e at night――

After I’ve confirmed that the child group fell asleep, I quietly slipped out of the room.
As a precaution, I’m having Melby sleep in the room in the unlikely case of a patrol coming.

The children’s room is at the back of the nest, so without a trolley people can’t go in and out of it.

I heard it was so they could protect the children better if it came to it, but I can only think that it’s like this to keep them from running away.

With the trolley, if you don’t send signals with a certain rhythm via the speaking tubes placed here and there, then the rail switches won’t get switched and you can’t get to your destination.

Also, since the trolleys can’t be moved without 2 people see-sawing, one person can’t get it to move.

Of course, in my case, I can move it forcefully by using [Physical Magic].
But, if I were to move the trolley at night it would make a sound, so it’s not like I can move it w.i.l.l.y-nilly.

Then, you might think, I should just walk on the rails, but it’s built in a way so you can’t do that.

In several places in the tunnel, there are deep holes that were dug out with narrow railway bridge above them so you can only get over by rail.
Some agile emissaries perhaps could make it over, but in antic.i.p.ation of that, there are many clappers placed on the railway bridge.
It’s set up so barely any amount of weight placed on it triggers a sound, so if you carelessly try to cross over, you will be in deep trouble.
When I just arrived I also triggered it and in the end, I had to stick to the ceiling in a cavity and watch until the emissaries who came to check the situation pa.s.sed by.
Fortunately, the clappers apparently mistakenly go off from the slightest vibration, so the emissary who came over went back without much investigation.

Anyhow, measures like these that prevent the members from leaving the nest on their own accord are set up in double or triple layers.

In my previous life, cults also isolated their believers in religious inst.i.tutions in remote areas so they wouldn’t have any contact with people from the outside.
Because by getting hold of information from the outside they realize how their religious organization is viewed objectively, and their brainwashing sometimes breaks…..was the reason I think.

Most likely that is also the reason why 〈Yatagarasu〉 has their hideout in a remote place like this.

I sneak in the trolley room, then I confirm with [Night Vision] that there is no one watching, then I set foot in the inner part of the tunnel on top of the lain down rails.
I proceed for a few hundred meters in total darkness.
I stray from the rails where there is an opening of a natural cave and slip into a hole that is barely 1 meter tall.

Inside the hole, there is a somewhat open s.p.a.ce.
Even if I say that it’s only true for me who is about 1 meter tall, if a grown adult were to come in, they might hit their head even in a bent posture.

Inside that hole, there are 3 more holes.
Beyond that stretches a 1 meter tall, about 80 cm wide rectangular pa.s.sage.

――It’s a secret pa.s.sage I excavated with [Earth Element Magic] when I had the time.

I call this secret pa.s.sage 「Duct」.
It’s not like it’s a ventilation shaft, it’s simply about the ambiance.

In the morning during the excavation work, I also employ a little trick.
When I’m using [Earth Element Magic], I also dig inside the earth and create cavities that serve as marks for when I’m digging out the duct.
After that, when I finish digging near it at night, I put my ear against the wall of the duct and use [Keen Hearing] to determine the position of the cavity from the reverberation of the sounds and dig the tunnel aiming towards that.
It’s troublesome, but if by chance I punch through the floor or the wall, even if I fix it by magic, there would be distinct marks of it remaining, so it can’t be helped.

“Uhmm….I guess I finished the mapping of the 4th level yesterday.”

Today is the 5th floor―― I want to investigate the floor where the excavation site and the private rooms of the top bra.s.s of the religious organization are.

However, of course, Gazaine is also on the floor where the top bra.s.s is.
Gazaine has the Master cla.s.s Skill [Sense Danger].
Therefore, even if I’m lurking inside the earth, there is a possibility of getting detected.
In light of that, until the level of my [Sense Danger] exceeded Gazaine’s, I couldn’t start investigating the floor where the top bra.s.s is.

As I was heading towards the downward slanting tunnel, the Necklace of 「Loyalty」 that was put around my neck made a sound.

“Oops….I have to change the numbers.”

I touch the Necklace of 「Loyalty」 with the tip of my fingers.

The collar resembles the lock used for bicycles in my previous world.
It’s the combination of a durable ring made from an unknown material and a number type padlock.
The combination consists of 5 digits.

The emissary who put this around my neck,

“You are free to try and remove it, you know? However, if you mess up the number you will be in so much pain that you will faint.”

said this.

But, when I tried using [Appraise] on it,

《Collar of Subordination: When the registered keyword is spoken, the ring will contract. The current keyword is 「Repent」. If someone tries to forcefully remove it it will absorb 20 MP.》

Saying that it’s for Loyalty is a big fat lie, it’s a slave collar.

