By the Grace of the Gods: Volume 2

by Roy

  “My house felt like this, so.”

  “Ah, that’s right, I remember.”

  Camil nodded in understanding, which seemed to make Hughes recall something.

  “Come to think of it, Ryoma. What was the spell you used on the cave mantis that made it trip earlier? I could tell it was earth magic, but...”

  “Playing Clay? It’s a magic that temporarily turns dirt and stone into clay.”

  It was a spell that used the same combination as Create Rock, which I used during the landslide: Break Rock to break down dirt, and Rock to keep the particles connected. And it was also the magic he created to play around when he still couldn’t use magic well. He’d given it the name Playing Clay for that reason.

  “Back then, I found it difficult to make the shape I wanted in one use of Rock, so I shaped most things by hand. I’d hold the rock in my hand like so, then pour magic energy into it and knead it into clay. Eventually I grew more experienced and got better at using Rock too.”

  Also, the material would return to its original form after the flow of magic energy ran out. Dirt would return to dirt, and stone would return to stone.

  That’s what made it a convenient magic to use when filling in cracks in the walls and repainting them. Though I wasn’t thinking that far when I first created it.

  While I was talking, five sets of eyes including Eliaria’s were looking at me in exasperation.

  “Hey, Camil, Jill. What do you think? You guys are in charge of magic.”

  “Creating a new magic just because you can’t do a certain basic magic well... Ryoma’s actions never cease to surpass expectations...”

  “I won’t say it’s impossible, but it’s certainly tiresome. It would be one thing to be taught it, but creating magic yourself takes more effort than simply practicing hard at it.”

  They discussed the topic as I rested at ease. For the record, my slimes had been eating the monsters we had defeated this entire time. It was plain work, but they were extremely useful in clearing the path.

  Chapter 2 Episode 5: True Alchemy

  “Ah... Nothing like fresh air.”

  The monster extermination of the first mineshaft was over without incident, and Hughes smiled in comfort once we were back outside.

  “There’s no time to enjoy the air, we have to go back and make a report.”

  “I know, I know. But it’ll be just in time for lunch after that. Another break, yay.”

  They called out to us, and we all headed for the entrance of the mines together.

  There was a square there used for the transport of ores and mining tools in and out of the mine, so unlike other boulder-ridden places, this one was flattened neatly. Today, the carriage was parked there as our gathering point, but apparently there used to be an employee breakroom back when the mine was still open.

  “Ooh!”

  We parted our way through wild waist-high grass, walking up hills and along rocky areas with the wind occasionally blowing strongly. One side of the road was a cliff, so that probably played a part. With no shielding, the wind warmed by the sun’s rays felt like freedom and comfort.

  When I glanced in the direction the wind was blowing, I could see the road we used on our way from Gimul Town before me. Under the clear blue sky without a single cloud, the straight road extending through the overgrown greenery was tranquil to see.

  “Young master. Please be careful. The cliff is that way.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  Zeph gave me a warning. Getting too close would certainly be dangerous. It was hard to see my feet with all the grass too...

  When I looked down, I saw large amounts of dirt and gravel roughly piled below the cliff. Was that what they called a spoil tip — a mountain made from the dirt that came out of a mine? I had never seen one with my own eyes before.

  It couldn’t be called pretty, but the red dirt with weeds sprouting out in patches gave a feeling of nature’s vitality. However...

  “Such a shame...”

  They said the iron output of this mine was already zero, but what if it was just the ores that were gone while the iron content in the soil remained? That red dirt was the color of iron oxide — the color of rust, right? I could probably turn it to iron with alchemy... But I guess that wouldn’t work if alchemy was seen as a shady act run by scammers.

  As I was thinking such things, we arrived at the gathering point. For some reason, Reinhart and Elise were waiting at the entrance.

  “Welcome back!”

  “How did it go?”

  “Mother, Father, I defeated lots of cave mantises!”

  “Hmm, seems like it went well.”

  “Ryoma blocked them from getting close to me, so I was able to use my magic with ease. He defeated even more than I did!”

  “You protected her, Ryoma? Thank you.”

  “But... were there really that many cave mantises?”

  “It seemed like the mineshaft we went into was a cave mantis nest. There wasn’t a single other monster.”

  “I see, then how about you take a different mineshaft after lunch? Would you like to go with us this time? I want to see Elia and Ryoma fight too.”

  “Really? I’ll do my best!”

  “My, my. But first, it’s time for lunch. The others should be back soon too. Tell me the details about the first shaft while we wait.”

  Thus, we gave our detailed report and had lunch. The second shaft was to wait until afterward.

  ■　■　■

  “Speaking of which, Ryoma. What were you thinking about earlier?”

  “Earlier?”

  During lunch with the four members of the Jamil family. We were chatting away normally about our thoughts of the morning and Elia’s fighting style when she changed the topic and asked me that question. But I had no idea what she was talking about.

  “You were looking at the scenery and saying it was a shame earlier.”

  Oh, back then. I understood now, but it was a little difficult to answer.

  “N-No, it was nothing.”

