Chapter 44
"An item that can defend against 'Ultimate Vivid-light'? How fascinating! I'll prepare the necessary materials. By all means, make it, Thor-dono!!"
The next day.
I was explaining the 'UV-Cut Parasol' in General Raizenga's office.
When I explained the parasol's abilities in detail, the general gladly offered to provide the materials.
When I examined it with 'Over-Alchemy,' I learned that making the 'UV-Cut Parasol' required cloth, metal, an empty magic stone, and a small amount of silver.
I could have used silver coins as materials, but Lukie would probably have scolded me for that.
It would be wrong to destroy currency that had been carefully minted, after all.
When I told the general this, he gave me a piece of silver.
Apparently, he had found it while surveying the mines.
Of course, I intended to pay him for it, but──
"Impossible! Do you realize what you are saying, Thor-dono!?"
I was scolded.
"Think about the battle the other day. Thanks to your 'Laser Pointer,' Thor-dono, we were able to subjugate the magical beast safely. If we had been forced into close combat, there would have been casualties. We would have incurred considerable medical expenses, and some people would have been unable to work while they recovered."
The general continued with a serious expression.
"You prevented all of that, Thor-dono. Its value is immeasurable. A mere piece of silver would hardly be enough in exchange."
"But Her Majesty already rewarded me."
"That is a matter between Her Majesty and you. It has nothing to do with my gratitude."
General Raizenga said this with a broad grin.
"Besides, this is a sort of advance investment. The 'UV-Cut Parasol' seems to be a magnificent item that can nullify Light magic. As the Flame General, I wish to invest in it. So please accept the materials without hesitation."
"Understood."
After he went that far, refusing would have been rude.
It was the general's kindness, so I gratefully accepted it.
"I, the alchemist Thor Kanan, shall complete a 'UV-Cut Parasol' that can rival those of the Hero's world, so that I may live up to the general's expectations. It will also help protect the Demon Lord's Territory from UV."
"Indeed. I look forward to it, Thor-dono."
"By the way, how is Agnis-san? I haven't seen her this morning..."
She had not been at the breakfast table, either.
I thought I might see her if I came to the general's office, but she was not here.
I wanted to greet her since she had been looking after me.
"Could she have gone out?"
"Indeed. She has gone out with an escort to the nearby area. She is searching for someone who can use the 'Light attribute.'"
Come to think of it, I had asked her to do that yesterday.
I had asked Agnis to look for someone who could use Light-attribute attack magic or martial arts.
She had already taken action? Amazing.
"I'm sorry. It seems I asked you to deal with something troublesome."
"Do not concern yourself with it. Besides, Agnis seems to be enjoying going out in ordinary clothes now."
The general laughed cheerfully.
"The townspeople still seem bewildered to see Agnis wearing clothes instead of armor, but they will get used to it eventually. Your request gives Agnis a convenient excuse to go out and about, Thor-dono."
"I'm glad to hear that."
General Raizenga really was a good person.
I was envious of Agnis for having such a good father...
"Then I'll get to work."
"Indeed. I look forward to seeing the results, Thor-dono."
With that, I bowed and left the general's office.
"I have been waiting for you, Thor-sama."
When I returned to my room, Mabel was waiting for me.
She was wearing an apron larger than usual, so her clothes would not get dirty.
Perhaps anticipating a long work session, she had prepared a pot of tea on the table, along with dried fruit and cookies for when I felt peckish.
"As expected of you, Mabel. You are very thoughtful."
"It is my duty to prepare an environment where you can concentrate on your work, Thor-sama."
"Thank you, Mabel. Then I'll begin my alchemy."
All the materials were ready.
I had opened the 'Mail-Order Catalog' to the page for the 'UV-Cut Parasol' and placed it on the table.
Drinks, check. Snacks, check.
The preparations were perfect.
"This might take a little while. I'm sorry, but could you stay with me until the end?"
"Yes, Thor-sama. Leave everything to me!"
Mabel said this and thumped her chest through her maid uniform.
She was more nervous than usual, probably because we were about to make an item that could defend against the Hero's strongest magic.
The ultimate Light-attribute spell, 'Ultimate Vivid-light'──commonly known as 'UV.'
We were about to challenge it, after all.
...Thinking about it that way made me nervous.
I was also excited.
I wondered what kind of parasol capable of defending against Light magic we would make──
I would proceed carefully and with complete concentration.
"Activate, 'Over-Alchemy.'"
I activated my Skill.
First, I checked the structure of the 'UV-Cut Parasol' listed in the 'Mail-Order Catalog.'
The parasol's handle was about ninety centimeters long, and its diameter was 140 centimeters.
It was probably made large enough to conceal the entire body.
The surface of the parasol was white, and the underside was black.
The explanation said, 'Our company's newly developed sparkling material scatters and blocks the light that shines down upon it.'