But, its effect is surprisingly not that big of a deal.
In short, if someone with less than or equal to 20 MP tries to release it and fails, then that person’s MP will be exhausted and will simply faint.

No…..depending on how you look at it, it’s something amazing after all.
Because even if someone has an MP amount comparable to Julia-kaasan, they can only try the numbers 10-something times each time.
With only 10-something tries each day, it’s very much hopeless to find the correct number out of ten thousand possibilities.

That being said―― you probably know it already.
To me, this is nothing more than a toy.

I got it off in a week.

The reason why it was making a sound just now was because I left the combination on the padlock as the release combination, so the padlock of the collar was almost opened from the shaking as I was walking.
In the pitch black darkness I change the number by relying on the feeling on the tip of my finger and make sure to close the lock on my collar.

By the way, the release number is 91122.
I was thinking that the first digit shouldn’t be a low number so I tried them in the sequence of 7,8,9, so I managed to hit the correct one sooner than I thought.

Furthermore, while they were sleeping I examined the other kids’ collars and unexpectedly the release number is the same 91122 for everyone.
Reusing a pa.s.sword like that, if Koike-san from General Affairs heard of that he would flip out.

Well, if they were to leave a pa.s.sword management table as a written doc.u.ment then there would be a possibility of someone taking a look in some instances.
If it’s a number that is impossible to find, then it’s not like I don’t see the advantage of only keeping it in the heads of the leaders.

With this they can take the collar off the children if it comes to that for some reason.

That being said, the children have another 「collar」 on them and it’s much more troublesome.

――Brainwashing.

Even if I removed their collars, they, who received the religious organization’s education focused on brainwashing, starting with the Sin Examination, ever since they were ripped from their parents, would not even think of running away from the religious organization.
Rather, there is a possibility they would instead report me to the religious organization’s side.

So, before removing their visible collar, I must remove their invisible collar.

I want to save the children who are here.

For that end, while I make these ducts, map the nest, and investigate the release number for the collar, at the same time during the day I diligently work to gain their trust and also scheme to increase my information sources within the religious organization.

At night, the reason I’m telling tales to the children is not just to have a good time.
To undo the brainwashing, first I have to get them to trust me.
For that end, I need to have fun with them and have them think of me as a comrade.

Also, through those tales, I’m thinking of putting the teachings of the religious organization in perspective.
The set of values of this religious organization is terribly one-sided.
Therefore, if they get a chance to experience a different set of values, then they will get a feeling of out of place for sure.
And if that out of place feeling piles up further and further, then the children could perhaps triumph over the curse of the religious organization with their own power.

I know that this requires a bunch of patience, but if I just outright deny the teachings of the religious organization then all I will get is a backlash.
I’m thinking of making the best use of [No Fatigue] and keep at it tenaciously.

――Well then, late at night is the time for raising Skills.

First of all, it’s fastest if I show it.
Don.

《Edgar Chrebl （Forth Son of Viscount Chrebl, n.o.ble of Santamana Kingdom,《Baby Scarlet》,《Bottomless Orochi》）

Level 32
HP 67/67
MP 3178/3178（584↑）

Skills
・Mythical cla.s.s
[No Fatigue] –
[Instant Interpretation] –

・Legendary cla.s.s
[Psychokinesis] 1（ＮＥＷ！）
[Spirit Magic] 2 （ＮＥＷ！）
[Appraisal] 9 (MAX)
[Database] –
[Telepathic Communication] 3（↑２）

・Master cla.s.s
[Throwing Techniques] 2（ＮＥＷ！）
[Shuriken Techniques] 2（ＮＥＷ！）
[Physical Magic] 9 （↑１、ＭＡＸ）
[Fire Element Magic] 1 （ＮＥＷ！）
[Earth Element Magic] 4 （ＮＥＷ！）
[Enchant Magic] 3
[Mana Control] 7（↑１）
[Letterless Invocation] 8（↑２）
[Mana Detection] 1 （ＮＥＷ）
[Magic Language] 3（↑２）
[Sense Presence] 4（ＮＥＷ！）
[Dark Vision] 2 （ＮＥＷ！）
[Sculpting] 3（ＮＥＷ！）

