"Ah, nothing beats the fresh air."
The monster extermination in the first tunnel had concluded without a hitch. Hughes let out a relaxed laugh as he stepped back out into the open.
"There is no time to idle about. We must return and deliver our report."
"I know, I know. It'll be just about lunchtime by the time we're done anyway. Just one more push."
At their call, we all headed toward the area near the entrance of the abandoned mine.
The area was a wide square that had once been used for loading and unloading ore and mining equipment. Unlike the surrounding slopes and rocky terrain, the ground here had been leveled flat. Today, it served only as a place to park our carriages and act as a rendezvous point, but apparently, a rest area for workers had stood here back when the mine was in its prime.
"Oh."
As we hiked through the rocky terrain and slopes, pushing through weeds that had grown waist-high, occasional gusts of wind swept past us. The fact that one side of the path was a sheer cliff probably contributed to the draft. With no obstacles to block it, the wind felt open and refreshing under the warm sunlight.
Looking in the direction of the breeze, I caught a full view of the road we had traveled from the town of Gimul. A single straight path cut through the lush green forest under a cloudless blue sky; it was a peaceful, tranquil sight.
"Watch your step, lad. There's a cliff right over there."
"Thank you, Zeff-san."
I appreciated the warning. He was right; if I wasn't careful, I could easily lose my footing. The tall grass made it difficult to see where I was stepping.
Lowering my gaze, I saw massive piles of earth and sand scattered at the bottom of the cliff. Those were likely slag heaps—mounds of soil discarded during the excavation process. It was my first time seeing the real thing.
While they weren't exactly beautiful, seeing the red mounds partially reclaimed by weeds gave me a sense of nature's resilience. However...
"What a waste," I muttered.
They said the iron production in this mine had dropped to nearly zero, but even if they weren't finding viable ore, the soil itself had to be rich in iron. That distinct red color was iron oxide—essentially rust. If I used alchemy, I could probably extract iron from it. However, alchemy had a lingering reputation for being suspicious, and alchemists were often viewed as scammers. Perhaps that was why no one bothered.
As I pondered this, we arrived at the square. Further ahead, I could see Reinhardt and his wife waiting for us at the entrance.
"Welcome back!"
"How did it go?"
"Mother! Father! I defeated so many Cave Mantises!"
"Ho, it sounds like you were quite successful."
"Ryoma-san kept them from getting close midway through, so I was able to focus on my magic without worry. And Ryoma-san defeated even more than I did!"
"So Ryoma-kun protected you? You have my thanks."
"Goodness... were there really that many Cave Mantises?"
"It seems the tunnel we entered was a nest," I explained. "We didn't see a single other species of monster."
"I see. In that case, why don't you try a different tunnel with us this afternoon? I’d like to see Elia and Ryoma-kun in action for myself."
"Really? I'll do my best!"
"My, my. But before that, let's have lunch. The others should be back shortly. Until then, tell us all about the first tunnel."
We gave a detailed report and then settled in for lunch. We would head to the second tunnel once we were finished.
"By the way, Ryoma-san, what were you thinking about earlier?"
"Earlier?"
I was eating with the four members of the ducal house, discussing our morning impressions and Elia’s combat style. As soon as that topic wound down, the young lady turned to me with her question. I wasn't sure what she was referring to.
"A moment ago, you looked out at the scenery and mentioned that something was a waste."
Ah, that. I understood now, but the question was a bit awkward to answer.
"N-no, it was nothing important."
I sounded incredibly suspicious. Even to my own ears, it was obvious I was trying to dodge the subject.
"You're being very suspicious."
"You're a terrible liar, lad."
"Is it something difficult to discuss?"
"If there's something on your mind, you don't have to hold back with us, you know?"
Well, it was probably fine with this group.
"Do you remember what we talked about in the carriage before we reached Gimul? About... the salt?"
"Ah... I see. Don't worry. The only people here are us, Sebas, Arone, and Lilian. Arone and Lilian are completely trustworthy."
"I understand. In that case... you're aware that I can use alchemy, right?"
"I've heard as much," Reinhardt replied.
I glanced toward Arone and Lilian. The two maids looked slightly surprised by the word "alchemy," but they didn't seem to harbor any immediate disgust. Relieved, I continued.
"Well, this mine is being decommissioned, isn't it?"
"Indeed. The paperwork is already finished."
"What of it?"
"I believe iron can still be harvested here. If one uses alchemy."
Everyone except me froze at that statement.
"Is that... truly possible?"
"Yes. I told you about how I removed the toxins from the rock salt in the Gana Forest, right?"
"We remember."
"It’s the same principle. I would just need to extract the iron from the discarded soil. That red color is iron rust. For example, if you leave a wet sword without maintenance, it rusts, doesn't it?"
"Naturally."
"Similarly, the iron contained in the soil has rusted, which is why it's that color. If I put that soil through an alchemical separation process once or twice, I should be able to extract pure iron. However, I thought it would attract unwanted attention if a large amount of iron suddenly appeared from a dead mine. Plus, since it involves alchemy... I figured it might be problematic. That's why I thought it was a waste."
"That is certainly a valid concern... but Ryoma-kun, if it's possible, would you mind performing a test for us? I'm curious, and if it works, there are ways to sell it legally without causing a stir."
"I'd be happy to."
I readily agreed. As long as I was in a place where my alchemy wouldn't cause a scandal, I had no intention of keeping it a secret. After all, Gain had mentioned that alchemy in this world was something he’d put together haphazardly at the request of a reincarnated soul. It was actually quite simple; anyone with the scientific knowledge of elements taught in a school on Earth could use it. I suspected the reason it hadn't spread here was due to a lack of that knowledge and the heavy social stigma.
