Chapter 41: Things that must be created

January 7th, 2023

Beta Reader: My_Own_Worst_NPC

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Half a month had passed since the imperial survey team arrived.

No major casualties had been reported, but the progress of the dungeon investigation was apparently not very good.

There was a large door at the end of the first basement floor, and the number of monsters on the other side of the door was said to be extraordinary.

“And so, when we opened the door, there were more than a hundred insect-type monster…” Gram said with a wry smile.

A large number of insects, huh…

Uwahh, I don’t want to hear it!

I hate bugs!

There are actually a lot of bugs on the island, but there’re only a few of them near my living area, thanks to Poppo, the Gokus, and the slimes (maybe I can think of them as my pet at this point).

Meanwhile, Gram sighed deeply as she slumped in her chair.

“You look quite worn out, Gram-sama.”

“Do I? Maybe because I don’t handle bugs too well.” Gram was lightly tapping her shoulder to relieve some of the tension. 

“You should take a break once in a while,” I scolded her as I started gently massaging her.

“Oi, Okami!”

“Hush, now. Just loosen your shoulder and try to relax.” I ignored her protests and started kneading the stiff cords of muscle in her shoulders.

I’m actually very good at giving massages, you see, the reason is because my parents used to make me do it. Kinda lame reason right? When I grew up I always thought they should’ve just bought a massage chair, but thanks to that I’m really skilled at it. I’ve also taken up a lot of readings and videos related to massaging. [1]

“Ooh… That feels… good…” Gram moaned.

Heck. I’m feeling really good now too…

“I know right? Gram-sama, your shoulder muscle is really stiff.”

“Is it?”

“It is. I’m sure you haven’t had proper rest during the half-month you’ve been staying here, so why don’t you take a little time-off? I’m sure the soldiers are also tired.”

“I guess…”

I started massaging the area above her collarbone to stimulate her lymph nodes[2].

My fingers were positioned slightly above her mounds, so I could feel their softness. Oh boy, boobs do have the power to make people happy, don’t they? [3]

“Okami! Here’s some red boar’s… Oh…” Vice-commander Lane barged in with a large chunk of meat and instantly went rigid when she saw the two of us.

“Dianne! It’s not what you think…! It’s…” Gram looked like she’d been caught red-handed, like a kid with their hand in the cookie jar.

What’s the big deal anyway? It’s only a massage.

“I was giving Gram-sama a massage, nothing erotic or perverse about it. It’s meant to alleviate her stress and allow her to relax in both body and spirit.”

“Is-is that so?”

“If you are still not convinced, Lane-san, then I can give you one as well.”

Fuhehehe, I managed to come up with something brilliant on the spot.

“Th-that would be great…”

Lane might have only replied in a voice barely above a whisper, but the important thing is that she didn’t reject the offer. Might as well I give them a full course body massage service, then.

“By the way, what were you going to say, Lane-san?”

“Huh? That’s… Oh yeah! I brought some red boar’s meat from the dungeon.”

“Ooh! Thank you very much!”

A red boar is similar to wild boar, right down to the fatty meat. Tonkatsu, kakuni, chāshū, pork chops, pork shabu shabu, grilled mustard [4]; all the possibilities of dishes that I could make with it were quickly envisioned in my head.

I’m grateful for the existence of edible monsters that could be found in dungeons, such as Red Boars and Cockatrices. Without them, the available livestock on Monte Chris Island would be gone in no time.

After all, there are 118 people on the survey team. There’s more than enough people to hunt everything that swims, crawls, or flies into extinction. Well maybe I’m exaggerating a bit; I don’t know the exact number of animals around here, but I feel like a proper survey would be needed in the future to avoid over-hunting.

And so I had Goku bring the meat to the storage room, while I continue the massages…

“Alright, next I’m going to massage your back and calves, and if you have some particular parts in mind…”

“Wait, you’re still going to continue the massage?”

Well, obviously.

“I think we should do the massage properly. Since dinner prep is pretty much done already, I think we have plenty of time. Let’s use the bed in my room.”

I tried inviting them to my room without being suspicious.

“But, it’s not proper…”

“This is a medical procedure,” I said as convincing as I could. [5]

“Is-is that really so?” Gram stole a glance at her adjutant.

“I-I think so… probably?” Lane vaguely nodded.

Thank you, Vice Commander, I would give you a Medal of Honor if I could. Ehehe, I’m getting fired up now.

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Later that day I made a critical decision; I cancelled my active golem creation projects and decided to create massage oil instead.

It’s a waste of MP and time, you say?

Like I give a damn about it! Who asked you anyway?

In my defense, I’m a man who uses his limited time effectively, alright? Massage oils will increase the effectiveness of a massage. Furthermore, using oil for massages would mean… they will have to take off their clothes!!

It can’t be helped, okay, this is for the sake of well-being!!

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The next day it was raining lightly.

Commander Gram and survey team went off to the dungeon and I spent glum morning at the rockery. I let the golems do all my daily chores.

