――One month has pa.s.sed since the Sin Examination

“Hey~ Fellow believer Orochi! Give us a hand over here too!”

The field supervisor’s bold voice resounded through the excavation site on the 5th bas.e.m.e.nt floor of the hideout, a.k.a. the “Crow’s Nest”.

“Got it! I’ll come when I’m done with this!”

I, the one called Orochi, replied as I dug a round pit in the ground using [Earth Spirit Magic].

……I suppose an explanation is needed.

Having become an emissary apprentice of , I received the name of “Orochi” from the leader.
The pretext behind the christening was because I was as creepy as a snake.

Apparently, when the t.i.tle of apprentice is removed and one is acknowledged as a full-fledged emissary, Archbishop-sama will grant them a different name to use as an emissary.
Just like those fish that are called different names as they grow larger.

At this time, they can return to having the original name given by their parents if they wish.

……It means they have approval from Archbishop-sama for them to call themselves by their original name.

And I, who is expected to be able to use magic, am forced to partic.i.p.ate in excavating the historic relics that lay sleeping on the lower floors of the nest during my break from training.

I am told that this nest seems to be reusing (arbitrarily) the remnants left by ancient mages.

The remnants so far were merely tunnel-like grottos supported by wooden frames, contrasting with these historic relics which were composed of metal, smooth rock, and a sleek, unidentified structure.

Or rather, to put it bluntly, it was a structure that resembled the office buildings of my former world that were made of concrete, using plastic and light metals.
No, since it’s underground, calling it a nuclear bomb shelter might be more fitting.

Anyway, there was a lot of junk lying around inside this office building-like (or nuclear bomb shelter-ish) structure, and I’m not very sure what they were used for.

Although there were quite a few items I recognised, they should all be unfamiliar to ――no, to the people of this world.

However, a few relatively easy to understand objects were also among this.

For example, metal armour and weaponry, including knives.

Besides that, although few in number, protective gear made of Duralumin according to [Appraisal] was also excavated, and that was apparently what ’s upper echelons were wearing under their set of robes.

In addition, aside from those used in the nest, items of any shape and utility imaginable, including stainless steel tableware and plastic containers and such, seem to be jacked up to exorbitant prices and sold to a portion of the dilettantes.

Although my skill level isn’t high, I can use [Earth Magic].

As I continued to use [Earth Magic] here, it eventually reached counter stop.
As a bonus for that, I obtained the Master Cla.s.s skill [Earth Spirit Magic].

Of course, I wasn’t so thoughtless as to use [Earth Spirit Magic] in front of everyone of .
I was more or less using [Earth Spirit Magic] while pretending to use [Earth Magic], labouring as I raised my skills.

―― I also used a few tricks while I was at it, for future visits.

I knocked on the shaved ground and make a small nod at the echoing sound, then I head towards the field supervisor’s location.

The field supervisor points at an opening in the wall and says,

“Oh, you’ve come. About this hole, I thought that if it were you, you would be able to get to the other side and investigate the situation.”

This shape is…… a ventilation fan, I suppose.
A yellowish fan had been detached and placed beside the opening.

“Hmmm. Alright.”

Drawing ∩ and ♭, I jump through the ventilation fan.

The inside was something like a workroom with matching machinery lined up.
However, they were corroded and worn-out and didn’t seem to be very serviceable as they were.

I see components scattered around the machinery ―― I narrowed my eyes.

“―― Melby.”

“Ye~s. It’s okay to just collect them?”

“Please. Sorry for always making these kinds of requests these days.”

“Making those automations may be possible, right?
I’ll gladly help.”

Melby retrieves the most valuable items with [Dimension Magic].
While I wait for her to finish doing that,

“―― Supervisor, there doesn’t seem to be anything important here.
There’s a door inside, so I’ll try heading that way.”

“Is that so, I’ll be counting on you.”

The supervisor says, not doubting my huge lie.
The fairy-san who hated lies scowled at me, but that was inevitable.

I once again used [Earth Spirit Magic] and removed the earth and sand that covered the door.

To differentiate the earth and sand from the concrete walls and remove only the earth and sand, I’m the only one able to do so among the mages mobilised here.

Or rather, it seems the others are unable to tell apart the rock wall and concrete.
It’s as though they think that the concrete is rock that is cut from somewhere, or created and transformed by magic.

