Chapter 23

"Sumisa has been saved! Let's have a party! Bring me some drinks! ...Huh? A customer? Sorry, but we're closed today. Come back tomorrow or so."

With that, I was chased out of the workshop. The door closed behind me.

What's this, getting thrown out of the store by the owner after saving his daughter? In modern Japan, this might turn into a police matter, but maybe this is the better outcome?

No, that's not the case. It's certain. Dwarves have the habit of kicking humans out of their workshops.

Since I've been kicked out, I might as well look for an inn.

But even if I look for an inn, I can't really judge whether it's a good one or not. Maybe I should ask a guard.

When I went to the gate, the guard who had checked my guild card earlier spoke to me first. He seemed a bit friendlier than before.

"Is your equipment procurement going well?"

"Ah... Probably not until tomorrow or later. I got kicked out of the workshop..."

"Huh? Kicked out of the workshop? Did you try to haggle or something?"

I didn't even try to haggle, let alone negotiate.

"No. It was the parents of Sumisa, and they said something like 'Let's have a party!' and kicked me out."

"Sumizu's workshop? Are you going to use some magic-related materials? Well, that's fine. I wanted to thank you, and Sumizu asked me to invite you to the party at his house. What do you think?"

A dwarf party... In games, dwarves are often depicted as being particularly good with alcohol. He did say to bring drinks, so I guess that's true.

In my original world, I wasn't particularly strong or weak with alcohol. I don't know how it is now. I can run without getting tired, but my appetite hasn't changed. I guess I'll have to try it out.

The best way to do that is to participate. I might also be able to ask for some processing.

"I'll go."

"Alright. Do you know where it is? I've told them your name, so just show your guild card to someone who doesn't look drunk nearby, and they should take care of you."

"Got it. I'll be on my way."

This is quite casual...

He mentioned something about magic-related materials. Is the Metal Lizard's armor a magic-related material? It feels more like a physical material.

I returned to the workshop. The door wasn't locked. Inside, there was a door to the side from which voices could be heard. When I went in, Sumizu was there.

"Excuse me, I was invited to the party."

"Huh? You're a customer from a while ago, right? Could you be Kaede? You do look frail for an adventurer, thanks for saving my daughter."

It was just a moment ago...

Anyway, Sumizu spoke to me. His breath was alcoholic, but he didn't seem drunk.

Sumisa was drinking with some women in the back. I couldn't tell if it was alcohol or juice.

"Yes, I use magic, and I'm not particularly muscular."

I showed him my guild card.

"You came to my workshop to use magic? Could it be for Sumisa?"

Sumizu's eyes became suspicious. I didn't have anything to hide.

"No, that's not it..."

"True, Sumisa's staves are good, but if you want a practical one, we usually have them in stock. Or do you want something special?"

...I wasn't thinking of anything suspicious, just talking about staves.

"No, I use swords too. I defeated a Metal Lizard, and the loot is in my item box. I want to use it to make a sword and armor. I think the processing fee will be short, but I heard you buy Metal Lizard metal, so I thought I could ask for that."

Would paying with the armor be considered haggling...?

"Yeah, we buy Metal Lizard metal, but how much armor do you have? Since it's in an item box, is it around 100 kilograms?"

"No, the whole body is in there. My item box has a large capacity, and I defeated the Metal Lizard myself."

"Defeated a Metal Lizard alone, huh? I don't think you need a sword, but there must be some reason. I'll process it for you in exchange for the armor. Cheers!"

With that, Sumizu handed me a wooden mug filled with alcohol from somewhere.

I drank it in one go as he said. It was quite strong, but I didn't feel drunk.

I kept drinking as he kept offering, but I didn't get drunk at all.

A few hours later, many people were passed out in the room.

I wasn't drunk, but there was no reason to stay awake, so I went to sleep.

Incidentally, it seems people in this world don't vomit when they're drunk. It was good that I didn't have to see anyone, especially the women, vomit.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of a bell. People were already working around me.

I could hear the sound of metal being hammered from the workshop.

Sumizu wasn't there, so I went to check. He was giving instructions to others in the workshop.

I called out to him when he seemed to have finished.

"Excuse me, what should I do with the Metal Lizard?"

"Ah, the Metal Lizard. I reserved a large processing area yesterday, so let's go there and start processing. Follow me."

I followed him. About five others followed as well.

We arrived at a vast, low-walled area. The ground was made of stone, and no grass grew there.

"This is a place for processing large creatures. We usually don't have a way to transport large monsters here, so it's only used occasionally for disassembly. Just put it there."

Sumizu pointed to the middle of the processing area.

I placed the Metal Lizard there.

"Alright, let's start processing. Since you defeated the Metal Lizard, you can use fire magic, right?"

While saying this, Sumizu pried open the Metal Lizard's mouth.

"Yes, I can use it, but what should I do?"

"Is this your first time processing a Metal Lizard? It's hard, if not impossible, to remove the armor as is, and cutting it off is out of the question. We burn the inside to leave only the armor. This makes the armor easy to separate into parts. Just throw fireballs into the mouth."

That's how you disassemble it.

But the armor on the back, for example, is a large plate that seems to weigh over 100 kilograms. How will we handle it?

While thinking this, I created fireballs and threw them into the mouth.

After about 50 fireballs, the Metal Lizard started burning well, despite the poor ventilation.

"Wow, that's some magic power. If you can cast that much fire at that speed, it's not surprising you could defeat a Metal Lizard alone. You're at least B-rank, probably A-rank. Why do you need a sword and armor?"

"I can use magic, but I solo, so I can't rely on a front-liner to protect me while I cast spells. Even a 20 cm staff can cast spells at a practical speed, and I can use magic while fighting with a sword, so having more is better. I also act as both a front-liner and a back-liner, and armor doesn't disrupt my concentration, so it's useful."

"I see, I've never heard of that, but it doesn't seem like a lie. 20 cm is quite short. What material is your staff made of?"

"Well, it's just a regular one I bought in town."

"If there's no specific mention, it's probably an iron core with a copper coating. It's quite expensive, but I can make a faster staff. ...Oh, it's burned."

The Metal Lizard had collapsed, and the metal parts were piled on the ground. There was less than I expected, maybe it had shrunk. It should expand when heated.

The back armor plate, which looked like one piece, was actually made of rectangular plates about 50 cm by 70 cm. It looked easy to use.

It was still hot, so while waiting for it to cool, I continued the conversation about the staff.

"Does the material of the staff affect the speed of magic?"

"Yeah, it does. Ask Sumisa for the details; she knows more about staves. I specialize in weapons and metal armor. We mainly handle materials that require magical processing."

I remember him saying something like that. What part of the Metal Lizard is magical?

"The Metal Lizard's armor doesn't seem to have any magical elements, but does it require magical processing?"

"Yeah, it doesn't bend, no matter how you hammer or heat it. That's where magical tools come in. If you expose the armor to water that has had its magic power removed by magic, the armor loses its magic power and becomes as soft as heated iron. After processing it with tools that are magically insulated to avoid touching it with your hands, you can infuse it with magic power to return it to its original hardness."

That's how you process it. Not bending even when heated? Do you know about thermal expansion?

"That sounds difficult. Is there anything I can help with?"

"No, it requires a lot of experience, so I can't let an amateur do it. The fee will be about 2 kilograms of the leftover material, including the armor."

"That's fine. If you make a staff, can it also be made from Metal Lizard metal?"

"Sure, it's high-quality and we haven't had any in a while. It will sell just by being made, and getting cash is even better. It will probably take over a week to process, so if you want a staff, let me know during that time."

It seems the negotiation is settled.