Chapter 170: Gordov's Hammer
“The materials entrusted to me by Master, I could not process them at aaaaaaaall!!”
When I came to the shop, Mr. Gordov suddenly performed a dogeza while saying such a thing.
“Umm, what do you mean you couldn’t process them?”
Then Mr. Gordov began to explain the circumstances, saying, “Actually…”
“At first, since it was material from a beetle-type monster, I tried to shave it down, but no matter how much I tried, the blade wouldn’t go through, and instead, the blade chipped. So next I tried to smash it, but conversely, my hammer broke. Then I put it in the furnace to melt the iron contained in the material, but let alone melting, it didn’t even turn red. I threw my hands up not knowing what to do anymore…”
To think he couldn’t process Venom Beat material, that shouldn’t be the case, but…
“Could I see your workspace for a bit?”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be a cause with the tools.”
“Then does that mean my skills are poor…”
“Eh!? No, no, with your skills, Mr. Gordov, you should be able to process weakened Venom Beat material!”
“But I actually cannot process this material, Master…”
“Hmm, that shouldn’t be the case, but… right, could you show me your actual working process!?”
“My working process?”
“Yes, to know where the cause lies, seeing the actual sight is the best!”
“Understood. If my clumsy skills are fine, please take a look.”
“Fuh! Hmph!”
“Hm?”
“Sei! Sei!”
“…”
And finally, he put the material in the furnace trying to melt it, but the Venom Beat material didn’t change at all.
“And well, it’s like this… did you figure anything out?”
“Yes, I figured it out.”
“Really!?”
“The reason you couldn’t process the Venom Beat material, Mr. Gordov, is…”
“It is!?”
“Because you aren’t using Blacksmithing Magic!”
“B-Blacksmithing!? Wh-What is that!?”
Huh? Does Mr. Gordov not know Blacksmithing Magic?
I don’t think that should be the case, but…
“Blacksmithing Magic is an essential magic for blacksmiths to process materials. With materials around the level of a Green Dragon, processing is possible with just blacksmithing techniques, but with the Venom Beat material class, processing is difficult without the support of Blacksmithing Magic. I thought the Venom Beat I subjugated was weakened so its quality as a material was also low, but it seems only the processing difficulty remained the same.”
“I-I see, so such magic was necessary to process this guy… but, magic, huh.”
“Or rather, were you not taught about Blacksmithing Magic by your master, Mr. Gordov?”
“Huh? I’m a dwarf, you know?”
“Aren’t dwarves bad at magic?”
“Yeah, just as the young lady says. We dwarves have confidence in our physical sturdiness and blacksmithing skills, but when it comes to magic, our entire race is bad at it… or rather, we practically can’t use it. Even if we can, it’s definitely not at a level usable in actual combat.”
“To think we must be able to use magic to process materials… What irony that we, who take pride in being called the race of blacksmithing, cannot master blacksmithing…”
“…Umm, dwarves can use Blacksmithing Magic, you know?”
“…Huh?”
“Or rather, it was dwarves who invented Blacksmithing Magic.”
“H-Huuuuh!? Is that true, Master!?”
“Could it be that you really weren’t taught Blacksmithing Magic by your blacksmithing master, Mr. Gordov?”
“Of course not! My master threw me out saying I had acquired a respectable level of skill, so I should travel the outside world and train myself.”
I see, a master with a style of teaching the basics and letting you learn on your own after that.
But if that’s the case, he should have at least taught the basics of Blacksmithing Magic, which is the foundation of blacksmithing…
Could it be he intentionally didn’t teach Blacksmithing Magic!?
If so, what an outrageous Spartan master!
“Master, can you, Master, use that thing called Blacksmithing Magic?”
“Yes, I can use it. Though the one I can use is only a basic level I learned from a dwarf acquaintance.”
“…Master! Please, teach me that thing called Blacksmithing Magic!”
“Are you sure? What I can use are truly just the basics, you know?”
