87. Unexpected Outcomes Are Inevitable, Isn’t It?

This place is a frontier, a land where fierce monsters roam, a place of despair.

…or so it was supposed to be, but the city, protected by enormous and expansive walls, had developed remarkably.

Being able to contribute to that is my greatest pride.

Let me tell you about a time just after we rescued the Lizardman village and brought them here, right after the talks had concluded.

It’s a story from before Zayed’s village sent out the marshland subjugation team.

Now then, everyone, enjoy the story.

Just kidding.

◆

That day, as usual, I was seen off by my maid Ryuuko and headed to the Production Guild.

“Wow. No matter how many times I see it, it’s magnificent.”

The Production Guild, perhaps because Leafan and I were there, received considerable favoritism from Kyle.

From the location to the building, everything was top-notch.

Currently, reinforcements from production guilds all over the kingdom have arrived, and we’re operating smoothly.

As I entered the guild, a girl at the counter greeted me.

“Good morning, Craft-san.”

“Hey. Have you gotten used to Golden Dawn?”

“Yes! The journey here had me trembling the whole way, as we had to pass through areas inhabited by ferocious monsters, but once we arrived, it felt like the golden land!”

The new guild member answered with a smile. If she felt that way, then I’m satisfied.

“The food is delicious, we get private rooms, the pay is high, and we even get stamina potions. I don’t want to go back home!”

“Haha, glad to hear it.”

With a smile pulled by her enthusiasm, I headed to the basement area restricted to staff.

The large underground room was heavily coated with alchemical reinforcement rock.

Walking down the corridor, I opened a sturdy door to find a room equipped with a huge smelting furnace and bellows.

A scorching hot wind, glowing red, blasted from the smelting furnace.

Of course, the ventilation system was perfectly designed.

Leafan, who was preparing the furnace, noticed me and turned around with a bright smile.

“Craft-kun, you’re late! Everything’s ready!”

“Wow! That was quick!”

Eagerly awaiting, Leafan bounded over to me.

“Of course! We’re finally making Orichalcum, after all!”

“Yeah, it’s been a tough journey…”

Leafan and I had been working on creating Orichalcum, but through the whispers of the emblem, we discovered it was an alloy of Mithril and Adamantite.

The performance of the existing smelting furnace was insufficient, so we have been busy building a new one until today.

Finally, yesterday, we completed an unprecedentedly large smelting furnace.

The reason we didn’t start yesterday was that it took a day to raise the furnace’s temperature.

Upon closer inspection, Leafan had dark circles under her eyes.

She must have been drinking stamina potions, but those don’t replace sleep.

“Are you okay, Leafan?”

“Of course! I’m too excited to sleep!”

Her eyes, slightly bloodshot, sparkled with excitement.

A bit scary.

“Calm down, the furnace and ingots aren’t going anywhere.”

“But the temperature will!”

Huh? Is that how it works?

In that case, we should start right away.

“Shall we begin? What do we need?”

“Everything’s ready! We just need you, Craft-kun!”

Leafan was in unusually high spirits.

I see, all the necessary alchemical medicines for the alloy were laid out beside her.

“Where should I stand?”

“Stand on the opposite side of me, across this table. When the metal is pulled out, you’ll need to use magic, but it’s still very hot from here, so be careful.”

“Yeah… it’s already hot even before we start. I’ll use [Heat Resistance] even though it’s not as effective as a priest’s.”

Even with the Twilight Alchemist’s emblem, non-magic or non-alchemy magic has its limits.

But being able to use support magic at all is impressive.

What’s necessary for Orichalcum production is a high-performance furnace, a skilled blacksmith, various special alchemical medicines, and of course, Mithril and Adamantite.

And one more crucial thing.

That is…

“I never thought I’d need alchemy magic to blend the two metals…”

“Yeah. That’s why no one has been able to make it until now.”

There are many blacksmiths more skilled than Leafan, renowned as master craftsmen.

Some of them must have encountered Orichalcum and learned how to process it.

But refining it?

That must have been impossible.

After all, without the whispers of the Twilight Alchemist’s emblem, which knows all about Mithril, Adamantite, and Orichalcum, it can’t be done.

I gently stroke the emblem on my left hand.

Following the whispers of the emblem, I was able to prepare all of this. So there’s no hesitation in what to do next.

“Alright, Leafan! Let’s start!”

“Okay! Here we go!”

When the magical metals Mithril and Adamantite, mixed with special alchemical medicines, were tossed into the furnace, an intense light burst from the core.

“…Yeah… yeah. It’s mixing… slowly!”

“Whoa!”

A molten scarlet metal oozed out into the channel from the furnace.

This is…

“This is Orichalcum.”

“No, Craft-kun. Now you’ll transmute it into Orichalcum!”

As the molten metal slowly accumulated, I swallowed nervously.

The scarlet metal gradually filled the heat-resistant brick container.

That container had been inscribed with the necessary alchemical magic circles beforehand.

I took a stance, ready to activate alchemy magic at any moment, waiting for Leafan’s signal.

Time ticked by slowly.

Not yet? Is it time yet?

“…Craft-kun, now!”

“Alright! [Alchemy: Orichalcum Synthesis]!!!”

The intricate magic circle illuminated, enveloping the container.

The complex magical formula shone brightly and danced.

A sharp drain on my magical energy.

This is bad!

With my left hand on the magic circle, I quickly grabbed a test tube-shaped potion bottle and drank the mana potion hastily.

Feeling about 70% of my mana return, it was rapidly consumed by the emblem.

Gulping down ten mana potions in a row, I forced the spell to continue.

How’s that, you bastard!

The magic circle, having absorbed a vast amount of magical power, finally fully activated, flooding the entire basement with light.

“Ah!”

“Bright!”

The intense magical illumination blinded me. As my vision returned, there it was…

“…”

“…”

The heat-resistant brick container in the ingot mold had broken.

“…”

“…”

And for some reason…

“Hey, Craft-kun?”

“…Uh, yeah?”

“I didn’t hear about this?”

Ten Orichalcum ingots were lined up.

Well, it’s better than less, right?

“That’s not the point!”

For the first time in a while, I enjoyed Leafan’s sharp retort.

…Now then, with this much Orichalcum…

Heh heh heh.

I can do everything I want to!

“Are you listening!? Craft-kun!”

I wasn’t, lost in thoughts of what to make!

“Craft-kun! Sit up straight!”

“Yes!”

I energetically sat up straight, but my mind was filled with plans for all the things I wanted to create.

“This… looks hopeless.”

For some reason, Leafan sighed deeply.