Chapter 76

(Haruru PoV)

「Fumu……it’s kind of lacking…..」

Leaning the prototype against the corner of the wall, I sighed.

As I had fulfilled the client’s demanded specs, doing no more and no less than they had requested, it just became the usual boring sword.

As a businessperson, that might not have been a problem. However, I was a smith till the end. What I wanted to make were weapons that always had specs that were the best of the best.

「I have no interest in making swords after all…..」

This might have been something that smiths should not think at all, but I didn’t really like making sword-type weapons.

It wasn’t that I hated it, but I just couldn’t get motivated. I did intend to make it seriously if I had to make one, but if you asked me whether I put my all into it, my answer would likely be ‘nay.’

Somewhat holding back the endless sighs, I hit the last order with my hammer.

Systematically doing something like this in between would raise the specs a little. To be frank, if you just designated the material and activated your skill, you could make quite a decent item.

The reason I was not doing that was because it was something I believed in.

Even though I knew you could craft instantly, I thought that a smith’s job was to swing their hammer in front of a furnace.

Although I said that, I also used that method, what you would call ‘quick create.’

As for why, quick creating could allow you to replicate the same weapon you had made once.

If I were to make an analogy, it was like a cooking recipe. If you prepared the exact same materials, then you could make a weapon just like the one you had made before with the exact same stats. This was the same regarding armor and accessories as well.

On the other hand, if it was something you hadn’t made even once, then you couldn’t use quick create. So, as a smith, to increase your repertoire, you just had to be honest and swing your hammer in front of a furnace.

That being said, for something like throwing items where number and uniformity of quality were major factors, it would be better to make them with quick create.

It was outside my field, but in something like potions development and sales, if you didn’t properly use that creation method, it seemed there would be no profits at all.

As for the time it took, it was somewhere around ten minutes. I hung the greatsword on the shelf and went out of the workshop.

Though my house was mostly the workshop and the storage, I had still made some space for resting.

Today there had been more than twenty crafting orders, I had already hit steel for nearly four hours, so naturally I would have gotten tired.

「Phew……even though the event is getting close……doing crafting I’m not interested in makes me tired….」

I wanted to make blunt weapons.

Inside my soul, that thought kept on smoldering.

And it made me remember one of the players I had met a week before.

The player who defeated a Named solo for the first time. Playing as a kijin, which was a minor race, using a blunt weapon, which she liked, an oni of sufficient player skill that she can handle throwing, which was an unpopular skill.

As a test, I tried passing over the weights I had made for fun, and when I saw them in battle, even someone like me laughed, I remember it being so.

And after that, as for the steel ball that I sold off to her, it seemed she used it way more effectively than the weights. Ah, as a smith, I had probably exhausted my luck.

It was a bit of a shock for Kügelshreiber to be destroyed in just half a day, but she had fought against my honored regular, the 《Murder Princess》.

And moreover, they also seemed to have fought against a totally unknown Named, so naturally I didn’t think of blaming them.

She was still somewhat using the Meteor Impact -Zero Type-, the masterpiece I had put my all into making, and as for heavy metal gauntlet, she had given it a huge debut.

I could think of so many weapons that could suit her. A blackjack-like melee-type blunt weapon too, or nunchaku, or a three-sectioned staff, special weapons like those were also good.

Since she also had the two-handed club skill, a simple yet tough 《pole rod》 might also be great.

Rather than a hammer-type mace like the Meteor Impact -Zero Type-, a legitimate two-handed mace type would probably suit her. No, maybe something on the opposite end of that like a ceremonial mace-like weapon would look good in appearance. If I were to let her hold it with two hands and wave it around, it should’ve certainly looked interesting.

A whip was also good. If it was her, then she should have been able to skillfully handle it. It was technical, but it was a weapon that had a very flexible fighting style, and if it was a whip then it could easily be enchanted with a slashing attribute.

Moreover, if she could get that skill that was just discovered recently, then I wanted to make something like a 《Tonfa》, and if she gets then I could even make「that」….!

「Ha…..no good, no good….my exhaustion made my desires….」

However, what was mortifying was that her favorite weapon was a metal club that was just sold at a shop. If instead of those mass-produced items I let her have my specially made metal club, she would be even stronger and fight more beautifully.

That’s right, today, let’s make blueprints for metal clubs. Compared to the light steel alloy-made club she had now, something more specialized toward destruction was better.

How about using an impact steel and a fire attribute material and making it so that on the moment of impact, a shockwave is released, how about that?

