Chapter 26

"Well, now that we have the wheat, let's seriously discuss the refugee situation."

I called over the usual members plus Ial and said.

No matter what, a conflict is bound to arise.

But it's better than not having a plan at all.

"First, we'll have them build their houses a bit away from us. They'll live together there. Is that okay?"

"Yes, there's no problem with that. The materials are..."

"I'll prepare them and help out. In return, help us build the defensive structures."

"Thank you."

Ial bowed deeply to me.

Separating the refugees from our residential area is to avoid conflict.

Humans tend to only see the bad in others when they're close.

Conversely, when they're a bit further away, they only see the good.

Plus, there's Ruru and Ruru's parents.

It's dangerous for these two to meet.

I do want them to reconcile, but... there's nothing I can do about it.

Forcing them together will only hurt Ruru.

That said, living separately won't make them friendly either.

That's something to think about.

"Let's try to build and farm together as much as possible. It will strengthen our bond."

"I agree! We won't have unnecessary conversations during work, so the chances of a fight are low."

Ron agreed.

When we start a new class at school, we inevitably get nervous.

But the tension usually eases by May or June.

At my school, we have a cultural festival in May and June.

I think that's the reason.

I aim for the same phenomenon.

"Hey, big brother. What about training? Can they follow the same routine as us?"

"Probably not. Can you teach them carefully without treating them as a burden?"

We need them to fight with us.

It's not that they're bad, but they are the cause.

Just being protected is a problem for us.

Well, they're risking their lives too, so they probably won't complain.

"What about food? The same amount as us? Or less?"

"I think there will be mixed opinions, but let's give them the same amount."

We borrowed enough food from King Rosais, so we have plenty.

If we distribute it equally, the refugees won't complain, right?

Some might say it's strange to give them the same amount as us, but...

They'll just have to bear with it...

"Let's also have regular feasts to deepen our bonds. Any objections to this plan?"

I looked around at everyone.

Everyone nodded except Ruru.

...What to do about Ruru.

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Next, let's talk about black powder.

I've obtained the materials for black powder.

Now, I need to try making it.

It's not that difficult. Just grind the materials and mix them.

"Let's start with prototype No. 1. It would be great if this works..."

I mixed all the materials in equal amounts.

I placed a small amount on a rock.

"Hey, Almus, what exactly is an explosion?"

"Hmm, it's like something burning instantly... I'm not sure. Just hit it with a hammer and see what happens."

I hit the powder with a hammer.

Nothing happened.

Second try.

Still nothing...

Hmm? Did I use the wrong materials?

No, it's charcoal, saltpeter, and sulfur. Yeah, it's right.

So, the ratio must be off.

I made a small pile of black powder and inserted a long string.

I lit the string from a distance.

The black powder burned vigorously.

It didn't work.

"Wow! It's burning intensely. But can it defeat enemies?"

"No, this is a failed attempt..."

It's not that easy.

I think I need to reduce the charcoal. There's no explosive element.

So, it's either sulfur or saltpeter.

Let's try increasing the sulfur while keeping the saltpeter the same.

I don't want to reduce the saltpeter because I don't have much.

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Black powder is now at prototype No. 66.

It's starting to look like a bomb.

The amount of saltpeter seems to be the key.

But too much is also bad. The balance is important.

So, it's good that the black powder is almost complete, but there's one problem.

"Neigh!!"

The horses are scared.

I knew the horses would be startled. In fact, it's better if they are. It will startle the enemy's horses too.

But I want our horses to get used to it.

I've been trying to get them used to it regularly, but it's not going well.

Horses are sensitive creatures.

When I first made and attached stirrups, they went wild.

Training can't be done too often.

So...

"It's okay, okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. Calm down."

Ruru stroking the horse's head.

"I'm here, so it's okay. Look..."

Soyeon brushing the horse's body.

"If it's a male, it should be able to handle this... Huh? It's a female?"

Tetra peering at the horse's belly.

A skilled sorcerer can transfer their soul into an animal.

They can communicate through souls.

In other words, they can understand each other's feelings.

Horses are intelligent animals.

If you talk to them properly, they will calm down quickly.

So, if we can't train them often, we need to improve the quality of the training.

I want the horses to get used to the black powder by the time of the real battle.

It would be easier to start with foals...

But that would take years...

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Two eagles are circling above my head.

They stop suddenly, dive, and then ascend sharply.

They look like they're playing tag. Actually, they are.

One of them—Ruru's soul in the eagle—touches the other eagle with Tetra's soul.

"Okay! Ruru wins!! Switch now!!"

Soyeon calls to the two eagles.

The eagles land on Tetra and Ruru's shoulders.

Tetra and Ruru, who had been leaning against a tree, opened their eyes.

"Ugh, that was bad..."

"Geh, geh"

They vomit green objects.

This is the effect of the soul-separating herb, which separates the soul from the body.

Normally, the soul doesn't leave the body unless the person dies.

But there is a way to separate the soul from the body while still alive.

First, you fast for two to three days to weaken your body to a near-death state.

Then, you chew a special herb called the soul-separating herb.

Anyone can separate their soul from their body using this method.

