The Lapis Laz had finally been completed.
Moreover, it was finished faster than I had anticipated, and its performance was also excellent.
If I could get it made into a weapon, it seemed like I could use it for a considerable time.
“Grandpa, Mr. Talos! It’s finished!” Ed burst into the workshop, beaming with joy.
With an alloy like this finally made, his blacksmith blood must be stirring.
“What is it, Ed? It’s still in progress,” Richard said, looking displeased as he was pulled out of the workshop.
“That’s right. What on earth has been made… Hey Ed. Is that on the table perhaps, the alloy we’ve been working on?”
Richard and Talos, who had been unwillingly dragged out of the workshop, changed their expressions the moment they saw the four ingots on the table.
“Yeah. It’s done,” Ed replied.
“Does ‘done’ mean it turned out to your satisfaction?” Talos asked.
“Yeah. This is it. Take a look,” Ed said.
“Let me see.”
Both of them were brimming with curiosity. Richard and Talos were top-notch blacksmiths, so perhaps the allure of an unknown metal drew them in.
“Incredible… To think that something of this caliber could be made…” Richard marveled.
“This is amazing… Truly revolutionary!” Talos exclaimed.
After finishing their confirmation with measuring tools, their faces were etched with astonishment. Jade Silver and Blue-Gray Iron were superior versions of Magic Silver and Adamantine Steel respectively. Lapis Laz, however, was on par with Divine Metal, and its cost was lower than purchasing Divine Metal. For Amister, the origin of Magic Silver and Crystal Silver, and Valentia, the origin of Adamantine Steel, this manufacturing method was truly revolutionary.
However, there was a problem. A current and ongoing problem at that.
“I understand your desire to report this to the Crafter’s Guild immediately, but given Retysentia’s past machinations, rashly publicizing this could provoke them into more extreme actions than before. Of course, I do want it publicized eventually, but could you please avoid doing so at this particular timing?”
“Retysentia? Wait a minute. What do you mean by that?”
It was impossible to explain everything: that all the hunters who had been causing trouble in Feel were from Retysentia, that hunters had been acting as liaisons for operatives sent from Retysentia’s home country, that Saches Trennel was likely also from Retysentia, and that the Evil Drake we defeated was Saches’s familiar. We understood that, so we had kept silent. However, now that Lapis Laz was completed, and Ed was the only one who could make it, it was becoming dangerous not to inform the members of Albert Workshop.
Therefore, I decided to tell them what we knew, though not everything.
Ed, Marina, Richard, and Talos listened in silence. When I finished speaking, their faces were etched with unconcealable anger.
“They were doing things like that for that purpose?!” Ed exclaimed.
“What a good-for-nothing country Retysentia is. And they were even engaging in grave robbing, that’s beyond ridiculous!” Marina said.
“But it makes a lot of sense now. And to think that the Evil Drake was the familiar of Saches Trennel, the former Hunter’s Master. If someone like that had a familiar, then Black Fenrir and Green Fang moving around wouldn’t have been such a major issue,” Richard mused.
“Indeed. Moreover, Retysentia not only downplays but outright despises Crafters. It’s reached its limit, and the Crafter’s Guild was planning a complete withdrawal from Retysentia soon. If the Crafter’s Guild disappears, it will have a significant impact on the lives of the citizens, but fundamentally, the general populace also looks down on Crafters. Whatever happens to such a country is none of my concern,” Talos declared.
I thought it was just the royal family and nobles, but it was their national character? Come to think of it, the captured hunters had said similar things. So, shifting blame irresponsibly, despising artisans, and even acting as opportunistic thieves weren’t just individual behaviors, but the very national character of Retysentia? It was the complete opposite of Amister, which was peaceful and gentle, with kindhearted people who readily extended a hand to those in trouble. Should they really be annihilated?
“Given the extent of their actions, His Majesty will undoubtedly adopt a firm stance. Furthermore, because they even used hunters, the Hunter’s Guild must surely be their enemy,” Richard stated.
