Magic Gems Gourmet Chapter 23.3

After finishing absorbing all the magic stones, rather than feeling filled with energy, Ain felt tired. This because he had absorbed flavors he hated.
“The Green Wyvern’s magic stone was also smelly and not too tasty. It was really painful to suck such a poor taste……”
“Good work, nya. Here, have a Ripplemodoki.”
He washed off the bad taste with a Ripplemodoki magic stone he received from Katima. The first experiment was now complete.
“Haa, I’m alive again. This is delicious.”
Ain’s favorite was the Ripplemodoki’s magic stone. He evaluated it highly since it was quite cheap and its taste was great, and it was also very easy to get.
“Ain, check your stats, nya. Did you get any skill, nya? ”
Being told so, Ain checked on his stats. His HP had increased by 100, to 1,355, and that was the only stat that grew, but he also confirmed the acquisition of the skill Dense Fog.
“Dense Fog has been added. It’s a success, right?”
“That’s a Black Fern skill, they use it to blind their opponents, nya. It seems both the skills and stats experiment were successful, nya. You can use it to prank people in the courtyard, nya.”
Hearing Ain’s stats and skill, Katima spoke as if she had expected this result. It had been a mystery until now, but the rules of the magic stone absorption were becoming clear little by little.
“Maybe not only the skills, but also the stats are related to the magic power and life force in the magic stones? ”
“What I found from the current experiment was that skills and stats can’t be build up without a certain amount of magic power or life force, nya. If you can’t get these two up to a certain point, then it’s as if you were just eating some nutritional supplement, nya.”
“So, like a gourmet?”
“Indeed, nya. However, I think your stats also play a part on it, Ain nya. The higher your stats become, the more you nyaeed. I think the magic stone that you absorbed up to now might eventually give you stats and skills, nya.”
Katima then further explained.
This meant, for the magic stones that didn’t have a large amount of magic power or life force in them, one would have to increase the number of the same magic stone and artificially increase the amount of magic power. Otherwise, absorbing them won’t have an effect on the stats or skills.
Also, as Ain grew, there will come a point where he wouldn’t be able to absorb the skills and stats of weak monsters that he might had been able to before.
“It has a surprisingly bad cost-benefit ratio.”
“Well, if you were able to simply absorb from anything, you would truly be a monster, nya.”
Ain was convinced by Katima’s words. Ain had gained an ability that pretty much separated him from humans after absorbing the Dullahan’s magic stone. However, it was too good to simply increase the stats and skills indefinitely like this over and over again.
“Does that mean the more magic stones I absorb, the more skills I’ll get and the more my stats will grow? ”
“Uhmm……I think your stats will grow significantly, nya. But, about the skills…… I think it’s better if you don’t expect too much, nya. I believe you might gain multiple skills from a strong race like dragons, nya. You’ve previously increased your stats by absorbing the Ripplemodoki’s magic stones, right, nya? However, you gained no skills from it. That’s why I believe there’s an extra factor required for you to gain a skill, nya.”
“Then, we won’t know soon.”
About this issue, it was decided they would experiment on it later when an opportunity arose.
Even if she said dragons, there’s no way to prepare many magic stones from that race, so the conclusion was put on hold.
Knock, knock, knock.
“It’s Chris. The Queen and Olivia-sama have invited you for tea.”
“I’m feeling a bit tired, so I think I’ll take a break. What about you, Katima-san? ”
“I’ll stay here and think a bit more, nya. I also want to check this magic stone that you brought, Ain, nya.”
Katima turned towards the reddish-black magic stone inside a case that Ain had bought.
Ain hadn’t heard anything like a voice ever since the day he bought it.
It also seemed it piqued Katima’s interest as a researcher, so it was stored in her laboratory for now.
Ain’s replied “Alright” to Katima, and then followed Chris towards the place where the Queen and Olivia waited for him.
＊
At the laboratory after Ain left. Katima took out a book, opening it on a table.
Not this one, not this one either……she was searching for the characteristics of a magic stone. Similar magic stones had been found, but they belonged to huge dragons, yet, even a child’s magic stone had to be excluded since this was smaller.
“Hmmm……”
There was no other record of a magic stone that cursed people.
That’s why she came up with one hypothesis.
“……What if it was a monster of the same class of the Dullahan, specializing in magic? And if we’re talking about curses, maybe one belonging to the undead……? ”
If they had the power and were skilled enough in magic to maintain a will, wasn’t it possible to leave something like a heart? That was her line of thought.
However, with that said, magic stones were taken out from dead monsters and demihumans. For Katima, who was a respectable researcher, the hypothesis that something like a heart remained even after death made little sense.
＊
Ain was guided by Chris and arrived at a place where they were having tea.
“Sorry to intrude.”
“Ara, Ain, welcome.”
“Greeting, Ain-kun.”
Would you like some tea? He was offered. At the place he arrived was his mother Olivia, and his Grandmother, Laralua.
Laralua was Silvird’s wife, the Queen, and her race was half Dark Elf.
She looked still young and beautiful, and was Silvird’s only wife.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“Come sit here, Ain-kun.”
“Well then, please excuse me.”
With that said, Ain sat next to Laralua. Whenever Laralua was present, Ain often sat next to her.
He was her first grandchild, and a childlike Ain was quite likeable.
“What did you do after training, Ain? ”
“I went over to Katima-san’s and did a sort of experiment. I learned a lot about my Absorb.”
“Ara, really, Ain-kun? If it’s okay, would you be so kind to tell us?”
After Laralua said so, Ain began to explain what he had just found out.
Since this was unusual information for Olivia, the conversation was exciting for her.
“Is that so? ……Then, if there’s a skill you want, all you have to do is prepare a lot of those magic stones, huh?”
“Say, Ain. Do you know how many you need? ”
“I think we’ll know how many after doing more experiments. However, a lot of magic stones are needed for those experiments after all.”
“I guess it wouldn’t be that easy.”
Even this one experiment’s cost was 900,000G. If they were to do the same experiment 10 times using the same amount, that would add up to 9 million G. And even if they find out how much he absorbs each time, the “constant” for building up skills and stats might not be that easy to find.
It would be impractical to have to recheck each and every time Ain gets stronger.
“I feel like I have to learn this by myself somehow through my own experience.”
“That sounds good. There are many things you still don’t know about your stats after all, do your best Ain.”
“I have something good to tell you about your stats, Ain-kun.”
Saying she had something good to tell him, Laralua smiled at Ain after he finishing speaking.
“Something good? ”
“You’ve grown up, Ain-kun. I heard from Lloyd that it was okay for you to now have a proper weapon.”
“Is that true? It’s been a long time since I’ve been using a wooden sword, so I’m happy I can now move to the next stage! ”
Since Ain was still young, his height was by no means high. Therefore, he had been using a wooden sword.
In such situation, there was no way he wouldn’t be happy to be told he could now practice with a proper weapon.
“But my body is still small, so I think maybe a dagger? ”
“That sounds good. I think a normal sword might still be too heavy for you to swing. In that case…… I think the treasury might just have the perfect thing, look forward to it, okay Ain-kun? ”
“You also have to show me your cool figure with a sword, okay, Ain? ”
Despite this coming pretty much out of nowhere, Ain was happy.
He was glad they had acknowledged his growth and allowed him to graduate from the wooden sword and use a proper weapon.
Laralua told him she would give him a dagger, so Ain was very much looking forward to it.
But first, he decided to thank his grandmother for taking the time to search for a dagger for him.
“Thank you very much, Obaa-sama. You too, Okaa-sama, I want you to feel proud of my growth! ”