Durability consumption would go up, but it should raise the destruction power of each hit by twofold. Using heavy metal as the base material for some durability…..but if each hit became like that, then in battle, it would quickly be destroyed. Then how about inserting it as a triggered mechanism?

「Ufu, ufufu, ufufufufufu…..oya?」

While I was scribbling down the blueprint, I heard a knocking sound at the entrance.

There shouldn’t have been any plans for visitors though. While thinking so, I went to the entrance and opened the door.

「Oya oya…..Oh? What might this be, you could say the person I am waiting for just came….」

「What are you talking about?」

What was standing before the door was a black-haired kijin girl wearing a rust-colored kimono.

And definitely right now, with the appearance of the player who had stirred up my delusions, I honestly couldn’t hold back my excitement.

「Well that’s fine, though….Long time no see, Haruru.」

「Yeah, long time no see….Sukuna-san.」

☆

「So you mean….. to prepare for the event you would like to procure some main weapons….?」

「Yeah. I brought a lot of various materials, after all.」

「Oya….so you’re bringing your own materials…..then I could make it a bit cheaper…..」

The last time, the material and manufacturing costs were all taken as a charge by me, so I had no choice but to considerably raise the price, but if she had prepared her own materials, I thought it would be a different matter.

「That’s great. I brought this much today.」

Loosening her cheeks as she tampered with her menu card, I excitedly waited.

「It is this, but.」

「….Goodness me…」

The amount of materials Sukuna-san presented was so absurdly large that it would be a big inconvenience for one person to bear alone.

「More than 40 heavy metal ingots…..I’m surprised you were able carry this….」

「Ever since then I have only been increasing my strength after all. Even so, it was still heavy.」

「Hohou……You sure did give it your all… 」

「And also, can you also use these materials right here?」

What Sukuna-san focused on was the two attribute materials she had.

A Crimson Jewel and a Water Dragon Crystal.

I had some knowledge regarding those two things, but I couldn’t properly use the Crimson Jewel one.

Well, it would be a different subject if Sukuna-san herself had a fire attribute material, but according to my info network, there wasn’t an item with strong enough fire-type properties for this item to be used.

If I were to just make a fire attribute weapon, the red metal in the material list should be more than enough, we should just leave the rare item for now.

On the other hand, the Water Dragon Crystal itself had high water attribute properties, but contrary to the Crimson Jewel, that one had a bad affinity with metal-type materials.

As I explained that, Sukuna-san took out a number of new monster materials.

「Is there something that could be used?」

「It’s not like there is nothing, but….to be honest, I think that it might be best to not use it right now….」

「I see. Then that’s fine. Since they are rare materials, I was wanting to hear what Haruru had to say about them.」

It seemed she didn’t really expect anything out of it from the beginning. Sukuna-san wasn’t really that disappointed.

I knew the feeling of wanting to use the rare items you had right away, but unlike Named materials, which were the full package, that type of thing was not complete by itself.

Well, if the Named materials didn’t have the key item, namely the 《Soul》, it was just a high-class item.

That hairpin of hers, that was most likely the incarnation of the 《Soul》, but I really did wonder what in the world its effects were.

I myself made the《Rapier of Temptation -Mellow Rapier-》. So I knew just how insane of an effect a 《Soul》 had.

Drawing from the fact that there wasn’t a recipe for a quick create, the production of items using a 《Soul》 should have some sort of special meaning to it.

It was just that, when I made it, a hihiirokane didn’t appear. It was the same for the other two too. I figured it was just the difference between weapons and armor, but it was quite the mysterious happening.

Well, not limited to metal alone, the higher the quality of the material, the more powerful its effects would be.

Hihiirokane, which was a top-class metal, just what kind of effect did it have? Wanting to know shouldn’t have been something weird.

「Now then….This time I have some proposals from me….」

「Proposals?」

I had imagined various things just a while ago, but since Sukuna-san actually came and gave me that many materials, there was something I wanted to try.

「Yeah…..there are a mountain of weapons that I’d like Sukuna-san to try, but……since this time’s event is a dungeon event…..I can’t make something that long….」

「You’re right. It’s not like I can’t handle it but, I think something that can be held with one hand is good.」

「About that…..I want to use the heavy metal you gave me just now……I’m thinking of using them to refine into 《Over Heavy Metal》……..」

「Over Heavy Metal?」

Over heavy metal. That is, even though heavy metal itself was so dense its weight was huge, melting a lot of it and persisting in endlessly removing the few impure substances, in other words, refining it, would make it into a super heavy dense metal.

