Chapter 84: Crafting Weapons with Earth Magic
In the end, I returned to the inn without delivering the iron ore to the Guild. I decided to keep the surplus for practice.
I had completely forgotten about the tailing I had noticed earlier, lost in my excitement over the Map Skill. As I made my way back to the inn from the mine, nothing eventful happened, so I chose to ignore it for now.
“Alright, today I’m going to do all sorts of things with Earth Magic!”
“You really don’t need to announce that…”
As my excitement bubbled over, Rio interjected with an exasperated tone. But come on, Rio, even if you sound annoyed, your eyes are sparkling with excitement!
“For now, let’s practice with the iron ore.”
“Yeah.”
Since trying it out in the inn felt a bit inappropriate, we ventured to a secluded spot outside the town. With how far we were from the main road, there was little chance of being seen. Besides, I wasn’t planning on casting any flashy spells, so it should be fine.
I pulled out the iron ore from the Dimensional Box and activated Earth Magic, treating it like I was manipulating soil. To my delight, I easily transformed the chunk of iron ore into a perfect tetrahedron.
“Even though it’s iron ore, it’s still just a clump of earth dug up from the ground.”
“It seems that way. What’s contained in the soil doesn’t seem to matter much.”
“Maybe I can extract just the iron components by applying the technique of removing gravel and small stones from the soil?”
With that thought, I began experimenting and successfully extracted the iron. It was easier than I had anticipated. Oh, and I could mix in carbon and other elements, right? I guess I’ll just have to try various combinations.
Anyway, in terms of creating a metal knife, my first attempt was a resounding success.
“How about we make lunch with this?”
“Ooh, time for a test cut!”
With lunch upon us, it was time to cook. I took out cooking utensils and ingredients from the Dimensional Box to prepare. Rio also gathered vegetables and eagerly tested the knife.
“Wow, this is amazing! It cuts through so easily without needing any magical enhancement.”
“That’s the advantage of being made of metal.”
“Yeah, this might have great potential.”
It seemed we were satisfied with the results of the knife I had crafted on a whim. My experience making weapons from the soil of the Forest of Enchantment was proving invaluable. With little effort, we continued to create various items.
“Map Skill, here we go!”
Next up was the Map Skill. It seemed Rio had developed it as well.
“I managed to incorporate Presence Detection into my map too.”
As I displayed the map, multiple icons appeared on the skill’s interface. It was like projecting the presences I sensed around us onto the map.
“That’s impressive.”
“But this requires intense concentration since I’m doing it manually.”
“Ahaha, that sounds tough in its own way.”
“Yeah. I need to practice until I can use it unconsciously.”
“That was part of the teachings from our master.”
My master had always told me, “Use magic as naturally as breathing.” This applied not just to magic but to all skills.
“I’ve been slacking off lately, so I need to remember my beginnings.”
“Now that you mention it, I feel the same way…”
Before we ventured into human settlements, we practiced maintaining various magical effects around us. Of course, I couldn’t do that in the middle of town. I decided to substitute with skills that could be used discreetly.
And so, as we honed our skills without attending to any work, five days passed. The inn had already been extended since we were told it would take two weeks for the furniture we ordered to arrive.
“Oh, Shu, Rio! I’m glad to see you both here.”
After finishing breakfast and enjoying some tea, Fleur visited us.
“What’s up?”
“Actually, I wanted to ask you for a job…”
“A job…?”
Hmm? Fleur, the merchant, is asking us for work? What could it be? The only thing that comes to mind is material collection, but we’re still E Rank.
“I thought I could request a designated task from you two, considering your capabilities.”
“But we’re still E Rank!”
I wondered if she was unaware of our rank.
“I am aware. However, I believe you both possess the ability to easily take down C Rank monsters without sustaining any injuries.”
Her smile made it hard to deny. After all, it was Fleur herself who bought the high-priced prey we had captured. There was no point in trying to deceive her.
“Ahaha, well, I won’t deny that.”
I had brought in a B Rank monster once too. Still, a designated request… I had never taken one before, but it felt like the task wouldn’t be something suitable for E Rank.
“You don’t need to worry about the request to the Guild. I will present it as something equivalent to E Rank.”
She seemed to have anticipated my concerns and even provided a solution.
“So, there’s a different job involved?”
“That’s why you came directly to us.”
“Yes, exactly.”
Nodding vigorously, she began to explain the details of the job with a serious expression. As I listened closely, I could feel sweat forming on my forehead. Why was it turning out like this…? Could it be… No, it couldn’t be, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were somehow involved.
I exchanged glances with Rio, and she too seemed troubled, her brow furrowed.
“Will you accept the request?”
““We would be happy to take it on!””
We could only respond enthusiastically to Fleur’s request.