“Rather, that’s exactly what I wish for! If you just teach me the basics, I will reach the rest on my own!”
“…Understood. If you are fine with the basics I know, I will teach you.”
“Thank you very much, Master!”
“Then first, I will actually try using Blacksmithing Magic.”
“Yes!”
“Blacksmithing Magic consists of three types: Processing Magic to process materials, Refining Magic to purify materials, and Enchantment Magic to strengthen processed parts and grant them special properties.”
“Hey, by ‘enchantment’, do you perhaps mean magic items?”
“Yes, generally speaking, items called magic items are of two types: those that operate with magic circuits, and those that operate with Enchantment Magic. The former is complex and requires time and skill to produce. In contrast, the latter is easy to make, but instead, the performance isn’t very high.”
“Heh-, so there were types of magic items too.”
“Then I will make something using various basic Blacksmithing Magics.”
“I look forward to it, Master!”
Mr. Gordov focuses on my hands, full of spirit.
“First is Processing Magic, PROCESSING MATERIAL!”
When I activate the magic, the shape of the Venom Beat material changes squishily (gunyugunyu).
“Uooh!? The material’s shape changed!?”
“And next is Refining Magic. REFINE MATERIAL!”
Next, I sort the components contained within the Venom Beat material, separate the unnecessary components, and change it into a more refined material as weapons and armor material.
“This is!? The beetle material looks like refined iron!?”
Oops, as expected of Mr. Gordov.
Whether it’s a blacksmith’s intuition or a dwarf’s instinct, it seems he guessed I refined and purified the Venom Beat material just by looking at it.
Because refining monster materials is hard to tell at first glance.
I make new equipment using the material deformed by Processing Magic and the material refined by Refining Magic.
“Even though it’s the same material, its properties have changed so much you’d mistake it for a different material!? Is this Blacksmithing Magic!?”
“Yes, Blacksmithing Magic isn’t just to make material processing easier, it’s also a magic that draws out the potential the material possesses.”
“My word…”
“And with Enchantment Magic, we grant it toughening, sharpness enhancement, rust resistance, etc. Doing this during processing yields a higher magic effect than doing it after the equipment is completed. By the way, the Enchantment Magic of Blacksmithing Magic and the Enchantment Magic used in combat share the same name ‘Enchantment’, but they are different magics. One is a magic that strengthens everything short-term, and the other is a magic that strengthens only a specified thing long-term, so the contents of the spell formulas are complete opposites.”
“Heh, so that was it.”
Hearing the difference in Enchantment Magic, Liliera raises a voice sounding impressed.
Because quite a few people, even warriors, don’t know the detailed story of the Enchantment Magic used by blacksmiths.
Until an acquaintance drilled blacksmithing into me, I also thought they were similar things.
“And, it’s complete with this!”
“It’s already done!?”
Hearing the work was completed, Mr. Gordov rounds his eyes.
“Well, this is something I made lightly to practice Blacksmithing Magic, after all.”
“This is made lightly…!?”
Mr. Gordov stares at the sword I made while trembling violently.
“Master, would it be alright if I test cut with this?”
“Yes, I don’t mind.”
“Thank you very much.”
Mr. Gordov, with few words, brings out a sword that was at the edge of the workshop and fixes it to a stand used for test cutting.
Then, readying the sword I made, he mowed it horizontally.
Right after a clear kin sound rang out, the sword Mr. Gordov fixed broke cleanly in two.
“I see… so that’s how it is.”
Mr. Gordov nods deeply as if convinced.
“Did you figure something out?”
“Yes, I understand well what is different between my forged swords and Master’s. So this is the power of Blacksmithing Magic.”
Mr. Gordov holds up the sword I forged and stares at it dazzlingly.
“By making material processing easier, you can concentrate on the work of raising its quality, and furthermore, by using Refining Magic, you can maximize the material’s quality. And the finishing touch is the raising of the base performance through Enchantment Magic… if it’s taken this far, there’s absolutely no way a mere blockhead blacksmith could catch up. I see…”
Mr. Gordov is nodding over and over again as if digesting the information.