Apparently, it protected against Light-attribute attacks by reflecting the light in different directions.
The underside was black so that it could absorb light reflected from the ground. They had thought of everything.
But... I found it difficult to understand how scattering light could block it.
"Mabel. About magic..."
"Y-yes, Thor-sama?"
"We can't reflect Light magic attacks with a mirror, can we?"
"I do not think so. Like Dark magic, Light magic has the power of 'Invasion.' I do not believe a mirror could defend against it."
"...Right."
Dark magic represents 'nothing' and 'empty space.'
That was why it possessed the power to erase other things and return them to nothing.
Light magic was the opposite. It represented 'something' and 'existence itself.'
The sun, its source, could be seen from anywhere in the world.
The sun was an extremely assertive existence, after all.
That was why someone struck by aggressive Light magic had their own existence eroded by the excessively powerful 'force of existence.'
Two things could not exist in the same place, so the weaker one disappeared.
That was what Light magic used in attacks was like.
That was why reflecting it with a mirror would not work.
But the 'UV-Cut Parasol' in the 'Mail-Order Catalog' accomplished exactly that.
Was this 'new sparkling material' the key?
I needed to decipher how it acted against Light magic...
"Well, I'll start with what I can figure out."
First, I projected an image of the design in midair.
It looked exactly like the one in the photograph.
I decided to begin by making the frame.
"Mabel. Prepare the metal and the magic stone."
"Of course!"
Mabel moved a lump of metal and a magic stone to the center of the table.
When I overlaid the image on them, the parasol's framework gradually took shape.
The question was what to do about the parasol's cloth.
The 'UV-Cut Parasol' probably nullified magic by scattering Light magic in different directions.
Before the powerful Light magic could 'invade' it, the parasol scattered and dispersed the magic.
The question was how it accomplished that, though...
"...Huh? Mabel, could you open the 'Mail-Order Catalog' and hold it up for me?"
"Like this?"
"Yes. If you look closely, there is something like a picture in the corner of the page, right?"
"Indeed. It shows a parasol, arrows, and something sparkling."
"'How the New Sparkling Material Works'...?"
This was it.
The diagram explained how the 'UV-Cut Parasol' repelled Light magic.
There was a picture of a parasol in the center of the diagram.
Light shining down upon it was represented by arrows.
Something sparkling was drawn on the surface of the parasol. It looked like glowing particles.
And──the falling light was repelled by those sparkling objects and dispersed in all directions.
There was text beside it as well: 'Cut UV with the power of the new sparkling material.'
I see.
The parasol generated something like particles of light to defend against Light magic.
Magic used incantations to manipulate magic power, creating flames and ice.
If these particles disrupted the flow of magic power, the magic's effects would disappear.
They reflected the magic power in different directions, dispersed it, and broke it apart.
By obstructing the flow of magic power in that way, they nullified the magic itself.
That seemed to be the ability of the 'UV-Cut Parasol.'
"The items from the Hero's world really are frightening."
"Perhaps the Heroes did not bring parasols into this world because the first Demon Lords used Dark magic. This parasol only counters the Light attribute, after all..."
Mabel was trembling slightly.
"If there had been a parasol that nullified Dark magic, the Demon Lord's Territory might not exist today. Perhaps even the shape of the world itself would have been different..."
"...Perhaps."
"Thor-sama..."
"If you're frightened, Mabel, we can stop here."
I said this.
My alchemy was not meant to make people unhappy.
There was no need to insist on making the 'UV-Cut Parasol' if it frightened Mabel.
"No. If it's an item you make, Thor-sama, I won't be afraid."
But Mabel shook her head.
"I know that your items are meant to make people happy, Thor-sama."
"Thank you, Mabel."
"No. Thank you for your concern."
Mabel pinched up the skirt of her maid uniform and bowed.
"I am sorry for interrupting your work. Please continue, Thor-sama!"
"All right. Then I'll try making a material similar to this 'new sparkling material.'"
I asked Mabel to prepare some cloth.
The process was no different from making Magic-Woven Fabric.
I only needed to imbue the parasol's cloth with attributes that would disrupt Light magic.
The parasol in the 'Mail-Order Catalog' could block 'Ultimate Vivid-light' with a single thin sheet of cloth, but I did not possess that level of skill...
It was frustrating, but I still could not match the Hero's world.
It seemed I would need two layers of cloth... No, three layers to block it completely.
First was the outermost layer. Like 'Light Magic-Woven Fabric,' I made it transparent.
I also added a powerful Water attribute to it.
Water had the ability to slow the passage of things. It should capture the Light magic here.
For the second layer, I embedded silver in granular form.
I set it to reflect the Light magic captured by the first layer in different directions.
This layer needed the Light, Water, and Wind attributes.
