Early morning.
Today too, with the feeling of scratching a lottery ticket, I tried practicing some flashy magic.
"Moon... Moon... please give me some magic..."
Ah, unfortunately, it seemed I had no talent for magic.
I did about an hour and went outside.
The sun had already risen.
I had left the leather soaking in water last night, but...
Maybe I should say I wasn't expecting much.
The leather I had tanned was from a spotted cow.
It was much tougher than it looked.
So, I hadn't thought it would be done overnight.
"Huh?"
Splash.
The leather taken from the water had a smooth surface, yet the grain remained.
There was almost no greasiness or smell.
It felt like it would become fluffy as soon as it dried a little?
It was even soft and pliable.
This, this, I can feel the philosophy of the Fairy Race.
I immediately hung these leathers outside.
Since the sun was blazing, it seemed like they would dry quickly.
"Is it okay to dry them outside?"
[Rather, it is recommended]
Good.
So what do I do with the remaining time?
Yesterday, just in case, I hadn't put all the leather into the water.
How could I know what would happen if I soaked them all, so I couldn't put them all in.
In the end, there was one leather that I had only roughly beaten.
I was going to try making gloves with this first.
After all, fluffy leather would come out soon.
It was a kind of practice piece, an experimental one.
"Now... shall we start?"
I spread out the half-tanned leather.
It was miserable, though.
The parts where grease hadn't been removed were shiny, and the scraped parts were thin.
Well, it's for practice anyway.
I never intended to make perfect gloves with this.
I was getting used to the feel of working it.
[Leatherworking]
The core of Dwarf Leatherworking was cutting and sewing.
"Want to spread it out?"
I brought up the textbook.
And.
I focused.
How much time had passed?
Sting.
"Ouch."
Blood beaded on my finger.
I must have accidentally pricked it with the needle. I should be careful of tetanus... well, if I get it, that would be unfortunate.
I raised my head and looked outside.
"...?"
The sun is high in the sky?
In this world, the only way to check the time was the sun's position.
[3:00 PM]
"What are you talking about, how do you know?"
[I checked with the Outer Tower Community's built-in clock?]
No, if you knew that, you should have told me in advance.
"...Anyway, how long did I do that?"
My concentration is on the good side.
I tend to win by being heavy-bottomed, after all.
[8 hours]
[Good work]
Good work, what do you mean...
"Ugh, I almost was late."
And, in my hands.
Gloves that were just about to be completed were lying there.
"...Then shall we go?"
My personal opinion is simple.
What was visible was closer to a leather pouch than gloves, though.
You can't be full from the first spoonful.
"Throw it away, throw it away. No. Give it to Eric, Eric."
I did work hard, but maybe because the leather was strange in many ways, it didn't go well.
Let's find meaning in the attempt.
It seemed like it would suit plump Eric's hands well.
Still, I should at least finish it.
The final step to complete the gloves was to stand under the sun and let them receive light for 30 minutes.
To make them hold the energy of the sun, or something like that.
Since the name is Sun Dwarf, it makes sense.
I took the gloves and went outside.
Under the blazing sunlight, I held the gloves out.
30 minutes.
I just had to stand there. It was the easiest step.
Then, while I was standing there blankly.
Sssss...
"Huh?"
On the leather pouch, no, on the lower part of the gloves, a black pattern began to be engraved.
Slowly, a sun shape was engraved into the leather.
[It's an engraving only elite Blacksmiths, Descendants of Fire, can inscribe.]
Yuna's explanation continued.
[They say when you're an apprentice, the sun pattern is engraved, and as your skill rises, the patterns you can inscribe increase?]
[It seems you can customize it a little, prettily.]
"...Is that so?"
That's not important right now.
I waited for the next window.
[Would you like to register?]
"Huh?"
A window appeared before my eyes.
I blinked and pressed register.
-----------------------------
[Apprentice Blacksmith's Greasy Gloves][0-star]
[Compatibility][-/10]
-----------------------------
[You can't be full from the first spoonful.]
[Throw it away, throw it away. No. Give it to Eric, Eric.]
- Civilian L -
-----------------------------
The Compatibility value is empty because there is no wearer.
Moreover, the words I said while making it were engraved as they were.
Civilian L. That's me, right?
It seems the maker's words get engraved.
I think this is called flavor text... or something like that.