“I went out into the outside world as if being kicked out by my old man, but realizing the things I made were superior to what other guys made, I let it get to my head. To think I tried to make good things with such immature skills while missing the most crucial technique, it’s not even a laughing matter…”
A laugh mixed with self-deprecation echoes quietly in the workshop.
“But… if I become able to use this Blacksmithing Magic, my blacksmithing skills will rise even further!”
Along with those words, a flame dwells in Mr. Gordov’s eyes.
And turning back to me, Mr. Gordov drops to his knees and deeply bows his head to me.
“Master! I beg you once again! Please teach me Blacksmithing Magic! Please train me into a full-fledged blacksmith!”
Mr. Gordov implores me with a spirit I’ve never seen before.
“Wait, Mr. Gordov, please stop.”
As expected, having an elder person put his hands on the ground and bow his head is way too uncomfortable.
“I was conceited, thinking I had become a full-fledged blacksmith thanks to my master! But as a blacksmith, I hadn’t even stood at the entrance! Even I think there’s a limit to my stupidity!”
Mr. Gordov’s eyes are pure seriousness, with a momentum that looks like he’ll keep his head bowed for days if I don’t accept.
“Mr. Gordov, please raise your head. Didn’t I just say I would teach you?”
“…Ah, that’s right.”
Recalling our conversation from earlier, Mr. Gordov lightly raises his head.
Ah-, that startled me. Mr. Gordov is surprisingly the type to brood over things.
“Then to learn the basics of Blacksmithing Magic, shall we start from feeling magic power?”
“Ah-, Master. Even if you say feel magic power, we dwarves are bad at magic, so how can we feel magic power?”
Yeah, feeling magic power which is the foundation of magic, that’s the first wall people trying to use magic for the first time hit.
Setting aside a child with flexible thinking, it might be a bit tough for Mr. Gordov, who has held a complex about being bad at magic for many years.
“But it’s alright! Regarding that, I have a secret plan!”
Saying so, I take out a massive amount of Mana Potions from my magic bag.
“Because through the training of Jairo and the others, I generally understood the method to teach the knack for feeling magic power. I’ll have you, Mr. Gordov, experience safe magic, and based on that sensation, have you learn Body Enhancement Magic!”
“Body Enhancement Magic…!”
For some reason, Liliera‘s body twitches and shivers.
“You’re learning other magic before learning Blacksmithing Magic?”
“Yes, if you learn this, it will become easier to learn Blacksmithing Magic too. It’s alright, even Jairo, a warrior who isn’t good at magic, was able to learn it immediately!”
“I-I see. If even a warrior can learn it easily, then even I seem able to do it!”
“Yes, there are plenty of Mana Potions, and if you get tired I’ll recover you with stamina recovery magic, so there’s no need to worry!”
“I don’t really get it, but understood!”
“Ah, that hell is starting again…”
Liliera stares at Mr. Gordov with gentle eyes.
“Rex, the training looks like it’ll be long, so I’ll be heading back first.”
“Yes, thanks for your hard work. Then shall we begin the Body Enhancement Magic training!”
“Yes, Master!”
◆Og ◆
“The new equipment is complete!?”
Hearing the new equipment was completed, I immediately came to Gordov’s shop.
I never expected the new equipment to be completed in just one week!
…Well, the only scary part is that it uses materials from a deadly poison monster…
Entering the shop, there was the figure of Gordov spacing out at the counter with his eyes half-open.
…However, his state somehow seems strange?
“H-Hey, what’s wrong, Mr. Gordov?”
“…Oh? Oh, it’s Og.”
Gordov notices me, but something is off about his state.
It feels as if his soul has been sucked out.
“Yeah, the equipment, right. Wait a bit.”
Saying so, Gordov goes into the back of the shop.
And after waiting a few minutes. Gordov returns.
