The next morning.
We gathered in the workroom.
Yesterday, we'd borrowed an empty guest room for the apprentices to stay in.
When we walked in, all four of them were already there, staring at the "
They kept heaving sighs, flipping it over and over again, examining it from every angle.
The lump I'd produced was about the size of a human fist.
They were making a pretty big deal out of it—was it really that rare?
"What are you even saying?"
That was
Here's the explanation.
"Magic Ore" is the raw form of "Magisteel." Even in its raw state, it holds value comparable to gold.
The reason is simple: its rarity and its usefulness.
This world contains an element that didn't exist in my original world—"Magicules." Magicules play an enormous role in how this world functions.
When you defeat a monster, there's a rare chance it will drop a lump of condensed Magicules called a Magic Stone.
Magic Stones are essentially masses of energy, and they apparently serve as fuel for "Spirit Engineering," this world's unique invention.
Furthermore, the Magic Stones found in the cores of high-ranking monsters are said to be more beautiful than gemstones, and the amount of energy they contain is on a completely different level.
These high-grade Magic Stones are used as the "core" in all sorts of products.
Jewelry and ornaments crafted by artisans also incorporate these materials.
The performance benefits are said to include stat boosts for the wearer, bonus effects, and various other advantages...
And "Magic Ore" has one critical difference from ordinary ore.
It can only be found in the vicinity of high-ranking monsters.
That's because the ore must have existed in a location with a high density of Magicules, and over a vast stretch of time, absorbed massive amounts of Magicules to undergo a mutation—producing this substance.
It's essentially a mineral undergoing something close to a sudden mutation.
Naturally, places with high concentrations of Magicules are home to powerful monsters.
The kind of backwater habitats where adventurers could farm easy kills don't tend to yield "Magic Ore."
It apparently only exists in habitats housing at least B-rank equivalent monsters.
Incidentally, this was also the first time we received an explanation about monster rank classifications.
"Oh, really? Then I'm about B-rank, right?"
"...(If you want to think that, sure. In your own head, that is!!!)"
That was probably the unanimous thought of everyone except
Let's put the idiot aside.
Even though "Magic Ore" is that difficult to find, the "Magisteel" that can be extracted from it only accounts for 3 to 5 percent.
In other words, even though the ingot was only fist-sized, its value was over twenty times that of an equivalent amount of gold.
Gold's value was roughly the same as in my original world, since most nations had adopted the gold standard as a common benchmark.
I think they understood that value now.
So as I suspected—it was a rare metal after all.
That's me for you! Nailed it on that front!!! No mistakes there!
Incidentally, I happened to possess a ludicrously large stockpile of "Magisteel Ingots," but the slight panic that came with that was a secret.
There was no way I'd get caught—but what if I did? Thinking like that was probably just my inner petty citizen talking.
Now, here's the real point.
Magisteel isn't valuable just because it's rare.
The true source of its value lies in its exceptional compatibility with the channeling of magical energy.
Magicules can be manipulated to a degree through mental imagery.
My "Magic Perception" and skills like "Water Manipulation" both work by manipulating Magicules.
Most monster skills can also be said to be based on Magicules.
As for magic, I don't really understand it, but I suspect it operates on a similar principle.
So what happens when a weapon's material contains a massive amount of Magicules?
Believe it or not—it creates a weapon that "grows"!
What incredible romance!
Wait, what? I want one!
I barely held back, but those words were practically clawing their way up my throat.
A weapon that gradually transforms toward its ideal form in accordance with the wielder's imagination.
And depending on the wielder's magical power, it could even reshape itself freely mid-battle!
On top of that, because of its excellent affinity with Magicules, it also amplifies the power of skills.
In a sense, compared to an ordinary weapon, unless there was a massive skill gap, the wielder with a Magical Weapon would win.
Perhaps... if we poured enough gold and craftsmanship into it, and set a high-grade Magic Stone into a pure Magisteel blade, something like a "Flame Sword" or an "Ice and Snow Sword" could actually be made?
My heart was screaming "Make it now!!!" but I couldn't rush in.
It felt like it might be possible, so if the opportunity arose, I wanted to get my hands on some Magic Stones.
After a lengthy explanation, Kaijin and his team set about their work.
We watched as observers, for our own education.
Gobta was probably asleep somewhere anyway...
Even among swords, there were many different types.
The strongest sword in my mind was, of course, the Japanese katana.
