In the end, it took me a total of three days to stretch the Mithril. Of course, as it is now, it is just a stick with an elaborate grip. Thus, from tomorrow, it will be necessary for me to work on forming its shape.
I’ll end it here for today. “You can’t do a good job by cramming and staying up all night.” That’s what the anime movie I liked in my previous world said.
The next morning,
When I returned after fetching water, Liddy-san was outside the house and she had her hands on the trunk of a tree.
“Good morning. It’s dangerous to go outside… uhm, that’s basically the usual case, right?”
I was going to say it was dangerous but then I remembered that she said that it was not the case so I rephrased it.
“Yes. With this amount of magical power, no ordinary beast would come near here.”
Liddy-san replied in a clear, ringing bell-like voice.
“Do you mean that they can sense danger or something?”
“That’s right. There are many monsters in places with strong magical power after all.”
I got startled hearing that.
“Based from what you had said, since this area has a lot of magical power, is it possible that monsters would suddenly spring up?”
“No, that’s rarely the case. In some cases, some beasts in this forest may become a monster though. However, its nature is basically the same as the original. Although in rare cases, there are also those that become ferocious.”
That’s a worrisome story. A beast that turned into a monster will surely come here regardless of how strong or weak its magical power is. Wait—, perhaps the bear that I killed before ended up turning into a monster…
It’s possible to say that when it injured Samia (it feels like it was a long time ago), the bear hasn’t transformed to that yet, but after that, it turned into a monster. The thing that I sensed to be dangerous was most likely that. It’s unknown what kind of monster it will end up turning into. I’m glad I was able to get rid of it early.
Hn? Wait a minute—
“So, keeping an animal here is…”
“I usually wouldn’t recommend it. However, when I saw the training that Eizou-san and Diana-san are doing together, it seems that both of you have great swordsmanship. Thus, if there was something like that happening “by any chance”, it’s good to say that you guys can handle it. And as I had said before, their nature to the original beast is not that different so those clever wolves basically remained smart.”
The real worst case scenario is that it will be a very sad goodbye……. That will be painful then. Some people think it is okay because it rarely happens. That it’s all up to fate. I’m relieved to know that it would be okay if I do keep a horse here though.
“Well, inside a cave, magical power stagnates so monsters are born from there. And such monsters, on the other hand, are basically ferocious. The cause for that is unknown though.”
Without any hesitation, Liddy-san teaches me the mechanism of the birth of monsters.
So that’s the case huh. I haven’t heard from Samia or Diana that there was a cave near here. Well, in case we find one, we should stay away from it.
After contemplating for a while, I asked that. When I did so, Liddy-san narrowed her eyes.
“Uhm—, I hope you don’t mind me asking? Well, if there’s a problem, you can just forget about what I asked.”
I took Liddy-san’s reaction as a refusal so I hurriedly tried to take back what I had just said.
“No, it’s okay. I just took in some magical power.”
“Magical power?”
“Yes. Foods are needed for meals, but for us elves, we also need magical power.”
“I see”
So that is why we don’t see many of them in the town huh.
Now that I think about it, it’s only natural that there were no elves in the town because they needed magic but they can’t get it in the town or in the Capital. Asking more than this would be insensitive of me so I nodded my head and head back to the house, carrying the jar of water that I had fetched.
“Eizou-san”
Liddy-san calls out to me.
“You won’t ask questions more than that?”
Her face and voice were almost emotionless. I answered,
“I’m a man myself, and I’m interested in a beautiful woman like Liddy-san but, I just know that there are many things that are better left unsaid.”
Then, with a deliberate grin, I entered the house. I guess I was being a little too cool.
For today’s work, I will continue to make the Mithril sword while Rike and others will continue to make general models. Liddy-san is my observer or lookout, well, it’s something like that.
Up until yesterday, I could just focus on stretching it, but from today, I can’t do that. It is necessary to compare with the wooden pattern that I took before I started hitting it again. Even though I have a cheat, my work progress is naturally slow.
Would it be possible to work with less stress? That will be the key to the future.
As usual, after I worshipped in front of the Kamidana, I set the fire in the fire bed and the furnace, and then we start working. After heating the mithril, I took it out and I placed it on the anvil. I then hammer it while looking at the wooden mold I placed next to it for reference. I used my cheat to figure out where to hammer. With each swing of the hammer, a clear sound and beautiful sparks appear in the forge.
Liddy-san is watching me work right next to me –but she is a bit closer today. It’s clear that she’s getting closer because she’s concerned about it since the work has finally entered the final stage. Well, that’s fine with me.
With that in mind, I once again plunged the mithril sword into the fire bed.