“This is your new equipment.”
“This is…!?”
What Gordov held out was pitch-black armor from top to bottom.
Meticulously, even the sword’s scabbard is black.
“Woah, even the blade is black!?”
When I drew the sword from the scabbard, I was surprised that even the blade was black.
As expected, isn’t it too unified!?
Moreover, both the sword and the armor are unbelievably light.
It’s a lightness that makes it hard to believe I’m holding a full set of armaments.
It’s so light that I feel uneasy whether it’s really weapons and armor.
“S-Say, Mr. Gordov. Is this alright?”
“Oh? Uneasy? Then there are swords for test cutting placed in the workshop, so pick one appropriately and try cutting it.”
I thought lightning would strike for finding fault with an item made by a master craftsman, but surprisingly, Gordov’s reply was mild.
No seriously, what happened to that old man?
As told, I enter the workshop, pull out one sword haphazardly stuffed in a barrel, and stand it on a stand.
Around here, I’m used to it because I’ve done it many times to check usability like grip and center of gravity when having new equipment made.
And standing in front of the stand, I drew the black sword and swung it completely horizontally against the standing sword.
However, I felt absolutely none of the usual zubat cutting sensation in my hands.
But the black sword slipped through without colliding with the standing sword, and the upper half of the sword in front of me had disappeared.
And a few moments later, there’s a clunk sound of something hard dropping to the ground.
Looking, the remaining half of the sword had fallen to the floor.
“Seriously…”
Suppressing the stirring in my chest, I prop the armor against the stand this time.
And taking out a sword for test cutting from the barrel, I swung the sword down with full force toward the black armor.
Along with a kiiiin sound, a shock ran through my hands, and the repelled sword bounced back.
“…Not a single scratch.”
The strike infused with my full power, however, couldn’t put even the slightest dent in the armor.
“This hardness with this lightness… could it be harder than dragon armor?”
While holding down my trembling hands, I don the armor and secure the sword to the belt on my waist.
“Hey, it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing anything at all. Even light leather armor isn’t this light.”
I run back to old man Gordov.
“This is amazing! It’s light, hard, and sharp! It’s unbelievable!”
“Hahahaha, right, right. It’s my masterpiece, after all.”
“Didn’t you say the same thing about the armor using dragon materials?”
Or rather, his eyes are still vacant and scary, but…
“Anyway, I’ll leave the remaining payment.”
“Yeah…”
“Hey, are you alright? You look kinda sick, though?”
At his entirely lifeless face, I inadvertently end up calling out to him.
“…Ah-, I’ve been pulling a bit of an all-nighter… or rather, an all-lifer… I was working diligently with the spirit of a dying man.”
Ah-, so he pulled an all-nighter.
No wonder he has a lifeless face.
“If that’s the case, you better go to sleep now. Even if you open the shop with that face, it’ll only scare the customers.”
“…Ah-, is that so? Well, maybe that’s true.”
Perhaps my words got through, Gordov flips the sign at the entrance and starts closing the shop.
“Thanks, old man Gordov! You really saved me! But all-nighters are bad for your health so lay off them!”
Conveying just that, I immediately left the shop so old man Gordov could sleep peacefully.
“…Fatigue is, you get tired even when you don’t get tired, huh.”
Only as I was leaving, old man Gordov leaked such a mutter softly.
“…What does ‘getting tired even when you don’t get tired’ mean?”
Leaving the shop, I tilt my head at old man Gordov’s remark, but I decided to accept that he must just be tired.
And from then on, the master craftsman Gordov came to make weapons and armor far superior to anything before, beyond comparison.
He had been making sufficiently excellent weapons and armor even before, but the newly started weapons and armor became so high-performance they could be called a completely different thing from before, and his name would spread throughout the world.
And the man called a master craftsman would come to be called the one who mastered blacksmithing, the Craft King.
“Setting that aside, these black armaments… are nice.”
Donning the newly obtained equipment, I was feeling an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