But even within just katanas, there were endless varieties. I was absolutely fascinated by the idea of what kind of sword they would create.
Ten hours of work later.
A single longsword, utterly unremarkable, was completed.
Huh? There was a ton of Magisteel left over.
It was only fist-sized. I'd worried whether there'd be enough for even one sword, but apparently...
I was told that if you tried to make the entire thing out of Magisteel, the cost would be astronomical!
Thinking about it, that made sense.
No wonder nobody had jumped to ideas like a "Flame Sword" or an "Ice and Snow Sword" or a "Lightning Sword." It would cost a fortune.
That makes sense! I accepted the explanation.
They used Magisteel as the core, and shaped the blade with ordinary iron steel around it.
Even so, the Magicules from the Magisteel would gradually corrode into the iron steel portions of the blade, eventually fusing with them entirely.
Weapons that had gone through a long period of time were said to be the strongest.
Another characteristic was that they didn't rust or chip with age.
In a curious twist, swords apparently had a kind of life force of their own. When a blade broke or suffered a catastrophic deformation, the Magicules would drain out and it would rapidly deteriorate.
They told me all this while showing me the freshly forged sword.
It was quite an interesting tale.
I picked up the finished sword and examined it. (I didn't actually have hands, but you know—it's the thought that counts.)
On closer inspection, the construction was simple but free of flaws.
You could call it without wasted elements.
It wasn't primarily designed for slashing like a katana, but it appeared the blade could still deliver cutting strikes.
I see—so this served as the base, and each individual wielder would modify it according to their own needs!
When you think about it that way, leaving the maker's intent out and keeping the design simple made perfect sense.
Now then.
The old man and his team had forged a magnificent sword, just as promised.
From here on out, it was my turn.
"All right! From here, I'm going to do some secret work. Once you've checked the materials, I'm sorry, but everyone needs to leave the room!"
With that, I sent them all outside.
I couldn't let them see my method of production. Mainly because explaining it would be a pain!
"All the materials are in this room. But are you sure? I can help if you need it."
"Don't worry. I've got this! And more importantly, don't peek into this room for three days, got it? That's a promise!"
"Got it. I'll trust you and wait..."
With that, the old man and his team headed out.
For some reason, Gobta left too...
I might need to teach that idiot a lesson sometime...
Anyway, today's recipe is "Longsword"!
The method is simple!
First, you swallow the prototype!
Then, you take the materials laid out here and... swallow them!
Chomp, chomp, gulp!
Then you mix them thoroughly inside your stomach...
《Analysis Complete: "Longsword." Replication Successful. Proceeding with Copy... Successful.》 You repeat that 19 times, and you're doooone!
Simple, right?
But good kids should never try this at home, okay?
While having those kinds of ridiculous thoughts, I carried out the work.
This is insane... each copy took roughly 10 seconds.
190 seconds... just over 3 minutes, and I'd created 19 longswords...
It hadn't even been five minutes since I'd kicked everyone out.
I mean, I'd figured it would work, but I'd crafted them so easily it almost felt wrong—like I was cheating the artisans.
"Predator" was seriously overpowered.
So what now?
I'd told them not to peek in here for three days, but should I really just sit in this room doing nothing for three days?
Nah... There was no point in just meditating aimlessly in this room.
Maybe I should just tell them it's already done...
SLAM!
I threw open the door and stepped outside.
The four of them, who'd been anxiously watching for signs of what was going on, scrambled to their feet.
Gobta was... asleep.
Seriously? I come out after five minutes and you're already napping? What gives?
As I thought. The moment I decided I was going to teach that guy a lesson was now set in stone.
"Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Were we short on materials?"
"...Or was it too difficult after all?"
The dwarves peppered me with worried questions, one after another.
"Uh, well. No, actually, the thing is..."
Those worried gazes were starting to sting. I accidentally dragged it out a bit too much.
As always, I'm a terrible person.
Guess that'll never change.
"Just kidding! It's already done!"
"...Huh???"
Their stunned voices overlapped in perfect harmony.
Yeah, I figured that'd be your reaction...
"CHEERS!!!"
We'd come to a nighttime establishment, calling it a celebration party.
The delivery had gone smoothly, so we were supposedly here to celebrate!
No, really, I told them I didn't need any of this! But...
"There are tons of gorgeous ladies in here!"
"You know it! From young girls to mature women! This place caters to true gentlemen!"
"...!!!"
