Chapter 51: A Blacksmith’s Raison d’être

Chapter 51: A Blacksmith’s Raison d’être

While holding a picture of the sasara grass[1] in one hand, the two started searching for it and eventually found it a short walk away from the lake.

Checking whether the system marked the quest as completed allowed them to track how much more grass they needed to gather.

As the sasara grass was growing in abundance, the two finished their task without much problems.

Alright, system says were good to go. Do you wanna look at the lake while we fly again? Tatsurou asked.

I want to see it from the ground this time though, Ai replied.

Alright.

With their hands linked together, the pair walked back to the lakeside. There, with their arms intertwined, they spent a few more moments taking in the captivating beauty of the lake before heading back to the skies.

I still cant get used to the feeling of taking off, Ai said.

But climbing any slower than this would take up too much mana. That speed was the most mana efficient.

Ai wanted their ascent to be much slower, similar to that of being pulled by a UFOs tractor beam but life is never easy.[2]

However, upon hearing the word mana, a question popped out in her head.

Then how about flying itself? Doesnt it use mana too?

If I went flying alone, Id say Ill only have a few minutes at best, Tatsurou answered while hugging her tight.

Then, it hit her.

So that s why we could fly longer even though theres the two of us.

I see. We dont have any problems with flight because we have [Perfect Harmony] huh

Yep, he answered, but even with that bonus regen, my mana is still getting drained bit by bit so its not like we could fly forever.

Oh Is that so now she mumbled, burying herself deeper in his embrace.

Controlling his Wind Magic, Tatsurou started circling around the lake. Satisfied after three laps, he finally left the area and headed back to town.

Touchdown! Ai exclaimed once they made contact with the ground.

Tatsurou, however, let out a sigh after landing. Tired due to the prolonged flight, he took this moment to catch a breather.

While making sure to not let go of Ai to maintain the titles regeneration effect, Tatsurou stored the fly board into his item box.

You okay now? asked Ai.

Yep. Ive recovered most of my mana now thanks to you, replied Tatsurou.

I see, I see she muttered while happily dragging Tatsurou by the arm as they walked back to town.

Tatsurou, who was busy focusing his attention on the soft texture hitting his arm, did not resist and followed her lead until they reached their destination.

We should deliver these things to the adventurers guild first, Tatsurou said.

Uh-huh.

Without further ado, the pair entered the guild building and turned their quest in with the clerk, who handed over the quest rewards without any complications.

Seeing that Rella wasnt around, the two promptly exited the premise, not having anyone else to chat with.[3]

Its hard to tell because its dark all day but it should be about time for the sun to set now, said Tatsurou. Wanna grab a meal before we go back to the inn?

Shall we?

Walking towards the plaza, they eyed each and every stall before entering one which looked promising.

Once they entered the shop, their stomachs growled simultaneously as they inhaled the waft of food being prepared.

Welcome! What will you be having? the shopkeeper asked.

Chefs choice! [Omakase]

Tatsurou thought back to the time when he made the iron fly board.

Using magic, he was able to finish the product quickly and even made it lighter than the conventional iron.

If he really wanted to mass-produce it, he would have no problems doing so. However, the fact that no one is doing it means that it doesnt work at all.

As his thought process continued, a question popped up in his mind.

Then do magic wands have to be made by a blacksmith too? he asked.

To which Ai replied, I dont really know. Do they, Mr. Blacksmith?

Something like that. But well, there shouldnt be any problem if you made it with your own magic from start to finish. Still, if you were to compare it to something made by a professional, you can easily see the difference.

Blacksmiths are that amazing huh? Tatsurou muttered.

Well, thats what you get in a world full of magic. Theres all kinds of jobs out there, kid.

Getting a grasp on what kind of a existence blacksmiths are in this world, the two finally understood how important it was to leave the job to the professionals.

So yeah At any rate, whether you use mana or ki, equipment made by smiths are your best bet. Thats why kids, Im telling you, the best smiths are those who can make items that can handle an insane amount of energy!

You dont look the part, though, Ai stabbed, with words sharper than any knife.

Ack.

As everyone was done with their meal, they paid their dues and took the conversation outside.

About that better-than-iron weapon you were talking about earlier, I have some at my house. You gonna buy one? the smith asked.

We want to, yes.

Ill get them ready then. Will you be coming over tomorrow?

Yep. We got nothing to do tomorrow so if youll have us then Tatsurou replied first.

Were going!

Good to know.

Ending their conversation there, they went their separate ways, with the pair heading back to the inn where they stayed at.

Its been another peaceful day for us, isnt it? Ai muttered.

It has. There were those weird monsters but no, lets forget about those guys.

Not wanting to talk about those tentacled monsters, Tatsurou shoved them away to the deepest parts of his memory.

A few moments later, he muttered a name under his breath.

Cardina.

As soon as he called, a grain of mana separated itself from his body and took the form of a birdling.

Over here, Cardina-chan! Ai called to which it responded by chirping and hopping over to her hands. Good boy![4]

Leaving the two of them to play, Tatsurou took out his light-darkness mixing book and searched for a way to make Cardina grow.

While the fact that it came into existence was already a feat to celebrate, it was still, in the end, a chick and bringing it into battle would only serve as a hindrance instead. At the very least, he wanted to give it the power to soar the skies with its own wings.

(There!)

Locating the information he needed with ease, he immediately started hammering each and every word of it into his head.

TL Notes:

[1] has a corresponding kokuji in jisho meaning bamboo whisk, but the author specifically wrote so I think it is another type of plant that is similar to, but not exactly bamboo, as putting that phrase in a dictionary or an MTL yields no useful results.

[2] This is what I got from a 30-minute search. [Full explanation here]

[3] Translated by the previous translator as Leela. This name is much closer to the correct pronunciation.

[4] Gender wasnt specified, but I felt like it would be weird to translate it as good birdie!