CH 116

Chapter 116 – Crafter Meeting

It’s Sunday.

After waking up and getting a few things done, I log in for the morning.

Now, let’s test the crafting skills I learned yesterday!

First, «Magic Alchemist» seems like it should be fairly quick. It is linked to «Alchemist» and has no levels of its own. It seems to depend on «Alchemist».

[Magic Power Alchemy] uses recipes learned from the «Alchemy» line.

Until now, it was not possible to create weapons using «Alchemy». That’s because they were made with [Synthesis]. Regardless of their quality, it only creates weapons that are, at best, ordinary.

However, [Magic Power Alchemy] makes it possible to create weapons with the «Alchemist» skill. It could be considered blacksmithing for those with magic oriented stats.

In other words, it’s pretty difficult.

The biggest advantage of [Magic Power Alchemy]…might be crafting on-site? Blacksmithing naturally requires a certain amount of facilities, but for this there is no problem as long as you have the MP.

At the moment, the only thing I use that could be disposable is a pickaxe. If I were to bring along a piece of wood for the handle, I could just keep digging. Whether I would or not is another matter.

Disregarding quality, you can do all the crafting on the spot, as long as you have the alchemy formation. It might be useful if there is another desert island event.

I’m not in a situation where I’ll particularly make use of this art though. It would be better to ask Ertz-san or Nephrite-san. Lizzy’s burial gear is still at the material stage, so it’s of no use.

So, next.

Also from «Magic Alchemist», there is [Create Cartridge]. Simply put, it’s an art to make the external fuel for magic guns.

For now, let’s make ammunition of each type at B+ or higher, which is the upper limit for quality that can be made with [Reproduction]. I think it should sell if mass-produced. I’m still not sure how useful they are or how often they’ll be used, but they should at least be used more than the res potions. Depending on the specifications, maybe even more than HP or MP potions, though the unit price will be a bit higher…

For the time being, I’ll make the auto cartridges, magnum cartridges, pellet cartridges and rifle cartridges.

…I wonder which one will sell the best. The number of users should directly affect the sales of the item.

It’s not an FPS game….so considering the fields, snipers would be best. But I think shotguns will be strong in caves and ruin dungeons, and handguns in forest dungeons. Trees will get in the way of snipers and shotguns need a certain range.

…So have them all, yep!

<Specific requirements were fulfilled, the recipe [Lightweight Auto Cartridge] for «Magic Alchemist» was learned>

<Specific requirements were fulfilled, the recipe [Lightweight Magnum Cartridge] for «Magic Alchemist» was learned>

<Specific requirements were fulfilled, the recipe [Lightweight Pellet Cartridge] for «Magic Alchemist» was learned>

<Specific requirements were fulfilled, the recipe [Lightweight Rifle Cartridge] for «Magic Alchemist» was learned>

Oh? They were unlocked while I was making cartridges, so I suppose the condition is the number of them crafted.

I should compare the item text.

[Bullet] Auto Cartridge

A cartridge for use in automatic handguns.

Bullets with a shape standardised for use in automatic weapons, designed to make the energy easier to handle.

[Bullet] Lightweight Auto Cartridge

A cartridge for use in automatic handguns that contains a small amount of magic power.

Cartridges similar to those used in the world of the Outsiders.

Unlike normal cartridges, there is no power amplification effect, but when consumed, they can be fired without needing to charge magic power.

I…see…? This…might be nice for a sub-weapon. If you hang it on your belt, there’s no need to mess with the UI to change equipment…

Simply put, even without using MP, it allows you to perform long-range attacks even with spirit oriented stats…or so it seems. In other words, it’s good as a healer’s emergency weapon.

Healers don’t have to worry about their stats and can still attack from a distance without worrying about MP management in an emergency. This is a big deal.

In my case, it can save MP when hunting. If I need more firepower, rather than changing cartridges I can holster it back on my waist and switch to my book.

For that matter…If I have a tank such as Alf-san along, assuming the enemy has no ranged attacks, I can increase my firepower by using both gun and book. It definitely seems strong. You often see characters in media using a sword in the right hand and a gun in the left, but honestly, it seems like the gun would just be a hindrance. …Yeah, there’s no turning away from the fact it would be really difficult.

In the first place, it should be impossible to use forms while equipped with a gun. It would just end up being half-baked, so let’s give up on it gracefully.

I can still use both gun and magic when I have a tank. Firing the gun without using MP, while shooting off magic, will definitely cause a jump in DPS. As an attacker, I should do it…

…I should continue making cartridges, anyway.

As for guns, I can think about that more later, when I’m checking out «Magic Engineer».

For lightweight… I can do a lot at once. Even though there are no AR’s, SMG’s or LMG’s, there will still be a lot of shooting, so more is better.

Once the quality has been improved, mass production of cartridges is pretty easy. They also don’t cost much. Setting aside the lightweight ones, compared to arrows, the normal ones should be…maybe just a little more.

Unlike arrows, it doesn’t use any materials, but only one cartridge can be made per production. It is possible to use [Reproduction] at max MP to make a few, wait in a safe area for the increased regeneration, then use [Reproduction] again to make more. It might not use any materials, but it’s still going to take a lot of time.

In other words, mass production of normal cartridges is very troublesome. They’ll need to sell for a reasonable price for it to be worth making them. That said, I’m not so busy that I can’t make some now and then.

Before I go to bed, I’ll put the ones I made while raising quality up on consignment fairly cheap. Even if the quality is poor, they should still sell. There will definitely be people wanting to try them out. If it’s just for trying, then they’ll go with the cheapest, lowest quality. So I’ll keep the price slightly lower than in the shops.

Now then, time to take a look at «Magic Engineer».

According to what the shop clerk told me, this skill is supposed to be linked to other crafting skills in order to create equipment. In my case, it’s linked to «Alchemist» as well as «Magic Alchemist».

«Magic Engineer» requires an original recipe. The process for making equipment is a little different from making potions.

The first step is to create a blueprint, so you choose a base body from among the basic recipes, such as a longsword or katana.

After the deployed blueprint is rewritten, it can be named and saved as an original recipe. At this point, the recipe is saved as either a general original recipe or a detailed original recipe.

Detailed recipes specify everything in detail, down to the material used for each part, while general recipes display a required amount of materials corresponding to a level range selected at the time of crafting.

In addition to those two, there are also original general magic recipes and original detailed magic recipes.

The names are quite long, so players have started cutting out the ‘original’ part.

So, first of all, let’s take a look at the basic recipe to use as the base of the gun…I didn’t buy a recipe book. I’ll go get one…

I bought it from the shop in the Empire.

Now the question is automatic or revolver? They each have their own advantages and disadvantages, so deciding which to use is troubling.

For now, I’ll look at both templates and check the specifications of «Magic Engineer». I know the general structure of the gun itself, so the important part is how it changes after adding the magic paths.

It seems that there are separate tabs for physical and magical specs.

…Oh, it’s pretty simple. The revolver has only a [magic furnace], a [sensing mechanism], a [signal circuit] and a [switching circuit].

The cylinder part is the [magic furnace] and the trigger and hammer have the [sensing mechanism], with the [magic furnace] and [sensing mechanism] connected by the [signal circuit].

