CHAPTER 258.2 - THE ICE TOWN 2

I started working immediately to create an item to host Hayama-kun's spirit.

The top-priority item to create was a portable heater, similar to a lighter, that would house a fire spirit and emit a moderate amount of heat.

The fuel that generates heat was a spirit, so it didn't require gas, oil, or electricity—just magical power would suffice. When it comes to magical power, both Kyouko and I possess a considerable amount, comparable to a spellcaster-class individual. In particular, I believe Kyouko boasts one of the highest magical power reserves in our class.

However, it was not just about producing fire; it required a delicate balance to provide just the right amount of warmth too. It was unlikely to work perfectly right away. But with time, I would be able to find the balance after some trial and error.

「————Hey, I did it, Momokawa! This should work, right?」

「Wow, this is perfect.」

The spirit-based heating magic tool was completed surprisingly easily.

The small shard of firelight stone, glowing brightly red, would wrap its owner in a comfortable temperature, even when exposed to the outside blizzard.

「Are you by chance a genius, Hayama-kun?」

The production process was quite dubious, as it just involved talking to the Firelight Stone beside a large bonfire, but with these results, I had no choice but to acknowledge it.

「Hahaha, cut it out, Momokawa. It's just that the materials are good, so the fire spirits are satisfied, that's all.」

It’s not like I prepared any high-quality materials, though.

What I hastily prepared was a Grade 3 Firelight Stone to serve as the main body for housing the fire spirit. It was one of the materials I took with me when escaping from the school tower. While it was a rare material for us, it was not exactly the highest grade in this world.

If a fire spirit was going to reside in the lighter, then something related to fire was obviously the best choice. The only viable option was Firelight Stone, a pure crystal of fire-attribute magical power.

「Rather than me being a genius, it should be more appropriate to say that the magic circle you draw is more amazing, right? That’s way more impressive. A real spellcaster for sure.」

The goma-style magic circle I learned came in handy.

The desired effect was heating. Ideally, the warmed air should remain around the owner's body. I designed the circuit so that the heat would diffuse from the Firelight Stone as the source while also regulating the temperature… Or so I intended to.

The magic circle was inscribed on the fur of the Snow Ash Wolves we took down along the way the day before. We had loaded a few of them onto the roirops and brought them with us.

We skinned the Snow Ash Wolves, turned the fur into a bag-like shape, and inscribed the magic circle on the inner side.

In addition, by processing the core extracted from the same Snow Ash Wolves together with the fur bag in the 『Curse Alchemy Formation』, the bag itself was imbued with a certain amount of magical power. This should make it easier to draw the spirit's power from the Firelight Stone… Or so the idea.

Although things had turned out well this time, I didn’t fundamentally understand the principles behind magic circles. I used them simply because inscribing them produces the intended effects.

Thus, my deepest apologies if some mishap happens sometime along the way.

「For now, just having this completed means we can move around here. Ah—, shall we give it a name as well?」

「Since this item is the result of a joint development between you and me, let’s have a little competition to see who can come up with the better name!」

「Sure thing, coming up with names is the forte of the literature club.」

「My naming sense is natural-born talent. It’s on a whole different level from a stiff literature club member’s sense of humor, don’t you think so?」

The two of us locked eyes for a moment. However, in our minds, both of us unleashed our full might in coming up with a better name, each carefully considering the perfect name for this newly developed magic tool.

Then, without any particular signal, both of us spoke at the same time.

「『Warm Wind Barrier・Blazing Serenity』」

「『Cozy Warm Bag』」

「… Well, it's not "Cozy Warm Bag".」

「That sere-something sounds exaggerated too.」

「This name incorporates a fire spirit, who has an efficient temperature control range, and is a highly advanced magic tool. I think it deserves a proper name as a barrier.」

「This kind of thing is meant to be used, right? If it’s something for everyday use, a name with a bit of charm is definitely better!」

「But your name is just too————」

「Momokawa's name is just some over-the-top edgy nonsense.————」

「————Hey guys, I'm back! Wait, what are you two arguing about?」

Just as our heated debate, fueled by our sense of style and pride, was reaching its peak, Kyouko returned from foraging.

Come to think of it, it seems that she had gathered a decent amount of supplies and returned for the time being.

「Ah, are you by chance have made the pocket heater?」

「Pocket heater…」

「Pocket heater, is it…」

「Ohh—! The pocket heater is so warm! I can use this already, right? Actually, let me use it, it's seriously freezing cold outside!」

And so, even though we hadn't explained much, Kyouko held the newly completed pocket heater and warmed herself with it.

「Let's just call it pocket heater.」

「My thoughts exactly.」

With the name finally decided, the portable heating device for conquering snowy areas—the Spirit-Type Pocket Heater—was now complete.

===

「Let's go hunting!」

Agreeing with Hayama-kun, who shouted energetically, we decided to go hunting the next day.

The blizzards had finally stopped. we needed to restock our food supplies soon, and gathering monster materials and cores was essential for upgrading our equipment. Various reasons overlapped, making it the perfect opportunity.

「The performance of the pocket heater is awesome.」

「It's seriously too comfortable. I'm so glad we made it!」

Hayama-kun and I walked through the snowy town, satisfied with the warmth of our equipped pocket heater.

The mana consumption was minimal, hardly noticeable at all. Since the fire spirit itself could gather mana independently, it wasn’t entirely dependent on the owner's mana, which was a significant advantage.

「So Kotaro, what's today’s goal?」

「For now, I’d like something that could serve as food and a bird for scouting.」

Rem had now evolved into a smart child who could speak fluently. With the ability to accurately relay the results of aerial reconnaissance using a bird’s vision, her value had increased tremendously compared to before.

If possible, I’d like to always have a scouting bird available on hand.

「Shall we head toward the forest?」

「You're right. Rem, scout the area first.」

「RRRR, Gau!」

Rem's response was a wolf's howl. This was the snow-ash wolf's corpse doll that I had prepared yesterday. I left Rem's main body in our vanguard while having her control the wolf to go out on a scouting mission.

The snow-ash wolf, now dyed in black fur, dashed across the snowfield like a gust of wind.

「Woof woof!」

「What's the matter, Beniwo? Do you want to scout too? It can't be helped, I guess. Just don't overdo it.」

With Hayama-kun's permission, Beniwo happily wagged its tail and ran off after Rem's wolf.

「Heh, it looks like that fella is happy to have a fellow canine comrade.」

「They're supposed to dislike moving corpses, right?」

「Who knows? Maybe that kid is totally their type.」

Well, sorry if Beniwo ends up developing a weird fetish.

However, I thought there would be more of a species difference between a red dog and a snow-ash wolf than just being a dog and a wolf. But maybe not. They might actually be able to interbreed.

With those thoughts in mind, we leisurely made our way toward the forest stretching beyond the outskirts of town.

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My first CN project, why waifu though? Well, coz the main heroine's job is buying soy sauce till the end of act 1

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