Honestly, as far as extracting iron went...
What is iron oxide? It’s oxidized iron. What is oxidation? It’s the bonding of a substance with oxygen. In this case, iron bonded with oxygen. What is oxygen? A component of the air we breathe. What does the alchemy do? It uses mana to strip away the bonded oxygen and return the substance to iron—a process called reduction.
I honestly thought that if I explained that much, Reinhardt or Elia could probably do it themselves right now. If they needed more, I could explain the properties of oxygen in greater detail. It wouldn't even take an hour to teach.
Of course, I didn't plan on lecturing them unless they asked. If they wanted to use the skill or start a business, they were welcome to it. Even if it had its origins with a reincarnated person, it was a legitimate technology of this world now.
After lunch, we prepared for the test.
"Is this sufficient, Ryoma-kun?"
"Yes, thank you."
I drew the necessary magic circle on the ground—a simple square inside a circle—and placed a stone basin filled with red soil on top of it.
"I'm going to begin. It's dangerous, so please make sure no one steps onto the circle."
With that warning, I channeled mana into the diagram. The magic circle began to glow, and a film of light shimmered into existence. The audience watched in silence, their eyes wide with curiosity. I remembered feeling that way once... but now, it felt about as mundane as turning on a computer. Then again, if I saw a working computer now, I'd probably be the one making a scene. How nostalgic.
Focusing back on the task, I set to work.
There are various magic circles for different alchemical purposes; this one was for Separation. I concentrated on the intent to separate only the iron oxide from the dirt. The soil rose into the air as if held by invisible hands and was pushed outside the light. Only the soil passed through the film; once the light faded, only reddish-brown grains remained in the basin. I used the No-Attribute Magic Appraisal; it was indeed iron oxide.
I repeated the process once more, this time separating the oxygen from the iron oxide. What remained was a sandy substance that shimmered with a silver luster.
In this powdery state, it looked like it might blow away in the breeze. Beside the Separation circle, I drew a Combination circle—a circle containing a pentagram.
This circle allowed the user to bond substances together, provided they could visualize the result and understood the properties of both the base material and the final product. I focused on merging the grains into a single mass.
I performed a final Appraisal on the finished lump. It was a solid block of iron with 100% purity. Unmistakable iron.
I realized the fact that I wasn't even surprised was proof of how accustomed I’d become to alchemy. At first, I had been overwhelmed with excitement over such an unrealistic phenomenon. Having others nearby made it clear just how much I had changed.
"Reinhardt-san, it was a success. Please, see for yourself."
I handed the lump to Reinhardt, who had been staring intently at my hands. He stroked the surface, tapped it, flipped it over, and held it up to the light before finally casting his own Appraisal.
"Iron... yes, it's definitely iron. You truly created iron... I'm so sorry, Ryoma-kun."
"Huh?! Why are you apologizing all of a sudden? Please, raise your head!"
I was baffled by the sudden apology. What could have possibly happened in those few seconds?
Reinhardt looked up, his expression full of regret.
"You see... stories about creating precious metals are the quintessential alchemy scam. I didn't think you were a fraud, but I didn't believe iron could actually be made this way either. I doubted you and your claims."
Ah, so that was it.
"To have asked to see it and then doubted you anyway..."
"I think it's only natural to be skeptical if it sounds like a scammer's trick," I said. "It's not as if you did anything to harm me."
"It's a relief to hear you say that. Regardless... true alchemy is incredible. I never imagined iron could be pulled from discarded dirt like that."
"And the iron is so beautiful," Elia added. "It almost looks like silver."
"I wonder if all alchemical creations turn out like this?" Elise asked.
"Unfortunately, we cannot sell this as it is," Sebas noted. "It is certainly real iron, and Ryoma-sama's skill is marvelous, but..."
It wasn't the alchemy itself that was the problem; it was the purity. This was a pure mass of iron atoms gathered by magic. Ultra-high-purity iron is lustrous, soft, malleable, and much more resistant to rust than ordinary iron.
I remembered hearing that on the news a long time ago. I never dreamed I’d be the one producing it. Then again, the news hadn't mentioned 100% purity; that was likely a result of the magic. From a scientific standpoint, the very act of using mana to separate elements was impossible to begin with.
Regardless, once a problem is identified, a solution can be found. If the purity was too high, I just had to lower it.
I drew a third circle—a hexagram within a circle—and added some of the soil I'd separated earlier.
The hexagram was the circle for Mixing, allowing multiple substances to be blended uniformly. It was a circle I rarely used, but as I funneled mana into it with the intent to lower the purity, the luster of the lump faded, turning into a duller, blackish hue. Eventually, it took on the appearance of ordinary iron. Of course, it still wasn't a "normal" product. The properties of iron change depending on the impurities; for instance, adding carbon increases hardness but makes the metal more brittle.
In short, I didn't know if this was "useful" iron. When I mentioned this, Reinhardt laughed.
"In that case, I know a trustworthy merchant who can examine it. If you're willing, Ryoma-kun, I'll introduce you."
"Are you sure? I would appreciate that."
"But of course! Now, let's see who would be best... no, perhaps a blacksmith would be a better starting point...?"
Since I’d made the stuff, I was curious about its quality, so I was glad for the help.
However, Reinhardt became so engrossed in deciding which contact to reach out to that he ended up opting out of the afternoon's monster hunt.
The young lady’s cheeks puffed out in a pout... and I wasn't quite sure what to do about it.