Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy
Iris
The dishes were brought to the table where everyone gathered: a large flat pan of paella, marlin-like fish in meunière sauce, generously topped with onions and tomatoes, and a large bowl of Caesar salad.
With vibrant colors and the delightful aroma of olive oil and garlic filling the room, everyone’s hunger made itself apparent.
“Please help yourselves… There’s plenty for seconds, so don’t hold back, okay?”
Saying so, Kirsche-san diligently served the paella to everyone.
As plates were distributed, we all said, “Thank you for the meal” and eagerly scooped up the rice with shrimp and other ingredients into our mouths.
…The seafood, properly prepared, lacks any fishy smell and offers a delightful texture and rich flavor.
The perfectly cooked rice absorbs the flavors of the seafood and vegetables, creating a harmonious blend of tastes with each bite…
“…This is so good!”
“R-Really?”
“Yes, I’d love to have the recipe, please.”
Nii-sama also praised the dish highly.
When I asked her for the recipe, Kirsche-san turned bright red and hurriedly entered her room to fetch some papers for notes.
Seeing this, Nii-sama whispered to me.
“Kirsche-san seems to be in a good mood, doesn’t she?”
“Hehe, probably because your and Ouka-san’s conversation earlier was quite loud.”
“Huh? Oh, you heard that?”
I glanced at Ouka-san sitting a bit away, silently eating her portion of paella. However, her flustered voice from the workshop a while ago…
“My sister’s cooking is delicious.”
The moment Kirsche-san heard that, her face lit up with joy.
If she had a tail, I’d imagine it wagging vigorously.
“…If only they could be a little more honest around each other.”
“I agree… but that’s something they must have to work out between themselves.”
Nii-sama and I sighed inwardly.
The meal progressed smoothly, and after all the dishes on the table had been emptied into our stomachs, we were led to a rocky hill behind Ouka-san’s workshop.
Despite its remote location, a well-trodden path led us to a gaping hole in the mountainside.
“Is this… a cave?”
“It used to be a large mineshaft that got abandoned after people dug out all the ores. Master expanded it and made it his home.”
Ouka-san chuckled at the absurdity of that idea.
However, the cave was reinforced with stone and illuminated with magical lights in places. It’s well-ventilated, and the interior, mostly shielded from the sun, is cool and comfortable.
Amidst this, a thin brass plate hung on the outer wall caught our eyes.
“What does it say…’Nephilim’s Forge’?”
It was a sign that one would hang above a shop.
Moreover, the sign was intricately crafted, indicating the high skill of the maker… although it seemed neglected, covered in dust.
“Oh, that. According to Master, he made it as something to kill time, but in my opinion, it’s pointless to put up a sign in a place nobody passes by.”
“To kill time…”
“Well, his sense of time is different.”
Ouka-san shrugged.
After all, Cyclops is a race of giants that can live for hundreds or thousands of years. To him, such a meticulously crafted sign might just be a mere hobby.
While thinking about that, we advanced through the cave for a while, eventually reaching a spacious area.
Not only is the space vast, but everything inside is enormous. From the furnace and anvil to the shelves and tools, everything seems oversized, giving us the illusion of being miniature.
However, what’s particularly strange is the counter, seemingly for humans, placed right near the entrance.
“Ah… That’s where I help him with the shopkeeping.”
“Not like we get many customers, though. If they’re not to my master’s liking, he’ll turn them away immediately.”
“I see…”
“Is your master still not back? I don’t see him around…”
“No, he should be here. Probably… in the supply room. This way.”
Following Ouka-san’s lead, we passed through a small door, seemingly for humans, located at the bottom right of one of the huge doors connected to the workshop. And there…
“Wow…”
“Are all of those… metals?”
On shelves towering high, over ten meters tall each, were neatly arranged ingots of metal.
Not just iron, but various metals shone, some even emanating strong magical power despite being mere ingots.
“Iron, gold, silver, copper, even mithril. He said he has almost every metal available nowadays.”
“Heh…”
As I walked, I noticed a metal with intricate ripple patterns… Looks like a relic from the ancient times… I thought as I glanced at it sideways.
…Just this alone must be a tremendous fortune.
“And then there’s this metal that looks like copper, but it feels like it has an overwhelming magical power inside… He let me touch it for a bit, but no matter how much I scratched, hit, or gnawed on it, it wouldn’t even scratch.”
“Copper…?”
“No, Master said it’s something else, but he didn’t tell me. He took it away right away and stashed it in a place I can’t reach.”
Maybe it’s because you tried to gnaw on it, I thought as another question arose in my mind.
Similar to copper… contains magical power…
“Could it be… Oricha… Ack?!”
Just as I was about to voice my thoughts, I accidentally bumped into Ouka-san, who had suddenly stopped.
“…Y-You alright?!”
“I’m… fine…”
I reply to Kirsche-san, who looked worried as I held back the pain from hitting my nose.
…What was I about to say again?
The vague words dissipated, and I shook my head… It felt important, but I just couldn’t remember. Feeling a bit frustrated, I switched my focus to something else.
“Ah, sorry about that. But hey, Master is over there.”
Ouka-san pointed toward a seated colossal figure, probably ten meters tall if standing. He didn’t turn to us, seemingly absorbed in doing something.
“Ouka-san, what’s he doing?”
“Hmm… Probably refining the ores he collected today.”
“Refining? Without a furnace?”
“You’ll see.”
Between his hands raised at the chest area, there was a lump resembling a black ore.
In the next moment, it was suddenly engulfed in a black flame-like substance… Eventually, it melted down into a red liquid and flowed down to something resembling a sand pedestal placed at the feet.
“That’s the Black Flame, passed down as a secret only to the Cyclops race. With it, Master can manipulate any metal as he pleases.”
“…I’d heard about it in the texts, but this is the first time I’ve seen it for myself.”
“It’s kind of enviable, isn’t it? No matter how well we humans refine metals, we could never match his metallurgy… Well then!”
After making sure that her master had finished his current task, Ouka-san rushed off toward his back, and we hurriedly follow her.
“Master! Hey, M A S T E R !”
“Ah…?”
At the sound of Ouka-san’s voice, the colossal figure rose slowly and turned around.
Dark skin with lush white hair and a chin beard. A formidable visage that would make anyone unfamiliar cower in fear.
In the center of his face, the greatest characteristic of his race, the single eye, fixates on us.
And the moment he opened his mouth, a deep bass, as if thunder resonating in the depths of his abdomen, reverberated so strongly that it seemed to cause ripples in the air.
“What’s up, Ouka? I wonder why you’ve come to this hole even when the festival’s coming… And who might you folks be over there?”
“Ah, they’re customers who wish to see you, so I’ve brought them here…”
“N-Nice to see you…”
I gently pinched the hem of my skirt, bent my knees and bowed my head. Beside me, Nii-sama also bowed his head.
Master Nephilim, the person we were looking for, peered at us with suspicion.
After blinking his large, single eye several times, his stern and rugged face softened with apparent delight.
“Oh… Ohhhh… Are you, perchance… Miss Iris?!”
“Eh…? Long time no… see?”
“Mmm, it’s good to see you in good health. Welcome to my humble forge, young miss.”
With that somewhat overdramatic gesture of welcome, we smiled with a mixture of relief and curiosity.
The relief stemmed from the fact that, without needing Walter-san’s letter of introduction, he seemed willing to hear us out.
As for the curiosity… it seemed that, like some of the people we encountered in this world, Leonhardt-sama and his associates for example, he seemed to be already acquainted with us… I could only wonder why.
APM - Translation 