Volume 6 Chapter 15 The Ring Artisan’s Tale
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The line between Wolf Forest and Valley of Trials is clear. The wall’s yellow-green grass stops at the valley’s barrier, showing red-brown rock. The colors stand out sharply.
I split up with Ms. Uruu at the same spot as before. Wolves don’t enter the Valley of Trials. Is it their territory, or do they dislike the barrier’s effects?
Heading down, I sense many people—likely adventurers from the capital. About 20 are here. Even in 4-person groups, that’s 5 parties waiting… It’s busy, except during the wyvern festival.
”Master, please put me in the magic bag.”
Ms. Claire notices the adventurers and asks this. Last time, I had trouble with Justice and others. It left me a bit traumatized.
My magic bag can hold living things, but a quail once escaped due to resistance. Strangely, it works 100% with Ms. Claire. With Ms. Joa, it fails. Is it about favorability? Maybe.
I wonder if Ms. Nina can be stored, but her life support system is risky now. Ms. Mahal’s glass tubes are everywhere, making the room chaotic. So, I can’t get close to Ms. Nina because the tubes might break. My next chance is just before she wakes up.
Still, storing companions safely is very handy in situations like this.
Even if I say “magic bag,” I’m really sending her to the future. Ms. Claire seems fine with it. I’m curious about storing myself, but it’d likely end badly. I’m too scared to try.
Anyway, I put Ms. Claire in the bag and use my stealth skill until I’m alone. I don’t want to meet other adventurers here. If I’m solo and low-level, I’d be turned away even in line.
My maxed stealth skill shouldn’t be noticed, but I stay alert. Summoned hero thieves might have cheat detection skills.
Mr. Raoh says it’s an unfair cheat that finds anyone, even in stealth. Against that, my skill is useless.
Some hide cheat abilities, so maybe there’s absolute stealth too. It’s all very contradictory.
* * *
I quietly watch adventurers near the dungeon from behind a rock. Except for one priestess, they’re all summoned heroes.
It’s odd humans here adventure, but before summoned heroes, all adventurers were humans.
From Mr. Escalion’s info, this world’s people aren’t weak. They level up properly if they train. Without cheat skills, the gap between heroes and us is maybe 5 levels.
Honestly, it seems they avoid dangerous fights and push heroes into them. Dealing with monsters is dangerous, dirty, tough, and smelly—the 4 K’s. No one wants to do it. Many nobles avoid leveling up to skip military service too.
By the way, hero summoning is about making others do the unpopular job. The summoned Japanese enjoy this life-or-death game, which is a relief. But adventurers here are decreasing, relying more on heroes.
Still, when it comes to healers, there are plenty of high-level people from this world too. Religious jobs are popular among noble kids, so they attract good talent.
The priestess here is brave. Even in this world, people aren’t hopeless… I want to believe that.
The priestess enjoys being pampered by heroes. With few healing heroes, she’s valuable, even without cheats. Maybe it’s because she’s pretty.
It’s convenient for me. All men’s attention is on her. Even in a safe zone, one woman makes everyone less alert—that’s how sad men are. Maybe a female evasion technique… it could be useful.
I also avoid footprints, so no suspicion is raised.
Moreover, those guys staring at her chest wouldn’t notice small changes, but I walk carefully on firm ground, just in case.
I tried hard, but they were too busy chatting with her to notice. I reached the dungeon entrance easily—almost shockingly so. Female evasion techniques are amazing. I wish it was always this easy.
Now, in the first floor, the Naga still look scary. I sneak past them and open the hidden door with mana. They notice me but don’t attack, seeing me as an ally. I bow and jump into the void space.
The void feels like familiar darkness. Drifting in quiet, mana-rich space, my daily fatigue fades.
They say anyone carrying anger or hatred in their heart gets trapped here, suffering and wandering until they vanish completely. It’s a waste if they can’t enjoy this healing space.To slowly fade away without even a chance to reset—it sounds like the purgatory I’ve heard about. Even if someone’s a bad person, I hope they can at least find peace and be freed from all their troubles in the end.
Anyway, time slows here, perfect for editing skills. Reviewing my hastily made skills, I find many mistakes. Fixing them is fun with plenty of time.
I could enjoy this for thousands of years with my editor skills. Sealed demon lords might have enjoyed it too.
While doing what I like, I lost track of time. The spirits’ warm presence calls me. Two large ones—Exceneca and Mone—greet me.
My body is drawn out, and I slip from the void. Passing through the world’s wall feels like birth, but I feel like an edamame. Gravity returns suddenly, and I kneel awkwardly. I wish I could stay longer in weightlessness.
”Welcome back, my husband.”
Exceneca, the water spirit, embraces me, crying. She’s deeply emotional.
I like this straightforward love. Advanced spirits, despite their long lives, are surprisingly pure. Like grandmothers returning to childhood?
”You have plenty of time this time, right? Let’s get married again.”