The cylinder, trigger and hammer can form either a Y-shape or a T-shape. At any rate, there is a [switching circuit] at the junction.

The revolver uses the cartridge to ‘manually lower the hammer’. Lowering the hammer activates the [sensing mechanism] and the [switching circuit] cuts the [signal circuit] connecting the trigger and the cylinder.

Then it is just like a real gun. When the trigger is pulled, the physical structure causes the hammer to move and the cartridge is used. The return of the hammer activates the [sensing mechanism] again, and the [switching circuit] reconnects the [signal circuit] between the trigger and the cylinder.

As far as I can see, the [magic furnace] holds the magic power, and when the trigger is pulled, the [sensing mechanism] activates and the [signal circuit] transmits to the [magic furnace], converting the stored magic power into energy. Unlike the magic cannons on the battleships, there is a physical barrel, so it is fired from there.

Automatics seem to be a bit more complicated.

Um… the [magic furnace] in the chamber is the same, but there are two [sensing mechanisms] on the trigger. So there’s one on the first stage and one on the second stage of the trigger.

And there needs to be a mechanism for the automatic blowback. The part that contains the spring, if I remember right. That’s where the [detachment mechanism] and [sensing mechanism] are used.

The [sensing mechanism] for the first stage of the trigger and the [magic furnace] in the chamber are connected by a [signal circuit], which is for firing, the same as the revolver.

The [sensing mechanism] for the second stage of the trigger is connected to the [sensing mechanism] of the spring section by a [signal circuit]. …And the [sensing mechanism] and [detachment mechanism] in the spring section are also connected by a [signal circuit]. That must be to enable the sliding on the second stage of the trigger.

In order to make it slide, the [magic furnace] in the chamber and the [detachment mechanism] in the spring section are connected by a [magic path]. Probably to provide the magic power to run the [detachment mechanism].

The [sensing mechanism] in the spring section is also connected to the firing pin by a [signal circuit]. The [sensing mechanism] in this part seems to be connected to three points. But, this….Ah, the signal to the firing pin is delayed.

Unlike the revolver, the firing pin here is not physically connected like in a real gun.

It seems to behave in the same way as during the test firing at the store. It fires with magic power at the first stage of the trigger. When the trigger is pulled to the second stage, the cartridge is automatically loaded and used. After the cartridge is loaded you can fully release the trigger, then pull it to the first stage to fire again.

It seems like it would be easier to use if the trigger had a single stage and the cartridge system was an independent function located on the grip. I’ll leave it as is this time, but if I want to use it like that I’ll need to adjust the blueprint.

Looking at the automatics and revolvers, I have noticed that the grip and the [magic furnace] are not connected by a [magic path]. In other words, if the grip that receives the magic power and the [magic furnace] are in direct contact, is the [magic path] unnecessary?

Maintenance will be easier…which is good, but I wonder about the efficiency. Since it needs to be verified, I’ll put it aside for now. I can think about it if I end up using it.

Well, I’ve finished checking the magic structure. Now I can start playing about with it while checking the physical structure. The defaults are magic iron and a [magic furnace]? What’s this? Umm… there’s a specific crystal as a required material. …That means it must be used as the core, but why specific, I wonder. This is a case for the message board. I’ll see what I can find.

Fumu. It seems that crystals from the Crystal Forest of the Mage Count of Calestia, in the south-west of the Dinite Empire, can be used.

I’ll buy a medium sized B grade one through consignment.

Now, let’s adjust the recipe.

For both automatics and revolvers, I like long-barreled guns. The effect of the length of the barrel is… an increase or decrease in accuracy and power, and also a change to recoil and rate of fire. So choosing between a long or short barrel does make a difference.

It’s a bit troubling. In order to increase the advantages, it would be better to use a revolver with a long barrel rather than an automatic with one. To make up for the shortcomings, an automatic with a long barrel or a revolver with a short barrel would be best.

Can the calibre be changed? It would be even more complicated if so… but it seems to be impossible. Maybe because the cartridge is a fixed size.

As for optional parts… it looks like they are included in the recipe.

For the time being, I’ll extend the barrel, and the optional parts I want are… optical and laser sights. Well, the names are different but the effect is the same. Holo… no, let’s go with a dot sight. For a handgun, the laser will probably be the most important.

This is…a mounting rail? Maybe it’s meant to be used to attach a grenade launcher. I feel like it can only be used with sniper rifles, but I like that there are all kinds of things you might find in FPS games.

The last part would be choosing materials. The minimum requirement would be magic iron, since it’s a magic gun, but it doesn’t have to be all magic iron, does it? It should be okay to emphasise durability or reduced weight for the exterior.

In that case, magic power flows into the gun from the hand, so the grip. The barrel and chamber, of course, but I expect the trigger and firing pin, too. I don’t think the other parts have any need for magical aptitude.

Magic iron was…the level 30 range, was it. That’s too low. So the material can be mithril, which was around 45. Other than that…I’ll go with lytium for reduced weight. A gun should be light.

The magazine should also be lytium. The lack of a quick loader for magazines is a bit concerning, but I’ll make several of them. For now…4 should do.

The initial template doesn’t have any rifling. I don’t know if it has any effect on magic, but I’ll try it. It looks simple enough. Just a long handgun.

If I want to use it seriously, I’ll probably have to ask Ertz-san to make it for me, but this is enough for a trial. I don’t intend to get involved in alloy blending or the like.

Well, the template is ready for now. Mithril is silver with a slight blue tinge, and lytium is close to white. They don’t look too bad.

I should also make the optional parts, the laser sight and dot sight… maybe I should make a rail and grenade launcher too. Oops, I also need a holster. The defaults should be sufficient for that though.

Now that I’ve prepared all the needed ingredients, it’s time to put it together.

…Hm? Ah, it seems that the magic furnace can be prepared separately with «Alchemist». Then let’s make that first.

[Change State] is used to liquefy the crystal that I bought. The impurities are removed with [Separation], then it’s crystalised again using [Sealed Crystal]…so, that’s it done.

[Material] Magic Furnace　Rarity: Ra　Quality: B+

A crystal of increased purity with the property of storing magic power, adjusted for use with «Magic Engineer».

A function has been added to activate the stored magic power and dissipate it as energy into the surroundings.

Adjusted for «Magic Engineer»…I see. Then it’s more efficient to prepare it separately. It would just be a pointless hassle otherwise, though.

Oh, [attribute conversion mechanism]. This requires either an attribute magic stone or a gemstone. As for the size…it’s not specified, so anything should work. I could make a small one to fit to the side of the barrel. If I make it a detachable structure, it should be possible to switch between magic stones.

…I see that there are people on the board that have already tried it. Apparently, if you add an attribute, your racial attribute bonus will be added on to it. In that case, I should use light or dark.

I can think about selling it if I end up not using it. I think it is most likely to be useful against undead at present.

Currently, there are weapons made from attribute metals and «Magic Equipment» which embodies the attribute magic of the user. In addition to that there is now the [attribute conversion mechanism]. You could attach an [attribute conversion mechanism] to a fire attribute weapon, then clad it in fire with «Magic Equipment». It would make it a very effective weapon for a single attribute.

