NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 53
“Master, you’re going to the forge to make weapons, right?”
Eve, who had been listening in on the conversation earlier, accurately read my thoughts.
(Yeah. It’d be a waste to just do repairs, so I plan to do some blacksmithing too.)
“Then, shouldn’t you get some metal for the weapons?”
She had a point. Crafting weapons requires materials. But that wouldn’t be an issue.
Upon reaching my destination, I pushed open the door.
“Excuse me, I’d like to rent the forge.”
“Welcome. That’ll be 20 silver coins for a full day.”
The shopkeeper, a friendly-looking woman, greeted me.
This was a shop that rented out various facilities. Whether it was equipment for potion-making, sharpening tools, or a furnace for repairing gear—these were all expensive to buy outright, but by paying a rental fee, one could use them freely.
Many adventurers used this place to maintain their weapons and armor or brew their own potions to save costs.
“I see. That’ll work for repairs, but…”
Eve didn’t sound entirely convinced as I continued speaking with the shopkeeper.
“I’d also like to buy some ingots.”
“Sure. Here’s our current stock.”
The shopkeeper handed me a list.
That’s right—this ‘Rental Workshop’ also sold various materials. By selling crafting materials in a place where production-focused individuals gathered, they efficiently boosted sales. It was a smart business model.
“Orichalcum is way too expensive… Thinking ahead, I should…”
Orichalcum ingots cost 1,000 gold coins each. For reference, one ingot was enough to craft a short sword.
“Alright, I’ll take two Verite ingots.”
Verite was a fairly rare metal, commonly used for armor and weapons by mid-tier adventurers.
“Alright! That’ll be 100 gold coins for two.”
That was within my budget. Anything pricier, like mithril, would cost over 500 gold coins, so I’d prefer to mine those myself rather than buy them.
With my ingots secured, I was guided into the workshop.
“Alright, let’s start with the repairs.”
I laid out the knives I had received from Isabella on the worktable. The handles were stained with blood, the blades were chipped, and rust had set in. The damage made it clear how tough dismantling jobs could be.
“First, I’ll take care of the grime… 【Clean】.”
The moment I cast the spell, the dirt and rust vanished as if it had never been there. The blades gleamed, looking almost as good as new.
But…
“The tiny chips are still there. I’ll need to resharpen them.”
Taking a seat at the grinding station, I was about to get started when…
“Excuse me, mind if I use the spot next to you?”
“Not at all. Are you here to repair your party’s weapons? Tough work, huh?”
Since the forge was a shared space, it was best to check with others before using a station.
“Haha, yeah, something like that. It’s rough work for both of us, huh?”
Anyone could handle rust removal and resharpening to some extent. It wasn’t uncommon for one party member to gather everyone’s weapons and handle maintenance like this. Most adventurers only took their weapons to a professional blacksmith when the damage became too severe.
This guy was probably on repair duty today—he had a whole pile of weapons stacked behind him, waiting to be sharpened.
“Alright, time to get started.”
The process itself was simple. Wet the blade, run it along the whetstone, and make sure to rinse frequently to prevent clogging. I let my 【Blacksmithing】 skill guide me and focused entirely on the task.
“Alright, that should do it.”
A few hours later, the work was done.
“Wow, that was fast.”
The guy next to me was only halfway done and looked at me enviously.
To test the sharpness, I placed a piece of wood in the test-cutting station.
“Alright. If it cuts cleanly, the sharpening was a success.”
Excited to see the results, I gently pressed the knife against the wood.
—Sliiiiice—
“Huh?”
The next moment, the wood split apart effortlessly, revealing a smooth, clean cut.
I stared in disbelief at the flawless cut surface lying before me.