Chapter 41

From today, my usual work begins. On the first day, I will make the amount of sheet metal I used, and from the next day, I will start making knives, short swords, and long swords. This time, I decided to have Sermia help me with the sheet metal as well. The three of us will work together to melt, solidify, and stretch the metal. While the metal is solidifying, we can't touch it, but the melting and stretching can be divided among us, so I think the efficiency has improved.

In the end, we were able to produce about 1.2 times the amount we made last time. There is still plenty of iron ore left. In fact, even after making this much, the amount we receive is much more than what we use, so it doesn't seem to be decreasing at all. Perhaps one day I'll have to tell Camiro that we don't need any more supplies.

From the next day, I will start making weapons. By the way, I haven't asked Camiro, but is it okay to increase the variety? Short spears, for example, are custom models, but I know they are useful in actual combat, and if there are no issues, I want to add them to the lineup.

In any case, I will start with short swords and long swords. The process is, of course, the same as before. However, the efficiency has gradually improved. I can leave the melting, pouring into molds, and removing burrs to Sermia, which makes my job easier and allows me to focus on the high-end models. We continued this work for about three days and managed to produce a considerable number. I think this amount should be enough for the next two weeks without any new orders.

The next two days are dedicated to making knives. There's nothing for Sermia to help with here, and our meat reserves are running low, so Sermia went hunting. I also need to replenish the arrowheads... I will make the high-end models, and Rike will make the standard models, following the usual process. By the evening, we had made a decent number. I thought about making standard models tomorrow as well. While considering this, I was tidying up the workshop when Sermia returned.

"Back."

"Welcome back. How was it?"

"Yeah, I caught a big boar this time."

"Wow, good job."

"Of course."

Sermia proudly puffed out her chest. She really is a great hunter.

"Are the arrowheads okay?"

I asked Sermia about the pending issue.

"Yeah, they're sturdy and go in with one shot, so they haven't decreased much. It would be nice to have some spares, though."

"Got it. That's good to hear."

"The boar's head is really hard. It went in with one shot. I think it could even pierce an iron helmet..."

"R-Really?"

Hmm, the power is a bit too much. But, arrows are arrows, and without the skill to hit them with a bow, it doesn't matter. It's not like bringing guns into this world.

We made plans to return with the three of us the next day, and that was it for today.

The next morning, the three of us headed to the lake. The boar is submerged in a fairly deep spot, so Sermia and I will pull it up, while Rike prepares a transport platform by cutting nearby trees. When we reached the spot marked by Sermia, we could see the submerged green-furred boar. The boars in this forest have moss-like growths on their bodies, making them appear green. When they crouch, they look like bushes at first glance.

Still, it's big, even though I was told it was a "big catch." In the previous world, there are apparently boars around 2 meters long, and this one seems to be about the same size. "Let's go," I said, and we started dragging it. When we reached the shore, Rike had prepared logs. We tied them together with ropes to make a transport platform and worked together to drag the boar onto it. All that's left is to pull it home. With my cheat strength, Sermia's beastman strength, and Rike's dwarf strength, the three of us can manage it without much trouble.

Still, it took us about an hour longer to return than it did to get there. We immediately hung the boar near the house. After that, we skinned and butchered it, but I didn't help with that part. Instead, I disassembled the transport platform and cut the wood into manageable pieces. It took some time since I did it alone, but I managed to cut it to the right size and thickness. I placed the wood with the rest of the stored wood. With that done, I checked on Sermia and Rike, and they had finished the butchering.

Like with deer, we took out the portion we would eat today and salted the rest. For lunch, we had boar steak. It tasted similar to pork, but it had a wild flavor, a kind of smell that wasn't unpleasant.

"The boar is delicious."

"Yeah, it has a different flavor from pork, and it's quite good."

"Right. I've heard from travelers that the boars in this forest eat good things and are more delicious than those in other places."

"Really? That's interesting."

"But hunting them is difficult. They're very aggressive, and their skulls are so hard that arrows don't always penetrate."

"So, it's thanks to my arrowheads."

"Exactly."

Don't say it so bluntly. You'll make me blush.

In the afternoon, we started making knives. We can produce a decent amount, and since they are standard models, I decided to let Sermia help with the initial stages. She seems to have a knack for it, probably because she has helped before. Still, she is almost a complete beginner, so the quality isn't great even near the end. I will finish the standard models myself.

"Boss, but Sermia can do a lot of things, can't she?"

Rike spoke to Sermia in a casual tone.

"Hmm, I guess? But compared to Eizou, I'm not that good."

"Comparing yourself to the boss is wrong."

"Yeah, you're right."

They laughed together. It's nice to see them like this. I felt a warm feeling and made sure not to accidentally make a high-end model.

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