Side: Edward
I was chatting with H.R.H. Reinhard and the others in the gardens of Amagi Castle when I was suddenly informed that my fathers had arrived, which completely surprised me.
I had planned to visit the Crafter’s Guild Headquarters the day after tomorrow, but it seems they couldn’t wait any longer. I can’t say I blame them, though.
“Your Highness, I have brought the Grand Crafter’s Master and his wives,” the butler announced.
“Thank you.”
Led by the butler, three individuals arrived: a Dwarf, a Fairy, and a Lamia.
“It has been some time, H.R.H. Reinhard, H.R.H. Elis, H.R.H. Maruca, H.R.H. Manalease,” the Dwarf said.
“Likewise. What brings you here today?” H.R.H. Reinhard asked.
“We heard from the Grand Hunter’s Master and the Grand Order’s Master that our son has come to the Royal Capital with his wife to deliver important news. We couldn’t wait any longer and decided to visit you here at Amagi Castle immediately,” the Dwarf explained.
I knew it. I didn’t expect them to wait patiently, but I certainly didn’t anticipate them showing up at the castle unannounced.
“You couldn’t have just come to Amagi Castle like this, could you?” I asked.
“What are you saying? It’s not just about you getting married, but the new technology you developed must be disseminated as soon as possible!” the Dwarf argued.
“That’s right. Since we’re all in the same Royal Capital, we wanted you to make time for us, even if you had to force it,” the Fairy added.
“Please, calm down, both of you. Edward didn’t mean any harm,” H.R.H. Elis said soothingly.
The Dwarf who was speaking so vehemently was my father, Albert Alfred. The Fairy was my mother, Aeris Alfred. And the Lamia was Catherine Alfred. Catherine had a daughter, but she died ten years ago from an epidemic, along with my grandmother. Marina was very attached to her, and Marina cried a lot at the time.
“Alright, alright. I was planning to explain things to His Majesty anyway, so I’ll tell you first. But before that, please let me introduce you to these people.”
Introducing Yamato and Fiana was essential. After all, I wouldn’t have even considered trying this without Yamato’s idea, and Fiana is my wife. So, I proceeded to introduce the members of Wing Crest.
They were incredibly surprised that Yamato and Prim were Ancient Class, but their surprise grew even more when I mentioned that Yamato was a guest and Prim was a former Duke’s daughter from Valentia.
“I-I see, a guest,” the Dwarf stammered.
“No wonder such an idea came about…” the Fairy mused.
“Should we say ‘as expected’?” the Lamia wondered.
I also told them that we had joined Wing Crest, but they weren’t particularly surprised by that. It’s quite unusual for a Crafter to join a Union, you know?
“And this is the alloy. From the right, they are Jade Silver, Blue-Gray Iron, and Lapis Laz. Though, Lapis Laz will not be publicly announced,” I said.
“Why not?” the Dwarf asked.
“Try it out with Measuring, and if you still want to announce it, then by all means,” I replied.
“Is that so? Very well,” the Dwarf said.
“If you’re going to do any testing, please start with Jade Silver. I think that one is better,” H.R.H. Manalease suggested.
“I’m interested. Grand Crafter’s Master, I apologize, but please proceed,” H.R.H. Reinhard said.
H.R.H. Reinhard, and especially H.R.H. Manalease, looked very interested. H.R.H. Reinhard, being a High Elf, was naturally curious about new metals.
“Understood. Aeris, Cathy, I’ll need your help too,” H.R.H. Reinhard said.
“That seems like the best course of action,” my mother Aeris replied.
“Indeed. ‘Measuring.’ Huh!?”
My mother Aeris, who used Measuring first, was astonished and froze.
“W-What did you say…?”
“This is… quite something…”
My father and Catherine were also surprised. I wanted to see their faces.
“Wh-What is it?” H.R.H. Manalease asked.
“H.R.H. Manalease, you are aware of the numerical values representing Magic Strength, Hardness, and Magic Conductivity for metals, aren’t you?” I asked.
“Of course. Iron is all 5s, magic silver is 6, 5, 8, was it?” H.R.H. Manalease recalled.
It’s not strange for someone who isn’t a Crafter to not know the numerical values of metals, but His Majesty is a Crafter, so perhaps that’s why she knew related things.
“That’s right. However, this Jade Silver has astonishing values of 7, 7, 8,” I replied.
“What!?” H.R.H. Elis exclaimed.
“Th-That’s comparable to Adamantine Steel, isn’t it?” H.R.H. Maruca added.
“Considering the magic conductivity, it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s superior to Adamantine Steel,” I stated.
H.R.H. Manalease and H.R.H. Reinhard were greatly surprised by the unexpected figures. We still had two more to go, so they should save their astonishment for later.
“So, does that mean the other two are also…?” H.R.H. Manalease ventured.