  Ah, that wasn’t convincing at all.

  Even I could tell my words were far from the truth.

  “How suspicious. Very suspicious.”

  “You’re not good at lying, are you?”

  “Is it something you can’t say?”

  “You can say whatever you want without holding back, you know?”

  I guess I didn’t mind telling these people...

  “Do you remember what I talked about in the carriage on the way to Gimul Town? Umm... about the salt.”

  “Ah... I see. It’s fine, it’s just us, Sebas, Araune, and Lilian here. Araune and Lilian won’t breathe a word either.”

  “I see. Then I’ll tell you. You know how I can use alchemy?”

  “So you’ve said.”

  Reinhart was the one who answered me, but my attention was on Araune and Lilian. The two of them reacted in slight surprise at the mention of alchemy, but I couldn’t see any disgust. I continued in relief.

  “Right, and so. This mine is about to become abandoned, right?”

  “Indeed. The procedure for it is all completed.”

  “Is something the matter with that?”

  “I think you can still harvest iron from it. If you use alchemy.”

  My words made everyone stiffen this time.

  “Is that... true?”

  “Yes. I told you about how I took the poison out of the salt in the Forest of Gana, right?”

  “You did.”

  “Iron can be removed from the discarded dirt in the same way. The color of the red dirt is probably iron rust... Umm, you know if you leave your sword in water, it’ll rust?”

  “Of course.”

  “The iron in the dirt reacts in the same way, turning into that color. So if you break it down once or twice with alchemy, you should be able to extract only the iron. But if large amounts of iron started appearing from an abandoned mine, it’d be strange, right? There’s also the is
sue of alchemy itself... which is why I found it such a shame.”

  “That’s certainly true, but... Ryoma, if you think you can do it, could you give it a go? I’m very curious about what you’ve said, and there are legal ways to sell it without causing a fuss.”

  “Sure.”

  I agreed readily.

  I wasn’t fussed about keeping my alchemy a secret in front of people who didn’t find it a problem. After all, Gain threw together the process at the request of an otherworlder, so it was very simple. A school level knowledge of science and the elements was enough to use it. The reason why alchemy hadn’t spread in this world was because of the prejudice and lack of that knowledge.

  But to be honest, when it came to extracting just the iron...

  What was iron oxide? Iron that had oxidized.

  What did ‘oxidize’ mean? The combination of matter and oxygen. In the case of iron oxide, it was the combination of iron and oxygen.

  What was oxygen? Part of the air we were breathing at this very moment.

  What should be done through alchemy? Separate the combined oxygen and iron using magic energy, returning it to iron (deoxidation).

  ...If I told them this right now, Reinhart and Eliaria would probably be able to do it too.

  If that wasn’t enough, I could explain more details about oxygen. That much information would take less than an hour to explain. Though I had no intention of teaching them in detail if I wasn’t asked.

  If they wanted to use it for business or personal reasons, they were free to do so. Even if it was created by the whims of an otherworlder, it was still a legitimate skill in this world.

  ■　■　■

  Then, after lunch.

  “Ryoma, will this do?”

  “Yes, thank you very much.”

  I drew the magic circle needed for alchemy on the ground (a square inside a circle) and placed the containers of red dirt prepared for me on top.

  “I’m going to begin. It’s dangerous, so make sure you do not step on the circle.”

  With that warning, I pushed magic energy through the circle to watch it glow with a curtain of light. The spectators watched without making a sound, staring in deep interest.

  I was like that at first too... But the sensation was now like turning on my PC... Actually, I might be even more excited to turn on a PC right now. Because of the memories. Oops, I should stop getting distracted and get to work...

  There were different magic circles for different alchemy purposes, and the one I was using now was the separation circle. If I willed for only the iron oxide to be separated from the dirt, the dirt would float up and outside of the circle by itself. At this point, the only thing that could pass the curtain of light was dirt, and when the light disappeared the reddish-brown particles remained inside the containers. Using the neutral magic Appraisal showed it was indeed iron oxide.

  I separated this once more, taking the oxygen from the iron oxide. This left sparkling silver grains. In this state, it would blow away with the wind... I drew the circle for combination, a circle and five-pointed star, next to the separation circle.

  It required the user’s imagination and knowledge of what the original substance and combined substance was to be, but using this circle allowed the materials on top to be combined. So, if I used this to make it into one lump... Done.

  I appraised the completed lump for a final check, and it was indeed 100% pure iron. There was no mistaking it.

  ...Yeah, the fact I thought that way was proof I had become used to alchemy, even though I had been so excited about the unbelievable phenomenon at first. Having people to compare myself with in front of me made me realize that all the further.

  “Reinhart, it’s a success. Please confirm for yourself.”

  I handed the lump over to Reinhart who was staring intently at my hands and he proceeded to touch it and hit it, turning it over and holding it up to the light before casting his own appraisal magic.

  “Iron, yup. It’s iron, all right. You actually made iron... I’m sorry, Ryoma.”

  “Huh?! Why are you apologizing?! Please raise your head!”

  I faltered at the sudden apology. What happened in such a short time?