Now, when I removed the earth and sand, there was a narrow corridor with metal pipes running through it.

I don’t think these historic relics are one gigantic vehicle though.

“Melby, do you know anything about this?”

“Uh uh…… Such a thing doesn’t seem to exist in Master’s knowledge either.”

Melby seemed puzzled, but it’s not like I didn’t have a hypothesis.

In this world, reincarnators from another world have existed since long ago.

From its structure, it’s a factory or workshop or something.

That said, I can’t tell whether these historic relics are that valuable.

The excavation has progressed quite a bit because of ’s excavation squad, but it would primarily be daily necessities made of stainless steel and plastic or weapons that were discovered here; there was nothing further to be found.

“There’s still the machinery, but whatever.”

“Is that okay?
Machines this complex and elaborate and yet with unknown use, it’s the first time I’ve seen them.”

“They’re certainly unusual, but it’s no mystery if there were reincarnators here.
The mysterious thing would be ――”

“……What is it?”

“I can’t find the power source making these machines move.”

“Power source?”

“Windmills need wind to move, right?
I don’t know whether it’s electricity or magic, but there’s no power source moving the machines.”

“Maybe it was already taken away or something?”

“At the least, it doesn’t look like it was collected by .
If it was taken away, it was probably the people who made this place and abandoned it.”

When I carefully observe the machinery, there are many with round cavities in them.

If these are where the adapters that connect the power source and machinery were, I think it’s not electricity but some sort of magical thing.
For example, orbs that store mana.

―― That’s what I want.

“A dead end, huh. ―― 《Tunnel》.”

With a *thump* (not the sound, but the ambiance), the wall was hollowed out.
To progress further, I repeatedly used 《Tunnel》, aiming for the interior of the historic relics.

Like that, I searched for around 20mins but the desired outcome was not attained.

I didn’t use the ventilation fan I entered, but dug out the door buried nearby and exited from there.

“―― Oh, so you’re back. How was it?”

I put the insignificant junk that I had transported over with [Physics Magic] in a pile in front of the supervisor who was asking with keen interest.

“Oh, knives and wrenches and…… What’s this?

All sorts of seemingly easy to use things have been gathered.”

“Inside, there were rail lattices.”

The rail car that stretched around the nest interior was also a part of the historic relics.
Both the precise technology and facilities to make the rails wasn’t here, but the rails that would occasionally be excavated like this were used for the bas.e.m.e.nt area expansion.

“What! Isn’t that a great discovery!?
Especially since the people in the materials squad keep saying they want rails.”

The supervisor says, and ruffles my hair roughly.

……Sorry, old man.
The valuable items other than that have all been pocketed.

Well, I think even if I handed them over, a great majority would be items of unknown purpose to you.

Despite harbouring feelings of guilt towards the delighted supervisor, the work of the morning ended there.

At noon, the dining hall in the middle layer of the Crow’s nest was in turmoil.

Even the black-clad emissaries with their sacred duties were human once their masks were removed.
I believe that since they’re hungry, they would want to eat delicious things if possible.

“Oi, cook some for me too!”
“Don’t cut in! He’s cooking mine now!”

In front of the iron plate I was cooking okonomiyaki on, two fellow believers started an argument.
……Ah, “fellow believer” was our way of calling one another in the Nest.

“Fellow believer Nebil, Fellow believer Gonzack, if you don’t line up properly, there won’t be any okonomiyaki.”

When I say that and warn them, the two line up meekly and wait their turn.

Previously, when a similar thing occurred, I used [Physics Magic] to throw the saucepan at the guys who looked down on me thinking I was a kid.
Since then, my senior emissaries have also come to respect my opinions.

Since my appearance was a 3-year-old child, I was watched with strange eyes in the beginning, but they’ve completely accustomed recently and the people I can crack jokes with have increased as well.

I had thought there would be many fearsome members since it was an a.s.sa.s.sin’s group, but once I entered, a community that could only be called cosy was there.
There were also many amiable emissaries like Fellow believer Nebil and Fellow believer Gonzack, and I was p.r.o.ne to forget that they were a.s.sa.s.sins who served the Evil G.o.d.

“Or rather, you guys could just cook it yourselves.”

“No, it differs somehow when we cook it ourselves. The batter isn’t fluffy, or rather…..”

That’s because I was beating it in an exquisite manner with [Physics Magic].