Is there no privacy? Is it okay for that kind of phrase to be embedded?
I can't say anything.
"It's fine."
It's for practice anyway.
The important thing is what kind of value this shows for Dolores.
"I'll register it."
I registered the gloves before me.
I thought of Dolores in my mind.
The status window appeared, and the glove slot opened.
Dolores's gloves still shining white.
[Would you like to replace?]
Yes.
Then Dolores's equipment changed to my leather gloves...
[Apprentice Blacksmith's Greasy Gloves][0-star]
[Compatibility][2/10]
[The Sun Engraving slightly suppresses Yin Energy. However, the greasiness does not suit the wearer's dignity]
For now.
There were several changes.
First, the Compatibility became 2 or higher for the first time.
Moreover, the text itself is fairly positive, and if we consider that the greasiness is because it's leather that couldn't even be tanned, then it can't be helped...?
This, I have a good feeling.
Quickly.
I quickly approached the leather hanging out.
However.
"...Hm?"
There was already a visitor there.
The child Dolores brings around.
It was Ruby.
"Oh, hello."
I greeted her and naturally headed for the leather, but.
"...Hey."
Our cute but punk-like little kid blocked my way.
Fortunately, I had succeeded in debuting as a Blacksmith.
Since I was in a good mood, I had the leeway to deal with her.
"Why?"
"Is this yours?"
Ruby pointed at the hanging leather.
"Something like that."
"What are you going to do with it?"
A wary look. It was the look she had when taking away candy.
I pondered.
Would she tell Dolores?
Whether she tells or not, and whether there's a reason to hide it.
And whether maybe Dolores sent her.
Such things crossed my mind, but.
After all, she told me not to lie.
"Her Grace looked cold."
"...?"
"I was going to make her gloves."
"Ha!"
Ruby laughed as if dumbfounded, then started pouring out words.
"She wears incredibly, incredibly good gloves, you know? She would never, ever wear gloves like the ones you make, you know?"
"Okay, I see."
Judging by her reaction, it seemed she came separately from Dolores.
I brushed past Ruby and headed for the leather.
"Eek..."
When I ignored her, the kid puffed up her cheeks.
It was the reaction I expected.
It would be nice if she told Dolores outright.
If she knew in advance that I was doing something other than magic, it would be easier to explain later.
However, perhaps she was more prideful than I thought, because rather than going to Dolores, she followed me without a word.
Hmm, this isn't great. I don't have a hobby of looking after kids.
I stood in front of the door.
Since I didn't intend to show the crafting process, I turned to the kid.
"Want me to tell you a secret?"
"...What."
"I'm actually a Sun Dwarf."
Somehow.
And a Descendant of Fire, at that.
And.
Slam.
I closed the door.
-Eek? Eek!!
I heard Ruby getting angry, but.
'If she goes and tells, good. If not, whatever.'
I returned to the workbench.
And.
I spread out the fluffy dried leather.
It's completely different from the practice piece.
The grain is even, uniform, and it doesn't get stiff even when bent.
Now, it's a repetition of what I did.
Tracing, cutting, sewing.
Even the feel of the knife entering is different.
Creak...
Squeeze.
The thread passed through the hole.
"...Agh."
I pricked my finger once.
Once is okay. Earlier it was three times.
This is growth too.
Like that, several hours.
I sewed the last stitch and lifted the gloves.
It was different from the potato pouch from before. At least it looked like gloves.
What remained was the final step.
I took the gloves and went outside. The sunset was hanging there. It was close.
Before the sun set.
I held the gloves out under the sunlight.
And.
Zzzzt...
The engraving began to be inscribed.
I was barely not late.
Perhaps thanks to making a test piece, the second time was definitely easier.
Watching the gloves being made, I felt proud...
Wait a moment.
I have to say something, right?
If the maker's words get engraved like before, this time I should go with something cleaner.
It's my first proper equipment, after all.
I made it carefully while thinking of Dolores, after all.
Ah, not carefully. I made it because my position was in danger.
Anyway.
I cleared my throat and straightened my posture.
"Ahem, ahem. Ahem. Quite good leather gloves. Excellent warmth retention."
Perfect. I can feel the dignity of a master artisan.
Here, take it.
-----------------------------
[Apprentice Blacksmith's Warm Gloves][1-star]
[Unique Equipment] [Compatibility][-/40]
-----------------------------
[Because I made it carefully while thinking of Dolores...]
