Chapter 64

I received an incredible surprise and ended up with a mansion.

Not just any mansion, but a huge one right next to the Kail estate, almost like a twin.

Using spatial storage, I moved the packed belongings.

The alchemy room in the new mansion is, as expected, meticulously designed to Mr. Jabir's ideal standards. It feels similar to the alchemy room in the city of Gandar, where the border lord lives.

There are alchemy rooms on both sides of the mansion, but since I don't plan to use both for now, I decided to seal off one of them.

The alchemy room is packed with features, including underground areas and hidden rooms, making it quite a challenge to remember everything.

I thought organizing the belongings would be a hassle, but when I started unloading the packed items, the maid Ryuko quickly arranged them.

Despite it being a new layout, the placement was perfect, as if she understood my daily routine completely.

Yeah.

Maid-san is amazing.

Thanks to Ryuko, the move went smoothly without any trouble.

I really wonder if I deserve such a grand mansion.

No!

This must be an advance on the expectations they have for me!

I just need to show results that match this gift!

Alright! I'm going to do it!

◆

Today, I'm mainly shopping at the adventurer's guild and visiting street vendors.

Most rare materials and monsters are obtained through adventurers, so the adventurer's guild usually has everything. However, sometimes you can find good deals at street vendors.

When I arrived at the street market in Golden Dawn, it was bustling with activity, far beyond what you'd expect from a frontier town.

"It's quite lively, isn't it?"

I slowly made my way through the crowded market, amazed by the number of people and goods, which was a far cry from the early days of the settlement.

Seeing Kail's achievements made me happy too.

"Hmm? What's this?"

In a corner of a stall selling materials, I found a shop with a different selection.

"Ah, you have a good eye, sir. These are all rare items that are hard to come by around here."

"Hmm."

Indeed, as the shopkeeper said, there were some rare items on display.

"Is this material from a water-type monster?"

"Ah, you have a keen eye. That's right. This is material from a monster that lives in the northern sea."

"Wow, the sea."

I know about the sea from my knowledge.

It's larger than rivers and lakes, filled with water that contains a lot of salt. It sounds like a place with an abundance of salt, which is quite enviable.

"Did you come from the north?"

"Yes, from a cluster of small states sandwiched between the three major countries. I heard that a rather populous city had been built, so I came here as a merchant hoping for a big break."

"I see. What do you think of this city?"

"Frankly, I was impressed by the Kingdom of Maugaria, one of the three major countries. This area was always a monster habitat, and I never thought the development would progress so quickly. I was skeptical, but I'm glad I believed the rumors."

"That's good. We'll make it even better."

Oops. The traveling merchant wouldn't know who I am.

"No, nothing. What about the sea monsters?"

"Yes, sea monsters are quite powerful. This is material from them. I thought it would be valuable around here..."

The shopkeeper's face twisted. It seems the items were too rare to sell.

"This scale is larger than a fish's."

I picked up a scale about the size of a fist.

"That's a sea serpent's scale. It's a pretty big catch, and several tough hunters lost their lives to bring it down."

"I see. I can feel some power. Can I appraise it?"

"Do you have appraisal skills? You seem to have a unique and impressive emblem."

"Yes, I'm an alchemist."

"That's amazing! I'll give you one, so can you write a note about the appraisal results?"

"Sure... 'Appraisal.'"

As the shopkeeper said, the scale was from a sea serpent. At the same time, new knowledge flowed from the emblem. It seems this material can be used to make reinforced thread.

Cloth woven from reinforced thread is extremely durable and can even be used as armor.

I made high-defense clothing for the orphans using this material. I wanted to mass-produce it, but I couldn't gather enough material, so I only made enough for family use.

"How much of this do you have in stock?"

"Enough to fill this bag."

"Alright, I'll buy it all."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I have a feeling it will be useful."

"Hmm?"

The shopkeeper's eyes seemed to say, "If it's a valuable material I don't know about, I'll sell it at a high price."

"Sure, I don't mind. If you don't want to sell, that's fine too. It's not absolutely necessary, and I'll figure out how to use it later."

Of course, half of that was a lie.

I already knew it could be used to make reinforced thread.

However, it's true that new uses often become apparent through further research.