…But I don’t know if it’s worth doing.

Anyway, I need to make those optional parts.

<Specific requirements were fulfilled, the recipe [Grenade Cartridge] for «Magic Alchemist» was learned>

Fumu. The recipe has unlocked, so it was worth making even if I don’t use it.

It seems that they are the same as the other cartridges. I can make and sell grenade cartridges now too.

Grenades are larger than other cartridges. It’s a specialised round that needs the underbarrel mount, and unlike the others is a ranged attack that explodes.

Alright, time to go to the Nether army training ground to try out what I just made. No, considering it’s considered as a normal attack, maybe I should go to Primula-san’s. The training dummies in the Nether are too strong.

So, teleport over to the Starting Town, then head over to Primula-san’s shop.

Assault, on someone else’s firing range.

It’s a new trend, so there are several people here to try them out. I’ll give it a try too.

Hmm… the lightweight cartridges seem to do about 90% of the damage of the normal ones. The power is reduced, but the DPS seems to be higher with the lightweight due to the increased rapid-fire capability. But you will run through them quickly, so money will run out at a tremendous rate if you can’t make your own.

Rather, I feel like the lightweight cartridges shouldn’t work with the structure of the gun, so it is quite game-like. It’s an advantage that the body doesn’t have to be made to match the bullets.

More than that, reloading is really troublesome. It’s a hassle. It won’t be so bad in a normal hunt, where the fight ends quickly, but it will be unbearable over a long boss fight. A speed loader simplifies and speeds up reloading, but it’s useless if you don’t load the bullets into it.

There is probably an automatic reloading art for the «Magic Gun» skill, but I expect it to show up in the later half.

“Princess, what’s with that gun’s behaviour?”

“If you lend me an empty magazine, I can fill it.”

“Huh, here you go.”

Once an empty magazine or speed loader is in the inventory, it can be reloaded through the UI. This is easier and much faster.

I would like to see a special pouch or belt that automatically loads ammunition I have on hand. Automatic recovery for magazines and speed loaders would be great, too.

“Lightweight cartridge…so there was such a thing! That’s getting me fired up!”

“It’s a recipe that was unlocked by making normal cartridges.”

“Uhohoho….It’s really jumping, huh?’

“It gets pretty violent when firing rapidly. Recoil control, please.”

“…I don’t care about the reduced power when you can fire this quickly, but recocon would be nice.”

The recoil control familiar from FPS games…sometimes called recocon, can be ignored to a degree through stats. In fact, it doesn’t bother me much. It is probably strength or dexterity. Or it could be both.

“By the way, Princess, have you seen the SS that was posted on the BBS earlier? The one that shows the Machinery Resident in the back.”

“…The one with the fleet?”

“Right, right. Apparently their bullets are made with EP, but it might be possible to make them.”

“Certainly. But the calibre is important. They use a stack of small barrels.”

“Ah, right. Which is probably why it’s powerful. What about making artificial magic stones or something?”

“…That is worth a try.”

The cartridges are the embodiment of magic power, so it shouldn’t be strange if artificial magic stones can be made? I don’t have a recipe for it, but I’ll give it a try.

With my hand held palm up, try my best to make a sphere of magic.

“Rasengan…”

“Fufufu….ah.”

“Ah, sorry.”

It fizzled out because I laughed. It’s a failure, of course.

However, considering that it’s a magic stone, I should think about compressing it to be a bit smaller.

…Oh?

[Material] Artificial Magic Stone (Minimum)　Rarity: Ep

A material formed by intentionally compressing magic power into a very small size.

An alternative to alchemical magic stones.

“So you can do it.”

“It’s a good thing that the price of magic stones will go down.”

“It’s not so good for the non-crafter side.”

“«Alchemy» uses a lot of them, but they are rare drops…”

“Well, it’s good that the price of alchemy products will drop.”

The cost can be lowered by as much as the material would have cost, while still making the same amount of profit.

That aside, there should be a recipe or art for it, if it’s possible to make them. It might show up if I make some more, so I will do a few.

“We’re in town at the moment so it’s fine, but…isn’t the MP cost relatively high?”

“There’s no need to go outside to make them, so does it matter?”

“That’s true.”

<Specific requirements were fulfilled, an Extra Art has been added to «Magic Alchemist»>

[Magic Stone Transmutation]

Generate artificial magic stones. The size is influenced by the creator.

Alright, it appeared.

The size is based on the creator… so base level, status or skill level.

“It takes 20% of my max MP even for the smallest size.”

“That’s on the assumption of being in town.”

“And the option to craft maximum sized ones is greyed out…”

“Even you can’t make it, Princess? The conditions seem to be tough.”

“Well, rather than that, the gun.”

“Oh! You’re going to use it?”

“The main point was to test that. I might temporarily switch weapons.”

That said, the damage is lower than I expected. Even though it’s equipped with an [attribute conversion mechanism] and should be receiving a boost from my racial skills, it’s still low.

I feel like it’s low even for not having a magic gun skill. On the other hand, Athame’s attack damage is high. And my Athame can be used as a serpentine sword. …It can perform medium range attacks.

Hmmm…

“Athame, huh?”

“That’s right… the difference in damage is more than I expected.’

“I can only assume it’s due to skill compensation.”

Athame receives bonuses from five skills: «Slender Sword», «Serpentine Sword», «Kokon Musou – Single Sword Style», «Magic Catalyst» and «Super-Class Magic Ability». It also has a rarity of ‘Go’. On the other hand, without skills to provide the hidden bonuses, it would be quite a disappointment. The attack power of the weapon itself…it’s basic offensive power, is quite low.

So at least while using mithril… farewell, magic gun, I don’t need you.

“…Maybe I should sell it. Want to buy the ammo?”

“Oh, I’ll buy it. It’s going to take a while for it to show up!”

“It’s fairly easy to make…so I guess this much…”

“…Can you make it a bit cheaper? Considering that consumption…”

I made a lot, so I can put half of it on consignment. I can also let go of the optional parts I made. They’ll become fertiliser otherwise, so it’s all good.

It should be a good weapon for priests. Considering the skill compensation, maybe a sub-weapon for Inhumans with attributes.

My personal conclusion is that my left and right weapons aren’t going to change. Let’s stick to this fighting style. Athame and the Book of Elder Records are strong.

I sell the items I want to be rid of to the people at the shooting range, put the rest on consignment, return to my palace and log out.

It’s time to have some lunch.

Time to log in for the afternoon.

I should check with my personal maid, Elianora, about the preparations I asked to be made. The crafting team will be here in the afternoon, so I asked her to set up the tables and chairs before they get here.

The crystal lotuses are blooming beautifully as always today. …But I’ll try to ignore how energetic the magic army bees are.

Everything has been prepared as I asked, so there should be no problems. I’m only providing the location and the tea this time, while the others can fetch what they like. Magillas-san is coming too, so there is no need to cook.

Elianora and the other maids are enthusiastic about preparing the tea, and the tea leaves grow on their own in my garden.

…I suppose I will craft a bit until the meeting time. It’s nice to be able to improve my skills and make money at the same time. Sometimes the demand doesn’t match up with the skill raising though, so you end up saddened by having to make rubbish.

