#When I returned, the family was ruined (36)
Popolence, who could not hide his disappointment, eventually nodded.
“All right. “It would take about four days to make a great sword out of this metal.”
“Four days?”
Ethan couldn’t hide his surprise at the dwarf’s words.
Dwarves were a race famous for craftsmanship, so they were blacksmiths with great craftsmanship.
Even when producing a single product, if it doesn’t satisfy even the slightest bit of the product, it is likely that the entire product will be replaced.
Considering the nature of manufacturing items with great care, stitch by stitch, the time of four days was too short.
‘I was holding on to it for at least a month.’
The time was reduced by more than seven times.
“Are you trying to make something roughly?”
“Yeah? You mean roughly? Could that be possible? If that happens, your business will fail. Ah, are you saying that because the production period was too short?”
“okay.”
“haha. In the past, it took a month or a lifetime to make a single sword… but things have changed a lot these days.”
“It’s changing?”
“Why aren’t people like that too? Some people are good at cooking, others are good at sewing, etc. Each person has their own characteristics. The same goes for us dwarves. “Big.”
Porforens, who quenched his thirst with a cold beer on the table, continued speaking.
“Some dwarves are good at making swords, while others have an amazing center of gravity, and each has distinct strengths. That is why division of labor began to flourish.”
“Division of labor?”
“yes. It takes about five skilled dwarves to make one sword. “By exploring only the areas where each company has the best strengths, the quality has improved and the time required for production has been reduced significantly.”
“….”
It wasn’t something I couldn’t understand.
‘It’s really changed a lot from my previous life.’
Dwarves of the past were different.
One of their principles was that making a product together with someone meant that they lacked their own skills.
The dwarves were a race of craftsmen who were satisfied only by making items on their own, regardless of whether they worked or not.
Division of labor?
If Muradni, the former warchief of the dwarves, had heard this, he would have struck the dwarf’s small head with a hammer.
And that too very loudly.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter as long as quality is guaranteed.’
No matter what the process is, as long as the result is good.
It didn’t really matter whether a dwarf was attached to a sword or whether heat was attached to it.
“Then please do so. Instead, I would like to participate in the production process myself. Is that possible?”
“yes? Why would such a precious person craft it….”
“I think I need to use my mana directly from the crafting process to make the sword familiar with my mana.”
“ah!”
Porforens clapped his hands together.
Come to think of it.
I remember hearing that Ardanga’s children manipulate fire mana.
If that was the reason, it was understandable. The reason the Archduke is currently trying to change the great sword he carries on his back is probably because the body of the sword cannot withstand the heat.
In fact, the great sword he was carrying was slightly scorched in various places.
“Are you by any chance a fire-type attribute of mana?”
“right.”
“Hehe, then you are very welcome!”
Porforens rubbed his palms together. All the ingredients used to create powerful firepower are money.
In such a situation, how could one not be happy that a human furnace appeared?
‘Even if you just raise the temperature moderately.’
You will be able to save a lot of material costs.
“We are planning to start production now. Would you like to participate?”
“Sure.”
“yes. “Oh, you guys!”
As soon as Popolence shouted loudly, the dwarven apprentices came rushing in.
“Business is over today. “The next order will be placed in three days, so pass it along.”
“All right.”
The apprentices rushed out.
Porforens moved towards the production site, leading Ethan. Four dwarves were already waiting at the production site.
“It’s a great sword. Everyone, relax your hands and get ready.”
“Okay.”
The dwarves diligently completed their preparations. Meanwhile, Porforens took out a black outfit and handed it to me.
“This is a protective suit.”
“Protective clothing?”
“yes. “To melt metal, you need to use a magic melting agent, and in the process, a lot of heat will be generated.”
“If that’s the case, you don’t have to wear it.”
“yes? If you do that, you may get burned all over your body and end up roasted…” When
you pour mana into the magic melting agent, the melting agent begins to evaporate and the temperature rises rapidly.
In order to melt that black metal, you had to use a melting agent of at least a good quality.
The temperature flowing from a high-quality melting agent is at least several thousand degrees.
If you weren’t wearing protective clothing, your body could have been completely cooked by the heat flowing around you.
But Ethan just shook his head. A body blessed by the Fire Lord.
In this body, heat was not even a threat to me. Popolence, who recommended it again and again, finally seemed to give up and sighed.
“Even if you get burned, it’s definitely not our responsibility!”
“okay. “I promise in Ardan’s name.”
“All right.”
Soon after, even Porforens was fully dressed in protective clothing.
It was an outfit made of a tight material that clung to the arms and chest muscles all the way to the waist line.
The moment when Porforens, wearing a protective suit, turned around.
‘It’s a good thing I didn’t wear it.’
Ethan was satisfied with his judgment.
Because the front part of the tight suit was quite ugly.
I’d rather it be a little hot.
“let’s begin!”
Popolence opened the lid of the melting agent. An acrid yet musty smell began to encroach on the surroundings.
The magic melting agent was sprinkled onto the carved frame in the shape of a great sword.
“Now.”
The fiery mana flowing from Ethan’s hand began to awaken the melter.
Bubble…
In an instant, the temperature of the melting agent rose.
‘Oh, it’s hot!’
The dwarves were startled by the temperature. The temperature of the advanced melting agent is such that it feels slightly warm when wearing protective clothing.
but now.
It wasn’t just warm, it felt like I had been hit by really hot steam.
