BXBX NOVEL — (056) The Beginnings of Alchemy
Chapter: (056) The Beginnings of Alchemy
Translator: Tseirp
After stocking up on food, as the last task, we once again went to the Adventurers Guild and finished registering Carol into the party before we left the town.
When we were exiting the town, the gatekeeper man smiled when he saw Carol and Carol replied with a smile.
Come to think of it, that man also worried about Carol.
Incidentally, I left the task of handling the horse to Haru.
I tried sitting in the coachman seat to handle the horse but it totally did not listen to my words at all.
At that point in time, Haru came and the horse grudgingly listened to my instructions but I could feel that it felt really unwilling to follow my instructions so I left the role of coachman to Haru.
I could tell that it had recognized Haru as its master but it did not recognize me as its master.
I don’t know if it felt sympathy to one with the same white hair or if it is merely a lewd horse.
Shall I become a Monster Handler and forcefully train it?
I ended up thinking that way.
“By the way, how do one become a Monster Handler?”
“For Monster Handler, you have to become a Whip-user after reaching Farmer Lv5 and then you can become a Monster Handler at Whip-user Lv20.”
Carol taught me.
“I see, now that I think of it, even though Elise was a Whip-user, she identified herself as a Monster Handler.”
Maybe that held the meaning that she would become a Monster Handler in the future.
“Do you know of any other jobs that can be obtained by being a Farmer?”
“Angler, Harvester, Cook, and Sickle-user. Also, it is said that a person with Farmer Lv20 and Earth Magician Lv20 will be able to become a Grass Magician.”
“Earth Magician?”
“Apparently, after becoming Magician Lv50, one would be able to become a Magician of either of the four attributes fire, wind, water, and earth.”
“Ooo, I see. It’s because my Magician level is low… I have to increase my level.”
My Magician level is still only 13 so I have to raise it up by another 37.
“Incidentally, what is Ichino-sama’s job? You can use magic, you can fight with your bare hands and you can fight with a sword too. But in the Adventurers Guild, the party setting was left to Haru-san so you are not an adventurer?”
“Yeah… well, there’s various reasons and it’s confusing but… that’s right, seeing is believing. You’ll just be confused when you see it but you can view my status if you want?”
Carol thanked me for giving my permission and said “Status open, Ichinojo.”
My status was most likely displayed in her eyes.
“Wha… what is this, Ichino-sama, this status. Furthermore, I can’t see your job.”
“It’s not that you can’t see it, it’s nothing. I don’t have a job, in other words, Jobless. Though I say that, while I am Jobless, I am currently also a Swordsman, a Pugilist, an Apprentice Blacksmith and a Hunter at the same time. My high Luck stat is due to that reason as well.”
”… Eh? Master, this is my first time hearing this.”
While sitting in the coachman seat, Haru’s ears were twitching and she was looking here over her shoulder.
“Eh? Didn’t I tell Haru?”
“Yes, you did not.”
I see, I was sure I’ve told her though.
Did I only tell her that I obtained skills from Jobless?
“Sorry. In that case, it’s that kind of thing. I have been told by Goddess-sama to only tell this to those I trust so don’t tell it to anyone else.”
“By Go, Goddess-sama? I understand.”
“Understood.”
Carol and Haru nodded.
“Also. Haru and Carol, I’ve learnt a new Jobless skill. I am able to set another job for both of you but what would you like?”
“”Eh!?””
The carriage came to an abrupt stop. The ero horse neighed due to the suddenly drawn in reins.
“Erm, is it something worthy of such surprise? I have 5 jobs so a 2nd job isn’t that particularly noteworthy?”
“Erm, master, I don’t think that’s the problem.”
“Then I won’t set it? The 2nd job.”
“Er… Please make me a Lumberjack. I wish to raise my status by becoming a Pugilist.”
“Alright.”
I mentally recited to make Haru’s second job into Lumberjack.
“How is it?”
“I’ll check. Status open… amazing… it’s amazing, master, my job has really become 2.”
“Let’s see, status open, Haurvatat.”
