WeTried Translations

Translator: [IncomeElastic]

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Became a Blacksmith the Rankers Are Obsessed With ◈

Chapter 81

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Permanent Spirit Eyes

* * *

I walked through the garden, spinning Totality.

Clockwise, then counterclockwise.

As for why swinging it around and around in a whir didn't send me tumbling straight into the spirit realm...

"Turns out it's fine as long as I spin it without actually thinking about anything."

Because I'd spun it without a single thought in my head.

So that's what they meant by needing to put intent into it.

Thanks to that, it seemed like I could use it as an ordinary rod in everyday situations.

- Creak.

I opened the mansion's door and stepped inside.

I wondered what Ruby was up to.

"What else would she be doing."

Working out again, probably. I could just barge straight into the gym and hand her the rod, but this was, strictly speaking, a competition.

Since the whole thing hinged on whether Dolores's weapon or mine would be chosen, a competition of sorts, it seemed like proper order demanded I show Dolores first.

I headed to Dolores's room with the rod slung over my shoulder.

- Knock knock.

"It's Lionel."

- Come in~

The moment permission came, I opened the door.

- Thunk.

The instant I stepped in, I tapped the rod lightly against the floor.

"I finished it."

I said it in a confident voice.

"... Oh my."

Dolores looked at my rod and made a strange sort of expression.

"Mm... good work, Lionel. Even at a glance it looks... r, really good..."

"It's four stars."

"Ngggh..."

Let me guess.

What's going through Dolores's mind right now.

The fact that I'd made good gear to give Ruby was probably a happy thing in itself.

But if that gear happened to be excessively good, and on top of that, a rod...

"Nnngh..."

Good news, but not the kind she could feel simply happy about.

After all, it raised the odds that my weapon would be chosen instead.

Then my eyes landed on the staff sitting in front of Dolores.

─────────────────

[Dawn Branch][★★★★☆]

[Unique Equipment][Compatibility Rating][0 / 80]

─────────────────

[Aligns the user's mana to increase the speed of spell manifestation.]

─────────────────

Looked decent enough, a shaft carved from wood that held a faint bluish sheen...

The wood was probably blue-wood, and the tip even had a clear gem set into it.

But I'd noticed this before: the gear I made had a different Compatibility Rating ceiling from the start compared to other equipment.

The ceiling for my three-star gear was 80. For four-star, 100.

Other people's gear, by contrast, usually capped at 60 for three-star and 80 for four-star.

I still didn't know why, but well, a higher ceiling wasn't exactly a bad thing.

"Hmm..."

I examined the Dawn Branch a little more closely.

Not bad, all things considered. It suited a mage well enough.

This was the gear Dolores had prepared for Ruby, and it showed just how much thought and worry had gone into choosing it.

"It's good."

It was good, but...

I doubted Ruby would pick this one.

"... Ngggh..."

When Dolores saw the confident look on my face as I examined the gear, she clenched both hands into fists and pressed them together in front of her chest.

Then, looking anxious, she rubbed them fretfully against each other.

Cute.

I wanted to bite her.

I didn't dare try it, too afraid of the aftermath.

"Shall we go now?"

To go see a result whose answer was already obvious.

"... Yes, let's do that..."

In the end, Dolores gripped the staff with a grim expression and followed behind me.

I led the way with Totality slung over my shoulder.

- Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh.

"Look at you, just like Son Wukong~"

"......."

We headed to the gym while she hummed a tune I felt like I'd heard somewhere before.

- Creak.

The door opened to the familiar clang of metal, and of course, well...

- Clank.

"Hauh..."

The distinctive groan Ruby always let out while working out.

She was lying on the Smith machine I'd built, pressing a barbell overhead.

Let's see, let's see, today's weight was... 170.

It had gone up another 30 without my noticing. Genuinely terrifying. What was I supposed to do.

"Ruby?"

Dolores called out, but there was no answer. Once this kid started working out, a bomb could go off next to her and she wouldn't notice.

"Ruby."

Still no answer, so Dolores finally walked over to stand by Ruby's head.

And then.

- Slide.

she grabbed the center of the 170-kilogram barbell,

- Swish.

and lifted it with one hand, hanging it back on the rack, just like that.

"Oh, Teacher."

"Can you sit up for a moment? I have something to give you."

"Okay."

".......?"

You're kidding, right?

Weren't mages supposed to be weak in raw strength?

Fuck, turns out I was the only weak one here.

Ruby got up and wiped the sweat off her neck with a towel.

"Hey, Kim Ruby."

- Whir-whir-whir.

Just as I was about to walk up to her, spinning the rod.

".......!!"

Only then did she seem to notice I was there too. The moment our eyes met, Ruby's face flushed red in an instant.

- Skitter-skitter.

and then, out of nowhere, a series of backward steps.