<Salute has come to visit>

<Dantel has come to visit>

It looks like they have started to arrive.

The maids should guide them, so I’ll head over too.

“Welcome. To our venue where flowers bloom and wings roar.”

“The roaring wings are lol.”

“It really feels like housing that prioritises functionality.”

“Though I also have four rooms taken over by silkworms.”

The magic army bees provide many things, so there’s no option for me to remove them. Function before appearance. It’s a game, so it can’t be helped.

A little while later, everyone has gathered.

“Alright, let’s get started!”

“It’s a big group today!”

Dantel-san for tailoring, Salute-san for mixing, Primula-san for woodworking, Ertz-san for blacksmithing, Nephrite-san for handicrafting, Magillas-san for cooking, me for alchemy, and finally a newcomer, Karakuri-san, for doll making.

As Primula-san says, it’s a tea party with eight attendees. There are more skills classified as crafting, but these are all of my acquaintances who have a third tier skill.

Each of us serves the sweets and such that we brought, then it’s time for the tea party while chatting about crafting related subjects to begin.

“Today’s topic is the crafting skills found yesterday?”

“Right. What are they like for each of you?”

“Well, it’s unrelated to mixing at the moment.”

“Cooking is the same.”

Salute-san and Magillas-san both have skills that don’t seem to be affected. At best, maybe it could be worked into the mixing kit or cooking utensils?

“I still don’t know for woodworking!”

“Is it possible to use with wands?”

“It seems like it could be, but the balance between effort and effect is…”

It is possible to improve the efficiency of magic power by processing the magic catalyst, but apparently the efficiency will decrease instead if it is done poorly, so the balance between time, effect and price is tricky.

“It’s fine if you put in the effort, but from a cost performance point of view, it’s rubbish.”

“Completely for custom orders then?”

“I can’t mass-produce it because there’s too little difference and it changes depending on item type!”

In real life, it would depend on the material, but since it’s a game it seems to depend on the item type. Well, I suppose that different item types would have their own trends and tendencies too.

“What about metal wands?”

“That would be the realm of alchemy rather than woodworking, wouldn’t it?”

“…That’s true. But I don’t have a recipe for a metal magic catalyst.”

“Ah, so it’s impossible without the recipe for the magic catalyst.”

This seems like something to ask my master about. I’ll go and visit her soon.

Karakuri-san is the next to speak. As the person dealing with dolls, it seems that Shirabesuki-san passed along my doll core.

“Thanks to Princess, the dolls we’ve been dreaming about should start to appear. There’s still not a lot of information on automatic dolls, but «Magic Engineer» works on dolls, so it’s full of romance.”

“Ohh, so it can be used directly on dolls. Can a doll made using «Magic Engineer» use a weapon made with «Magic Engineer»?”

“Would the doll be able to activate it?”

“What if you put a [magic path] to the doll’s hand?”

“That might work, but would there be enough power?”

Karakuri-san and Ertz-san are getting excited.

The doll will be powered by magic, so if the weapon also consumes it, the operating time seems like it would decrease.

“At any rate, of the two cores given to me by Princess, one has become this girl.”

The doll that is taken out looks to be about 130 centimetres tall. A ball-jointed doll.

….This is!

“”Demolition doll!””

“Do you know Raiden?”

It was me and Primula-san that reacted.

It is equipped with a set of the dismantling tools I bought from Primula-san. A doll capable of acting as a proxy for manual dismantling.

“So it’s an automatic doll after all. A proxy dismantler.”

“It’s getting more and more expensive. I mean, what’s the demand for dismantling tool sets?”

“They’re selling surprisingly well. I wonder if the dolls should be sold separately.’

Maybe the improved drop quality is appealing. It seems that the hunter style players have come to buy them.

Supply is also a problem. Alchemists have been increasing recently, but there are still few doll makers. «Doll Magic» is almost non-existent.

“Then, this child is the other one.”

“…This one is better for dressing up!”

The new doll that has come out is not one that is ball-jointed, but a doll that has joints that don’t feel at all out of place. Enough so to make Dantel-san react to it.

It is a seamless type that can be made from the third tier of the skill. The joints are hidden very well, so you might not notice it’s a doll at first glance. The blue hair would be a bit of a giveaway on the real side, but this is a fantasy world.

“I’d like a lot of doll cores for my research.”

“The work itself is relatively simple, but it requires magic stones and gemstones of the same size.”

“I don’t know what impact core quality has, or the difference between different core sizes. Oh, and if there’s a difference from the type of gem used.”

“It’s hard to prepare the materials when it comes to making one for each size and attribute. It’s for testing, so I’d like them to be the same quality too, but I still can’t adjust the quality at the moment.”

“Hmm… can you prepare them to an extent if I pay for it?”

“That would depend on Nephrite-san’s gemstones. The size of the magic stone can be adjusted.”

“Well, I do have gemstones in stock.”

I receive gems of each attribute, in matching sizes, from Nephrite-san and leave to quickly make the cores in the alchemy room.

After returning, I lay them out on the table. As the raw materials are gems and magic stones, they are quite beautiful. In terms of shape, they are like oval cut gemstones, so elliptical.

“Fumufumu. Even at the core stage, it’s possible to understand somewhat.”

“How’s that?”

“It seems they will be resistant to the attribute of the core. And it looks like magic of the same attribute as the core will cost a little less.”

“Hard to decide what to do with them?”

“Looking at what Princess has made, it seems like the effects of both quality and size can be tested. I’ll have to prepare 10 bodies same type when I get back. I should match the eyes to the core attribute. How do I differentiate the different core sizes…”

It sounds like she’s having fun while talking with Ertz-san. Incidentally, I don’t have any doll related skills, so I can’t see the details.

The main focus is on core verification, so the bodies should be as close to identical as possible. However, it will become troublesome if they can’t be told apart at a glance. Hair and eye colour don’t seem to have any effect on performance, and the only other thing would be clothing. That is Dantel-san’s area.

“Do automatic dolls have an operating time limit?”

“I’m curious about that too.”

I’m also curious. There are playable Machinery and dolls that are connected to the user, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the automatic dolls need a power source.

“They don’t. It just seems that the core affects expandability, which is still unclear.”

“Expandability, huh. I don’t have any recipe but the doll core…”

“Seriously?”

Nobody else seems to have one either.

So, as a result of giving the automatic doll to everyone, the recipe was only available for me and Nephrite-san. It is available for «Alchemy» and «Handicrafting».

I’ll investigate it with Nephrite-san.

“Hmmm? Adjusted for automatic dolls..huh.”

“It’s the same here. It’s similar to the [magic furnace] which was adjusted for use in magic guns.”

“There was something like that for magic guns? I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

Oh, if Ertz-san hasn’t seen it before, it seems like it would be more efficient to prepare it separately, as I thought.

It’s good to know that they can be prepared by «Handicrafting» as well as «Alchemy».

“What about guns, Ertz-san?”

“I made a few.”

“Did you not get a pop-up about preparing a separate [magic furnace], then?”

“Nothing like that showed up…«Alchemy», huh.”

