Chapter 212: The Destination of Materials
The next day, I decided to head to the Guild to sell the materials. After all, it was a request from the Guild Master, and I planned to provide one Wyvern and one Chimera, hoping to learn a few disassembly techniques in the process. While my master had taught me various disassembly methods in the Forest of Enchantment, I had yet to encounter any monsters that combined the traits of different species, like the winged lizard type or the Chimera.
As expected, the buying counter wasn’t crowded this early in the morning.
“Well then, I’d like to sell these,” I said.
“What do you mean by ‘well then’? And you’re empty-handed, aren’t you?”
A man with round, slightly pointed ears shot back with a sharp retort. I realized he was a member of the Squirrel Tribe, a race I hadn’t seen much of before.
“I’m here to sell the Wyvern and Chimera that the Guild Master requested yesterday.”
“Huh? Wait, are you Shu and Rio?”
“Yes, that’s us.”
“Alright, follow me to the disassembly area. It’s cramped here.”
Unlike the Guild Master, this staff member was quick to get to the point. Perhaps the employees here were learning from the Guild Master’s example. We passed by the buying counter and headed to the back, where the disassembly area awaited us. The space was still empty, with no materials laid out since it was still morning.
“Alright, I’ll bring them out now.”
I carefully retrieved one ordinary Wyvern and one Chimera.
“Wow, what a clean cut! Did you take them down in one strike?” The staff member exclaimed, already calling over others to begin the disassembly process.
“By the way, would it be alright if you taught me some disassembly techniques while we’re at it?”
“Hmm? Sure, but that’ll cost you a ten percent deduction from the appraisal value.”
“That’s fine by me.”
“Then there’s no problem. Since you have the materials, feel free to learn as much as you want.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Alright, I’ll leave it to you.”
After emphasizing this to the disassembly workers, the Squirrel Tribe member returned to the buying counter.
After learning the disassembly methods for one monster in the morning and another in the afternoon, I made my way to the master’s workshop just before evening. By the way, I was informed that the appraisal for the Wyvern and Chimera would be ready by evening, so I planned to stop by the Guild again on my way back from the workshop.
“Hello! Is the master in?”
“Oh? Isn’t that Shu? Just a moment, please.”
As I entered the workshop and called out, Paula, who was manning the shop, hurried to the back to fetch the master.
“Shu, the master says to come to the back.”
After a short wait, Paula returned to guide me to where the master was waiting. I was already familiar with the layout after visiting several times.
“Ah, what brings you here today?”
By connecting through telepathic communication beforehand, I was able to hear the master’s voice.
“I managed to acquire some rare monster materials and was wondering if you could make something with them.”
While blacksmithing usually involves working with metals, creating weapons and armor from monster materials also falls within the realm of a blacksmith’s duties. Some craftsmen refuse to work with them, claiming it’s outside their specialty, but I wondered how the master felt about it.
“Let me see it.”
It seemed he was interested. I pulled out the cut piece of the Shell of the Sea Emperor Turtle. Normally, a turtle shell would be rounded, but after cutting it down to a smaller size, it was nearly flat. I had cut it into a two-meter square, but its thickness exceeded one meter. I had only peeled off the first layer of the shell, and I was surprised by how thick it was.
“What in the world is this…? I’ve never seen anything like it…”
“It’s the Shell of the Sea Emperor Turtle.”
“…Huh?”
Paula’s voice and the master’s telepathic communication overlapped.
“Wait a minute. The Sea Emperor Turtle is a legendary monster, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. I’ve heard it can grow to several hundred meters in length.”
It seemed to be quite famous. If that was the case, the conversation should progress quickly.
“That’s correct. It appeared off the coast of the Empire not long ago, so we took it down.”
“…”
The workshop fell silent for a moment at my words.
“That thing was massive. Looking back, it’s a miracle the Empire wasn’t destroyed.”
“I saw it too, and I was shocked.”
As Ivan and Phonia chimed in with their thoughts, the master’s expression turned serious. He pulled out a hammer and began to strike the shell with a resounding clang.
“Wait, Master!?”
Paula gasped in surprise, but the Shell of the Sea Emperor Turtle wouldn’t be damaged so easily.
“It’s definitely hard. If you say it’s a turtle shell, I can see the texture.”
“Do you think you can make something out of this?”
“Haha! You bring in troublesome materials even before finishing the sword, huh?”
The master grinned, his expression mischievous. Though his words didn’t quite match his demeanor, as long as he was enjoying himself, that was good enough for me.
“So, what do you plan to make with this?”
“I haven’t thought of anything specific, so anything would be fine. I’d prefer if you made something you think would suit it.”
“Ha ha ha! That’s a good attitude!”
“Speaking of rewards for the request, I also brought some Orichalcum for practice in metal forming, so please make use of it.”
“What!?”
“Whoa!?”
“I thought Orichalcum would be good for practice since it has excellent magic conductivity.”
“Wait, where did you even get Orichalcum…?”
“I found a bunch of it buried at the top of a valley.”
When I casually mentioned it, the master let out a deep sigh, one that was more astonished than anything else. I had extracted most of it, so I didn’t think there was much left.
“Well, I doubt there’s much left now.”
I shrugged, and both the master and Paula looked at me with exasperation.
I also inquired about the uses of Magic Crystals, and I learned that they were essentially an upgraded version of Magic Stones. When used as catalysts for spellcasting, they could produce incredible power, and when used as the power source for magic tools, they could function almost like a perpetual motion machine.
I thought it would be great if I could use some for processing the Shell of the Sea Emperor Turtle, so I offered a few, only to receive a strange look in return.