SWNOVELXO Chapter 516
Chapter 516. Half-Baked Ordinary Talent
――Thanks to my passionate explanation, it seems Gadingo and the others have come to some understanding of the usefulness of the “defective item.”
“By the way, doesn’t this magical tool have a name?”
“Why would you give a name to a defective item?”
Gadingo’s answer to my question was blunt.
“First of all, it’s not something grand like a magical tool… but it is true that it’s inconvenient without a name.”
Hmm, Gadingo mused for a moment, then said,
“How about calling it…【Fragminis】? It’s an old word meaning ‘defective, broken.'”
Because it’s certain that it’ll break when used anyway, he shrugged.
“If you think of it as a shard of sunlight, it sounds like a fitting name.”
It was a somewhat lackadaisical naming, but when he heard Leila’s comments, Gadingo’s expression changed to one of interest, and he examined the crystal shard in his hand thoughtfully.
“That’s true. Thinking about it that way, it’s not bad.”
――As for the specific future transactions, I decided to buy a few samples with the cash I had on hand.
Once I bring these samples to the Holy Church, they’ll surely understand their value, no explanation needed.
‘However, it is dangerous for you to approach the Holy Church as a Vampire Hunter and openly try to sell them. What are you planning to do?’
Hmm, I suppose I’ll just have to leave that to Liliana and the others.
The area around Aulitos Lake, which had an influx of people yet was peaceful, allowed me to mask my true identity with ease—but here, near the front lines, the comings and goings of people must be strictly monitored, and if I were to make a move recklessly, my cover could easily be blown.
That’s where Orderju comes into play; he has solid credentials, making it easier to discuss matters with the upper echelons of the Holy Church when the time comes. I can explain it in a way that sounds like, “I happened to meet Gadingo during my travels and discovered this magical tool,” and from there, everything will hopefully fall into place.
――Gadingo seems to think, “I’m so glad my failed products might sell better than expected,” but I doubt it’s just going to be about that scale.
If I were a bona fide Vampire Hunter, I’d want to forcibly pull this all the way to the Holy Kingdom instead of being bogged down near the front lines! For the sake of preserving knowledge and techniques!
“But you know, Gadingo, that thing of yours is actually selling?”
“Who knows what will catch on?”
“After all, the humans are good customers…”
The other dwarves were idly discussing matters like this. Perhaps since they originally stuck out even within dwarf society and also lived apart from humans, their sense of things seems a bit skewed…
“Don’t dwarves seem like they can make everything by themselves? But what do they want to buy from humans at this point? Is there anything they even want?”
Leila asked with a puzzled expression.
Leila, it’s great that you’re so curious, but you’re giving off a vibe like this is someone else’s business! Right now, you’re a human mage!
“Sure, dwarves can make most things, but…”
“Not everything is available for them to use within their own kind…”
“There’s a ton of stuff they buy from humans, be it materials or food!”
“Of course, alcohol too!”
Gadingo added, and everyone laughed, “No kidding!”
“Hey, Alexa, can you hold your liquor?”
“…I can drink, but I’ll pass for now.”
Seeing Stitchin feign tilting his glass, I can only offer a wry smile and shake my head.
“You never know when a vampire might show up, and our companions are still outside, right…”
“That’s true. We should probably keep it moderate too.”
So drinking is a given? Well, once a dwarf decides to drink, they’ll drink.
Before I knew it, everyone began to gather glasses and bottles, and a relaxed drinking party kicked off. Naturally, we abstained from alcohol, but we gratefully accepted some snacks. Just when I was getting a little hungry, this was a nice help.
‘However, a dwarf’s drinking party isn’t something you see often in the Demon Lord Castle…’
It’s easy to imagine that one of the rewards for blacksmithing is beer. But then again, any proper artisan wouldn’t be so irresponsible as to drink while working.
Besides, if demons are nearby, alcohol would just taste awful…
“Alexa! If you don’t mind, could you take a look at one of our inventions?”
“There might be something useful!”
“And if it sells, that’d be great too!”
Having become merry from drinks, the dwarves asked such things.
“…Ah, of course. Show me everything you’ve got.”