“It looks like you can make adjusted cores with «Handicrafting» too.”

We’ve got confirmation from Ertz-san in regards to «Blacksmith», so I’ll check with Nephrite-san about the [magic furnace] and [attribute conversion mechanism].

“I see, I certainly can make them.”

‘It looks like we can make money with intermediate materials again.”

“Gemstone inventory is the problem…”

“The usage and demand will increase, but the supply will remain the same…”

“I wonder if there’s a mine somewhere that only provides gems! Do your best, fantasy!

Even if there were, it would definitely be under the jurisdiction of the country, if near a human settlement. Probably the domain of royalty or a duke. A marquis…might be right on the edge. Anything lower than that and it would be too much for them to handle.

Security against looting, embezzlement prevention, gemstone appraisal, negotiation with merchants and craftsmen…there would be a lot to deal with. If a lower rank were to have it, it would probably be taken by someone of higher rank, but if anyone should have it, it is the higher ranks.

“The [magic furnace] requires a crystal, so shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Crystal Forest, was it?”

“That seems the best place. I’d like a gemstone version.”

I’ve never been there, but apparently it’s exactly as the name suggests. Going to collect the crystals in person seems fine, but honestly, it’s much easier to buy the crystals on consignment, process them, then sell the result.

Well, this is just a choice of what to prioritise. If you want to raise gathering skills, you have no choice but to go and gather yourself. If you are just focusing on levelling the crafting skill, it’s fine to buy the items.

…Though whether or not you can make a profit will depend on the price of the material and price after processing.

“Quite a lot has become possible this time…but the best might be for Machinery.”

“”Ah, optionals?””

“Yeah.”

Nephrite-san and Karakuri-san, who responded to Ertz-san, are both Machinery.

It looks like optional parts that can be equipped by Machinery can now be crafted. Resident Machinery have been seen equipped with them from time to time, but it was assumed that they would come from treasure chest drops in places like the ruin dungeon, for players.

“Could you make something like an auxiliary arm?”

“That’s certainly something I’d want.”

“Four arms would definitely help crafting progress.”

“Securing something in place with two and working with the other two, things would be a lot easier.”

“Right, right. Absolutely.”

True enough, if it’s just to hold something in place, it’s enough to be able to move them a little. For something that simple, I would expect the system to provide support, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.

“Auxiliary arms for crafters, huh…it’s certainly possible to make them.”

“Did you make any equipment?”

“Yeah. But some of it seems to require energy management.”

That must be the Machinery-specific EP management, instead of MP.

Adding optional parts will of course increase EP consumption. It’s nothing difficult, but just like an increase in power consumption.

Come to think of it, does the maximum EP capacity increase with the level? There are two Machinery here, so it’s a good time to ask.

With that in mind, I ask Nephrite-san and Karakuri-san.

“Rather, it only goes up with the level.”

“There’s nothing like a passive MP increase. But there’s an equipment slot in the chest, so there are items.”

“I see, so there’s something like a generator.”

“The standard ones would be a core, driver or reactor?”

Well, there’s something… The problem is we don’t have a recipe for them.

“There could be the possibility of it being a rare drop from enemies in the ruins, though?”

“It seems possible. It’s an important part, but it must be a rare drop of a rare enemy.”

“Or an enemy that there are few of, like the Elimination Types.”

If that’s the case, it’s going to be tough for the Machinery players. The armoured types are already over-technology, so the heart of a Machinery should be like a black box. In that case, it would only be obtained as a drop, but since it’s a game, it wouldn’t be surprising if it could be made too.

Since there are no related recipes at the moment, even if it’s possible to make them, it must be locked behind certain conditions.

There is no break in the conversation. While sampling Magillas-san’s new creations, time passed peacefully.

There is a lot to talk about when it comes to crafting… The locations in which to collect materials and how easily they can be processed, how we did one thing or another with a material and it didn’t work, or how we can make use of materials used elsewhere, for example.

It’s a tea party that brings together people with different crafting skills, making it easy to talk about the potential for using a product from a different skill to make something new.

‘Materials’ are the items used for crafting that are obtained by gathering or dismantling, while ‘intermediate materials’ are, as the name implies, the stage after they have been processed but before they become a finished product.

An easy to understand intermediate material would be an ingot. The ‘material’ is the mined ore, the ‘intermediate material’ is the ingot refined from the ore and the ‘product’ is the finished weapon.

However, if the question of whether it’s necessary to use that naming strictly were to come up, I’d say it’s not…is kind of how it is. Mixing medicinal herbs and distilled water to produce potions, for example. The medicinal herb is a ‘material’, the distilled water an ‘intermediate material’ and the ‘product’ is the potion, but both the herb and water can be conveyed as just materials, right?

Whether it’s a case of ‘not enough of this material’ or ‘not enough of this intermediate material’, it’s still just a matter of ‘what is missing’.

When looking at recipes on the wiki, it might be slightly easier if they are separated… but that’s about all it matters for. Still, it’s enough that it makes it easier to tell which materials you don’t recognise. You can often get a general idea from the name of the item. If you see ‘such-and-such ingots’…it should be pretty easy to tell what they are, right? Even ‘such-and-such medicine’ can be narrowed down to «Mixing» or «Alchemy».

Anyway, I’m interested in certain intermediate materials too.

“Dantel-san. Do you have silkworm thread in stock?”

“Hmm? Of course I do.”

“I was wondering if that could be made into attributed thread.”

“Attributed metallic thread!?”

“Mm, I’m curious about that too. But I want to think about thread and gems first.”

There was my early faded equipment. It was like a metallic thread, so I wonder if it can be made from attribute metal and thread. I don’t think simply using [Synthesis] is enough though.

Whether we give an attribute to thread, turn attributed metal into thread, knead attribute metals with thread, or add an attribute after turning metal into thread, even if the result is the same, there will be a lot of differences.

And if all of these methods produce some kind of item, of course it would be best to compare them. You would want to use the best one, of course. That’s why crafting is such a time-consuming process. That’s also why ‘crafters’ are so important in MMOs.

It’s not uncommon for someone to do both combat and crafting, like I do, but I’m not really considered a ‘crafter’. People who do that are generally doing it so they can make consumables for their own use, rather than needing to buy them.

When crafting, you need to think about how to secure your materials, how to improve quality, which method is the most efficient, which materials should be used in combination… no matter how much time you have, it would never be enough.

Combat is the same. Where you can easily hunt with the skills you have, how to move to counter the AI, which moves are the easiest to defeat with, which skills are necessary for easy hunting, which skills are suitable for you, which enemies have good drops. The so-called “good hunting ground” is a place chosen after considering where enemies are easy to kill andprovide good drops and decent experience.

In other words, there is not enough time. Those who do both will go hunting while their party members are around, then craft using the materials they have gathered when they are alone. I think this is the most common way of handling it.

Well, best get back on topic.

“So not having a basic recipe will mean more attempts?”

“I think it will be about six attempts for thread and gems, thread and metals and thread and attribute metals? Even when the ingots are made as thin as thread, they have no flexibility.”

“It’s just thin metal, huh.”

“Yeah. The current skills are only good enough to work with thread.”

