Chapter 4:
A Gift for the Spirit Kings
“THAT’S WHY I WAS THINKING I’D LIKE TO DO something to show the spirit kings our gratitude,” I said.
I was in Lynn’s workshop, sitting across from her. Dragh, her grandfather, was out again today, so we were free to talk about the spirit kings out loud.
“Hmm…” Lynn said. “Spirit Kings, you’re not allowed to spy on us for a while!” She waved her arms around in big circles over her head, but I wasn’t sure if that had any effect.
“Yeah, no peeking! It’s supposed to be a surprise!” I said, raising my voice in the same direction. Hopefully they were listening.
“All right, let’s get down to business,” Lynn said and turned toward me, her expression serious.
I nodded firmly. We needed to come up with something that would really make them happy.
“First, it’s important we make something that comes from the both of us. That’s what matters most,” Lynn said.
“I agree. Whatever it is, I can make the alloy and you make the design. That way, it’ll be our creation together.”
Lynn nodded thoughtfully.
“In terms of design, I think they’d be happiest if everything matched,” I said, thinking out loud.
“I think so too,” Lynn agreed, still nodding. “Even if we use different materials, the designs should be the same.”
“They’ll be so happy! I wonder if they’ll be embarrassed when they notice that they match.”
We leaned in together and giggled, imagining the moment we’d give them the gifts.
“We shouldn’t rush into gathering materials yet, though,” I said. “I’d rather look through some of the local shops first. Would you come with me?”
“Sure!” she immediately replied, grinning enthusiastically.
The two of us—accompanied by our guardian divine beasts, Leaf and Leon—headed down the main street where material shops were located. The street was lined with trees, their branches thick with deep green leaves characteristic of early summer. The sunlight shone down over us, warm enough to make me sweat a bit.
As we walked past shops selling various gemstones and magic stones, one caught my eye. Somehow, I just had a feeling we’d find something good in that one.
“Hello!” we called out together.
“Welcome! What can I help you girls with today?” The man behind the counter smiled at us warmly, welcoming despite us being children.
Thank goodness!
“I’m an Alchemist and she’s a Blacksmith,” I said. “I am hoping to make an alloy with protective properties that we can turn into accessories, and we came here to look for materials.” We glanced uncertainly around the shop while I explained, unsure where to start. There was just so much here, I could hardly tell what was what!
“I keep gems that are either very valuable or have special magical properties in this glass case here,” the shopkeeper said, gesturing to a cabinet as we listened. “The ones in those wooden bins over there are odds and ends, all five large copper coins apiece. You might have a lucky find there.”
I began to scan the glass case with Appraisal to see if anything caught my interest.
Nah, nothing really stands out here.
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to try, so I went through stone after stone in the wooden crates as well, Appraising each one.
Nope… This one is pretty, but that’s it.
Wait a minute!
Stone of Fortune
Classification: Gemstone, Material
Quality: Mid to High
Status: A mysterious stone said to attract good fortune and repel misfortune. Retains its properties when made into an alloy. Its power doubles when combined with certain metals.
Feeling: You won’t regret sticking with me!
Hmm, I’d never seen “Mid to High” quality before. Maybe that meant it depended on how it was processed, or what it was combined with? It could end up becoming something incredible.
The stone fit into the palm of my hand and was shaped like a smooth river rock. It had a soft, pearly luster that reminded me of white mica, and I could see delicate patterns running through it. I felt drawn to it, and not just because of the Appraisal results.
I picked it up and told Lynn what the Appraisal said.
“Ooh, that sounds perfect,” she agreed immediately.
“Hey, Lynn,” I whispered. “I was thinking, if we use this to make matching rings for the spirit kings, do you think you could use whatever is left over to craft three pendants?”
“Sure,” she said. “If you give me an ingot the same size as last time, that should be more than enough.”
I wanted to ensure Miina and Marcus’s safety when I asked them to watch the shop or run errands. Plus, I wanted to thank Katya for helping so much with my business.
“Excuse me,” I said as I held up the stone of fortune. “I’ll take this one. Do you carry pure silver ingots here as well?”
“Oh, did you find yourself a treasure?” said the shopkeeper. “I have a few metals for making accessories. Shall I bring them out for you?”
“Yes, please!”
Whew. That’ll save us from running around all day.
