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Chapter 72 – Life at the Blacksmith’s Workshop

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Author: Ash Original Source: Syosetu Word Count: 3882 characters
Translator: Musubii? Mii? Maybe. There was no name on this one I’m sorry! English Source: Re:Library Word Count: A number of words

 It was the second day and I had been forging all afternoon. I was now completing three every two hours instead of just one. It feels like I’ve been able to forge faster as my skill level goes up. But I have to forge a lot to reach LV5 right now.

 Since then, I would wake up in the morning and help prepare breakfast. I would forge swords during the day, eat dinner at night, take a bath and then sleep.

 ……..Oh right, when I took baths, my skin would hurt due to the heat from the furnace and sparks, so I also made a skincare potion.

 That said, it was basically a recovery potion. But due to that, my skin was still soft. Far from having any scars, my skin was pure white and flawless. I’m in the blacksmith trade with this, it feels like a lie……

 Afterward, I continued on with forging, and whenever I ran out of materials, I would ask the master for more steel and such. I would also go out every week to gather herbs and ingredients, and to take Norn and Bell out to exercise.

 While doing such a thing, my Harvesting skill finally became LV10. Hmm, but what to say……it feels like my DEX is only getting higher due to the skill level increasing…….never mind, there’s nothing bad about it increasing.

 Additionally, my knife throwing attacks and multi-tasking ability became skills. Sword Control Magic and Multi-task.

 The former would allow me to shoot knives more accurately than before. I was grateful that the MP consumption was also reduced. The latter would allow the use of multiple skills at the same time, and also enhance the effects when using a combination of skills. And when using other types of magic at the same time, I guess?

 Incidentally, both were LV3. Not that I’m thinking it would be great if both were just a bit higher. Mumumu.

 And with that in mind, I woke up in the morning. After I finished preparing and went to the dining room, I found the landlady grumbling. What’s wrong?

“Did something happen?”
“Hm? Ah, the little miss. Actually……”

 Apparently, the bakery that she usually asked for the bread in the morning ran out of flour due to a supplier problem. As such, she couldn’t procure the planned number of bread. In other words, they were worried about what to cook for breakfast to make up for the amount that was missing due to the deliveries.

“Those fellows eat quite a lot right from the morning.”

 This workshop was very large, but even so, everyone also ate a lot, so every meal was large regardless. Hmm, lack of bread would also mean a lack of carbs…….

 When I looked at the stove, I could see the usual large amount of vegetable soup in two large pots. And likewise the meat. Meat right in the morning. Hmm?

“Can I change this soup a bit?”
“Hm? I don’t mind, but what are you going to do?”
“I’m thinking of adding something to make up for the lack of bread.”
“Huh? Then I’ll leave it to you.”

 As I looked over the other ingredients, I found a lot of tomatoes that were bought for the salad, so I decided to use them.

 I boiled the tomatoes in hot water and peeled the skin. But since it took time and was troublesome, I asked the maid to help peel them. There was a considerable amount since it was for two large pots.

 Next, I kneaded the flour with water to make bite-sized flat dumplings. Even with the landlady helping, there was still a lot to make.

 If I steamed and crushed some potatoes before kneading them together, it would make them even more delicious, but this time I didn’t do so since there was no time.

 The tomatoes were all peeled by the time the dumplings were finished, so I began mixing them into the pot. Then I added a few peppers for a subtle taste. The landlady and the maid had a horrified look on their faces when the pot turned bright red, but I ignored them.

 Placing the potatoes right in would cause them to break apart if they weren’t boiled beforehand, but since I only kneaded it with wheat this time, I placed them right in. The color would be a bit off, but it couldn’t be helped. I didn’t have time so I would just have to deal with it. Afterward, I briefly skimmed the fat off.

 Once the dumplings finished cooking, I did a quick taste test. Perhaps I should sprinkle some dried parsley? Sujebi-style minestrone…..or minestrone-style sujebi? Well, either way is fine.