- Apprentice Blacksmith L -
-----------------------------
What the hell?
No, what the fuck.
"By any chance, is all this text visible?"
[It seems you have to go to a high-ranking appraiser to see it]
[They say they'll print it as an appraisal sheet]
"Ha..."
I put my hand to my forehead.
Yeah, well...
Performance is what matters.
As long as performance is good, it's fine.
The funny thing was that earlier it was Civilian L, but now it had become Apprentice Blacksmith.
That means I've grown.
Moreover, it's Unique Equipment, the only one in the world.
I took a deep breath.
My heart began to pound.
This had better go well.
I think of Dolores inwardly.
The status window appears. The glove slot.
The 5-star White Gloves still shining white.
[Would you like to replace?]
"Yes."
Then, this time too, Dolores's equipment changed to my leather gloves...
-----------------------------
[Apprentice Blacksmith's Warm Gloves][1-star]
[Unique Equipment] [Compatibility][33/40]
[The Sun Engraving's warmth retention effect suppresses the wearer's Yin Energy amplification.]
[Severed Meridians symptoms alleviated, opening progress of 7 of 9 meridians]
-----------------------------
"......"
I stared at that number.
It's 1-star. A one-star Warm Gloves destroyed the Compatibility of the 5-star White Gloves.
That's not all.
Opening progress, not closing but opening.
The White Gloves froze it and suppressed progress while even progressing closure, but this was completely the opposite.
Honestly, Dolores would know better what's good.
"I did it."
At least, by my standards, it was a huge success.
Before I knew it, the day of the decisive battle was tomorrow.
"Ah..."
Tonight, at least, I felt like I could sleep soundly.
***
Late evening afternoon.
The night before the appointment, one day prior.
"Yes, and so?"
"...For now, there are no signs of magic use."
"Is that so?"
Dolores sipped her tea and listened to the Instructor's message.
Though she hadn't ordered it separately, the Instructor would report about that child first like this.
What she heard was, in the end, magic training was well...
He ended up kneading leather and making strange gloves.
When Dolores said nothing, the Instructor bowed his head and slowly left.
Elysia von Dolores.
She set down her tea and thought.
"He seemed quick-witted, though."
He just played around?
I didn't expect him to be this surprising.
"I had my hopes up for nothing."
She wasn't disappointed.
Disappointment is originally an emotion that follows expectation.
His eye seems good, but... if he neglects magic itself, it's meaningless.
Unless he's a genius who doesn't need practice.
She brushed up the hair that had fallen on sleeping Ruby's forehead and smiled brightly.
"I thought she might make a friend."
That's a shame.
***
I couldn't even sleep.
I scratched the morning's last lottery ticket too.
"Moon..."
Of course, today too, magic failed.
But my heart was light.
Because in my hands were gloves that looked fairly luxurious.
The strange thing about spotted cow leather was that it turned black when tanning was finished.
The gloves I made became black with a gray Sun Engraving inscribed, with a subtly decent appearance.
Honestly, this is thanks to the leather, though.
"Phew..."
Please, let it work somehow.
In the end, the last supper. I was eating lunch.
"Thanks, Lionel."
"...For what."
"Do your best today."
"...Thanks."
Eric wore the gloves I gave him and giggled.
Give it to Eric, Eric, that's right. I decided to really give it to him.
These days he manages the ranch at night, and he said it's warm when he wears them then.
Perhaps he gave up on magic, because he seemed to have taken an interest in farm work.
They suit him quite well, potato gloves on plump hands. A perfect match.
In the end, I left the dining hall without even knowing whether the food went through my mouth or my nose.
"She says to come after lunch."
"Yes."
The Instructor was waiting. He hesitated for a moment, then asked.
"Did magic... succeed?"
Sorry, Instructor. There's no such thing as magic in this world.
"No."
"......"
The Instructor's expression hardened.
Because it meant that after giving me a week, magic had failed.
"Do as you like."
He left like that. The word disappointment was written on his back.
It was bitter, but. Results matter more than a hundred words.
I gripped the gloves in my arms.
Knock, knock.
I lightly knocked on the cabin door.
-Come in~
I slowly opened the door and entered.
A fragrant tea scent.
Dolores greeted me with a bright smile.
