Mmm.

A small sigh mixed with frustration escaped my lips. This was about the tenth time. Another failure.

"Ah… why isn't it working…"

I finally put the flask and ingredients down on the desk and flopped onto the bed. I needed to cool my overworked brain from all the magic research.

"I used ogre muscle because of its elasticity, but it didn't work. Sea serpent mane was supposed to be flexible, but that didn't work either…"

It wasn’t a spacious room, but my magic lab had everything I needed. Ever since I got stuck in this body, I had developed several spells and barely managed to earn this precious home.

Of course, if you looked at the mess inside, you might think it wasn't all that precious... but that's just a difference in personal taste.

"Haaa…"

What I'm developing now is a magic weapon. It looks like a staff, but it’s equipped with mechanisms that allow it to shoot projectiles, like a gun.

But I've hit a snag in the development process.

"Soon, the demons will start going wild, and this thing will definitely shoot up in demand!"

As you can probably guess from the context, I got transported into a novel. A typical fantasy world filled with clichés, where the hero is the protagonist.

The hero gathers companions to defeat the Demon King, and whether by chance or design, only heroines join the party, turning it into a harem party instead of a proper hero’s team.

Of course, none of that has anything to do with me.

I didn’t reincarnate into the hero or any of the important side characters. And even if I had, I would have found a way to escape.

'Why would I follow them like some idiot?'

Sure, it's a harem party, but they constantly fight demons and monsters. That’s the complete opposite of the carefree lifestyle I prefer.

"And then there's this body."

The thing that should’ve been there is gone, and the thing that shouldn’t be there appeared. It’s not as overwhelming as the heroines in the hero’s party, but still…

Honestly, I prefer it this way since it’s smaller and easier to move around.

"By now… it’s probably been about a year."

I remember reading in the newspaper that the hero’s party was formed about a year ago. My lab is located a bit outside the empire’s capital, so news gets here late.

A year means they’re still building up their skills within the empire. And based on their usual route, they're not that far from here.

"Ah… what should I do?"

The weapon in front of me is more important than the hero’s party. They’re not providing me with any materials, so why should I care about them? I’ve been ignoring the letters from a few high-ranking people as well. It’s not like I’m getting guillotined for it.

After being transported into this novel and this body, I realized magic was my calling. By combining magic and knowledge from my previous life, I managed to earn enough to at least avoid starving to death.

'If I don’t finish this weapon, I’m screwed.'

But I’d recently spent all my money on some supplies, so I needed to finish this weapon as soon as possible.

"…I'm hungry."

I got up from the bed and looked over the shelves with lighter-than-usual steps. I could see that I was running low on food, like bread.

"Ah~ Can't someone cook for me?"

Wouldn't it be great if I could eat for free, research magic, and gather materials to my heart's content, all without spending any money!

Maybe I should sell some of my magic gear…

"No way, I can't do that to my babies."

I put so much effort into creating them. Absolutely not. In the end, I crawled back to my bed—my escape.

Ah, my bed. My little paradise. Is there truly no way to live here forever in peace?

…

The hero’s party.

Strong monsters and demons.

The byproducts of monsters and demons. Excellent materials. Fresh materials.

Food. The downside is that you have to take turns cooking, but it's nearly free.

Research. The hero’s personality makes it likely they’d give me some freedom.

"...Ehh, still not going."

What kind of fool would join a hero’s party to go fight the Demon King? Not me, that’s for sure.

And soon, a witch heroine will join, who could potentially replace the wizard role. If I go, I might end up clashing with her since we’re in the same field.

I should just stick to making equipment and developing my techniques.

"...Come to think of it, isn’t this around the time when they start worrying about upgrading their gear?"

They've grown so strong that their equipment can’t keep up, leading to dangerous situations. But that’s just another trial for the hero to overcome.

So, I don’t need to butt in and help them.

Yeah.

Exactly.

…

"Everyone! We have a new member joining the party! Please welcome them!"

"...I'm Louis, the new wizard. Nice to meet you."

...I’ll just gather my materials and leave right after.