Slave Harem in the Labyrinth of the Other World 056 – Fusion

Fusion
I left Merchant Guild, and went to the clothing store nearby.
Roxanne and Sherry were there together, buying clothes.
It felt great seeing them together like this.
“Sorry, I kept you waiting.”
“No, no, it’s fine.”
They don’t seem to have finished choosing yet.
Come on, at least Roxanne should’ve had finished shopping much earlier.
*sigh*
It can’t be helped.
“Is that so?”
“This one, or this one? Master, which one do you like?”
Roxanne approaches me with two tunics in her hands.
First one seems to be tight on body.
“Roxanne looks pretty in whatever she wears.”
“Th-Thank you.”
Because there was no helping it, I went along with it until they were done.
“Umm… is it alright?”
“Is it alright for you to buy us new clothes?”
When we were done shopping, Sherry asks.
Sherry bought dwarven clothing, of course. In this world, it is categorized same as childrenswear.
For this reason, there are many children outfits in clothing shops. Also, there are many that look identical to adult outfits.
If not for dwarven clothing, there won’t be these many children outfits around.
“It’s alright.”
“Thank you. Well, clothes that slaves wear are owner’s property after all.”
Sherry mumbles in a low voice.
Hey, that was an unnecessary thing to say.
“Umm… excuse me, is it okay to buy this one as well?”
Roxanne comes back hesitantly with one more.
I wish you learn some modesty from Sherry.
Rather than clothes, it was a piece of cloth. Red.
Loincloth?
“Is it necessary?”
“Umm… I’m sorry. I don’t want to stain my underwear.”
Although I don’t understand, it seems something necessary.
“Hmm? Fine then.”
“I’m sorry. Umm… there’s one more thing.”
Roxanne comes close to my ear.
There was more than just ‘I’m sorry.’
“What is it?”
“Umm… because ‘it’ has started, I won’t be able receive your affection tonight.”
Roxanne whispers in my ear.
‘It’ has started.
Period.
Is this piece of cloth a replacement for sanitary napkin?
Well, it can’t be helped. It’s blood after all.
It’s just that…
It’s just that I wanted to try Enhanced Vigor skill of Sex Maniac tonight. It seems I have to postpone it for the time being.
Oh well, there are other skills I want to try more than the skills of Sex Maniac.
Having returned home, after buying clothes and food ingredients, I ask Sherry to sit down across the table from me.
“What is it about?”
“Well, I wanted to tell you that…”
“Yes?”
That Sherry is a Master Smith.
How do I say it?
Why is it so difficult?
I guess I have to proceed with a frontal attack.
I mean I can’t work around from the sides this time.
I spit it all out in one breath.
“From now on, Sherry will be a Master Smith.”
“Wha-”
It was so sudden, Sherry’s mouth remained open.
“I thought you would be this shocked. I understand. To finally get what one has lost hope of getting is just so incredible.”
“U-Umm…”
“Even if becoming a Master Smith seems impossible, giving it up is just not right.”
“E-Err…”
I take out a Copper Sword and a Monster Card.
“You must be able to use it now. Fusion, that is. Try it.”
“N-No…”
I have no choice but to push her.
“Do it! You can do it! I know you can do it! You can absolutely do it! Just do it!”
“B-But…”
“It’s alright, I’ll help you. Repeat after me, ‘Monster Card Fusion.’ Repeat after Michio, ‘Monster Card Fusion.’”
I urge her to repeat the skill name after me.
“Monster Card Fusion?”
For some reason, it’s Roxanne who repeats it.
No, not you, Roxanne.
It’s no use if Roxanne does it.
Confused Roxanne looks so cute.
However, I don’t know if it’s because of Roxanne appearing, or because of me pushing her, but Sherry shows some motivation.
“Mo-Monster Card Fusion.”
Quietly, in a low voice, she calls the skill name out.
The next instant, Sherry has her eyes opened wide.
Wide with surprise.
As for Sherry’s job, I had changed it beforehand. She is Master Smith Lv1 now.
In that case, what happens if you call out the skill name?
Skill incantation appears in your mind.
Sherry looks at me with an expression of disbelief.
“You look even more hot.”
I grasp Sherry’s fist, and raise it high to announce her victory.
“B-But how…”
“You can change, if you have the will for it. Anyone can change, if they have the will for it. Let’s try fusion now.”
I hold out the Copper Sword and Rabbit Monster Card before Sherry.
All doubts can be put to rest, if there’s proof.
“A-Are you fine with it?”
“It’s fine.”
This Copper Sword has an empty skill slot.
If my hypothesis is correct, this fusion has 100% chance of success.
Even if my hypothesis is off mark, it’s alright. It can’t be helped.
Well, there’s a possibility of scam too, but…
But from what I heard, when fusion fails, raw materials of the weapon remain.
