Afterwards, Adriana and Krull returned to the village for lunch.

"It's a difficult problem ......"

Adriana muttered to herself as she ate lunch at the chief's house.

"Ad, what's wrong?　Wasn't it good?"

Bice, a mother of two, asked her with a worried look on her face.

"Oh, um, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something.

Adriana explains hurriedly.

"That's all right, but ...... something bothering you?"

"No, I was just ......".

Adriana then thought that now was as good a time as any to ask since Mehto, the village head, was there.

I just heard from Krull that this village forbids women to go out to sea.

Mehto looked a little solemn and answered.

"That's right. It's been said for a long time. It is said that the god of the sea is a male god.

"Oh, so when women go out to sea, they try to drag them down to the bottom of the sea?"

Adriana asks, remembering the pattern of the old story Shuki told her. But Mehto denied it with a laugh.

Haha, no. The god of the sea has a lot of feelings for the women who go out to sea, and his jealous wife's god gets angry and destroys the sea.

"Is that so?"

Adriana was surprised, because this was not what she had expected.

"Of course, I don't believe it. Of course I don't believe in it, but you can't fool me with old legends, you know."

"......Some of the fishermen still really believe in it, it seems."

Bice added a few words of explanation.

"Actually, I think it's a gentle lie, because they don't want to send women and children out into the dangerous sea," he said. But as the village head, I can't allow the villagers to break the law."

"...... I understand."

Adriana had heard from Shuki that beliefs and superstitions have deep roots and that it is difficult to get people to recant them, and she had some sense of this from her travels, but seeing an actual example like this made her think twice.

(According to your father, this Kingdom of Leonard is still better than others. ...... I wonder if it is worse in other countries.)

Adriana pondered a bit.

Adriana pondered for a moment.

Adriana pondered over the superstition, but then she began to worry about what would happen to her magical tool, the Material Extractor, and decided to go to the sea again.

This time, not only Krull but also Maruru accompanied him.

"Wow, it's a big boat."

Maruru shared the same impression as Krull.

"I'd like to get on it, but I can't. ......

"But, can't we at least take a look inside?　It's not floating in the ocean."

Adriana follows up. Even Krull is looking inside.

"Oh, yes, that's right.

So Adriana showed Marle around as well as Krull.

After she was done, she checked the that had been installed in three locations.

"Well, that's quite a lot.

In total, I got about 50 grams of chromium and 40 grams of nickel.

"I think I have enough if I leave it here until tomorrow."

Adriana is pleased with what she has obtained for the day.

"I think we will have enough for tomorrow.

Adriana wants to leave a gift before she leaves the village that has helped her so much.

"Oh, Krull and Marle. Who are your children?

"Oh, Uncle Demi. This is Adriana. She is traveling.

On the way back from the beach, we pass a few people.

Adriana asked them about it and they replied: "During the day they go to the mountains,

"That's because they are either in the mountains or out at sea during the daytime," Marle told her.

Marle told us.

She also told us that the land in this area was too thin to grow normal crops.

Therefore, they get their sustenance from the mountains and the sea.

From the mountains, they get firewood, nuts, and wild vegetables. From the sea, of course, they obtain fish.

"So, axes, machetes, and sickles are necessary tools, aren't they?

"Well, yes. Making and fixing these things keeps Grandpa busy.

Krull explained proudly.

"That's why you don't see many people during the day."

"That's right. And by the way, there are a lot of nuts in the mountains this time of year.

It's called "clary" and ripens to a purple color.

"They are sweet and sour and delicious. If we leave them alone, birds and animals will pick them, so we collect them as soon as we find them and dry or make jam out of the ones we can't eat.

"I see."

"I see." "...... but sugar is expensive, so we can't make a lot of jam."

Through these conversations, Adriana gains knowledge about the life of ordinary people.

Since she had been with <> Shuki up to this point, her interactions with these people with a sense of daily life were often instructive.

This may have been the starting point of her later efforts to develop magic tools.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next day, the total amount of chromium and nickel was 150 grams of chromium and 110 grams of nickel, respectively.

"We can make quite a bit with that much."

Adriana went to the blacksmith master, Phytos.

Krull and Marle had gone to the mountains together after breakfast, so they were alone today.

"Oh, sweetie, is that again?"

"Yes. I want to make a few things to leave behind as a thank you for all the help you've given me.

Hearing this, Fightos looked a little sad.

"So ...... you are a traveler, aren't you? ...... good, use as much iron as you like."

"Thank you!"

Immediately Adriana started to make as much stainless steel as she could with the materials she had at hand.

18-8, that is, 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel.

She had 150 grams of chromium on hand, so she needed 66.7 grams of nickel. He needs 616.7 grams of iron.

Working out these calculations by heart, Adriana alloyed the metal.

"It's still a wonder to me, no matter how many times I see it.

The way the iron lump changes its shape as a faintly shining magic circle appears on the surface looks mysterious to those who are not accustomed to seeing engineering magic.

"<>"

"Oh?

Adriana, who had been in high spirits, had created ten forks in one transformation.

Each fork is connected by a thin , which is cut off to make the fork.

Three times in total. Using approximately 750 grams, 30 forks are completed.

The fact that there is no waste is another feature of magical engineering.

"Well, if there were more mages like you, we'd all be out of a job.

Fightos looks deeply moved.

Adriana, on the other hand, said,

"I don't think that will happen in the near future. No ordinary mage would think of making tools for daily life.

Adriana said. Phytos was shocked to hear that.

"I see. It's all about the money, isn't it? ...... so you're special, aren't you?"

"I don't know, I don't know..."

Adriana smiles a little sadly. Adriana smiles a little sadly. She knows she's different, but that's why she smiles.

"That's 30. I remember that the population of the village is 172 people, so I would like to make at least 200.... ..."

At this rate it would take a few more days, so Adriana decides to add more <>.

Fortunately, we have plenty of materials to make them.

"Well then, master, see you tomorrow."

"Oh, take care!"

Adriana went to the ship on her feet, built five "Material Extractors", and ordered F-003 to set them up in the sea, far away from the ship. F-003 was ordered to set them in the sea at a distance from the ship.

F-003 ordered F-003 to set the device in the sea.

"Ah, Ado, welcome back."

When Adriana returned to the village chief's house at noon, Krull and Maruru had also returned and showed her the many nuts they had gathered in the mountains, including clary berries.