‘what? It feels like the temperature has risen by at least seven hundred degrees…?’
Even though I was wearing protective clothing, the intense heat I could feel made me frown.
Porforens hurriedly looked at the Archduke. It was to the point where I began to wonder whether a naked archduke would be able to survive at this temperature.
That moment.
The dwarf’s face became blank.
‘…Yes?’
Even in the insane temperature, not even a single drop of sweat was flowing down the face of the archduke who was injecting mana.
‘What kind of person…’ In
order to survive with his bare body intact in this temperature, he needed an affinity for fire that was not just enough to control the mana of fire, but to the point where he could become one with fire.
If not, did he have a monstrous achievement called a master or superhuman?
Whichever of the two the archduke belongs to.
‘You really are a monster, aren’t you?’
It is inevitable that these thoughts will come to mind.
‘Oops! ‘You have to put metal in it.’
Forforens put black metal into the frame. The metal gradually became soft due to the extreme heat.
The black metal that stuck to the frame gradually hardened into the shape of a great sword.
“Hey, Archduke.”
“But why?”
“Now, I need to take the sword out of this mold and start forging it. Can I use some more of your mana in the process?”
Forging is the process of removing air bubbles from the metal by hitting it hundreds of times with a hammer, starting from the sword body to the handle.
If heat could be supplied consistently during this process, much higher quality items could be produced.
“Sure.”
Ethan nodded willingly.
Because making the great sword familiar with one’s mana was a process that must be completed.
So the five dwarves and the fire knight began making swords.
* * *
Baron Kargath’s introspection.
Sylvia, who was working in the office assigned there, received a letter. It was a letter from the Archduke. She opened the letter and looked at its contents.
‘The Baron concealed information.’
The letter contained information that the Baron had hidden and a request to find out as much as possible about the background of this incident.
‘Who should I dig for?’
The Baron, the person with the information, is already dead.
Soon, a person flashed into her mind.
‘Deacon.’
He was one of the Baron’s closest associates and was still imprisoned in the dungeon.
As soon as I left the office, three knights, including Knight Commander Manhattan, offered themselves as guards.
I headed to the dungeon with them.
“I guess I’ll have to go alone from here.”
“I understand, Mr. Lawrence. Then, I will be waiting nearby.”
She opened the prison door.
“Ugh…”
The head deacon frowned at the light coming in for the first time in a long time and looked at Lawrence.
“Hey!”
Either way.
Sylvia just indifferently asked questions about the information she needed to keep.
“You probably know about the letter from Pelthorn Village, right?”
“If it were Peltorn Village…”
The head deacon, recalling memories, nodded frantically.
“Yeah! “I remember!”
“Why did the Baron cover up this incident?”
“That… I don’t know exactly! “There is only one thing I know for sure!”
“say.”
“When I was in the office with the Baron… very occasionally a person wearing a black robe would come by.”
“Are you saying you don’t know who it is?”
“…yes. I do not know. He suddenly appeared in front of the office without any pretense of popularity. Every time, the Baron sent me out of the room.”
“If you only know this much, it’s unlikely you’ll survive.”
The moment Sylvia spoke coldly.
The head deacon desperately recalled his memories.
‘please! please!’
A person covered in black robes.
I had to come up with some information about this person.
Immediately afterwards, he smiled.
“ah! “There is… again!”
“what?”
“He is most likely a wizard!”
“Wizard?”
“yes. I heard the Baron mumbling! How many wizards does that place have?…”
“And?”
“And… and! Here’s what the Baron said when he erased the record! It was said that if you want to live, you must forget. “It was as if he had received secret instructions from on high.”
The head deacon rolled his eyes.
Because I really couldn’t remember anything more than this. Sylvia, looking into his eyes, nodded and left the dungeon.
‘A group, not an individual.’
According to what the head deacon said, there was a high possibility that the magicians belonging to the group were quite capable.
A group that has many magicians of that level.
This is the place presumed to be behind this incident. Recently, an intelligence organization has been created, but it has not yet been able to follow the officially established intelligence guild in collecting information.
‘I need to use the information guild.’
No matter how guild you are, you would not be aware of the existence of such a secret organization. So, there was something else that needed to be requested.
The scope is the entire duchy located in the west. The content of the request would suffice: to narrow down the scope of what kind of wizard with the level of skill mentioned by the head deacon would be.
Lawrence began moving towards the information guild located in the city.
* * *
While Lawrence was diligently digging for information.
“It’s complete!”
The dwarves cheered after completing four days of all-night work.
This is because they have completed a great sword that looks amazing.
“Take a listen!”
Porforens said confidently.
Ethan immediately grabbed the great sword.
A great sword that is dyed ink-colored from the body to the handle.
Its weight was much lighter than that of a steel sword, and its mana conductivity was much higher than before.
‘I’ll be able to use it without any problems for about a year from now.’
He nodded in satisfaction.
“You worked hard.”
“no! lol. “Um…”
“Is there anything you want to say?”
“In the future, when you use a sword, if possible, please hold the handle slightly upward so that the markings can be clearly seen…! It would be the greatest honor of my crafting life!”
“…Let’s try.”
“Ah….”
Effort alone is not enough!
However, contrary to his true feelings, Popolence’s mouth could not help but become a lisp.
Because I clearly saw Ethan’s skills while going through the production process over the past four days.
I hope that the Archduke will hold the handle of the sword slightly higher than it is now.
Porforens prayed earnestly.