The field in front of the cave had expanded a bit, and an orchard had been planted on the side. Well… the orchard is really just a couple grapefruit and lemon tree saplings. These were made with creation magic, but so far they seemed to have taken root well.

I could’ve created them as fully developed trees, but I wasn’t certain whether or not they would survive on the island. Besides, if several fruit-bearing trees appeared suddenly… I haven’t the faintest idea how I’d explain that.

For the saplings it was really easy, I only told them that I found them in the forest. Since none of the soldiers were familiar with plants, all of them accepted my excuse.

Once the grapefruit and lemons are ripe and can be harvested, they will have many uses; not only for meals, but for making sweets and cocktails. I could make a lemon cake, or sorbet, or even some daiquiris, although they’re usually made with strawberry or lime. [6]

Drinking a daiquiri while gazing across the endless ocean, don’t you think that sounds perfect?

“Alright, Goku, today you guys will be working on the farm!”

I had Gokus No.1 thru 8 lined up to pull weeds and squash pests on the crops; I believe in 100% pesticide-free farming. It’s easy for me because I have the Gokus, but I think farmers practicing this method back on earth must really have a hard time. And still, even with the Golem’s best efforts, there are still insects on the vegetables.

I guess that’s just part of the natural order, but this won’t be a big problem because I won’t be shipping them anywhere.

For me to use it in my cooking, all I have to do is to remove the bug-eaten parts with a knife. The edible portion will be a little smaller, but that’s nothing to worry about, we can just think of it as sharing the bounty of the earth with other living creatures.

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The number of golems that I have has increased considerably:

Iwao (humanoid-type) x 6

Goku (monkey-type) x 8

Silver (horse-type) x 2

Wonder (dog-type) x 5

Poppo (pigeon-type) x 1

Cima (kappa-type?) x 1

I want to increase the number of Gokus, who play the most versatile role, but I also want to increase the number of Wonders to have more safety and protection.

Aside from those, I want to see what new types of golems I will develop before I decide what to create, but what interests me more than anything else right now is the creation of magical tools. A tool powered by mana and magic stones sounds simple enough, but once completed they will be useful in a variety of ways.

Since there is no electricity in this world, I think that household magic tools will become indispensable products for daily life.

 I’ve reached Level 2 in Tool Production, and so far I have made a flashlight, a lantern, and a stove for boiling and cooking. [7]

For the next tool that I will make, I’m still deciding on whether to create a hand mixer or a blender; with a hand mixer I could easily whip fresh cream or make mayonnaise, but with a blender I could make juice without using magic, and it’s convenient for making frappe-type drinks. After all, I’d like to try a café menu made by putting coffee, milk, ice, and sugar in a blender. I haven’t had one of those in a long while.

Chime ♪

Massage Oil    Time Until Finished   00:00:00

Massage Oil is completed. Please specify the location to appear.

Ooh, the massage oil that I was working on is completed. Let’s put it inside a blue glass bottle that I have specifically prepare for it.

Last night, both of the women were really satisfied with my massage. Lane must’ve felt exceptionally good afterward, because she ended up asleep and drooling on the bed. Can you believe that? Vice Commander Lane, usually so strict and tidy, snoring blissfully in a puddle of her own drool! It was a pretty arousing scene… yeah…

Anyway, if even a simple massage can made them that happy, imagine how they would feel if I added the massage oil.

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Item Production：Massage Oil (200 ml)

Category：Medicine Production（Lv.6）

MP Consumption : 292

Explanation: An oil that regulates the flow of bodily fluids and magical powers and cleanses the skin. Its herbal aroma enhances relaxation.

Production time：12 hours

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And it seems to be much more effective than the massage oil back on Earth.

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Gram actually took my suggestion about taking some time-off; she said that tomorrow would be a rest-day for the soldiers, so I guess it’ll be fine if Gram and Lane take it easy and relax for tonight with a nice oily massage.

However, I’m going to keep the massages a secret, behind-the-scenes service; it’s something special that’s only reserved for the preferred guests.

If I don’t do that, I’m sure it’ll become a troublesome thing in the future.

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1 And he can do massage too. Yep, definitely a genetically engineered husband.

2 Fun-fact #1: Lympathic massage is said to reduce stress and promote healthy immune system.

 Fun-fact #2: I almost type the last sentence as, ‘to stimulate her nymph mode’

3 I whole-heartedly agree.

4 Tonkatsu: breaded, deep-fried pork cutlet, Kakuni: braised pork dish, chāshū: Japanese version of Char Siu; Chinese BBQ pork, Shabu shabu: hot pot style dish.

5 Generally, massage is considered part of integrative medicine, supposedly it helps with other regular treatment, and can be used to treat specific medical condition. Supposedly, it has been used as medical treatment by Chinese since several millenia ago.

6 From wiki: Daiquiri is a cocktail whose main ingredients are rum, citrus juice (typically lime juice), and sugar or other sweetener.

Careful Shirou, lest you’ll get drunk again and do stupid things.

7 Must be a sub-category, like in the case of Bread Creation skill.