wereanna-san’s behest, the adventurer team bid goodbye one after another as they left to search the forest.

“An industrious bunch, huh.” [Rosenberg]

“Kind too.” [Ryouma]

“That’s good. Treasure these relationships. Curse magic relies on negative emotions. One step wrong, and you could very well be swallowed by those emotions, causing you to do something you’d regret or chipping away at your sanity. When that happens, you need people who can support you, pull you back from the brink, or in the worst case scenario, help you find your way back. For warlocks such as ourselves, the value of a good relationship is much greater than it would be for a normal person.” [Rosenberg]

Remiri-neesan said something similar. The mana used in curse magic is really mana converted from negative emotions. It is mana very close to that of miasma, so even if one uses it with the intent of purifying miasma, one has to take care or that very same power could corrupt oneself.

“I will be sure to keep that in mind, but even without my curse magic, I intend to treasure my relationship with them. Of course, with everyone here too.” [Ryouma]

“Looks like it was needless worry on my part. In that case, let’s head out after this tea and practice with that magic tool I mentioned earlier.” [Rosenberg]

“Yes!” [Ryouma]

And so, we went to the ruins of the old village, and a practical afternoon lesson began, but…

“Is everyone alright!?” [Ryouma]

“Somewhat. It should be manageable, but slowly.” [Eleanor]

“The road is a lot worse off than what the document said.” [Rosenberg]

“It was originally a bandit village, so they probably built it this way to make attacks difficult.” [Yurdum]

“A part of the road might have collapsed too, making it narrower than intended.” [Sebasu]

The road to the village turned out to be narrower and more dangerous than what the documents claimed. The slope of it was so steep, it had to be at least 60 degrees. In some places, it was so narrow that we had to cling to the wall just to get pass. We couldn’t even use the slimes.

“Should we just teleport when we go back, or maybe even build a new road? That shouldn’t be a problem, right, Sebasu-san?” [Ryouma]

“But of course. This mountain has already been cleared for use as a testing ground. It may be developed as needed. It could be a problem if the construction affected the road at the foot of the mountain, but one or two paths should be well within your discretion, Ryouma-sama.” [Sebasu]

“In that case, please give me the specifics, and I will include it in my report to to the duke.” [Eleanor]

“Thanks, that helps a lot.” [Ryouma]

While she might not be able to get rid of all of the paperwork, her presence still removes a significant chunk of it such that most of the work I do are just the work I enjoy. I never even dreamed of such favorable working conditions in my past life.

As I found myself getting fired up to work, an uncomfortable sensation washed over me.

There’s no mistaking it.

“I can feel the miasma.” [RYouma]

“Alright, get to better ground then and give the tool a try.” [Rosenberg]

I used the tool just as Rosenberg-sama taught me, sticking the butt-end of the staff into the ground, then while keeping the scales level, I channeled my mana into it.

The scale in front sank slightly, forming an angle of approximately four degrees.

“Good job. If it’s 4 degrees, then it’s still safe here, but there’s no guarantee it will be safe moving forward, so let’s get our equipment ready while it’s still safe. Now, do you still remember the key point at times like this?” [Rosenberg]

“Form a barrier with dark mana and keep it as thin as possible.” [Ryouma]

If it were just to protect from miasma, light-attribute mana would work too, but that would erase the miasma, altering the surrounding miasma levels, making it impossible to measure the true amount accurately.

After explaining that, Rosenberg-sama nodded and demonstrated the barrier himself.

“‘Protection'” [Rosenberg]

The dark mana he released wrapped around his body. It was almost the same as the Anti-Curse spell that Remilie-neesan had taught me before.

While Anti-Curse could also block miasma to some extent, this spell was more specialized, focusing solely on miasma to maximize its protective effect.

“’Protection’” [Ryouma]

“Hmm… Very good. It might be because you’ve already mastered Anti-Curse, but the stability is remarkable for a first attempt. With this, you’ll be well protected.” [Rosenberg]

With Rosenberg-sama’s approval, I cast the same protective spell on the others and then we set off again. I measured the miasma levels as we proceeded, until eventually, we arrived at the ruins of the old bandit village.

However, the structures have long been burned down, and after many years of being exposed to the elements, they have long rotted away, so there was almost no trace of the village.

“The miasma appears to be thickest around here, but even then, it’s only twenty-eight degrees at most.” [Ryouma]

Since it had been described as the source, I figured it would be much denser, but it was still within the safe range.

I could barely feel the miasma too, though that might be because of the protective spell.

But if this is twenty-eight degrees, then I wonder just how bad the Town of Departed Spirits must’ve been.