“Hmm, I guess it would be something like this?”
“……It’s really red.”
“I’ve never seen tomatoes in a soup before……”

 Hmm, I guess the recipe for minestrone doesn’t exist? Did I perhaps do something bad? Mumumuu. But since I already made it, it didn’t matter anymore. I would just have to push forward. Besides, the master has been helping me in various ways too.

 I offered a small dish to the two of them. Please have a taste~

“This is…good.”
“This is the first time I’ve had something like this, but it’s really good…..”
“So you used tomatoes for the soup……should I also try testing various things out?”

 Please make sure to actually research recipes.
 Soon after, everyone gathered in the dining room to eat.

“Landlady, there isn’t enough bread.”
“I’m sorry, something came up today. So we prepared something else instead.”
“……What is this…it’s really red.”
“This child made today’s soup. It’s really good, so why don’t you give it a try?”
“No, something this red, I don’t want it.”

“Is that so? Then you don’t have to eat it. I will eat that portion. It would be such a waste not to eat something so delicious.”
“…….Is it that good?”
“What? It’s too late now, okay? There’s none left for you!”
“Woah, what is this, it’s so good!”
“You’re right, it’s really good……after the first taste, I just can’t stop myself!”

 Hmm, looks like it’s getting good reviews~

 Soon, the pot was emptied instantaneously due to the repeated refills. The second son was staring at me accusingly because he had refused to eat it due to how it looked. But isn’t that his own fault? Blaming other people isn’t good~

 About two weeks later, my Blacksmithing skill level increased to 5.

 A few days after that, I was asked by the master to forge a sword while being observed by the other craftsmen. Which made me really nervous. But in return, I was told I would be given a sizeable amount of mithril ingots. So I accepted.

“It would be something like this.”
” ……Too fast.”
“I don’t get it.”

 For the time being, I was forging without using Creation Magic, so it was taking longer than usual. Nevertheless, I was still able to forge a sword at a reasonable speed even without magic, due to the rise in my skill level. After this, should I also try aiming for LV10 Metalworking?

“Do all you guys understand now? Age doesn’t mean anything, so instead of complaining, you should be working on improving your skills.”

 I know he’s trying to motivate the apprentices so I can’t really complain, and I am borrowing a smithy at his shop…….but your son is still glaring at me a lot. Please give me a break.

 But with that I’ve obtained the mithril ingots. If I raised my skill level a little more, I could start forging my own sword. But the goal was still a long way off.

 Two more weeks had passed and it was now August.

 As expected, I was beginning to get tired of the repetitive endless cycle of forging swords. Well, I was also forging spears, axes, and many other things, but I was still becoming tired of making weapons in general.

 As such, I was going to make something other than a sword. I was going all out in making convenient items. I first made a noodle making machine, or a pasta machine. It was the type that could make long pasta by turning the handle around. Since it was troublesome to make pasta using Creation Magic. What about using my hands? I didn’t want to since it would be troublesome. By replacing the mouthpiece, it could also cut out various unique shapes for short pasta.

 Next, I made a pocket watch. But the parts were so complex that I ended up scraping the entire thing, so I wound up just wasting time. Although the pocket watch wasted time, I made various kinds of cooking utensils afterward. Like a slicer or peeler. Simple but convenient. I also made numerous other things. Then I made various kitchen knives. When would I actually use these……

“Hmm, what else should I make? It feels like I’ve made everything already but……”

 In addition to cooking utensils, I also made various other items like nail clippers and other daily necessities. For now, I guess this should be about enough? Due to making numerous intricate items, I saw that my DEX went up when I checked my status. STR and VIT hadn’t gone up at all.

 Well, it’s alright. It didn’t matter since I had physical strengthening skills. Don’t mind it, don’t mind it.

 While making various things, I also continued forging swords at regular intervals. Eh? Isn’t this going against what I said earlier? Worrying about the details is good and all, but you’ll go bald if you worry about it too much, you know?