“I’m curious too, and the finished product will come my way, won’t it? I’ll provide some materials.”

“I can’t help with anything thread related.”

Sometimes the recipe is unlocked after a number of attempts, so giving it a try is the right thing to do.

Taking the thread I received, I head back over to the alchemy room. Dantel-san and my maid Elianora are coming along. She’s usually waiting in the background while I am in the palace. She is most likely an NPC designed to follow the player, so it’s not unusual.

“First of all, try simple using [Synthesis] on thread and gemstones.”

“Failed, huh.”

“Next is to use [Synthesis] on thread and magic iron.”

“No good either.”

“Then, [Synthesis] on thread and magic red iron.”

“Still no luck?”

It’s not so easy after all. Synthesising the thread failed. The other method would be using [Change State].

“Liquidise the gemstone with [Change State] and soak the thread in it. Then [Synthesis] to combine them.”

“Impossible too, huh.”

“Then I’ll liquidise the magic iron with [Change State] and soak the thread. Then [Synthesis].”

“Ohh!”

<Basic recipe 『Metallic Thread』 was learned>

Mumu, I did it!

“…Low quality, huh?”

“Even if it’s liquidised, it’s still metal, so it won’t soak in easily.”

“Well, true enough.”

The recipe for metallic thread is… Ah, looks like we wasted materials. 1 liquid metal with magic power and 6 threads with magic power combined with [Synthesis].

If we’re talking about liquid metal, in real life it would be mercury. There are others, but let’s see…what was it? I know that the generic term for an alloy of mercury and other metals is amalgam.

Well, you can temporary liquefy them with [Change State] in this game. Since it’s a fantasy there might be more than just mercury, so there’s plenty to experiment with…

“[Change State] can’t be maintained for a long time, can it?”

“Right. It’s impossible to increase the soaking time.”

“And I’m concerned about the toxicity of liquid metal.”

“There’s potion poisoning, so it’s possible. Not that it matters to me.”

“It should be easy to cure if it’s treated as a status condition.”

You can use magic to cure it, if it’s treated as an abnormality. Games are much easier in areas like that. In my case, I only have to destroy the current incarnation.

Ah, if I can’t increase the soaking time, why not try making them both liquid and mixing them together.

Hold the thread in my right hand and use the [Change State] formation with it. Hold the magic iron in my left hand and use another [Change State] formation. Both have liquefied. So now mix them together and use [Synthesis] with the alchemy table.

“Ah, I see. That certainly looks like the right answer.”

“…The quality has improved.”

“B. It’s in the practical range.”

“Getting it to A will take a number of trials.”

“Next is attributed metal then. The same quality would be best.”

I am able to make it in the same way without any problems. The quality is…B again. It’s easy to compare them.

It seems safe to assume that the thread takes on the colour of the attribute metal.

“Umumu. Good! But this isn’t enough.”

“Ah, I suppose not. How many threads does it take to make something?”

“Six threads for a piece of fabric. Now, what should I make…”

Of course the number of pieces of cloth needed depends on what is being made, but also if it is just being used for the important points.

“You could use it as part of the design, or sandwich it between a different kind of cloth.”

“Prioritising the feel of the lining against the skin is good.”

“Right. It will be more like light armour if it covers your entire body, so maybe it’s better at key points.”

“For the chest area, a hat and gloves?”

“It would be easier if it could be used for trousers or something, but there would be no stats…”

“Ah, what about embroidering a robe with the metallic thread?”

“That would be good if it works!”

If embroidering with the metallic thread is possible, it is likely to increase resistance to slashing attacks. If it’s used as cloth, it might be effective against stabbing.

The problem might be the difficulty of embroidering with metallic thread. It’s not as flexible as normal thread.

For now, let’s mass produce some metallic thread and return to everyone else.

“Did you taking so long mean it worked?”

“Sure did! But I’ll have to check the details after I get back.”

As Ertz-san said, we would have come back more quickly if it had failed.

I don’t have any facilities for tailoring in my house. I think it starts with weaving. Then it will need to be tested for covering the whole body, in key areas, and suitability for embroidering.

“Come to think of it, I might need a new loom.”

“It’s going to lose to the metallic thread?”

“Yeah.”

It’s true that a wooden loom will lose out against metallic thread, so it’s durability is likely to decrease.

He’s talking with Primula-san about making it replaceable, with the premise that it will wear out.

“By the way, Princess, it seems you’ve made new ammunition for the magic gun?”

“I ended up not using it myself, so I sold it to someone that was there and got rid of the rest.”

“I can’t make ammo with «Blacksmith».”

I’ll share the results of the tests I conducted this morning.

Ammunition is easy to mass produce, so I’m planning to add it to my fundraising roster. Food, alchemical goods and ammunition are all consumables that I can sell, so they’re really tasty.

However, when it comes to the actual guns, they’re troublesome to make for selling. Ertz-san can also make them, so it would be better to sell him the internal parts that have been adjusted for magic guns.

“I’d like to make something more mecha-like for the Machinery.”

“Wings for flight and a tail as a heat exhaust!”

“I want something like Busou Shinki!”

Dantel-san and Karakuri-san are biting at Ertz-san’s remark.

“So you prefer Busou Shinki to Frame Arms Girl.”

“Arnval is nice.”

Maybe both Frame Arms Girl and Busou Shinki will be possible after working harder on «Doll Magic»? If I recall correctly, they were both about figures equipped with AI, for fighting against each other.

The only armaments available at the moment are a small variety of magic guns, but there are some. So with an automatic doll in the shape of a person, you should be able to do it?

You’re the one that commented on it, but I wonder if you realise you could reproduce them yourself, Karakuri-san.

“What about Nier’s flight unit? Then there’s a chance others could use it too.”

“But there’s the transformation mechanism, and above all, power and control.”

“It’ll be alright if you try it, so let’s fly?”

“Ah, don’t fly. There’ll be a huge accident.”

For power there’s the thing used by Sophie-san, that gravity core which uses magic, but control is a problem. It could be controlled if it’s an optional part for Machinery.

“Huh? Isn’t it possible to do all that with automatic dolls?”

….So you noticed.

“”Certainly.””

“Reducing the weight and solving the energy problem would be necessary for flight…”

“We’d need to check the specs of the automatic dolls first.”

The current doll is about a metre tall, so it would have to be a bit smaller. But that would reduce the area for the core and other components that can be fitted inside.

“You could make it seamless and make the parts mechanical, or you could leave the ball-joints… What a vexing problem!”

“Let’s make some wings for the dolls. Though I don’t know if we have enough power output.”

“What’s the flight principle for wings in the first place?”

“Other than anti-gravity, it would be thrusters, right?”

“Magic burning rocket engines? A detonation rocket engine might be fine, considering there is [Explosion].”

“I doubt it can be changed to that extent, but anti-gravity with thrusters, huh?”

“Machinery should be capable of Elimination Type behaviour, but…”

“With [Explosion], you’d have to figure out a way to cool it, wouldn’t you?”

Karakuri-san and Ertz-san are getting excited about flight methods.

The flight method is important. It has a big impact on the feel and behaviour of the controls, and differences in these factors can affect how well they work together.

