Oreikal Ingot

Four days passed like this.

「Hmm…」

Romina is standing in the workshop with her arms crossed, facing the Oreikal ingot.

Tsumugi said that the gauntlet prototype she made was very impressive, but Romina apparently failed several times in making just one…

Shouko and Tsumugi are diving into the dungeon as part of their daily routine.

「Aren’t you going to make anything?」

「The difficulty is high. I’m also running low on stock… Kizuna-kun, could you go gather some more?」

「Sure, but… that stuff isn’t something you can easily gather in large quantities, you know.」

After that, I went to the Underground Lake with Sheryl for some free diving exploration, but we couldn’t gather much except for the first time we found it, which was probably just luck.

「With the Miraka Condensed Crystal equipment and the Dragon Zombie equipment, we should be able to fight, right? You don’t have to be so particular about it.」

「That may be true. But just like how you insist on fishing, I have a sense of pride as a blacksmith.」

I see… but still.
At that moment, Brave Peckle came over.

「What are you doing-pen?」

This Brave Peckle seems to operate on an AI different from the other Peckles, able to respond to a certain extent.

Maybe it can give us some kind of hint.

「The difficulty of making things with the Oreikal ingot is causing me trouble.」

「Understood-pen.」

Then, an icon for creation instructions appears in my field of view.

Huh?

It shows the materials on hand, or rather, the list of tools in the workshop and what can be made with them.

No, give me a hint instead.

「What’s wrong?」

「Brave Peckle is displaying a creation instruction icon for some reason…」

「Hmm… those are just materials that would be destroyed anyway. Since you have the chance, why don’t you try making something?」

「If Romina says so…」

With that, I receive the ingot from Romina and check if I can make anything with the materials on hand.

The Oreikal ingot seems to have a lot of accessories…

No, wait, didn’t Brave Peckle have the Crafting skill?

In that sense, it makes sense that it has more accessory slots than armor.

「Well then…」

I instruct Brave Peckle to make an Oreikal Starfire Bracelet.

「Understood-pen.」

Brave Peckle sits down in front of the workshop’s anvil and starts tinkering with something.

「Then I’ll try my hand at the remaining ingots as well.」

Watching the work process, it seems Brave Peckle is crafting.

「Kuh… failed!」

Romina looks frustrated as she stares at the spot where the consumed Oreikal ingot was.

Is it really that difficult to create?

Eventually…

「It’s done-pen!」

Brave Peckle stands up and offers me a bracelet.

Oreikal Starfire Bracelet +2

…What is this?

It’s an accessory slot item, but its defensive capability and other stats are higher than mediocre armor!

The magic power is exceptionally high.

It even has the Auto Energy Recovery (Weak) effect imbued.

When I hand it to Romina for inspection, her eyebrows slightly raise.

「To have such an item crafted by an NPC… I have no place to stand. As frustrating as it is, I can’t make something of this caliber yet.」

Wow… amazing. To have words of genuine praise come out, when I would probably be envious instead.

Or rather, I might have shouted something like, Think about game balance!

「It’s not difficult with the island’s materials-pen.」

「Presumably, materials originating from Kalmira Island are easier for Brave Peckle.」

「That may be so, but… what should I do with this accessory?」

I could use it myself, or I could give it to Shouko or Tsumugi.

It could improve their efficiency in gathering resources from the dungeon.

As I’m examining the Oreikal Starfire Bracelet, Brave Peckle shows me a new category… an Enhancement List.

「If we have the materials, you could easily make them, couldn’t you?」

「Ah, wait, there’s an Enhancement skill, but…」

「Such a thing hasn’t been implemented yet… so it seems to somehow possess a skill in advance.」

That said… with the items I currently have on hand, I can’t enhance anything particularly good…

Oh?

I found Drain Enhance.

The materials are Vampire Fish and Bone Fish…

This could be good for appeasing the outcast Yamikage and experimentation.

「Let’s do this one.」

「Understood-pen.」

Brave Peckle takes the Oreikal Starfire Bracelet and starts motioning as if working on it.

「…It seems to handle any task competently.」

「Well, it’s like the hero among Peckles.」

「At this rate, we might not need anyone else as long as we have Brave Peckle, huh?」

「Don’t be jealous, it can only make accessories after all.」

As I’m saying that, some time passes, and…

「It’s done-pen!」

…that’s how the Oreikal Starfire Bracelet +2 (Drain Enhancement) was completed.

The enhanced version has slightly lower performance than the plain one… Is this a balancing adjustment?

Either way, I’ll have someone use it for now, and maybe give it as a gift when we meet Yamikage again.

In our current state, even if Santa Peckle came, Yamikage wouldn’t be needed anymore.

We’ve cleared the dungeon, after all.

「It’s really frustrating. I should stay up tonight and work on raising my skills!」

Romina seems to have developed a mysterious competitive spirit.

Well, since Shouko and the others periodically bring back good materials, it shouldn’t be a bad thing considering what might happen after a wave hits and updates occur.

「Your skills will improve… and after leaving the island, you’ll be able to showcase your amazing craftsmanship to the frontline troops as well.」

「That might be the case. Well, I had rivals among my fellow craftsmen, so I can take pride in surpassing those rivals and becoming the top craftsman. Once I reach that level, I might even be able to turn the tables on those fools.」

Romina looks at me.

「Or rather, is it okay if I claim to be Kizuna-kun and your group dedicated blacksmith? It would be a good pretext to silence those ridiculous people.」

「I did kind of recruit you without asking… But I don’t mind, we’re just taking things at our own pace. I have no intention of changing that stance, we might fall behind somewhere down the line. Besides, we never tried to aim for the top, is that okay with you?」

That’s right, the result is simply that we’ve ended up in what seems to be the forefront for now.

The fact is, we could fall behind at any time.

「It’s not a problem. I’m allowed to do whatever I want, so it’s fine if you just lend me a name.」

「That way, if we find people we like, we can invite them over easily… not bad.」

「I think Kizuna-kun has some good personnel. Shouko and Tsumugi would be among the top talents even in the frontline troops. As for Yamikage, looking at her wave performance, she’s unmatched by others. And there’s Alto as well. Despite being surrounded by such comrades, you’re just fishing away… I think it would be difficult for others to find and contact you.」

As for Sheryl being a shipwright, her fame doesn’t really matter.

Let’s not worry about how the customized ship she’s working on is starting to look like a pirate ship.

Come to think of it, would it be difficult for others to approach me, the nominal representative of this group?

Well, I’ve already decided to go fishing once we leave the island.

…Am I living like some kind of hermit out in seclusion…?

Let’s drop that thought.

「Well then, let’s have Brave Peckle make accessories for Shouko and the others too, since it can make good ones.」

We just need to get the materials in the meantime.

「Ah!? Damn it, don’t go pushing troublesome work on me-pen!」

「…Huh?」

I look at Brave Peckle again.

Instead of the polite, or rather slightly dazed Peckle expression from before, it now has a sharp, foul-mouthed demeanor.

I double checked several times.

Strange…this is supposed to be Brave Peckle, but its reaction is different.