Name: Haurvatat
Race: White Wolf
Job: Beast Swordsman Lv7
HP: 131/149
MP: 34/39
Phy Atk: 133
Phy Def: 128
Mag Atk: 9
Mag Def: 74
Speed: 300
Luck: 30
【Equipment】
Slave Collar
Fire Dragon Fang
Short Sword
Silk Dress
Leather Shoes
Wind Brooch
【Skills】
「Stone Throw」「Bow Equip」「Dismantling」「Sword Equip II」「Slash II」「Rotational Slash II」「Bow and Arrow Equip」「Swordsmanship Strengthening (Small)」「Speed UP (Minor)」「Dual Wield」「Experience Point Distribution」「Olfactory Strengthening」「Forgery Appraisal」
【Acquired Titles】
「Labyrinth Conqueror II」 「Party Leader」
【Possible Job Changes】
Commoner Lv15
Farmer Lv1
Hunter Lv5
Lumberjack Lv1
Apprentice Swordsman Lv25
Swordsman Lv23
Beast Swordsman Lv7
Eh?
I can only see 1 job. But, her Magic Attack stat that should be 0 have increased to 9 and her Luck stat has increased to 30.
Which means, including those in her party, other people can’t see her second job.
That sure is useful in concealing it.
“What about Carol?”
“Erm… Ichino-sama?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Ichino-sama can assign jobs as you like?”
“Yeah, so?”
“If that’s the case… perhaps the person who changed Carol’s Temptress job to Commoner was not Torerul-sama but Ichino-sama?”
*Flinch*!?
Ah, that’s right.
I’ve not told Carol about that as well.
“Erm, well, that’s right. This is also a Jobless skill and Koshmar-sama told me to keep quiet about it.”
”… Ca… Carol had thought maybe that was the case. At that time, the thing that Ichino-sama put on me was the Friendship ring. After putting that on, Carol’s job was changed and Carol saw Ichino-sama’s fighting style that surpasses the boundaries of your job… and… and…”
“He, hey, Carol?”
“Carol is very happy to have followed Ichino-sama!”
“I am also very happy to be together with master.”
Ah, well, yup.
I am also super happy but it is kind of embarrassing to say it face-to-face like this.
In the end, Carol’s second job became Apprentice Magician.
Apparently, she wants to become an Apprentice Alchemist and learn Ore Appraisal.
“Come to think of it, I am able to use alchemy… would it be more profitable if I converted the iron ores into iron ingots?”
“Yes, because it is troublesome as it consumes a lot of MP. If it is a Lv5 Apprentice Alchemist that is able to make iron from iron ores, he would be barely able to manufacture 3 iron ores into iron in 1 day but… it seems to me that master would be able to convert a larger amount of iron.”
“I guess. I’ll give it a try…”
I took out the box of iron ores from my item bag and placed it down.
For a moment, I felt that the horse carriage speed slowed down but it quickly returned to the original speed.
Opening the lid, I looked at the iron ores within.
They were red stones. I most probably won’t pick them up if they were on the ground.
“Would there be any penalty if a person not from the Alchemist Guild does iron manufacturing work?”
“There won’t be. The Alchemist Guild functions by providing a stable supply of ores and catalysts and by purchasing refined metal. You will have to enter the Alchemist Guild to receive those benefits. But, even if you don’t use alchemy to make pure iron, it is still possible to make it.”
Is that so? I thought but then I changed my mind.
Iron smelting work of iron ores has been around since 5000 years ago on Earth.
Smelting can be done even without relying on skills.
If that’s the case, I’ll give it a try.
I changed my jobs to the magic-specialised jobs Apprentice Magician, Magician, and Apprentice Alchemist.
Alchemy: Production-series skill 【Apprentice Alchemist Lv2】
Using magical power, ores can be made into metal and metals can be joined into alloys.
To view the metals that you can create, chant “Recipe open”.
Incidentally, I muttered recipe open and verified the recipes I had but there were 20 types of metal that I could make.
Within that was the method to make iron from iron ores.
I didn’t know the way to make steel. If I remember correctly, steel is an alloy of carbon and iron.
Charcoal can be easily prepared so I wish to make steel when my alchemy level increases.
It was a skill that didn’t tell you how to use it in the description but I understood the way to use it when I acquired it.
I extracted an iron ore from the box, grasped it with my left hand and loaded magical power into it.
Upon doing so…something began gathering on the surface of the iron ore and began to spill out like sand.
These should be the impurities.
But, even after removing the impurities, it was still red.
