Chapter 560 - Everyday Surprises
Sunday
"What!?"
"Huh? You're going back the day after tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Shizuru asked me for something."
Saying that, my sister Mashiro shoved a piece of toast into her mouth.
Who's Shizuru? Probably a university friend, but...
"Is that Season-san you're referring to?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm, in that case, it cannot be helped."
Ah, so Season-san's real name is Shizuru-san.
If that's the case, then as Miki said, I suppose it can't be helped. My sister Mashiro seems to be constantly relying on her.
"What was the favor?"
"She wants me to model a kimono."
"Oh! I would love to see my sister in a kimono!"
Season-san's family runs a kimono shop, a gofukuya, I think? She apparently wants my sister Mashiro to model a Kaga Yuzen kimono for them.
"That would suit you. Will it be in a catalog or something?"
"Yeah."
I handed her a refill of toast, and she started spreading butter on it.
In that case, I'll need to adjust my shopping schedule.
"Then, for tonight and tomorrow night, what do you want to eat, my sister Mashiro?"
"We're going shopping now, right? Let's all go together."
"Agreed!"
That's the most reliable way.
Alright, let's splurge a bit and go buy something nice...
*
"Will my sister-in-law be leaving in the morning?"
"Yeah. Probably the 10 o'clock train."
"I'd like to see her off too."
Timing-wise, there was no problem at all, but...
"Tuesday is the day for your real-life recording, right? It's in the afternoon, so no problem?"
"Um, Seth-chan, could you come to the recording too?"
"Eh? I can bring her?"
Yes.
It seems the conditions were that she'd just watch from a separate room, like me, and not leak any information about the recording to outsiders. Well, that was perfectly fine.
"Okay, I'll ask her later. Seth would definitely want to go, though."
Yes.
Now, today I planned to dedicate myself to blacksmithing.
I needed to try making a Ken-nata out of Heavy Silver Steel, and also make knives, frying pans, and pots for the Kijimunaa.
"Alright, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Woof!" "~~~♪"
Mion and the others went for a stroll in the Ghillie Dhu forest.
They were going to look for new ingredients, like herbs, so I had high hopes for cumin.
As I stepped out of the mansion's front door, Shal and the others arrived with Rigel.
"Meow" "Brrr"
"You two, please look after Mion."
"No problem. We'll contact you if anything happens."
"~~~..."
Mion smiled, saying that.
Sweee looked exasperated, but I just couldn't help but worry...
.........
......
...
Considering the number of Kijimunaa, I needed to prepare a decent quantity, so I came to the mining site for the first time in a while.
"Oh, the Mithril mining point has respawned."
Since it respawns after a certain period, I had to mine it today.
Well, I don't use it that much, but I felt like I was losing out if I didn't.
I used Civil Engineering magic to excavate the gold and Mithril that had respawned higher up, and while my MP recovered, I dug for copper, iron, and Light Silver within reach.
As I repeatedly dug, transported to the forge, and dug again,
[Your Mining Skill has leveled up!]
My Mining Skill leveled up to 8 for the first time in a while. And then,
[Your Alchemy Skill has leveled up!]
When the gold ingot was complete, my Alchemy Skill rose to 7.
After finishing mining, it was time to create alloy ingots.
Heavy Silver Steel Ingots, a combination of 8 parts Purple Steel, 1 part iron, and 1 part Mithril, would take an hour...
While waiting, I'd make iron products. For knives, frying pans, and pots, I prepared iron and wood, activated Self-Replication Arts, and crafted normally during the cooldown.
[Report. Work at the Ancient Magic Furnace is complete.]
"Oh, thanks."
Nina notifying me of completion was truly helpful.
I took out the Heavy Silver Steel Ingot and appraised it.
[High-quality Heavy Silver Steel Ingot]
*An alloy ingot of Purple Steel, iron, and Mithril. High purity.
Blacksmithing: Can be processed into Heavy Silver Steel products.*
It's good that it's high quality, but "Heavy Silver Steel products" is such a vague description. I wonder if I'd understand better if I properly checked the Alchemy book.
But still,
"Yeah. It's considerably heavier than iron."
In terms of specific gravity for metals, gold should be the heaviest among these, and it felt heavy when I held it, but since it's said to be soft, it's not suitable for weapons.
I immediately thought about using this to make a Ken-nata... but first,
"I'll try one more alloy."
Green Gold Steel Ingots, made from a blend of 7 parts gold, 2 parts silver, and 1 part Mithril, are apparently easy to use for accessories.
Until now, Mithril was my only choice, but I thought I'd try using this to make the outer frame for Sweee's wings. I already have the Raw Crystal Ore, so the materials should be complete.
Shou-kun. Is this a good time?
"Oh, Mion. Yeah, it's fine, but what's up?"
Yes. I found a plant called Ohaku. I think it's barley.
"Oh! That's amazing!"
Barley tea could definitely be made.
And... beer and whiskey, right? Argenta-san and the others would probably be happy.
It would be great if barley miso could be made, but I can't find koji, or Haku, or rice.
Rake-chan and the others eat it too, so can I take a little and grow more?
"Of course."
Since it wasn't used as much as Kohaku (wheat), I didn't need a huge quantity all at once, so I decided to plant it in an empty spot near the water channel.
How are things on Shou-kun's end?
"I think I have enough cooking utensils for Gaju and the others. I'm also making a new Ken-nata, so I think I'll be another hour."
Yes.
Mion and the others had apparently gone to the western edge of the Ghillie Dhu forest, where they could see the sea, and said they'd look for various things on their way back.
The time was... just past 3 PM, so I needed to finish up and head back by 4 PM.
.........
......
...
[(Temporary) Highest Quality Kukri Knife]
*A one-handed Heavy Silver Steel Kukri Knife. Made of Heavy Silver Steel and of the highest quality. (Explanation can be edited or added).
Attack +78, Dagger +1, Special Sword +1, a bonus damage based on Stealth Skill level when Backstab is successful.
Dagger/Special Sword: One-handed weapon. Throwing: Can be thrown. Logging: Can cut trees up to a certain size.
Creator: Shou*
"Ah, this is a dangerous one..."
Making it the largest size that could still be thrown meant its total length exceeded 40cm.
Initially, I intended it to be a Ken-nata, but it gradually got pulled by the image of a special sword and became a full-blown Kukri Knife.
Even so, while it's understandable for the +1 bonus to come from the Mithril admixture, isn't the bonus damage on successful Backstabs a bit too much?