Refining it demanded a considerably high《Smith》 skill level, and if you failed, then all that you produced would be rubbish.

Using ten ingots of heavy metal and making two or three ingots of it out of it would be considered good. If I considered making one weapon, then there would be a need to gather twenty heavy metal ingots, and moreover, since it was way heavier than heavy metal, there weren’t that many people that could carry it.

In exchange, its durability and attack power would drastically increase. If you excluded its enormous weight then as of right now, it was the material most suitable for blunt weapons.

「To make one over heavy metal, I would need two ingot of heavy metal….. since my refining success rate is around 50%…..with 40 of it, it would result in 10 heavy metals , if it’s that number then it’s a good result…」

「With just that can you make a weapon?」

「If there are five then I can certainly make one weapon…」

「Okay, then please do so. I’ll leave it to Haruru.」

Very easily, Sukuna-san passed over the heavy metal to me.

Even though we hadn’t made a contract yet.

「Um, Sukuna-san…..about the contract….」

「Ah, I forgot. Hmmm, but producing over heavy metal is not guaranteed, right? Then once you have made that then can’t we do it then?」

Certainly, she was right. Although, regarding insurance for if all the heavy metal turned out to be a waste, was she not thinking of that?

It wasn’t like you always had to make a contract when you started making equipment. Up until the end, it was something designed for both to ascertain the goals and agree to the conditions.

「N? What’s the matter?」

“I don’t know why you are bewildered.” She had that kind of expression as she looked at me.

Most likely, this person was the type that didn’t really think of doubting a person. Rather than unconditionally believing in them, it was more the kind of thing where if they betrayed her, she would immediately give up on them and cast them away.

That was why she could thoughtlessly get involved with people she didn’t know.

On the other hand, she most likely didn’t really think much of cutting off relationships with them.

If you sincerely associated with Sukuna-san then she would kindly interact with you, she was a person you could become close friends with and open up to. And she was large-hearted, so you could joke around with her, and she wasn’t bad with going with the flow.

It was just that, once you lost her trust, at that point your connection was cut off. In a way, she was kind, and also in another way she might also have a really dry mental structure.

「For now, I want you to make a metal club. And the other depends on how many over heavy metal there are, I guess?」

「You’re right……I think it would become so….」

「Okay. Then once you’re done refining, can you send me a message?」

「Understood…..regarding the detailed weapon crafting, should we do it through messaging…..? And the delivery of weapon can also be done through messaging……」

When I said so, Sukuna-san tilted her head.

「Wait a sec, you can deliver weapons through messages?」

「On the contrary, why didn’t you think we can’t do that…?」

「No, but. When Rou came, that girl purposely came to Dualis. I thought that you needed to directly transfer it.」

「Aah….that person is a bit special after all…」

I knew the reason behind Sukuna-san’s question, but regarding the Murder Princess, that girl had set it so that she wouldn’t receive messages. By the way, she could exchange messages with people if she was the one to send messages to them first.

That was why I had to purposefully go out of Dualis to meet up with her and pass them over.

How did I know when to pass over the items? If you asked me that, I would say that actually we had already scheduled when the delivery was going to happen. And also, since we were registered as friends, I could at least understand that she was online.

「Since you’re logged in, you must be bored right?」 Saying those words calmly is fresh in my memory, at that time I had completely lost energy.

I didn’t really mind since she paid well and delivered good materials, but she might be a person you wouldn’t want to associate with if there weren’t any profits.

Well, it was one of the benefits of the game that you could get involved with someone like her.

「Sukuna-san, this time, you’re going to smash through the event, right……? Then, I don’t think you should stay long in Dualis……」

「Is that so…Okay, then I should hurry back to Fias.」

「Please do so…..Ah, but…..throwing weapons, if you run out of them, please come here to resupply……though I’ll get money for it….」

「Fufufu, I have a lot of money, you know.」

Sukuna-san said that happily, and she bought almost all the throwing items I had prepared.

To be honest, this person was the only one that bought them, and it would have troubled me if there were any left in the storage.

「Then, see you next time okay!」

「Have a safe trip….」

Sukuna-san, who bought a lot of items aside from the one weapon she had come for, energetically waved her hands, full of spirit as she left.

Looking at her receding figure, I felt like today would be a really good day.

「Now then……while searching for good potential among the third wavers, then should we start refining some over heavy metal?…」

Work was work. Raising the temperature of the furnace more than two times, I threw the heavy metal ingot that I had received inside the furnace.