How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 184

205. Turning the Tables (5)

Naturally, if a space is created for a seal, there must be something to seal it with.

Among the objects presumed to be devices for sealing, a girl is enshrined as if asleep.

As I reflexively recoiled, Elmeroth coldly rebuked me.

“Boy, don’t get the wrong idea. That’s just an old corpse.”

Only after hearing his words did I confirm that no mana flowed from the girl.

“Probably someone related to this tower.”

“The owner, or someone with that much connection.”

“And after further investigation, the estimated construction period of this tower is about 20,000 years.”

“…….”

In other words, that corpse closed its eyes 20,000 years ago.

“You’re more shaken than I expected?”

“There are a few reasons. First of all… is that girl holding a grimoire [a book of magic spells and incantations]?”

The girl lying as if asleep is holding a slate-like object in her arms.

A grimoire doesn’t necessarily have to be in the form of a book.

As long as it records magical formulas, it can become a grimoire even if you engrave the formulas on a ladle.

Judging by form alone is a hasty method.

Above all, an unusual amount of residual mana was detected from that slate.

“Probably. That’s the grimoire.”

“…Damn it, this has become troublesome.”

“Why?”

“No… it’s nothing. I was just surprised that we found it so easily.”

I glossed over it lightly.

In fact, there is a decisive reason why I was shaken, which I didn’t tell Elmeroth.

It’s not because of the girl’s body, which has been preserved for 20,000 years.

It’s not because I found the grimoire I was looking for so easily.

‘Damn it…….’

I gritted my teeth inwardly and looked above the girl’s head.

I must be seeing things.

Grimoire… it seems like I won’t get it as easily as I expected.

* * *

First of all, let’s mention this and move on.

I have no information about the girl named Asilla.

It’s unlikely that she’s even mentioned in the original work.

But the message above her head classifies her as an episode boss.

‘If she’s an episode boss… if I associate her appearance with that grimoire, I can roughly figure it out.’

Original work, Volume 11.

It consists of two short episodes in total.

One is a trivial slice-of-life part, so let’s skip it, and the other one.

That’s the episode where Sylvester originally discovers the grimoire.

‘To be precise, it would have been an episode about defeating the monster that possessed the grimoire…….’

A monster possessing the grimoire is rampaging, and the foundation of Volume 11’s plot is to subdue it.

That’s why I hadn’t anticipated this situation.

I had only thought that I just needed to help those who were being oppressed.

But the situation is more twisted than I had calculated.

‘So, that girl is the monster?’

Above all, I couldn’t believe it.

In the original work, the monster that swallowed the grimoire was a monster with a huge body of 5 meters and a hideous wolf-like shape.

There was a description that everyone was trembling with fear because its cry was so bizarre that it would appear in their dreams.

But looking at that girl now, who would think of her as a monster?

I don’t know.

‘There are too few clues…….’

Anyway, if the grimoire is there, is that all that matters?

“But why do you leave it there even after discovering it? Shouldn’t you secure it?”

“Heh heh heh. Why do you think?”

“…You can’t take it.”

“Why don’t you try touching it?”

“…….”

“Why? Aren’t you tempted by it?”

“No… somehow, I can see the obvious conclusion.”

But it might be better to experience it directly.

For now, I pretended to go along with what he said.

I approached the corpse of the girl named Asilla.

It’s a bit creepy, but I can’t help it.

“You’re not suddenly going to come to life and go on a rampage, are you?”

Suddenly, the atmosphere turns into an undead story!

That’s not going to happen, is it?

“…I wish it were that simple.”

No, stop saying ominous things, you young-looking old man?

I sighed and reached out to the corpse as it was… to be exact, to the grimoire she was holding.

And as expected, of course.

“…Haa, damn it!”

Pajit.

I felt like static electricity touched the tip of my finger for a moment.

“…Then, that’s wha…….”

Before I could finish speaking, my eyes flashed white, and my body was thrown back.

My vision quickly blurred.

It means my body is being thrown back like an arrow.

“Oops.”

Elmeroth lightly stepped aside to avoid being hit.

I didn’t expect you to catch me anyway!

I twisted my body as if to reverse it, slowed down before hitting the wall, and landed.

I used gravity control to slow down the speed before the collision.

“You’re skillful. Dires rammed straight into the wall…….”

“…Elder, let’s settle this later.”

Someday I’ll pay you back properly, I wrote it down in my heart and straightened my body.

I understood for sure.

“Do you think you can overcome that and touch it?”

“…It’ll be difficult.”

Impossible.

“It’s not just about repelling. I guess the stronger the force, the farther you’ll be blown away.”

“That’s right.”

“If you put all your strength into it, you might break the grimoire.”

For example, if I tried to overcome the repulsive force with all my might, that would probably be the case.

……This is difficult.

Does it mean that even if the object I’m aiming for is right in front of me, I can never take it?

“Is there no way to release it?”

“I’ve been looking into it from time to time, but there’s no solution. I’ve put in months of effort, but I’ve barely found anything.”