It is called hematite, due to its state of containing oxygen atoms.
However, by further channelling magical power, the oxygen was continually removed and it gradually changed colour to the dull metallic colour.
It consumed 20 MP to reach this point and about 3 minutes had passed.
Then…
【Ichinojo Level up】
Apprentice Alchemist accumulate experience points by using alchemy.
I grow at 400 times the speed, it was the same as making iron from 400 iron ores so it’s no wonder that my level went up.
My level was raised by 2.
The iron created from the iron ore was not in the form of a bar or a plate but an iron ball.
It was somewhat lighter compared to when it was an iron ore.
“How is it, is it something like this?”
“It’s amazing, usually, an Alchemist might take about 10 minutes to make pure iron from an iron ore of that size.”
I’m not an Alchemist but an Apprentice Alchemist though.
“The speed of alchemy is most likely dependent on Magic Attack. That probably had an influence on it.”
Carol was surprised.
I felt somewhat proud. Though it was a mere gift from Jobless cheat.
I began work on changing another iron ore into iron as the horse carriage rocked.
~Side Story~
Due to 80% of Dakyat’s national land consisting of grassland terrain, animal husbandry was flourishing from the grazing.
What’s surprising is that 90% of all the citizens are nomads.
Because of that, there are few places which can be called a town in Dakyat.
There’s only the 2 border towns as well as the capital - Ferruit. (Note: It’s a single character away from Ferrite)
The skirmishes with the neighbouring country of Korat continued but 2.8km around the vicinity of the Sadness river that flows along the border, citizens lived in peace.
However, there was a group that didn’t think well of that peace.
Secret Society Massacre. The organization that holds the names of the most brutal and cruel criminals in Dakyat’s history.
That Massacre’s leader, Julio, convened the constituent members and gave a speech.
“The trifling peace given to us… in order to maintain that, for the long time of a couple of centuries, we have continued to war with the neighbouring country Korat. There are those that most likely feel grief and sadness for not being able to win. There may be those that find honour in not losing. But, we know. We are aware. The country is afraid of winning the war. Dakyat, by creating a national common enemy, the government is trying to cover up and hide the multiple blunders, corruption, and wrongdoings. All discontent is directed at the imaginary enemy Korat… that’s right, Korat is not the enemy, it is an imaginary enemy created by the country! All sins were smeared onto the imaginary enemy country Korat and the country’s leaders are enjoying the height of luxury using the tax collected from citizens for the sake of war funds.”
When Julio clenched his fist and slammed the table, one of the constituent member raised his hand.
“What do you mean by the height of luxury?”
”… Women. Women, alcohol, and meat. Meat cooked with plenty of pepper. Pepper until it overflowed from the iron plates!”
The constituent members raised their voices “Ooooo!”to Julio’s explanation.
Pepper is by no means an expensive item but it is also not something cheap enough to be used every day.
“Either way! We must bring the iron hammer down onto the rotten government!”
When Julio raised his fist, the constituent members raised their voices “Ooooo!”
At that time.
“Oi, what are you doing in my warehouse, you rascals!”
Because the mood was too elated, the sounds leaked outside.
Thereupon, as if baby spiders, the 13, 14-year-old children scattered from the warehouse with Julio in the lead.
“How was it, Sutchino, today’s speech was quite good right?”
“Yeah, it was the best, Julio. By the way, have you heard? It seems like Narbe-san was caught. At Florence to the north.”
“Uncle Narbe-san?”
Narbe was Julio’s father’s younger brother and he was exiled from the country due to thieving acts 12 years ago.
After that, he became a Bandit and they heard that he wandered various lands.
To Julio, Narbe was exiled when he was 3 years old and before that, he did not show his face at Julio’s father’s place so Julio and Narbe were not acquainted but he thought of him as a defeated hero that rebelled against the rotten country. (Note: Narbe’s most likely the bandit boss Ichinojo and Haru met in the Beginner’s Labyrinth)
“Apparently, he was caught by a man called Ichinojo and a girl called Haurvatat.”
“Ichinojo and Haurvatat huh… unforgivable. To put their hands on our hero.”
For the time being, the 2 of them ran away.
Their organization’s name is the Secret Society Massacre.
A famous delinquent group that everybody in Ferruit town knows about.