“This is what it looks like when the miasma is being managed properly. The Town of Departed Spirits that you visited is in a completely different league. If hordes of undead prowled its streets, then the density of the miasma there must have been over forty degrees in the shallowest parts and likely over sixty in the deepest zones. That’s a textbook case of an unmanaged zone.” [Rosenberg]

“So, if this place were left unattended long enough, it could turn into the same thing?” [Ryouma]

“Yes.” [Rosenberg]

With a renewed understanding of just how dangerous it had been back there, I vowed never to let this testing ground end up the same way.

After that we continued along our investigation.

It was a grueling walk, what with us needing to climb up and down slopes so steep we had to use ropes, all the while ever keeping an eye out for landslides.

Even with the work divided among us, it remained a grueling job that took a lot of time.

Still, as we steadily pressed on, the miasma gradually thinned, and by the time the sun was about to set, the investigation was done.

In the end, just as it seemed from the foot of the mountain, we were able to confirm that the corruption spread about two hundred meters from the landslide.

From a bird’s eye perspective, the shape of the site narrowed at the collapse point, making the whole site resemble the shape of a “gourd” or a “daruma doll.”

We were also able to confirm that the miasma were most concentrated in the old village and in the plateau formed by the deposited landslide debris.

In other words, there was a dense point each in the upper area of the mountain and in the lower area.

Of course, we checked our findings with the intel provided, and we were able to confirm that there were no discrepancies.

“There was nothing unusual this time, but if you find anything off, know that it can lead to a failure to purify or other unexpected accidents. So, before performing a purification, always confirm the situation and check for any anomalies.” [Rosenberg]

“Understood.

By the way, the shape and impact area of the landslide matches perfectly. Is that the effect of that mark?” [Ryouma]

I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be a centipede, a snake, or an earthworm, but there was a mysterious mark drawn almost at equal intervals in the surrounding trees around the landslide site.

I could feel magic from the symbol, so I’m sure it must’ve been placed by another warlock, and based off the circumstances, it’s probably…

“It’s a curse to prevent the spread of miasma. Many people use a symbol of some sort when casting it.” [Rosenberg]

“Is it somewhat like barrier magic then? Or is it an enchantment? The documents are from almost six months ago, so if it was set up around that time, then the spell seems to have lasted quite a while.” [Ryouma]

I can use barrier magic too, but it’s impossible to maintain it for six months. I could reapply it periodically, but from the way that mountain house was left, people have clearly not been here for a while. So, does that mean that curse magic can apply enchantments too?

“Yes, it is possible. In fact, curses are very similar to enchantment magic. Ever heard of the saying that resentment builds up? When negative emotions are strong enough, they can become grudges and linger. This spell takes advantage of that concept to maintain its effect over a long period of time.” [Rosenberg]

“I see.” [Ryouma]

“More on that later. I was always planning to teach you more about curses, and you’ll need to cast that spell after purification too, but for now, let’s focus on purification. It’s been a long exhausting day, so let’s wrap up this day with a brief practical lesson.” [Rosenberg]

Rosenberg then called to Sebasu-san, who brought out several items from the item box.

“We’ll start with this.” [Rsoenberg]

The largest basket contained over twenty magic staves. They were packed in altogether like those umbrellas one might find in a convenience store on a rainy day. Each staff was designed simply, just a wooden stick topped with a dark-attribute mana stone.

Rosenberg-sama picked up one of the staves, stepped away from us, then he pointed it toward the ground and chanted a spell.

“Curse Transfer.” [Rosenberg]

Mana coursed through the staff and slowly poured into the ground. In the next moment, black dust-like miasma rose from the earth.

The stream of miasma wasn’t particularly fierce, but it looked dense and dangerous.

Rosenberg moved the staff as though to stir the dust-like miasma, and gradually, the dust transformed into black threads, collecting at the tip of the staff like a vendor selling cotton candy.

As the miasma accumulated, it gradually pushed into the magic stone, shrinking inch by inch until at last it completely disappeared, at which point, Rosenberg ended the spell.

“Did you understand?” [Rosenberg]

“It looked like the miasma was being drawn from the ground and the air, and then you sealed it inside the magic stone.” [Ryouma]

“Yes. This is the underlying concept behind the purification of miasma using curse magic. We remove the miasma from the object infected, then we transfer it into a different object. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a magic stone, but… keep your distance, don’t touch, now, look at the staff again.” [Rosenberg]

When Rosenberg-sama prompted me to examine the staff, I immediately understood the point he was trying to make.

