Chapter 557 - A Series of Screw-ups, Unearthed
Looking at the comments section, which was buzzing with the Appraisal results, I stroked Rigel's mane.
It was the same when I introduced Ato and the others; seeing so many thousand-yen super chats flow by… Horses' eyes are much rounder and cuter than you'd think.
Um, Shou-kun, you acquired the Riding Skill, didn't you?
"Oh, yeah. She offered to let me ride, and I figured having the Riding Skill would help me make better horse tack."
This idea that 'it's better to have the skill for what you're making' is common on the mainland, but apparently, spending SP on it is a dilemma.
[Yuion] "Are there any walking trails?"
[Giganoto] "Ride her!"
[Kusho] "I'm jealous you have SP to spare..."
[Oipple] "Please introduce the horse tack!"
etcetc...
"Uh, for now, it's just going back and forth around this mansion and to the church. I wish I could make better horse tack, though."
I mentioned how the bridle and stirrups each came with a +1 Riding Skill bonus, but for players specializing in riding, that's apparently quite normal.
And, if you break the skill cap, you can acquire the Mounted Combat Skill. With the Mounted Combat Skill, you can supposedly ride almost any animal of a decent size.
"Mounted Combat as a higher-tier skill than Riding… isn't that a bit redundant?"
[Otton] "Riding is the basic, got it! lol"
[Marcy] "I saw someone riding a Moss Bear before~"
[Meike] "There are people riding bears, right?"
[Fel] "You can even ride Centaur-like people lol"
etcetc...
There are bears that aren't tamable monsters, too...
Centaur-like people, are they players? NPCs? I'd think Riding would be enough.
Will you go deep into the northern forest together?
"That's the plan. It's where Rigel was, after all."
When actually going, I was thinking it might be better for Mion to ride Rigel.
Lupi, Leda, Roy, and I also have a scouting role.
"Oh, right. I wanted to ask, has anyone made a wagon?"
I thought it would be nice to have a cart that Rigel could pull for getting around the southern side of the island.
It seems like it could pass through the Ancient Ruins, except for the stairs, and just a simple cargo bed would be enough.
Currently, Shal and Pan are making good use of the wheelbarrow I made, but it still doesn't seem to be enough.
[Woody] "I got mine from a shop. It was pretty expensive."
[Diash] "There was someone in the Republic who could make them, right?"
[Kakufight] "If it doesn't have suspension, a carpenter can make one."
[Storay] "For just carrying luggage, it's easier to attach saddlebags to both sides."
etcetc...
"Ah, saddlebags would work too."
That seems like something you could make quickly.
"Yeah. If I weave some baskets, it should be fast."
Apparently, there are luxurious carriages, like those for nobles, with leaf spring suspension, which cost no less than 5 million Iris.
By the way, in some places, Ecryu are also used for transporting goods.
Are there any other phantom beasts like Rigel-kun, the horse?
[Reaper] "There are Pegasi."
[Pesante] "Pegasi fly around the White Dragon Mountain Range, north of the Empire."
[Rakukaji] "Pegasi. But no one seems to have tamed one yet."
[Kuragerion] "I heard there are Bicorns north of the Demon Kingdom."
etcetc...
The idea was that if you could tame a Pegasus and ride it, you could fly through the sky.
However, they're said to be very wary, and no one has managed to tame one yet...
Shou-kun might be able to tame one.
"Hmm, I wonder. Rigel was friendly from the start."
"Brrrrn"
Rigel seems to love Red Marth, and her eyes sparkle when I take one out of my inventory.
Sweee and the fairies like them too, so I'll have to ask Argenta-san for more.
The conversation shifted to phantom beasts other than horses, and fairies, including how someone who started on a different Uninhabited Island met a fairy named Esason.
They say it's about the same size as Sweee-chan.
"Heh..."
I thought about asking Sweee if she knew, but if she said "I know" with that expression, it would lead to a "why?" kind of conversation.
"Alright, I'll clean up a bit. Any more questions would be fine, I guess?"
Yes!
Perhaps because it was the first live stream in a while, questions poured in at an incredible rate.
Reading them while doing dishes was impossible, so I'd leave it to Mion. Yata-sensei should be there too.
First question. What happened to the Purple Steel Ore you received from the guild quest?
"Oh, that's right! I processed it into Purple Steel Ingots, but it's stopped before becoming Heavy Silver Steel Ingots. I'm sorry…"
I felt bad for having them rush it only for it to be delayed.
[Izayoi] "What's Heavy Silver Steel!?"
[Mushinko] "It's alright~"
[Gafugafu] "I want to know what you're making!"
[Newd] "Can't you make more mysterious metals with the Alchemy Skill?"
etcetc...
Oh, did I not talk about Heavy Silver Steel?
It's a heavy metal that can be made from 8 parts Purple Steel, 1 part iron, and 1 part Mithril, and it's needed for repairing the Small Magic Boat.
Apparently, the book for the Alchemy Skill hasn't been found on the mainland yet, so perhaps I should make a copied version the reward...
Are you making the same thing as before?
"Yeah. I'm still used to this Ken-nata. But my STR has gone up quite a bit, so I plan to make it heavier."
Did I mention making it heavier before?
Well, I'll make it and show it off by the next live stream. I'll get it done by then.
I was also asked about the musical scores I received, how to process the Raw Crystal Ore, and whether I'd be posting new guild quests.
I felt bad because I hadn't gotten around to many of them due to various things. I need to clear my backlog of tasks...
Shou-kun. It's almost time for the piano.
"Got it. Uh, the piano that Azure-san delivered, I put it in the parlor."
I'd finished most of the dishes, so I'd clean up later and returned to the mansion.
Today, the piano and Mion's singing were the main event, so I felt bad for Sweee and the fairies, but I asked them to just listen.
"I lightly played it when it was delivered, so I've confirmed there are no issues."
We arrived at the parlor and unveiled the piano.
I hoped they'd forgive the mismatched chairs. Actually, maybe I should put in a separate request for this.
"Okay, Mion will sing, and that'll be the end. My playing is automatic, so please don't expect too much from that."
[Yaa] "It really looks good in the mansion, doesn't it?"
[Rumamil] "I'd love for it to be included in an album."
[Miiko] "It means something when Shou-kun plays and Mion-chan sings!"
[Risossu] "What's today's song?"
etcetc...
No doubt, any song Mion sang would be wonderful, but personally, I hoped "Soul to the Goddess" would be chosen...