"You're here. The air is nice, thanks to you... I rested well for a week."
"I hope today's result will also help you rest."
"Hmm?"
When I spoke quite seriously, Dolores slightly widened her eyes.
Soon she tilted her head and smiled.
"But according to Ruby."
Dolores slowly turned her teacup.
"You didn't do magic, and only made gloves?"
She came straight to the point.
According to my experience of the past 30 years.
The smile she was wearing now was quite close to a sneer.
If you unpack the meaning, it's like this.
'I told you that you had talent for magic, and you only made gloves for a week?'
Ruby beside her crossed her arms and looked at me with a confident expression.
"You said to show me something interesting... that is what you said."
I opened my mouth.
"Even if it isn't magic, there could be a way to surprise you."
And I took the gloves from my arms.
On black leather, a gray Sun Engraving was inscribed.
My gloves.
During the past week.
I hadn't only made gloves.
Because I had also investigated Dolores in between.
And there was one thing I learned. Nowhere.
Not in the Wiki, not anywhere in the community.
There was no record that Dolores suffered from the illness called Nine Yin Severed Meridians.
That means no one knows. If so, there's no use in beating around the bush. I have to push the evidence forward.
"I intended to make equipment that would alleviate your Nine Yin Severed Meridians."
"......!"
Her eyes widened. The air in the room froze.
Ruby tilted her head. Her pupils sank slightly.
I slowly continued speaking, but.
"Slowly, but probably gradually..."
"Just because you have a mouth doesn't mean you may say everything."
Dolores slowly stood up.
"There are stories that must not be told."
Rustle.
I heard a familiar sound behind me.
It was a scorpion tail.
"Where did you hear it?"
When I turned my head, Ruby was already asleep with her head buried in the bed.
Did she put her to sleep? Scary, magic.
Is this a dangerous situation?
Probably, if it were just a situation of a loose mouth, it would be.
"I have fairly good eyes."
"......"
The scorpion tail that had been approaching me stopped.
As expected, Dolores...
She seemed able to distinguish lies from truth.
That means what she said on the day we first met, not to lie, wasn't just a simple warning.
If I am speaking only the truth, and she knows it.
"You may kill me, but."
Actually, I'd rather not, but I lifted the gloves.
"I made them with quite a bit of effort."
And.
Swish.
I flipped the gloves over and showed the underside.
When I moved my raised hand away.
The pattern that had been hidden by my hand was revealed.
A gray Sun Engraving.
Dolores's eyes. Shook for the first time.
Another thing I had investigated.
'Equipment of a Descendant of Fire, even among Sun Dwarves.'
Since it was known as a legend in this world, there was no one who didn't know it.
And no one who didn't want it.
And almost no one left who could make it.
"Would you like to try them on?"
That engraving was inscribed on gloves made by a little kid from the orphanage.
"......This is."
Dolores's gaze rose from the engraving to my eyes.
The scorpion tail slowly lowered and crossed.
I smiled without a word.
"......"
She silently took the gloves.
And.
"For reference, it's genuine."
Even though I'm an apprentice Blacksmith.
I added with a smile.
Dolores looked at me for a moment.
Rustle.
Keeping her gaze fixed on me, she took off Gorgonue's White Gloves.
I naturally bowed my head and received the gloves.
Sun Dwarves were on that level.
Even if it was equipment offered by some little kid, it was worth being fooled once.
Her hands were white.
So white they were almost pale.
Dolores picked up my gloves.
And... slowly put them on.
The reaction was immediate.
"......!"
Dolores's eyes widened.
The moment the black leather touched her hands, the gray Sun Engraving glittered.
And.
Rustle...
Water flowed down from between the gloves.
About a few drops.
As if ice was melting and water was flowing.
Dolores looked down at her own hands.
"......"
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
I couldn't know, but.
She must know. No, she must be feeling it.
[Apprentice Blacksmith's Warm Gloves][★☆☆☆☆]
[Unique Equipment] [Compatibility][33/40]
[The Sun Engraving's warmth retention effect suppresses the wearer's Yin Energy amplification.]
[Severed Meridians symptoms alleviated, opening progress of 7 of 9 meridians]
Because her own physical sensation would be stronger than a hundred words of text.
"...It's warm."
Dolores said. Her voice was small.
With her head bowed.
"It's warm."
She said it once more.