Side: Meena
“I am Richard Albert. Thank you very much for saving Phil. I am truly grateful.”
We were currently in the grand hall of Richard’s home, with Richard and Edward bowing deeply to us.
Well, not to me, but to Yamato and Prim.
The Green Fang incident was a major problem not only for us at the Order’s Guild but also for the townspeople. I understand their feelings perfectly.
“I never thought there’d be a Black Fenrir in addition to the Green Fang. Considering the possibility of them breaking through the barrier, that was seriously dangerous. I’m truly saved. Oh, I’m Edward, Richard’s grandson.”
The barrier that surrounds towns and villages does not eliminate all monsters.
I don’t know the details, but it seems to repel those who harbor hostility towards humans.
So, if a Hunter or merchant being chased by a monster enters the barrier, the monster cannot proceed further.
However, hostility towards humans is tricky. If there’s no hostility, they can walk within the barrier, and some monsters are even fed by humans, so it’s not absolutely safe.
Therefore, some towns are surrounded by large walls for protection, with the Royal Capital being a prime example, having three layers of walls.
Even so, the walls are just ordinary stone walls, albeit reinforced with magic. If asked whether they can defend against Abnormal Species or Catastrophe Species, I can only say it’s difficult.
Moreover, these walls are built assuming the existence of a barrier, so if the barrier is broken, it’s questionable whether they would even buy us time.
After all, Catastrophe Species are said to possess a destructive impulse towards anything other than their own kind, rather than hostility. Thus, barriers that react to hostility would barely slow them down.
If they manage to enter a town, they would destroy everything in sight, which could lead to the town’s ruin.
About 30 years ago, in the Libertarian Federation, a Catastrophe Species, though I’ve forgotten its exact type, emerged and nearly brought the nation to its knees.
A large-scale subjugation force was assembled, and my father participated. I recall hearing that many knights and Hunters from countries other than the Solemn Empire and the Retysentia Empire also joined.
Although the subjugation was successful, the damage was immense. Many participants of the battle and residents of the former capital, which became the battlefield, perished, forcing them to abandon the capital.
Incidentally, the Solemn Empire did not participate in the subjugation force because, about 10 years prior, a massive monster outbreak occurred within their borders, and they were still recovering from its aftermath.
Therefore, the nations at the time did not try to force them.
Well, after their recovery, they’ve been sending soldiers to various countries, a bunch of ungrateful scoundrels.
As for the Retysentia Empire, that year their country was suffering from a famine due to a poor harvest. However, they attributed the damage to the Catastrophe Species and protested to the Libertarian Federation, causing them to lose international credibility and become isolated.
I don’t remember the details, but they reportedly demanded a substantial amount of reparations from the Libertarian Federation at the time, which prevented them from receiving aid from other countries and even led to economic sanctions.
This is still affecting them, and the Retysentia Empire has been gradually declining.
They are called Catastrophe Species precisely because they can cause such immense damage. The fact that Yamato single-handedly defeated the Black Fenrir, a Catastrophe Species, is astounding.
Prim stated that it would have been impossible alone, but even so, she single-handedly subjugated the Green Fang. To us, both of them possess extraordinary strength.
“I see, so that’s what the request from the provincial governor was for. In that case, I accept. No, please, let me do it. For the sake of those who saved Phil, I will dedicate all my effort to crafting weapons.”
While I was lost in thought, Yamato and Prim explained the request from the provincial governor, and both Richard and Edward seemed eager.
“But, you know, facing an Evil Drake, aren’t the weapons in the shop a bit lacking?”
“I was thinking the same thing. Of course, all weapons are crafted with great care, but if it’s an Evil Drake, not to mention a Feather Drake, they probably have scales and feathers with hardness close to a Dragon’s. With the magic power of the two of you, it might be possible to strengthen them to Divine Metal levels, but even so, I doubt the weapons would hold.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Generally, for High Class individuals, Magic Silver has various drawbacks. So, they compensate by using Crystal Silver to increase mana conductivity, but the original strength is insufficient, leading to a shorter lifespan.”
I didn’t know that.
But, like my father, aren’t many people not fond of Magic Silver, and prefer Adamantine Steel?
“It’s true that quite a few prefer Adamantine Steel. However, Adamantine Steel is heavy and its mana conductivity is too low, so in a different sense than Magic Silver, its lifespan is short.”
