“So, we’re making an Artifact today, right?”
『That’s right. We’re getting to use the workshop while we’re handing over the “Colossus” materials.』
“Workshop?”
“It’s where they make Artifacts, I think.”
A few days after Paula’s visit.
We were walking down the main street of the Underground city. Our destination, up the slope, was a gray tower that soared high into the sky.
It was Thanasis’s workplace, and he was still waiting for us there.
By the way, I had introduced Paula to Thanasis the other day.
As expected, he bombarded her with questions, but Paula herself seemed eager to deepen her understanding of magic, and the two of them had quite a long discussion.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it, Artifacts? I never thought there was such a way to use Mana Crystals.”
“Agreed.”
“I can’t imagine a life without Artifacts. By the way, there were Mana Crystals on the surface too, right? If you didn’t use them for Artifacts, what did you use them for?”
Klyssa, walking ahead, turned her head over her shoulder to ask. It was a question I had also been wondering about.
Eating Mana Crystals restores 〖Mana〗, but that’s only for Demon Beasts like me who can digest minerals.
Normal humans shouldn’t be able to do that, so what were they used for?
The answer to that mystery came from Paula.
“They’re normally used as a base for magic… isn’t it like that in this country?”
“A base…?”
“For example, if there’s a mage with the 〖Light Attribute〗, they can’t keep the area lit up forever without using a permanent spell, right?”
“That’s true. 〖Mana〗 would run out, and their consciousness would eventually break off.”
Klyssa answered.
It seems that most spells are interrupted when the caster’s consciousness breaks off.
“But if you use the 〖Mana〗 from a Mana Crystal when casting a spell, you can maintain it semi-permanently.”
“Eh, can you cast spells with something other than your own 〖Mana〗!?”
“Yeah. Preparing another 〖Mana〗 source is an advanced technique, and it takes time and effort to activate. The main uses are for streetlights and barriers.”
Mana Crystals automatically absorb 〖Mana〗 from the atmosphere.
So, if the consumption doesn’t exceed the absorption, it seems they can last forever.
As we learned about the intricacies of magic, we approached our destination.
『It’s huge up close.』
This city was built as if covering a small mountain, and at its center was the Sage Tower, located at the top of the mountain.
Visible from anywhere in the city, it was a massive structure that stood out from the other stone buildings.
A wall was built around it.
“This is Xanthos, the Warden Commander. I’ve brought guests from the surface.”
“Yes, sir! We’ve been waiting for you!”
Two Wardens guarding the outer wall of the Sage Tower performed a salute-like gesture and opened the way.
We walked through the large gate, which was large enough for me even in my original size.
“It’s nostalgic, it’s been ten years.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“Yeah, during the Sage Pilgrimage.”
『Sage Pilgrimage?』
According to her, it’s an event in this country. Children who have awakened to an 〖Attribute〗 are gathered at the Sage Tower for celebrations and examinations.
“Normally, you only get to enter once… I never thought I’d be coming back like this.”
Klyssa raised the corner of her mouth and muttered sarcastically.
Well, it’s been closed for a thousand years, so they couldn’t have predicted that humans would come from the outside.
“We’re here.”
『This is the workshop?』
And so, we arrived not at the Sage Tower… but at a large warehouse-like building located around it.
The Sage Tower has rooms for ceremonies and research labs for scholars, and small-scale Artifact production is possible there, but for full-scale production, they use this huge workshop.
“Oh, everyone! We’ve been waiting for you!”
Inside, Thanasis was waiting impatiently.
The interior of the building was a single open space, divided into a vast area where the “Colossus” would be placed and an area filled with mysterious machines.
In the back of the vast area, a group that seemed to be Thanasis’s colleagues were staring at us from a distance.
『Well, let’s hand it over quickly. It’s fine over there, right?』
“Yes, yes…!”
Urged on by Thanasis, who was nodding vigorously, I took out the “Colossus” and arranged the parts. The various weapons were also included.
It should have been battered from the fight with me, but there were hardly any minor scratches on them.
『〖Weapon Storage〗, and as I said before, I’ve fixed the parts that I could with my 〖Skill〗.』
“I can’t thank you enough. This is your reward, then!”
After saying that quickly, he pointed to a wooden box placed to the side, and the next moment, he was running towards the “Colossus.”
The other scholars were the same, resembling ants swarming around sugar.
I took a step back to create some distance and looked inside the wooden box I had received. It was filled with metal coins with intricate designs.
If the amount I had heard beforehand was true, it was easily more than ten times the cost of 100,000 lunch sets.
“〖Area Hold〗, you can put the whole box in.”
『Got it.』
Paula stored the reward.
It’s a hassle, and I didn’t count the exact amount, but I’ll believe I wasn’t cheated.
More importantly, we are…
“Hahaha, I’m sorry about my colleagues.”
A tall, slender man spoke to us.
He had a refined appearance, and from his clothes, he was probably one of the scholars.
“I’m the one who will be in charge of guiding you in Artifact production. Let’s go over there first.”
It seemed that Thanasis had pushed the task onto him, and we silently followed him.
We were led to a section of the workshop. Several rows of Artifacts that looked like long desks were lined up.
“This long table is an Artifact for making Artifacts. This is fine for you too, Kouya-san, right?”
『Yes, I can do it with my 〖Skill〗, but I also want to know how you actually process them.』
“Understood. Well then, as they say, ‘It’s easier to do than to worry,’ let’s actually try it out while I teach you how to make them.”
『Alright, I’m counting on you!』
“Kouya-kun is very enthusiastic. You said you wanted to make a Pseudo-Golem Machine, right?”
“Well, it might be difficult to make a Pseudo-Golem Machine in a day, but ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ You’ll be here for about a month, so let’s learn carefully.”
And so, we began to learn about Artifacts.