With the contract for currency exchange finalized and the paperwork cleared, I strolled through the headquarters of the Epic Seekers.
Now that I was back, I decided to do something I could only accomplish here.
My immediate goal was to become stronger.
Becoming stronger would make dungeon exploration easier and allow me to handle more dangers. It was also necessary for the inevitable battle against Palinkron.
To grow stronger, I adopted a game-like mindset.
And then, I chose the method of acquiring weapons and armor. In other words, “equipment” gathering.
It’s the royal road, the fundamentals. If this were a game, it’s common for certain objectives to be impossible without proper gear.
Until now, I hadn’t had much decent equipment due to lack of funds, connections, or time. Also, as someone who prioritized evasion, I felt having nothing was better than wearing something shoddy.
However, Rowen’s ore provided a means to acquire a large sum of money. I also had plenty of time during my sea voyage. And there were many companions who would need equipment.
Now should be the time to finally address the equipment I’d been putting off.
As I walked towards the Epic Seekers’ workshop, I snorted.
With the increased peace of mind, the gamer within me was surfacing. Currently, I was enjoying the act of “equipment” gathering.
I entered the workshop with high spirits and opened the door.
It was the same cluttered space as before.
In the back, a long-haired man was swinging a hammer. It was Alivers.
However, there was also a small girl sitting on the edge of the desk next to him.
The small girl—Sera—noticed my arrival and exclaimed upon seeing my face.
“M-Master?! Master, isn’t it! Are you returning to ‘Epic Seekers’ after all?! You are, aren’t you!?”
“No, I’m not returning to ‘Epic Seekers.’ However, I do intend to visit occasionally to check in. I’m here discreetly today, so please be quiet…”
“Yes! I’ll be quiet!!”
She hopped off the desk and stood at attention.
I left Sera to her own devices and greeted Alivers.
“Haha, it’s the Master. You’ve returned rather quickly.”
“I’ll be relying on you again, Alivers.”
Alivers welcomed me without much surprise.
He was a craftsman with a unique sensibility. Such a sudden visit didn’t seem to faze him.
“I’ve come today because I want to get some new equipment. It includes gear for my companions, so it will be quite a bit.”
I brought up the topic while browsing the armor displayed in the workshop.
“I see. So you’ve seriously started thinking about procuring weapons and armor. That’s good, Master. I always thought, seeing you fight in those dingy clothes, that I could prepare much better equipment for you.”
“D-Dingy…?”
“Certainly not the attire befitting the leader of an organization. Your coat is tattered, and your shoes are barely recognizable.”
“As long as they’re usable. Besides, I have a bit of an attachment to them.”
“Heh, that’s one of your strengths, Master… But I suppose you can’t afford to be so casual anymore?”
“Yes, I’ve been delving into dungeons again, and I’ve felt a slight lack of power. Therefore, I’ve come to re-evaluate my most basic equipment first.”
“Excellent. If you need them immediately, you can take what’s on display. Any weapon or armor would be happy to be used by you, Master. Of course, I will charge you for them.”
“Thank you.”
While Alivers resumed his work with his hammer, I examined the pieces displayed in the workshop. I walked around, also “gazing” at all the equipment in the storage area in the back.
However, I couldn’t find any equipment that suited my eyes.
Ideally, I wanted something like the black armor the Percona-san wore during the Dance Battle Tournament.
More importantly, there were few items that fit. I was fortunate, but there was only a tiny amount of children’s-sized gear for Dia, Maria, and Reaper.
“Now that I think about it, half of my companions are children-sized…”
“That’s right. Among the children who cheered for you in Valfala, there were some around Sera’s age.”
“Yes. Ideally, I’d like equipment in Sera’s size.”
My goal today was my own enhancement. However, I calmly understood that prioritizing equipment for Dia and Maria, who were in the rear, was more important.
Then, as I glanced at Sera, the excited girl was trying to take off her top.
“Master, do you need this outfit?! Of course, I’ll give it to you! Shall I take it off!?”
“Wait! While I do want what you’re wearing now, you don’t need to take it off! So don’t take it off!”
Upon “gazing” at it, Sera’s outfit turned out to be quite a remarkable item.
—Garment of White Stone Thread
Defense 3, Magic Resistance 3—
“If you want it, please have it! My freshly taken-off clothes! Please, Master!!”
