Chapter 17 Black Magician Kurono

The next day, I woke up at sunrise.

After coming to this different world, I woke up feeling refreshed for the first time. A bed is definitely a great thing. On the fluffy bed I lay completely naked except for the towel around my waist along with Lily who was nude from the very start.

Huh? Hearing up till this point, doesnt it sound like a suspicious situation?

Its alright. I didnt do anything to feel guilty about. Thats because I am a gentleman. YES for Lolita but NO touching. I really am not a lolicon, seriously. Lily asked me to stay at the hut so I decided to accept her kind offer. Maybe because she was an extremely soft hearted person, Lily didnt seem to mind me completely depending on her.

Of course, I have no intention to only be on the receiving side. I have already resolved to return this favour definitely. But, is it fine to give so much to a man who has barely anything? What if I was just some parasitic bastard?

Oh no, am I getting conceited thinking I that must protect this angel, no, this fairy? Its fine. I am going to stay with Lily treating her with gratitude and honour.

Well then, time to change into my clothes.

Without waking Lily who was still sleeping, I got of the bed and left the hut.

un, its a bit better I guess.

Bur I cant say its up to my expectations.

Although I knew while washing, the clothes that had become dark brownish colour due to dirt and blood, has become lighter but its nowhere near its original whiteness.

Basically its still dirty. It even has holes to top it off. If I went around wearing that in my previous world, I would have been reported instantly.

Its not like I have any choice though..

I had planned to go to the nearby village today, but I would at least need some clothes to get there.

Lily doesnt care whether I am in just under pants or just a towel, but thats an exception among exceptions.

The people of this world wear normal clothes. I saw that at the port town. As such, I will also have to wear at least something. Though, I feel that wearing nothing might be better than wearing this.

But no matter how much I complain the clothes wont get cleaner. Reluctantly, I wear the ragged robe-like clothes I had become used to wear.

Now then, how should I get some clothes

While enjoying the gentle breeze blowing in the morning, I sat down on one of the boxes kept behind the hut and thought while taking Rodins pose. (T/L: he is referencing Auguste Rodin who made the sculpture The Thinker. For more info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinker)

As I sat and thought in an artistic pose,

Ah, Kurono, Good Morning.

Lily came.

Yeah, Good Morning.

Ill keep it a secret that I was almost about to say [good morning, princess].

What are you doing sitting on the treasure box?

Treasure box?

Wasnt this just another box?

Getting up, I examined the box closely. I see, it does have a keyhole.

Whats inside it?

Dont know.

As I saw Lily tilt her head in doubt, I became a bit excited inside.

Doesnt a mysterious treasure box sound interesting? On top of it, the owner was a magician. To think something like this would happen in reality, this really is a magic world!

Everything in this, except for the few things of Lily, all belonged to the magician who had once lived here.

Are you going to open it!?

Yeah, doesnt it make you curious? Ah, is it bad to open it?

Open it!!

Lily suddenly looked at me with a gaze full of expectations. Being looked at like that by Lily, I was suddenly filled with motivation.

Alright! Leave it to me!

Full of motivation, I faced the magical mysterious box.

No matter how you look at it, its made of wood. It would be easy to just destroy it but at times like these you should act smart. I think it should be better to destroy just the part with the keyhole.

fuun!!

So, I first try to open it with just physical strength. This box is like those that appear in RPGs, the ones that open upwards. As such, there isnt any place to put my hands at but with my current strength

tsk!?

The moment I put some strength, an electric current ran through the place I was touching. Reflexively, I pulled back my hand but the damage done is not very big.

Trap, no, it seems to be protected by magic.

Kurono, are you alright?

Aah, its not strong enough to cause damage. But as expected of a magicians treasure box huh?

If it is protected that strongly, means it contains a treasure better than I had imagined.

My 1st hope = lots of gold and silver. 2nd hope = strong magic item. 3rd hope = clothes (male size XL).

Could it be a mimic? (T/L: reference to a D&D monster)

As I unintentionally muttered, I suddenly had a bad premonition.

Say Lily, It wont be containing some dangerous never to be released monster right?

It doesnt contain any monster.

Ill ask once more, its fine to open it, right?

Open it!!

Again those sparkling eyes filled with expectations. I cant leave this for later now. Well, even I didnt feel like leaving it just because of getting a bit scared.

If its protected by magic then Ill use magic tooBlackening!

Touching the box with both hands, I release the black magical energy at full strength.

Up till now I have only used it on weapons, cylindrical bars etc. but if blackening is successful, it will definitely cancel the electric shock like damage.

I can control without touching, throw it etc. with the help of blackening but I dont know whether Ill be able to do something like opening a lock since I have never controlled anything which had a mechanism of a key lock.

Alright, Blackening was successfulbut I cant manipulate the lock.

I didnt understand the structure of the lock or maybe the image is not sufficient, in any case I understood that I am unable to control the lock and open it.

Then, Ill have to directly tamper with it.

Since the electrical trap was not there anymore, I could try using physical strength again but it doesnt look like itll be successful since the box seems to be strengthened above normal.

So Ill use the only recovery (?) type magic I possess. The one which converts my black magical energy into jelly-like substance to close wounds.

Using the same thing, Ill pour magical energy inside the lock, harden it there, and then turn it.

I am not informed about the structure of a lock, but I cant just harden everything inside. Ill search for the responsive part while delicately controlling my magic

How does it look?

Since I was clattering for a while, Lily asked anxiously.

Yeah, a little bit more and-ohh!!

I got a response! At the same time, with a *kachiri* sound, the box unlocked successfully.

It opened!!

Our voices perfectly overlapped, no well, in this situation its kind of obvious to say the same thing.

Alright! Open it Lily!

yeah!

The two of us open it with feelings full of excitement.

Th, this is!?

Is what I say, but I couldnt exactly understand what it was at a single glance. Thats because, it was just a black piece of cloth wrapping something up.

Well, Im glad its not a mimic at least.

What is this?

I wonder.

For the time being, I pulled out the black cloth. It was a pretty thick and well made cloth, pretty big, and above all, a slight magical energy could be felt from it.

This isCould it be that this is a magicians robe!?

As I spread it, I realized this is definitely a robe. And its completely black in colour. Even someone with no prior knowledge would come to the same conclusion that this was a magicians robe.

Kurono, try wearing it!

oh, is it fine, oh well I might as well wear it!

Its my long awaited proper clothes. On top of it, knowing that its a magicians robe increased my tension as well.

As I wore it, the length was perfect as if it was measured in advance. And it felt excellent as well. Although it was quite thick, surprisingly it didnt feel sultry. The magical energy wrapping the whole body was also comfortable probably because it was the same black magical energy.

So? How does it look?

Yeah! It looks cool Kurono!

hahahaha this is embarrassing. But with this I could call myself a real magician now, right?

I cant fly with a broom, but I can definitely use real magic.

Yeah! Kurono is a magician!

Is that so? Since Lily has said so, from now on I am a magician, no, a black magician!

Maybe I got too caught up in the moment, but still, I decided to name myself as black magician from here onwards.