Chapter 624: Request for Supervision
“Hey there. For now, please accept this.”
It was so hot that it felt more like a furnace, so I brought a little something.
“Thanks. This is the one I used in the desert, right?” He said, examining what I handed him closely.
It was a portable Chilly Plate. If it were Haulon, he’d probably use a Spirit to create a gentle breeze inside his clothes.
Haulon’s private room was covered with a large carpet, filled with plenty of cushions. There were several rooms, so the one for work probably had a desk and chair, but the one I was shown seemed designed for lounging around.
Honestly, I felt a bit uneasy; I’d be fine in my own room. But it suited Haulon, who was pulling a Water Pipe closer.
On the carpet, there was a silver tray with sweet treats laid out. The drink served was a spiced milk tea, reminiscent of chai.
“Since the ingredients come through Es, the food culture here is heavily influenced by him. The tea isn’t bad, you know?” he remarked.
I hoped the harvest of rice and fruits would get on track soon. With that thought, I reached for one of the larger sweets and cut it into smaller pieces.
Honey stretched out from it. It was beautiful, but it had that honey flavor.
The tea was, as Haulon said, quite delicious. Delicious might not be the right word; it had a slightly addictive taste? It felt like something I’d want to drink in either a scorching hot place or a freezing cold one.
“So? What’s this consultation about? I’ve braced myself for it, after all,” I said.
“What are you bracing yourself for? I’m just asking you to supervise the tools that use Spirits and Magic Circles.”
“Sure, asking me for that isn’t wrong. Anyone other than you would think so, right? But, what about this? What does the creator want from me?!” Haulon exclaimed, holding up the Chilly Plate I had just given him.
“And what about the Magic Circle that allows Spirits to be seen, or the one that explodes when you try to dismantle it?!”
…Now that I think about it, I did make those. After all, isn’t it romantic for something to disappear automatically? Don’t we have that kind of romance here?
“This time, it’s this,” I said, pulling out a Lantern.
“Don’t just casually bring it out!!! I can’t brace myself like that!!”
“Weren’t you just saying you had braced yourself a moment ago?”
“That was just in your imagination!!”
How unreasonable.
“…So, about the Lantern?” I asked, as he protested variously, but he took it in his hands as soon as I presented it.
He was clearly intrigued by the Magic Circle that allowed Spirits to be seen, and he seemed to be the type who couldn’t resist curiosity and the thirst for knowledge. I wondered what would happen if it exploded the moment he touched it.
“When you lower this knob, the dome lifts, allowing Spirits to enter through the gap,” I explained.
“Isn’t it better to have holes on the sides like the ‘Spirit Lamp’ for free entry and exit? Wouldn’t that trap them inside? —Wait a minute!! This isn’t glass!!”
“It’s a transparent mineral called Achroite. It comes with the influence of the Wind Spirit and the Fire Spirit as a bonus.”
“It’s not a bonus! That’s the main feature!!!!”
It was indeed the main feature.
“While it’s not uncommon for minerals to be influenced by Earth or Fire Spirits, Wind is something else entirely…!”
I thought she’d be surprised by the large Achroite, but I was mistaken. By the way, Spirit Gold and Spirit Silver are formed from a collection of various attributes. If they lean towards one attribute, they’re referred to as Fire Gold or Water Gold, or even by the name of individual Spirits, like Salamander Gold.
In our case, Spirit Gold, Spirit Silver, and Spirit Iron are all influenced by Spirits freely, so there’s not much bias in attributes. Any Spirit can come and go as they please! Normally, Spirits tend to be biased, though. For instance, Fire Spirits don’t usually hang around places where Water Spirits are present.
“Spirit Gold and Spirit Silver are fine; they’re not Shadow Wolves, but they’re within range. They’re not something you can just find lying around, but I’ve gotten used to it…”
It seemed she was starting with a material check, tracing her fingers along the Spirit Silver frame and the Achroite.
The materials were just those two and the ink used to engrave the Magic Circle and add color. Normally, the part that would become an oil tank was filled with a regular Magic Stone.
“A seamless frame, but how did you shape it…? Ah, I remember you were flowing Magic Power to change its shape. It’s a mystery how it moves like a fluid, though.”
The lattice of the windows in our Tower blooms at night and closes during the day. It’s an active metal.
“I’ve decided not to worry about the materials… No! I still can’t help but wonder! Where did you get this gem?!”
“I got it from a Dragon’s Nest; it was part of the nesting materials.”
“I wish I hadn’t asked!”
As soon as I answered, Haulon buried his face in a cushion, clutching his head.