There was no time for her to prepare it beforehand.
“W-Well, when you do it, can you please call skill incantation out loud?”
I take precaution.
Are wise men always this calm?
“I understand.”
“Descend O Lord xx, O shadow of heaven and earth.”
Sherry slowly recites the skill incantation.
“Hmm…”
“That’s probably it.”
“What was that word?”
I point out the word that wasn’t translated.
“Was that not the correct word? If that’s the case, I think it might be ‘to celebrate.’”
“‘To celebrate’ it is.”
“‘To celebrate’… alright. Descend O Lord to celebrate, O shadow of heaven and earth.”
Sherry recites corrected spell incantation.
Perfect.
If it weren’t, I would have received another prompt for correction.
When Sherry was done, she looks at me.
I nod silently in approval, and hand the Copper Sword and the Monster Card over to her.
Copper Sword in right hand, Rabbit Monster Card in left.
She places her left hand holding the Monster Card directly above her right hand holding the Copper Sword.
“Descend O Lord to celebrate, O shadow of heaven and earth — Monster Card Fusion.”
She calls the skill incantation out.
The next instant, Sherry’s hands are glowing.
With dazzling, bright white light.
The moment the light subsided…
Only a sword remained.
Copper Sword of Obstruction | Two Handed Sword
Skill: Incantation Delay
(TL: It translates as Bronze Sword, but romanji is same as Copper Sword. Also, it is basically Copper Sword with Incantation Delay skill, so I opted for Copper Sword of Obstruction instead of Bronze Sword of Obstruction.)
Success!
Apparently, if you attach Incantation Delay skill to a Copper Sword, it becomes Copper Sword of Obstruction.
Also, my hypothesis of fusing a Monster Card with a weapon with empty skill slot was indeed correct.
“Sherry, you did well.”
I take the sword from Sherry, and check it out.
Save for Incantation Delay skill, Copper Sword of Obstruction doesn’t seem any different from a Copper Sword.
“Master, was it a success?”
“Of course.”
“You did it, Sherry.”
When I answer Roxanne’s question, she congratulates Sherry.
“You did well, Sherry.”
“-y…”
Sherry, however, has a funny expression on her face.
She puts her face down on the table, and starts groaning.
“What is it?”
“-ry…”
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry to have succeeded. I’m sorry to have become a Master Smith. I’m sorry to have been born.”
She keeps apologizing.
Puzzled, I exchange glances with Roxanne.
Ah, so it’s that.
I remember something similar from a while back.
It’s the state of MP exhaustion.
When you’re out of MP, your mind is overwhelmed with negativity.
For a Master Smith Lv1, MP will naturally be low.
I wonder if it’s barely enough to use Monster Card Fusion only once at a time.
I hand the sword over to Roxanne, and move to the other side of the table.
I take out a Mana Pill from my Item Box.
I bought it earlier as a precaution, for emergencies such as this one.
“It’s alright. Sherry is important. Sherry is amazing. Here, take this medicine.”
“I am not worthy of using such a precious medicine. I’ll be fine. I’m really sorry.”
Sherry shakes her head in refusal.
She’s in a condition where she’s not even accepting medicine.
This is no different from dying.
“Rest easy. Sherry succeeded. Sherry is amazing.”
“No, I’m not. I only succeeded because I’m useless.”
Did I too have such a train of thought at that time?
Everything seems to be negative to her.
“But Sherry’s Monster Card Fusion was a success. Sherry is great.”
While Roxanne was cheering Sherry up, I put the Pill in her mouth.
This mental state is really painful.
If you have means to cure it, use them as early as possible.
I hold Sherry, and turn her face to me.
Her pale red, tiny mouth is so lovely.
I lock my mouth with hers.
I pry her mouth open, and stick my tongue in.
Our tongues are all entwined now.
It’s our first time kissing so passionately.
I can see a glimmer of hope.
I move my tongue around.
Then I rest my tongue a little, and let Sherry calm down.
To ensure that the Pill finds the passage down her throat.
I pull my tongue back, but keep my lips pressed on hers, and wait for her to swallow the Pill down.
After confirming movement in her throat, I let go of her mouth.
“So, have you calmed down now?”
“…Yes. Umm…”
“You don’t have to apologize, it’s fine.”
I place my hand on her fluffy head, and stroke her hair.
Now calm, Sherry takes a deep breath.
“Come to think of it, I have heard of such a thing. When someone becomes a Master Smith, and fail at their first Monster Card Fusion, they commit suicide.”
Even after succeeding, it turned out like this.
It’s understandable to wanting to commit suicide in the event of failing.
And if you leave it at that, you might indeed die.
“It’s temporary, so don’t worry about it.”
“Okay.”
Sherry is taking deep breaths to calm herself down.