“It’s not your freshly taken-off clothes I want! Just stop it, don’t take it off! Stop! Be quiet again!”
I had let my guard down after not seeing her for a while.
Even among the Epic Seekers, she was one of the more unreasonable ones. And she wasn’t even the top one, which made the Epic Seekers a terrifying place.
“Y-Yes. Understood… Unfortunately, I’ll give up this time…”
Restrained, Sera became quiet like a scolded puppy.
Wiping sweat from my brow, I resumed my conversation with Alivers.
“I know their sizes, so may I place an order now? I’d like something with decent defense, from top to bottom.”
“Of course. If you know the sizes, I can make anything.”
Incidentally, I had already grasped their measurements in “Dimension.”
I hadn’t intended to, but it gradually became known through our long association. This was information that absolutely had to be kept secret from Sera, who tended to overreact.
“And, these are the magic stones from the new floor. If possible, I’d like you to use these.”
“Hmm… You’ve brought rare magic stones again. Are you sure I’m the right person for this?”
“You’re the only blacksmith I know, Alivers…”
“However, from here on out, even if you bring more rare magic stones, there will come a time when my skills won’t be able to bring out their full potential. I consider myself reasonably skilled, but I’m still just a blacksmith in a guild. I think you’d be better off asking a more prominent and famous blacksmith…”
“But, in the Allied Nations, I’m practically a wanted person… If I go somewhere conspicuous and get found by the Walker family, it would be troublesome…”
“Hmm, things are not as you wish, are they… You can’t go even if you want to…”
Yes.
You can’t go even if you want to…
As I savored those words, I looked at my status and pondered, then an excellent idea struck me.
Yesterday, during training with Rustiara, a combat specialist, I had acquired the skill “Magic Combat.” This meant I just needed to repeat the same process.
There was no need to go anywhere else.
Right now, from here, I could compete with blacksmithing specialists and acquire the skill “Blacksmithing.”
Having obtained “Knitting” and “Deception,” and knowing Alivers’ past advice was true, it was worth a try.
“…Alivers, is there anything I can help you with?”
“H-help? Master, you’re an amateur, aren’t you? I can leave simple heavy labor to you, but…”
Alivers’ face contorted in displeasure.
It seemed I was too hasty. While I had a prospect for skill acquisition with “Parallel Thinking,” Alivers wouldn’t understand that.
To practice, I first needed to acquire the basic techniques.
“—’Dimension – Multiple Expansion’.”
I knew the locations of all the workshops in Laura Via, and where the skilled blacksmiths were. For me, who had guarded Laura Via as the master of “Epic Seekers,” this country was like my backyard.
Mentally saying “Excuse me for intruding,” I tracked the movements of all the blacksmiths. Then, I grasped and memorized all their actions.
It was the same as following sword strokes. Compared to Rowen, they were quite slow, so I thought it would be easy.
Moving through the workshop in parallel, I retrieved what I was looking for.
“These are reference materials… May I read them?”
“Ah, yes, you may.”
Alivers, who was a former mage, noticed the abnormal amount of magic I was emitting.
He nodded, albeit with some apprehension.
I took out all the books on blacksmithing and stacked them in a corner of the workshop. Then, I handed a few of them to the idle Sera and asked her.
“Sera, could you turn the pages for me?”
“Eh, turn…?”
“I’ll be reading them together with magic. Is that okay?”
“…? U-Understood! I’ll turn them! I’ll do my best!”
Though she didn’t seem to fully understand the meaning, Sera grabbed the books with determination. She turned the pages quite quickly, but for me now, it was manageable.
Having surpassed the third guardian battle, my level and status had increased, and my processing capacity had further improved. I read multiple books as if I were several people.
I also turned the pages with both hands. While cramming blacksmithing knowledge, I simultaneously stole glances at the techniques of blacksmiths throughout Laura Via.
The immense processing of information caused my body to emit high heat.
I was surprised by the sheer number of processes involved in making a single sword.
Everything was an unknown world to me, who hadn’t even understood the difference between casting and forging. The string of unfamiliar words made my head spin. And the unique movements of blacksmiths were different from imitating sword techniques. What started as a lighthearted endeavor to acquire a skill required no cutting of corners.
With “Dimension” and “Parallel Thinking” at full power, my MP and stamina were being depleted at an alarming rate.
But thanks to that, my understanding gradually progressed.
