After the meal, we have looked around the stalls in the morning market.
Anyhow, there are many marine products displayed. From the familiar fish and shellfish to colorful tropical fish. Sometimes, we would see poisonous fish, but all that was also edible seafood.
I was troubled about what to buy because there were so many different kinds, but I have asked the people in charge for a recommendation and decided to buy that. Thereupon, before I realized, I have purchased a massive amount of marine products.
Honestly, have I bought too much? Is that I thought at first, but on Aetherdia, fish can be only obtained on the seaside, so I wonât be able to get more when we move inland. I have decided to buy as much as I can.
After finished shopping, we went through the morning market square and strolled along the shopping street. There, a Blacksmith caught my eye, so I decided to take a look.
âExcuse me~â
âOu. Customer?â
When entering the store and calling out, an Oyaji-san showed his face from inside.
âWould you be able to refine this?â
What I show him is LeviathanâsâââKaiserâs scale.
I have split them in suitable sizes.
When resting in the dungeon, I tried to break it with a tool and it unexpectedly easily broke just as Kaiser said.
Itâs just that because it really broke, the fragments were sharp and could inflict an injury if carelessly touched.
âLet me take a look. ...... Not a stone. A scale? Nevertheless, itâs quite thick and heavy. Besides, this magical power......... No way!!!?â
As expected, handing him a scale just as I received would be bad. I split it thinking such, but it seems it canât escape a trained eye.
The blacksmith uncle stares at me in surprise.
âThis is not something that you can find on the ground.â
âAh~ Is that so~â
Dragon scales donât fall off easily.
No, I said it wrong. When itâs time for a dragon to replace its scales, the old scales will come off in its nest, you can hardly find dragon scales away from the dragonâs nest.
Another thing is that it canât be obtained by hurting a dragon, it has to be defeated. However, aside from sub-dragons, superior dragons are something that humans seldom challenge.
Because of that, Leviathanâs scales are something to revere.
Uncle asks me where did I find something thatâs almost impossible to obtain at the market.
âW, where did you get it?â
â...... It was a present.â
âSomething so precious, who would just give it to you!â
âThatâs strictly confidential.â
â.........â
Even if I say that I got it from Leviathan himself (dragon at roots)? he wouldnât believe...... Rather, he would doubt my sanity.
He seems to be interested as a craftsman, but donât inquire about it too deeply, please.
âItâs natural that something like this has to be secret, huh...... so, you want me to polish this?â
âYes. I donât want to get hurt while carrying it. And then, I would like to make a hole big enough for a strap, but.â
âCertainly, it would be dangerous if left as is. To scrap and polish to the degree that you wonât get injured...... Well, I think I could manage somehow, but...... A hole would be impossible. If Iâm to make a hole forcibly, it will break without a doubt.â
âEh, is that so?â
...... Hey, Kaiser, Iâm going to have a hard time making it into an ornament, though.
What should I do? I think it will be easy to lose by just putting it into a pocket~
âOu, Rudi! Rudius! Come here for a bit!â
âWhatâs the matter, Boss?â
The Rudius that came from inside after being called by Oyaji-san is a slender man in his late twenties.
That would be the case~ As expected, this Oyaji-san is the boss here.
âHuh, a customer? Oy, why is Boss tending the store?â
âRather than that, are you able to make an ornament out of this?â
âN? What is this? A stone? Although beautiful, it doesnât seem to be a gem. ...... So, Master. This is?â
âA fragment of Water Dragonâs scale.â
âWwha!!? Seriously?â
âI have no doubts. He says he wants to make this into an ornament. You are good at that, arenât you?â
Heâs a worker here, and it seems his specialty is craftsmanship rather than smithing.
âI would like a pendant if possible, but.â
âPlease, wait a moment. Umm, polishing would be best. This is weaker than silver...... Then, maybe a holy silver......ââââ
Rudius-san smoothly draws a design on the paper at the counter.