“Following the order, next is this Blue-Gray Iron. ‘Measuring.’ Huh!?”
“This Blue-Gray Iron is 7, 8, 6…”
“The magic strength is slightly lower, but it’s a complete upper-tier replacement for Adamantine Steel. Considering that, perhaps Jade Silver is an upper-tier replacement for magic silver?” my mother Aeris suggested.
“My father’s Crafter’s Guild and Feel’s Guild think the same. Father, I’ll tell you the weights since you didn’t measure them: Jade Silver is 600, and Blue-Gray Iron is 2200,” I informed them.
“My, my… Indeed, it can be safely called an upper-tier replacement…” my father conceded.
Since compatibility is important, weight is also a crucial factor.
“Usability has already been confirmed by Yamato and the others at Holy Grave and Feel’s High Order, but I’ll tell you about that after you’ve seen Lapis Laz,” I said.
“Lapis Laz… the final ingot,” H.R.H. Manalease murmured.
“Given the performance of Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron, I’m almost afraid to see it,” H.R.H. Elis admitted.
“But we must see it. ‘Measuring.’ …Ahhh~”
My father let out a deep sigh the moment he saw it. I wondered, “What kind of reaction is that?”
“Wh-What is it?” H.R.H. Manalease asked.
“Your Highness, this Lapis Laz metal is incredible!”
“Th-That much?”
“Yes. After all, Lapis Laz has values of 8, 8, 7, which is the same as Divine Metal!”
“What!?”
“Or, Divine Metal!?”
“Is that… really true?”
My mother and Catherine, having surpassed shock, had become calm.
“It’s true. Ed, what does this mean?” my father asked.
“The alloy is a technique from a different world that mixes different metals. Yamato and Prim asked me to make it when they were still High Class, and I thought that if I could create it, I might be able to create an alloy with performance close to Divine Metal, so I experimented with it,” I explained.
“I myself didn’t expect it to reach this level of performance,” I added.
Yamato apparently thought the performance would be around that of Jade Silver. I also didn’t expect to actually be able to create an alloy comparable to Divine Metal, so I understood Yamato’s feelings.
“The manufacturing method is detailed here, but simply put, I mixed magic silver and Adamantine Steel with Crystal Silver. Father, will you still announce Lapis Laz even after this?” I asked.
“Announce this? Impossible!” my father replied without a moment’s hesitation. He seemed to understand how incredible Lapis Laz was, but that’s to be expected of a Grand Crafter’s Master.
“Furthermore, if Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron aren’t announced and introduced simultaneously, things will get quite problematic,” my mother Aeris pointed out.
“I have also received instructions regarding that from Feel’s Crafter’s Master. However, the decision on how to proceed rests with you,” I said.
“Lend it to me,” my father said, snatching the written opinion from Laberna from me and immediately began reading.
” …I see. Using that magic tool, to simultaneously announce it to Amister’s Crafter’s Guild, prioritize the preparation of Jade Silver, and equip the Order’s Guild with it. Given the possibility of war with Retisencia, this is indeed the top priority,” my father declared.
“That does seem like the best course of action,” H.R.H. Elis agreed.
“Right. But before that, we’ll need to inform His Majesty, won’t we?” my father asked.
“I am scheduled to have an audience with His Majesty later, and I intend to report it then. Oh, and incidentally, this is for you as a souvenir,” I said, handing over the appraised ingots to my fathers. I had considered what to do with Lapis Laz, but Yamato and the others said it would be good for a Grand Crafter’s Master to have one, so I indulged him.
“That’s helpful. Having the actual item will make explanations easier,” my mother Catherine said.
“We will store Lapis Laz with the utmost care, however,” my father added.
“Right. Oh, I almost forgot. Ed, how is its usability?” my father asked.
I had almost forgotten too. In a way, this was the most important part. H.R.H. Reinhard was also keenly interested, looking at me with expectant eyes.
“Blue-Gray Iron has only been used by Holy Grave, and they reported no issues. Jade Silver was used by these two until recently, and it also functioned normally. Lapis Laz goes without saying,” I replied.
“S-So, if Ancient Class could use it without any problems, then High Class can use it too, right?” H.R.H. Reinhard asked, his interest piqued. Considering he’s a High Elf, it was understandable. He must have changed weapons many times.
“If Ancient Class can use it for everyday purposes without issue, then this will truly change things,” H.R.H. Elis exclaimed.
“Indeed. High Class individuals already frequently replace their weapons, and it’s said they suppress their magic power even in normal situations. But with Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron, not only will they no longer need to replace their weapons, but they also won’t need to suppress their magic power,” my father explained.
“Actually, the Orc Queen was successfully defeated by 13 individuals from Holy Grave’s High Class and High Order, so there’s no doubt that combat power will increase,” I added.
“A Catastrophe Species with only 13 people!?” H.R.H. Elis exclaimed in surprise. But these individuals are on another level entirely.