 As I continued on with making various things, one day, during a break before lunch, the landlady started complaining again.

“Did something happen?”
“Hm? No, just what should I make for today?”

 Again. The landlady is a good cook, so I look forward to eating her food, but she often agonizes like this. Well, I’m not really sure if it’s that often. But I guess people don’t really think about the troubles of the cook when they eat the same food every day? They would generally just complain. It’s hard to come up with a menu each day, truly.

 Hmm….since she does take care of me quite often every day……

“How about I make something for today?”
“……You will? Hmm……do you know of something that would make those gluttonous children happy?”
“Probably, it’ll be alright.”

 It’s time for the cooking utensils I made to shine!

 Eh? Shouldn’t I be keeping the recipes a secret? Well, the master was giving me various huge concessions…….so isn’t it alright to show them one or two?

 As such, I decided to use the pasta machine I made the other day. This time I would be making spaghetti with meat sauce. Tomato salad has been appearing on the table a lot lately, and there seems to be a lot of tomatoes left, so I guess I’ll put them to use? There’s also always plenty of pork, or rather orc meat, but there’s nothing wrong with using it as an ingredient.

 First, I asked the maid to make minced meat. That being said, I didn’t plan on having her do the heavy labor of mincing it using a kitchen knife. I also made a mincer recently, the type that would just have to be turned.

 I left the work of repeatedly kneading the noodle dough to the landlady. Me? I used the pasta machine to make noodles using the dough kneaded by the landlady. Then I boiled a large amount of hot water for all the portions. Since I would need it to boil all the noodles.

 As I waited for that to finish, I began making the meat sauce. Since I had to make a lot, I also taught the other two the recipe for making it. Both of them were watching me with shining eyes when I told them that it would also be great on salad and could be used in other ways. I guess the two of them will begin testing its various uses soon?

 After making a large amount of meat sauce, I began boiling the noodles. But it took a lot of time to boil such an absurd amount. After it finished boiling, the noodles were served on a plate with sauce drizzled over it.

 Along with a salad of fresh vegetables. I also made the dressing for it, but I kept that recipe a secret. Since it was lonesome without soup, I took out some onion soup as well. I kept that recipe a secret too. Ah, but I didn’t put any eggs in the onion soup, okay? Since eggs were somewhat considered a high-class good.

“Hm, I guess this should be good enough.”
“……It’s my first time trying a dish like this.”
“Ladylady, this soup is really delicious.”
“By the way, how would you eat this?”
“You would use a fork for this dish……”

 Apparently, long pasta dishes don’t exist around here, so I’m going to have to teach them how to eat it…….

 Meanwhile, everyone arrived at the dining hall and started eating. Everyone ate quickly without any words. A lot of people also asked for more. Soon, everyone became stuffed and bloated.

“……..It’s really good. What is this.”
“This child made today’s meal. All of it.”
“This is my first time eating this kind of food, but it’s really good.”
“The soup is also very rich and good!”
“Rather, the sauce on the salad? What is that? It feels like the salad is even better because of that.”

 At the end of the meal, everyone began discussing about the food, so we weren’t able to clean up.

“Hey, you all! Say thank you before you start talking about it! Normally, the little miss shouldn’t be doing this!”
“ “ “ Thanks for the food! ” ” ”

 Ah, it was nothing special?

 Or rather, being that grateful is kind of intimidating, so please tone it down a bit? The usually irritable second son was even bowing deeply to me. Delicious food sure is amazing. After that confusion, the landlady called out to me before I headed off for afternoon work.

“That machine that can make noodles and the one that cuts the meat, do you mind if we provide financing for it?”

 The food was well-received for the amount of work I put in……although I did cut some corners, I also have numerous other dishes aside from this one, so it should be fine?

“Umm, that depends on the price negotiation, I guess?”

 After that, I was taken to the commerce guild, registered in the guild, submitted a design plan, and granted a patent. Yep, that’s right. With this, I guess I will earn money every now and then? So a success?

 …….Huh?



 

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