“Good m, Lua.”

  “Brian. Good m.”

  I met up with Lua in the factory in the m.

  “Do you have anything pnned for today?” I asked.

  “Just the usual. I’ll be teag true blood magid then I’ll practice light magic.”

  “I see. Simple, huh.”

  “I guess. But it's not like there is a lot to do here. I’ll just spend time with everyone, and that is perfect. What about you, Brian? Any pns?”

  “Well, I do o go shopping.” I said. “o Queen said they are almost finished with a special room in the factory, so I’ll need some stuff for it.”

  “Special? Special how?”

  “It is basically spasuted from the factory itself. Ihere, my monsters should be able to work with real materials and make real items that I then take out with my ste.” I expined. “My pn was to have a smithy there, so my smiths and vampires make blood iron and vampiric steel whehey feel like it. And maybe some other stuff as well. I have the hide, well more like all of the materials, from that sword-horn bull, so I was thinking of having a cloak or a mantle made for me from that.”

  “I see. … Could you make me one?” Lua asked.

  “Sure, no problem. But I’m not sure if it will be better than the one you grimson.”

  “That’s fine. I just want something that isn’t dark red.” Lua said. “Maybe something that will get … a bit less attention.”

  “I see. Yes. I do that. I wouldn’t want others staring at you. Only I may do that.”

  “... I’m not sure if that was sweet or creepy.”

  “It should be a little of both.” I answered holy. “But this is just how I am. I don’t want others looking at my girlfriend in that way.”

  “I don’t know if that makes me happy or sad…”

  “Sorry. Again, this is who I am. If you want, we break this ht now. It isn’t too te and I will get off a lot easier than if you just decide to leave ter.”

  “No! I won’t leave. So… let’s just keep going. We figure everything out. Together.” Lua said.

  “Yeah. I hope we .”

  During breakfast, I asked where I should go for the things I need. Only to have everyone ask what I hings like a bcksmithing fe for. I just do, alright.

  “If you are seriously thinking about that, you should head for the Hill town of Yuva. It is a mining town on the eastern edge of the wyvern mountains. I think you went there, or almost there on one of the road safety checks.” The Earl told me. “But holy speaking, I’m not sure if they fulfill your wish of a fe that you put into iory. A fe is built into a building, or a building is built around a fe. It isn’t something people move.”

  Don’t they? Maybe they don’t. Sure these days we have movable fes, as we use things like propane which are easier to move than a bunch of coal, but maybe with the coal fes they use, it ’t be done.

  … but wait a sed. What about…

  “What about farriers?” I asked. Farriers, the people that trim horse’s feet and pce horseshoes on them, use small travel fes, right. And that profession is older than propane. Okay, not literally, sidering that propane is natural. It has existed for a long time. But it was discovered in 1850s or something. 1 Discovered in 1857 and became avaible (in the US) in 1911

  “They either use the fe at the pce where they are w, or the horses are brought to them.” The Earl answered.

  … I see. But hey, why am I fetting one important fact? This is a world of magic. They could use fire magiaybe earth magi trol metal.

  “Couldn’t they use fire magic?”

  “Some do. But it is not usually done, because of the amount of mana you would need for that. The trol is also quite advanced. Most people capable of magi that level would work in a different profession.” Paulina answered.

  Oh yeah. That little issue. I’m just too spoiled by my monsters. Sure they are great wizards es, but they will still make something simple for me, if I ask.

  “... my monsters…” I muttered.

  “What was that?”

  “No, nothing. I just got an idea where to get my fe from.” I answered. “Are there any quarries or other pces where I steal … borrow some stones from? With no iion of returning them?”

  “... steal? Brian, what do you ones for?” Paulina asked.

  “What do you think? I’ll make a fe out of them.” I answered.

  “It won’t work.” She said. “You will just melt the stone. You need special firebricks for a fe.”

  … of course it couldn’t be easy. Just my luck.

  “ I buy and or make those bricks?” I asked.