“Let’s see… Pure silver…”
Well, I suppose that’s not a bad choice…
“Gold…”
Can’t you tell just by looking? We don’t match at all!
“Mythril…”
I’d love to take a step up in the world. ¢½
And when I Appraised the mythril…
Let me show you a whole new world! ¢½
The little hearts probably meant they were a perfect match. It certainly seemed eager enough.
“Mythril seems like the best fit, so I’ll take one ingot of that,” I said. “Also, do you carry smaller gemstones like the one in my ring here?”
“I think you’d have better luck across the street,” replied the shopkeeper. “They have a much larger selection of gemstones.”
He pointed out the shop opposite his window, so we paid for our purchases and headed over.
Just as he’d said, the shop across the street had every shade of green stone imaginable, all in different sizes and cuts. It took forever to choose, but we finally found a few that matched closely enough to be called a set.
All right, time to make this happen! It’s my turn first!
Once home, I rushed into my workshop’s lab, full of determination. I’d already put on my apron and gloves.
I placed the mythril and the stone of fortune into the Alchemy cauldron and tightly gripped the stirring rod.
Please become an alloy that will bring everyone happiness so that I can see them all smile.
I closed my eyes and let my prayers fill the room. Then I snapped them open.
“All right, time to get started!”
I channeled my mana into the cauldron, focusing my will into making it as hot as I could. When I gripped the stirring rod more tightly, the mixture gradually began to heat up. It took longer than it had with the silver, but eventually the mythril started to melt. I began to stir it in steady circles.
“Come on… Blend together…” I muttered.
Fortunium
Classification: Alloy, Material
Quality: Low
Status: An alloy imbued with the power to bring good fortune. Its potency does not change with quantity. The bond between components is weak, so the alloy will not reach its full potential.
Feeling: We’re still not comfortable with each other… I want to be closer…
Well, I’d only just melted and mixed it together, so of course it needed more care. I’d make sure it bonded properly.
Fortunium
Classification: Alloy, Material
Quality: Medium
Status: An alloy imbued with the power to bring good fortune. Its potency does not change with quantity. Capable of fully reaching its lucky potential, but there’s still room for improvement!
Feeling: I want to become even closer with mythril!
You’re almost there! Show me what you’re capable of! I stirred the mixture carefully around the cauldron one more time.
Fortunium
Classification: Alloy, Material
Quality: Best
Status: An alloy imbued with the power to bring good fortune. Its potency does not change with quantity. When danger is near, it will subtly guide its owner to avoid harm.
Feeling: As long as we’re together, nothing bad will happen to you!
Yes, I did it!
I’d successfully made high-quality fortunium and fully drawn out its potential. Perfect! I stood tall and proud with my hands on my hips, slightly out of breath and cheeks flushed with excitement. I pulled the stopper from the cauldron’s spout and carefully poured the molten alloy into an ingot mold, then left it to set for a few days.
Two weeks after that, Lynn showed up at my workshop with the forged pieces.
“Hey, Daisy! I’m finished, and I brought them over!” she called as she came inside, the bell ringing softly to let me know someone had arrived.
“Great! Let’s take them upstairs,” I said. “I’ll grab something to drink, so go ahead and have a seat.”
Plum-infused water was on the menu that day, so I poured some into two glasses, set them on a tray, and carried them up to the second floor. Setting the tray on the dining room table, I sat across from Lynn. We each took a sip of our drinks. The sharp coldness of the water with the sweet tartness of the plum was clean and refreshing.
“Whew!” Lynn said. “All right, take a look. Here’s what I came up with.”
She showed me two rings, identical except for their gemstones. They’d used more material than ours had, giving the bands more thickness.
“I made them wider, since they’re for men,” Lynn explained.
I picked up the one with the green gemstone. Although the material was different, the color of the metal matched our rings almost exactly, and it was engraved with the same vine pattern. I held it up to the one I wore on my middle finger, and it matched perfectly. I couldn’t have been happier with how they turned out.
Ring of Fortune
Classification: Accessory
Quality: Best
Status: A ring imbued with the power to attract good fortune and repel misfortune. When danger is near, it will subtly guide its owner to avoid harm.
Feeling: I’ll bring you happiness!
I looked up at Lynn. “Shall we call them here?”