LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 0
Hmm.
A sigh mixed with annoyance escaped through her small lips.
This was roughly the tenth time. Another failure.
“Ugh… why isn’t this working…”
In the end, she left the flask and herbs on the desk and flopped onto the bed.
She needed to cool off her overheated head just a bit for her magic research.
“I used ogre muscles because they have good elasticity, but it didn’t work, and I tried serpentine scales for flexibility, but that also didn’t work…”
It’s not that wide, but it has everything she needs. This was her magic research lab.
Since she possessed this body, she’d developed various spells and finally acquired this precious place.
Of course, looking at the mess inside, one might argue it’s not really precious, but… that’s a matter of personal preference.
“Sigh…”
What she was currently developing was a magic weapon.
It resembled a staff but could fire projectiles like a gun through an internal mechanism.
However, it was stuck in the development stage.
“The demon race is going to go wild soon, and then prices are definitely going to shoot up!”
As you can grasp from the context, she’d reincarnated into a novel.
It was the kind of cliché fantasy world where the hero is the protagonist who gathers companions to defeat the Demon King, with heroines joining by coincidence or intention, ultimately turning the hero’s party into a harem.
Of course, none of that had anything to do with her.
She hadn’t possessed the hero or any of the surrounding characters; even if she had, she would have surely found a way to escape.
“It’s not like I’m crazy enough to follow them willingly.”
Even if it’s a harem party, they’re a group primarily based on fighting the demon race and magical creatures, so they fight a lot.
For someone like her, who pursued a leisurely lifestyle, such a party’s inclinations were the complete opposite.
“And look at this body.”
Things that should be there have disappeared, and things that shouldn’t be there have appeared.
Even if the new additions weren’t overwhelmingly large like the heroines of the hero party, they still caused her trouble.
However, she found the smaller size more convenient for movement.
“I wonder if it’s been… about a year now?”
She remembers reading a newspaper report last year about the formation of the hero party.
Her research lab was located a bit away from the capital of the Empire, so news took time to reach her.
If it’s been a year, it was enough time for them to hone their skills within the Empire.
Looking at the hero party’s route, it wasn’t that far from her.
“Ugh… what should I do?”
Weapons at hand were more important than a hero party. Why would she care about them when they didn’t help her gather materials?
Thus, she ignored several invitations sent by high-ranking officials. It’s not like ignoring them would lead her to the guillotine anyway.
In this novel, after possessing this body, she realized that magic was her calling.
And she was surviving by cleverly combining magic with knowledge from her previous life.
“If I can’t finish this, I’m in big trouble.”
However, she had spent all her money buying some materials recently, so she needed to make this weapon as soon as possible.
“I’m… hungry.”
She got up from the bed and reluctantly walked to the shelf.
It was becoming noticeably clear that food like bread was running out.
“Ah~ where can I get some food served for free?”
How wonderful it would be if she could eat free meals, research magic, and gather materials at her leisure!
Maybe she could sell her magic equipment second-hand…
“No way, I can’t do that to my precious babies.”
After all the effort she had put in to obtain them! She absolutely couldn’t do that.
Eventually, she found herself back in bed, her escape route once again.
Ah, bed! My little paradise.
Is there really no way for me to live forever in this paradise?
…
…
Hero party.
Strong magical creatures and demon race.
Byproducts of magical creatures and the demon race. Good materials. Fresh ingredients.
Food. Almost free, though it has the downside of being on duty.
Research. High probability of being free due to the hero’s personality.
“…Eh. Still not going.”
What guts do I have to join a hero party that’s going to hunt the Demon King?
Absolutely not.
And soon, a witch heroine was going to join, potentially taking her place as a mage.
That would only increase the likelihood of clashes since their industries were similar.
It was best to just focus on developing her equipment and skills.
“Now that I think of it, isn’t it about time I consider changing my equipment?”
She had reached a point where her equipment couldn’t keep up with her strengthened abilities, which led to some near-miss episodes.
But, well, that was just a trial the hero must endure.
So, she had no obligation to involve herself in that mess.
Hmm.
That’s how it is.
…
“Everyone! We have a new member joining the party! Please welcome her!”
“…I’m the new mage, Rui. Nice to meet you all.”
…Just get the materials and promptly quit.