The briefing session was a success... I think? Expressions varied from person to person, but the general vibe was one of total bewilderment.
I even performed a demonstration of the magic tool. There was a surge of excitement when I cleaned a pile of filthy clothes in an instant, but a heckler quickly cut in with, "Wait, that’s not what we're here for." Well, the effect itself isn't any different, but I suppose just seeing that doesn't make it clear whether it can actually peel off a Silver Abomination.
Still, they would understand once they actually used it. We decided to distribute the enchanted magic tools primarily to the Branch Managers of the regions where the Silver Abominations had appeared and have them test them out. Even Dawson-san, despite all his grumbling, hurried home the moment I handed him his tool. He must have wanted to test it immediately.
Sure enough, reports of its effectiveness started rolling in right away. The other Guild Masters, who had been wearing sour expressions, seemed more inclined to believe in it once they heard those reports. Thanks to that, the rest of the persuasion went smoothly. I really have to thank Dawson-san.
With that, I finished distributing the purification magic tools I’d been stockpiling. However, I couldn't say that a sufficient number had reached every corner of the world. The Adventurer's Guild has countless branches across many countries. While I prioritized the areas with reports of Silver Abomination sightings, ideally, every branch should have two or three on standby for the future. We were still far short. I would definitely have to make more.
This was actually the hard part. Not that making them was difficult—I was well-practiced by now, and as long as I had the magic tool bases ready, I could finish them in a heartbeat. The issue was the mana consumption. Enchantment magic is incredibly taxing, especially the permanent types. Even for a simple spell like Clean, I could only manage about ten a day at most. Any more than that, and my stomach would be in a terrible state from chugging too many mana recovery potions.
Because of that, I couldn't just mass-produce them all at once. I started working diligently after the briefing, but that's when Rozeph-san summoned me.
"I apologize for calling upon you. It has been difficult to find a spare moment while coordinating the Sticky Silver Species countermeasures..."
"Oh, no, please don't apologize."
Despite being the Grand Master, Rozeph-san was incredibly humble. It made me feel awkward being treated with such deference. He was likely being strangely reserved because of my connection to the Gods. Even though I was just an ordinary guy. Well, maybe being an Apostle meant I wasn't ordinary? Still, it's not like I had any actual power or authority.
We spent a moment bowing politely to each other, but Rozeph-san was too busy for that to last. We cut the pleasantries short and got down to business.
"Regarding the additional purification magic tools you are crafting... what is the current status?"
He broached the subject tentatively. I assume he wanted a progress report.
"I’ve completed twelve so far."
"I see, twelve... Wait, twelve?! Since yesterday?!"
"Yes."
Rozeph-san looked stunned. He seemed shocked I'd finished so many so quickly. It made chugging those mana recovery potions worth it.
I figured I might as well hand them over, so I pulled them out of my Storage Ring and lined them up. However, the surprise on Rozeph-san's face immediately turned into a frown.
"Twelve indeed... This is a very generous contribution, but... is your enchantment magic restricted to these?"
"Not at all. I could even enchant a Jilin."
"A J-Jilin...? Why a Jilin?"
A Jilin is a vegetable that looks like a Ninjin. I'd tried enchanting one before, so it was the first thing that came to mind. Probably not the best example. I'd clearly confused him.
Still, I understood what he was getting at. He was concerned about the materials I was using for the tools.
"Ah, sorry. Now that you mention it, we did talk about using something else as a base. I forgot."
But look. These wooden sticks aren't bad bases. The best part is how easy they are to find. Since we need so many, we can't afford to waste time sourcing fancy materials. In that regard, a stick is perfect.
Besides, the spell I'm enchanting is just the Lifestyle Magic, Clean. It’s a simple cleaning spell. I didn't think it needed some elaborate vessel.
I tried to argue my case, but Rozeph-san looked at me with a face full of grim determination.
"Normally, talking back to the Next Generation God would be unthinkable... but I must speak my mind!"
"Huh!?"
God?! Is he still misunderstanding that?
But before I could correct him, the lecture continued.
"First of all, this is not a 'cleaning' tool. It is a purification magic tool!"
"Wait, isn't that basically the same thing...?"
"If it is the same, then it matters even more! This is a purification tool! Now, repeat after me!"
"T-this is a purification magic tool!"
"Excellent. Please keep that in mind. It affects morale."
I didn't quite get it, but I nodded along. Morale is important, I guess.
"Now, regarding the vessel... these sticks simply won't do."
"But they're so easy to mass-produce..."
"That doesn't matter!"
"R-really? I thought that was a major factor...?"
"There are factors more important than that. Credibility. Persuasiveness. And again, morale!"
"Morale!"
"Precisely! Listen, this is our trump card against the Sticky Silver Species. What kind of trump card is a literal twig? It needs to look the part! It should look impressive!"
He had a point.
When he called it a "trump card," it did start to feel like it should look more special.
I nodded in agreement.
"There is also a more practical, serious issue. These are too easy to lose. We already have a report of someone dropping one in the forest and losing it. Even worse, there's a report of someone accidentally using one as kindling. That staff member was so distraught over the mistake that he nearly tried to hang himself."
"What!?"
"Fortunately, someone stopped him, but the guild branch has requested that we improve the appearance... We will provide the bases ourselves, so please, use those instead."
"Ah, right. Sorry about that..."
It sounds like I had caused quite a lot of trouble.
Appearance... really is more important than I thought.