"O-Orun... Where did you get these materials?"
Selma asked, her voice uncharacteristically faltering.
"These? They're just materials I harvested in the Deep Floors."
"I can see that! I mean, why do you have such a massive stockpile of them?!"
"I collected them back when I was with the Hero Party. I just never found a use for them..."
"Incredible... Does that mean the other members of the Hero Party also have this much?"
"Hmm, I doubt it. Except for Luna, those guys were the type to squander everything. They were reckless with their money—always commissioning useless magic tools or selling off rare materials just to fund their play..."
In the old days, Oliver had been the one managing the party's finances. However, he kept buying things we didn't need, nearly driving our funds into a total shortfall.
Unable to stand by and watch the coffers run dry, I had eventually stepped in to take over the ledger. From that point on, our savings finally started to grow. Now that I was gone, I had a feeling the Hero Party’s financial situation was becoming dire once again.
Then again, maybe Luna was picking up the slack for them.
"Alan-san, is this enough to forge the sword?" I asked.
"A-Ah... Yeah. With this much, there won't be any problem at all. Hell, if you had this much on hand, you should've had a custom blade made ages ago."
"Ahaha... I figured I wouldn't have many chances to use it anyway, so I thought it might be a waste of good resources."
"Wow! This is incredible! A Gryphon Claw? And a Manticore Fang?!" Lucre cried out, her eyes sparkling as she held up a material that glowed with a pure white light. "There are even things here I’ve never seen before! Hey, hey! Is this a drop from a beast on the 93rd Floor!?"
"Yeah, that’s a Unicorn Horn from the 93rd Floor."
"Whoa, amazing! So cool! ———Ah, wait..."
Lucre, who had been overflowing with energy just a second ago, suddenly went quiet. Her excitement plummeted the moment she saw a specific item.
It was the Black Dragon Scale I had obtained yesterday.
For this party, the Black Dragon was clearly a symbol of trauma. I remembered how visibly shaken Selma had been when we encountered one on the 50th Floor.
The atmosphere in the room turned heavy in an instant.
Maybe bringing out the dragon scale was a mistake...
However, as a Floor Boss material, its quality was leagues above anything found on the 93rd Floor. If I was going to have a masterwork sword made, the Black Dragon Scale had to be the primary component.
".........W-With a Black Dragon Scale, you could make a truly legendary sword, couldn't you? What do you think, Alan-san?"
Rain spoke up, her voice sounding deliberately bright. Moments like this reminded me that she was, after all, the eldest member of our unit.
"Yeah! I can forge the finest blade you've ever seen!" Alan barked, catching her drift.
"I am curious, though," Selma added, regaining her composure. "How did you fit all of this into a single Storage Magic Tool? You’re carrying materials from the Lower and Middle Floors, plus consumables and spare equipment. This has to exceed the capacity of a standard tool."
"You’re right. A typical Storage Magic Tool couldn't hold even half of this," I explained, lightly tapping the bracelet on my left wrist. "But this one is a special model."
I continued as they leaned in.
"Back in the Hero Party, I was the one who held onto all the Magic Stones and materials we gathered during our dives. Standard tools just didn't have the space, and I hated the idea of carrying a dozen different pouches. So, I had a certain Magic Artificer create a custom piece with the capacity of several high-grade storage tools combined."
"...Would it be possible to meet this artificer?" Selma asked.
I expected that. "Sorry. The condition for making this was that I keep their identity a secret and never show the tool's Spell Formula to anyone else. I can't give you an introduction. Even mentioning the storage capacity is a bit of a gray area, so I’d appreciate it if you kept this between us."
"I see. That’s a shame, but I understand. I promise we won't speak of it. Everyone, you heard him?"
The others nodded in solemn agreement.
"We've gotten off track," Alan-san said, steering the conversation back. "So, we're using the Black Dragon Scale as the core for your new sword, right?"
"Yes. Please."
"Alright. Then tell me exactly what you're looking for in a blade."
"Well, looks like the welcome party is being pushed back," Wil muttered with a wry smile.
"Sorry, Wil."
"Don't sweat it. We can grab a meal anytime."
"He's right," Rain said. "We’ll only be in the way if we stay here. Let’s head out and leave the boys to it."
Following Rain’s lead, the rest of the team headed home. Finally, my detailed consultation with Alan-san began.
"Hey, are you being serious right now?"
When I finished describing my ideal sword, Alan-san looked at me with pure exasperation.
"I’m completely serious. Since this is a custom order, I want you to go all out."
"Well, if you're sure... but it’s going to take a lot longer to finish. Also, you’ll have to handle the infusion of the Spell Formula yourself. That's way out of my league."
"That’s fine. I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Got it. It's late, so I'll start the forge tomorrow. It’ll probably take about a month to finish."
"...That’s actually faster than I expected. I know I’m asking for something nearly impossible, so I thought it would take much longer."
"It's a reckless request, sure, but forging the physical blade isn't the problem. It's that Spell Formula of yours. Are you sure you can pull that off?"
"I think I can."
"Vague as hell. Well, from a smith's perspective, what you're trying to do shouldn't even be possible, so I guess a little uncertainty is natural."
"I have a faint vision of the logic," I said. "Now I just have to translate that into a functional formula. That’s the hard part..."
I’d likely need to consult my magic mentor—Gramps—about the specifics.
"I've heard developing new magic is a nightmare. The guys in the Magic Development Room always look like they're about to lose it," Alan-san said. "Anyway, I'll do my part. I’ll make the blade itself a masterpiece, so you just worry about the rest."
"Understood. I'm counting on you. —Oh, and could I borrow this sword for a while? I was surprised by how well it fit my hand. I'd like to use it until the new one is ready. I’ll pay for it, of course."
I gestured to the sword Alan-san had made himself, which we had used as a reference to determine the proper weight and balance for my build.
"Go ahead, keep it. And don't worry about the gold. You provided more than enough rare materials to cover it."
"Wait, why? I thought it was my responsibility to provide the materials for my own commission."
"Ah, you just joined, so you haven't learned the ropes yet. In this clan, individual Explorers don't personally own the Magic Stones or materials they find. Everything gets bought up by the Exploration Management Department. That money goes into the party's shared funds, and that budget is what pays for the craftsmen to make gear and tools."
"...So, Explorers don't usually provide their own materials?"
"Exactly. The materials are supplied to us by the management department, and we pick what we need to meet the request."
I see. That’s a clever system, I thought.
Essentially, even a party that can only reach the Middle Floors can eventually obtain gear made from Deep Floor materials, provided they save up enough funds. By centralizing the inventory, it makes management easier and, more importantly, prevents the "loot drama" that tears so many parties apart. Disputing the distribution of spoils is easily the biggest cause of internal conflict.
"I see. In that case, I’ll gratefully accept."
Our meeting stretched on for several more hours, finally concluding deep into the night. I had conveyed every one of my requirements. I truly hoped a great sword would come of it.
Once I finally made it back to my room, I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep instantly.