"...I never expected this one to be finished first."
Looking at the object before him, Rei voiced his surprise to the person who had made it—Asimov.
While Rei was at the inn, Asimov had come over and told him that the Magic Item he had been commissioned to make was finished, dragging him here by force. But what awaited him was something entirely unexpected.
He had been completely convinced that the Sleipnir boots were done, but what sat there was a kiln.
...Yes, it was the Magic Item kiln that Rei had asked Asimov to make so he could use it for cooking while camping.
He had commissioned it considerably later than the Sleipnir boots, so to think that this would be completed first...
"The Sleipnir boots had a high level of completion to begin with. It's not something that can be finished so easily. ...Of course, I have confidence in my own skills too. I'll manage it somehow by spring, so don't worry."
"Yeah, I believe you."
Among everyone Rei knew, Asimov was an alchemist with top-tier skill.
He had a strong personality, but when it came to his alchemy, Rei felt he was unquestionably one of the best in Gilm.
In fact, he had used numerous rare materials to create the Twilight Spear, a Magic Item with exceptionally high performance.
After seeing that, there probably weren't many people who could claim Asimov's craftsmanship was poor.
"The one who made your Sleipnir boots was truly a remarkably skilled artisan, you know? It doesn't have much expandability, but it's built with an extremely precise design. Enough that compared to the Sleipnir boots circulating out there, it may as well be a completely different item despite sharing the same name."
"Really that much?"
"Yeah. Honestly, even if I tried to make a pair of Sleipnir boots from scratch, achieving that level of perfection would be nearly impossible."
His words carried a hint of frustration, but even more than that, they were filled with a sense of admiration—almost reverence—for the skill of the alchemist who had made the Sleipnir boots: Esta Nor.
The fact that he didn't realize Esta had made them... well, her name might be known, but her works weren't circulating in large numbers.
A member of the Zephyle Clan, she was an alchemist of preeminent skill even during that golden age—a period that gathered many individuals hailed as geniuses, prodigies, eccentrics, and brilliants.
Because of that, while the name Esta Nor was known, the Magic Items she actually created were exceedingly rare.
If Asimov learned that most of the Magic Items Rei possessed were handmade by Esta, what kind of reaction would he have?
Rei was a little curious, but judging that saying it out loud would lead to all sorts of complications, he kept his mouth shut for now.
More importantly, Rei redirected his gaze to the kiln in front of him.
It was about one meter tall, shaped like a half-dome that could be compared to a kamakura snow hut.
It was over two meters wide, but less than three.
It was by no means something that could be carried around by hand.
It occupied a significant portion of the room, and naturally, it could not be taken out through the door.
It was an item that entirely relied on Rei's Misty Ring.
Well, I'm probably the only one who would ask for something like this, so it makes sense that it'd be designed just for me.
Simple cooking utensils and the like might be carried by groups such as merchant caravans... no, even among adventurers, it wouldn't be strange for those particular about cooking to own them.
In reality, few people lugged around cooking utensils that would get in the way of completing requests, but Rei still knew a handful of such peculiar—or rather, cooking-obsessed—adventurers.
But even among those people, there likely wasn't anyone who would carry around a kiln of this size.
For starters, a kiln this size wasn't meant to be carried around—it was something you installed in a shop.
Rei was studying the kiln with deep admiration, but during that time, Asimov had continued his explanation about Rei's Sleipnir boots.
"So, anyway. The Sleipnir boots' magic power circulation speed and actual operational velocity value are... hey, Rei. Are you listening?"
"No, I'm not. To begin with, while it's one thing if we're talking about how to use a Magic Item, there's not much point in teaching me about its structure... I won't say it's completely unnecessary, but I don't really need to know that much, right?"
"Ngh... you're a boring one. You should understand more about how magnificent the Magic Items you use are. The Magic Items you possess hold that much value, after all."
Asimov looked slightly displeased, but he must have judged that Rei's words had a point. After letting out a small sigh, he shifted his gaze from the Sleipnir boots to the kiln in front of them.
"This kiln is... well, I haven't given it a particular name. It uses Silver Lion materials, but I've made it so that's as unnoticeable as possible. However, it was designed with the premise that you'll be using it, Rei."
"Designed with the premise that I'll be using it? I'm the one who commissioned it, so isn't that obvious?"
"Well, yeah, that's true. But I made this kiln operate purely on magic power. Magic Stones and the like can be used if you want, but the fuel efficiency is poor. It's only by activating it with magic power that this kiln can demonstrate its true capabilities."
"...Why go through all that trouble?"
Naturally, when Rei used this kiln himself, he intended to activate it with his own magic power rather than Magic Stones.
From that perspective, there was no issue, but just because Rei owned it didn't mean he would be the only one using the kiln.
In the first place, one of the reasons Rei had decided to make this kiln was because he would be forming a party starting in the spring.
He had thought it might be useful for making pizza and other dishes when the party camped during their travels.
So why had Asimov made it with the premise of magic power activation?
Those who were already planned to use it—Rei was fine.
Marina, a Dark Elf, also had more than enough magic power.
Vihera's magic power had also increased after the Silver Lion incident...
Hm? Wait? Then isn't there no problem? Byune would have to use Magic Stones, but then again, I couldn't just leave Byune alone in charge of the kiln in the first place.
Of course, Rei didn't know whether Asimov had been fully aware of all of that when he designed the kiln with magic power usage as the premise, but looking at the results alone, it was a fact that there were no problems at all.