How she became a Master Smith remains unasked, so it can be considered a good end result.
“Eh? Is Sherry really a Master Smith now?”
While I was having that thought, a bullet comes in from the least expected direction.
From Roxanne’s direction.
“That’s right.”
“But how?”
How, you ask? Well, you won’t get it even if I tell you.
“I can do it. How I do it, however, is a secret.”
“Is that so?”
“That is so.”
“As one would expect from master. Master is amazing.”
Roxanne withdraws with an expression of respect.
In any case, this matter is settled now thanks to Roxanne.
“He really can do it. It’s amazing.”
Sherry, having calmed herself down, grasps the situation.
I expected her to pursue it further, but she doesn’t.
Rather, she looks at me with sparkling eyes.
I wonder if my impression to her has improved a little.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
To gain her trust, I have to take one step at a time.
“Sherry being a Master Smith increases my attack power too.”
Roxanne says something strange.
“Huh?”
“Being a Master Smith benefits all party members. Finally, I can be of help.”
Sherry says the same thing.
“A Beast Warrior doesn’t increase attack power of other party members. Sherry really is amazing.”
“What do you mean?”
I ask Sherry.
“Having a Master Smith in the party increases attack power of all party members. This has been known since olden days.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
I ask Roxanne too, and receive the same answer.
“Did you not know that?”
Sherry’s eyes look cold.
Her stare intensifies.
These same eyes had respect for me just a while ago.
Ebb and flow.
No, not really. I took 3 steps forward, and went 2 steps back.
It must be so. It has to be so.
“Having a Master Smith in the party increases attack power of all party members?”
But there was no such skill last time I checked.
Hmm…
Is there really such a skill?
Master Smith Lv1
Effects: Medium Increase in Strength | Small Increase in Stamina | Small Increase in Dexterity
Skills: Create Weapon | Create Armor | Monster Card Fusion | Item Box
There’s an effect ‘Medium Increase in Strength.’
So when strength increases, attack power increases as well.
Or in other words, to increase attack power, you need to increase your strength?
Beast Warrior Lv20
Effects: Medium Increase in Agility | Small Increase in Stamina | Small Increase in Dexterity
Skill: Beast Attack
There’s no ‘Increase in Strength’ effect.
“What is it?”
While confirming her job details, I look at Roxanne with a face full of doubts, so she asks.
“There is no increase in your, Beast Warrior’s, attack power.”
“It’s unfortunate.”
“Rather, your true strength lies in your quick movement.”
Instead of ‘Increase in Strength,’ Beast Warrior has ‘Increase in Agility’ effect.
“Definitely.”
“It is also believed that having a Beast Warrior in the party increases movement speed of all party members. This, however, is a hypothesis at this point, and remains to be substantiated.”
Sherry explains on behalf of Roxanne.
“So the increase in attack power has been confirmed?”
“Yes, by counting the number of same attacks it required to take out a certain monster of certain level, with and without a Master Smith in the party.
“I see.”
So to some extent, scientific research is carried out even in this world.
It seems to have been confirmed that having a Master Smith in the party increases attack power of all party members.
“The great scholar of the past thus confirmed it.”
The great scholar of the past.
That great scholar of the past really seems to be great.
“Aside from Master Smith, are there no other jobs that increase attack power of the party members? Swordsman, for instance.”
“So you have understood the idea. It is indeed believed that having a Swordsman in the party increases attack power of the party members.”
Like I thought.
Because Swordsman has an effect ‘Small Increase in Strength.’
By having a party member with a job that has an effect ‘Increase in Strength,’ like Master Smith and Swordsman, all party members can have their attack power increased.
In other words, an effect of a job is shared with all party members.
So it was like that.
I have been mistaking it until now.
The effect of one’s job is not effective only to one’s own self.
I never imagined it to be like that.
Also, should I say ‘Increase in Strength’ increases attack power of a Swordsman because it is the characteristic of that job?
‘Increase in Strength’ might not necessarily increase attack power of a Beast Warrior.
Because I have already confirmed that my magic attack becomes weak when I cancel Hero job, ‘Increase in Intelligence’ is unmistakably the characteristic of Hero job. (TL: It should be the characteristic of Wizard job, not Hero job. But that’s how it’s in raws, so bear with it.)
So if I’m not a party member, will the absence of ‘Increase in Intelligence’ have a detrimental effect on Sherry and Roxanne?
“If there’s a Wizard in the party, magic attack of the party members increases?”
“Indeed.”
“Well then, it would be great to have an all Wizard party of six.”
“It would be, if you take only magic attack into account. Wizards, however, are rare, and they would be in trouble in the absence of a vanguard.”
Is that so?
Of course it is so.
you must have balanced party composition and skills.
It is imperative to have everything balanced.