“That’s why Divine Metal is optimal, but I believe almost all of it can only be mined in Abaricia.”
I’ve heard of Divine Metal.
It possesses greater strength than Adamantine Steel and boasts mana conductivity comparable to Magic Silver, but it rarely appears on the market, earning it the reputation of a legendary metal.
“In short, wishing for what we don’t have?”
“It seems so. But there’s no doubt that we can’t do anything without weapons, so we’ll have to buy a few spares.”
This seems to be a more serious problem than I thought.
Normally, weapons are designed to be used with Mana Rings and their deterioration is prevented through magical reinforcement, so they are rarely disposable.
Of course, they break more quickly when fighting powerful monsters like Abnormal Species, but they don’t normally break so soon.
However, Yamato and Prim, due to their excessive magic power, seem to have an unforeseen problem where the weapons themselves cannot withstand it.
Now that I think about it, my father and older brother also changed weapons frequently…
“I apologize, but I suppose that’s what will happen. Fortunately, we have one each of a sword and a spear with Crystal Silver attached. I will give you those today, so please come back around this time tomorrow. I will prepare a few more by then.”
The weapons Richard crafts are of the highest quality in Phil, and by extension, Amister.
But even weapons made by such a person cannot withstand the magic of High Class users…
“I’m sorry to trouble you.”
“Don’t mention it. I cannot let Hunters heading for Abnormal Species subjugation go with inferior weapons. That said, this time we have limited time, so it will be a makeshift attachment of Crystal Silver to what we have in stock.”
“Even so, we’re grateful. I’m sorry, but please.”
“I understand. Ed, please guide them to the store. They’ll likely need armor as well, so I’ll leave that to you.”
“I know. Follow me.”
“Yes, please.”
This was a problem I had no personal experience with, but I couldn’t afford to be complacent.
Even so, I have no eye for armor, so I’m really just an escort.
For now, I have no choice but to accept it, but I want to be useful to Yamato someday…
— Why am I thinking like this…?
Side: Yamato
I’m in trouble.
I never expected Magic Silver to have such a problem.
Regarding Magic Strength, Hardness, and Mana Conductivity, if we represent them on a scale of 10, with Iron being 5, Magic Silver is 6, 5, 8. Adamantine Steel is 8, 8, 3, and Divine Metal is 9, 7, 7.
Magic Strength indicates durability when mana flows through it, Hardness is physical hardness, and Mana Conductivity indicates how easily mana can pass through. The fact that Divine Metal scores highly across the board clearly shows its superiority.
However, the main source of Divine Metal is the neighboring continent’s Divine Nation of Abaricia, which is a hegemonic power that professes to unify under the Helios Orb, and reportedly trades very little with other nations.
On the Philia Continent, the Solemn Empire seems to be thinking along similar lines and beefing up its military, but I don’t see what the point of that is.
Still, I’m in a pickle.
Both Magic Silver and Adamantine Steel have their pros and cons, and both are likely to have short lifespans.
Furthermore, Magic Silver is about half the weight of Iron, while Adamantine Steel is reportedly three times as heavy. This practically dictates which metal will be used as the primary material.
If only there were a metal with lightness and mana conductivity close to Magic Silver, and strength and hardness comparable to Adamantine Steel… well, that’s Divine Metal.
But acquiring Divine Metal is nearly impossible, and Magic Silver and Adamantine Steel offer only mediocre performance…
…Wait a minute.
If they both have their shortcomings and pros and cons, why not try making an alloy of Magic Silver and Adamantine Steel?
I recall Prim’s Iron Spear, which she bought from Zack, was made of Iron but had higher than usual strength.
It didn’t seem to be made of the same Iron as my Iron Sword, so I assumed it was steel. But when I asked Prim, she just asked me back, “What is steel?”
This means it’s safe to assume that alloys don’t exist in the Helios Orb.
The only problem is that I want to keep my status as a guest a secret from Edward and Richard.
It might be fine with just the two of them, but it’s probably best not to be too careless right now.
Yes, I’ll try proposing it as something that might be possible.
“Well, here are the Mithril Blade and Mithril Halberd with Crystal Silver attached.”
Ah, right, I should present these first.
The Mithril Blade I received is a single-edged straight sword, and Prim’s is a halberd, a polearm with the characteristics of both an axe and a spear.
