Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 141
Never Mind the Heir, I’ll Focus on Healing — Chapter 141
The scarlet metal flickered.
Lion’s violet eyes caught the light and deepened to a redder purple.
Black smoke would blanket it completely, then the metal would shine through the clouds of smoke and glitter, over and over.
All the while, dark billows wove themselves between the crimson liquid, screeching and shrieking with a hideous noise.
It sounded like an old door groaning on its hinges, and also like something whispering right beside the ear.
The unpleasant noise made goosebumps crawl up his arms by instinct.
The thought came unbidden that the fiery pits of hell must look like this… but.
Sik.
Lion’s mouth curled up.
‘This is thrilling.’
His body was definitely sensing danger and feeling afraid, but at the same time, watching the two substances meld together so well set off a strange rush of satisfaction.
He had a good feeling that this would succeed.
He had been watching for what felt like a long while, and then at some point…
Fwoooosh-
The weird bubbling sound stopped, and every trace of the black smoke around him vanished.
Then, a new object appeared before Lion’s eyes.
[Molten Abgrund Iron (★★★)]
- Pure-white iron that shone like a mirror has transformed into a dark, abyss-like hue.
- Should a greedy person come into contact with this metal, they will be seized by an overwhelming impulse unlike any they have ever felt; caution is required.
- ※Warning※ Do not stare at it for long periods.
It was a success.
Lion let out a sigh of relief.
Perhaps because his whole body had been tensed by that primal fear, he ached all over.
‘No, pull yourself together. It isn’t over yet.’
He couldn’t afford to relax until the potion bottle was complete.
In truth, it was far too early to let his guard down.
The pitch-black Demonic Energy of the Abgrund Iron was creeping up the casting tool.
The pace was relatively slow, true, but that didn’t change the fact that he had to work calmly and quickly.
Lion promptly and carefully poured the molten iron into the mold.
Sploosh.
Unlike those bizarre sounds from earlier, the molten iron flowed smoothly into the mold.
When he had poured it down to the very last drop, a strange sound came from inside the mold.
It seemed to sizzle and bubble at the same time.
“Looks like it’s functioning properly.”
Lion looked at the mold and nodded.
Solidifying the iron was as important as melting it.
After all the work to make everything just right, if he moved impatiently and distorted the shape, completion would be out the window.
Fortunately, this Bubble Mold was supposed to finish the item and then turn into bubbles and disappear.
If so, he could just wait and take it easy instead of checking on it constantly.
Besides, the iron had melted quickly, saving him plenty of time.
Lion looked at the Lesser Fire Spirit.
[The Lesser Fire Spirit remains thoroughly on edge.]
‘Good. Its condition looks fine too.’
It had been somewhat disciplined because of Nature, but it hadn’t grown thirsty like last time, nor had it been contaminated by the Demonic Energy.
The other items in the smithy were also perfectly fine.
All but one.
Everything except the casting tool, which had been in direct contact.
Lion stared at the tool, now black with erosion all the way up to the handle.
“Now what do I do about this.”
Looking troubled, Lion scratched his head.
Since it was already contaminated, he could dispose of it or reclaim it, but…
He glanced at it.
[The Artisan’s Treasured Tool]
- They say a craftsman never blames his tools, but he can still have tools he treasures more than others.
- Old yet still in good condition; it seems to have been maintained with considerable care.
- Currently contaminated with Demonic Energy.
Lion stared at the casting tool and sighed quietly.
He really didn’t want to handle Mudu’s well-used tool on his own.
This was Mudu, after all, who had lent him the whole smithy without any conditions.
If on top of that he broke the man’s equipment…
‘He wouldn’t show it, but he’d be upset.’
Outwardly, he would say it was fine, these things happen. He would say that when you’re learning, breaking a thing or two is what makes the lesson stick…
Mm. I won’t discard it.
Lion resolved firmly and looked at the pitch-black casting tool.
‘Then I have to restore this thing…’
The trouble was, using a potion for this was rather ambiguous.
For starters, he had no alchemy tools on him right now.
He had set them all up in advance so he could work right away back at the mansion.
It was also hard to leave the mold here and go to the mansion and back.
And it would be troublesome to finish everything and just walk off carrying only this casting tool.
If he ran into Mudu doing that…
…Oh?
‘No, wait. There is a way.’
A lightbulb clicked on inside Lion’s head!
There was one certain method, even more than certain!
And as it happened, the material was on Lion’s person right now.
That was…
Holy Water.
Lion retrieved the Holy Water he had secretly stored away in his Inventory.
Perhaps reacting to a wicked force, the Holy Water inside the potion vial glittered with a soft radiance.
Holy Water would surely be able to wash away this level of Demonic Energy.
What was more, divine power exerted a good influence on ordinary people, so using too much didn’t even matter.
“…Good thing I pocketed it on the sly.”
Lion laughed awkwardly.
The truth was, this Holy Water had not been a gift.
He had just discreetly stashed a few bottles from the Sanctuary.
Of course, Lion—the ‘God’s Messenger’—could have simply asked for a few bottles and perhaps received Holy Water personally made by the Archbishop rather than Licht’s, but it had felt a little burdensome either way.
‘I had a feeling I shouldn’t get tangled up with her in a weird way.’
She had certainly seemed like a good person, but a strange sense of incongruity had nagged at him.
It was unmistakably a danger signal flagged by the big data of his corporate experience.