  Reinhart raised his head, but still looked regretful as he opened his mouth.

  “That’s, well... It’s a common scam that alchemy can be used to make money. I didn’t believe you would scam people, but I didn’t think you could make iron either. I doubted your words.”

  Oh, so that’s what it was.

  “So asking you to show me while doubting you was...”

  “If it’s similar to the methods of scammers, I don’t blame you for doubting it. There was no harm done, so it’s fine.”

  “I’m grateful you see it that way. But still... true alchemy is amazing. To think iron could be made from that dirt.”

  “And this iron is very clean. It’s almost like silver.”

  “That’s true. Is it because it’s made from alchemy?”

  “Unfortunately, this can’t be sold as it is. While it definitely is real iron and Master Ryoma’s alchemy was wonderful...”

  Rather than it being an issue of alchemy, the purity was the problem. This was a lump of pure iron made by gathering iron particles and hardening it with magic. Super high purity iron had a shine to it, was soft and malleable, and rusted less than normal iron.

  ...Or so I think I heard on TV once. I never imagined I’d be making it myself. In fact, the news hadn’t introduced any super high 100% purity iron, so maybe that was the magic. If I was to use the common sense from my previous life, separation via magic was already weird.

  Well, that aside... knowing the problem meant a solution could be considered. If the purity was too high, would it be fine if I just dropped it?

  I drew a six-pointed star in a circle and placed the dirt removed earlier on top of it.

  The purpose of the six-pointed star circle was mixing, allowing for multiple types of substances to be mixed without bias. It wasn’t an as often used circle, but if it was just to drop the purity... I thought as I watched the color fade to a dark-ish color. It eventually reached the color of a regular iron product, but that didn’t mean it was one. There were differences in the impurities in the iron, such as iron with more carbon being harder but more brittle.

  That was why I didn’t know if it could be used as regular iron. When I told Reinhart that, he laughed and said this.

  “In that case, I know of trustworthy merchants who can look into that for you. If you’d like, I can introduce them to you.”

  “Really? I would love that.”

  “Of course. Let’s see, who would be good... Or maybe even a blacksmith instead?”

  Since I had made it, I was curious about its quality. Which is why I requested the favor, but...

  After that, Reinhart became so focused on deciding who to talk with, he didn’t participate in the afternoon monster exterminations.

  Eliaria was a little upset about that, puffing up her cheeks... What should I do?

  Chapter 2 Episode 6: Afternoon Expedition and a Gift

  With Reinhart sitting out of the afternoon expedition, it was decided that I, Eliaria, Elise, and Reinbach would operate together.

  “Honestly, Father’s always like that when it comes to work...”

  “He shouldn’t be neglecting you and his own daughter. Don’t you agree?”

  “Since I was one of the reasons for it, I have no right to speak... and Reinhart is just passionate about his work. It’s better than being lazy.”

  “That’s true... We’ve arrived; it’s here.”

  The two adults had led us to the entrance of a large mineshaft.

  “Now from here onwards, the two of you will be making the main decisions. Father-in-law and I will follow you. We’ll step in if you’re in danger, but we won’t assist otherwise.”

  “This is mainly an activity for Elia to gain experience, as Ryoma already has a lot. Sorry for asking this, Ryoma
, but could you refrain from taking the lead too much yourself as well?”

  Eliaria was suddenly given a mission.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “I understand.”

  Seeing the young lady accept the task without hesitation made me realize she was used to being given surprise missions from these two. When she boldly stepped inside the mineshaft, we could see that the shaft this time was wider and the walls were covered in moss here and there. It looked like it could be easy to slip on. We should be careful.

  “It’s so dark, I can’t see very far.”

  The thought had crossed my mind in the morning, but unlike me, who was used to hunting in the darkness of the night, it seemed like Eliaria didn’t have much visibility.

  “Ryoma, what do you do when you’re hunting at night? Do you use light magic?”

  “In the cases that I don’t mind my approach being noticed, yes. But when I’m attacking bandits or acting stealthily, I use the neutral magic Probe. There’s a risk of having the magic energy detected, but it’s less obvious than Light.”

  “I can’t use Probe very well. How do you do it? I learned that it was like widening your awareness, but I don’t understand it well.”

  Probe was... let’s see... After thinking for a moment, I used earth magic to create a bowl and filled it with water magic.

  “Look at this.”

  “Hm?”

  I showed her the bowl and dropped a pebble into the center, which naturally created ripples along the surface.

  “The pebble in the middle is you, and the ripples are the flow of your magic energy. Using yourself as the center, spread your magic energy out as waves and search for any monsters.”

  I dropped in several more small pebbles, suppressed the waves with magic, then dropped another stone in the center. Ripples traveled across the surface once more, but this time they were hindered by the small pebbles.

  “Your magic energy will be interrupted by monsters in this way. If you think of it as the probe catching monsters and people in this way, then...”

  “I see, that’s a better explanation than before. Umm... Probe!”

  The moment Eliaria activated the Probe magic, a rather large amount of magic energy scattered from her. An amount so large, I had only ever felt that much from myself before.