I Regressed to My Ruined Family – 35

 #I returned, and my family was ruined (36)

Unable to hide his disappointment, Poporen finally nodded.

“I understand. If we use this metal to make a broadsword, it will take about four days.”

“Four days?”

Ethan couldn’t hide his surprise at the dwarf’s words.

Dwarves were renowned for their craftsmanship, and these blacksmiths were no exception.

When crafting an item, they would scrap it entirely if it didn’t meet their standards, no matter how small the flaw.

Considering their meticulous approach, four days seemed far too short.

“I was expecting at least a month.”

The time had been reduced by more than seven times.

“Are you trying to make it hastily?”

“What do you mean hastily? How could that be? That would ruin our business. Oh, are you saying that because the production period is too short?”

“Yes.”

“Haha. In the past, it used to take at least a month to make a single sword, and sometimes even a lifetime… But things have changed a lot these days.”

“Changed?”

“Why, people are the same, aren’t they? Some people are good at cooking, some are good at sewing, and so on. We dwarves are no different. Ahem.”

Poporen, who had been sipping the cool beer on the table, continued.

“Some dwarves are good at making sword blades, while others are good at balancing the weight. Each has their own specialty. That’s why division of labor has become common.”

“Division of labor?”

“Yes. Even when making a single sword, it takes about five skilled dwarves working together. Each focuses on their area of expertise, so the quality improves and the time required for production is significantly reduced.”

“……”

It wasn’t a story that was hard to understand.

‘Things have really changed a lot from my previous life.’

The dwarves of the past were different.

One of their underlying beliefs was that working with others to make something meant that you weren’t skilled enough.

Dwarves were a race of craftsmen who were only satisfied when they made something on their own, no matter how good or bad it turned out.

Division of labor?

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If Muradni, the former chief of the dwarves, had heard this, he would have smashed that dwarf’s tiny head with a hammer.

And very hard at that.

“As long as the quality is guaranteed, it doesn’t matter.”

No matter what the process is, as long as the result is good.

It didn’t matter if one dwarf or ten dwarves worked on a single sword.

“Then do so. However, I would like to participate in the production process myself. Is that possible?”

“What? Why would someone of your stature want to participate in the production process…?”

“In order to make the sword familiar with my mana, I think I need to use my mana directly during the production process.”

“Ah!”

Poporen clapped his hands together.

Come to think of it.

He remembered hearing that the Ardan family handled fire mana.

That made sense. The reason why the Grand Duke wanted to replace the great sword on his back was probably because the blade couldn’t withstand the heat.

In fact, the great sword he was carrying was slightly scorched in places.

“Is your mana attribute fire-based?”

“Yes.”

“Hehe, then you’re welcome!”

Poporen rubbed his palms together. All the materials needed to produce powerful firepower cost money.

In such a situation, how could he not be happy that a human furnace had appeared?

‘Just raise the temperature a little.

I’ll be able to save a lot on materials.

“I’m thinking of starting production now. Would you like to join me?”

“Sure.”

“Yes. Everyone!”

As Popolence shouted energetically, the dwarf apprentices rushed over. “Business is done for today. Tell them the next order will be in three days.”

“Yes, sir.”

The apprentices ran off.

Popolence led Ethan toward the workshop. Four dwarves were already waiting there.

“It’s a broadsword. Everyone, warm up and get ready.”

“Yes, sir.”

The dwarves busily finished their preparations. Meanwhile, Poporen took out a black suit and handed it to Ethan.

“This is protective clothing.”

“Protective clothing?”

“Yes. We need to use a magical melting agent to melt the metal, and that process generates intense heat.”

“We don’t need to wear that.”

“What? If you don’t, you could get burned all over your body and end up roasted.”

When mana was blown into the magic melting agent, it began to evaporate, causing the temperature to rise rapidly.

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In order to melt that black metal, they needed to use at least a high-grade melting agent.

The temperature of a high-grade or higher melting agent is at least several thousand degrees.

Without protective clothing, the heat flowing out could completely cook the body.

However, Ethan just shook his head. His body had been blessed by the Lord of Fire.

With this body, the heat posed no threat to him. After repeatedly urging him several times, Popolens finally gave up and sighed.

“Even if you get burned, it will not be our responsibility!”

“Yes. I promise on Ardan’s name.”

“Understood.”

Soon, Popolence also put on a protective suit.

It was a tight-fitting suit made of a stretchy material that clung to his arms, chest muscles, and waistline.

The moment Popolence turned around after putting on the protective suit,

Ethan was glad he hadn’t worn one.

The front of the tight suit was quite gruesome.

It would have been better to be a little hot.

“Let’s begin!”

Poporen opened the lid of the melting agent. A pungent and musty smell began to fill the air.

The magical melting agent was sprinkled onto the sword-shaped mold.

“Now.”

The fire mana flowing from Ethan’s hands began to activate the melting agent.

Bubbling…

In an instant, the temperature of the melting agent rose.

“Hot!”

The dwarves were startled by the heat. The temperature of the high-grade melting agent is only slightly warm when wearing protective suits.

But now.

It wasn’t just warm, it felt like being hit by really hot steam.

