Volume 4 Chapter 31-2 Alcohol and Metal, Command Bracelet
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”So, what do you think, Taro?”
”You trust this? If the source gets out, we’re in deep trouble.”
Beckus points at the can of beer in his hand.
”Of course! How could I blab about such fascinating metal and drink? No one else would talk, and neither would that guy!”
I see, Beckus isn’t the only one of his kind.
So, leaking this shouldn’t be a concern.
”We’ll drink this ourselves! We’ll hide the can till it’s melted! No complaints about that!”
”Yeah, that works for me.”
And I’ve got my reasons for wanting to create this magic tool.
”Alright then, I’ll trust you.”
* * *
The next day, we headed back to Beckus’s workshop.
”Hey, old man, we’re here!”
As I called out from the storefront, I heard hurried footsteps coming from inside.
Two figures appeared.
One was, of course, Beckus.
His scruffy beard reeked faintly of booze, as usual.
The other was an elderly man, resembling Beckus in stature.
He was stocky, giving off a vibe that felt more refined than a blacksmith.
His sharp gaze scrutinized me.
So, this man is the magic tool craftsman?
”Finally made it, huh?”
It was Beckus who said that, but the older man was also there, arms crossed, studying us.
He wore a leather apron, tools dangling from it.
”So, you’re the one who brought the aluminum.”
He spoke in a gruff voice, sizing me up with piercing eyes.
Clearly, he had already seen the aluminum can.
”Let me introduce you, Taro. This is Nokiroul. My little brother. You can trust his skills in magic tool crafting.”
”I’m Nokiroul, the magic tool forger. Heard about you from my brother.”
The man calling himself Nokiroul had a similar build to Beckus, but his sharp eyes and demeanor hinted more at a researcher than a craftsman.
”I see, a blacksmith and a magic tool forger as brothers. That’s reassuring.”
When I said that, Nokiroul snorted.
Then his gaze shifted over my shoulder.
”Hmph, I heard you were bringing a beautiful lady, but it looks like it’s just got a bunch of older women with him. Guess brother’s judgment is as rotten as ever.”
Wait, what?
Older women?
Who’s he talking about?
Behind me are Lifia and Kéa.
Tifi’s busy working.
Yomi’s babysitting inside the Love Hotel because she hates that pervy old man.
”If only that little elf girl over there was 5 years younger…”
Nokiroul glances at Lifia and casually drops that bomb.
Is this guy a lolicon?
”This petite body’s not bad, but if she was a little smaller… man, if her chest hadn’t grown, she’d be *perfect*.”
Beckus points at Kéa’s chest with a grin.
”If you can’t appreciate this rack, you’re still so naïve. Look at this stunning bosom! Any guy would be drawn in!”
”Boobs are just fat! The real pinnacle of beauty is a flat chest! Zero curves──now that’s true perfection!”
Nokiroul’s eyes sparkle as he stares at Lifia’s figure.
”Master, that’s gross…”
Lifia’s expression hardens as she protests.
”Master?! Oh, so close… so close! If only she was a little younger. Gah! If only there were tiny girls calling me ‘Master’──my workshop would be heaven…”
”Boobs are the ultimate allure of women! That’s why you’re still a virgin at your age!”
”What did you say?!”
The two begin an argument.
Lifia cowered behind me, her face pale with fear. Kéa crossed her arms over her chest, glaring.
”Enough, you two. If you’ve got time to nitpick over a woman’s age or body, focus it on the job instead.”
My irritation was clear, and they reluctantly fell silent.
”Tch, fine. Let’s get to it, then. Bring out the ale.”
Nokiroul demanded.
*Right away, huh?* Fine. I wanted to wrap up Lifia and Kéa’s ordeal. I handed them cans of beer.
”Ooh! This is ale?!”
”Pour me one too!”
They guzzled the beer eagerly.
”Can you even discuss work while drunk?”
”There’s no such thing as a dwarf who can’t work while drinking!”
”Hell, I can’t work *without* ale.”
I see. For dwarves, ale wasn’t just a drink—it was part of the job.
”So let me say this again: what I need is a magic tool for controlling creatures.”
”I see. So, what kind of monster are we talking about? You do know there’s a limit to the types of monsters you can control, right? Also, you’ll need the magic stone from the command monster. For ants or bees, you’d need the queen.”
Nokiroul explained while looking at me.
I understood that there were restrictions when it came to using the magic tool.
I was also aware that a monster’s magic stone was necessary.
”It’s a demon sardine.”
”I’ve never heard of that monster. Do you know anything about it?”
”No, it’s the first time I’m hearing about it.”
It made sense that neither of them would know.
The demon sardine is a monster from the fifth floor of the dungeon.
Its existence is barely recognized.
I actually named it the ‘demon sardine’ all on my own.
”I have the magic stone. Here it is.”
I pulled the demon sardine’s magic stone from my magic bag and gently placed it on the table.
The moment Nokiroul and Beckus saw it, their eyes widened in shock.
”What is this magic stone?!”
”It’s enormous!”
Both of them were taken aback by its size.
”This size… could it be from a dragon?!”
”No! That shape is fish… could it be a magic stone shaped like a monster?!”
It seemed they both noticed the abnormality of the magic stone.
”Where on earth did you get something like this?”
Nokiroul frowned as he asked.
His eyes sparkled with curiosity, but I could also see a hint of caution.
”I can’t disclose that. Please keep it to yourselves.”
”Hmm…”
At my words, the two fell silent, deep in thought.
Nokiroul stared intently at the magic stone, while Beckus crossed his arms and pondered quietly.
”So, this is a fish-type monster that commands a swarm. It’s the magic stone of the boss of swarm behavior monsters like ants or bees. Can we use it for the control magic tool?”
The method and capabilities of the Command Bracelet I heard about before.
It involves refining the magic stone of the swarm’s boss monster.
The resulting magic tool supposedly allows you to control the swarm of monsters.
It’s like taking over for the queen and manipulating worker ants and bees.
That got me thinking…
If I could apply this, maybe I could control a swarm of demon sardines with this magic stone.
”I’ve made ordinary summoning magic tools before, but…”
Nokiroul glares at the magic stone.
”I’ve never handled a magic stone this size before, that’s for sure.”
”Is it too much for you?”
”I should be able to make it. But I’m missing some materials. How much orihalcum do I need…”
I wonder if there’s something else missing.
Just then, Beckus cuts in.
”Taro, can you still get your hands on stainless steel and aluminum?”
”Huh? If it’s that…”
”Using those as materials should be plenty useful. They might just work as a substitute for orihalcum.”
”There are metals like that!?”
Nokiroul is taken aback.
”Stainless steel and aluminum don’t have any magic. But the size of this magic stone should make up for it. They should work as a substitute for orihalcum.”
”Then I can do it! I’ll show you I can make it!”
Nokiroul and Beckus lock eyes, their faces alight with excitement as they raise their voices.
You can see the determination of the two dwarves burning.
It looks like it’s going to work out.
If I can control the demon sardines, they’ll be a huge asset.
And the summoner won’t need any fighting power.
That means, if I can get Tifi a summoning magic tool, I can use it to guard her.
I’ll be summoning the monsters from the depths of the dungeon.
There shouldn’t be many people who can take them down.
Her safety will be more than assured.
If Tifi’s safe, I can breathe easy.
With that hope, I naturally break into a smile.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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