Touring Golen

With that, I was to show Aidi around the village the following day. Since Rokuko would be prioritizing entertaining Haku-san while she was here, it inevitably fell to be to take care of Aidi.

"Yesterday was fun. Rokuko really is suited to be my rival."

"Really. So, what about the accommodation fees? Do you think you'll be fine paying fifty gold coins?"

"The choco cornet was good, but… the bed is amazing…"

And so Aidi had already fallen.

It wasn't just the choco cornet. It was due to the suite's beddings as well.

"It's like sinking… no, like being bundled up by it? It'd be nice if it had fire resistance, though."

"Of course it wouldn't be fire resistant… you didn't burn it or anything, did you?"

"I wouldn't do something so amateurish."

Amateurish? Eh, as long as she didn't burn it I guess.

"Couldn't you make it fireproof? Alchemy should be able to grant it resistance, I believe."

"Grant it? Alchemy can do that?"

"… That's a basic alchemy thing though?"

Alchemy can do that? I thought it was just about making magic tools and stuff… wait, maybe I could think of inflammable cloth as a sort of magic tool?

"Blurring the boundaries between objects and transferring only certain characteristics… is what it is, but I wonder if that isn't common knowledge in the Raverio Empire?"

"Heh, so it's something like that? All I know about is magic formations, that's about it."

"… I don't know if it's that the empire's alchemy is advanced or if it's lagging behind. Perhaps the Hero Studio is holding a monopoly on its technology? I've been shown some of the products coming from it before, but they were amazing."

Aidi spoke as she walked in front of me.

Back in the imperial capital, the Hero Studio was certainly producing a magic tool that could produce A4 paper sheet by sheet from raw materials, fountain pens that could be used indefinitely, as well as pots that didn't require a stove.

Well, Leona also had a skill called [Super Alchemy] or something, so I wonder if that might have something to do with it…? Ah, actually, Hero Studio might even be Leona's workshop…

Best to stop that. It's no use thinking more into that. I might be able to find out for sure if I ask Haku-san, but I get the feeling that I'd prefer not knowing. Scary is scary.

"Let me show you around the village for now. Do you have a preference of what you'd want to see first? If not, I figure we could start at the church."

"Do you have a forge?"

She's probably curious since she's a magic sword.

"Yeah, this way."

I led her to Kantra's blacksmith at the outskirts of the village.

When we arrived at the forge, I saw Kantra—our village's blacksmith—carving a magic formation into a small copper plate. He seemed to be concentrating as he didn't appear to notice us entering.

"Oi, Kantra. Kantra!"

"… … Hmm? Ooh, if it isn't Kehma-dono! Huh, who's the girl?"

Kantra finally responded and smiled at Aidi after I called out to him. Aidi smiled back amiably to the dwarf-like bearded smile.

"She's a young lady who came to our village to study. She wanted to check out the forge."

"I'm Aidi. I'm from the Demonlands, nice to meet you."

"Kantra. Ah, well if Kehma-dono vouches for you, I've got no problems with you visiting the forge. So, the Demonlands? Really?"

Hearing that she came from the Demonlands, Kantra looked at her in a bit of bewilderment. It was a rare thing to see someone from there, apparently.

"What's wrong, Kantra? Do you need to use the toilet? Is it that whole 'I have to pee as soon as I lose concentration' thing?"

"No, it's just that the Demonlands is a country with advanced magic tools, right? I mean, I was sort of hoping I could learn a bit from her. Err, how about it, Aidi-san?"

"I see. I like the way you're willing to ask so diligently to learn. Sure, I can advise you on whatever I know."

"Really!? Thank you! Kehma-dono, let me borrow the young lady."

"Ah, sure. Go for it."

If Aidi was fine with it, I wasn't about to say no. Rather, it would be a great thing for the village if our blacksmith improved… I wish I could go back to the inn to get some sleep, but it's not like I could right now. Let's just watch and see how this plays out.

"This is the magic circle to use here. That's what my alchemy master taught me."

"Hmm… so you learn directly here? There are textbooks for it in the Demonlands."

"A textbook… I wonder if I could ever see one…"

"The Village Chief could probably manage it."

Kantra looked over to me. What are you saying, Aidi… oh, I guess I could buy one as a gift while I'm studying abroad there as an exchange student. Yeah, I could buy one for Nerune as well while I'm at it.

"Alright, I'm planning on heading there soon, so I'll buy one when I do."

"As expected of Kehma-dono, I can always count on you!"

"That's good… oh? I'd thought it was just a crude forge, but was this furnace constructed with phoenix eggshells?"

"Oh! So you could tell, young lady! That's right, this baby has the phoenix eggshells that Kehma-dono gave me mixed into it, so it's a top of the line furnace!"

"Heeh, Village Chief… I'd like some too, alright?"

Aidi looked at me. I don't mind since I have plenty stocked up… but Haku-san said to squeeze everything I could out. Let's try for some money. It has to be at the right price, though, so that I don't have a hard time shopping in the Demonlands.

"I'll sell some to you for a reasonable price."

"Oh, even though you could double it? … I'll take it on credit."

Yeah, yeah, I'll let Haku-san know.

And thus was how we spent over half of the day's tour at the forge, Aidi's first stop.

It might have been a doppelganger, but Aidi asked Kantra to service a sword that looked incredibly close to her true form. They seemed to get along pretty well, maybe even becoming friends?