I also made the staple mayonnaise, and the sauce was specially made using sauce that resembled ketchup with a few condiments added into it.

The dry bread and thin soup provided during the sin examination was, although the portion was small, a typical meal in the Nest.
The meat and fish dishes from when I was released, were luxury items that served as both a welcoming for newcomers and a solace for the emissaries.

When I borrowed the kitchen to make and eat okonomiyaki because the meals had been too dull, I was zeroed in on by the seniors.
After that, I was told to take kitchen duty if I could make such delicious things, discharged from both work and training during lunchtime, and arranged to cook okonomiyaki in the kitchen like this.

It also depends on the day, but there’s approximately a hundred emissaries coming in and out of the dining hall.
Our leader, Gazaine, also appears often, but only the figure of the religious organization’s archbishop, Glutometsa, have I never seen.

Incidentally, their system is basically that we use the kitchen and cook with whatever there is and eat as we please, since it’s not like cafeteria ladies exist.

There are many emissaries who decide on cooking duty among their cliques and cater for themselves using a rotation system.

To be made to cook for free is unbearable so I’ve also used that as a bargaining chip.

“Hey, it’s been a while so make that too.”

Fellow believer Nebil says, consuming the okonomiyaki as though it’s truly delicious.

“That? Let’s see, if you replace me for cleaning duty, I’ll do it.
Ah, provide the milk coupon yourself though.”

In the bas.e.m.e.nt, the valuable milk was rationed and one can’t drink it without the specialised coupon.
The milk coupon was a treasure equal to the tobacco coupon in this Nest and it also became a tool used in transactions between fellow emissaries.

The items inside the nest ranged from weapons to food, and as a general rule, was all communal property of the religious organisation itself.

The admirable ones in the religious organisation were, not the guys who possessed money, but those who performed many sacred duties―― in other words, those who have killed many people.
Through performing sacred duties and rising up within the ranks of the religious organisation, one would obtain a good room, earn the authorisation to utilise good arms, and desires would be accommodated for with preferential treatment.

Nevertheless, everyone desires items that are rare after all.

It was an open secret that those tickets were effective as actual currency in the Nest.

By the way, since the milk was directly produced from the exclusive farms located inside the Nest it was rich but fresh with a fine taste. It is a pleasure in the daily lives of the emissaries.

“Ugh…… It can’t be helped.”

Nebil retrieved a wallet from his pocket and handed me the milk coupon stowed away inside.
I pa.s.sed Nebil the tag for cleaning duty that was known as the red ticket, and brought out a bottle of milk and a stainless steel shaker from the kitchen interior.

“Then, let’s do it ―― 《Ice Cream》!”

This was, needless to say, my original magic.

The explanation is no more than that, but it’s a hard-to-control magic that 《Flame Lance》and the like can’t compare to.
Fortunately, mages at that level didn’t exist in the religious organisation, so there was no one surprised about the monstrosity of this magic among the emissaries present here, not to mention Fellow believer Nebil.

Now then, while shaking the shaker, I thinly spread the remains of the okonomiyaki batter on the iron plate.

I place the crêpe on a plate, and top it with the just-made ice cream.
Then I place alcohol-soaked apples and, since there was no chocolate, dribble a little brandy used for cooking, and then it was finished.

“Here you go, Fellow believer Nebil.”

“Oh, Fellow believer Orochi has a good sense for plating food.

Even the upper-cla.s.s n.o.ble in the royal capital would have no opportunity to see something like this.”

Nebil asks as he takes the crêpe.
Tutting as I wave my finger,

“You don’t pry into a woman’s past, do you?”

“……Really, where did you learn that from, you brat.”

“If you complain, I won’t make any more okonomiyaki or crêpes.”

“N-no, I was wrong!”

Fellow believer Nebil carried the plate with the crêpe as if it were something important, and left, heading to a table.
I remove my ap.r.o.n as I see him off.

“Oi, make some okonomiyaki for us too, not just Fellow believer Nebil.”
“I would also like a crêpe!”

Other fellow believers say disconcertedly but,

“Sorry, it’s time for training.”

“Wai……it can’t be helped.
Will you make it again?”

“That’s right, we’ll sub for your cleaning, so please make us crêpes.”

“Yes, yes.”

Casually waving my hand, I leave the dining hall.