That Time a Shut-in for 300 Years Continued to Make Antiques , but All of It Turned out to Be Cheat-Level Magic Tools - Chapter 2

“What!? You, going outside? Are you for real?”

“Of course! I can’t keep being ignorant of the world forever, after all.”

“Hmm, just when I thought you’d shown your face for the first time in 300 years, you really are always full of surprises.”

As I speak, the muscular arm that was wielding a hammer stops. As always, his body is rugged like the rocky surface of this cave.

However, there is a significant difference between him and a normal dwarf, which is evident from the way he just stood up. His height would make my neck hurt if I kept looking up at him for too long.

Yes, normal dwarfs are stout but short. But Benz is different. Apart from his beard stroked in a “good grief” manner and a forehead that forms an ‘M’ shape, his hair color also differs from typical dwarfs.

Normally, dwarfs have brown hair and beards when young, which turn grey as they age. But Benz’s color is a light amber, and it never changes throughout his life.

This is a characteristic of an Overdwarf. Just like I am a High Elf, he is considered a rare kind among dwarfs.

Thus, his height and hair color differ from ordinary dwarfs. Not to mention, his eye color is also amber.

Most importantly, while the average lifespan of a regular dwarf is around 120 years, an Overdwarf like him lives for about 800 years.

He might not live as long as High Elves, but it’s still considered a significantly long lifespan for his kind. That’s probably why he still looks so lively even after 300 years.

“Really, you and that magic self-propelled vehicle, what was it? You used to show your face frequently when making parts for it, but then you suddenly stopped showing up.”

“Sorry about that, but to me, it felt just like staying up for three days straight.”

“…Really, what kind of nerves do you have?”

Benz shrugs his shoulders, but it’s true, so it can’t be helped.

“Still, you continued to work during that time, right? Buu and Butan were using the instant teleportation door, Telepod, to come here.”

“Yes, thanks to that, I ended up knowing more about the Warmal tribe than about you.”

He squints his eyes as he says this. Indeed, it’s the fourth generation from Buu to Butan.

But whether it’s Buu or Butan, they’re quite meticulous. I had unconsciously designed and ordered parts which they ended up ordering on my behalf from Benz, and they meticulously kept records of it.

Well, thanks to them, I was able to grasp what I had done over the past 300 years.

“But still, I might not have been here, but I can tell by looking at what I created. Benz always does good work.”

“Flattery won’t get you anything.”

Benz answers bluntly, but his cheeks twitch slightly. That’s a sign he’s pleased.

However, my evaluation is genuine. This Benz, as an Overdwarf, is not just any long-lived dwarf.

As a craftsman, probably no one in this world can match him. That’s the level of skill he possesses.

He’s the only dwarf in the world who can create orichalcum on his own. Well, I figured out the properties of orichalcum through my research, but there’s a world of difference between something being theoretically possible and actually doing it.

I am confident in creating magical tools, but when it comes to iron or metal, that’s out of my expertise. That’s why I have to rely on him.

Even the metals used in magical tools must be made by his Hyral, or the magical energy doesn’t adhere well.

By the way, Hyral is an alloy of magic silver and iron. Magic silver is essentially silver combined with Myf particles, and high-purity silver ore must be present, and it must be a place rich in Myf particles to occur.

Therefore, it’s considered a precious resource, but the mountain where Benz lives is perfect for mining magic silver, as there are several mines that can excavate it.

Moreover, this rare terrain also has quality iron mines.

Typically, iron doesn’t bond with Myf particles, and high-purity silver is not usually found near mountains where iron is mined.

So, for a dwarf, this is like a dream mountain range.

That’s why it’s also possible to create numerous alloys here.

For instance, Hyral, essential for crafting magical tools, is an alloy of magic silver and iron, predominantly composed of magic silver.

It also incorporates iron, enhancing its strength, and boasts high compatibility with magical formulas due to the excellent adhesion of magical power. Even complex magical formulas can be engraved using Hyral.

Furthermore, due to the high proportion of magic silver, it exhibits superior workability and can withstand intricate shapes. It’s indeed remarkable; even modifications after completion are facilitated.

Conversely, an alloy with a higher iron content is called Damascus, yielding a robust metal. However, the lower proportion of magic silver reduces the adhesion of magical power, allowing only simple magical formulas to be engraved, which is a disadvantage.

Other alloys include Adamantite, which adds adamant to iron and magic silver, and the legendary metal Orichalcum, but both are unsuitable for mass production and challenging to rework.

Especially, items made from Orichalcum turn out to be unique. While it may be appropriate for producing items like swords where the design is somewhat fixed, it is absolutely unsuitable for someone like me who crafts various magical tools.

“Ah, a customer?”

At that moment, a young girl entered Benz’s workshop. She was a petite, lovely girl with fiery red hair and gem-like garnet eyes.