Experienced sorcerers can do it without fasting.

However, whether they can return is another matter.

For ordinary people, the soul leaves the body when they eat the soul-separating herb and ascends to heaven within ten seconds, unable to return.

And they die.

It is toxic, and it is recommended to use it no more than three to four times a day.

Since this is training, I don't let them do it more than twice.

Overuse can build up resistance.

Generally, at least one sorcerer stays to guard the soulless body.

There are two reasons for this.

To assist if the sorcerer can't return to their body on their own.

And to prevent other souls from taking over or cursing the soulless body.

Of course, a barrier can prevent other souls from entering, and a short absence usually doesn't prevent return.

"Good job. Have some honey to refresh your mouth."

I hand them a small bottle of honey.

They smile and lick the honey.

"I'm sorry to push you. You're the only ones who can transfer souls into animals..."

"It's okay. No problem."

"I'm glad to be of help."

They smile in response.

Suddenly, I catch the eagle's eye.

It turns away.

It seems the eagles that Tetra, Ruru, and Soyeon keep don't like me.

It's probably because I once suggested getting rid of them.

These three are now fully grown and, according to Yuria, larger and stronger than the eagles typically used for soul transfer.

That means they have an advantage.

The type of animal you ride makes a big difference in aerial combat.

Think of modern fighter jets.

"Count on me, guys."

When I say this, the eagles puff out their chests.

Do they understand me?

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"Ah, Mr. Almus. Your order is ready."

Eins smiles.

"I'll give you a slight discount since you bought so much."

"Thank you."

My favorability increased a bit.

"Let me confirm the items."

Eins takes out the items I ordered.

It's a large bow, a longbow.

"The latest bow from Kirisia. The arrows are iron. There's almost nothing in the Adelnia Peninsula that this can't penetrate. But... can you handle it?"

"Yes. I have an excellent archer among my companions."

Garam and the others can use it well.

"Then there's no problem. I've loaded the same ones onto the wagon. I've also included the arrows."

Eins hands me the longbow.

"Next, the shields. They're wooden with iron plating, and leather armor."

"Yes, that's correct."

I really wanted iron armor, but it was too expensive.

Good things come at a price.

"Next, the iron fragments... What are you going to use them for?"

"It's a secret."

I'll mix them with the black powder to increase its lethality. Bombs aren't very lethal on their own.

"Then, the cursed stones. What are you going to use them for? So many small ones. Well, they're usually not sellable, so it's fine."

"Yes, thank you."

Fortunately, the cursed stones that correspond to magic stones are not suitable for curses and are very cheap.

I'll use these magic stones to write a magic array that will ignite the black powder. It's inconvenient to light the fuse every time, and if the fire goes out, it becomes a dud.

"Very strong alcohol. This is also part of your order, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

It's not for drinking at a feast. It's for sterilization and disinfection.

"Lastly, the dangerous item."

Eins puts on gloves and hands me leather gloves.

He takes out a small pot.

"It's the poison from aconite. Even a slight touch can cause a disaster, so be careful. When applying it to arrows, wear gloves and dip the arrowheads into the pot. Don't let it soak into cloth or it will enter through a wound and kill you."

"Yes, I understand."

With poison, you can kill enemies for sure.

It might be a bit underhanded, but there's no time for that.

Feces can also be toxic, but we are few in number.

We aim for a quick battle. Therefore, we need a fast-acting poison.

The enemy's main equipment is wooden.

If so, our arrows can easily penetrate. And when they hit...

That's the idea.

The longbow has several times the range of bows in the Adelnia Peninsula, so we can attack one-sidedly for a while.

"Here's a freebie."

Eins hands me a sword.

What is this? It has a wood-grain pattern...

"It's a sword made of Dragon Damascus steel. Only the desert people, who live east of Kirisia, can forge this metal. It's made by mixing the special metal from a dragon's heart with iron and forging it for three days and three nights with the heat from a dragon's fire sac."

I don't understand, but...

It must be very expensive!

"Yes, but I don't want you to die. I haven't learned the paper-making method from you yet. And I want to continue favoring you in the future."

"I see... Thank you. I can't teach you the paper-making method so easily, though."

I laugh and turn to leave Eins' shop.

"Good luck."

"Yes, I'll definitely come back."

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**Damascus Steel**

In this world, there are two types of Damascus steel: one made without dragon metal, similar to Earth's Damascus steel, and Dragon Damascus steel, which is made by mixing dragon metal into Damascus steel.

Incidentally, the quality of Dragon Damascus steel varies widely (though even the lowest quality is much harder than regular steel).

The quality of the dragon metal is proportional to the dragon's rank.

Swords made from Dragon Damascus steel from a high-ranking dragon are legendary swords.

Swords made from Dragon Damascus steel from a myth-level dragon are divine swords.

The Dragon Damascus steel sword that Eins gave to Almus is a legendary sword.

The desert people, who literally live in the desert, forge excellent iron using the fire sacs from salamanders, which are relatively high-ranking dragons living in the same desert.

Eins has heard enough from King Rosais to think, "This guy is going to be big." Giving him the sword is an investment.