Returning Evil for Good

"Ruben, do you have a..."

Mayuna bit her lip, her long legs pressed tightly together. After receiving two large bottles of medicine, her body felt a bit better, but a new problem had arisen. It was incredibly embarrassing to make such a request to a man she had only just met.

"It's perfectly normal to need to relieve yourself after taking the medicine. It's right over there."

Ruben pointed to a small door to the side. Mayuna hurried inside, only to dash back out a moment later.

"You're teasing me!"

Mayuna's cheeks puffed up in anger. Aside from a piece of art, there was nothing in that room. How was she supposed to use it?

"It's right there."

"Are you telling me you usually do your business on that White Stone?"

"I... you people from the other world are something else. This is called porcelain."

Ruben was speechless. He suddenly remembered that this world lacked toilets, and that White Stone was simply the local term for ceramic. He had no choice but to lead Mayuna into the bathroom himself and explain how to use it in detail.

"Are you lying to me? Can I really... on this?"

Mayuna looked hesitantly at the toilet, which looked like white jade. While ceramic existed in this world, it was extremely rare, and the methods for crafting it had been lost. Modern mages couldn't produce it, so the existing pieces were treated as antique treasures. To be asked to use one for her personal needs... it was a massive challenge to her worldview.

"Do you want me to demonstrate it for you?"

Ruben said irritably. The technology tree in this world was truly problematic. There were no sewers, so people here just found a secluded spot, set up a simple Purification Array, and then... the waste would vanish upon touching the array. Ruben felt that whoever invented this magic deserved an otherworldly Nobel Prize for such a great contribution to the world.

"No, no need!"

"Remember to press this when you're done, understand?"

Ruben knew Mayuna wouldn't know how to flush, so he pointed to the button on the toilet as he left.

"Just get out already!"

Three minutes later.

"What, what is this? Water is coming out of it!"

Mayuna's surprised voice rang out from the bathroom, followed by the sound of something shattering.

"What, what are you doing?"

By the time Ruben realized something was wrong and ran into the bathroom, it was too late. The toilet's water tank had been smashed, water was flowing all over the floor, and Mayuna was rummaging through the cabinets looking for something.

"Where did you hide the spirit?"

Mayuna showed no sign of guilt for the damage; instead, she grabbed Ruben by the collar and demanded an answer.

"Spirit?"

"If you can have water in your home without using water magic, it has to be an Elemental Spirit, right? Let it go!"

Mayuna was furious. She had initially thought Ruben was a good person, but she never expected him to imprison an Elemental Spirit. Thanks to their innate magical talent, even a seventy or eighty-year-old could use their own mana to create pure water, so people in this world generally didn't store water. Now that she saw water flowing in the home of a man with no mana, she naturally assumed it was an Elemental Spirit.

So-called Elemental Spirits were the manifestation of various magical elements in the air. They were usually well-hidden because they possessed vast amounts of mana, which made them highly sought after by countless mages for research and cultivation.

"Damn primitive, listen: this is called a water tank. It stores water and releases it. Get it?"

Ruben had truly had enough. This was why he chose to live far away from the city; trying to explain scientific principles to these primitives only ever resulted in blank stares.

"Really?"

"If you don't believe me, keep looking for your spirit."

"Fine, I was wrong. I'll compensate you for what I broke."

After searching for a long time and finding nothing, Mayuna had no choice but to apologize. When she thought about it, the mana of an Elemental Spirit could be felt even by a magic apprentice; it was basically impossible to hide one.

"Take your medicine."

Though he didn't care for primitives, Ruben was still dutiful. He placed the pills he had made on the table, poured a glass of water for Mayuna, and went to cook.

"Ptooey, ptooey! So bitter!"

The moment Mayuna put the pill in her mouth, an unbearable taste assaulted her tongue. She quickly grabbed the glass and took a sip, looking at Ruben with some resentment. She wondered if he was taking revenge on her for something, just as she saw him walk over to a platform and flip a switch, causing flames to emerge from beneath it.

"Fire is coming out of it! A Fire Spirit..."

Seeing the platform that could produce fire on its own, Mayuna walked over to Ruben, eager to try it out.

"If you dare take apart my Gas Stove, get out of here right now!"

Ruben reacted first, glaring at her fiercely.

"I won't take it apart, geez. Why are you so angry..."

Mayuna pouted and sat on the sofa. She had never been scolded by anyone but her teacher, but the way Ruben scolded her felt just like her teacher—it was nostalgic.

"It smells so good!"

Before long, Mayuna was drawn back to the stove by the aroma of food. The frying pan was overflowing with fragrance; cooked noodles were coated in a red sauce. Ruben sprinkled small chunks of monster meat into the pan, mixing them thoroughly, and finally topped it with a fried monster egg. It made Mayuna, whose stomach was empty, swallow hard.

"Spaghetti."

Ruben answered simply. Mayuna returned to her seat, full of anticipation, waiting obediently to be fed.

"You're making me eat this?"

Reality was incredibly cruel. Mayuna's white eyebrows were practically knitted together as she stared at the white porridge in front of her and the spaghetti in front of Ruben, her heart filled with dissatisfaction.

"Your stomach is injured."

"Damn it, damn it, damn it."

Mayuna certainly knew that her body was in poor condition; she had even coughed up blood, so she couldn't force herself now, but she vowed that she would definitely eat this dish she had never even seen before in the future.

"I'm full, so then..."

Drinking the last bit of soup in her bowl, Mayuna wiped her mouth, walked over to Ruben, and raised her finger. [Mountain], a gravity magic, was cast. With the replenishment of potions, pills, and food, Mayuna's body had recovered a little, and using some low-level magic was no longer a problem, as she possessed the foundation of a Magic God after all.