So he hadn’t gone out of his way to mention the Holy Water he’d pocketed, and he hadn’t asked for more.
Lion opened the lid of the vial containing the Holy Water.
Pop!
The wooden stopper came out with a popping sound, and a fresh fragrance wafted from inside.
It was probably because the potion bottle had come from the Sanctuary.
“Let’s try using this first.”
He could not rule out the possibility that the casting tool might not withstand the shock of Demonic Energy and divine power clashing, but if his predictions were right, that wouldn’t happen.
This tool had withstood that monstrous flame, after all.
Lion filled a large bucket to the brim with water and sprinkled the Holy Water into it.
“Good. This should be safe, since it’s diluted more.”
Then he immediately dropped the casting tool into the bucket with a splash.
Tssss!
Bubble-bubble.
Still hot, the casting tool struck the water and spewed thick white steam.
That wasn’t all.
The parts corroded black flaked off like rusted scale peeling away, and the Abgrund Iron fragments and slag that had clung to the tool either sank into the water or rose to float.
The water that had filled the bucket was rapidly diminishing.
The steam blocked a clear view, but it looked likely that all the water might boil away at this rate.
‘Is this going okay?’
The situation had become quite noisy, so Lion debated whether to add another dose of Holy Water.
In the meantime, the thick white steam vanished from the air without a trace, and Lion lifted the casting tool.
Then…
[Through the ‘Artisan’s Touch’ effect, the enchantment succeeds!]
[You have achieved the ‘Goodwill’ achievement!]
[You have acquired 10,000 Shillings.]
“…Oh?”
Along with a casting tool that had become strangely even glossier, an unexpected sound reached him.
An enchantment success?
Startled, Lion looked at the tool.
[(Blessed) The Artisan’s Treasured Tool]
- Someone has repaid the kindness of the good-hearted artisan who readily lent out his treasured tool!
- When smelting iron ore, a larger quantity of iron is obtained.
“…Why did that work?”
Yes. Naturally, In the World had an enhancement system.
However, there was a reason Lion had lived without giving enhancement a second thought.
That reason was…
His level had been far, far too low.
Of course, his Alchemy level—the foundation for enchanting—had already reached a certain pinnacle.
But wasn’t his Blacksmith level, where he could officially learn the ‘enhancement’ skill, still too far behind?
He was still only at Apprentice Level 4.
Sure, unlocking an achievement on top of it put him in a pretty good mood, but he was also honestly bewildered.
[Your insight into the essence of objects increases.]
[‘Artisan’s Touch’ grows.]
As if to resolve his question, another notification appeared before his eyes.
‘Aha.’
Only then did Lion’s question resolve itself.
So, his passive skill, ‘Artisan’s Touch,’ had just undergone enhancement.
‘The reason for the growth is probably…’
It must have been because Mudu’s casting tool was classified as an artisan’s possession.
He hadn’t done it hoping for growth, but this unexpected gain put him in a very good mood.
And Mudu’s tool had actually improved considerably, too…
Pop.
“Hm? Ah. Did it already solidify?”
While Lion had been purifying the casting tool, the item seemed to have finished.
Lion watched the mold as it turned into bubbles like transparent soap bubbles and vanished.
The forge’s firelight reflected off the surface, scattering red-tinged rainbow colors.
Then, pop.
One by one, the bubbles burst and the mold melted away.
It literally looked just like soap bubbles.
Once even the bubbles were gone, Lion lifted the remaining potion bottle into his hand.
“Smooth as silk.”
The surface and interior were so smooth that he didn’t even need to use abrasive.
It was probably an effect of the Bubble Mold.
“Still, I should polish it once.”
This wasn’t just any container; it was going to hold potions whose efficacy could halve in an instant if any impurities mixed in.
Lion fetched abrasive compound and meticulously cleaned the outside and inside in order.
Even for opaque metal, it became glossy like a mirror.
“And now…”
Lion wiped the outside and inside with oil once more to remove the abrasive.
He finally checked that the lid fit properly, and then…
[Abgrund Potion Bottle (★★★)]
- Lightweight and sturdy. It will protect the liquid inside even against considerable impact.
- Being opaque, it can block the liquid from exerting influence on the outside.
- Though anathema to divine power, for anything other than that it will store any liquid well.
At last, it was finished.
Fortunately, the sun had not yet risen.
Lion quickly tidied up his surroundings.
He checked to see if the Obsidian’s magic power had eroded anything else, then gathered up every last piece of slag that had detached from the Abgrund Iron and stowed it all in his Inventory.
‘As a rule, by-products always find their use later.’
With stuff like this, it’s better to have it and feel the weight than to regret not having it.
“Good. All cleaned up…”
The sun was beginning to rise.
“Let’s head back.”
“Peep.”
Nature settled on top of Lion’s head as if in a nest and peeped with a nuance that said, ‘Don’t forget the tasty snacks!’
“Want me to make your snacks first?”
“…Peep.”
But perhaps Nature was also worried about that egg; its response changed.
“There we go. Good kid.”
What a real big brother, a big brother.
Chuckling, Lion gathered up the potion bottle, left the smithy, and returned to the mansion.
The container was complete, and now all he had to do was use the remaining Obsidian to make the potion.
‘Once the vessel is ready, the rest isn’t hard.’
Alchemy was Lion’s most confident field, was it not.