S-Rank Harem: I Became My Character with Extra Control Skill

Ryan’s simple words drifted through the hot, heavy air of the workshop. Immediately, the people present in the cluttered room grew thoughtful and highly puzzled by the unusual request.

No one made a single movement or let out a sound for several seconds. They seemed to be processing the information they had just heard.

”Magical grimoire?” They all asked almost in unison.

Their different voices mixed in the enclosed space, revealing a genuine and deep shared confusion. Ryan remained motionless in his spot. He observed the clear lack of understanding on each of the faces looking at him.

Noticing how even the gazes of the most experienced girls showed total bewilderment.

’Right, in this world, they have no reason to know that concept, I suppose. Even though they already use scrolls, which are somewhat similar. But of course, they aren’t that common nowadays since the deity gave the system to humans.’

Ryan thought, calmly reasoning why they all looked so confused over a simple word. The system governing this world facilitated the direct use of skills, which caused the creation of extra, complex magical tools to be a forgotten or unexplored art.

Mika was the first to step forward. The young girl rubbed her hands against the worn fabric of her apron, trying to find the right words.

”I don’t quite understand what you are referring to, Your Majesty.” She said with evident confusion on her face, looking at Ryan with wide eyes full of doubt.

Mirian and Irina, who were watching the entire interaction from behind, were also confused. They both looked at each other and shrugged, finding no answers to their king’s request.

And Ivis, who stood off to the side of the scrap-filled aisle, intervened with her usual direct tone.

”I don’t know what that is, but I’m curious to know exactly what you’re asking for.” She said, crossing her arms under her chest and shifting her weight onto one leg, waiting for a clear explanation.

Meanwhile, Runa had remained in complete silence in front of Ryan. She appeared to be analyzing every syllable.

”Grimoire, grimoire...” Runa muttered in a very low voice. She rubbed her chin, as if trying to find a root or a logical meaning to her sovereign’s strange words.

”I think you keep asking them to do very difficult things, Ryan. You’ll make them die from not resting.” Mirian questioned suddenly.

Ryan heard the complaint, but he didn’t change his serious expression. While it’s true he lets them work however they see fit, the fact is that even he has told them not to overexert themselves.

He preferred that they stay in good physical shape. Even so, instead of resting properly, they prefer to lock themselves in this hot workshop and work non-stop until they have visible results.

Those careless actions have benefited Ryan more than once in the past, providing him with valuable tools. But that only proves an undeniable truth about their personalities.

Both of them are passionate maniacs when it comes to their creative labor, unable to stop when there is a challenge or a mystery involved.

”No, that actually sounds interesting. If you explain what you want better, then I can do something, I think.” Runa stated, completely ignoring Mirian’s sudden concern.

The small blacksmith looked up, showing a spark of pure interest in her serious gaze. She was ready for a new challenge.

Then he nodded slowly upon seeing Runa’s immediate willingness and confidence. Ryan decided to explain it to them in a better way to dispel all the doubt accumulated in the workshop.

In reality, what confused them was probably just the word used, grimoire.

While it is a common concept for Ryan, who comes from another world with other kinds of stories, they didn’t necessarily have to know it. So, putting it in much simpler and more direct terms, he explained that it was actually a spellbook.

A physical, manageable object capable of storing pure magic inside for later use.

But unlike common scrolls that can only be used once before being destroyed, he had something superior in mind. He intended for them to condense his immense power into a sturdy book with several pages.

They wouldn’t be the common single-use scrolls that left the user exposed without ammunition. Instead, they would be durable tools, capable of being activated more than once during a long combat.

”Do you understand what I mean?” Ryan asked. He stared at the two craftsmen to ensure the base concept was completely clear before discussing the technical details.

Irina was the first to step forward after hearing the new and ambitious details.

”Even for a blacksmith and alchemist capable of creating that communication relic, this sounds more complex.” The elf princess said. She perfectly understood how difficult it was to manipulate magic and lock it in a permanent container without causing an explosion.

”I agree with that.” Ivis commented immediately, supporting the elf’s logical concern.

Mirian nodded in silence, taking their side. Modifying the established rules of magical creation and alchemy seemed like too heavy a request for a couple of people.

But Runa and Mika reacted in a completely different way from the rest of the warrior group. Both craftsmen looked into each other’s eyes for a long second and nodded firmly.

It was as if they saw it in a very different way, evaluating the real technical possibilities in their minds instead of seeing the obstacles.

”It’s not that it can’t be done, with materials we could achieve it.” Mika mentioned. She returned her gaze to Runa with a much more animated expression, completely forgetting her earlier nerves.

Runa crossed her arms, quickly taking in her fellow alchemist’s encouraging words.

”Yes, we could use magical symbols that lock in the spell’s energy, although I doubt they can be activated so many times without damaging the magical paper.” She closed her eyes for a moment, as if thinking deeply about the flow of mana and the required physical resistance.

”Are you saying they would be disposable anyway?” Ryan asked. His voice sounded a bit more tense. He needed to know immediately if all his effort would end up in a fragile object with a limited lifespan.

Then, Mika answered her king’s doubt to clarify the situation.

”Not entirely, in reality the current problem would be the base material.” The young alchemist moved her hands to explain better, pointing to some stacks of paper on a nearby table.

”The current scrolls have a serious problem, the material used is very weak. Once the stored spell activates, the structure can’t support the energy flow and disintegrates.”

Mika shook her head, showing her professional dissatisfaction with common magical tools.

”And that is despite the fact that, currently, they can only hold low-level spells. Imagine what would happen with denser magic...”

’I see, that is an enormous waste.’ Ryan thought, furrowing his brow. He tried to resign himself to the idea that his perfect plan had unavoidable physical limitations due to the materials of this world.

Things rarely turned out exactly as he planned them from the beginning.

It was then that Runa spoke with her gruff tone, breaking the small disappointment forming in the air.

”But that is only if we are talking about the magical paper we use for common scrolls. If there is a way to make something similar with another base element.”