Ch.43Another Companion

After leaving Seti’s broken spear with Mina, we set up our tent at the outdoor camping area of the Black Forge Mine. We enjoyed a lavish dinner of smoked meat, whiskey, and buttered corn that Oppenbartel had brought us.

When I expressed concern about enjoying a party without Mina who was working hard in the workshop, Oppenbartel dismissed it, saying, “That kid’s mind is completely occupied with tinkering with artifacts, so not bothering her is actually helping her.” After a few drinks, he began sharing memories about the artifact he had given to Mina.

The artifact used as material for the spear blade was called “Mighty Strong Man Hurrah,” a 100-liter oak barrel with lightweight and damage resistance effects—something commonly seen in vintage pubs or breweries. Oppenbartel had carried this barrel on his shoulder, which reduced the weight of its contents to one-tenth, to create an image of a “strong dwarf.” He successfully won the heart of a woman named Melissa, who was renowned for her beauty. Three years into their marriage, when the secret of his artifact was discovered, he received quite a beating. Since then, the barrel had been used to store the most expensive whiskey he had bought for her.

The conversation then shifted to episodes from his romance with his wife and various happenings while raising Mina. Finally, after pouring out his memories until past 10 PM, Oppenbartel staggered back to the mine only after all the food he had brought was gone. The reason why he had so freely shared even mundane stories with adventurers he had just met became clear the next morning.

“Yahoo! Did you all sleep well? Minarette Belghand’s masterpiece No. 1, the Magic Lance, is complete!”

Greeting the morning at the campsite, we couldn’t help but marvel at the impressive quality of the spear Mina had brought. The black spear blade maintained its original straight shape while slightly widening at the base, firmly supported by a blue-silver core embedded in the center. At the exact middle of the cross guard connecting the shaft and blade, an oval sky-blue gem that wasn’t there yesterday now elegantly sparkled.

The design alone showcased the excellence of dwarven metalworking, but even more impressive was the spear’s hidden performance. Despite using heavier materials and embedding a core in the center, the blade boasted the exact same weight and balance as before thanks to a lightening enchantment. It gained additional durability through damage resistance effects and could maintain perfect condition without special maintenance, never dulling or chipping.

The crystal focusing mechanism embedded in the guard not only absorbed ambient magical energy to maintain the lightening effect but also served as a small-capacity battery that stored magic released by Seti to sustain the damage resistance effect for several minutes. This was to prevent damage to the weapon even if it was dropped or thrown.

“Amazing. It fits perfectly in my hand. The appearance is much cooler too.”

“To complete such an item in just one night—truly the work of a dwarven master craftsman.”

“Hehehe~ I’m glad you like it. While we’re at it, I have a proposal for you.”

“Ah~ Looking at your outfit, I can pretty much guess.”

Unlike yesterday when she wore mining work clothes, Mina was now dressed in a shirt and denim overalls with a large bag on her back. With a pouched belt and a canteen hanging from her bag, she looked every bit the adventurer.

Only then did I realize that Oppenbartel’s behavior last night stemmed from the lonely heart of a father sending off his precious daughter. Mina must have told Oppenbartel that she wanted to go on adventures with us after completing this spear.

“You’re thinking of coming with us, right? After all, you’re the only one who can repair this spear.”

“Well, since I used dark steel alloy and added damage resistance, it probably won’t need repairs. Still, having the creator nearby means you can get immediate repairs if something does happen, and I can gather field operation data to improve my magical crafting skills—it’s a win-win, don’t you think?”

“Having a dwarf technician, especially the creator of the magical weapon, accompanying us would certainly be reassuring… but what do Will and Seti think?”

“I’m in favor. If I don’t have to worry about my weapon, I can perform at my best.”

“I also agree with Mina joining us. However, we can’t guarantee we can protect you at all times—do you have any means to fight monsters?”

“I have a single-shot pistol I made myself, but it won’t be much help. Still, I’ve prepared something to protect myself!”

With that, Mina pulled out a thick wooden board about 70 centimeters square from her bag. Judging from the leather straps and handle for securing it to her arm, it appeared to be a wooden shield.

“A shield… I guess it’s better than nothing.”

“This is a proper magical item too. Watch carefully!”

After securing the wooden board to her left arm, Mina crouched down and took a defensive position covering her head. Suddenly, identical panels extended from all four sides of the square board, folding downward to form a box shape. It resembled something used by infiltration specialists from some special forces unit.

“What do you think? Despite appearances, it’s magically reinforced wood that can withstand considerable impact!”

“…Isn’t it cramped?”

“It’s manageable.”

“Well, I suppose we can’t say it doesn’t provide at least minimal defensive capability…”

When her proudly presented secret defensive measure didn’t receive much enthusiasm, Mina returned the wooden box to its original shield form and grabbed my pant leg, appealing with teary eyes.

“Please~ If I stay stuck in this eastern mountain valley, I might not even get to see a single artifact in ten years! I can repair equipment besides the lance, and I can contribute to party finances through dungeon mining or gem cutting, so please take me with you~”

“Alright, just let go! With your appearance, doing that makes me look like the bad guy to anyone watching!”

“So you’ll take me with you!?”

“Well, the merit of having maintenance from the magical item’s creator is significant. Plus, you said you can make firearms, so I might ask you to modify my revolver someday.”

According to the owner of the Mothertown gun shop, my current revolver only delivers minimal performance as an anti-monster weapon, but if modified by a reliable gunsmith, it could reach its true potential. I believe Mina, as a dwarven magical technician and party member who will share our fate, would be the most trustworthy gunsmith.

“Wow~ Thank you! Whether it’s a pistol or rifle, just leave it to me, and I’ll turn it into a one-of-a-kind masterpiece!”

“But! If you’re going to travel with us, there are things you need to know. About two things.”

I spoke firmly while detaching Mina from my waist. While Mina’s main reason for following us might be to maintain the spear she created, she likely also wants to discover artifacts and improve her magical crafting skills by adventuring with us. I needed to be clear about that first.

“First, our party moves with somewhat different objectives than typical adventurers. Jessica is searching for the legacy of the Great Sage by exploring ancient ruins and uncharted territories, while Seti and I aim to learn about the world of Grantis itself. In other words, compared to other adventurers focused on dungeon conquest in the western frontier, we might have significantly fewer opportunities to acquire artifacts.”

“Oh~ that’s fine. Artifacts aren’t exclusively found in dungeons anyway, and even for adventurers focused on dungeons, whether you can obtain artifacts ultimately depends on luck.”

“Then let’s move on to the second point, which is more important…”

After saying that, I glanced at Jessica and Seti, who both nodded slightly. They seemed to realize I was about to bring up the topic of Arcane Words to Mina.

“I’m a drifter who recently came from outside Grantis, and I have a special talent for finding magical secret mechanisms that others can’t easily discover. However, I don’t want to share information about this talent or the origins of items obtained through it with others.”

“Oho~~ So you had such a secret. Did you get that horse that way too?”

I felt my hair stand on end for a moment as Mina pointed at Ancestor with a mischievous smile. She apparently already knew that Ancestor wasn’t a living horse.

“…How long have you known?”

“The morning we arrived in Zemest. I noticed its eyes sparkled unusually in the sunlight, and when I looked closely, I saw they were made of glass and gems. It’s not something anyone except a gem craft expert would easily notice, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“I should probably avoid taking Ancestor to the marketplace from now on… Anyway, if you can be clear about these two things, I have no further objections. Let’s get along well.”

“I look forward to working with you, big bro~”

“Could you stop that, eldest member!”

Laughter followed our exchange of jokes. It seems our journey ahead will be a bit more lively than before.