The weapons and armor I bought at Albert Workshop fit me better than I expected.
The weapon with the crudely attached Crystal Silver felt a bit off, but it was still better than the Iron Sword I bought at Zack’s.
Though, I ended up breaking most of that weapon in just a day…
The armor is incredibly light and highly defensive, as it’s made with Feather Drake leather and Magic Silver plating.
I think I made some good purchases.
Currently, Albert Workshop, or rather Ed, is in negotiations with the Crafter’s Guild to create the alloy of Magic Silver, Crystal Silver, and Adamantine Steel that I proposed yesterday.
Marina seems to be handling the actual negotiations, so I’m not too worried, but to avoid them copying us, we’re going through with it under the guise of creating weapons for our reward. I don’t think procurement will be difficult.
I really hope it goes well. If it’s successful, I want them to make both weapons and armor out of that alloy.
“Well, that’s a story for after this request is finished,” I said.
“A story about what?”
Prim looked at me with a puzzled expression.
We’re currently at the foot of the Mylight Mountains.
The Feather Drake’s habitat is a forest about four hours north of Feel. Heading towards the mountain peak from there is the closest route.
There are other routes to the summit, but they involve Orc settlements and consecutively impassable terrain, making the Mylight Mountains one of Helios Orb’s most difficult areas.
Normally, this isn’t a place two people would tackle; it’s meant for parties of ten or more. But since we can’t trust the Hunters of Feel, we have no choice.
They could stab us in the back, let alone be a hindrance.
“Still, the scenery is beautiful. It’s hard to believe there are Orc settlements and An here,” Prim said.
“Yeah. That being said, it’s not like there aren’t monsters here,” I replied.
Indeed, a few Orcs and about ten Lake Bees lay scattered at our feet.
Lake Bees are bee monsters that inhabit lakes. They’re about 50 centimeters long with blue bodies and attack with the poison sting hidden in their abdomens.
Like bees, they fly, but their coloration also serves as camouflage, and they can swim through water as if flying. Because their camouflage makes them hard to see underwater, fishermen are sometimes fatally stung, making them creatures fishermen like Marina despise. Their poison is a paralyzing agent used to capture prey and can render a victim unable to move a single finger, making even antidote potions ineffective. While the paralyzing poison is troublesome, it has little effect on those with high Magic Power or on powerful monsters. They aren’t particularly strong individually, so they’re classified as C-N rank monsters. Because of this, despite being C-N rank, their buyback price is a low 500 El, so not many Hunters actively hunt them.
“I’ve never seen a Lake Bee before, but they’re smaller than I imagined,” Prim said.
There are other bee species like Forest Bees, Feather Bees, and Killer Bees, but while other bee species are nearly a meter in size, Lake Bees are only about half that. It’s said this is because their primary habitat is small lakes and ponds. I vaguely recall a quest to hunt the rare Silent Bee. I guess if we encounter them, we’ll just hunt them then.
“Big or small, they’re still monsters, aren’t they? More importantly, is this the right place?” I asked.
“Based on what I heard at the Hunter’s Guild, it should be around here. The forest starts to spread out from this area, and the atmosphere changes, so I’m sure of it,” Prim confirmed.
Right. This forest is, naturally, a monster’s nest, and Orcs have settlements around the halfway point up the mountain. Further up is the Feather Drake’s nest, where the Evil Drake is believed to be. Viscount Archlight’s subordinates were investigating the Orc settlement in our stead when they witnessed a large shadow attack the village. I heard they reported, trembling, that the shadow, the Evil Drake, ravaged the settlement, devoured the Orcs, and then leisurely returned to the summit. Of course, there’s a possibility it’s a Winged Drake, a rare species, but since the Evil Drake is described as a massive creature with poisonous purple feathers, the possibility of misidentification is slim.
The Evil Drake is ranked somewhere between G and I. Being an An, it’s considered equivalent to P-rank, and considering it can fly, it’s speculated to be even higher. Hunting a G-rank monster requires multiple hunters, even for G-rank Hunters, and P-rank Hunters cannot defeat them alone. Linus mentioned that if we were to fail and die, all the G-rank Hunters in Amister might be summoned. Though, I have no intention of losing.
