Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: 3

<TLN: Changed Drial to Driar, and Jojoli to Jojori since their father/grandfather is Dohar and they're all dwarves . >

7-3 . At the Hometown of the Dwarves (2)

Even though the leading role usually does a lot of blacksmith-related things, it's strange .

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"Then let me see you forge a sword . We'll talk after that . "

Jojori-san?

I look to her, but she averts her eyes .

We've come to elder Dohar's workplace after passing through less-than-one-and-a-half meter high tunnel . There are also numerous high leveled dwarves forging swords inside the room .

They're all good . Every sword's offense, sharpness, endurance and other parameters are 50% higher than the ones available in the city .

The word earlier was addressed to me after I introduced myself to him .

"Father, Satou-dono is an acquaintance of viscount Rottol, and--"

"Umu, I'm indebted to Nina, but this and that are different story . I can understand people's nature from how they forge swords . Zajir, heat up a mithril ingot . "

"Uss, Shishou . "

Driar interceded, but elder Dohar quickly proceeded with the trial .

The dwarf with gray beard, Zajir, offers me the seat before the prepared ingot and tools .

Well, since I've tried blacksmithing once in Muno city, I mostly understand the procedures, I'll try this once again . The skill is MAX anyway, I should be able to do it somehow .

I let the ingot to become red hot, and put it on the anvil . I gently strike it with the smith hammer .

Clink .

Huh? Something doesn't feel right?

Elder Dohar seems to have sensed my hesitation, he takes the hammer and similarly strikes the ingot . After hitting it once, he calls Zajir-san and punches Zajir on the head with his fist .

"Idiot, how many decades have you dealt with mithril . Haven't I told you to always be at the workshop when you're melting the ingot!"

"Uss, Shishou . "

I don't really understand, but it seems that there's a problem with the ingot Zajir-san has prepared .

The slight sense of incongruity was because of that huh .

"Arright, let's go to the mithril furnace . Follow me, young 'un . "

"Yes . "

Looks like elder Dohar is going to guide me directly . I haven't forged a sword, but I've probably passed the test . Driar-san and Jojori-san are also following from behind . Zajir-san has gone earlier, I wonder if there's some kind of preparation .

I don't know what kind of furnace it'd be, but I'm going to enjoy it .

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The blast furnace for mithril is made from a metal that's strong against heat, Hihiirokane--something with Japanese-style name after a long while .

Zajir-san and other blacksmiths are making noise there, but everyone is lying down on the floor .

Apparently, this furnace is not fueled with coal, but with magic power in order to make it works .

Looks like the blacksmiths have ran out of magic power, and they're currently resting . Everyone here is a veteran with level higher than 30 . Everyone has blacksmith and some kind of magic skills . The situation might be the same as the blast furnace above, with fewer people available than usual .

Apparently, they're waiting for their magic power to recover in two hours .

Elder Dohar's wrinkle become deeper and he's shouting, but there's nothing they can do without magic power . I wonder if he has also reached that conclusion, his argument turns here .

"Young 'un, since you're carrying short stick, are you a spell-user? If you're confident with your magic power, then put it into that furnace . "

"Wait, father, don't make our guest act like your disciples . "

"There's no problem if it's just magic power . "

Driar objects, but I also want to look at the working furnace fast, so I gladly comply .

I put in my magic power .

I guess 200-300 MP should be enough?

It gets sucked rapidly . There's no response .

10 .

20 .

There's no lamp or some kind indication for when if it's enough, I guess I'll put the amount at the level where the surrounding aren't going to be surprised .

100 .

200 .

300 .

Oh, the fallen people's faces slightly change . I should stop here huh . 300 MP should be normal for a magician with slightly higher level than 30 .

Still, seeing this reaction, wouldn't this able to accept 1000MP?

While acting like I'm wiping sweats that don't actually come out, I stop the infusion of magic power .

"Fuh, this furnace is amazing . Looks like it can still accept more . "

"Umu . "

Elder Dohar nods, and the surrounding people begin to move, the mithril refinery starts .

Jojori-san presents me sunglasses-like thing .

"Since it would hurt your eyes, please take this . Please don't stare at the fire even after you put it on . "

I accept it while saying my thanks . It's pitch dark after I put it on . I could only faintly see the mithril furnace . As I stare harder .

>[Night Vision Skill Acquired]

I get the skill after all this time . After I activate it, I become able to see like normal even though I'm wearing sunglasses .

"I'm igniting it! Everyone, make sure to put yer' shade tools . "

Uwah, this is dangerous . At this rate, there's no point in wearing the sunglasses .

I immediately close my eyes, but I'm late for an instant . White afterimage burned into my eyes .

>[Light Radiation Adjustment Skill Acquired]

Am I a robot! I activate it while cursing . I'd have liked this skill before it happens .

I open my eyes while feeling the self-recovery skill restoring my retina .