I hinted that I wouldn't buy it if he tried to sell it at a high price, and the merchant chuckled.

"Alright, how about five gold coins?"

"Hmm... Okay, but since I'm buying all of it, I won't write a note."

"Deal."

I paid the gold and received the bag of scales.

With this much, I should be able to make a decent amount of reinforced thread.

I'll ask Reifan to make reinforced cloth.

"I've already made clothes for Kail and Mina, and the Kendall siblings. It's about time to make some for Reifan and me. I should also give some to Persia and Alphard. ...I should give some to Jitaro too, or he'll get upset."

Kail and Persia often tell me that I lack a sense of danger, so they might be happy if I offer to make them reinforced cloth capes.

Kail's catchphrase is, "Craft-sama puts himself last."

I continued shopping with a light step.

◆

One day, Raidock was staying in town for a while, so I invited him for a meal.

The place was a restaurant and tavern near the adventurer's guild. The inside was bustling with adventurers.

When I arrived at the tavern, Raidock was already there, waving me over.

"You seem to be doing quite well, Raidock."

"There's always work to do. But if you're talking about achievements, Craft is far ahead of me."

I sat down and clinked cups with Raidock.

After the customary greeting, the owner, who was serving food and drinks at the counter, noticed us and called out.

"Oh, it's Craft-san. It's been a while."

The owner, Desail, was one of the early settlers who participated in the development of Golden Dawn.

He used to run a tavern on the ground floor of the first inn built in the village before Golden Dawn moved.

Compared to back then, he had gained a lot of weight, so I didn't recognize him immediately.

"Desail, you've gained some weight, haven't you?"

"Not just a little. As you can see, I'm as big as a pregnant woman."

Desail laughed and patted his belly.

It made a good thump.

"In the early days of development, I used to do physical labor. But now, as a tavern owner, I'm completely out of shape."

"That's a sign of success, isn't it?"

"Indeed."

This time, Desail and I laughed together.

It's good to see things are going well.

After Desail returned to work, I turned back to Raidock.

"By the way, I have a question. How is the hard mithril sword with dragon material that Reifan and I made for you?"

Raidock received the sword as a reward for slaying the dragon, but since it was made from a new metal, I wanted to hear from someone who was using it on the front lines.

"Of course, it's excellent. It hardly needs any maintenance."

"Hardly? Do you need to maintain it other than polishing?"

The mithril was designed to maximize the metal's properties, so I thought it would last forever without maintenance.

"Basically, yes. But when fighting dungeon boss-level monsters, the blade can chip."

"What?"

"Reifan has repaired it before, so she should know. Mithril is much harder than steel, but it can't escape the fate of being a metal. Adamantium, on the other hand, is said to never chip."

"Adamantium. I'd like to get my hands on that too. The only downside is that it's heavier than gold."

"Speaking of which, one of the few drawbacks of this mithril sword is that it's too light."

"Is being light a bad thing?"

"It's a double-edged sword. But for a sword, a bit more weight would improve the balance. This one is a two-handed type that can be used with one hand or both."

"Is it lacking as a weapon?"

"Of course not! Sword skills can make up for it! And the edge is excellent! By the way, the sharpness oil doesn't seem to have much effect on this sword."

"What?"

That's completely new to me.

"No, it's not that it doesn't improve the sharpness. It's just that the original sharpness is so good that the improvement is minimal."

"I see. That's something you can't tell just from appraisal."

That's exactly the kind of information I wanted to hear. As expected, Raidock, with his long history as an adventurer, understood what I was asking for.

"I'm thinking of getting Moda an adamantine shield. Do you have any leads on where to get one?"

"No, I don't. But since I have some free time lately, I could go looking for it."

"Sure, please let me know if you do."

"I'll talk to Kail about it."

Adamantium is a metal with the highest hardness.

While mithril is also very hard, it can't match adamantine.

It has the drawback of being heavy, but using it in certain tools makes it easier to process higher-grade materials.

There are countless uses for adamantine chisels and planes.

There are also warriors who can wield adamantine hammers and axes.

For most people, they are too heavy to use.

Moda is a skilled warrior, but without an emblem, I doubt she can handle an adamantine shield. However, I understand Raidock's sentiment.

Perhaps because of our conversation, I was called by Kail that evening.

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