"Come on, our man Rimuru's got to be here or the party can't start!"
That's what they said.
I didn't want to, but what could I do!
What a bunch of troublemakers!!!
Ugh, this is ruining my image as a serious person! I'm really conflicted!!!
The establishment was called "The Night Butterfly."
Was it really butterflies? If they were moths, I'd kill them all!
...No, no, I wasn't interested or anything.
With those thoughts running through my head, I stepped inside.
"Oh my~! Welcome~!"
"WELCOME!!!"
Holy hell!!!
There was a whole lineup of drop-dead gorgeous women!!!
Wow!!! They had long ears!!!
They were elve— no, they were ELVES!!!
Wait— oh crap— their clothes are so THIN!!!
Ah, you can almost see but not quite...
What the heck! I was using "Magic Perception" at full power!!! (Usually I see way too much, so I had it running in low-power mode at 90% filtering.)
These ladies were masterfully maintaining the line between "can almost see" and "can't quite see"!
A... a challenge? Are they challenging me?!?
Damn it, damn it!
"Wow~! So cute!"
"Hey! I saw her first~!"
Whoosh!
Bounce! Bounce!
I-It's hereeeee!!!
My body went squish-squish!
Behind me, bounce-bounce!!!
Was this... paradise?
"...So, um... for someone who was so reluctant, you seem to be enjoying yourself quite a lot?"
Snap!
What was I thinking, letting my guard down like that.
"Eh? No, it's not that big a deal..."
That was a bit forced, wasn't it.
Not a single person believed me.
But whatever. It couldn't be helped!
I mean, right now I was being held in an elf's lap...
My heart was overflowing with emotion!!!
If only my poor, deceased son were still alive, he'd be absolutely going wild with excitement right about now...
We were having such a lovely time when— "Oh my, if it isn't Lord Kaijin! How terribly inappropriate, bringing low-class monsters into such a refined establishment!"
Someone had walked up and practically spat those words at us.
Who the hell was this guy?
The room went silent in an instant.
The girls all wore expressions of distaste toward the man, though you'd only notice if you were paying close attention.
He was unusually tall and slender for a dwarf—though his height was about average for a human.
"Hey, madam ! Does this establishment allow monsters?"
"W-well, when you say monster, it's just a harmless-looking slime..."
"Excuse me? It's a monster, isn't it?! Are you actually going to sit there and tell me a slime isn't a monster?!?!"
"That's not... it's not quite that simple, I assure you..."
The mama tried to deflect and redirect his anger with smooth evasion, but he wasn't having any of it.
This guy's target was clearly us.
"Oh no... it's Minister Vester..."
So this was the infamous Minister Vester?
I could see it now—he had the kind of neurotic, prickly face that screamed "difficult person."
At that moment, "Hmph! This is what suits monsters like you!"
He declared, dumping water over my head.
That really ticked me off, but I held it in.
He was a minister. I couldn't let my temper cause problems for the old men or for the mama here.
I really didn't want to get banned from this place!
As I was swallowing my anger and trying to stay composed— "Hey... Shut up and listen! You think you can get cocky?"
THUD! He kicked the table aside, and the old man stood up.
"Listen here, Vester! You got the guts to pull that kind of crap on my guest, do ya?"
...Huh? Wait, Kaijin, sir... he's a minister, are you sure about this?
Vester was frozen in shock, but I was stunned too!
A soft sensation bounced against my back! ...It was NOT on purpose. Absolutely not!!!
"Y-you... how dare you speak to me in that manner!!!"
Vester was so furious and surprised he could barely form words.
"Will you shut your trap already?!"
And with that, Kaijin threw a punch straight into Minister Vester's face without a shred of hesitation...
"Rimuru, you were looking for a skilled craftsman, right? Am I not enough?"
Not enough? More like... wait, is this actually okay?
But punching a minister—that meant there was no place for him in this country anymore.
However.
There are times when a man doesn't need words.
"I've been waiting to hear that! Count on it, Kaijin!"
The details didn't matter.
If Kaijin was willing to come, all I had to do was welcome him!
Screw noble sentiments! We should live life the way we want!
Kaijin and I exchanged a fiery nod.
And so, the promise was fulfilled!!!
But... how exactly were we going to get out of this after?
Turns out, you really do need to tread carefully in this world, or you end up with a mountain of problems...
Even putting on a brave face didn't make the future problems disappear!
Status Name:
It ended up taking longer than I expected.