The third layer would be black, like the underside. Naturally, it had the Dark attribute.
I would have this layer absorb any Light magic that had not been completely dispersed.
That was why I had incorporated a magic stone into the parasol's handle. It should store the absorbed magic power.
...Will this do?
It would be fine. If I failed, I could remake it.
I still had not caught up to the Hero's world. I knew that myself.
But Mabel and Lukie trusted me and were helping me.
The general had prepared the materials, and Agnis was searching for someone who could use the 'Light attribute.'
So I was not afraid of failure.
I would remake it as many times as necessary. I would keep going until I succeeded.
I was Her Majesty the Demon Lord's alchemist, after all.
I had to prepare a countermeasure against the Empire's Light power as well as making Lukie's magic sword...
With that, I took a deep breath and made my declaration.
"Execute! 'Over-Alchemy'!!"
Pop!
A pure-white parasol appeared on the table.
The body was about ninety centimeters long. The handle was transparent because an empty magic stone had been embedded inside it.
The opened parasol had a diameter of about 160 centimeters. It was quite large.
The surface of the cloth was white. The underside was black.
The cloth had a three-layer structure made by combining three sheets.
The first layer was a fluid with an enhanced Water attribute.
The second layer was a magic-reflection system woven with silver.
And the third layer possessed the ability to absorb magic power.
I had adopted technology from another world and made it open with the push of a button.
This was the 'UV-Cut Parasol,' an item that defended against Light-attribute attacks.
──────────────────
'UV-Cut Parasol'
(Attributes: Light, Dark, Water Water Water Water, Wind) (Rarity: ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆)
The first layer, imbued with the Light attribute and a powerful Water attribute, captures Light magic.
The second layer, imbued with the Light and Water attributes as well as the Wind attribute, reflects Light magic in different directions and breaks it apart. This obstructs magic.
The third layer, imbued with the Dark attribute, absorbs excess Light magic.
The absorbed magic power accumulates in the magic stone inside the handle.
The 'UV-Cut Parasol' can block Light-attribute attacks and magic attacks.
It can defend against attacks that draw their power from Light magic, whether physical or magical.
When it cannot defend against an attack, it reduces the attack's power by 90 percent.
Physical Destruction Resistance: ★★★ (Can only be destroyed by a weapon enhanced with magic.)
Service life: 3 years.
Includes one year of user support.
──────────────────
"...It's surprisingly light."
I opened the parasol and lifted it.
It was not particularly heavy.
But its large size made it awkward to handle.
It would probably be impossible to engage in close-quarters combat while holding this.
"The surface is pure white... How beautiful."
Mabel examined the parasol with interest.
"How does it block Light-attribute attacks, Thor-sama?"
"It changes when I pour magic power into it. Look."
I gripped the handle of the 'UV-Cut Parasol' and poured magic power into it.
Then──
"Wah! The surface turned into a mirror! And... it's moving!"
"The second layer has silver embedded in it, which is why it becomes a mirror. The rippling is caused by the Water attribute. I also added the Light attribute. This should capture the Light magic, reflect it in different directions, and break it apart, but..."
It was moving so much that it was almost nauseating.
It looked as though I had stuck a lively slime to the surface.
What kind of aesthetic sense did people from another world have? I would feel uneasy walking around with something like this...
"Well, never mind that. More importantly, let's test whether it can defend against Light magic."
There happened to be a magic lamp beside the bed.
I would use that.
"Mabel, bring me that lamp."
"Would you like me to turn it on?"
"Yes. Please do."
Magic lamps were commonly used lights in this world.
They reproduced the elementary 'Light' spell and used a Light magic stone as their power source.
"Then I will turn it on."
Mabel touched the magic lamp.
The Light magic stone reacted, and the lamp began to emit a faint glow──
Fiiin!
The 'UV-Cut Parasol' reacted!?
The surface of the open parasol began to ripple.
Something like glowing particles rose from the spot struck by the light of the magic lamp.
They writhed and──captured the light, scattering it in all directions.
It was as though the particles were breaking the light apart.
"...So this is the power of the 'new sparkling material.'"
"Look, Thor-sama. The magic lamp is... going out."
Mabel was right.
The glowing particles rising from the parasol were dismantling the light produced by the lamp.
Silver particles flew across the surface of the parasol.
They reflected the magic lamp's light in different directions, breaking the magic power apart.
It looked like powder of light was scattering through the air.
And then──the light of the magic lamp gradually weakened... and went out with a soft puff.
'Successfully dispelled Light-attribute magic.'
A faint voice came from the parasol.
"It dispels even the magic creating the light source the moment the light touches it... This parasol is incredible."
"Yes... It seems to dispel magic by breaking the magic power apart."
Mabel said this with her eyes wide open.
She stared at the 'UV-Cut Parasol' as though she were looking at something unbelievable.