“What is this? It feels like the temperature has risen to at least 700 degrees…”

Even with protective suits on, the intense heat made them frown.

Popolence hurriedly looked at the prince. At this temperature, he couldn’t help but wonder if the Grand Prince could survive with his bare body.

At that moment.

The dwarf’s face went blank.

“…Huh?”

Even in this insane temperature, there wasn’t a single drop of sweat on the Grand Prince’s face as he injected mana.

“What kind of human is that…?”

To survive naked in such heat, one would need not only the ability to control fire mana, but also a level of affinity with fire that would make them one with it.

Or else, they would need to be a monster with mastery or superhuman abilities.

Whichever category the Grand Duke fell into,

“He really is a monster,”

It was impossible not to think that.

“Oh no! I have to put in the metal.”

Poporen put the black metal into the mold. The intense heat slowly melted the metal.

The black metal stuck to the mold gradually hardened into the shape of a broadsword.

“Your Highness.”

“What is it?”

“Now we need to take the sword out of the mold and start forging it. Can we use the Grand Duke’s mana a little more during that process?”

Forging is the process of removing air bubbles from the metal by striking it hundreds of times with a hammer, starting with the blade and working down to the handle.

If heat could be supplied steadily during this process, it would be possible to produce a much higher quality item.

“Go ahead.”

Ethan nodded readily.

It was a necessary process to familiarize himself with the great sword’s mana.

And so, the five dwarves and the knight of fire began crafting the sword.

* *

The inner castle of the Count of Karagas.

Silvia, who was working in her assigned office, received a letter. It was from the Grand Duke. She opened the letter and read its contents.

“The baron concealed information.”

The letter contained information that the baron had been hiding, along with instructions to find out as much as possible about who was behind this.

“Who should I investigate?”

The baron, who knew the information, was already dead.

Soon, a figure flashed through her mind.

“The steward.”

He was one of the baron’s closest aides and was still imprisoned in the dungeon.

As soon as she stepped out of the office, three knights, including the knight commander Menhattan, volunteered to escort her.

Together with them, she headed for the underground dungeon.

“I think I should go alone from here.”

“Understood, Lord Lawrence. We will wait nearby.”

She opened the door to the dungeon.

“Ugh…”

The butler, who had not seen light in a long time, squinted and gasped when he saw Lawrence.

“Hee-hee!”

Regardless,

Sylvia indifferently asked questions about the information she needed to gather.

“You know about the letter sent from the village of Peltorn, right?”

“The village of Peltorn…

The butler nodded frantically as he tried to remember.

“Yes! I remember!”

“Why did the baron cover up this incident?”

“That… I don’t know exactly! There’s only one thing I know for sure!”

“Tell me.”

“When I was in the study with the baron… a man in a black robe would visit from time to time.”

“You don’t know who it was?”

“…Yes. I don’t know. He would suddenly appear in front of the study without making a sound. Every time that happened, the baron would send me out of the room.”

“If that’s all you know, you’re not going to survive.”

Just as Silvia spoke coldly,

The butler desperately searched his memory.

“Please! Please!”

The figure dressed in a black robe.

He had to remember something about this person.

Soon, he brightened up.

“Ah! There’s more… There’s more!”

“What?”

“That person is likely a wizard!”

“A wizard?”

“Yes. I heard the baron mutter it! He asked how many magicians they had there…”

“And?”

“And… And! When the records were erased, the baron said something! He said that if we wanted to live, we had to forget everything. It sounded like… a secret order from a higher authority.”

The butler rolled his eyes.

I really couldn’t remember anything else. Silvia nodded as she looked into his eyes and left the dungeon.

“Not an individual, but a group.”

If what the butler said was true, the magicians belonging to that group were likely to be quite skilled.

A group with that many magicians.

This was the place suspected to be behind this incident. Although he had recently established an information organization, it was not yet on par with a formally established information guild in terms of information gathering.

“I should utilize the information guild.”

Even a guild would not know about the existence of such a secret organization. Therefore, he had to make a separate request.

The scope was the entire duchy in the west. The request was to narrow down the scope of what kind of wizard with the skills mentioned by the butler might be.

Lawrence began to move toward the information guild located in the city.

* *

While Lawrence was busily gathering information,

“It’s done!”

The dwarves who had worked through the night cheered.

Even they could see that the great sword they had made was superb.

“Try it out!”

Poporen said confidently.

Ethan immediately grabbed the great sword.

The great sword was completely black, from the blade to the hilt.

It was much lighter than a sword made of steel, and its mana conductivity was much higher than before.

“It should be usable for about a year without any problems.”

He nodded with satisfaction.

“You worked hard.”

“No, it’s nothing! Hehe. Um…”

“Do you have anything to say?”

“When you use the sword in the future, if you could hold the handle a little higher so that the mark is clearly visible…! It would be the greatest honor of my life as a craftsman!”

“…I’ll try my best.”

“Ah…”

Effort alone won’t do!

However, despite his true feelings, Poporen’s mouth could only form a tight line.

He had witnessed Ethan’s skill firsthand over the past four days.

He prayed fervently that the prince would hold the sword’s hilt just a little higher than he currently was.

Poporen prayed fervently.