Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen: Anniversary Date 4
“What is this?”
“That’s a monster-repelling magical tool. Well, it’s a prototype, though.”
“You can make monster repellents too.”
Karen voiced her admiration.
It was shaped like a lamp, and she could see that when activated, a stone installed inside the lamp would emit light. That alone made it a beautiful-looking lamp, but since it was placed here, she thought it couldn’t be just an ordinary lamp—and apparently, while operating, it even demonstrated monster-repelling effects.
“It did make it harder for monsters to approach, sure, but it wasn’t like the goddess-made artifacts that kept monsters away entirely for as long as the effect lasted. I kept a few here for alchemists who are going to gather materials in dungeons, but if you wanted reliability, you were better off purchasing the goddess’ magical tools from a shop that buys from adventurers, or from the Adventurers’ Guild.”
Karen nodded at Urgo honestly explaining the demerits of the magical tool he’d created.
“It could serve as an ordinary lamp as well, and if it even slightly reduced the chances of monsters approaching, then for an alchemist like me who didn’t want to run into monsters, it would be quite useful.”
“But it was absurdly expensive for something that was basically a lamp. It was meant for wealthy folks with money to burn. You should forget about it.”
Though expensive for a lamp, among the magical tools on display, it was quite cheap. And since it had an adorable design, Karen was keen on it, but she was vetoed by none other than the seller himself.
“May I ask about the mechanism that keeps monsters from approaching?”
“Sure. I’ll keep my personal techniques secret, but as a general mechanism, when you activate this thing, it creates a membrane of magical power in the surrounding area.”
Urgo spoke while illuminating his self-made magical tool lamp.
“There’s a theory that monsters detect human magical power and approach. By creating a membrane of magical power, the owner’s magical power should become harder to detect, but well, if they see you visually, it’s meaningless—and some monsters ignore it altogether. Hang on a second.”
Saying this, Urgo disappeared into the back of the shop and soon returned carrying a hexagonal pillar stone in his hand. Since monster-repelling magical tools were expensive items, this was also Karen’s first time seeing one.
“This is the authentic goddess’s monster repellent. Since we don’t understand this thing’s mechanism in the first place, the monster repellents we are doing are nothing more than imitations.”
While speaking, Urgo charged the goddess’s monster-repelling magical tool with magical power and activated it. Its range of effect seemed to be about a one-meter radius, and Karen, who was at the boundary of the affected area, widened her eyes.
“There’s definitely some kind of membrane, but I don’t know what that membrane actually is. Can you tell anything?”
Urgo’s words weren’t serious but tossed at Karen like a light joke.
But Karen nodded.
“I know this sensation.”
“…What?”
Karen smoothly extended her hand to the boundary of the activated monster-repelling magical tool’s range of effect and touched it.
“Here, there’s a membrane of no magical power.”
“—A membrane of no magical power? What’s that?”
“There’s a thin space with absolutely no magical power stretched out like a membrane. I’ve been to such a space recently, so I could notice it.”
“I also remember going to that space, but I don’t seem to understand it, Karen.”
Julius also tried putting his finger through the membrane’s boundary, but apparently couldn’t sense the space without magical power.
Karen nodded with a "hmm" and said:
“Perhaps Harald might understand it.”
“So only those who understand the concept of ‘no magical power’ can tell.”
“Hey, don’t you two go to un understanding without me!”
Urgo examined the goddess’s monster repellent’s boundary line from every angle, passing his hand, body, and head through it, moving about busily before slumping his shoulders.
“I don’t understand at aaaaaall…!”
“Perhaps only people who understand the state of ‘having no magical power’ can tell.”
“How am I supposed to understand that?”
“I think I became able to understand after using up my magical power once, but… for fairy folk dwarves, well…”
“I’d die, wouldn’t I… Seriously? No wonder none of the dwarves can tell… wait? Even so, it’s strange that we can’t even observe it numerically, right?”
“I really don’t understand that part.”
Not listening to Karen’s words at all, Urgo began muttering to himself while charging the goddess’s monster repellent with magical power.
Since he looked like he was having fun, Karen left Urgo behind and quietly returned to searching for a magical tool.