“It’s still unofficial, and nothing has been decided, but the Hunter’s Guild is said to be imposing very strict penalties. In the worst-case scenario, I’ve heard that a withdrawal of the Hunter’s Guild is also being considered,” Marina added.
This was Linus’s prediction. It was a significant issue for the Hunter’s Guild as well, as it had been a conspiracy involving the Hunter’s Master and hunters. It was likely that a report had been made from the Amister headquarters in the Royal Capital to the Alegria General Headquarters, so a decision on the penalties would likely be made soon.
“The Hunter’s Guild too? If that’s the case, the Trader’s Guild will probably withdraw as well. Fortunately, there’s no Healer’s Guild in Retysentia, but the Butler’s Guild is also highly likely to follow suit. I’m not sure about the Priest’s Guild, but even so, if most of the Guilds withdraw, Retysentia will undoubtedly decline,” Richard predicted.
“That’s likely. If they were self-sufficient like Solemne, it would be different, but Retysentia, which relies so heavily on others, cannot cope. Even if they were to wage war, they wouldn’t be able to procure weapons or food, rendering even marching impossible,” Talos concluded.
They look down on them despite depending on them? How had they endured it for so long, the Crafter’s Guild? It was highly likely that their withdrawal would be expedited. Not that I cared.
More importantly, I wanted to commission the crafting of weapons and armor using Lapis Laz. It was difficult to find the right timing to bring it up.
After a while, Mr. Albert and the others at Albert Workshop, having recovered from our bombshell declaration and grudgingly accepted it, were informed that across the Mylight Mountains lay the border with the Retysentia Empire. Furthermore, east of the third tunnel of the Mylight mining site, there was an area where monsters did not approach. It was believed that Retysentia operatives were already present there, and an investigation request involving Prim and me was expected to be issued soon. I hadn’t relayed this information, but it was possible there were other such areas, regions protected by natural barriers. However, the Mylight Mountains were considered one of the most challenging locations in Helios Orb, and ordinary hunters would perish needlessly. Therefore, after things settled down and after the Beast Gear of Jade and Fluorite were completed, we were asked if we could search from the sky for other such areas. If there were Wyverns, the Order’s Guild could also mobilize, but there were no Wyverns in Feel currently. Moreover, Prim and I were the only ones with familiars capable of flying freely in the sky, so for safety reasons, they had no choice but to issue the request to us.
It was better than having no work, but we were still being worked quite hard.
“I apologize. Then, we shall use this Lapis Laz to craft weapons for you two. Is it acceptable to base the shapes on the Mithril Blade and Mithril Halberd?” Richard asked.
“Regarding that, you are already aware that I am a guest, aren’t you?” I replied.
“Indeed, Ed and Marina informed us. While I was surprised, I also understood,” Richard said.
I didn’t understand, but this wasn’t the time to discuss it. I took out the information terminal-shaped portable engraving tool from my storage and displayed an image of a Japanese sword. Although it was an image, it was CG from a game I used to play, so the decorations were quite elaborate.
“Oh, what a beautiful sword,” Richard marveled.
“Indeed, it’s magnificent. So, weapons like this exist in Yamato’s world,” Talos added.
“This is called a Katana, or a Japanese sword, and it’s a weapon that has been passed down in my homeland since ancient times. I would like you to make this, if possible. Is that alright?” I asked.
“Of course. However, this Katana, as you called it, is it? We don’t know the manufacturing method. We could perhaps make something that resembles it in shape, but that’s not what you’re looking for, is it?” Talos questioned.
