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 46

The introduction by the guard was helpful, and it seems we can manage the material processing for the magic bag.

Next up is the processing of the equipment.

“I actually have a craftsman in mind. Rather, there’s a blacksmith shop called Adamant that we’ve been entrusting our work to.”

“That’s perfect then.”

“Yes, well, it might be faster to have him take a look…”

Although the response was somewhat hesitant, we decided to head to the Adamant shop nonetheless.

“…What’s this smell?”

Led by the guard, I visited the workshop of Adamant, only to be greeted by the strong odor of alcohol that filled the air.

“Hic, wee—what’s up, Mr. Guard? Hehe, is it another additional order?”

Before me stood a man with dull-colored hair and a rugged face. He was in work clothes, but instead of holding a hammer, he was clutching a bottle of liquor, staggering on his feet.

“Meik… have you been drinking again?”

“Hic, hehe, of course I have. If there’s booze, I drink, hic.”

“Hey, is this guy really a skilled blacksmith?”

“…I’m embarrassed to say. Indeed, he used to be skilled, but now he’s completely soaked in alcohol…”

What a disaster. A man like this couldn’t possibly forge iron properly.

“Hic, hehe, what’s that supposed to mean? Blacksmithing skills? Hahaha! Is that supposed to be a joke? These cast items, anyone could make them uniformly the same. But don’t worry, even if I’m drunk, I can still handle such simple tasks and produce the required amount perfectly.”

He continued to gulp down the liquor. This man seemed utterly reckless.

However, I glanced at the furnace; it was a very old model. Firebricks, a long chimney, and even a bellows. I could make something more efficient, but even outdated equipment like this could be managed with skill.

But—oh dear, the furnace was clogged with soot and severely damaged. It seemed maintenance was utterly neglected. It was just plain shoddy work.

On the floor, several swords were carelessly placed along with some armor. I picked up one of the swords to inspect.

“This is truly awful.”

I didn’t have the skill to process it myself, but having seen the masterpieces created by the legendary craftsman Benz, I could at least judge the quality of items.

But this was beyond being simply unsophisticated. Cast products tend to perform worse than forged ones but are suited for mass production.

Still, to be this sloppy…

“How terrible is this, right?”

“Ha, quite a statement for someone who introduced us.”

“…I hesitated initially because of this. But honestly, I also share the blame for Meik becoming like this. I was swayed by Doyle’s smooth talk and ended up accepting such jobs… Moreover, Doyle insists that these be sold as forged items. He demands that I make them look good on the outside, even if they’re poor inside.”

“I see, so there are various types of cover-ups available.”

Currently, the equipment being made here is cast, so its standards are fixed. However, to avoid looking cheap, they prepare various easy-to-attach cast items to change appearances. But no matter how much you disguise them, they’re useless in actual combat. Such weapons and armor would crack or break with even a minor attack from a monster.

“As a job, it’s hardly praiseworthy.”

“Hmph! Hic, it doesn’t matter. They’ve pushed the unit price to the limit anyway!”

I see. Already displeased with being forced to make inferior cast products, and financially strained, he has lost all motivation.

“So, how many orders do we have today? Ah, I’ve already finished the last batch. They keep ordering stupid amounts, but hey, thanks to that, I can barely make a living. A toast to being kept on a leash!”

Drinking vigorously, he spread his arms, completely resigned.

“…About that, I’m sorry, but there won’t be any more casting jobs. Actually, I’ve had a falling out with Doyle Commerce and stopped doing business with them.”

“What?”

While Meik continued to laugh and drink, his hand suddenly stopped.

“Damn you! What about the weapons and armor that were scheduled for delivery this time? I’ve already made them!”

“I’ll take responsibility and pay for those.”

“What about after that? I’ve put up with unreasonable demands because, even though it was cheap, there were always bulk orders! It was just enough to get by! But even so, this business has been just barely surviving!”

The term “flight operation” is a metaphor to describe a situation where, as long as a dragon’s wings are flapping, it doesn’t fall, but once it stops, it plummets without question.

In other words, if work stops now, this shop won’t survive.

“It’s not like there’s no work at all. Mr. Edson here might give you work from now on, but…”

The guard glanced at me, and I sighed heavily.

“Is that so? Hic, then you’ll order the same stuff from now on? Heh, I have the molds. Just give me the orders…”

“Don’t be foolish. I have no intention of ordering such inferior goods. You must be joking.”

“What? What did you say?”

“What, are you too drunk to understand? I’m saying I’m not foolish enough to pay for such junk.”

“Don’t mess with me! I’ve been forced to buy a lot of these molds! I haven’t even recouped the costs, and you call it junk!”

“Stop it, Meik!”

“What do I care? You accepted those orders without objection, didn’t you? Then it’s your responsibility.”

Meik grabbed my shirt and started shouting, clearly lost to his intoxication. What a deplorable man.

“Stop it, Dad!”

A young boy shouted from the entrance of the forge. His face was more composed compared to the man. His hair was the same dull color as Meik’s.

“Kurie-kun…”

“What, Kurie? Did you bring the alcohol?”

Meik released my shirt and now turned to shout at Kurie. However, Kurie ignored him and came over to us.

“I’m really sorry for my father’s foolish words.”

“It’s nothing, just noise. By the way…”

“Ah, he’s Meik’s son.”

When I questioned with my eyes, the guard answered. I see, he does have a resemblance…

“Hey! The alcohol!”

“Here!”

“Watch it! What would you do if you dropped and broke it? Be careful!”

Kurie threw a bottle of liquor, which Meik caught while complaining and began drinking again. His son frowned.

“I’m really sorry. He was respected for his skills back in the day, and I admired him…”

“Hmm, admiration… Actually, I’ve been wondering about something.”

“Is this sword perhaps yours?”

I picked up a sword that was hung on the wall, well-maintained and not tossed on the floor like the others.

“Yes, I tried making that sword…”

“Hmm.”

I drew it from its sheath and examined it closely.

“Humph, hic, as if my son could make a decent sword. It’s just junk, hic, junk.”

Meik said dismissively while kissing the bottle.

“What do you think?”

“The craftsmanship isn’t praiseworthy.”

“See? Hic.”

“Is that so…”

“But―”

Kurie’s shoulders dropped as Meik smirked. However, I added,

“Kurie’s skills might be raw, but this sword holds a strong will to create something even slightly better. That’s something not found in the heaps of junk here.”

“What did you say!”

Meik’s face, already red from drinking, turned even redder as he confronted me.

“You say my forged swords are inferior to this toy that can barely swing a hammer?”

“Yes, they are inferior. Let me tell you, if I were to commission work, I’d never ask you, not in your current foolish state, not realizing how much your skills have deteriorated. But I might trust your son Kurie. He has potential. If taught by a more competent blacksmith, he could transform.”

“Ho, ho? You’ve said it now. Then prove it! But if my son turns out worse than me after all your talk, then you’ll take care of all our past dealings at ten times the price for the rest of your life!”