The fundamentals of the “Blacksmithing” profession, the way of thinking. How to use the tools and equipment in the workshop, how to handle the furnace. How to strike with the hammer, how to nurture the fire. All the processes and techniques—
—Innate Skill: Swordsmanship 4.89, Ice Magic 2.58 + 1.10
Acquired Skill: Martial Arts 1.56, Dimensional Magic 5.25 + 0.10, Sensation 3.56, Parallel Thinking 1.47
Knitting 1.07, Deception 1.34, Magic Combat 0.72, Blacksmithing 0.69
??? ???
??? ???
—Several hours passed, and I swayed unsteadily.
However, when I checked my status, I found the skill “Blacksmithing” indeed listed.
With a wry smile, I asked Alivers.
“…I know this is absurd. Alivers, please let me help you a little.”
“You’re emitting the same amount of magic as during the final match of the ‘Dance Battle Tournament,’ so I can’t refuse that statement. Besides, it’s Master’s order, so I wasn’t going to refuse from the start.”
“Thank you… Ah, Sera, please keep turning the pages. I’m still reading.”
I let the flustered Sera continue turning pages.
Then, as if walking through the workshop I had used for years, I picked up blacksmithing tools and began assisting Alivers with his work.
Of course, it wasn’t immediately smooth. Seeing it and doing it were entirely different matters. One could even say they were in different dimensions.
However, the learned experience was also on a different level. I quickly made adjustments for the slightest discrepancies. Fortunately, Dimensional Magic “Dimension” was ideal for fine-tuning movements down to the sub-millimeter.
Sensing Alivers’ gaze and muscle usage beside me, I anticipated his desires. I commanded my body to move with maximum efficiency, utilizing all the knowledge I had gained. Simultaneously, I continued to absorb knowledge. Not just from books, but also from the furnace temperature and the timing of iron striking iron. And then, feeling the heat on my skin, striking iron with my own arms—moving exactly like the skilled blacksmiths in Laura Via.
After about an hour of assisting, Alivers’ work reached a lull, and we took a break.
“…I see, I’m starting to understand a little. Blacksmithing is profound.”
I uttered my honest impression.
“Our Master is handling blacksmithing tools with the skill of a mid-level blacksmith in just a few tens of minutes…”
“Yes, I have confidence in my dexterity.”
Beside the awestruck Alivers, I offered my usual excuse.
“As expected, Master! Unlike me, you’re incredibly dexterous!”
Sera believed my childishly honest words. I was starting to worry about her future.
“My, that’s not just dexterity. It’s something far more terrifying. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped since you’re Master… Teiri said something similar. Heh, heh, heh…”
Alivers chuckled, his cheeks flushed with admiration.
As expected, their hero worship was abnormal.
While his techniques were being brazenly “stolen,” Alivers looked at me with shining eyes. He seemed to believe that this was natural, as his Master was a “Hero.”
Confirming that I hadn’t wounded Alivers’ pride as a blacksmith, I shamelessly made further requests.
“…I feel like trying to make something simple.”
“Ah, well, Master, you probably can make it now, —terribly so. You don’t need to hold back, you can make something here right now.”
Alivers said “terribly so” with a look of amusement.
“After all, magic items are readily usable for immediate enhancement, aren’t they?”
“No, magic items take time too. Engraving magic circuits takes a considerable amount of time… —or it should, but perhaps it’s easy for you, Master?”
“The more detailed the work, the better I am at it.”
This was thanks to my stats specializing in technique and speed. Also, it might be because I was good at such things even before coming to this world.
“Magic items are my specialty, so it might be the easiest to teach. Alright, shall we try? What kind of shape will it be? Anything like a bracelet or accessory is fine. Necklaces and hair ornaments are also okay.”
“Let’s start with something easy and quick. What’s the simplest?”
“Hmm, rings are the smallest, so they’d be the fastest. Since they’re small, there’s a lot of intricate work involved, but it seems Master can handle it.”
Ring.
The word brought Mr. Hein to mind. His younger brother, Rainer, also favored them.
“Rings seem convenient. Please let me try.”
“Ah, sure. Let’s give it a shot. Will you be infusing it with your Ice Magic?”
“No, I’m thinking of infusing it with a different magic.”
Thus began my first attempt at crafting a magic item.
First, I needed to create the core magic stone.
“So, Master, do you have knowledge of magic circuits?”
Magic circuits.