  “They are sold in Yuva, but it might take some time. So if you want them now, you might o make them. Sorry, but I don’t actually know how.” Paulina said.

  “... I might be able to figure something out. I hope. I just need a pce to get stone from. And everything else I need.” I said. I think someone like Granmarg the Rock Monarch make some fireproof stones. “... I guess I could just make a one quarry somewhere. Is there any pce I destroy for that?”

  “Are you being seriht now? Yoing to open a quarry just for that?” Paulina asked. “... Well, do whatever. Father, do you knoce?”

  “There are some he could use, however, I would prefer to keep them avaible for the future.” The Earl answered. “But with your airship, it should be no problem to go a little further, will it? How about you head over to the great forest and dig there? As far as we know, nothing but small monsters live there, so you do whatever you want.”

  Well, I did sider that as the best pce to do all of my fusion summonings already, so yeah. I think that will work.

  “Sure. That sounds fine. I’ll do that then.”

  In Gradius, alone, flying to God knows where. Well, I know where. To the forest. That keeps going, and going and going.

  Yeah. This forest is rge. And I ending some time just looking for any sort of clearing to start from, but I couldn’t find one.

  “... I won’t get anywhere like this.” I muttered. “Gradius, arm the ons. Let’s test out what kind of clearing you make.” I informed my ship. If I ’t find a clearing, I’ll make one.

  This Gradius had Cy Laser installed in it, so the ser ons came to life.

  Spoiler[colpse]I usually keep them off, just because I don’t want any misfires. And they start up in just a few seds anyway, if I hem.

  “Target the base of the trees, and fire.” I ordered.

  I could have do manually, but when you have a self-flying, self-targeting and self-shooting spaceship, why not have it do all of that for you.

  After a bit of shooting, we had a small clearing. I was thinking of going on, but then I recalled how long it took for Slot Mae to just clear a simple road from the dungeon out to the pins around Alewatch. If I used Gradius for anything more, we would be here until tomorrow. Sradius, but that is the truth. You are amazing for transport, but not so much for clearing trees. And holy, this might be enough space. And if it isn’t, I call a fire moo burn down some of the forest.

  I nded and unsummoned Gradius.

  “Now theh monsters, earth monsters.” I muttered, as I searched my colle. “Gemini Elf. Granmarg the Rock Monarch.” I summowo earth attribute mohat I think help me with this.

  Spoiler[colpse]Gemini Elf air of normal elves. Nothing that crazy about them. But Granmarg was a massive golem made from smooth, polished stoanding at about 10 meters tall, he was quite the sight to behold.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]

  “Gemini, you clear the loose earth, so we have access to the bedrock? Granmarg, you mihe rocks for me?” I asked.

  After a nod from both, or would it be all, as Gemini Elf is already two, of them, I got to work as well. My job? Pick all of the trees that we cut down into my iory. You never know when you need a bunch of wood. Though, I recall this wood being something you shouldn’t build with, so I ’t use it for that.

  “... actually, do I really even need a fe?” I questioned myself as I was looking at my monsters work. Every now and then I would get closer so I could shove piles of loose dirt, rocks and arbage into my ste. “Couldn’t I just … you know, have Legendary Fme Lord or just Hinotama Soul as the heat source?”

  (We could, but that won’t protect Kotetsu from the heat.) Laura said.

  (... But Kotetsu is fire attribute, so it should be fine.)

  Spoiler

  [colpse](Yes, but we are already here and w on it, so we should see it through to the end.) Laura said. (And if you are bored, you should just summon someone for sword practice. Your swordsmen are waiting for their turn to teach you.)

  “... yeah. I guess I should.”

