Let’s put the dungeon expansion aside for now and take a break.
The 3-4 area is almost completely empty aside from us.
There is a rescue golem standing around looking vaguely bored, but other than them, there is no one else here. In this quiet 3-4 area, Diana-chan and I decided to take a short rest.
「Here you go」
「Thanks」
I took two giant rat hides out of my magic bag and spread them on the floor.
…Come to think of it, I feel like I use these hides pretty often.
「Ah, then I’ll start a fire for a bit, okay?」
「Yeah」
After checking with Diana-chan, I took a mini stove and some wood out of my magic bag.
The mini stove is basically a small iron charcoal brazier. I had Jered-papa make it for me.
Once I stuffed a few pieces of firewood into the mini stove, the setup was complete.
I held my hand over the wood, imagined burning flames, and poured magic into it.
My image quickly took shape, and red flames flickered across the surface of the wood.
That said, the wood itself was not lit yet. Until it actually caught fire, I kept controlling the magically created flames.
「Ah, it’s catching, it’s catching」
「Yeah, it is」
「Haven’t you gotten a lot faster at lighting it recently?」
「Ah, yeah, that might be true. Maybe I’ve grown a bit」
Needless to say, this is practice for 『Fire Magic』.
Since open flames are strictly forbidden in the forest, 『Fire Magic』 is banned there.
But here, there is no risk of the fire spreading and causing a blaze, so I was given permission to use 『Fire Magic』 inside the dungeon only.
Because of that, whenever I rest inside the dungeon, I light the mini stove as part of my practice before taking a break.
If you think about it calmly, lighting a fire underground sounds completely insane…
But it’s probably fine. Even if it’s underground, this isn’t a normal underground space, it’s a dungeon, so it’s probably definitely fine.
「Alright, I’ll make some tea. You’ll have some too, right, Diana-chan?」
「Yeah」
「Then wait a moment, okay? I’ll get it ready now」
I rummaged through my magic bag and took out a water flask filled with water, a pot, and an IH magic tool.
「I’ll heat the water with a magic tool now. Did something happen?」
「Huh? Yeah……」
Just as I hurriedly started preparing the tea, I noticed the hard-to-read expression on Diana-chan’s face.
「I’ve been thinking this for a while, but couldn’t you just use that fire?」
「Ah……」
Since there was already a lit mini stove right there, Diana-chan seemed to think it would make sense to boil the water on top of it.
「But if I boil water with this, it’ll get covered in soot」
「Soot?」
「Soot is…… huh? What was it again? Um…… sorry, I don’t really know either. Anyway, soot sticks to it and turns the pot black」
「Hmm」
I don’t remember exactly what soot is, but if you put a pot over a regular fire, it always ends up getting coated in it.
If I used charcoal, it might be a bit better, but I’ve never seen charcoal in this world.
Since open flames are forbidden, burning charcoal is obviously banned too, and even making charcoal in the first place is prohibited.
That’s why I end up using the IH magic tool in the end, but I can kind of understand how Diana-chan feels.
After all, even though we went through the trouble of lighting a fire, we’re not using it and are boiling water with a magic tool instead. It probably feels a bit unsatisfying. Kind of itchy in the mind.
I feel a bit itchy about it too. Lighting the mini stove ends up feeling completely meaningless, which makes me a little itchy.
「But washing it afterward would be a pain too……」
「I see…… Well, whatever. Let’s rest for now, and when we’re done resting, want to start with boars again?」
「Yeah, let’s do that」
Dungeon marathon with Diana-chan, huh. It’s been a while since I last did a marathon.
「I’ve gotten pretty used to it too, so I think I can do better from the next one」
「Really?」
「Yeah. I was pretty scared at first, but I’m fine now」
「Scared?」
Ah, I see. Diana-chan, the one firing the arrows, was scared too after all.
She had to thread her shots past me while I moved freely with my back turned, so of course that would be scary.
「I was scared I might shoot you in the head, but I think it’s probably fine now」
「I see. Then I’ll do my best too. I’m counting on you, Diana-chan」
「Yeah」
Apparently, Diana-chan thinks she will probably not shoot me in the head.
Is that really something you can brush off with “probably”?
…No, I’ll trust her. I’ll trust Diana-chan and do my best. Things like this are surely all about trust.
Besides, despite how she looks, Diana-chan has a natural talent when it comes to combat.
She is probably――a once-in-a-decade prodigy.
…No, maybe I should stretch that a bit more? “Once in a decade” doesn’t sound that impressive in elf terms.
Diana-chan is probably――a once-in-a-century prodigy.
If such a prodigy says it’s fine, then I should trust her words and do my best.
「From next time, I’ll also think about positioning when I shoot」
「Positioning?」
「I’ll position myself so the monster, Alec, and I don’t line up in a straight line」
「A straight line? Ah, I get it」
She’ll shift the firing line. That way, even in the worst case, an arrow won’t hit me.
I see, I see. As expected of a once-in-a-century prodigy.
…Honestly, that’s something I would have liked her to do from the start, but――no, I won’t say it. I won’t say it.
Diana-chan is helping with my training and even making improvement suggestions. I shouldn’t complain. I’m just grateful.
「Also, I’m thinking of using skill arts too」
「Huh……」
She’s even going to use skill arts. As expected of a prodigy. So eager…….
「But Diana-chan’s skill art is that one, right? The one where the arrows split up above and rain down」
「Yeah」
「The one called 『Infernal Heavy Rain』?」
「Yeah」
Diana-chan, a once-in-a-century prodigy, also excels at skill arts.
Her bow skill art 『Infernal Heavy Rain』 is a technique where an arrow fired upward splits in midair and pours down like rain.
Both the name and the effect are extremely cool.
Of course, I have seen this skill art many times, but honestly, I am jealous. Honestly, it makes me feel a bit uneasy.
I mean, it feels a little strange, doesn’t it? That does not seem like a level 1 skill art.
At level 1, shouldn’t skills be much simpler? Jered-kun’s is just 『Power Arrow』, you know?
Even the name itself feels wrong. I do not think 『Infernal Heavy Rain』 is a name you should give to a level 1 skill. I still do not even know what 『Infernal』 means.
Since it is level 1, shouldn’t the name be simple too? Jered-kun’s is 『Power Arrow』.
「Alec? What’s wrong?」
「It’s just that…… 『Infernal Heavy Rain』 sounds really cool……」
「Huh? Ah, yeah. Thanks」
「Yeah……」
…It’s not like I am dissatisfied with my own 『Paralyze Arrow』. I like it a lot, and I think it is a very good skill.
Still, when I compare it to 『Infernal Heavy Rain』, I just cannot help it.
I feel like I lose just by the name alone. I envy that skill name. I want to shout a name like that too……
「Huh? Wait, so you’re going to use skill arts?」
「Yeah」
Ah, I see. She is going to use them……
That skill does not seem like it cares about firing lines at all, though……
Is this really okay……? I am a little worried that I might get hit by some infernal heavy rain myself……
next chapter: Woodworking Series Part 30 『Guitar』
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