Ore wa Mada, Honki o Dashite Inai - CH 49

Hermes Method

Translated by Mlzkzr

Edited by Mlzkzr

The Lake of Hals.

I was looking at the lake from an open-structured carriage.

There is a small, village-level gathering of buildings around the lake.

A number of buildings are being constructed as if they are growing surrounding it.

“At last, it started”

Next to me, nee-san mumbled.

“Ah, there aren’t many people who can refine salt yet, so we’ll do it gradually, though.”

“It’s still difficult huh, extracting salt by magic”

“…… It’s strange that no one has ever thought about this before.”

I said in a grumbling tone, in reply to nee-san’s inquiry.

Even though it wasn’t such a difficult idea.

“It is said that the point of view of an expert in something is different from that of a non-expert in the first place.”

“I can’t hear you~”

I sighed.

With this one, my fame rose again.

A magician who can still do it―― although there are a few craftsmen, the magic refining of salt will extract only the salt, so it shall become a high-quality salt with extremely high purity.

It is said that its purity is such that it cannot be produced by the usual method of boiling or drying.

“Ah, that’s right. I sent salt from here to Their highnesses.”

“……Wait, nee-san, I have a really bad feeling about this somehow”

I held my temples, feeling like I was going to get a headache.

“First of all, what do you mean by Their Highnesses?”

“Shou-sama, and Lina-sama”

“Just as I thought!”

Shou Za Aegina, and Lina Mi Aegina.

Both are royalty of the Kingdom of Aegina, and the two took a liking to me.

“Wha,what did you say when you send it?”

“It’s all okay”

Nee-san smiled broadly at me.

“With the purity of that salt, it would be disrespectful not to present it to His Majesty the King anyway.”

“Muh……”

“Hermes knows what he’s done, right? The purity in that method, is unrivaled and incredible.”

“…….I wish I hadn’t done it”

I did it by accident, but now it became a troublesome thing.

“Thereupon, it happened”

“Eh?”

I turned to nee-san, who said it happened.

Nee-san had an envelope with her.

“It’s a reply from His Royal Highness.”

“I’m scared of reading it.”

“To put it bluntly, His Majesty the King liked it a lot, so he allowed me to give a name to it as the reward.”

“Name?”

Sweat poured down my back.

I have a terrible premonition about this.

“Canoe salt, or Hermes salt. It means that I can choose either one. “

“At least choose the Canoe salt!”

“I answered with Hermes.”

“Offuh!”

I hang my head to the fullest.

“This was a decision I made with Hermes in mind, though.”

“From where!?”

“I’m sure Hermes wasn’t too happy with any more Cross Medal piled on top of the slime lord, right?”

“Muh”

I was hanging my head, but then, I looked up at nee-san.

I subdued the Slime Lord.

That’s an achievement in its own right, but only in its own right.

On the other hand, I also received two medals of the Xiphos Cross, which is the highest grade in the Kingdom of Aegina, for that reason.

Shou and Lina, to show their appreciation, both gave me a good reason.

One is already too many, but there are two.

If something happens in the future, it may be able to build on that even more.

If they keep piling on more and more for something as simple as defeating a Slime lord, it’s going to look even more suspicious and conspicuous.

“Both their Royal Highnesses are also remarkable; they will be on top of this in the future. At any rate, His Majesty liked it so much, the quality ―― No, the way you’ve done it in the first place is revolutionary.”

“……Really”

I jumped out of the carriage, and walked towards the lake.

When she said that, perhaps nee-san’s choice is the right one.

…… I’ll be careful, but I might continue to do something in the future.

This salt, maybe a good breakwater against such situations.

Being food, the king liked it.

Historically, there have been quite a few cases of excessive awards in this pattern.

“……Thank you, nee-san”

“You’re welcome.”

My smiling nee-san and I walked along the shore of the lake.

Nee-san stopped, bent down and scooped up some water with the palm of her hand.

“I’m just giving a little boost to Hermes, for finding a way to make that fine salt from here.”

“If you could, I’d appreciate it if you’d say something before you do these things in the future.”

I crouched down and scooped up a handful of water, too.

In front of my nee-san, since there was no one else around, I tried to pull out the salt as if it were a comfort.

――Mu?

This is, this feeling.

It wasn’t in the tub of water that Nassos sent me, but when I’m in direct contact with the lake itself like this, I can feel it.

I understand, that it has it.

“What’s the matter, Hermes?”

“No, there’s nothing”

I answered immediately, pretending to be normal so as not to be exposed.

But.

“I heard it from a girl named Orthia. Hermes’ nose twitches when he lies, right”

“I’m not falling for that trick, nee-san.”

It’s a trick that caught me before.

I will never fall for such a trick again.

“Yes, that was just me fumbling my words. In fact, after discussing with Orthia, I found a way to tell when Hermes was lying.”

“As I said, I’m not falling for th――”

“You’ll have a more serious face than usual, right”

“――tu”

Zugan, then it came.

She knew in an instant that it wasn’t a fumble in words or a lie.

When I tell a lie, or when I play dumb.

She knew that I’m going to think seriously about it and try to hide it.

“……Is it on my face?”

“Yes, a tense and handsome man”

“That doesn’t make me happy”

“I’m the one who’s not happy about this, Hermes.”

“Eh?”

“Already…… what does it mean when the most serious one hides his seriousness”

Nee-san pointed her index finger at my nose.

I have no words to return.

“So, what happened this time?”

“Ah”

I nodded and, in contemplation, told it to nee-san.

“There’s mithril in here.”

“Mithril…… you mean the metal that could be made as magic items, and store magic power itself?”

“Ah”

“Although it is metal, it’s in water?”

“It’s in there. The quantity is much smaller than the salt, so it wouldn’t be profitable in the same manner.”

That’s what I thought, so I decided to tell nee-san.

Because if there’s no one who can actually take it out, it’s okay to say it.

I thought so.

“That’s a great discovery, Hermes. That mithril, which can only be found in certain mines, also exists in these waters.”

“No matter how great it is ――”

“I’ll have it searched right away, there must be a lake somewhere with a high content of it.”

“……Ah”

I’ve done it.

I just thought I should be careful, but now I’ve done it again.

“Nee-san, this thing is”

“I’ll name this method as the Hermes Method, and announce it to Their Majesties.”

“Stop that!!”

I stopped her, but she wouldn’t stop.

The new discovery about the rare magic metal mithril was quickly passed on to Shou and Lina via nee-san.