Chapter 237 - Episode 210: Environmental Assessment
"I don't think any other player would try to make something like that, you know?"
"Shou-kun can just make anything he needs himself, can't he?"
"Well, I'd be in trouble without it…"
Unusually for today's club activities, Bell-buchou also came to Mion's studio. We decided to share information about recent events while I crafted various cooking utensils.
[Crafting Skill has leveled up!]
[Woodcraft Skill has leveled up!]
Alright, the mortar is complete! It's just a wooden bowl with grooves carved in it using a carving knife, but as long as I can use it, there's no problem. If I find any flaws, I'll improve it.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
With this, my Crafting Skill is level 7, and Woodcraft Skill is level 9. Just one more to 10…
"Sensei, has your Pottery Skill already reached its max level?"
"Jinbee-san? Last I heard, I believe it was 9, so it might already be 10 now."
"Is there a Skill Level Cap Breakthrough for production skills?"
Oh, right, that's true. Reaching max level is good, but can I break the cap? It would be great if there was some equipment that could boost my Woodcraft Skill…
"There probably is. It would be unnatural if only combat skills could break their cap."
"Do such items exist?"
"I wonder? I'll ask the [Silver Manor] members, just in case."
Jinbee-sensei and Dimaria-san, being top producers, have probably figured out various tricks, so I hope they know something.
"Buchou, where will your stream be today?"
"Today's stream is scheduled for the Mage's Tower. We managed to reach the 4th floor of the Dwarf Dungeon, but then there was another door at the end…"
The ancient ruin tower southeast of the Kingdom and west of the Principality has come to be known as the 'Mage's Tower.' Apparently, it's named after the Mage ghosts in the hidden room to the 11th floor, which Bell-buchou and her group discovered. And the ancient ruin with mining points northwest of Amiera Territory is now called the 'Dwarf Dungeon.' I guess that's in praise of the Dwarf NPCs who helped resolve the conflict with the Winged Folk.
"One that won't open?"
"Yes. It says 'Insufficient Authority'."
What's that all about… Is it one of those situations where an event needs to conclude first?
"What's going to happen to the ore dug up in the Dwarf Dungeon, eventually?"
"Ah, I was wondering about that too."
"It's as Grad-san mentioned, acting as Argenta-san's proxy. The human nation, in other words, the Kingdom, will manage it. However, they currently lack the personnel for it, so they asked [Silver Manor], who handles development, to take care of it."
"Awesome…"
"That's amazing…"
Viscount Edward Amiera, isn't he a bit too generous, or rather, too trusting of Seth? Well, my sister wouldn't do anything strange there, so it's fine.
"However, [Silver Manor] alone can't handle it, so in practice, it's being left to Grad-san's group and Dads-san from [Throne of the Thunder Emperor]."
They said Grad-san's group and members of the [Throne of the Thunder Emperor] would manage the abandoned area. Apparently, they can freely take home whatever they mine, but they'll have to pay a usage fee if they use the facilities there. Even those who primarily dive into dungeons for combat can increase their income by mining whenever they find a mining point. Players focused on production can buy that ore, process it to level up their skills, and earn money, so it's working out quite well.
It feels like everything got resolved quickly thanks to Argenta-san. Next time I send a letter, I should write a thank you. No, maybe it would be better to send Argenta-san some food she might like instead?
"Aren't they making too much and having leftovers?"
"Currently, there's demand for the development of the southern territories, and with the Empire and Principality being suspicious, the nation is actively buying Weapons and Armor related items."
"Huh…"
"However, Yuki-san said that it will eventually hit a ceiling, so we need to think about what's next while we still can."
The development of Rashad Territory, where Nat and his group are, still feels a bit behind compared to Amiera Territory, but if the population grows, it'll catch up quickly.
"When that happens, maybe they'll rebuild old buildings or something?"
"Rebuild?"
"No, I just think there are plenty of uses for things like foundations with rebar, or stone bricks reinforced with steel frames."
Also, I think it would be better to replace the stone walls with rebar-reinforced ones as a countermeasure against the Excavation magic I can use.
"Buchou?"
Hearing that, she seems to be deep in thought?
"I'll consult Yuki-san, no, all the production team members. But Shou-kun, where exactly do you think these would be useful?"
"Well, for starters, city walls with rebar would increase their strength and act as a countermeasure against Excavation magic, don't you think? Also, there's Cleene, the fishing village, right? It seems prone to floods and high tides, which makes things tough, but I think building reinforced concrete embankments could improve things."
I feel like the embankment at our island's port is why the inside of the cove is so calm. If embankments are too difficult, maybe lining the area with wave-dissipating blocks would work?
"As expected!"
"No, I just remembered the embankment at the island's port. Also, if you overdo it, people might complain about the ruined scenery."
Personally, I like coastal embankments and rows of wave-dissipating blocks, but if you go too far… well, yeah.
"Understood. I'll pass that along."
"By the way, are the production team members interested in Civil Engineering Skill?"
"They seem interested in Civil Engineering Skill, but they were more eager to acquire Applied Earth Magic, which is a prerequisite for it."
Bacchus-san, who has Carpentry Skill, Zeld-san, who has Blacksmithing Skill, and even Jinbee-sensei, have all acquired Elemental Magic and Basic Magicology. Bacchus-san apparently intends to immediately learn Civil Engineering Skill once he gets Applied Earth Magic.
"For production?"
"Blacksmithing Skill and Pottery Skill, both involve earth attributes, don't they? And with Carpentry Skill combined with civil engineering, there might even be talk of an Architecture Skill."
"Ah, you're right… If there are advanced production skills, then Architecture from Carpentry feels like a natural progression."
I wonder what the advanced skills for Blacksmithing or Pottery would be. I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but for Blacksmithing, maybe it's making weapons and armor with skill bonuses?
"I really want to find the grimoires for Applied Magic soon."
"I know…"
Bell-buchou sighed as she let that slip.
Does this mean that even if the island is cut off from the mainland, I'm way ahead by having obtained this? If that's the case…
"So, is it still the Necropolis, then?"
"Yes, that too, but I also think it might be in the Mage's Tower."
Considering the strength of the enemies from the 11th floor and the presence of magic-using opponents, it wouldn't be strange for those kinds of grimoires to drop there. After all, I did get an Elemental Magic +1 amulet there.
"I see."
"If you get one, will you pass it around among guild members?"
"That's the plan for now, but I want to copy it quickly and circulate it widely."
I thought she was generous, but apparently, it's also because hoarding it after getting it on stream wouldn't look good, and considering the Necropolis World Quest… that's the reasoning. I wish I could somehow give the Spatial Magic grimoire to Bell-buchou…