Chapter 24: Cole's Demand
Del looked at the machine gun that was inside the metal box. It was huge, really huge. It was a little bit longer than the Kar98, but it was way heavier. If Kar98K was a big rock, then MG-42 was a giant boulder. The ammunition belt itself was very heavy on its own.
However, Del didn't feel that much of a difference. In fact, he actually felt that his MG-42 weight was as much as his Kar98 and his Kar98 felt as heavy as his pistol. His pistol was not heavy anymore. Maybe there was something that happened with his body.
Del took a look at his status plate.
▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Del Moore] [Level: 13]
Strength: 45
Agility: 37
Vitality: 55
Aptitude: 12
Perception: 35
Skills: Language Comprehension | Marksmanship LVL.9 | Firearms Comprehension LVL.7
Magical Energy: 624/624
Health Point: 5830/7150
▬▬▬▬▬▬
"Damn, my Aptitude never increases," Del commented as he looked at his status plate.
"Who needs a magical spell if even your magical tool can beat someone with just one shot?" Cole asked.
"Magical spell doesn't run out of ammunition," Del said.
"I see," Cole said.
Del held his MG-42 with his hands again. He felt something as he held the weapon. He felt as if the world was on his hands. The power of 7.92x57 Mauser was unquestionable, even from a bolt-action platform. Now, imagine firing it with a fire rate of 1,200 rounds per minute or twenty rounds per second.
It would cost a lot of money.
"What's that anyway?" Cole asked.
"This?" Del showed his MG-42, "This is an MG-42, nicknamed Hitler's Buzzsaw."
"Who is Hitler?" Cole asked.
"An evil person."
"I see. What can this gun do anyway?" Cole asked.
"Well, it can kill a person faster than a Kar98," Del said.
"Again, what's a Kar98?" Cole asked.
"The thing that I always bring on my back. You know, the rifle," Del said.
"What's a rifle?" Cole asked.
"The thing that I always bring, damn it, Cole, why do you need to ask?" Del asked.
"I'm just wondering, you know," Cole said.
"I know. Anyway, we should be testing this weapon on slime later," Del said.
"Sure thing," Cole said.
Del thought for a moment that it might be a good idea to give Cole a gun. However, it meant that he also needed to train Cole on its usage. On one side, he felt hesitant to give Cole a gun since he was still his slave and he still used Del as a tool. On one hand, no matter how long Del delayed it, he eventually needed to train Cole to use a gun. It was simply inevitable.
"Cole, I need to see your status. I would buy a status plate for you, period," Del said.
"Why do you need that status plate?" Cole asked.
"I need to assess your strength and your weakness," Del said.
"Haven't I proved enough that I am more than capable to defend both you and myself?" Cole challenged.
"No, I meant, I need you to protect both of us more efficiently," Del said.
"Fair point. Del, I need to research Darium and so far, you haven't fulfilled that end of the promise," Cole said.
"Look, Cole, be patient, ok? Give me some time, I'll work on it," Del said.
"You better work on it, Del," Cole threatened.
"Is that a threat?" Del asked.
"Let's keep our relationship as beneficial as possible, shall we? I protect you, but you should pay me with Darium, got it?" Cole said.
"Cole, remember, I save your life and I save your freedom. If you fell into the hands of another slaver, I don't know whether you can enjoy a life like this," Del reasoned.
"I think we're even. I still save you from Cassandra's wrath," Cole countered.
Del sighed, "Looked, Cole, let's be reasonable for a moment. We're still living inside of a budget inn and we don't even have a stable source of income as of now. Look, I understand that you need to do your research, but please be more understanding."
Cole sighed, "Fine…"
Del sighed, "You know, at times like this, I think we need to have a little R&R."
"Sure, but where should we go? Downstairs?" Cole asked.
"Nah, let's just take a stroll around the town. I haven't walked around the town for ages after all. Midham might be a small town, but it is not really that bad," Del said as he carried his Kar98 on his back.
"Why do you need to carry your magical tool?" Cole asked.
"Just to be safe," Del said.
"Is the road in Midham is that dangerous?" Cole asked as he picked up his sword from the table.
"No, I don't think so. I meant, there are some bandits, but they don't really attack the adventurers. Besides, Midham is actually quite safe for a small town," Del said.
Del and Cole got out of the room. They went downstairs. Rina was busy in the dining area with her mixology. An adventurer was quite rare in the middle of the night so it wouldn't be a problem if Rina stayed in the dining area while serving the adventurers.
They got out of the inn.
The magical lanterns on the lamp posts were shining the streets. Some people were in the streets, either drunk or just roaming around with a bottle of alcohol in their hands. There were also some street vendors roaming around.
Del just enjoyed the cold air of the night. He might want to have a drink, but well, he didn't think that drinking in the inn with Cole was appropriate at all. Appearance-wise, Cole might be as old as him, but age-wise, Del wasn't sure.
If Cassandra, who theoretically could be as old as thirty, looked way similar to his twin sister, Del had an idea how old Cole could be. It certainly made conversation less awkward because of his far younger biological appearance.
"Cole, about Darium, what can it do?" Del asked.
"Haven't I told you before? It's used as a catalyst to increase the efficiency of a magical stone," Cole said.
"I know, I meant, what is the practical application?" Del asked.
"Well, for example, if we mix water, Darium, and magical stone, we can make a combustible liquid in a condition that the Darium and magical stone is mixed thoroughly with the water," Cole said.
"How do we even mix two things that won't mix with water?" Del asked.
"With magical programming, it wouldn't be hard to make a suspension of those two. Well, more like a borderline between a suspension and a solution. Why would I need to explain this to you anyway? It's not like you'll understand," Cole said.
"In fact, I do understand. I'm still a high-school student, you know?" Del said.
"What's so special about being a high-school student? I don't see anything so special about it," Cole said.
"Fine, anyway, what is the ratio between the solid and the liquid to make a highly combustible fuel," Del asked.
"1:100, for every one gram of Darium and Magical Stone mixture, you can create one hundred milliliters of fuel," Cole said.
"That's quite generous," Del said.
"Below that and you'll make an explosive, pretty cool, huh?" Cole asked.
"I think my sister will like some fireworks. What will happen if I mix Darium with magical stone and combust it?" Del asked.
"It will explode, I think. Well, theoretically speaking, I usually soak cotton into a suspension containing water and Darium-magical stones mixture with a ratio of 1:80. The cotton usually combusts into gas, a lot of gas. It is colorless, but you can tell how much the gas produced," Cole said.
Was the mixture just a basic acid? Del couldn't tell, but he had the feeling about it. He knew that gun cotton was made by combining plant biomass with acid as far as he knew. Maybe it was the same over here, but Cole just didn't know that the mixture was an acid.
"Could you make some for me later?" Del asked.
"Sure, it will be best for us if you provide me the ingredients first," Cole said.
"I see. Well, how much does magical stone cost?" Del asked.
"10 gold coins per kilogram," Cole said.
"I'll think about it," Del said.
"Del, think about it, ok?" Cole asked.
"Sure thing, Cole," Del said.
They spent the rest of the night wandering Midham without any purpose. It was not that bad. They ate, they drank, and they slept. Del would test the MG-42 tomorrow if he didn't get the request from the adventurers.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone