In the morning, the smell of alcohol had completely disappeared from Seri.
She thoroughly swirled her tongue around her mouth but could not detect any trace of alcohol. Even when she extended her tongue to every corner, there was no unpleasant feeling. She entangled and absorbed the moisture secreted with her tongue, but it still tasted as fresh as usual.
She enjoyed the active movements of her tongue and the soft sensation. Seri inserted her tongue and let it roam around inside my mouth. Although she was still a bit awkward, she was taking the initiative. I also intertwined my tongue and responded thoroughly before letting go of her mouth.
"Good morning, Seri. Does your head hurt or anything?"
"No, there's no problem."
I thought she might still be feeling the effects of the alcohol, but it didn't seem to be the case. There was no sign of a hangover either. Her liver's processing ability must be superior to that of humans. It was even unclear whether she had been drunk last night.
However, Seri went to bed early last night. She fell asleep as soon as she got into bed. Thinking about what might have happened if Roxane's period hadn't ended, it was indeed a scary thought.
In the early morning, we entered the Cullatar Labyrinth as usual. Upon returning, we would make a bracelet and then have breakfast.
"What skills can be attached to a mermaid monster card?"
I asked Seri while having breakfast.
"It becomes a card that can add the water attribute to equipment. When attached to a weapon, it grants the Water Stream Sword skill, and when attached to armor, it grants the Water Defense skill."
"Water attribute. Can it be attached to any weapon?"
"It can be attached to a spear or a staff."
"Can it be attached to a spear?"
Whether attached to a spear or a staff, it would still be called the Water Stream Sword.
"The Water Stream Sword skill requires incantation, so it is more common to attach it to armor."
Apparently, the Water Defense skill can be used without incantation, making it a passive skill.
"What happens if it is fused with a kobold monster card?"
"When attached to a weapon, it becomes the Water Erosion Sword, and when attached to armor, it grants the Water Resistance skill. The Water Erosion Sword is more powerful than the Water Stream Sword, and Water Resistance provides better resistance to water magic than Water Defense. By the way, did you manage to get the mermaid monster card?"
"It seems we received a message about it yesterday."
I looked at Roxane for confirmation.
"Yes, she said it was 2,500 nals."
"Monster card fusion often fails, so I don't think it's a good idea to use a cheap piece of equipment and a kobold monster card. Adding Water Defense would be useful against Needlewood. It would be good to fuse it with leather mittens or a leather armor. If successful, the leather armor would be more useful. However, if it fails, the materials will be lost. I'm not sure when I'll be able to process leather, but if it's leather mittens, I can remake them relatively quickly if they fail."
Seri rambled on. She was doing her best since she was the one being ordered to do it. I don't think she will fail, though.
"Then, let's fuse it with the leather mittens."
"I'll do my best."
The leather armor I'm wearing is not something I bought but was left behind by a party that was wiped out, so it doesn't have an empty skill slot. If I had bought leather mittens from an armor shop, they would have an empty skill slot. I'm glad I didn't sell them.
Needlewood uses water magic, so Water Defense would be effective. It should be useful in the eighth floor of the Cullatar Labyrinth. I'm not sure about the other floors, though.
Ultimately, the effective equipment will differ for each floor, which will be quite challenging.
"By the way, if we attach the Water Defense skill to both leather mittens and leather armor and wear both, will the effect be doubled?"
The question of whether the effects of equipment can be叠加 has been debated for a long time. It is not clear, but the majority opinion is that they do not stack. A famous scholar in the past confirmed that attaching multiple attack power increase skills to different pieces of equipment does not increase the attack power. However, some people argue that other skills do stack.
It seems that equipping a one-handed sword with a fivefold attack power and using dual swords is not possible. Well, if it were twenty-five times, it would be terrifying.
After breakfast, we went to the Merchant Guild. We entered the waiting room on the left side of the entrance. I asked the clerk behind the counter to call the armor merchant Luke.
Seri and I sat down on the chairs to wait. Seri was reading the pamphlets placed there diligently.
While waiting, the color of the waiting room wall turned black, and someone came out. It was another customer. The waiting room wall can apparently be used for field walking. Maybe we should use this from now on.
"I have been waiting for you. Please come this way."
Luke arrived. We followed him to the conference room.
"I received the message. It seems the mermaid monster card was successfully auctioned."
"Yes, there were no competitors this time, so it was possible to auction it at a low price. It is much cheaper than the market price. Is that acceptable?"
"It's fine. I'll rely on you in the future."
"Thank you. Here it is."
Luke cast the item box spell and took out the card, placing it on the table.
Monster Card - Mermaid
It's definitely the mermaid monster card.
"Indeed."
"By the way, as the successful bidder, you can use the Merchant Guild's guild temple. The usage fee is 10 nals. You can pay after confirming. Will you confirm it?"
Luke asked me, looking puzzled after I received the monster card.
"Confirm?"
"Yes, to confirm that the monster card is genuine."
Ah, right. I can identify it because I can use appraisal, but ordinary people can't. To them, it's just a card, and they can't tell the type. They probably need to confirm it.
Should I confirm it? I'm curious to see the guild temple.
However, since I can use appraisal, checking every time is a hassle. If I'm going to skip the confirmation, I should do it the first time. The first transaction is usually cautious, so they won't try to pass off a fake.
"No, it's fine this time. No one would try to pass off a fake in the first transaction. Besides, I trust Luke."
I said it in a patronizing tone. It might not bring any benefits, but Luke might appreciate it.
Luke might not be the person I expect. He might try something malicious. In that case, showing a deliberate weakness might be useful.
It's better to be given a fake than to be cheated elsewhere. I can definitely identify a fake monster card. It's a kind of sting operation. I can see the guild temple another time.
"Is that so?"
Luke said expressionlessly.
"The auction price was 2,500 nals, right?"
"Yes."
"Also, if a cheap monster card comes up for auction again, I'd like to ask you to get it for me."
"Understood. As a handling fee, I will require a prepayment of 500 nals."
"..."
I waited for a while, but there was no movement. It doesn't seem like I'll get a special service for 2,200 nals. I could ask how much it would be in total, but that might be too obvious.
Luke probably paid 2,500 nals to the seller. If I only offered 2,200 nals, he would incur a loss. It seems that a 30% discount is not feasible in this situation.
"I don't think it's a good idea to trust a merchant too much."
As soon as we teleported from the waiting room wall to the Bael Labyrinth, Seri gave me a warning. She certainly has a poor impression of merchants.
"Well, it's the first time. They won't try to pass off a fake right away. If the merchant is unscrupulous, they will try to pass off a fake after a few transactions. We can confirm it then and demand compensation."
I said it as a joke.
"Can you really time it that well?"
"When they try to pass off a fake, they will be nervous and give some sign."
"Can you tell?"
"Who do you think I am?"
No, I'm just joking.
"Excellent thinking. I spoke out of turn without understanding your deep strategy. I apologize."
Seri bowed. I'm just joking.
"I understand that you are warning us out of concern. It's fine."
"Thank you."
"You are truly a remarkable master."
I'm just joking.
"At the Merchant Guild's waiting room, I saw the auction price, and it was indeed 2,500 nals. The previous auction price for the mermaid monster card was 3,300 nals, so it is indeed cheaper than the market price. The merchant is not easily caught by my investigations. Your strategy is impressive."
It's really a joke. I'm the one who's taken aback by your lack of reaction.
When we returned from the labyrinth, I asked Seri to perform the fusion. I sat her down at the dining table and handed her the equipment and the card.
"Then, the leather mittens and the monster card."
"Yes. ... If I fail, I'm sorry."
She seemed nervous.
"Don't worry, I won't get angry if you fail. Just do it casually."
"Since Master says so, it will be fine, Seri."
If she fails, there will be a punishment in bed. If she succeeds, there will be a reward in bed. So there's no problem.
Seri, determined, cast the skill spell, and her hands glowed.
Waterproof Leather Mittens - Arm Equipment
Skill - Water Defense
"Wow. You did it. Seri is really useful. Thank you."
"I did it."
It was a success. The equipped item with the skill remained in Seri's hands.
This is the second consecutive success. The skill slot theory is probably correct. It's almost certain that a monster card can be fused into an empty skill slot.
After dinner, I asked Seri to make a bracelet.
"Is it necessary to make a bracelet once in the morning and once in the evening?"
I asked while receiving the completed bracelet. This is the seventh consecutive bracelet without an empty skill slot. From the ratio of equipment with empty skill slots in the store, it's clear that it's not that easy. Seri's success rate is not particularly bad.
I think it's about time for one to be made.
We can't wait forever. It will be too late if we get the caterpillar monster card after the fact.
The monster card fusion was successful twice in a row. The skill slot theory is probably correct. Therefore, we need to get a bracelet with an empty skill slot before we get the caterpillar monster card. The easiest way is to increase the number of bracelets made.
"Once you become a veteran, you can make as many bracelets as you want. So it's not impossible. However, it is said that blacksmiths repeat the practice of making one bracelet in the morning and one in the evening for half a year to a year. If you try to make too many, you might feel sick."
"Does that mean you can't tell if you can make one before you start?"
"Experience will tell you."
If the only issue is MP, it should be possible to tell to some extent. Seri is a blacksmith level 14. Her MP capacity is much higher than a newly minted blacksmith level 1.
Besides, we already do more than one in the morning and one in the evening because we do monster card fusion in the afternoon. When she was a blacksmith level 1, she suffered after doing monster card fusion, but she was fine in the afternoon.
"Seri, can't you tell?"
"Well, I think I can, but I've heard that the limit is one in the morning and one in the evening for at least half a year. I think I can, but I haven't hunted many green caterpillars. I think I can, but..."
Seri is struggling. She knows that at least half a year of practice is needed, so she lacks confidence in her own senses. It's a bad habit to be too headstrong.
"If you think you can, it's fine. Let's try one more."
I put the bracelet in the item box and took out a thread, handing it to Seri.
"Well, let's see. I understand."
Seri hesitated for a moment but then nodded. She raised the thread on both hands, closed her eyes, and cast the skill spell. Her hands glowed.
Bracelet - Accessory
Skill - Empty
"Wow. You did it."
It was successful. The bracelet had an empty skill slot.
"I did it. Thank you."
My "You did it" means something different. Finally, a bracelet with an empty skill slot is complete. Now we can win.
"You did it."
"Um, I think I can make a few more. I heard that half a year of practice is needed, but..."
Oh no.
"Well, making too many suddenly might not be good. Let's make two today. We also did monster card fusion."
"Right, we did monster card fusion. I heard that beginners don't do that much. Is that separate from practice?"
Seri tilted her head. It's getting more and more complicated.
"Well, since you made it, there's no need to worry."
"But, did the person who taught me that the limit is one in the morning and one in the evening for half a year lie to me?"
"I don't think so. It just means that Seri is that good."
I'm sorry to the person who taught Seri. Normally, it's not possible to become a blacksmith level 14 in half a year.
"No, I mean, being that good..."
"It's fine. Seri is good. And you made this bracelet."
I pointed to the bracelet on my leg.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Seri, I can tell you. In fact, I can tell to some extent whether a piece of equipment can have a monster card fused into it."
"Really?"
"Probably not wrong."
If we keep doing monster card fusion, we will eventually find out. It's not a problem to reveal this much.
"But how can you tell?"
"I don't know why I can tell. I was certain when you made the waterproof leather mittens in the afternoon."
"Is that so?"
"When you made the first bracelet, did you succeed in making a substitute bracelet? I'm looking forward to adding a skill to this bracelet."