Petrel

Chapter 13

Three essentially free days, not counting training, passed rather quickly and unfortunately for me less productive in terms of mastering new magic. Elsa and I, supported by my healing spells, are making pretty good progress in the physical aspect of training, although it was stressful, but I made sure that our muscles were compact and did not affect our appearance, only in these 3 days we achieved progress as in 3 months of harsh training without magic. I also improved my reserve by as much as 9%, which is quite good in my opinion. I already had a reserve of a C-rank mage, in which Elsa also matched me due to her half-dragon pedigree, but her reserve is growing more slowly and even taking into account the fact that she constantly emptied her reserve during magic training, it only increased by 5%. As for success in mastering magic, I studied telekinesis with Elsa, for the use of which, since it is not native, I had to study from 0 the magic circles necessary for activating magic. Although many do not notice this, but everyone who owns their innate magic instinctively creates these circles and does not think about how they are built. Studying magic that is not characteristic of me, I myself first have to create a magic circle, and then enter the necessary data into it according to the principle of programming. It is not for nothing that magic is called the programming of reality. With magic letters, everything is in some ways simpler, but also much more difficult. If when creating magic circles, the data that needs to be entered is quite small and this can be done almost instantly, then with letters it is necessary to enter whole layers of information so that everything works as it should and there are as few gaps in the defense as possible. Well, in general, I will return to letters sometime later. So my success in telekinesis was limited to the fact that I learned to create the necessary magic circle within 5 seconds, but not counting the long preparation for using one spell, I also had disgusting control over this magic, I constantly made a seemingly small effort, but in fact spent a colossal amount of magic and shot objects at the speed of sound or accidentally crushed stones into dust and was ultimately left again with magical exhaustion. Elsa learned not only to control two objects at the same time, but also to support her body with this magic, thereby receiving an increase in strength and speed, and if she wanted, she could fly if she used magic only on herself, and this was definitely pleasing, because with such success she would quickly master telekinesis and be able to begin pyro- and cryokinesis.

Overall, the training was fruitful and I hope it will continue to be so. Now we are standing in front of the forge and our first forging lesson will begin soon.

I knocked on the door and the same beautiful Freya opened it for me. She was dressed in a rather tight leather suit embroidered with various slightly glowing red runes.

-You've finally arrived. Great, come inside, I've already prepared everything. - In the forge itself, in addition to the furnace and anvil, there was a fairly large number of various machines needed for sharpening, grinding, etc. Also, apparently prepared for today's lesson, boxes with different types of ore were neatly laid out and opposite each box with ore, several different metal ingots, which most likely were the result of casting from the corresponding ore.

- Well, let's start today with a little theory on metallurgy, although I'll let you read most of it from a book about how to get what alloy, etc., and today we'll also try to cast cast iron, and tomorrow we'll turn this same cast iron into steel.

- First, we need to select ore with an iron oxide content of at least 40%. I will give you literature about what oxides are and you will read it. I will teach you more about the practical part of forging. Next, we will need to get rid of non-metallic impurities in the ore in various ways. The easiest way, perhaps, will be to simply crush this ore, and then pull out the metal parts with a magnet. - Having said this, she led us to one of her machines and, having put pieces of iron ore there, pressed a button and I felt how magic came into force, the pieces of ore literally tore into many small pieces, and then the pieces of ore containing iron were attracted to the magnet from above. - Next, all the collected ore must be sent to the blast furnace along with coal and then, as the metal is released from the ore, it will be necessary to remove the slag. In order for all this to happen faster, you can also add flux in the form of rocks containing calcium and magnesium oxide. - when everything was ready, the cast iron was placed in a mold under the ingot, so that it would be easier to work with it later.

-Well, girls, who wants to try first? Definitely haven't forgotten yet. I've prepared something for you as a gift for the future. - Having said this, she took out 2 sets of leather clothes like hers, covered in runes. - These suits are enchanted to be fireproof and maintain a comfortable temperature for you, I also made an enchantment so that the size adjusts to you, so as long as you don't try to cut these clothes, they will serve you for many years.

"Thank you," we replied, grateful and clearly pleased with such a gift.

-Well, now get changed, it's your turn to make a cast iron ingot.