Chapter 87

Chapter 4 begins

This place is a frontier, a land of despair where vicious monsters roam.

...Or so it should be, but the city, protected by a massive and expansive wall, was remarkably advanced.

Being able to contribute to its development is my greatest pride.

Let me tell you about the time when I had just rescued the lizardman village and finished the negotiations, bringing them along.

In other words, this is the story before the swamp extermination team set out from Zaid Village.

So, my dear readers, please enjoy the story.

That's all I can say.

◆

That day, as usual, I was sent off by the maid, Ryuko, and went to work at the Production Guild.

"Hmm. No matter how many times I see it, it's impressive."

The Production Guild, if I may say so myself, is quite favored by Kail because of the presence of Reifan and me.

From its location to its building, everything is top-notch.

Currently, support staff from various production guilds across the kingdom have come, and business is going smoothly.

When I entered the guild, a girl at the counter greeted me.

"Good morning, Craft-san."

"Hey. How are you getting used to Golden Dawn?"

"Yes! The journey here involved crossing a region inhabited by vicious monsters, so I was trembling the whole time in the carriage, but when I arrived, it felt like I had reached a golden paradise!"

The new guild member answered with a smile. I'm glad she felt that way.

"The food is delicious, I have my own room, the pay is high, and I even get stamina potions. I don't want to go back home anymore!"

"Haha, that's good to hear."

I smiled, almost involuntarily, and made my way to the basement, which only staff can enter.

The massive basement, reinforced with alchemical strengthening rock, is enormous.

As I walked down the corridor and opened the sturdy door, I found myself in a room equipped with a giant smelting furnace and bellows.

Hot, red wind was blowing out of the furnace.

Of course, the air conditioning system is perfectly designed.

Reifan, who was preparing the furnace, turned around when she noticed me.

"Craft, you're late! Everything's ready!"

"Alright! You're quick!"

Reifan, who had been eagerly waiting, came over as if she were jumping.

"Of course! We're finally going to make Orichalcum!"

"Yeah, it's been really tough getting to this point..."

Reifan and I have been working hard to create Orichalcum, which, according to the emblem's whisper, is an alloy of mithril and adamantite.

The performance of the smelting furnace we had was not sufficient to process these two metals, so we had been working hard to build a new one until today.

Finally, the unprecedentedly large smelting furnace was completed yesterday.

The reason we didn't start work yesterday is that it took a whole day to heat up the furnace.

Looking closely, Reifan had slight dark circles under her eyes.

She must have taken stamina potions, but they don't eliminate the need for sleep.

"Are you okay, Reifan?"

"Of course! I'm too excited to sleep!"

Reifan's eyes, slightly bloodshot, glowed intensely.

She's a bit scary.

"Calm down, the furnace and ingots aren't going anywhere!"

"The heat will escape!"

Huh? Is that how it works?

Then, we should start the work right away.

"Alright, let's start. What do we need to prepare...?"

"Everything's ready! All that's left is for Craft to get ready!"

Reifan, who was unusually high-spirited.

Indeed, all the necessary alchemical potions for the alloy were lined up next to her.

"Where should I stand?"

"Across from me, on the other side of this stand. When you use magic to pull out the molten metal, it will be very hot, even from this distance, so be careful."

"Ah... It's already hot before we even start. I'll cast 'Heat Resistance' on us, though it's not as effective as a cleric's."

Even as the Twilight Alchemist emblem, the power of magic outside the alchemist and mage categories is significantly limited.

Still, being able to use support magic is impressive.

To refine Orichalcum, we need a high-performance furnace, a skilled blacksmith, various custom alchemical potions, and of course, mithril and adamantite.

And there's one more important thing.

That is...

"Who would have thought we need to use alchemical magic when mixing the two metals..."

"Yeah. No one has ever been able to make it before."

There are many blacksmiths more skilled than Reifan, including those known as master craftsmen.

Some of them may have touched Orichalcum and known how to process it.

But refining it?

That was probably impossible.

After all, only the Twilight Alchemist emblem, which knows mithril, adamantite, and Orichalcum, can hear their whispers.

I gently touched the emblem on my left hand.

Following the emblem's whisper, I was able to prepare everything. Therefore, I have no doubts about what we're about to do.

"Alright, Reifan! Let's start!"

"Okay! Here we go!"

When the magical metals mithril and adamantite, along with special alchemical potions, were thrown into the furnace, a strong light emitted from the core.

"Uh-huh... Uh-huh. They're mixing slowly!"

"Wow!"

A thick, red-hot metal began to flow out of the groove extending from the furnace.

This is...

"This is Orichalcum."

"No, Craft. You're about to turn it into Orichalcum!"

As the molten metal slowly accumulated, I swallowed hard.

The red-hot metal slowly filled a container made of heat-resistant bricks.

The container was already inscribed with the necessary alchemical magic array.

I stood ready to cast the alchemical magic, waiting for Reifan's signal.

Time seemed to drag on.

Is it ready yet? Is it ready?

"Craft, now!"

"Alright! 'Alchemy: Orichalcum Synthesis'!!!"

A complex and bizarre magic array appeared, enveloping the container.

The intricate magical formula, which is difficult to activate, began to glow and dance.

My entire body's magic power was suddenly drained.

This is bad!

I kept my left hand over the magic array, quickly pulled out a test-tube-shaped potion bottle, and hastily drank a mana potion.

I felt about 70% of my magic power restored, but even that vast amount of magic power quickly flowed out from the emblem.

I drank ten mana potions in quick succession, forcing the magic to remain active.

How about that, you bastard!

The magic array, having absorbed a massive amount of magic power, finally activated completely, enveloping the entire basement in light.

"Kyaa!"

"Blinding!?"

My eyes were blinded by the intense magical light. When my vision finally cleared, I saw...

"..."

"..."

The heat-resistant brick container for the ingots was broken.

"..."

"..."

And for some reason...

"Hey, Craft?"

"Ah, yes."

"I didn't hear that, did I?"

There were ten Orichalcum ingots lined up.

Well, it's better than losing them, right?

"That's not the point!?"

I finally got to enjoy Reifan's scolding.

...So, this much Orichalcum.

Hehehe.

I can finally do everything I wanted to do!

"Are you listening, Craft!?"

I was lost in thought about what I wanted to make and hadn't been listening.

"Craft, sit properly!"

"Yes!"

I sat down obediently, but my mind was filled with plans for what I wanted to make.

"This... doesn't seem to be working."

For some reason, Reifan let out a deep sigh.

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