The white parasol looked cute with her maid uniform, but her expression was utterly serious.
"The new sparkling material imbued with the Light attribute──no, the silver particles──interfere with and obstruct magic power of the same Light attribute. That causes the Light magic to reflect in different directions and break apart."
"Rather than blocking it with a barrier or defensive wall, it can dispel the magic itself?"
"But something is strange."
"What do you mean?"
"This 'UV-Cut Parasol' reduces the power of 'Ultimate Vivid-light' by 90 percent, correct? Yet it dispelled the Light magic completely."
"Perhaps it means, 'The Hero's strongest magic is cut by 90 percent. Anything below that level is nullified.'"
"............"
"............"
"...Thor-sama."
"It is an item that defends against the strongest magic, after all. It would not be strange if it could do that much."
I had made many items from other worlds, but this one was on an entirely different level.
It unraveled any Light magic it touched and dispelled it without question.
It certainly lived up to its ability to defend against 'Ultimate Vivid-light.'
The otherworldly 'UV-Cut' was terrifying.
"But this parasol can only defend against Light-attribute techniques and magic."
So it was not that powerful.
I would still take ordinary damage if I were hit by Flame or Ice magic.
I had thought 'UV-Cut' sounded like a powerful defensive item, but it was not all that impressive. Thank goodness.
With this, Lukie and Chancellor Kelv would probably allow it to be distributed.
"...Thor-sama."
"What is it, Mabel? Why the serious expression?"
"This is only hypothetical, but... suppose an army from another country invaded the Demon Lord's Territory and made camp."
"All right. Suppose they made camp."
"Naturally, they would light lamps because it would be nighttime."
"They would naturally use magical lights."
"Then, if people from the Demon Lord's Territory with good night vision approached and activated the parasol...?"
"...The moment the magical light touched the parasol, it would be dispelled, and the camp would be plunged into darkness."
"............"
"............"
Something was wrong.
I had meant to make an item to defend against the ultimate spell 'Ultimate Vivid-light,' but I had ended up making an item that brought darkness.
Even though the parasol itself had the Light attribute.
"But the Demon Lord's Territory is unlikely to become hostile toward another country, so I do not think we need to worry about it."
"Y-yes, that is true."
"This is merely an item for countering the Light attribute so I can study the Holy Sword."
"It is for experiments, after all."
"The only time we would use it in actual combat would be if the Empire brought a Holy Sword wielder or a Light magic user. That sort of opportunity probably won't arise. Hardly ever, anyway."
"The magical beast subjugation only just ended, after all."
"Besides, we do not even know whether it can defend against a Light-attribute attack."
"Since there is no Light-attribute user here, we have no choice."
"In any case, let's have some tea."
"Yes, Thor-sama. There are sweets as well."
"I'll have some. Mmm. It's delicious."
"It is delicious."
For the time being, I folded up the parasol, and Mabel and I settled down.
Yes. The tea was delicious, even though it had gone cold.
So far, the parasol had only extinguished the light from a lamp.
It had not done anything particularly impressive.
I would have to test it to learn whether it could really extinguish 'Ultimate Vivid-light.'
All that remained was to ask an actual Light magic user to help with an experiment.
That would probably not happen for a while, though.
Because Light magic was weak in the Demon Lord's Territory, apparently there were few Light magic users.
Agnis was searching for one, but there was no need to hurry.
I would take my time, find a Light magic user, and conduct the experiment.
If Agnis could not find one, I would thank her and seal away the 'UV-Cut Parasol' for a while.
That was what I thought, but then──
"Thor-sama, are you there!? It is Agnis!"
There was a knock, followed by Agnis's voice.
When Mabel opened the door, Agnis rushed inside, breathing heavily.
"I-I found a Light magic user!"
"Really? That's amazing, Agnis-san!"
"I cannot believe you found one so quickly..."
I was astonished.
"Thank you, Agnis-san."
"N-no. I thought you would immediately begin preparing to make the item, Thor-sama, so I wanted to find someone in time..."
Agnis looked at the 'UV-Cut Parasol' on the table.
"──That was what I thought, but it is already finished..."
"...Sorry. I got carried away."
I looked away and muttered this.
Agnis gripped her 'Health Enhancement Pendant' and smiled.
"As for the Light magic user... According to the soldiers in town, there is apparently one among a race that lives quietly in the western forest..."
"The western forest... I think I have heard of it."
"Y-yes. It is a forest inhabited by a small race that was granted an autonomous district by Her Majesty the Demon Lord."
A small race, huh?
The Demon Lord's Territory was home to many different races, after all.
There must be people who lived in the forest as well.
"My father does not have the authority to command them, but apparently he can at least ask them for a favor. He says he will write you a letter of introduction... What would you like to do, Thor-sama?"
Dressed in a gown, Agnis said this with a shy look on her face.