Mone, the earth spirit, hugs me from behind. Her softness relaxes me completely. Is this being helpless?
Miss Floria’s romantic teasing made my heart race, but honest love touches me deeply.
Some here dislike heavy love. The person at Professor’s place ran from his spirit lover. Mr. Raoh says relationships need stimulation, and wicked women are the ultimate. Life has many kinds, all good.
”No, we didn’t divorce. How could I stand those strange women showing off?”
I thought it was someone else, but it’s Uno, standing there with her arms crossed, looking tough. I can’t really understand what she’s saying, but she seems mad about something. When I think about who the “weird woman” might be, Ms. Hóa comes to mind first, but if it’s about marriage stuff, it’s probably Ms. Shirakaba and the others. Or maybe it’s about having a kid with Ms. Ant?
”I get it now—you’re more of a romantic than you look. But since you came back to us like this, you pass. You pass just fine. So, we never actually got divorced. We’ve been married this whole time, right?”
Uno embraces and kisses me, declaring something complicated. She wants to pretend the divorce never happened and claims to be my first wife.
It’s cute she loves me that much, but there could be a showdown with Ms. Shirakaba.
Worse, what if Ms. Nina returns and hears I have 2-digit wives? Her favorability would drop. Explaining it would be complicated.
Instead of remarriage, it turns out I never divorced and enjoyed intimate moments with my 7 wives.
Even though I thought I knew them, it was fresh and stimulating. I feel no regrets; living in the moment isn’t bad.
”I’m sorry to ask right away, but I have a job for you.”
After indulging in desires, Uno asks for a favor.
Dungeon treasure chest prizes are running low. Defeating the dragon gives a magic ring chance.
I thought items appeared magically, but they don’t. The rings were bought from dwarves long ago.
”I don’t have much money. I considered the Dragon God’s Herb, but that’s too much of a shortcut. It’s perfect you’re back. We’re bound by luck.”
They don’t charge an entrance fee, so they have no money. In dungeon games, they profit from defeated adventurers’ equipment, but here, adventurers rarely die.
The magic ring as a reward seems too luxurious. Charging an entrance fee would be better for future luck management.
What if we set up a counter and have Ms. Lamia sell tickets? A food court in a safe area could profit too. Maybe charge the Hero Management Bureau?
”I don’t want to do such worldly things. Make it as cheap as possible. I’m counting on you.”
Well, I can’t say no. I like Uno’s luck-based approach and want to help.
”With a sample, I can make a magic ring. Can the material be bronze?”
It’s odd Uno knows I can make rings, since I just learned. She also knew about Ms. Shirakaba. Well, it’s a magical world.
”Oh, you need materials? I can provide spirit orbs.”
She hands me spirit orbs—what Mr. Ginchi wanted for golem cores. But using them for rings feels wasteful.
Selling spirit orbs could buy gold or mithril, but they’re non-transferable. Betraying trust usually ends badly, but with Uno, it’s casual.
”For now, I have bronze. It should be enough for a ring.”
I have sample ingots from Mr. Gino, who loves bronze. Gold would be better for rings, but it’s not common here.
Uno’s sample rings vary in material and performance. The top prize, an extra power ring, is mithril. Dud rings are brass. Even without appraisal, their value is clear.
Well, for a magic ring, the effect matters more than material. Still, I add silver to bronze for lucky rings to make them special. The mana conductivity improves slightly, feeling like a magic tool. If I wanted silver color, I’d increase tin on the surface.
Mr. Gino uses alloy unevenness to create mana circuits inside the metal. To the untrained eye, it looks like a lump of metal without magic circles. This makes analysis or replication hard.
The sample ring was straightforward. The density is incomparable since the spell is engraved by hand. It’s not poorly made, but it’s a novice dwarf’s work. But For me, it’s a good rival.
Besides, the extra power ring boosts strength 4fold, which feels excessive. It’s a legendary ring every vanguard desires. Many heroes run the dungeon just for this.
From a creator’s perspective, the magic behind it isn’t even that complex. It’s just a modified tool that overrides the wearer’s stats to make them four times stronger. It really feels like something out of a game. Mass-producing it could make someone rich, but it’s not that simple.
The more rings like this exist, the more they warp the world’s natural order. Make too many, and the world starts to correct itself, eventually nullifying the magic entirely.
How many more rings can be made with this magic? Only the gods know. A hundred? A thousand? It’s possible the next one I make could be the last. That’s why top magic tool craftsmen take steps to prevent their work from being copied.
The dwarves are supposed to be controlling how many of these rings are made, so I’ll avoid copying it without permission. It’s already super rare, appearing maybe once every few years, so even if it doesn’t show up for a decade, no one would really notice.
”On busy days, we need nearly a hundred rings daily. If possible, I’d like a hundred years’ worth.”
Um… that’s over 3 million pieces. You say it casually, but it’s an incredible number. Even at 5 grams each, 3 million pieces weigh 15 tons… we don’t have enough materials.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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