Chapter 89

In the end, it took me three days to stretch the mithril completely. Of course, if left as it is, it would just be a fancy stick, so from tomorrow, I need to start shaping it.

However, that's enough for today. I can't do good work if I push myself to the limit and stay up all night. Even an anime movie I liked in my previous world said as much.

The next morning, when I returned from fetching water, Ridi was outside the house, her hand on a tree trunk.

"Good morning. It's not really dangerous to be outside, right?"

I was about to say, "It's dangerous," but I remembered she had said otherwise and corrected myself.

"Yes. With this much magic, ordinary beasts won't come near."

Ridi answered with a voice that was clear and ringing like a bell.

"Does that mean it can detect danger or something?"

"Yes. Places with high magic concentration often have monsters."

I was taken aback by this.

"Does that mean this area has a high magic concentration, and monsters might suddenly appear?"

"No, that rarely happens. In this forest, beasts might turn into monsters under certain conditions, but their nature generally doesn't change much from their original form. Occasionally, they might become more aggressive."

That's a troublesome situation. Beasts that turn into monsters will probably come here regardless of the magic concentration. Wait, could the bear I killed earlier have been a monster...? Even if it wasn't a monster when Sermia was injured (which feels like a long time ago), it might have turned into one afterward, which could explain why I felt something was wrong. If it did turn into a monster, I don't know what kind of monster it would have become, but it's good that I dealt with it early. Hmm? Wait a minute.

"Then, keeping animals here..."

"I wouldn't recommend it. However, from what I've seen of Aizou and Diana's training, they seem to be quite skilled with swords. If they can handle it in case of an emergency, it might be okay. As I mentioned earlier, the nature of the beasts doesn't change much, so those intelligent wolves will remain intelligent."

In the worst case, it would be a terribly sad farewell... That's a painful thought. But it rarely happens, so it should be fine. It's all a matter of fate. It's reassuring to know that even if we keep a horse, it should be okay.

"In caves, the magic stagnates, and monsters are born there. They are generally more aggressive. The cause is unknown, apparently."

Ridi casually explained the mechanism of monster creation. I see. I haven't heard from Sermia or Diana about any caves in this area, but if I find one, I'll tell them not to go near it.

"By the way, what were you doing outside?"

After a moment of understanding, I asked, and Ridi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ah, is it okay to ask about that? If it's a problem, please forget what I just said."

Thinking her reaction was a rejection, I hurried to retract my question.

"No, it's fine. I was just absorbing magic."

"Absorbing magic?"

"Yes. While food is necessary, elves also need magic."

"I see."

That's why I don't see many elves in the city. It makes sense that they wouldn't be in the capital either, since they need magic, which is hard to absorb in cities or capitals. I thought it would be rude to ask more, so I nodded and tried to head back inside with the water jug.

"Aizou, you're not going to ask more, are you?"

Ridi's voice was almost devoid of emotion. I replied.

"I'm a man, so I'm interested in someone as beautiful as you, Ridi, but I also know there are things better left unasked."

I gave a deliberate grin and went inside. Maybe I overdid it a bit.

Today, I'll continue working on the mithril sword, and Rike and the others will keep working on the standard models. Ridi will be watching me, or rather, keeping an eye on me, I guess.

Until yesterday, I just had to focus on stretching the mithril, but from today, I can't do that anymore. I need to compare it with the wooden model I made before forging and work accordingly. Even with the cheat, the progress will naturally be slower. The key will be how to reduce stress while working.

As usual, I prayed at the altar, lit the hearth and furnace, and started working. I heated the mithril, took it out, placed it on the anvil, and started hammering while looking at the wooden model for reference. Using the cheat, I explored where to hammer. With each strike, a clear sound and beautiful sparks appeared in the forge.

Ridi was watching me from the side—though today, she seemed a bit closer. The work is definitely entering the final stages, and she might have become more interested. That's a good thing. I thought to myself as I plunged the mithril sword back into the hearth.