Now that I think about it, it’s a doll, so I feel like too much output and it’s going to blast away. …Maybe you could give them a lance and turn it into a ramming attack?

While carefreely talking to the others, there is some movement in the building. Needless to say, Sophie-san is the only guest staying in the palace, so maybe she has made some progress with the quest.

If it was something else, people would have come from the main gate of the palace. If it is from inside though, there aren’t really any other possibilities.

“Sire, Sophie-sama has asked me to inform you that the development of the potion has been completed.”

“I’d like to ask her about it, so can you invite her over here?”

Sophie-san arrives and a chair is prepared for her.

“Hi….I’ve finished it, but it’s impossible to make with just the materials I have on hand and those from the Nether…”

“So you’re saying it’s not something that can be done with materials?”

“Right…. You can make it by consecrating the base potion materials, or just store the finished potion near a statue of Stellura-sama…’

“I can’t consecrate it, but if all I have to do is put it near a statue, then I can make it too!”

The statue used for the housing mini-portal also counts as a statue of Stellura-sama, so Salute-san certainly should be able to make it.

I can consecrate it, but… in terms of the work involved, doesn’t leaving it by a statue sound much easier?

“At least, now we know it’s impossible with just the materials we have…”

“If you can’t even do it in the Nether, then it’s hell…Ah, what about looking at materials from the Abyss?”

“I’m interested, but they’re not suitable for mass production…”

“I wouldn’t want to go through that hassle either.”

As you would expect, if one person were to provide the consumables for the Nether Army by themself, it would be too much. Making the potion should be possible with [Reproduction], but I’m the only one that can gather the materials.

After hearing the report from Sophie-san, the quest is considered complete.

<Quest: 『Research into the development of potions effective on Immortals』 has been completed>

『Research into the development of potions effective on Immortals』

The situation became bigger than expected, but it’s a good thing, so don’t dwell on it.

Sophie and the Chancellor will gain knowledge, the Outsider Immortals will gain potions and the Nether army will be strengthened.

Everyone benefits.

Bring Sophie Lilywhite Sorciere and the Chancellor of the Nether together.Invite Sophie Lilywhite Sorciere to the housing area.Hear the interim report from Sophie Lilywhite Sorciere.The research seems to be finished. Hear the completion report.

Condition: An Immortal consults a witch on potions that are effective on Immortals. Talk to the Chancellor of the Nether about witches or potions.

Reward: Recipe for potions for Immortals, deployment of potions to the Nether army, the addition of an expansion facility and magical plant field for the Nether army.

Let’s add the new facilities.

There are fields for magic plants for both HP and for MP, with HP being more expensive. In general, MP is the more expensive of the two…Ah, because there is no sun here.

The mixing and refining facilities and the potion shop for Outsiders are the type that require a lot of points but don’t have levels. The fields have 10 levels.

For the time being, I’ll add the facilities and shop, then raise the level of the MP field. The Nether army is so strong that it doesn’t seem like they’ll get much use out of HP potions…

The line-up for the shop is a mystery, but what if it’s linked to the field…

<<Specific requirements were fulfilled, the Nether army has been strengthened>>

<<A potion shop for Outsiders has been opened in Evernight Castle, by the player Anastasia>>

“『Oh? The Nether Army got strengthened!』”

“Well, it doesn’t make much difference…”

“Mm, it’s better if they don’t need to come out…”

That’s right. As Sophie-san said, it’s not a good thing if they need to show up.

But since they didn’t mention the message about potions for Outsiders, it might be a system message that is limited to Outsider Immortals. It doesn’t make much sense to be informed otherwise.

“So, what kind of gathering is this…?”

“It’s a group of crafters.”

I’ll introduce each of them to Sophie-san.

She seems to be particularly interested in Salute-san.

“Show me the various potions you have on hand…”

“One of each kind is enough?”

“Mm…”

From Salute-san’s inventory, quite a variety of potions are lined up.

HP, MP, recovery and resistance to various abnormalities, and even flavoured potions made for events, such as a cold medicine for the Residents.

Sophie-san takes her time looking at them one by one.

“Mm…well done… Are you interested in witches…?”

“I’m definitely interested.”

“Sorciere don’t take apprentices… I’ll give you this and you can give it to Laura Gracian Magisa…”

“I’ve heard that name somewhere. Where was it…”

“Magisa would be the Great Witch. Wasn’t she the one who rode into the Starting Town on a summoned creature?”

“Ah, that’s it!”

I think her name came up on the message board.

But a letter of recommendation from a Sorciere. Salute-san is smiling.

“If you don’t feel comfortable with her, ask her to refer you to someone else…”

“Ah, yes.”

“Or tell Nemeseia…and I’ll think of someone else…”

“I understand.”

I’m sure we’re all of one mind. In this game, it’s possible there are Residents, the NPC’s, who you won’t get along with…

If they don’t like each other enough to not be introduced to someone else, she can go through me. This realism…I didn’t want it… It has given me an indescribable feeling.

Ah, come to think of it, I should call over the Chancellor for Sophie-san’s reward.

I’ll let her talk until until she’s satisfied, then return her to the surface world.

“Elianora, please call the Chancellor. It’s about the reward for Sophie-san.”

“Understood.”

“Well, I’ll be waiting in my room then…”

That should be it for this quest.

We see Sophie-san off on her way back to the palace, then return to chatting.

“So, do you think we’ll hear some information on the next event anytime soon?”

“Won’t it be this week?”

We were told the official event for November would be a Christmas event. There is no Christmas in this world, so I’m looking forward to seeing what it will be like.

“Will there be some kind of promotion with it being Christmas?”

“I wonder if we’ll get another increase in the amount of materials we can collect.”

“Shouldn’t they keep that until December? It’s hard to feel motivated when there’s other stuff to do.”

That’s true.

The end of the year is right after Christmas, which is usually quite a big deal, but they went to the trouble of moving Christmas to November in this game. It’s hard to say what will happen.

“I had a lot of free time during Halloween. Hopefully there’ll be something more next time.”

“I was quite bored too.”

“Nothing much to do here either.”

“People always need food, so…I wonder.”

“I was pretty busy in my own way.”

“I was mass producing potions, figuring they’d be needed at some point.”

“I suppose I had quite a bit of free time.”

Ertz-san the blacksmith, Dantel-san the tailor, Karakuri-san the doll maker, and Nephrite-san the handicrafter seem to have had a fair bit of free time. It was certainly an event where they didn’t have much of a role. The only male member of the group that felt otherwise was Magillas-san.

Primula-san, the woodworker, was apparently busy with the supply of firewood for the bonfire. Salute-san, the mixer, was mass-producing potions for the last stage of the event.

I guess I was about the same. I used my position to get information from the people in power, then spent my free time crafting.

“Christmas is a big event so I want to have fun.”

“But if you want to be busy all the time, a situation like the camping event is inevitable.”

“Camping on a desert island in the winter is too heartless.”

“We’d be stuck on securing food.”

Animals should be hibernating, so it might actually be easier, but I would be considered about fruits, vegetables and magic plants.

“Come to think of it, let’s plant some fruit trees…”

“Oh, what are you going to plant?”

