Study Magic in My Free Time - Chapter 8: Iron Rose

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Translator: Mr. Steak

Proofreader: Yuranon

One day, while searching the forest for reqkro grass, I noticed a section of land that was forming a cross-section, about a meter tall where the earth looked horribly burnt, and I was intrigued.

Wondering what had happened, I approached the fault and touched the burnt soil.

“Wait, this isn’t soil. Is this…… ironsand?”

I scraped some out and let it crumble in my hands, then put a single grain on my tongue to check the taste.
It definitely tasted like iron, so this was indeed ironsand.

I checked the fault again and saw that there was a considerable amount of ironsand buried there.
Iron, huh……?

Ever since I was a kid, I remember finding these layers of ironsand occasionally.
It usually wasn’t an amount worth actually selling for a profit, but it was enough to make my individual life a little easier.

Well, usually I’d just dig up that small amount and bring it to town for a pocket change anyway.

The ironsand before me now was, at a glance, enough to build an entire commoner’s house.
I had no need to sell it, but leaving it alone would be too much of a waste.

To make iron, very high temperatures were required…… That, I knew.

☆

I went back to the mansion temporarily to search the study for a specific book.
Just as I’d expected, the nobleman’s book collection contained one, detailing the process of iron production which was kept secret from the commoners.

Although I’m just the fifth son, this flesh was a full-fledged noble.
Without having to worry myself with what others thought of me, I read about how to make iron.

Then, I returned to the ironsand I’d found.

“Gnome!”

First, I summoned the low-grade earth spirit Gnome.

Then, I commanded the mole-like earth spirit.

“Form the earth into a large bowl, then float it at the height of a table.”

The gnome nodded, then took soil from the ground and produced a large bowl about the size of a bathtub.

I threw some ironsand into the bowl.
At first, I used around the volume of a person.

“Salamander!”

Next, I summoned the low-grade flame spirit Salamander.
Salamander looked like a huge lizard with a body made of fire.
It was surprisingly cute, but since it was made of fire, petting it or touching it at all was impossible.

“Heat the ironsand inside this bowl. Raise the temperature gradually, and when I tell you to stop, maintain that temperature.”

Salamander silently leapt into the pot.
The ironsand in the pot started to get redder and redder, eventually melting, the grains sticking to each other until turning into a gloopy orange liquid.

“Stop.”

The color had been changing with the rising temperature. After I ordered the salamander to stop, it stopped raising the heat, and the color became stable.

The reason I’d used a salamander instead of fireballs was so I could adjust the heat precisely like this.
When I’d made reqkro crystals, all I was concerned with was heating it up.
Simply heating it until it melted, and then letting it cool, was enough.

But for making iron, that wouldn’t work.
This time, I had to melt the iron, but keep the temperature low enough to not affect the soil as well.
For that purpose, I couldn’t use fireballs and needed the help of a fire spirit.

“Gnome.”

As my third simultaneous spell, I summoned another gnome.

By the way, for the purposes of using simultaneous spells, in the case of summoning, the continued existence of a particular spirit counted as “simultaneous” use.
In other words, even though I wasn’t exerting myself that much, I was technically using three spells at once.

Also, any summoner with an above-average reserve of magical energy will be using mainly high-grade spirits in their work. Since you can only call from one group at a time, it only makes sense to use high-grade rather than low-grade.
But back to the matter at hand.

“Form the earth into a certain shape.”

I gave an order to the second gnome.
I told him the details of the particular shape I wanted.

The second gnome quickly got to work.

It made a block of earth twenty centimeters on all sides, with a hole in the top and hollow cavity inside.

I had it place the block just below the bowl, and then I turned back to the first gnome.

“Make a hole in the center of the bowl that the iron can pour through.”

The first gnome did as I’d instructed.
A hole opened in the bottom of the bowl, and the iron started dripping through.

This part could only have been done by using these spirits who can control their elements with near-perfect precision.

The iron all flowed into my dirt block without any issues.

“Stop.”

At my command, the bottom of the bowl sealed itself up again.

The iron that had poured into the mold cooled rapidly.

Eventually, the orange color faded into the normal color of iron.

“Undo the mold.”

The second gnome cleanly removed the earth.

It was entirely purged, leaving no trace behind.

What was left had nothing supporting it anymore, and fell to the ground with a clang sound.

Though the gnomes can levitate the earth, they can do nothing to iron.

“Undine.”

Finally, I called an undine, in order to cool it enough for me to touch it quickly.

After that, I picked it up.

It was a gorgeous iron rose.

Each petal was sculpted perfectly, and it looked so realistic that I could almost smell it.

“I’ve never seen such exquisite ironwork before.”

Without thinking, I mumbled to myself over my own craftsmanship.
If there was a blacksmith or artisan who was able to produce work like this, they’d surely be renowned across the land.

This was also written in the book. Melting iron was so easy that anyone could do it. Simply put iron ore or ironsand into a pot on the stove, then throw charcoal on the fire and let it burn.
The hard part was sculpting it according to your wishes without being able to touch it.

I’d made the earth into a vessel.
That had also been written in the book.
However, it also said that earth has a rough texture, so it’s only possible to use it to make simple things like an axe or other sharp objects.

Except, making full use of the gnomes, I’d been able to use that to make a beautiful iron rose.

This had been a total success.
If I could make this, then I could also make a golden rose…… No, wait.

Not just that, but I could turn any metal into any shape I wanted.
It was only because I was a noble’s fifth son that I could do this.

With this skill alone, I’d be able to feed myself for the rest of my life.
That’s what I believed.

Translator and Editor Notes:

I don’t have much to say about this one. What was the point of this chapter, exactly?

The author must have had writer’s block that day. Lol

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