Chapter 74

After parting ways with Helen, we headed straight for Camillo's shop. Although we have one more type of merchandise to unload, the procedure itself remains unchanged. After wheeling the cart into the warehouse and greeting the warehouse keeper, we went up to the second floor to the negotiation room.

After waiting for a while, Camillo and the shop manager arrived.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"Pretty good. The trust from dealing with the noble family has increased, and business is starting to grow."

"Great to hear that."

While it's unclear how it has affected Marius, it seems to be a good outcome for Camillo.

"What did you bring today?"

"The usual, and about five halberds."

"Halberds? Why?"

"To sell to the 'Lord' for the city's guards."

"Ah, I see."

"Can you do it?"

"Sure thing. We have other places to distribute them, and we'll buy them from you."

"Thanks, that's a relief."

With that, the deal was made. Neither Camillo nor I thought Marius wouldn't buy them, but it's good to have a place to sell them if he doesn't.

"By the way, let's talk about this next."

Camillo lowered his voice.

"You said you wanted some unusual ore, right?"

"Yeah. Did you find it?"

"Sort of. I haven't acquired it yet, but according to information from 'His Lordship,' 'Apaita' from the north has apparently made its way to the capital. If you want it, I can secure it for you."

Apoita, known as a legendary metal in the previous world, similar to Hihiirokane, is said to be produced in the north and is harder than iron. After processing, it has a dull blue luster, according to the knowledge I have. It's not as hard as Hihiirokane, but it's rare enough.

"Sure, can you secure it for me?"

"Alright, but I can't guarantee it."

"Even just finding it is enough. How much will it cost?"

"Three gold coins."

"That's quite a price."

I can afford it with the gold from making Helen's sword and the reward from the Aimur family incident, but it's not a price a regular blacksmith can easily afford.

"However, I can offer it to you for two gold coins."

"I don't want any trouble."

"Don't worry, it's not that complicated. We have a request to make a rapier using true silver from a different source than the 'Lord.'"

"I see, so that's the processing fee."

"Exactly."

Without the cost of materials, one gold coin for the processing fee isn't a bad deal, especially since it's a chance to work with mithril.

"Is it okay to put our workshop's mark in an inconspicuous place?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Alright, I'll take it."

"Then, it's settled."

Camillo gave a nod to the shop manager, who left the room. We then talked about the state of the capital and other cities until the loading of the goods was complete. We left the room and retrieved the cart from the warehouse to head home. On the way back, a different guard was on duty, so we just nodded and passed by.

The return journey was more tense than the trip there, as we were carrying mithril. Even with four of us and two skilled guards, it's hard not to be nervous when carrying such valuable materials. If it's known that we have valuable materials, there's a good chance someone might try to rob us for a quick fortune. We tried to act as usual.

Occasionally, the bushes rustled, but according to Sermia, it was just "the wind or small animals." Nothing happened until we entered the forest, and I sighed in relief. Honestly, I find the forest, where I only need to be cautious of bears, more relaxing than the road where I have to be wary of bandits.

In the end, we returned home without any incidents. As usual, Sermia and Diana helped unload the food, while Rike and I handled the iron ore, coal, and mithril. The mithril shone silver, but it didn't look much different from other metals. It's said to have a thin, lustrous appearance after proper processing, but not yet. For today, we just focused on getting it inside.

The next day, although I was curious about the mithril, I had to prioritize making a week's worth of steel plates. We divided the work among the four of us and managed to replenish a considerable amount.

The following day, we finally began forging the mithril. Since forging mithril is not a common occurrence, Rike helped half the time and observed the other half, while Sermia and Diana just watched.

I grabbed the mithril with tongs and heated it in the forge. Unlike regular silver, which would melt at the temperature needed to process iron, the mithril showed no signs of melting. Once it reached the optimal temperature for processing, I placed it on the anvil and struck it with a hammer. The sound that echoed through the forge was clear and crisp, like hitting glass. Normally, a single strike would deform regular steel, but the mithril barely changed.

"This is tricky."

"Even with your hammer, Master?"

"Yeah. It barely changed. I should have asked for a bit more for the processing fee."

The three of them chuckled at my complaint. I struck it four to five more times, but by then it had cooled below the processing temperature. I put it back in the forge.

"This is going to take a lot of work."

"That's mithril for you. It's not something a regular blacksmith can handle."

"I know, but still..."

Considering how easily I've processed steel in the past, this is quite frustrating.

Still, there's no choice but to work steadily. I took the mithril out of the forge and struck it again with the hammer.