Everyone slowly stopped their work. They couldn’t just drop their tools, especially since some were working with very, very hot metal, and one wrong move could turn into a huge accident. I didn’t need to warn everyone about the dangers of fire, and watching them take the proper safety precautions moved me somewhat.
But that didn’t mean that we were calm about this reunion. We paid no heed to our dirty hands as we petted Maribel’s head with joy, and the fire spirit didn’t seem to mind our sooty hands as she squealed happily. After everyone petted her, I gently placed my hand on her head.
“Welcome back,” I said.
Maribel giggled and flashed a beaming smile. “Glad to be home!”
Just then, I felt another presence in the forge. My body didn’t sound the alarm; if the presence was this close to me, Helen would’ve been the first to react, and she would’ve instantly gotten rid of the danger. The new presence didn’t move much and had likely tagged along, just in case. She managed to squeeze herself between me and Maribel before slowly taking form. It was as though she gradually appeared from thin air—her familiar face soon greeted me.
“Hi, Lluisa,” I said.
“Hello there,” she replied with a small wave of her hand.
Fitting for her moniker as the master of the Black Forest, she emanated an air of dignity.
“Has Maribel’s...?” I trailed off, turning down to Maribel, who gazed at me quizzically, before I turned back to Lluisa. “Has my daughter finished her training?”
The master of the Black Forest smiled and nodded. “She has indeed. She’s learned the bare minimum to wield her power without causing anyone trouble.”
Maribel grinned proudly at me, and I petted her head, causing her to squeal joyfully once more. How long can she be happy about this exchange, I wonder? Will she one day ask to have her laundry done separately from mine because geezers are dirty or something? My mind raced to the tropes I’d seen of adolescent girls in their rebellious phases, and my heart was filled with needless worries of the future.
“The fire spirit will never accidentally set this house on fire,” Lluisa said with a wink. “You can be assured of that.”
Her winks make her look so beautiful—they’re a far cry from Camilo’s or my attempts.
“And...” Lluisa said, picking up the orichalcum that lay on the anvil.
The lump had remained unchanged since I’d gotten it from Camilo, and I felt like it symbolized the defeat of this forge. I couldn’t help but wince at the sight of it now.
“With her help, you just might be able to work with this metal,” Lluisa finished.
It took me a moment to process the words that had casually slipped out of her mouth.
“What?!” I gasped.
My voice echoed throughout the forge, situated in our sleepy little corner of the Black Forest. And my youngest daughter stood proudly before us once again.
“C-Could I hear any details?” I asked.
I turned to Lluisa, hoping for some clue—any clue—that could get the ball rolling on the orichalcum. I’d be willing to try pretty much anything...unless I had to sacrifice Maribel somehow. I’d immediately abandon any method requiring that. But, well, anything else is worth trying out, right? Ain’t got nothin’ to lose! Even if it takes nearly a month, I’m willing to push forward.
“Eizo,” Lluisa said.
“Yes?”
She narrowed her eyes, and I stood up straight. Her gaze looked more solemn than ever before.
“You use normal fire, don’t you?” she asked.
“Er, yes,” I answered. “The forge itself might be a bit special, but the fire itself is nothing out of the ordinary.”
This magical forge allowed me to maintain high temperatures without the need for me to monitor the fuel levels—it also didn’t produce slag or any other waste. While the forge truly was a work of magic, the fire itself was nothing unusual. We just used charcoal as fuel. As for the firebed, while magic controlled the ventilation, it was also just normal. I could light them both up with a spell, but that was the extent of anything magical.
Further on that point: While I could spark enough fire to light the forge and firebed, the magical fire I could produce was minimal, so I used it purely as an igniter and then let the fuel burn as it naturally would, producing natural fire. Small bits of magic were the most I could do, and I couldn’t really learn anything greater. In this world, unless you were an elf, you could only learn magic if you received higher education—so the people who learned were pretty much exclusively nobles. Only then could a person use spells like me. For now the only ones in our family capable of producing any magic at all were Lidy and me.
In any case, all the fire in this cabin, the kitchen included, was normal and natural. And if Lluisa asked me about that...
“I see. Then—” I started.
“Normal fire can’t heat up orichalcum!” Rike interrupted, vibrant excitement in her voice.
Her eyes sparkled eagerly, and it was clear that this revelation had flipped some sort of switch in her. Lluisa was a touch taken aback by the dwarf’s energy, and she could only nod, wide-eyed. It took a few moments for Lluisa to gather her thoughts.
“Ahem,” she said, clearing her throat. “Indeed. Normal fire won’t do.”
“What if I made the flames hotter?” I asked. “Let’s say that I threw that orichalcum into the forge.”
When iron melted and mixed with carbon (the process used to make steel), the melting point was around 1,200°C. The temperature of magma was between 800°C and 1,200°C, so if we found some cooled molten rock and we threw it into the furnace, we could see it turn into lava. Theoretically, that is. What would happen if we tossed the orichalcum into those conditions?
But Lluisa calmly shook her head at me.
“Well, what about fire made from magic?” Lidy asked quietly.
She could cast fire spells—could I process orichalcum with her help? The metal’s filled with magic energy anyway, so maybe I should’ve gone to her for advice first.