More problematic is the fact that the Evil Drake has likely grown to a mass of nearly 10 meters. Feather Drakes are 1-2 meters, and even the rare Winged Drake is 2-3 meters. Previously, defeated Evil Drakes averaged around 5 meters, suggesting this one has lived in Mylight for quite some time. While Viscount Archlight’s subordinates provided this information, it’s likely several Hunters have confirmed the Evil Drake’s presence. In fact, it seems to have been sighted around last year. At that time, it disappeared and no hunt request was issued. It’s highly suspicious that the decision not to issue a request was made by the High Human, Saches Trennel, who is apparently the Hunter’s Master. It’s probably the same individual sighted last year. Also, this Evil Drake seems to appear at extremely convenient times for the Hunter’s Master.
“Indeed. I heard the Hunters who claimed to have seen it were from Feel. They coincidentally encountered it and suffered heavy losses, but the Hunter’s Master didn’t take it seriously. Instead, they issued an investigation request to other Hunters and submitted an investigation report stating there were no issues,” Prim said.
“Right. The high-ranking Hunters from Feel who were angered by this organized their own hunting party and went into Mylight, but not a single one returned. Naturally, questions arose about the Hunter’s Master’s response, but at the same time, a band of thieves began plaguing the Feel area, causing the issue to be swept under the rug.”
The absence of Hunters from Feel isn’t solely due to their failure to reclaim the Mylight mine. Feel is located at the foot of the Mylight Mountains, and while Orcs inhabit the area, Feather Drakes sometimes descend. There was even a Raid that specifically hunted Feather Drakes. That Raid included several High Class members, one of whom was apparently a G-rank Hunter. However, that Raid never returned after heading to hunt the Evil Drake. Afterward, a group of Hunters who had failed elsewhere started causing trouble in Feel. Then, during the Mylight mine reclamation request half a month ago, all the Hunters from Feel were wiped out, leading to the current situation. There are even rumors that some were killed by those Hunters, which is unbelievable.
“Was it called the Cerberus Fang?” I asked.
“Ah, yes. It’s the largest Raid in Feel. They had nearly 30 members, and their leader was over level 40,” Prim replied.
Those rumored Hunters are a Raid called Cerberus Fang, with an average level in the high thirties. I heard they’re in cahoots with the Raid that accompanied the Hunter’s Master as guards, so that confirms they’re not decent people. They were the ones who accosted us when we checked into the Silver Ore Inn.
“It’s concerning that we’re at the same inn. I’d like to deal with them as soon as possible,” Prim said.
“I couldn’t agree more. Showing them my License might have been a mistake,” I admitted.
When the female Hunter confronted me, I showed her my License. Because of that, our levels and ranks have spread throughout all the Hunters in Feel. Since then, the other Hunters avoid making eye contact with us. My License is a copy of some of the information from the Library, and it’s impossible to forge, so no one doubts our levels and ranks. Of course, they might try something underhanded, but if they do, we’ll crush them completely. I don’t care if they lose their lives as a result.
“Well, let’s get going,” I said.
“Right. Ideally, we should reach the halfway point by today,” Prim replied.
“Indeed. Even if we have to camp, we won’t complete the request if we don’t climb, and our preparations will be in vain.”
I know. We can’t stay here forever, so let’s go.
It’s been quite some time since we started climbing Mylight, and we’re still only about halfway up. We arrived at the foot of the mountain past noon, so it’s been over six hours already. The sun is starting to set, so any further climbing would be too dangerous. We’ve come across a conveniently open area with good visibility, so we’ll camp here for the night.
We’ve defeated countless monsters, including Orcs and Feather Drakes, and even a few Winged Drakes have been stored. There’s a theory that the presence of An leads to the birth of rare species, and I think that theory is correct.
For dinner, we had bread and a stew made with Lake Rabbit meat. Despite being called rabbits, they taste like chicken and are quite delicious. Lake Rabbits are T-rank monsters that inhabit the shores of lakes and are a popular ingredient in Feel, but they have the drawback of not being suitable for preservation. It’s not an issue for us since we have Storage, but the usual preserved foods are dried meats and the like.