Eventually, Julius said:
“Karen, how about this?”
“If there’s something you want, please feel free to purchase it without checking with me.”
Karen answered reflexively, but what Julius held was a magical tool for alchemists.
Karen carefully clasped a wooden branch ladle in both hands, and Julius followed behind her as they left Urgo’s magical tool shop.
Urgo, who had come out to see them off, said:
“The World Tree ladle has worse magical conductivity than orichalcum or mithril staves at first, but it’s said that with continued use, it would gradually attune itself to your magical power—even to your ‘understanding.’ Though it’s not as expensive as the orichalcum alchemical cauldron, treat it well.”
“Yes!”
Karen nodded while gripping the ladle tightly. It was a ladle used in alchemy when stirring potions or transferring them to bottles. Until now, Karen had used a kitchen ladle, but merely touching a potion with a non-alchemical utensil caused it to deteriorate.
Its shape resembled a soup ladle, formed in a streamlined curve that reduced resistance while stirring. Urgo had adjusted this ladle made of World Tree wood that Julius had chosen for her by carving the grip to fit Karen’s hand right there on the spot. Because of that, it already fit comfortably in Karen’s hand.
“By the way, if you ever got your hands on an orichalcum alchemy cauldron, what would you do?”
“I intended to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Before then, I’d somehow save up the money and seek out connections so I could come here again.”
Julius had a letter of introduction as a reward from the previous Royal Swordsmanship Tournament, but that was apparently a one-time thing. To come here again, she would have to follow a different route.
Karen happened to have a master with useful connections, and she intended to ask for an introduction eventually. Lately, she’d been busy going here and there, so they hadn’t met much, but this wasn’t an immediate matter anyway.
“I see.”
Urgo nodded as if understanding something.
“So for you, the orichalcum alchemical cauldron—the supreme masterpiece we dwarves create with painstaking care using secret techniques—is just a means to an end.”
“Eh? D-Did I say something rude?”
Urgo spoke in a low voice, making Karen’s heart jump. If she’d sullied this first-rate magical tool craftsman’s pride and angered him, obtaining the orichalcum alchemical cauldron would become hopeless. Only S-rank craftsmen could process orichalcum, and such masters were exceedingly rare. Naturally, they also had connections among themselves—
“Quite the opposite!”
Urgo laughed at Karen, who held her breath, rustling his beard.
“What we make is ultimately just tools! Not proof of being first-rate. We want to help those who challenge heights they can’t reach without the magical tools we make. I refuse to sell masterpieces to people who are satisfied just obtaining the tool, to people who have no plans to take on challenges requiring the tool.”
Urgo rummaged in his pocket, then pulled out a single medal. It was golden in color, but it wasn’t a gold coin. On it was drawn the emblem of Urgo’s magical tool shop—a picture of wings and a hammer.
“It’s made of orichalcum, so don’t lose it.”
“Eep!”
Karen let out a small scream, tucked the ladle under her arm, and clasped the medal in both hands.
“That’s an entry permit for my shop. Plus, it can serve as a letter of introduction from me. At other magical tool stores or dwarf workshops, even if they refuse first-time customers, there might be places that’ll let you in if you show that.”
“Th-thank you very much… is this really okay?”
“Yeah. I’m giving you that, so come to my magical tool workshop next time. I’ve got a mountain of things I want to ask you.”
“I don’t know anything about magical tools, though?”
“But you know things I don’t understand, right? If you’ll teach me those, I’ll teach you things you don’t understand in return.”
The legendary metal, orichalcum. It was said that without it, one could not create the Philosopher’s Stone. To handle an orichalcum alchemy cauldron someday, understanding orichalcum itself would be essential.
“I’m honored you’d say that. I’ll visit again sometime.”
“Good. It’s for occasional things like this that I have my shop in human territory.”
Karen smiled back at Urgo’s satisfied words.
Perhaps fairy folk who lived in human society all thought this way.
Greedy for knowledge, always aiming higher.
Aiming for the same place as Karen.
Once she realized that, Urgo suddenly felt like a familiar presence, and Karen pressed the medal tightly against her chest and gripped it.
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