“Peaches and pears… peach saplings aside, are there any pear saplings?”

“I think they were called ‘something pears’.”

“As long as they’re still pears, it’s fine. Well, it will probably transform anyway.”

As expected of Primula-san. She even knows about fruit trees. The ‘something’ part is probably a variety or region name. I can’t decide without tasting them.

The problem is there is no sun here and the temperature is constant, so fruit might be difficult to grow. It is housing in a game though, so it’s worth a try.

Ah, of course the temperature in the Nether is quite low. There is no sun, and this is the afterlife to begin with. There aren’t any beings here that care about the temperature.

“Sire, excuse me for intruding.”

“It’s fine. Sophie-san is waiting for you inside.”

I ask a maid to show the Chancellor to Sophie-san’s room. She’ll take care of it.

All that’s left is to take Sophie-san home when she is finished, or at latest, when the food I brought over runs out.

“You like peaches and pears, Princess?”

“I do. It doesn’t matter if they’re Japanese or western pears.”

“I don’t remember eating many peaches or pears.”

“Well, you can get peaches in cans, but to be honest, they’re not convenient to prepare…”

“Strawberries just need to be rinsed, and pineapples are sold cut up.”

“On the contrary, I don’t eat strawberries or pineapple very often.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“I eat fruit expecting it to be sweet, so I don’t like it when it’s sour.”

“”I can understand that.””

“That sourness can be nice too.”

Primula-san and Salute-san are on this side, but Nephrite-san is in the sour camp.

“It’s difficult to tell when something’s fully ripe, in the first place. Pears are good in this respect. You can usually tell by the smell…”

“I didn’t know that!”

“They’re not something you buy often, are they? They cost a lot and are troublesome to cut.”

“Right.”

It is fruit that is reasonably expensive, and peaches and pears need to be cut.

Well, maybe that’s the case if you’re just buying something while wandering the supermarket… In my case, I usually eat what my parents buy.

“Do you know that indescribable feeling, when you buy a pear, leave it to cool for a few days, then the time comes to eat it and it doesn’t taste like anything other than crunchy water?

“It smells so good, but the taste is bland!”

“Ah, mm. I get it, I get it.”

“It’s a bit of a gamble, huh. Fruit.”

When it’s good, it’s really good, but fruit is difficult…

“Anyway, it seems like you’re eating good stuff, Princess.”

“It’s fine when it’s something my parents buy, but it’s hard for me to spend a few thousand of my own on it.”

“Ah, I understand now.”

I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but it’s much lower on my priorities for how to spend my money. In that case, it would be more fun to end up happy or sad buying something at the supermarket, while improving how to judge if a fruit will be delicious.

But in the game, there’s «Appraisal»! And in my housing, there’s even a gardener! I can expect to eat something really tasty!

“Hmm…so fruit trees. Should I plant one too?”

“For dessert’s?”

“That’s right. But selling them would depend on the taste…”

Considering Magillas-san’s shop, I feel like it would be better to sell them. That said…is it only possible if it doesn’t take as long to prepare as in real life?

“It would also be interesting to ask Steiner-san to produce it.”

“I think that was someone playing as a farmer.”

“From Farmer’s Rebellion. It cound certainly be interesting for business.”

“Right.”

Nephrite-san agreed, and I do think a deal between the farmer players and the cooking players is a good idea.

Steiner-san’s guild bought a lot of fields around the Starting Town, so we may be able to see orchards soon.

“As I recall, it’s just vegetables at the moment, right?”

“But I expect they have thought about it, and fruit trees take years to grow in real life, don’t they? Isn’t it likely that they already planted them and are waiting for them to grow?”

Nephrite-san has a valid point. It’s hard to imagine that Steiner-san and his colleagues haven’t touched fruit trees.

“Certainly…come to think of it, did you not invite Steiner-san?”

“That’s because he’s in a primary industry….it’s the wrong field. Wahaha!”

“The gathering skill players gather separately.”

Ignoring Ertz-san’s joke, according to Dantel-san there seems to be another gathering.

“Then I would like to buy from Steiner-san too…”

“By the way, lady. I would like to buy honey regularly.”

“Ah, their honey. I don’t mind.”

They’re still buzzing around energetically. The magic army bees.

Oh, come to think of it, can land be bought here? I mean, the Immortals of the Nether are in a very special environment.

If I’m not mistaken, transactions between guilds and producers are mostly automatic, with the items prepared in the housing being moved in a carriage.

…I’ll take a look at the Immortal board.

“Fumu…the Residents employed in your housing transport it properly. So in my case, I suppose the maid would go from the mini-portal to the starting town and carry it to Magillas-san’s shop.”

“…That would be the only chance to go to the surface?”

“I…suppose it is?”

“In that case, I think they’d be happy to go.”

According to Elianora, the exclusive maid standing behind me, they would be happy to deliver it.

They’re not terribly busy in the first place, so they’re happy to have some work to do. Above all, they have no other opportunities to go to the surface. It is the Nether army that goes there when there is a problem on the surface. The girls here are servants. Their job is to look after me and the guests I bring with me at the palace.

“There doesn’t seem to be any problem, but is honey from the magic army bees all?”

“Fumu…I’d like to have tea leaves of all kinds, too.”

“Assam too? Isn’t the taste too subtle?”

“I might be able to make a dish that goes well with it.”

“Hmm…Abby did have a disappointed look on her face, but maybe a cook can change it.”

“Ah, she rather likes milk tea.”

<Fairellen has come to visit>

“Hi, hi!”

“Oh, hello, Fairellen-san.”

“So it’s a gathering of crafters! I’ll borrow your flowers~”

“Feel free.”

“…I see, there’s a steady supply of fairy nectar here.”

Magillas-san is muttering to himself as he gazes at the splendid garden of crystal lotuses. It seems like he is buying fairy nectar from Fairellen-san. Well, honey tastes different from one source to another. As a cook, he will want to try a variety of good quality ingredients.

“Going into those bees…how brave.”

“I hear it’s best not to approach them carelessly…”

“Isn’t that pretty close?”

“It’s close…”

I have a theory that Fairellen-san has been recognised as one of them by the magic army bees.

The magic army bees are supposed to be quite belligerent, so you probably won’t come out unscathed if you have to fight them. They are wild though, so they’ll avoid a fight if they can.

They must have felt threatened by Fairellen-san in the beginning, but eventually realised that she is harmless and they won’t lose their food.

Even with a name like ‘magic army bees’, they seem to be quite smart, so I wonder if they are set up with a reasonably advanced AI… It’s a mystery if housing facilities need that level of AI, though.

Now that I think about it, this game was officially advertised as using AI that was developed in-house. Maybe it is being used for data collection.

“Hmm, it’s already this late.”

“It’s about time to disband. I need to go back and test the metallic threads.”

“And I need to make automatic dolls for testing.”

“I have to find the Great Witch!”

“I think I would like to talk to Steiner-san about wholesale purchasing…”

There are a lot of things that caught my attention during this meeting, so I’m sure there is plenty they are curious about too. That’s the kind of group we have here.

It’s a bit late in the day to go hunting, so maybe I should do some crafting today too.