What's more, since the kiln was designed with the premise of magic power operation, even if someone saw Rei's kiln and wanted it... in the end, many of them would likely give up.
Though, since it would be impossible to carry around a kiln like this without an Item Box like the Misty Ring, there was also the question of how many people would even want one.
If you had a carriage or something, you could probably load the kiln onto the cargo bed and use it as a mobile kiln... but considering the kiln's temperature, it might put the carriage itself in danger. A cheaper version of an Item Box might make it possible, though.
Whether Asimov had thought through all of this before deciding on these specifications, Rei didn't know.
Still, the fact that it would no longer be targeted by those who might want such a kiln was a real benefit, and he could even say he was saved by it.
"Also, the reason I made it operate purely on magic power has to do with the kiln's capabilities as well."
"...The kiln's capabilities? Does it do something besides baking food and such?"
"Yeah. This kiln automatically analyzes the cooking ingredients placed inside and can bake them at the appropriate temperature."
"...That's a remarkably clever kiln."
Rei had thought it was just an ordinary kiln, but as expected of Asimov, he had apparently given it an over-spec capability.
"Yeah. I got the Full Belly Diner to cooperate. However, what I was able to manage is only for common dishes."
Common dishes? Rei tilted his head in puzzlement.
"Yeah. Simply put, only the dishes that the cook at the Full Belly Diner knows. So if you're cooking a dish from another country or something like that, you have to carefully watch how long to bake it yourself. Besides, what my current technology can achieve is, after all, only a standard level of doneness."
"Standard level of doneness, not standard dishes?"
As Rei voiced his question again, Asimov nodded, looking slightly frustrated.
"Unlike regular cooking, the heat control that a professional cook uses when making truly delicious food involves various special techniques. Well, I only learned about it for the first time while making this kiln, so I'm not that knowledgeable about it myself."
Saying that, Asimov explained what he had been shown by the cook at the Full Belly Diner—Dishot.
For standard baking, this kiln could handle it without any problems.
But to bring a dish to its finest state, a cook's per-dish judgment of the heat was necessary.
Even with the same ingredients and the same size, the optimal kiln temperature would change subtly depending on the specific ingredients.
Also, techniques like thoroughly baking only the surface while leaving the inside half-raw—or rather, slightly more cooked than half-raw—required proper skill to execute.
In other words, the dishes produced by this kiln could reach about an average passing grade, but no more than that.
To make dishes above average, one would need to do the cooking themselves—that was what it meant.
For Asimov, it was likely frustrating to be shown what his own skills could not achieve.
Though, the fact that he also had the Sleipnir boots to deal with meant he probably couldn't devote himself entirely to the kiln, which was likely another factor.
"Ah... well, I'd love to eat delicious food, but it's not like you can easily make dishes on the level of a professional cook, right?"
In contrast to Asimov's frustration, Rei accepted it so readily because, to him, a kiln was merely something convenient to have around.
If he wanted to eat food made by a professional cook like Dishot, he could simply buy freshly made dishes and store them in his Misty Ring.
Storing food directly in the Misty Ring meant that extra costs, such as for dishes and pots, would be incurred.
But it was also a fact that such expenses were of little concern to Rei.
That was why Rei didn't feel as frustrated as Asimov did about it.
Of course, if he could eat delicious food, he would be happy about that in its own right.
"Just you watch, Rei. One of these days, I'll create a Magic Item kiln that will astonish even professional cooks."
"No, this is perfectly sufficient for me. Just having it automatically adjust the temperature inside the kiln depending on the dish is a huge help. Besides... from what I can see, there doesn't seem to be a place to put firewood, so it doesn't need any, right?"
"Yeah, it directly generates heat using magic power or Magic Stones."
At those words, Rei's expression brightened slightly.
Of course, he had a large amount of firewood stored in his Misty Ring as well.
But the firewood used for camping and the firewood used for a kiln would naturally require vastly different quantities.
Several times more... perhaps even more than that.
Gathering or buying firewood wasn't particularly a problem, but avoiding troublesome tasks when possible was only human nature.
"That alone is helpful enough. ...Other than that, it would help if you could finish the Sleipnir boots as soon as possible."
"Naturally. I know that one is more important too. I did get somewhat absorbed in the kiln, but that was primarily for a change of pace."
"...I did properly commission it, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't call it a change of pace."
Rei sounded a little displeased, but he understood that given Asimov's personality, saying anything more would be useless.
For Rei, it would have been more reassuring to know that Asimov was prioritizing the Sleipnir boots... or so he thought.
But since Asimov had a free-spirited personality to begin with, Rei concluded that saying anything would be pointless.
"Are you sure the Sleipnir boots will really be alright?"
"Yeah. At the very least, I'll have them finished by spring. That's an absolute promise."
Since he was willing to go that far, Rei didn't press the matter any further.
He knew that Asimov had confidence in his own skills as an alchemist, and he also knew that when it came to alchemy, he was someone who could be trusted.
Though, that also meant he couldn't be trusted in anything outside of alchemy.
In fact, without Pamidor's help, Asimov probably wouldn't have been able to manage a decent lifestyle.
...Thinking that Pamidor had settled in Gilm around the same time as Rei, he couldn't help but be a little curious about what kind of life Asimov had led before that.
At any rate, Rei had thus succeeded in obtaining a high-performance Magic Item kiln.