The temperature rises while the vermilion band around the furnace is mysteriously moving .   Can you understand if I say that I'm seeing the inside of the furnace like with CT-scan?　The AR indicates that the temperature reaches 3000 degree . The temperature of the ironworks that I've seen earlier is 1600 degree . Looks like mithril is substantially more resistant to heat .

<TLN: The author doesn't state which standard he's using for temperature but it's most likely Celsius . >

"Umu, it's a nice vermilion . "

I don't really understand, but elder Dohar seems to be satisfied while looking at the light leaking from the furnace .

Seems that the furnace could refine 100 kilograms of ingot in one go .

When the heat cools down, beautiful silver ingots with slight green tinge are completed .

Since this has taken quite a bit of time, Driar-shi has gone back to the city leaving Jojori-san here .

Elder Dohar sees the completed ingot, but then he suddenly raises his arm, and strike it with a small hammer, confirming the sound . He chooses several ingots that Zajir then carries .

"Young 'un, come here . I'll have you strike with phase hammer . "

"Shishou, it's impossible for a human kid to use phase hammer . "

"Noisy, don't butt-in my decision . "

I wonder what's the original meaning of phase hammer that elder Dohar is saying .

"Young 'un, don't think you can sleep 'til morning . Jojori, meat, there's that smoked basilisk meat right . Bring it whole here . Let's fill our stomaches first . "

Is Basilisk edible . Or rather, it's no good to not eat something that's been presented huh~

I ask Jojori-san who's going to go back to fetch food to bring message to Arisa and the others and arrange for their meal . Though, since they're going to stay in the guest mansion of the mayor, there's probably no problem .

◇

It's exactly a lump of iron--

<TLN: Berserk reference . >

Putting aside the joke, the great hammer that Zajir-san bring is an unrefined lump of metal . Looks like it's an alloy made from iron and mithril .

What the heck is this? It's being lifted lightly, but isn't this at least one ton heavy?

"What's wrong young 'un . If it's just that much, dwarves could lift it on one hand . Put out your spirit!"

Dwarves are amazing . This, with one hand huh .

Zajir-san actually lifts it on one hand . He's trying to appeal to Jojori-san, but she thoroughly ignores him . Needless to say, Dohar-san put his fist on Zajir-san who falls then .

It's not like I can't lift the great hammer, but since my body is light, it's hard to get the balance right .   My balance shakes off several times as I'm learning . When I think about it, I might have not struggled if I just activate Transport skill .

While I'm learning to swing the great hammer, elder Dohar is checking the inside of the a jar that his disciples have brought .

"This is a bit weak . Bring out a stronger one . "

"Shisou, we only have that for now . "

"Then, have Ganza compound it . "

"Ganza is having a meeting with the Gnomes, so he won't be back until tomorrow . "

Elder Dohar looks like he's going to explode . It seems the blacksmiths use some kind of medicines . If I know the recipe I could compound it instead, but it's probably not something that could be taught to outsider .

"Jojori, anyone's fine, bring me an alchemist who could compound . "

So sketchy .

If anyone's fine, then I'll step up .

"Dohar-sama, if anyone's fine, then shall I compound it?"

"Hn? You've done alchemy too huh . Yosh, then I'll leave it to you . "

A prompt decision . Starting with Zajir-san, the disciples are becoming upset .

It seems they're not people who could say something directly face-to-face .

The recipe is hidden in an unexpected way . Instead of tablewares with the scales of the ingredients on the shelf, pots with raw material are lined up in accordance with the compounding order . Lastly, I have to finish it by putting it on the magic bestowing stand, but since the compounding is one of a kind, the setting is fixed .

I don't know the content of the jar, but thanks to [Analysis], [Appraisal] skills, and AR indicators, I've mastered the way to make [Secret Medicine of the Dwarves] .

Elder Dohar checks on the medicine I've made, and then nods seriously .

"Good work . Let's boot Ganza out and have you replace him . "

I'm not hearing elder Dohar's joke .

I follow elder Dohar to a different blacksmithing room than the first one . There's a small furnace made from hihiirokane inside . This one is for melting ingot, unlike the one for refining earlier . The anvil is also made from iron and mithril alloy . I wonder what's the liquid used for cooling called [Dwarf Water] .

Zajir-san answers normally when I ask him . It's a 3:1 mixture of oil and spirit . I refrain myself from retorting, like 'it's more like [Dwarf Oil] rather than [Dwarf Water]', since the mood has become a bit tense .

"The preparation is complete . "

"Yosh, let's do it . "

Looks like it's quite an honor to help elder Dohar's phase hammer strike, the gazes from the surrounding disciples are painful .

If you have any complaint, I'd like you to tell it to elder Dohar .

I ignore the jealousy from the neighbors and concentrate here . I'll enjoy this rare chance of doing blacksmith together with a famous swordsmith .