・General
[Throwing Spear Techniques] 5
[Flying Sword Techniques] 5（↑３）
[Shuriken Skills] 9 （↑３、ＭＡＸ）
[Throwing Axe Techniques] 2
[Knife Throwing] 5（↑３）
[Steel Thread Skills] 4（ＮＥＷ！）
[a.s.sa.s.sination Skills] 5（ＮＥＷ！）
[Jump] 4（ＮＥＷ！）
[Fire Magic] 9（↑１、ＭＡＸ）
[Water Magic] 4（↑２）
[Wind Magic] ７（↑１）
[Earth Magic] ９（↑７、ＭＡＸ）
[Light Magic] ８（↑３）
[Lightning Magic] 7（ＮＥＷ！）
[Telekinesis Magic] 9 (MAX)
[Mana Manipulation] 9 (MAX)
[Simultaneous Invocation] 9 (MAX)
[Mana Perception] 9 (↑６，ＭＡＸ)
[Crypta.n.a.lysis] 2
[Keen Hearing] ９（↑２、ＭＡＸ）
[Farsight] 4（↑２）
[Night Vision] 9（↑２、ＭＡＸ）
[Stealthy Steps] ７（ＮＥＷ！）
[Wood Carving] ９（ＭＡＸ）
[Cooking] 2（ＮＥＷ！）

《Blessing of a Benevolent G.o.d +1》
》

First, let’s take a look at my nickname.

《Bottomless Orochi》

The fact that I got this nickname probably means that I’ve become a rumor among the Fellow believers.
I try to be careful about not letting people suspect anything about [No Fatigue].
But, contrary to one’s expectations it quite hard to act like you are tired when you are not, so they probably think I’m someone with bottomless stamina.
My nickname probably came from that.

Then, on the topic of Skills, there are many this time.
If you find it too bothersome, then there shouldn’t be too much problem if you just glance through them.

Let’s take a look starting from [Sense Presence].
I got this as a counter stop bonus from [Keen Hearing].
[Keen Hearing]’s target was sound, but [Sense Presence], rather than sounds,  can perceive the slight feeling of presence-like something that people and animals give off.
As the Skill level went up, its range and accuracy also increased and currently I can grasp the movements of other people if they are in the same building as me.
If all I want to know if someone is present, then I can probably do it with a radius of a few hundred meters.
With this it became unlikely to fall prey to a surprise attack like what happened in Fauno City.

Next, [Wood Carving] and [Sculpting].
In the midst of the literally bloodthirsty everyday life in the religious organization, emissaries are urged to take up woodworking as a way to relax.
Since it doesn’t cost any money and they will also get better at handling knives.
There are circle type gatherings within the nest ranging from weekend carpenter types to art types. I belong to the wood carving circle.

I’m annoyed that we can only carve statues of the Evil G.o.d, but the wood carving itself is fun, so unintentionally I get pa.s.sionate about it.

Furthermore, wood carving has a skills attached to it.
A Skill is a blend of the person’s own techniques and the Gift from the G.o.ds, so overall its improvement is faster than the 「wood carving」 and 「sculpting」from my previous world.
Also, thanks to the Skill, the current state of the wood and what happens if I use the chisel here, things like these become clear as day.
As a result I’ve become able to create one palmtop sized Evil G.o.d sculpture in about 20-30 minutes.

It’s so fun working with it that I inadvertently immerse myself in it.
Since I can’t get tired because of [No Fatigue], once I 「immerse」 myself in it, I completely forget the time and I could keep doing it for half-a-day or even an entire day.
Once, I thought of doing it for a bit before Skill raising, but when I came to, it was already morning.
This can be said to be a harmful side of [No Fatigue].

But, thanks to that my Skill level went up quickly, so I managed to get the Master cla.s.s Skill [Sculpting].
The difference from [Wood Carving] is that the Skill is not only applicable for wood, but for stone and metal too.
It should also come in handy in regards to repairing the junk we got from the ruins.
I managed to get the Skill I aimed for from an unexpected source, so I’m pleased with myself.

There are many Skills I got due to the training of the religious a.s.sa.s.sin organization.
[Throwing Techniques] was the counter stop bonus for [Shuriken Skills] and I got it at the same time as [Shuriken Techniques].
It’s the Skill that Father Solow informed me about.
It has the simple yet useful function of instinctively knowing the trajectory and impact point when something is thrown.

Aside from those there is the [Steel Thread Skills] I used when training with Gazaine.
The [Stealthy Steps], [Jump], and [a.s.sa.s.sination Skills] I got from the lessons of the instructor group.
The strange one is the [Cooking] I got from making okonomiyaki.
I thought Skills were only related to fighting, but I guess something like this exists too.

Also, I finally maxed out [Fire Magic] and got [Fire Element Magic], same as Julia-kaasan.
It seems I don’t have as high of an apt.i.tude for it like mom, but as someone who has the same blood flowing through his veins as mom, I wanted to gain this Skill for sure.

