Chapter 100.1 - The Second Year at the Academy - [Create Magical Tool]
One early morning, my home was particularly noisy, more than usual.
Unfamiliar men kept coming and going incessantly, making it quite unsettling.
After preparing breakfast, I carried it upstairs without delay.
As I investigated the state of alchemical solutions-soaked magic stones and materials and practiced operative magic to pass the time, a deep voice from the backyard called out to me.
"Hey, lad, it's your turn!"
Stretching lightly, I went out to find an elderly man standing there like a guardian deity.
His name was Dobar, the owner of the Masette Stoneworks.
"I just need to activate it right next to it, correct?"
"Yeah, and don't forget to fuse it with the stakes."
Using the piled-up soil in the backyard as a catalyst, I activated [Earth Wall].
In the excavated hole, numerous stakes and crushed stones were poured in.
I constructed a stone wall on top, fusing it with the stakes.
Once the activation was complete, men gathered around with tools in hand.
They carved patterns on the stone wall and started drilling small holes, seemingly for drainage.
"However, lad, your magic is extraordinary."
Dobar, while closely watching his disciples work, commented in amazement.
"Is that so? I've never compared it, so I don't really know."
"Even Miss Helena doesn't have this level of hardness. You can be proud."
Praised, I expressed my gratitude sincerely.
This man named Dobar was one of the notes given for the repair task.
The request was to recycle waste materials in exchange for repairing the academy and various odd jobs. The academy director had lamented the lack of funds before, and now the consequences were falling on me.
Not that I minded. It was a good training opportunity, and there was much to learn.
In fact, I had been solely focused on the use of stone walls, completely overlooking the recycling of waste materials.
Additional crushed stones and soil were poured in, and the men fervently began pounding with logs and mallets.
Listening to those sounds of impact, I asked Dobar.
"When will it be completed?"
"At the latest, in half a month."
"Understood. If you need materials or rewards, just let me know. I'll prepare them right away."
"Yeah."
Dobar responded with a hearty voice.
Initially, I had been exploring the possibility of constructing it myself.
However, the forge was too specialized, and I had no idea if [Earth Wall] could really be used for construction.
That's when I remembered Dobar, whom I had met during the repair task.
When I promptly visited to ask questions, he bluntly rejected the idea, saying it was impossible.
Stone walls were strong against pressure, but being board-like, they were weak against expansion. There was a risk of cracking under the high temperature in the forge. He advised building the furnace with fire-resistant bricks and using cut stone walls like bricks. This way, it could withstand high temperatures and be easily repaired if it cracked.
However, that made it an artisan's job.
My Dexterity was quite high at 17, but my experience and skill were empty; collapse was imminent.
Yet, hiring someone would cost how much? If only I had the money, I would have bought magic stones.
In my dilemma, Dobar made a suggestion.
"Wanna settle with stone walls?"
It was a grateful offer, but I couldn't jump on it.
Physical payment is troublesome in many ways. Even if I received stone walls, if there was no demand, I couldn't convert them into cash. Meanwhile, I had to store them as inventory.
When I explained this, Dobar chuckled.
According to him, the stone walls I had genuinely created were comparable to high-quality stones used by the Alpha faction in buildings such as the Selened Castle outer walls. So, even if there was no immediate demand, it was worth keeping as inventory, he asserted.
I decided to take advantage of his generosity and commissioned the construction of the forge and workshop to Masette Stoneworks.
By the way, if the stone was so excellent, exporting it could be quite lucrative.
I could cover the construction costs and buy as many magic stones as I wanted.
In return, I got the bonus of antagonizing a noble with a quarry.
Things in this world don't always go smoothly.
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