“A-And the Orc Queen is a P-C Rank Monster, isn’t it? It’s considered one of the highest ranks in Amister… to be able to defeat it with such a small number means that the combat power and survival rate of Hunters and Orders will undoubtedly increase…” my father mused.
Feel’s Guild had told me the same thing. In reality, it was also due to the cooperation between Holy Grave and High Order, but still, they were able to defeat a Catastrophe Species with fewer people than conventionally thought. They believe they can deal with Anomaly Species with even fewer people, and they want to distribute them to Orders and Hunters as soon as possible, according to the Hunter’s Guild. Fortunately, Feel’s High Class only consists of the Hunter’s Master and Holy Grave, so they won’t be rushed for a while.
Also, Yamato,” I said.
“Ah. Actually, I was planning to give this to H.R.H. Reinhard if I could get engaged to H.R.H. Yuriana,” Yamato revealed.
“To me?” H.R.H. Reinhard asked, surprised.
“Yes. Since you’re a High Elf, you must have trouble finding weapons, and as you will be my brother-in-law, I thought this would be appropriate,” Yamato said.
With that, Yamato took out a sword made of Lapis Laz, forged for H.R.H. Reinhard, from his storage. While my grandfather was forging it, I thought it looked incredibly flashy.
“Th-This is!”
“Amazing… what a luxurious sword,” H.R.H. Elis commented.
“Not just the decoration, the color is flashy too. You’re giving this to Rei?” H.R.H. Maruca asked.
H.R.H. Reinhard, H.R.H. Elis, and H.R.H. Maruca were captivated. I believe the performance is not much different from Yamato’s katana or Prim’s spear, given my grandfather put his all into forging it.
“Yes. This is a sword forged from Lapis Laz, commissioned from Richard. Fortunately, Richard knew your quirks and preferences, H.R.H. Reinhard, so he said he made a good one,” Yamato explained.
“Master Richard? And using Lapis Laz… Is it truly alright for me to use it?” H.R.H. Reinhard asked.
“That’s precisely why I commissioned it,” Yamato replied.
H.R.H. Reinhard accepted the sword with trembling hands and drew it from its scabbard.
“Beautiful… My father’s forged swords are also wonderful, but this is truly a work by Master Richard,” he said.
“My apologies to His Majesty, but as expected of His Majesty’s master,” H.R.H. Elis commented.
“Indeed. I wish I could have one too,” H.R.H. Manalease added.
If I had had time, I would have forged one for H.R.H. Manalease, H.R.H. Elis, and H.R.H. Maruca as well, but I didn’t have enough time or Adamantine Steel. Also, since the three of them had not yet evolved to High Class, there was no need to rush.
“Thank you. This is the best gift,” H.R.H. Reinhard said gratefully.
“How enviable,” H.R.H. Manalease murmured.
“I apologize. Part of the reason is that we’re running low on Adamantine Steel, but more importantly, we didn’t have enough time, so we couldn’t prepare yours,” Yamato explained remorsefully.
H.R.H. Manalease, H.R.H. Elis, and H.R.H. Maruca looked at the sword gifted to H.R.H. Reinhard with great envy. H.R.H. Elis uses a rapier, H.R.H. Maruca uses two hand axes, and H.R.H. Manalease uses a multi-jointed sword, which is also a factor. A rapier might not have been impossible, but that would have created its own set of problems, so we left it for now.
“Hmm. In that case, Ed, can Lapis Laz be made if you have the materials?” my father asked.
“It can be made, but it consumes quite a bit of magic power. The limit is about five per day,” I replied.
“Does it consume that much magic power even for you? Ed, how about Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron?” H.R.H. Manalease asked.
“We can make over twenty of those,” I said. The magic power inefficiency is one of the reasons Lapis Laz cannot be publicly disclosed. It would be quite difficult for my Dwarf father, let alone my Fairy mother or Lamia mother.
“H.R.H. Elis uses a rapier, H.R.H. Maruca uses hand axes, and H.R.H. Manalease uses a multi-jointed sword. Therefore, we will need at least ten,” my father said, deep in thought. I suspected he was planning to have me prepare Lapis Laz so he could forge them himself. But that idea was wishful thinking!
“Sorry, Father. I have prepared about ten ingots of Lapis Laz, but they are scheduled for presentation to His Majesty. So, I believe His Majesty will forge them,” I informed him.
“Wh-What did you say!?”
This will use up the reserves, and Feel has almost no Adamantine Steel left. So, when we leave, I’ll need to buy Adamantine Steel not only in the Royal Capital but also in other cities.
“You, you fiend, Ed! Are you intentionally preventing your father from using it!?” my father exclaimed.
“I already gave you one; you can forge something with that,” I retorted.
“I can only make a dagger with that!”
“What a noisy father. Since it can’t be publicly announced, just give up already,” I thought to myself.