Though she closely resembles a human girl, her hair and eyes are distinctive traits of dwarf women.

So, she is a dwarf.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Edson.”

“Eh!? You’re Edson-san? I’ve heard about you, but you look like a child…”

Well, it’s somewhat refreshing to be told that directly, yet it may be a bit shocking.

“Ha ha, what a cute girl, aren’t you? Are you an acquaintance of Benz?”

Ignoring the previous remark, I asked Benz. Then he grinned and laughed.

“Not just an acquaintance, she’s my kin. Specifically, my daughter.”

“Eeeeeeeeeh!?”

I couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. After all, as far as I knew, he had been single until 300 years ago. When did he have a daughter?!

“Ha ha, surprised, aren’t you? I got married about 40 years ago. Her name is Rolls, and she is, let’s see, 15 this year?”

“I’m 16, remember your own daughter’s age, won’t you?”

She crossed her arms and glared at her father. No, but still, I was surprised. That Benz, of all people…

“But it’s true what Dad said. Really, elves and dwarfs getting along is just weird.”

“Ah, I had to form a party with this guy at one point.”

“‘Had to’ is unnecessary.”

Such a rude man. But true, when we first met, he was quite standoffish. When he found out I was a High Elf, he clearly made a displeased face.

“But this guy is a weird Elf. He doesn’t avoid iron, and he became oddly attached to me, asking about blacksmithing. Somehow, we ended up getting along.”

“Heh, it does seem unusual for an elf. Elves who hate iron call it a filthy material and don’t even understand the act of blacksmithing.”

That’s quite an exaggeration! Attached, no, though I approached him thinking that befriending a skilled dwarf blacksmith would help with making magical tools, I was the one who was rather reserved around the always-grumpy Benz!

Well, but indeed, elves and dwarfs used to not get along. The reason was largely because elves had an extreme naturalist mindset.

And the iron hatred was a big part of it, honestly, I think it’s a ridiculous story from my perspective. But both of them are saying strange things. After all, it’s been 300 years since then.

“No, no, surely by now, no one believes the superstition that iron is a filthy material anymore, even among elves.”

Indeed, elves had long denied the existence of iron. One common reason was the belief that iron only leads to conflict, but that’s not really the case.

The primary reason elves despised iron was because they believed it tainted them with impurity—this was their main aversion to iron.

However, further investigation reveals that the ancient elf sages, revered for their wisdom, actually suffered from severe iron allergies.

An allergy is an excessive physical reaction to a substance, and it seems that in those times, elves would develop severe inflammations and blisters upon contact with iron.

Consequently, elves deemed iron a filthy substance. However, allergies vary significantly between individuals, so not all elves would necessarily react to iron just because one did.

Yet, since the revered elf sages began propagating this belief, it eventually became widespread among elves.

But I have debunked this myth and have presented my research findings to the elves in a scholarly paper, making it unlikely that elves still mistakenly regard iron as impure.

“…Phew, you really are naive. Are you sure it’s okay for you to go down to the outer world?”

“Ha, I’m not the one to be told that by Benz.”

Compared to elves, dwarves think more flexibly, and it’s not rare for a dwarf to work as a blacksmith in human cities. However, Benz has always preferred to stay secluded in the mountains, working with iron.

In terms of naivety about the world, he’s probably not much different from me.

“But Edson-kun is venturing out into the outer world, huh? That sounds nice—maybe I should tag along.”

Hm? When did I start being called ‘kun’? Well, that’s fine. Anyway, I look like this.

“You can’t go. It’s still too early.”

“Eh~ But Dad, you’ve praised my craftsmanship before.”

Rolls pouts, but she is skilled at crafting. Indeed, while dwarf women may not have the physical strength of dwarf men, they excel in dexterity and are particularly adept at fine craftsmanship.

So, when it comes to making jeweled magical tools, it’s better to rely on girls like Rolls than dwarf men.

Still, her wanting to go outside at her age might be inevitable.

“Whether you go with me or not, it wouldn’t hurt to go out a bit, right? I think it would be good for you to broaden your horizons. They say, ‘Send the pretty child on a journey.'”

“…Still, no. It’s too early!”

He’s really stubborn. Well, this is now a parental issue. It’s not my place to interfere further.

“Anyway, it was good to see you before I set off. So, I guess I’ll be going now.”

“Yeah, well, with this door here, I can meet you anytime anyway.”

Yeah, that kind of makes everything pointless, doesn’t it?

“Take care, then. You seem to be lacking common sense in many ways.”

“What? Me? Ha, you must be joking.”

I got a sigh in response, but really, how rude. Well, I do understand that missing out for 300 years is a big gap, but I’m quite sociable, you know.

So, with that, I return to my room through the door installed in Benz’s workshop.

It’s a handy magical tool I myself created a long time ago.

Nowadays, there must be even more incredible magical tools being developed. I truly can’t wait to see what’s out there now.