Thanks to Gadingo, that overwhelming precedent has now made it unavoidable for me to not see what they have…!!
“What’s this? A wonderful wooden carving?”
“It’s a charm for warding off evil spirits.”
“What kind of effect does it have?”
“Well, uhh…?”
…Helena checked it out, and it turned out it had a lame effect. Better than nothing, but it was bulky and a nuisance, so forget it!
“What’s this… a pocket watch?”
“Ah! It runs on magical power, not a spring!”
“Oho… but it must be expensive?”
“Well, it has a decent price because of the magic stone. But it’s not just any watch; if you set it, it gets extremely hot!”
“……What’s it for?”
“For example, if you set it for early in the morning and keep it in your pocket while you sleep, it’ll be hot enough to wake you up!”
In testing it out, it turned out to be hot enough to burn, and it sucked up a ridiculous amount of magical power due to the heating function, so forget it!
Honestly, I thought it would be better to just alert the time with sounds instead of extreme heat… but if you put a bell or chime on a pocket watch, it would look stupid, and if you kept it in your pocket, the sound would be muffled, so they went with heating, I guess. Do you have to keep it in your pocket?
In any case, a watch that doesn’t break even at such temperatures is quite impressive, but… I don’t want it.
“A fishing rod.”
“Yes. It’s one of my finest creations.”
“Very sturdy, huh?”
“To say it’s sturdy might be a bit misleading. It has a small amount of magical silver mixed in, achieving flexibility and bendability unlike traditional metal products, and allows various magical enhancements due to its good magical conductivity. This fishing rod is enchanted to attract the extremely rare Sarasara Salamander that lives in the nearby marshes, making it almost guaranteed to catch one!”
Seems pretty amazing, but I wasn’t particularly interested in this Sarasa Salamander, so I’ll pass.
However, I was impressed by how flexible it was despite being metal, so when I asked, “Could something amazing be made using this technology?” I got a response of “I’m not interested in anything but fishing…” with a deadpan face as if he was a different person.
Still, the quality of the fishing rod was indeed outstanding, so if I took up fishing as a hobby, I’d want to ask this person for a complete set of tools.
But that’s a talk for a day that may never come.
“Wow, it isn’t going so well, huh?”
“Business really is difficult…”
“I thought if 【Fragminis】 sells, I could too!”
Why do you think you’d do well? The urgency of demand is totally different! Despite the way he spoke, the dwarves didn’t appear too disappointed and casually sipped their drinks at their own pace.
“By the way, how’s Bertholdt? If it’s the hero, surely…”
“Ah, that’s true… The hero might be just right!”
“Should we call someone?”
“Hmmm…”
…What’s with this atmosphere? Why does everyone seem slightly awkward?
So there’s another resident who isn’t here? Bertholdt—what an uncharacteristic name.
“Sigh, I guess I’ll go.”
Noticing that no one moved, Stitchin let out a small sigh, placed his glass down, and stood up. He made his way down the hallway from the dining area to a room at the end—knocked, and through the slightly ajar door, bright light spilled out.
Is that the flame from a furnace?
“…………”
I saw Helena wrinkle her nose in distaste. I also belatedly noticed a strange chemical smell.
“Alexa, can you listen to another person’s story too? He’s a bit… eccentric, but he’s been researching various things too.”
“Ugh…”
What kind of eccentric person would show up…? I braced myself.
“…………”
…I see.
Certainly, he was an eccentric. The first person I thought of was Mofuskin, the village chief of the beastman village I had just encountered during the day.
When a stout fellow who didn’t seem like a wolf beastman came out, we were all bewildered.
Now, I was hit with the same feeling—only this time in the completely opposite direction.
‘His magical power is weak…’
The man was tall and slim.
He had black hair and a long beard, but it wasn’t bushy. He had a wide forehead, a bulbous nose, and his small eyes were sharp and bulging. It seemed he had a constitution that struggled to gain muscle, and though his arms were well-trained from shoulder to wrist, they appeared bony and rugged. His pale skin gave an impression of unhealthiness.
“G-g-g-good evening…”
The man, who fidgeted in a sooty green apron, approached the table with a shifty gait, his face twisted as if he had forgotten how to smile before greeting us.