“Yamato wanted a single-edged straight sword, and I’m the type to swing things around, so this is more useful for me, but why are there such convenient weapons left?”
Prim’s question is understandable, but Edward’s answer made me nod in agreement.
“It’s simple. Both single-edged straight swords and halberds are difficult to handle, so not many people choose to buy them. Furthermore, the Hunters currently in Phil don’t have the skill level for them, so no one paid attention. Plus, with Crystal Silver attached, they’re more expensive than regular Magic Silver weapons. That’s why they’ve been stored in the warehouse for so long.”
I’ve heard that while single-edged straight swords aren’t that difficult, halberds, with their dual nature as an axe and a spear, are challenging to master.
Moreover, this Mithril Halberd not only has a large head but also an axe blade as large as an axe, and two hooks on the opposite side.
They probably made it large because it’s light Magic Silver, but even at a glance, it’s clear that its balance makes it difficult to handle.
“I see.”
“Of course, I bought some as spares, but they were returned because they were difficult to use. Furthermore, they were severely chipped and rendered unusable. When I refused, the Hunter’s Master came himself, and since then, I haven’t allowed Hunters to set foot in the store. But for you two, it’s different.”
The Hunter’s Master really hasn’t done anything good.
And the Hunters who are taking advantage of him are also problematic. If this isn’t dealt with soon, our relationship with Amister will be ruined.
“I was wondering, since we hunted the Black Fenrir and the Green Fang, this situation will improve soon, right? Once that happens, the Hunter’s Master, and of course the Hunters, will have their wrongdoings in Phil exposed, and since they suppressed information, they will surely be punished. Do they understand that?”
“I don’t know. Well, they’re all outsiders, aren’t they? Aren’t they going to run away from Phil? They’ll probably be viewed with suspicion no matter what town they go to, with Linus around.”
In other words, they haven’t thought anything through.
They’re seriously brain-dead.
Well, it’s none of my business.
“I don’t care about those idiots. More importantly, what kind of armor do you have?”
Indeed, that’s more important.
Prim has a Battle Dress with iron chest and shoulder guards, as well as gauntlets and greaves, but I’m still in my school uniform.
Although it’s a uniform imprinted with various Engraving Magic arrays that eliminate the distinction between summer and winter clothes, I still don’t want to wear it for days on end.
Incidentally, the uniform consists of gray trousers, a navy blue jacket with white trim, and a green-toned tie.
The color of the tie changes by grade, so I don’t like it, but there’s nothing I can do.
“Magic Silver chest guards, gauntlets, and greaves are standard. We also have plate armor and half-plate, although demand is low. Then, there are several monster leather armors, though they’re inferior to metal armor.”
I see.
However, plate armor, even made of Magic Silver, would be heavy and would undoubtedly hinder movement, so it’s out of the question. Also, the gauntlets cover all the way to the fingertips, so I’ll have to think about those.
For now, leather armor with a Magic Silver chest guard and greaves, and leather gloves, seems like a safe bet.
“I’d like to have the armor on this Battle Dress replaced with Magic Silver, is that possible?”
“Sure. However, I can’t do it today, so come back tomorrow morning. I’ll have it done by early afternoon.”
“I’ll do that, please. And I’ll take Magic Silver gauntlets and greaves as well.”
As expected, Prim is upgrading her current equipment.
There’s no reason to choose anything else, so it’s only natural.
“Got it. Yamato, what about you?”
“What kind of monsters are used for the monster leather armor?”
“Glass Boa, Grantpus, and if you want something rare, Feather Drake.”
Beyond Glass Boas, they’re using Grantpus hides?
I heard that Grantpus are docile and friendly, but not all individuals are like that.
Grantpus that attack people are disposed of, and then used as materials, just like other monsters. Old Grantpus that don’t sell are also sometimes used as materials.
It’s understandable, as not everything sells, but if Apricot hadn’t bought it, Honest might have ended up as material too.
“You have Feather Drake armor? Let me see it.”
“Yeah, wait a moment. I think it’s here… Ah, here it is.”
Prim seems interested too, and I can’t blame her.
Indeed, the leather armor Edward pulled out from the back was a lustrous dark blue, covered in feathers.
It’s quite beautiful.
“It’s a lovely color.”
“Right? When mana flows through it, it becomes as hard as Magic Silver. With Magic Silver chest and shoulder guards to reinforce it, its defensive power is the highest in this shop. Well, that’s why it doesn’t sell.”