Furthermore, I got the Master cla.s.s Skill [Psychokinesis] from maxing out [Physical Magic].
This Skill is able to release mana directly as telekinetic power, so compared to [Physical Magic] that works by converting mana to telekinetic power through magic, this has better fuel efficiency, better output, and it’s much more intuitive to operate.
If you try to forcefully increase its output then its MP consumption increases more and more, so it should prove useful when trying to get rid of MP when expanding the maximum MP.

Another one that’s related to magic, I also got [Mana Detection] from maxing out [Mana Perception].
It seems the training to acquire Melby’s [Telepathic Communication] and [Spirit Magic] also became a training for [Mana Perception] as a secondary effect.
You can think of [Mana Detection] as a high performance version of [Mana Perception], but a simple yet important difference is that I’ve become able to translate the amount of detected mana into MP values.

I can also say I acquired [Spirit Magic] if it’s for something simple, but it will most likely be much later when I will be able use it in fight.
I will tell you about the possible interesting uses for it at that time.

And finally, the star performer [Lightning Magic].

It was hard work to acquire this one.

Eh? Don’t I have the apt.i.tude for it, you ask?

Indeed, as Father Solow said, I probably have the apt.i.tude for it.

However, I didn’t know the magic letter for [Lightning Magic].

[Letterless Invocation] also can’t be used if you don’t know the letter.

[Lightning Magic] is a new magic, so it’s not in 『Abbadon Magic Compilation』 and Melby didn’t know it either.
Melby showed me a handy trick of causing lightning by asking the wind and water spirits, but that’s not what I’m currently looking for.

In other words, I didn’t have the least bit of leads.

Then how did I end up acquiring it?

My method was like this.

First I imagine Lightning, like when I’m using other type of magics.

Next, I try to write the magic letter.

Of course, I don’t know the magic letter for lightning, but as a general rule, magic letters are written from top to bottom and left to right.

Using that I move my finger from top left to bottom right in a random way.

And at the same time I sense the mana flowing through the magic letter, using [Magic Perception] and [Magic Detection].

With that, although I don’t feel anything most of the time, but with a low probability, there are times when the mana flows partway.

In this case, it should mean that I followed the same path as the magic letter for lightning.

By using this theory, the magic letter gradually becomes clear from top-left to bottom-right with the help of trial and error.

――Right. It’s a perfect theory.

Is what I was thinking as I started working on it, but it wasn’t that easy.

It seems that picturing the whole magic letter is a requirement for the invocation, so even if the mana flows you don’t clearly know what part of the random curve was correct.

In the end, I ended up writing 「letters」 that somehow resemble it, confirmed how it feels, then compared and verified those that were a 「hit」, it became a straightforward repet.i.tion work.

However, after 10 days of 3 hours a night work, I finally 「discovered」 the magic letter for Lightning.

ξ(Thunder).

Of all things, it had to have a shape that was hard to find.

But, it was worth going through all that trouble.

Now that I actually used it, I can tell that out of all the magics I’ve used until now, this fits me best.

I understand the flow of mana clear as day.

Julia-kaasan probably also feels this way when she uses [Fire Magic].
It’s no wonder she got impatient with the way I did it.

I finally got it, so I decided to use [Lightning Magic] to deepen my relationship with the child group.
I borrowed a metal sphere that was excavated from the ruins, then I poured in some weak [Lightning Magic].
Then if I touch that metal sphere, then oh how mysterious, my hair is moving here and there.
It’s just a rip-off of a common science experiment, but it was very well received by the children.

Father Solow said that the people of this word can’t really imagine lightning too well, but how about the children?
If they look like they will keep it a secret, I could perhaps teach it to them.

Thinking those things, I proceed forward inside of the duct while training my [Dark Vision].
This [Dark Vision] is the counter stop bonus for [Night Vision].
[Night Vision] is meaningless in places where there is no light at all, but with [Dark Vision], I have no idea by what logic, but even in this lightless duct I can more or less see what’s around me.

Today my aim is the 5th level, so I start using [Earth Element Magic] from partway to dig a duct.
Probing for my current location using [Sense Presence] and [Keen Hearing] needs a lot of concentration, but it’s not difficult for me who has [No Fatigue].

By spending 2 hours on it, I investigated about a third of the 5th level.
Mainly the side where the ruins are.
Since it would be trouble if I wander into the floor where the top bra.s.s is while I don’t know the situation.

――Well then, let’s head back soon and start the repet.i.tion work in the s.p.a.ce I created for raising Skills.

Just as I was thinking that, I received a [Telepathic Communication] from Melby.