“Good evening. I’m the hero, Alexa. And you are?”
“I-I’m… Bertholdt. N-nice to meet you…”
He awkwardly bared his teeth and went silent thereafter, his restless eyes darting between me, Leila, and Helena.
“Um, I hear you’re researching something?”
I tried to ease his tension by speaking with a gentle smile and tone.
“I’m a Vampire Hunter, and I was impressed with Gadingo’s inventions earlier. I was wondering if you have anything else that could be useful for the Holy Church or humanity… so I’m currently looking at all your research and inventions.”
“I-I see. W-well, I might… have something. Let me get it, just wait a moment!”
With hurried steps, Bertholdt bolted back to his room. The door slammed shut with a thud!
“……He is…”
I turned my gaze to Stitchin.
That man named Bertholdt.
He was too tall and slender for a dwarf.
Yet his magical power was too weak, and his name…
There was not a hint of dwarven ruggedness.
Just a perfectly ordinary name.
“Could it be… is he a half-breed of dwarves and humans…?”
At my speculation, Stitchin took a swig of drink from his glass and nodded silently with an ambiguous look on his face.
I see… so it’s true… I’ve never seen it before. I had heard tales that humans could indeed have children with dwarves and elves, but…
“O-o-oh, I’m back!”
The door to his room opened once more, and Bertholdt popped out.
“Oh, you don’t have to rush…”
He came running with a jar cradled in his hands, looking perilously close to spilling it, so I stood up from my chair to stop him. Luckily, he didn’t fall…
“Is that jar your research?”
“…………N-no.”
He placed the jar on the table with a thud and shook his head.
Taking a deep breath, he seemed to steady himself and looked me in the eye. After brushing his chest with his hand, he seemed a bit more relaxed.
“The research is… the contents of this jar. I made something really good the other day.”
“What is it—?”
“A potion that allows you to use fire magic.”
“…Huh?”
I couldn’t help but let out an unfiltered reaction at such an unexpected claim.
Fire magic? What does that even mean?
For a magic potion to be in the jar, there’s… no aura of mystery around it or any semblance of magical presence… Ant, what do you think?
‘There’s nothing there.’
Ant replied flatly.
‘There’s nothing magical about anything in that jar…’
Hmm?
“I—I can’t use fire magic,” Bertholdt squeezed out painfully, hugging the jar close to himself.
I was—shocked. Compared to the rest of these eccentric dwarves around me, it was easy to imagine that Bertholdt likely harbored some sense of inferiority even before hearing him speak.
It wasn’t just about magical strength or appearances.
He can’t use fire magic? He doesn’t have fire attribute magical power?
That means…
“Then… how about blacksmithing magic…?”
When I fearfully asked, Bertholdt grimaced again. Sadly, it became clear almost instantly that it was a sardonic smile.
“I can’t use it. I’m… closer to a human…”
…Hearing it directly from him made it feel heavier.
Still, to have dwarf blood and be unable to use both fire magic and blacksmithing magic? How must that feel to be so constrained in dwarf society？
I couldn’t quite imagine.
At the same time, I was even more intrigued by this “potion that allows you to use fire magic.”
“I don’t dislike blacksmithing. While I’m forging iron, I feel at ease. But still, since I can’t use fire magic, I can’t create high-temperature fires in the furnace. It was a hassle and very inconvenient. I had almost given up. But…”
Bertholdt glanced at Gadingo beside him for a moment.
“Gadingo-san is earth attribute and put in the effort to manipulate light. I decided to imitate him as much as I could. I can use a bit of earth magic. So…”
…The culmination of that effort is the contents of this jar?
“I wanted to be able to manipulate fire. In the end, I still can’t manage it at all. But I can produce a ‘stronger fire’ than before.”
He unscrewed the tightly sealed lid of the jar with a pop.
Inside was—nothing special.
“I mixed various things. Stuff that seemed related to fire, things that ignite easily—like charcoal, mustard, sulfur, and saltpeter.”
Just plain black powder?
“This burns really well. Surprisingly so. Like magic.”
With a dreamy look in his eyes, Bertholdt declared:
“I named it…【Gunpowder】.”