The thing about muscle soreness is that it becomes manageable once you’re actually in motion. It’s that first attempt to move after being still that hurts the most.
“Agh... ow, ow, ow...”
Groaning, Adriana suppressed the pain as best she could with Healing magic and pushed herself up.
“Oof...”
Once she was out of bed, had rinsed her mouth, and washed her face, her body finally started to cooperate.
“Today, I’ll collect the chromium and nickel...”
Adriana planned out her day while eating breakfast.
Once I finish making the forks for the villagers, plus a few extra, I suppose it’ll be time to head out...
She had ended up staying quite a while because the place was so comfortable, but Adriana had a purpose to fulfill.
“In the North, there live peoples with a high level of civilization... perhaps,” she recalled.
It was a rumor she had heard while traveling through various countries with her father, Shuuki. One could laugh it off as nothing more than a traveler's tale, but having felt the concentration of free ether growing thicker as she moved north, it didn't seem so far-fetched. It would hardly be strange if a civilization with advanced magi-engineering—one that utilized this dense ether—existed further in that direction.
Besides, Father’s wife... was also said to be from the North.
On very rare occasions, Shuuki would murmur stories of his beloved late wife, Adriana, whose maiden name was Tierra. To reach even greater heights in her magi-craft, Adriana was determined to keep heading north.
“Ado, dear, don't let your thoughts wander while you're eating.”
“Y-Yes, ma’am!”
Chided by Baise, Adriana hurriedly finished the rest of her seafood soup.
Having finished breakfast in a rush, Adriana hurried toward the coast. Kururu and Maruru had already headed out to gather clary berries; they were busy trying to harvest them before the birds or wild animals got to them.
The reason Adriana had come to the shore was, of course, to check on her Material Extractor.
“Wow!”
She found even more chromium and nickel than she had anticipated.
“Chromium... eight hundred grams. And five hundred and twenty grams of nickel. This is plenty to make a good amount of 18-12 stainless steel!”
With these quantities, she could create exactly 4,444.4 grams of stainless steel. This would require 3,288.9 grams of iron to complete the alloy.
Adriana immediately brought the materials to the smithy. Phaitos, already used to her routine, was waiting for her.
“I had a feeling you’d be coming, young lady. I’ve already got the iron ready.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Rather than calling him by his name, it felt much more natural to call him “Master,” so Adriana had adopted the title.
She began her work immediately. She was practiced at this after so many repetitions, and the Master was no longer as shocked as he once was. Now, he simply watched with quiet admiration.
“Man, that’s a handy trick. If more people could do that, we could make all sorts of things.”
Making Craft Magic usable for those who couldn't use magic themselves was something she had researched before, but the necessary magic tools were still far from completion. For now, however, she focused on the task at hand and immersed herself in producing the stainless steel.
“Next are the forks... Separation. Forming!”
“A magnificent sight, every time,” the Master marveled.
She separated enough stainless steel for ten forks at once and then used Forming to shape them in a single burst. The individual forks remained connected by thin rods—runners—to keep them organized. There weren't many magi craftsmen in the world who could manage that level of precision.
“Master, I know it’s a bother, but could you please cut them apart for me?”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
Simply watching was tedious work, so the Master readily accepted. He didn't just snip them apart; he also took the time to file and polish the cut sections to a smooth finish.
Meanwhile, Adriana threw herself into the work.
“Separation... Forming. Separation... Forming. Separation... Forming...”
In little over a dozen repetitions, the required number of forks was complete.
“Whoa, slow down, young lady! You’re too fast. I haven't even finished the first batch.”
“Hehe, I’ll help you.”
The two worked side-by-side to separate and tidy the forks.
“Phew, that’s the lot.”
One hundred and seventy forks were lined up on the workbench.
“Yes. Now for the final touch. Finish!”
“Incredible...”
The one hundred and seventy forks were simultaneously polished to a mirror shine, reflecting the light of the forge.
“Phew! All done.”
Including the thirty she had made previously, she had two hundred in total. She had achieved her goal for the village.
Adriana returned to the Village Chief’s house with the Master in tow. Since the box was quite heavy, the Master was the one carrying it.
“Oh, Ado? And Father-in-law?” Meuto greeted them. Adriana had known he would be home from their conversation at breakfast.
“I’ve brought a gift of gratitude today!”
“A gift?”
“Yes. You’ve all taken such wonderful care of me.”
“Here it is, Meuto,” Phaitos said, thudding the box down onto the table. When the lid was opened, the brilliant metallic luster spilled out.
“These are... forks?”
“Yeah. Apparently, this is the style currently in fashion in the royal capital.”
“Heh, so these are the famous forks...”
“It’s not just about the look,” the Master added. “They’re easy to use. Food doesn't slip off, and depending on what you’re eating, you can even use the edge of the fork to cut it.”
Unlike simple wire, these had the strength to be used for light cutting.
“Ado made all of these?”
“She did! She’s a marvel, I tell you.”
Watching his father-in-law praise the girl so unreservedly, Meuto fell into a contemplative silence.
“...And how much will these cost us?”
“...Pardon?” Adriana blinked, not understanding the question.
“No, I mean, for this many forks—and with this kind of shine! I was wondering what the price would be.”
At current market rates, a simple wire fork cost between thirty and fifty Toll. These were made of a new material called stainless steel and possessed a brilliance that could be mistaken for silver. Moreover, they were rust-resistant.
“Even as the Village Chief, I’m not a particularly wealthy man.”
Adriana finally realized the source of his concern.
“Oh, no! I didn't bring these for you to buy. I’m giving them to the village.”
“What?!” Meuto gasped. Phaitos looked slightly surprised as well, though his expression suggested he’d suspected as much.
“W-What did you say?! You’re giving all of these to us?”
It was a natural reaction. These forks could easily fetch at least a hundred Toll each. Considering the new material and the trendy design, some might even pay five hundred Toll.
And there were two hundred of them.
One hundred thousand Toll... roughly equivalent to one hundred thousand yen. She was simply handing them over.
“But the Master—Phaitos-san—provided most of the iron,” she explained.
“Now hold on, young lady. You provided that rare metal that’s worth far more than iron,” Phaitos corrected her. He estimated that her contribution alone was worth the full hundred thousand Toll.
However, Adriana shook her head.
“I’ve received things from you, Meuto-san, that money can’t buy.”
“Hmm?” Meuto tilted his head.
“...When you came to check on me during that storm, I was so happy. I’m an Etranger, a total stranger, yet you were worried about me.”
The kindness the village had shown her touched her deeply.
“You welcomed me so warmly that I could have cried. This gift doesn't even come close to matching that feeling, but it’s the best I can do.” Adriana bowed her head. “So please, accept them!”
“Thank you, Ado. If that’s how you feel, I will accept them with gratitude. And I take it I have your permission to distribute them to every household in the village?”
“Yes! Please do!”
And so, stainless steel forks became a common sight in the village of Shiiko.