They were a textual representation of the mechanism of magic used by people. By passing magic power through them, smooth magic activation became possible. Of course, simply passing magic power through wasn’t enough. The user’s understanding of and compatibility with the magic circuit were also important.
The highest grade of magic stones with engraved magic circuits were the ones Maria had drunk in the past, such as “Fly Fire” and “Impulse.”
Magic and magic circuits were different fields.
Just because one was good at magic didn’t mean they were good at magic circuits. It was like being good at sports but not necessarily knowledgeable about sports science or health and physical education.
But fortunately, I had a researcher’s disposition from the start.
“Yes, I have a fair amount.”
When it came to understanding magic, there was no one better than a dimensional mage.
For example, “Dimension Winter,” a magic I devised, was something I came up with from scratch. I understood its entire magic construction—the basis of its magic circuits—without reservation.
Converting it into text was a laborious task, but with “Dimension,” I now had a dictionary constantly accessible in my mind. If I took the time, I could convert it into magic circuits and engrave them into a magic stone.
I shifted the directionality of “Dimension” and moved from blacksmithing knowledge to magic circuit knowledge.
“And I have a collaborator.”
“Collaborator…?”
Saying that, I took out the “Aris Family’s Treasure Sword Rowen.”
When it came to manipulating ores, “The One Who Steals Earthly Principles” was second to none. And the experience of fighting “The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire” made me adept at handling fire.
Fire and iron. I was confident in these two crucial elements for blacksmithing.
“Is that the sword left by that crystal swordsman—?”
“Yes.”
“—Understood. Then, let’s prepare to engrave the circuits into the magic stone.”
Magic stones and tools were laid out on the workbench.
I shaved down the prepared magic stone and began to have another magic stone melted and poured into it.
It required immense concentration. If I had to do it without “Dimension,” I would get goosebumps just thinking about it. I now understood why magic stones with engraved magic circuits sold for such high prices.
These stones were placed on the shelves after skilled artisans spent long hours and immense effort.
I continued the work, where deviating even a millimeter was unacceptable, without a single pause.
With large drops of sweat falling, I pushed “Dimension” to its limit and managed to engrave the circuits.
“—It’s looking good. I’ll prepare the ring here. I’ve incorporated a trigger circuit that can be activated by magic, so this will complete it soon.”
“Thank you.”
I chose earth-attribute magic for the magic circuit.
Then, while interfering with the ore using “Quarts,” I flawlessly combined the magic stone and the ring with “Dimension,” completing a powerful magic item.
—Ring: Crystal Shield
A ring that held the power of “Quartz Shield”—
“It’s… done…!”
“It’s magnificent, Master. To create a top-class magic item in the country in just a few hours… I’m in awe! I can’t help but laugh…!”
Alivers was also excited upon seeing the finished ring.
“No, it’s thanks to Alivers’ help.”
“More importantly, it looks amazing! It retains the pure image of crystal, yet it’s adorned with splendid decorations!”
“If I didn’t make it flashy, Alivers would look so sad, I didn’t want that.”
Honestly, I didn’t want excessive ornamentation. However, Alivers’ constant gaze compelled me to add unnecessary details.
I had no sense of design for rings, so I simply mimicked the engagement rings of my parents from memory. However, that design seemed to strike a chord with Alivers.
“How should I put it… A ring that is pure yet captivating… It’s truly a legendary ring forged by a ‘Hero’…”
“I’m glad it turned out that way then…”
As we confirmed the quality of the completed item, a voice called out from behind us.
“You’re late!”
It was Reaper.
She had also come here through “Connection.”
Now that I thought about it, several hours had passed since morning. She might have come because she was worried about me.
“I can’t eat lunch if big brother doesn’t come home! So, please come home quickly!”
Reaper placed her hand on her stomach and complained.
It seemed her primary concern was her own hunger.
Alivers and I exchanged glances and nodded.
“That’s enough for today. Thank you for your help.”
“In the end, we only made one ring. If there’s anything else you want, feel free to come again. For today, please take whatever weapons and armor from the workshop you need. I’ll have the ordered items ready by your next visit.”
I took the completed ring and casually picked out some usable items. Naturally, I paid for them.
Then, after thanking Sera, I left the workshop. Sera was still energetic until the end.
However, as I headed towards the office through “Connection,” I thought it would be better if she wasn’t there the next time I visited.
