Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?

Chapter 14: Making Takumi’s Armor

Around the time the Kaede Fever started to settle down, I decided to make the full set of armor for myself while receiving help from Bobon-san.

Bobon-san’s suggestion is to use the Huge Armored Boar’s hard-as-steel hide for the helmet, breastplate, shoulder pads, and gauntlet, and the flexible yet sturdy Blade Deer pelt for the lining and moving parts.

For enchantments, it’d only have Automatic Temperature Regulation for now. The plan is that, if I find the magic circles in a spellbook in town, I’ll add Self Repair and Automatic Size Adjustment.

「Takumi, I’ll take your measurements so don’t move.」

「But how would you make an armor from the hide of Huge Armored Boar that’s this hard?」

I don’t think it would heat up like metal in a furnace.

「Huh, it’s kinda the same as how an insect species would its exoskeleton. That’s the reason for the smithing magic, Craft. Though, before you mold it with Craft, it’s necessary to pour enough magic power into it to adapt it to yourself. I think that if it’s you, your magic power will be enough.」

Under Bobon-san’s tutelage, I molded the parts. Its consumption of magic power is definitely much larger compared to Magic Steel, but it was much easier when I started molding it with Craft.

The design of the helm is simple, and the interior is affixed with shock-absorbing cushioning.

Bobon-san cut the hide into parts, and sewed them.

「The Huge Armored Boar’s hide was dark brown, and yet it’s now close to black, isn’t it.」

「It probably changed in color because of Takumi’s magic power adhering to it. Stories of actual color tones of the materials and colors of finished products differing are something I often hear.」

The hard metal-like parts, ones unthinkable as a monster’s hide, were given a surface finishing and the black became close to gray when it settled. Additionally, to match, the other parts were hide parts dyed black but a bit brighter. Given that my concept is to not stand out, it should be difficult to find me at night and in dark forests.

「Takumi, while we’re at it, wanna make new boots too?」

「You’re right…… to make new ones now. I’ve given it a little thought too.」

「Then, I’ll give you the materials I’ve been holding on to.」

Saying that, Bobon-san went into his workshop. Bobon-san came back before long and in his hand was a bluish gray hide.

「This is a the skin of a Kelpie[1]. A Kelpie’s skin is exceedingly waterproof, very sturdy yet flexible. It’s a first class material for boots.」

「It’s such a valuable material, would that really be alright with you?」

When I said so, Bobon-san laughed it off.

「Listen Takumi, it might not look like it, but taking the materials from the Huge Armored Boar that I’ve received from you into consideration, I’ll be making a considerable profit.」

「Then it’s good if that is the case.」

「The tips and soles of the boot need some reinforcement. For when you need to kick, right?」

「No, I am an artisan though……」

Bobon-san scoffed as I said that.

「There ain’t an artisan that can walk in the forest alone.」

「Eh?」

「Normally, when an artisan goes out to harvest and mine, he’d go and hire an escort.」

「………………」

It would seem that although Bohd Village has few dangerous monsters nearby, the Blade Dear is one of those dangerous monster. Also, Bobon-san told me to take the Huge Armored Boar from the other day as an example, such a strong irregular monster appearing is strange even for this world.

「I think you are already at a level where you can make a living as a competent enough adventurer.」

「Nooo, I am unable to make a living with that.」

Certainly, the me who took down the blade deer to Huge Armored Boar calling myself an artisan might be branded a fraud by adventurers. After that, I heard that to subjugate a Huge Armored Boar, it takes at least a B ranked party of 4-5 adventurers.………yeah, it was hard to attack.

However, the fact is that I increase the levels of my combat type jobs for it to be useful to my artisan jobs. Thanks to switching to Mage in fights, my magic power increased, and the skill 『Insight』 that I learned in the middle of the fight is useful to both fighting and crafting.

「Well, Takumi is Takumi. Isn’t that a good thing?」

「…… as you say.」

The people of this village are truly genial.

They accepted me and treated me like family.

Though, I certainly have made contributions to the the village as well.

The influence I had in this village might not have been small. Supplying potions, information on sanitation, using Earth magic to form the protective walls of the village. Especially the hand pump Bobon-san and I made for the water well, I’m sure it made the villagers’ day to day life much easier.

I tried wearing the completed set of armor.

The Spider Silk used on the durable black cargo pants is stretchable so it doesn’t inhibit mobility. Since the shirt is also made of Spider Silk, on top of being durable, it is also smooth to the touch because of the thin threads used.

Furthermore, I wore the breastplate and shoulder pads together for my upper torso. Wearing the gauntlets, Kelpie boots, and putting on the helmet, my presence could be mistaken for as an assassin with these black and gray tones.

「Fumu, it doesn’t seem like we need to do any adjustments.」

「Yes, there are no problems.」

I moved while wearing the equipment, confirming that it didn’t inhibit my movement.

「Don’t feel so lonely.」said Bobon-san.

Everyone said that it would be better if I leave the village by the time that my armor is completed. Since it’s just around the time a peddler would visit, I should head to town by hitchhiking with the peddler, they said.

Though it was only for a short while, saying goodbye to the people I’ve come to know well is sad, but staying here indefinitely doesn’t feel right either, so, like Vanga-san and Martha-san said, I decided that this is the right time to leave the village.

***

Footnotes:

1. Kelpie, a water horse spirit of Scottish myth, they are capable of shape-shifting. They inhabit the Lochs and pools of Scotland. It is described to look like a horse, but can take a human form. Said to delight in drowning its victims. In certain stories, it loves the human liver. – Myth Wikia. …though of course my image of it is from the Persona series. ahaha…*ahem* 

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