Chapter 249: The Great Raid (11)
Chapter 249: The Great Raid (11)
Crafting Mana Bombs was a task that required a great deal of concentration, even for Ilesia.
The demons' dungeons had to be destroyed to deal with the monsters without suffering significant casualties. Furthermore, with time being of the essence, she had to move quickly to produce approximately 700 Mana Bombs.
"Lord, you may rest comfortably."
Although Ilesia had brought Han Shin along to assist her, there was actually very little he could do in the actual crafting process. Since Han Shin lacked knowledge of magic, trying to help with the production might have ended up being more of a hindrance than a help.
Han Shin was well aware of this.
Hmm... but it feels a bit awkward to just sit here and rest by myself...
"Would it be alright if I just stayed here and watched you work? I'll make sure not to get in the way."
When Han Shin gently declined the offer to rest alone and asked to watch, Ilesia immediately granted his request.
"If that is what you wish, Lord, then you may do so."
"Yeah. Thanks."
"It is nothing, Lord."
Ilesia appreciated Han Shin’s respect, but he was clearly her superior. Though she had lived as the Queen of the Elves until now, she had no intention of demanding such treatment from Han Shin or anyone else.
The thought of Han Shin watching her made her feel a slight flutter of nervousness for the first time.
Before starting the work, Ilesia first changed her attire. Since she was handling mana to create powerful explosives, unexpected accidents could always occur. Therefore, she always wore protective gear, which she summoned and equipped instantly from her subspace as she usually did.
She donned a thick, black, full-body garment that looked quite bulky. The gloves she wore were also impressively thick, crafted by the elves who cared for her and worried for her safety.
Does this look strange...?
For the first time, Ilesia felt a pang of worry about her work clothes.
Will I look unattractive or odd to the Lord...?
She didn't know why she was suddenly so concerned about Han Shin’s opinion, but the worry persisted nonetheless. She had never felt self-conscious appearing this way before any other elf, yet the thought crossed her mind for the first time because of Han Shin.
Phew... he seems fine with it...
As she prepared for the task, she stole a glance at Han Shin’s face. Seeing him watching her with a neutral expression, seemingly unbothered, she felt a secret sense of relief.
The Lord is watching, so I must do even better.
Ilesia judged that she had succeeded in making a good first impression on Han Shin. In their first battle in the dungeon, she had cleanly wiped out the demons using her magic. While she had occasionally repelled invaders and monsters to protect Elpion, her world had enjoyed a long period of peace, so it had been a while since she had seen actual combat.
Nevertheless, after learning that Han Shin had been appointed as the Proxy of Tiamat, she had trained privately and run simulations to sharpen her combat instincts. Those efforts had clearly paid off.
I must focus and do this well.
Ilesia did not want to show any signs of failure while Han Shin was watching. Tiamat provided immense support to her followers; in Ilesia's case, as the first follower and one with a great talent for magic, she had been given all sorts of materials useful for magical research. Because of this, she had more than enough materials to craft the Mana Bombs.
Ilesia took out some Orichalcum, which could be refined with mana, and began crafting the bombs.
A pale, silver-hued mana flowed from Ilesia’s fingertips and was absorbed into the mass of Orichalcum. Soon, the mana spread through the interior of the metal, and it began to change shape according to Ilesia’s will.
Ilesia decided to make the Mana Bombs into long cylinders, like rods, to make them easy to grip and carry. On the large table, the Orichalcum stretched and shifted exactly as she intended.
To Han Shin, it was an interesting sight that reminded him of his noona, Kang Yujin, using her psychokinesis. At a glance, it might have looked the same since both involved manipulating objects with supernatural power...
However, Orichalcum was a metal that could not be refined through psychokinesis. Furthermore, moving or manipulating objects with mana usually consumed a vast amount of energy and required a high level of control.
Ilesia met all these requirements. She was a mage who wielded Arcane Mana. The hallmark of mages who used Arcane Mana was the ability to manifest pure mana into form, and Ilesia was a being close to the pinnacle among mortals.
Han Shin watched with bated breath as Ilesia manipulated the mana. Ilesia felt his gaze, and while it made her self-conscious, it also gave her great strength. It was a form of motivation.
Ilesia, who had led a tedious and boring life until now, was extremely satisfied with her new environment on Earth after being summoned by Han Shin. Though she had tried not to let it show, she had been trapped in a state of lethargy, and this situation was a welcome change.
For about fifteen minutes, Ilesia meticulously managed her mana. Finally, she completed the first Mana Bomb that would be used to destroy the dungeons the demons had arrived in.
The Mana Bomb was a sleek, silver metal cylinder, about one meter long and 80mm thick. It was a very simple design, but since they needed to mass-produce them urgently, she only needed to create an explosion pattern that could store Tiamat’s holy power and destroy the dungeon structure.
Designed with enough durability to withstand demon attacks, it was a truly terrifying weapon for the demons currently in the dungeons.
"Phew..."
She let out a small, secret sigh of relief, glad that she had crafted the Mana Bomb perfectly.
I did it perfectly without making a mistake in front of the Lord.
Ilesia felt a sense of inner pride.
"You've finished one already?"
"Yes, Lord. Now that I have made one, I will be able to produce the rest much faster. I believe I can finish them all in time."
The first one took time because it was a new design, but replicating it was much easier. This was especially true for someone as magically gifted as Ilesia; she was capable of working on four at a time. Of course, that meant her mana would deplete faster and her mental fatigue would increase.
"Then, I shall continue the work."
"Okay. Can I move the finished ones to the side?"
Han Shin asked because he wanted to help in any way he could. Ilesia was about to say it wasn't necessary since she could just put them in her subspace immediately.
"...Yes, I would appreciate that, Lord."
However, the words that came out were different from what she had intended. She realized that if she didn't let him help at all and just made him watch, he might feel disappointed or bored. Moreover, rather than putting them into her subspace one by one, it was actually more convenient to make them in succession and move them all at once later. So, she accepted Han Shin’s help.
From then on, Ilesia continued to churn out Mana Bombs...
And Han Shin took the completed ones and stacked them neatly to the side. As the pile of Mana Bombs grew, Ilesia began to show signs of exhaustion, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead from the heavy consumption of power.
Han Shin, who had been watching this in real-time, spoke to Ilesia just as she finished another Dimension Bomb.
"Shouldn't you take a break? You've already made 150."
Since Han Shin had been counting them as he moved them, he knew exactly how much progress had been made. At his suggestion, Ilesia smiled, her face still appearing composed.
"I am still fine, Lord. I will make a few more before I rest."
"Alright. But make sure you rest after a few more."
"Yes. I will do so."
Being worried about and cared for by someone was a familiar experience for Ilesia. As someone who was revered and loved by all elves, she had received such attention to an almost excessive degree.
However, receiving this concern and attention from Han Shin made her feel far happier than she ever had before.