The swords, or rather weapons, of Helios Orb were made by heating metal in a furnace, deforming it with Craft Magic “Deforming,” and once the shape was set, strengthening and hardening it by hammering with a magic-infused hammer, followed by immersion in cold water. If magic infusion was to be applied, it would be done with either Craft Magic “Infringing” or “Bestowed Magic” before immersion in cold water. However, this had to be completed while the metal was still hot, sometimes requiring multiple re-heating cycles. While it was possible to do it after the metal had cooled in the cold water, the weapon’s performance would be significantly reduced, and the magic infusion would likely fail. This was something no one would do except in an emergency. When we went to defeat the Evil Drake, it was such an emergency, so Richard and Talos used this method to forge Crystal Silver for us. However, it was said that this resulted in lower performance compared to weapons made of ordinary Magic Silver. Those swords and spears were still in our storage, though their numbers were dwindling.
In contrast, the manufacturing method of a Japanese sword did not use magic at all. Omitting the intricate details, first, Tamahagane, a metal made from iron sand, was heated, and impurities were meticulously removed by repeated hammering. Then, it was folded in half and forged over ten times. Furthermore, to prevent the sword from breaking, the blade from bending, and to ensure sharpness, a soft Tamahagane called Shingane was wrapped in the forged Kawagane, heated, and hammered into a bar shape to form the body. Then, a clay mixture called Yakido was applied to create the Hamon (temper line), followed by quenching in hot water and rapid cooling (Yaki-ire). Finally, the blade and curvature were checked, polished, and finished, and an inscription (Mei) was added. There were still more meticulous steps, but this was a rough outline of the manufacturing process for a Japanese sword blade.
Of course, since Lapis Laz would be used, the material itself would be different, and whether it could be made with this method was still unknown.
“Hmm, so this Katana is made through such a method? Well, I’m certainly learning something new,” Richard said.
“Due to impurities in the metal, there will be hits and misses depending on the weapon. And those impurities are not necessarily bad, which makes them tricky,” Talos added.
In simple terms, Richard and Talos were amazed. The very idea of removing impurities from metal was nonexistent to them, so it was as if a veil had been lifted from their eyes. Steel is refined by adding a small amount of carbon to iron, making it stronger and harder than iron. Adding chromium to iron creates stainless steel, which is rust-resistant. Other examples include chrome-molybdenum steel, which is made by adding a small amount of chromium and molybdenum to stainless steel, and shape-memory alloys that can return to their original state when heated, both of which use iron. However, since they are added to iron, they could also be considered impurities.
“Magic Silver and Adamantine Steel are both metals that can be used normally as swords. Therefore, it should probably be possible with Lapis Laz, which is an alloy of them,” Richard stated.
“Indeed, the first step is to see if it’s possible. I intend to purchase the prototypes as well, so may I ask you to proceed?” I asked.
“That would be appreciated, but we’d like to keep some for ourselves as well. We’ll consider that after it’s completed. If it goes well, I think we can try this method for Miss Prim’s spearhead and axe blade, as well as her claw tips,” Talos suggested.
“Please do. And Yamato, I want that spear,” Prim requested.
“Understood. Please wait a moment.” I operated the engraving tool and displayed another image. It showed a spear with a tip resembling a dragon spreading its wings.
“My, this is… It has two axe blades, and it’s designed to resemble Wyvern wings,” Richard observed.
“And the spearhead is long, specialized for thrusting like a lance. This will be more difficult to wield than a normal halberd,” Talos added.
“I’m prepared for that. As a member of the Winged Tribe, being able to incorporate wings into the weapon’s design allows me to fight with pride. Therefore, even if it’s difficult, I want to use this spear,” Prim declared.
I had shown it to her understanding that Prim was from the Winged Tribe, thinking, “Ah, there’s a spear like this.” But Prim’s reaction was overwhelmingly enthusiastic. She rejected all other spears, saying she wouldn’t use or request anything else.
“The butt end being a spear, it’s truly incredible, this spear. Not only swords, but spears from Yamato’s world are also incredible,” Richard commented.
My apologies, but just like the Katana, this spear isn’t a real object. It’s a fictional object created with CG. To be frank, it’s just a drawing.
“This also looks interesting, but the design should be slightly altered to match Miss Prim’s preferences. Marina, please prepare,” Talos said.