“Is the tip of the staff damaged? It looked brand-new just a moment ago.” [Ryouma]

“Objects deteriorate rapidly when exposed to high concentrations of miasma. The staff itself isn’t meant for magic; it’s just to keep a safe distance from the magic stone during the process of storing miasma inside it. The dark magic stone is used because curse works well with it and it has high resistance to miasma.” [Rosenberg]

So that’s why over twenty staves were prepared. We need to keep our distance to maintain safety, but the tools are short lived due to the nature of the job, so they make the staves in bulk and for cheap so they can be replaced easily.

“Some people do use tools made of miasma-resistant materials, but they’re expensive and we need other tools too, so costs add up. There’s nothing wrong with being economical, but know that there there are plenty of aspects where we just can’t afford to cut corners.” [Rosenberg]

“It’s a harsh reality…” [Ryouma]

Rosenberg stared off into the distance, but personally, I think it’s good that he didn’t cut corners. It might seem obvious, but there are plenty of companies that sacrifice safety to save money.

“It’s a difficult topic, but since you have a reliable accountant, I’m sure you’ll be just fine.” [Rosenberg]

“That’s right. Just leave it to me.” [Eleanor]

Eleanor-san, who had been in charge of taking notes since we started investigating the mountain, was quick to reply, and now it was my turn to try Curse Transfer.

Picking up one of the staff from the pile, I stepped away from everyone, then I pointed it at the ground.

“Curse Transfer.” [Ryouma]

As I recalled Rosenberg-sama’s demonstration, I chanted the spell, but I felt as though the ground were clogged up by something and no miasma would come out.

Did I fail?

“The spell itself succeeded, but there wasn’t enough power behind it. Use more negative emotions to draw the miasma from beneath the ground.” [Rosenberg]

I tried again. This time I focused my senses to feel the mana around me. I felt it. There was a sense of malaise everywhere. That annoying kind of mana that ever prodded at me was everywhere.

The protective spell I cast earlier formed a membrane, so they couldn’t touch my body, but I could clearly sense the miasma in the air outside the thin membrane.

As I directed my attention to the ground, I saw a mass of miasma there. I couldn’t measure the exact depth or extent of erosion, but it was far more concentrated than the air. I also realized that extracting it would pose a challenge.

“You don’t need to draw everything at once. Drawing too much can be dangerous. Remember how the staff earlier broke? So, take it step by step. Focus on a small section just below the surface and bite off a chunk of the miasma there.” [Rosenberg]

I did as instructed and identified a small section first, then I chanted the spell.

The clogging sensation eased, and the miasma slowly slithered out. Once it reached the surface, it began to diffuse into the air, just as mana would when using it in a spell.

I’ve cast plenty of spells by this point, so I easily willed the miasma into the tip of my staff and into the magic stone, and inch by inch the miasma withdrew inside, until eventually, all of the miasma I’d bitten off was sealed.

“Phew…” [Ryouma]

My body relaxed almost immediately as soon as I finished. When I raised my head, I met the setting sun, and for a moment, I stood there frozen.

“How did I do?” [Ryouma]

“The first attempt wasn’t bad, but the second was a resounding success. At this point, you can be considered to have mastered the basics of miasma purification. There are other ways to use it, but we’ll cover those after we clean up. Tomorrow.” [Rosenberg]

And so, today’s purification work ended, but the lesson continued a bit longer.

Rosenberg-sama raised his hand, and Yurdum-san approached with a long wooden box. I could feel power emanating from the box. It seemed to be imbued with some kind of magic.

“This box is for storing and transporting cursed objects. It will keep the miasma from leaking out. After using a staff, put it away in this box. Don’t leave it with your other belongings. Some people throw their clothes away to and store it here, but that’s unnecessary as long as you use that barrier.” [Rosenberg]

“What happens to the tools placed inside?” [Ryouma]

“Those staves are still usable, so they can be used again in the future. If they weren’t usable anymore, you would send them with the box to a trusted exorcist for purification.” [Rosenberg]

Warlocks and exorcists work with opposing mana types – dark and light – so their methods and specialties differ. For example, both can erase miasma, but the exorcists are better at that than warlocks. Meanwhile, we warlocks are better at removing miasma like we did just now.

There’s a misconception that “curse practitioners and exorcists don’t get along” because their specialties are opposite, but they actually complement each other’s weaknesses and generally get along.

“I rely on exorcists since I can’t use light magic, but if you can then feel free to exorcise it yourself. Just make sure to remove the dark magic stones and reuse them as much as possible.” [Rosenberg]

The staves were disposable, while the magic stones were to be collected and reused. There were also leather gloves with the same protective magic as the box provided. Evidently, tool maintenance and cleanup were important parts of the job.

Let’s continue learning in the same manner from tomorrow onward!

Tl Note: This was so late. So sorry about that. I’ll get at least another chapter posted this month. Also, I’m aware of the lack of next back buttons, I’ll see to fixing it sometime.