  By the time I took my first break from sword practice, my two earth monsters had dug quite the rge hole. By the way, my swordsmanship teacher of the day was Celtic Guardian.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]

  But anyway, back to the hole. I had been st the materials from it into ste, Tahlia then used quality improvement to make them as good as she could, and now we had the raw resources to start looking at making a fe. Firebricks are mainly made from sili dioxide and aluminum oxide, as well as a some lesser materials. The silica would gh some sort of pseudo gss-like transformation wheed, and that would make the final bricks extremely heat resistant.2Again, super simplified version, but that is basically it. At least that is how I uood it, as Granmarg expi to me. Yeah, he speak.

  Anyway, I just summoned Legendary Fme Lord, so they would have the heat necessary, ahem take care of the rest.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]

  “... why is the hole like that? What is that lump?” I asked Gemini Elf.

  ““We don’t know.”” The two answered. “It seems to be rock.” “But we ’t influe with magic.” The two were then taking turns to speak.

  “... alright. So it is special earth? And even Granmarg couldn’t do anything about it?”

  ““Yes.”” The Geminis firmed.

  “... alrighty then.” Rock material that the Rock Monarch ’t do anything about. That is some level stuff. I wonder if one of my spell cards could make a hole in it? … maybe. I wonder.

  “Celtic Guardian. Jump there and stand on that … not normal rock stuff.” I ordered my summon. I had a card in mind that might work, but I need a moet with it. And don’t worry Celtic Guardian. If this kills you, I’ll be sure to summon you back with Monster Reborn.

  He did as ordered and I took out my card.

  “Fissure. Destroy Celtic Guardian.”

  Spoiler

  [colpse]This was my first idea. If that rock stuff ot be influehis should do nothing. But if fissure do something, it might not be as strange as I thought. Well, that was just a theory. And as Fissure needs a target, and it targets the lowest attack monster on the field, I had to have my Celtic Guardian stand there.

  … nothing happened. I guess that rock is more special than I thought. I took another look at my Fissure card, but it hadn’t even activated.

  … oh. Yeah. of course it didn’t. Fissure destroys your oppos monster with the lowest attack, so it wouldn’t destroy Celtic Guardian.

  “Celtic Guardian, you e back up. This won’t work.” I told my monster.

  … now I really wonder. What is that rock? It seems like a giant k of bedrock, but Granmarg and Gemini Elf couldn’t do anything to it, uhe rest of the bedrock, so it has to be different.

  (Laura, what do you think?) I asked her.

  I had summoned Wingweaver to take me down into the hole and I was currently standing on top of the mysterious bedroation.

  Spoiler

  [colpse]I had my hands on it, and I ressing mana into it, but all of my mana seemed to just be absorbed during the distaween my arms.

  (There are very few options.) Laura answered. (First, it might be a dormant SS-rank monster, made of stone. But that doesn’t seem overly likely, as it is actively abs the magic you pushed into it.)

  (Unless it is rec mana, and I just fed it.) I theorized.

  (Yes, that could be the case. However, I sent an inquiry to the wider system about this, and I didn’t get a report back about it being a monster, so I doubt it.)

  (You really o expin how the system works. I just don’t get it.)

  (... I’m sorry, but it is cssified. I’m currently waiting on the ao my question, so we should wait a bit longer.)

  (... alright. I guess we wait.)

  I had Wingweaver take me back up, and decided to have a snack break while I waited. … no, I’m not going to practice with my sword anymore. One hour is enough.

  A little while ter, the system responded. But not in the way I expected.

  Mission: Identify the DungeonGoal: The stone formation you found is a dungeon wall. Locate the entrao the dungeon, and find out if it is a rogue dungeon.Reward: Unlocks Tour Packs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as promo trades.

  So it is a dungeon. And all I have to do is locate the entrance. Sure I’ll only get some promo trades for it, but that’s something. Even thought I think most of the cards from the Tour Packs are in the repris I have. But as long as there is even one new card between those five sets, I’ll still be happy to do this mission, as it really shouldn’t be all that difficult.

  All I’ll have to do is burn the forest down until I find the entrance, and then install the Forest field spell to the ground trow some of it, if I burn too much.

  nro_8