After finishing dinner, I washed the dishes with Supplication Magic and stored them. I then entered the tent. Prim was on guard first, and we planned to switch later. I can’t stay awake indefinitely. Although called a tent, it’s actually a wooden box, two meters square. However, due to its Mirroring enchantment, three people can sleep comfortably inside. Even without Storage, it can be carried with Storage Bags or Mirror Bags, so many Hunters seem to favor it. Since it’s made to order, it can’t be bought off the shelf. We also requested it from the Crafter’s Guild and received it yesterday. At that time, we were asked to gather Feather Drake materials. Incidentally, this tent, or rather,簡易 cottage, costs 10,000 El.
I actually wanted to buy a Beast Carriage, but it won’t be ready anytime soon, and I want it custom-made. Besides, there are issues with the beast pulling it, so even if I order one, it will be a while.
“Alright, I’m going to get some sleep. Wake me up immediately if anything happens,” I said.
Just in case, I gave her a Water Magic Stone with Sonar Wave engraved on it, so I don’t think we’ll be ambushed.
“I understand,” Prim replied.
Looking at my watch, it was just past nine o’clock. Since we’re the only two here, one person has to stand guard, but that’s unavoidable. Still, staying up all night would make tomorrow difficult. It’s summer, so sunrise is around five o’clock, meaning our shift change would be around one o’clock. That means I can sleep for four hours. If we start moving at five, Prim will also have slept for four hours, but I don’t intend to wake her up. If I go to sleep first, Prim will naturally sleep later. But since there’s no set departure time, it’s fine if she doesn’t sleep the same amount as me. As a man, I don’t want to make a woman overexert herself. It’s only been less than a week since we met, but I’m also attracted to her. It’s the age where I want to act a bit cool.
Ah, I should borrow the Iron Spear when we switch watches. I have a few things I want to try. Thinking about such things, I closed my eyelids.
_Side: Prim_
I was duped…
I went to sleep after switching with Yamato a little past midnight, but when I woke up, it was past seven… It’s my fault for oversleeping, but Yamato could have woken me up… He asked me if I slept well after I overslept, so I know he did it deliberately, yet there’s a part of me that’s happy he was considerate and let me sleep… Could it be that we fell in love at first sight? …That’s probably not it.
“So, did any monsters appear after the watch change?” I asked.
“None at all. Thanks to that, I was able to concentrate on what I wanted to try, but I didn’t expect none to appear, which makes me a little curious,” Yamato replied.
Indeed. It’s not uncommon for Hunters camping out to not be attacked, and in fact, it’s quite normal for Hunters. But this is the middle of the Mylight Mountains, a dangerous area with Orc settlements and close to the Feather Drake’s nest. To go completely undisturbed, conversely, makes me wonder if something is up. Ten times out of ten, I suspect the Evil Drake is the cause. But that’s something we can investigate later if we have the time. For now, I’m more interested in the spear Yamato lent me before going to sleep.
“Hey Yamato, did you finish that thing you were talking about before sleeping?” I inquired.
“I suppose I can say it was successful. I was able to use an Engraving Program with slightly altered settings, so I think it should be fine,” he replied.
With that, Yamato took out the Iron Spear from his Storage. It’s an iron spear I bought at Zack’s, a good one that’s harder than ordinary iron spears. Like weapons and armor, metal products, even those made of the same iron or Magic Silver, can be good or bad. Naturally, the good ones are more expensive, but sometimes sellers don’t realize it, and they’re treated the same as ordinary ones, or even discarded as defective. These are what we call “hits,” and they’re quite high-performing and reliable as weapons. Conversely, “misses” break or chip easily, making them a waste of money.
Yamato mentioned something about “steel” or something before. When I asked, he told me that in his world, there’s a thing called “alloy,” a metal created by mixing metals with different properties. Metals harder and stronger than iron, and that don’t rust, are highly coveted by Hunters. Adamantine Steel is one such example, but it has issues with Magic Power and, more importantly, weight, so it doesn’t suit my fighting style. That’s why I’m very curious and interested to see how the alloy Yamato proposed to Ed yesterday will turn out.
He applied magic to the Iron Spear, calling it a test.
“I tried using the Engraving Program for ‘Fire Arms’ and ‘Fire Lance.’ Fortunately, I managed it with a slight adjustment of the settings, and I think it’s sufficiently practical now,” Yamato explained.
‘Fire Arms’ enhances weapons with magic, and ‘Fire Lance’ focuses and compresses magic into a lance-shaped projectile. Applying it to a spear makes sense, but what does “adjusting the settings” mean?
