Chapter 59 – Though it’s not like there was an option to refuse in the first place
By the time I finished making my next fox doll, Hime returned my message. Her reply had a detailed report showing everything she tested while using the doll in combat… Truly, as expected of Hime. She doesn’t hold back when testing things.
And to top it all off, her report is also easy to understand.
But well, the gist of it was that the doll could be used as a weapon, and that the usual penalty for manipulating weapons with threads did not apply to dolls.
However, the ‘Wooden Doll – Beast Type – Fox’ required at least 6 threads to operate, which created a troublesome issue… Namely, one couldn’t use two of them at the same time. Even Hime can’t change that, as you get a penalty if there are less than 6 threads connected to the doll at the same time.
This is troublesome… Hime can still use the other 4 threads to crowd control nearby enemies, but most people won’t be able to do that.
In any case, Hime also tested out the damage of making the doll hold a variety of weapons, and she concluded that it would be best to craft special claws and fangs into the doll instead.
It might also be a good idea to use the big tail as a weapon, but I’d rather have it be fluffy… Let’s ask Hime about it. If she is fine with it, then it should be okay to not make the tail a weapon, right? Right!?
******
… As per Hime’s request, the tail too will be a weapon.
It’s alright. Hime will be the one to use it, so I just need to make it removable… Besides, since the original is made of wood, it will hurt if one presses their face against it anyways.
Let’s do our best to keep improving the tail!
After a while, I ended up making fangs, claws and a tail-shaped blade. All of those ended up being counted as a single item, and they won’t be effective if they’re not attached to the Wooden Doll – Beast Type – Fox by the time I use Complete Process on it.
… It’s very disappointing that the tail cannot be removed.
There are some good things though! Like how the mouth can be opened and closed with a single thread once the fangs were embedded onto the doll. I was worried about how to use the fangs, but this solves it.
Though the doll itself also doesn’t seem to take the attack power of the Magical Gloves used to wield it… That, and I don’t really know if this attack power is the total attack of the doll, or if it’s the individual attack of its individual fangs, claws and tail.
That said, the Iron Magical Gloves only have a +34 ATK modifier, so this is a considerable improvement regardless.
Moreover, the Magical Gloves Skill certainly has quite a few Arts that enhance the power of its attacks, so this will probably lead to a considerable increase on Hime’s destructive potential against enemies.
In any case, she will surely test those things out herself, so I just sent her a message telling her that the doll was finished. She then replied saying that she’ll come pick it up at an appropriate time.
And during this process, I ended up finding out a nice use for the Automatic Market Price Collection Art of the Improved Merchant Skill! It lets me browse through prices that are set by the game’s developers!
This makes it possible for me to find out the expected price of items that have yet to have any trade history to them… To think that there is a use to this skill… It wasn’t a complete waste to evolve it after all!
Of course, market price collection is still a lot more useful as it shows the usual price that people actually trade items for, which is affected by supply and demand, but this is still useful for items that are new to the market.
… Well, the main use of this kind of skill seems to be to get the price of items with extremely good Options in them… Like the Sealed Dark Mysterious Sword. Since it’s a rented item, it’s actually still in my inventory, so I could check its expected price with this Art.
And well… It’s about twenty times more expensive than Steel Equipment… It’s way too good!
We were right in not posting any information about it on the forums. Mika would absolutely be targeted by jealous haters otherwise.
Though well, it’s not like they would be able to obtain the sword even if they defeated her… Not to mention how hard it would be to actually beat her in the first place.
******
Until the evening logout, I spent my time drawing Magic Circles, getting the gear I made evaluated at the guild, restocking the store, then giving the doll to Hime.
Hime also returned the first doll I gave her to me, so that I could recycle it by using the Recycle Art of the Improved Blacksmith Skill, which allowed me to recover some of the materials spent making the doll.
Sure, recycling was a Blacksmith Art, so its effectiveness was reduced when used on a product of a different category, such as dolls, but there wasn’t much more I could do. Repairing the doll would be pointless as it has no weapons attached to it, so it couldn’t be sold as a product.
That said, the fur was removable, so I took it all off and put it on the new doll that I gave to Hime.
In the end, even if I purchase materials all the time through the store, they are not inexhaustible, so I should always recycle or repair things instead of throwing them away.
In any case, it’s logout time now.
******
I logged in after finishing my usual things, such as dinner.
It was already midday in-game. The store had been restocked with products before I logged out, but it may have already sold out by now as the iron equipment is still in high-demand, so I need to restock it again.
But before that, I noticed that I received a message, so let’s check it out.
The sender was Sherryl, one of the clerks of my store… Its contents explained that the Kederick Store was requesting me to deliver some Iron Equipment to them.
The amount requested was reasonable, so there was no reason to refuse. The main issue is that I have to conform to their standards of only making 3* items.
But well, it’s not impossible for me to do it, as I learned how to limit myself properly when I trained with master Merget. Or rather, intentionally aligning the equipment rank with the expectations of the requester is a very useful technique that serves as practice for making high-rank equipment.
To intentionally make a low-rank gear, you have to not only know what are the right materials to use, but also need to carefully choose the timing and force of your hits during the molding stage. That’s a great way of improving your overall crafting ability and was an important part of my training there.
So let’s accept the request of the Kederick Store!
… Though it’s not like there was an option to refuse in the first place.
Either way, I formally accepted the request by clicking the confirm button on the message, which automatically informed the other party of my acceptance, turning the request into a proper quest.
Now all I have to do is to manufacture it and deliver the gear. The number requested is reasonable, so let’s do it right away!
******
It took me about three hours to manufacture the iron equipment according to the requested standard, but it was now complete.
It was much harder than usual because I had to be very careful when making it, but I feel like me accomplishing this is just proof of all my growth as a crafter… Or rather, I’m sure of it!
It’s difficult to measure this kind of thing as it’s not reflected on the skill level, but this much can’t be helped.
Either way, the Kederick Workshop is still open, so let’s go deliver it. It’s been a while since I met master Merget and the other apprentices, so it will be nice to visit them again.
And let’s buy some souvenirs at the stalls too! And sweets! Master Merget loved sweets, so let’s get some at Lulu’s shop!
******
The sweets purchased at Lulu’s store ended up being very popular… As expected of confectionery made by a top cake producer.
Everything was incredibly tasty!
… Well, I eat those all the time in our girls-only gatherings, but still, delicious food is delicious, so it can’t be helped.
Besides, there are many types of sweets available, so I can’t help wanting to try them all!
In any case, there were no problems with the delivery… In fact, there was still some time until the deadline, so master Merget was quite surprised by how quickly I came. He even started laughing out loud while saying, “Now that’s my disciple!”
Unfortunately, Mr. Kederick was absent today, but his nice middle-aged clerk had already prepared the quest rewards for me.
It was a bit embarrassing somehow…
Well, that aside, the rewards were high-rank materials from Eku Labyrinth.
Of course, it was a good amount, since iron equipment sells for a nice price, but still, requests like this are still part of business in the end, so the material was actually being sold to me at seven times the market price.
It’s the price of a well-established store on the market street, so I guess it can’t be helped… Especially because I’d much rather get this much material from Eku Labyrinth than money right now.
While there are quite a few Pioneers exploring that dungeon, there are still way too few materials at the market. With most of them being sold to those bigger stores, and primarily in small numbers.
But it’s only with this kind of material that I can make items with two Options in them, so I’d much rather get those. It will help me earn the necessary money for improving the equipment at my store while also being great at raising my skill levels!
There is still a bit more time before today’s logout… Should I start crafting more gear right away?