“That’s really difficult… hmm?”

I was also trying to find something that might work, flipping through the pages of the original work left in my memory.

I tilted my head, noticing one thing.

‘Huh? Something’s… appeared?’

Until just now, nothing was wrong, but now my name above my head is flashing as if some message has appeared.

It probably happened when I fell for Elmeroth’s prank, touched the corpse, and was blown away.

What is it?

Let’s check it out first.

I immediately checked the message, and I was so dumbfounded that I almost screamed reflexively.

……Why is this happening?

What does this mean?

A conclusion I don’t know?

I felt uneasy for some reason.

Maybe I’ve discovered something I didn’t know.

But that excitement was only for a moment.

Conditions?

Cumulative influence acquired?

Damn it…….

It seems like you’re not planning to let me get away with it for free.

Well, that’s right.

‘……But if you think about it differently, it’s like I’ve found a way to get it.’

It’s a kind of trick.

If I were to solve it in a conventional way, I wouldn’t know what to do or how long it would take.

But if the conditions are met, everything can be solved.

If you think about it that way, it’s really generous!

‘No complaints or problems~.’

The problem is how many cumulative points I have now.

‘The required cumulative amount is 6,000, right? But the fact that I failed to access it means that the amount I’ve earned so far doesn’t reach 6,000 points.’

Still, roughly speaking, I thought I was close to it.

Let’s look back on my past. Hmm. I don’t know.

‘Roughly speaking, I think I need to earn at least 600 to 900 more points.’

But that’s not a small amount either.

‘Anyway, it’s impossible right now…….’

I decided to proceed with the plan step by step.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to earn points around me.

First, let’s help the different races.

And let’s check the damn lord.

That way, it will be solved naturally.

But I can’t take it easy.

I clicked my tongue as I checked the additional message that had appeared.

Is it a quest with a time limit?

I don’t know exactly when, but the expiration date probably wasn’t too far away.

Let’s hurry.

* * *

Since I said I would help, I have no intention of helping half-heartedly.

Let’s do it properly! That’s my policy.

I immediately declared in front of the different races that I would help them, and I started living with them without paying attention to whether they were staring blankly or not.

First, I need to know their difficulties.

“The first thing to do is… to improve the diet of the kids here.”

As soon as it was mealtime, I was able to decide on one thing to do first.

I was convinced when I saw the children here chewing on some weeds.

“…Mister, aren’t you eating? Here! Mister, you eat too.”

There’s even a portion for me.

I appreciate you taking care of me, but it brings tears to my eyes.

The meal is poor.

Aside from other things, it seemed quite difficult to get food.

‘Because it’s hard to go outside easily.’

It’s common to think that it’s easy to find food in the forest, but that’s a big misunderstanding.

The more remote the forest, the more things you can’t eat are scattered around.

That’s why most people who get lost in the forest usually starve to death or die from eating poisonous plants.

The same goes for them.

“Kids, don’t you want to eat meat?”

When I said this casually, the beastkin children made subtle expressions.

Then, Mayna, one of the kids, patted my knee as if coaxing a child.

“…Mister, it’s not good to complain about the side dishes.”

“No, I’m not trying to complain?”

Of course, I don’t want to eat weeds, but above all, doesn’t it hurt your heart?

If you only eat this when you’re growing up, you won’t grow tall.

And I don’t want to eat only this because I want to grow taller too.

Yeah. Then the conclusion is simple.

“…Wait a little bit, kids. This brother will get you some proper food. You guys shouldn’t be eating this stuff.”

After declaring that confidently, I immediately set out to get food with confidence.

“…It’ll be difficult to get food?”

Dires, who had been secretly watching, quietly followed me and gave me advice.

“We didn’t try not to get it. But even if you try to hunt, wild animals don’t easily approach this area.”

“Well, that’s true.”

That’s what I’m aware of too.

But I didn’t say it to show off.

“There’s a way, so you don’t have to worry. You can follow me if you don’t believe me.”

“…What are you going to do?”

“It’s obvious. I’m going to the city to get food.”

There will definitely be food there, and it’s not a bad harvest season, so it won’t be difficult to get food.

“Wait. Looting is not allowed.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Looting? Wow~ this is someone who’s going to cause big trouble.”

What a terrible thought.

I pretended to shudder on purpose.

I know what you want to say.

What would people think if those in this situation said they would go to the city to get supplies?

“I’m not going to loot.”

I have no intention of doing that, and I shouldn’t.

If I did that, it would only give the lord an additional justification to massacre them.

‘I still don’t know why the lord is so eager to kill them in this tower…….’

But I can’t let him do as he pleases.

That’s why they know it and only do peaceful farming and don’t choose means like looting.

Of course, I have no intention of disrupting that intention.

“If you go to the city, isn’t it because of this?”

I took it out of my arms and showed it to Dires with a grin.

A gold coin with moderate wear and tear.

There’s no food?

Then you can buy it.

“In times like these, money solves everything.”

Fortunately, I have some money.