“With ‘Fire Lance,’ you focus and compress magic into a flame shaped like a lance, right? I adjusted it to concentrate that on the tip enhanced by ‘Fire Arms’ to further increase its penetration power. I also believe I’ve reduced the Magic Power consumption compared to using both spells simultaneously, so it should be fine for everyday use,” Yamato said.
That’s very helpful. Actually, concentrating ‘Fire Lance’ on the tip… the guest’s ideas are amazing. I developed the magic ‘Fire Arms’ as an application of magic enhancement, but I never thought beyond that. Apparently, he applied the engravings using something called a “program,” so it’s activated by channeling Magic Power and imagining it. The term “complete” means that he doesn’t know how much Magic Power I would consume, but it was fine for him to use.
“Since it’s done, I’d like to try using it at least once. Uh, can I?” I asked.
“Of course. That’s why I did it,” Yamato replied.
I’m really looking forward to it. Eagerly, I took the spear from Yamato and slowly channeled my Magic Power into it. The tip glowed red, and a fiery crimson flame manifested. It feels great, and it’s beautiful.
“Amazing…! Even though I’m not channeling that much Magic Power, such a strong flame is appearing…” I exclaimed.
“I haven’t seen many weapons with magic applied to them, so I can’t say for sure, but is it usually different?” Yamato asked.
“Yes. It’s either imbued into the weapon like this spear, or released as is. And the Magic Power consumption is tremendous. Also, even with the same magic applied to different weapons, the effects are usually different. I think it’s because the magic isn’t shaped, so extra Magic Power is being consumed,” I explained.
“I see. So imagination is important for magic infusion too, huh? That’s helpful information for me,” Yamato said.
Yamato applies engravings to Magic Stones and the like. Engraving Magic is said to be a completed set of formulas, so even without imagination, it can be applied with roughly the same performance by following the prescribed steps. However, magic cannot take shape without proper imagination. This is proof that magic is still immature, or rather, in its developmental stages. It’s said that for basic use, imagination is an important factor in Engraving Magic as well, but the Engraving Magic actually in use is governed by law to only allow completed formulas. In terms of knowledge and technique, Helios Orb is completely defeated by Yamato’s world.
“Alright, let’s eat something and then move on,” Yamato said.
“Ah, right,” I replied.
My consciousness was pulled back to reality from my rapturous gaze at the Iron Spear, which Yamato had imbued with magic, my tail wagging intensely. I hadn’t forgotten, but it’s understandable. There are few magic-imbued weapons like this. The reason for imbuing the Iron Spear with magic is that it’s a weapon I can’t normally use, but more importantly, using Extreme Flame Wing would likely cause Magic Power deterioration and breakage within a few uses, or possibly even a single battle. In fact, the long spear I used to defeat the Green Fang broke right after. And of the Mithril Spears I obtained as a previous reward from Albert Workshop, I only have two or three left from hunting.
The long spear was purchased before leaving Valentia, and I had used it quite a bit, so I chose it instinctively against the Green Fang. If I hadn’t defeated it in that one blow, it would have been dangerous. Yamato seems to be thinking of imbuing it into Wing Crest equipment, and I’m incredibly excited. While I probably can’t fly, as a Winged Tribe member, flying is a dream. If I could get Wind Magic imbued to assist me, my dream might come true. Just thinking about it makes my tail wag.
Humans cannot fly. Winged Tribe members can fly to some extent, but free flight is just a dream. Winged species, including Yokai like Harpies and Fairies, and Dragons, can move somewhat freely by riding the wind, but even then, it’s mostly gliding, and it consumes a tremendous amount of stamina and Magic Power. Monsters, on the other hand, can fly freely. If they encounter us in open areas or over the sea, we’re forced into a very disadvantageous battle. It would be easier if we had a familiar that could fly, but some people dislike taking care of familiars, so it’s hard to say. Those same people are the ones who complain unreasonably. However, if Wind Magic is effectively imbued, it might be possible to overcome this disadvantage for Winged Tribe members and winged species exclusively. This would be a revolution in Helios Orb.
Yamato is smiling wryly, but I believe he can do it. I’m aware that my expectations might be too high, but seeing this spear, I can’t help but feel that way, can I?