Itâs a pendant of a blue fragment of the scale enclosed in a metal fringe. A fine design is carved on the metal parts.
Although simple, itâs quite delicate design. I like it.
âHow about this?â
âLooks wonderful. Allen, Elena, what do you think?â
âCool~â
âPretty~â
Allen and Elena seem to like it too.
âCan I request you to make that?â
âBecause steel and silver would be defeated by this scale, I have to make it from materials that wonât lose out. Doing that will increase the price by a lot, but......â
âWhat kind of material would you use for example?â
âAs expected, Mithril would be the best......â
Oh, Mithril! As expected, itâs this mineral when it comes to fantasy!
âIs the supply of the materials a problem?â
âUmm...... Boss! Is it okay to use the Mithril in the stock?â
âYeah, thereâs not enough left to make a weapon, but there should be enough for a pendant.â
The materials seem to be all right. I would like you to make it, but thereâs one modification I would like to make in the design.
âI would like something other than a metal chain if possible.â
I am not fond of the jingling feeling around my neck. Therefore, something like a leather strap would be ideal if possible.
âOther than metal, huh~ If not a monster leather...... Mithril Spiderâs thread would be nice~ Boss~ Canât we somehow get our hands on it~â
âDonât be silly! How could we obtain something so precious that easily! Even if it appears on the market, it will get immediately bought!â
Mithril Spider...... Isnât that a rare monster than mutates after consuming Mithril?
The Mithrilâs special characteristics appear on the web of the spider. Rather, it matches one of the items I have received from Syl......
âIs this enough?â
âEh!? Eeeeehã¼ã¼!! I, isnât that!! Mithril Spiderâs threaaad~!! Why do you have it!?â
When I retrieve Mithril Spiderâs thread fromãInfinite Storageãand show it to Rudius-san, he freaks out.
âWater Dragonâs scale is one thing, but you even have Mithril Spiderâs thread......â
Boss sighs deeply.
I understood that itâs a rare material, but...... I see, so this is the normal reaction......
I have surprised a lot of people recently, so I feel that Iâm getting immune to surprises.
âThen, three of those, please.â
âHaaaaa!?â
When I take another two scale fragments, he freaks out again.
Un. I knew he would have such a reaction.
âThree you say... perhaps!?â
âItâs for these children, you know?â
If Kaiser is able to sense us because of that, I would definitely like for Allen and Elena to carry them too.
âHow extravagant!â
âWhen it comes to Water Dragonâs scales, there are some water-related benefits, after all.â
â...... Thatâs certainly the case, but...... However, I really appreciate that I would be able to make goods out of these rare materials. Then, since I will be making three, can I change the design, so they are not all the same?â
âYes, I donât mind. Especially Elenaâs... I would like this childâs design to be more girlish. Isnât that so, Elena?â
âYea!â
I donât mind a simple one, but Elenaâs should be more cute, right?
When confirming with her, she returned a positive reply. It seems a cute one would be better as expected.
âWhat about Allen? Do you have a request?â
âN~?â
It seems Allen doesnât have any special request. He tilted his head for a bit, then shook left and right.
The two are always in sync, but they display their individual personalities at times like these.
âThen, what do you want to do about the scalesâ powder that comes out during the polishing? Do you want to take it?â
âPowder? Are you not disposing of it?â
âYou, thatâs Water Dragonâs Scale, you know! Its powder is a wonderful material! Just by mixing it with molten metal while making armor will increase its hardness dramatically, you know!!â
...... I got scolded.
I see, even the powder can be used...... It seems that Kaiserâs scale is just that precious.
In the end, I decided to let the shop keep the powder, and they deducted it from the fee. Kaiser wouldnât probably mind just this much powder.
Or rather, it would only collect dust inãInfinite Storageãif I kept it.
Once the order was complete, Rudius-san immediately returned to the back of the workshop with the materials.
With this, Kaiserâs scale will be safely turned into ornaments. I canât wait for the completed goods~