“Roger that!” Marina replied.
Prepare what?
“I can’t borrow this magic tool, so I’ll draw it as a picture. At the same time, I’ll modify the design to incorporate a Hippogriff motif, since you two have Hippogriffs as familiars, and adjust the appearance to something a young girl would carry,” Marina explained.
So that’s what it is. That’s certainly important. And Prim’s wings are white and beautiful, like an angel’s or a bird’s, so they resemble a Hippogriff’s wings as well. I think that’s better too.
“Does that mean it will take some time?” Richard asked.
“Yes. We’ll also incorporate Prim’s opinions, so it will be starting completely from scratch. And in that case, the visual appearance and color will also be important, so we’ll have to ask for her preferences regarding that as well,” Marina replied.
Yes, with that alone, it was confirmed that it would take an immense amount of time. Besides, she’ll be drawing based on the engraving tool, so she won’t be asking for the engraving tool to be left behind, right?
“It will only take a moment to project this image. I’ll draw the original design on top, and the corrected final draft below. Also, since we’ll be using Craft Magic, it won’t take that long, so don’t worry,” Marina assured.
The Craft Magic Marina mentioned is called “Drawing.” It’s a versatile magic that can be used for creating diagrams and blueprints, as well as for developing concept art and for drawing family crests or emblems on finished products. It’s also used when engraving inscriptions. The fact that it’s fixed with magic power, meaning it won’t disappear unless there’s a significant reason, is also a major advantage. Simply put, it’s “drawing magic,” but the finer details depend on the user’s skill and sensibility. It’s not uncommon for two people using “Drawing” to create the same sketch but have slightly different results. It’s frightening to think that with poor skill, you might end up with something like, “What is this?” People with no artistic talent can’t do much even if they use magic.
I thought healing magic was versatile, but Craft Magic is also quite something. Well, since a lot of work is done with magic, perhaps Craft Magic is the most commonly used, in a way.
“Also, I’d like to commission some armor if possible. This isn’t included in the payment, so I’ll pay for it properly,” I said.
“Is that also from Yamato’s world?” Richard asked.
“Yes, well…” I apologized. This was also from a game. The design was cool, and besides Lapis Laz, we also had Winger Drake, so the materials were perfect.
“You’re interested. What kind of design is it?” Richard inquired.
“Let’s see. Visually, it’s a coat, but like Prim’s Battle Dress, it will have armor attached. Since it’s a coat, you just slip it on, so it might be faster in an emergency than putting on armor,” I explained.
Part of that was a pretense, but part of it was the truth. In reality, with armor attached, it wouldn’t be as simple as just slipping it on. Of course, I’m also planning to have armguards and greaves made of Lapis Laz, and I intend to have the pants made from Winger Drake hide. I don’t intend to waste my current equipment; I’ll be using it for engraving tests.
“I see, that’s not a bad idea. However, is that alright? Since you are a guest, word of this will likely spread throughout Amister before long. Furthermore, someone is bound to imitate the armor you’ve designed,” Richard warned.
That’s unavoidable, and I don’t intend to make a fuss about it. Besides, I’m not trying to start a trend; my sole reason is that I simply want to wear it, so I don’t mind if someone imitates it.
“If that’s the case, then fine. But be careful not to be targeted. Although, targeting your belongings would be nothing short of suicide,” Richard cautioned.
Yes, if that happens, I won’t hesitate to strike back.
And so, using the completed Lapis Laz and one of the Winger Drakes stored in our inventory, we commissioned the creation of our long-desired custom-made equipment. Unfortunately, considering the Crafter’s Guild’s inventory, we were told that Lapis Laz could only be used for weapons, so we had to request that the armor be made with Jade Silver. The workshop members’ eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of the Winger Drake emerging from storage, but they seemed to accept it, perhaps thinking, “Well, it’s them.” They told us they didn’t know when it would be completed, but they would prioritize it, so we decided to visit again in a few days.
Ah, I’m really looking forward to it.