So it’s too expensive.
Well, Feather Drakes are B-rank, and they rarely come out of the Mylight Forest, so hunting them must be difficult.
“In that case, I’ll take that. And like Prim, Magic Silver greaves, and leather gloves.”
“Understood. Will delivering these tomorrow be alright?”
“Of course. We’ll just take the weapons home today.”
“Thanks.”
No, the thanks should be from my side.
Ah, right, I forgot to ask about the price.
“So, how much will it all be?”
“Let’s see, the Mithril Blade is 4,000 El, the Mithril Halberd is 4,800 El, the Feather Drake leather armor with Magic Silver plate set is 10,000 El, the Magic Silver armor for the Battle Dress conversion is 5,500 El, the gloves are 1,800 El, the gauntlets are 2,700 El, and the greaves are 3,200 El. This is for two people, so… what’s the total?”
I’m not good at mental arithmetic. Let’s see…
“The total is 35,200 El.”
“You’re quick at calculating.”
“Not really. And Edward, since you’re doing this kind of business, shouldn’t you be able to calculate faster?”
“You’ve hit a sore spot. Grandpa and Marina always tell me that.”
He’s aware of it.
Marina is Edward’s childhood friend and Meena’s friend.
Meena was originally planning to introduce us to the Albert Workshop through that Marina. So, this request is, in a way, a godsend.
Apparently, Marina is a Fairy-half Dragonewt, a Water Dragon.
Edward is also a Fairy-half Dwarf, so they’ve been close since they were young, being fellow Fairy-halves. They apparently used to play together often and build things at the Albert Workshop.
“Well, dealing with fractions is troublesome, so let’s just say 30,000 El. Honestly, I don’t want to take money from benefactors, but I have to make a living, you know?”
That’s natural, of course.
Given that sales of weapons have become difficult due to the Hunter’s Master and Hunters, and the town has been under lockdown-like conditions from other towns and villages, their lives must not have been easy.
Besides, don’t use “troublesome” as an excuse.
We have no intention of haggling.
We will pay the full 35,200 El.
“I appreciate you understanding our situation, but there are things I can’t compromise on.”
Is that the pride or stubbornness of a craftsman?
But if I get a discount of over 5,000 El on my first purchase, I can’t easily accept it.
“Then how about 33,000 El? Honestly, when I get haggled down so much on a first purchase, I get scared about what comes next. I understand you’re grateful, but for us, it was just a chance encounter.”
Prim is also nodding vigorously.
Edward, Meena, the Order’s Guild, the Hunter’s Guild staff, and the provincial governor all thank us. But we had no intention of defeating the Black Fenrir or the Green Fang.
They just happened to be in our path. For us, it was merely swatting away a bothersome fly.
Well, it was too large to be just a fly, but it was an accident, so to speak.
“Accident or not, the fact that they’re gone is what matters to us. Furthermore, since you’re going to hunt the Evil Drake next, we want to help as much as we can. Although Feather Drakes rarely descend from the mountains, it’s not impossible. So, it’s 31,000 El.”
In fact, the Feather Drake leather armor I bought is from hunting such individuals.
“We intend to use Phil as a base, but that doesn’t mean we want to burden the townspeople’s lives. 32,500 El.”
“It’s also a token of gratitude. Besides, weapons like the Mithril Blade, Mithril Halberd, and Feather Drake leather armor have been in stock for a long time. So, even at a giveaway price, it’s better if they sell. 31,100.”
“Hey! You’re raising the price like that! Then it’s 32,450!”
“50 El increments are dirty tactics! 31,120!”
“From the outside, it looks like negotiation to lower the price, but why is the buyer raising the price and the seller lowering it?”
“Normally, it’s the opposite, isn’t it?”
“It’s turning into a complete children’s fight.”
Prim and Meena are exasperated, but I can’t back down either.
At this point, it’s a matter of pride.
I will absolutely sell it at a high price.
Edward feels the same way, desperately trying to sell it cheap.
If I back down, I’ll be swallowed!
As a result of this negotiation, a very peculiar transaction was settled at 31,854 El, and Ed and I acknowledged each other as best friends.
I’ll say it myself, but what am I even doing.
2019.5.14
Divine Metal has Magic Strength 9, Hardness 7, and Mana Conductivity 7. I have corrected it to reflect this.