She'd just backed up five whole steps.

"D, don't come any closer!"

"... Huh."

"Don't, absolutely don't come closer."

Whoa. That hurt.

I froze mid-motion, rod still raised.

Just as I was genuinely starting to feel hurt,

Ruby seemed startled to see how gloomy my face had gotten,

"N, no, that's not it, I mean...!"

- Swipe, swipe.

she hurriedly wiped her neck and face with the towel,

then, seemingly unsatisfied even with that, shook her head back and forth.

"T, Teacher, can I... can I go wash up first?"

"Yes, go ahead."

With an expression of tender understanding, as if she'd figured something out, Dolores let Ruby go.

- Pitter-patter-patter.

Ruby kept an exact twenty-meter safety distance from me as she skirted along the wall and hurried past.

Ruby vanished out of the gym.

"... Mm."

What was that about.

[Sighhh]

[You really lack tact, don't you]

[Ruby's a teenage girl going through puberty, you know?]

".......?"

Oh, maybe it's the sweat smell? Because she'd been working out and sweating?

No, wait, what...

We'd worked out together just two weeks ago, too. Of course sweat smells like sweat.

Besides, she's never even smelled bad from sweat...

She hadn't cared at all back then.

[That's just how girls change practically overnight, you know]

"This is difficult..."

No wonder it'd been hard to catch her working out these past few days.

- Plop.

I sat down on the floor for a moment,

- Stroke, stroke.

and seeing that, Dolores came over and stroked my hair.

"Mm... Ruby must have wanted to wash up after working out."

"Yeah, she probably felt gross."

We brought a table over and set it up in front of us.

The plan was to lay the weapons on it and let her choose.

As we waited for a while,

- Creak.

the gym door opened again.

"I'm baaack..."

Ruby strode in confidently, changed into clean clothes.

The ends of her hair were still damp, her shoulders squared. What was this.

Her expression was quite different from before, considerably more confident.

But then, as Ruby approached us,

".......?"

an intensely, intensely familiar scent brushed past my nose.

A faint, cool floral scent, the same perfume I smelled every day whenever I was held in Dolores's arms.

Would you look at that.

She'd even swiped Dolores's perfume and put it on.

I had no idea just how badly she wanted to look grown-up.

Of course Dolores noticed right away too,

"Pfft... ahem, hm."

and hid her twitching mouth.

"All right, Ruby."

"What."

Time to get started. Time for the main dish.

Dolores and I exchanged a glance, and on the table before us,

- Thump.

Dolores set down the Dawn Branch, and next to it, I

- Thunk.

stood Totality upright.

"Why don't you pick one of the two?"

"......."

Ruby's eyes widened for an instant, then she began sweeping her gaze over both weapons.

I'll say it outright, Ruby has extremely high standards.

I'd watched her pick out clothes before, and it was genuinely no joke.

Well, it was probably to be expected, though.

- Pitter-patter.

Ruby's feet carried her straight past the Dawn Branch, right up to Totality.

"... Wow."

The grown-up expression she'd been putting on until moments ago melted away.

Honestly, I'd been certain Ruby would choose my rod.

- Fwip.

Ruby immediately crouched down and looked up at Totality.

Her eyes sparkled, her mouth hanging open a little, like she'd turned back into a little kid.

"... Ngggh."

Dolores finally let out a groan, as though she sensed defeat.

Her instincts seemed to be right.

- Grab.

Ruby grabbed hold of Totality.

- Hummmm...!

The rod suddenly began giving off a blue light.

Wh, what?

It hadn't reacted like this when I held it. What was going on?

"This."

"Uh, what."

I asked back, wondering if something was wrong.

"Is it mine...?"

"Heh. Of course."

"I'll take this one."

The choice came fast.

She did actually look at the Dawn Branch, right?

"... Hiing."

In the end, Dolores retrieved the Dawn Branch and slung it over her back.

Did Dolores just make that whimpering sound just now?

Whew...

I really couldn't take it.

Of course, there was nothing I could actually do even if I couldn't take it, so I turned my eyes forward again.

- Hmmm...

Totality hummed, as though it had finally found its true owner instead of just another gear fanatic.

Ruby stared straight ahead as though entranced by something,

and I got started on my own task.

'Now, what about the Compatibility Rating.'

The most important part of any piece of gear: its compatibility with the user.

I looked ahead, hoping it would boast a high Compatibility Rating,

and sure enough...

─────────────────

[Totality: Ascension][★★★★☆]

[Unique Equipment] [Compatibility Rating][100 / 100]

─────────────────

[Reaching 100 Compatibility manifests all of the equipment's abilities at their fullest.]

[The wearer's Spirit Handler aptitude resonates completely with Totality.]

[No conflict occurs even when spirit energies of differing attributes are accepted simultaneously.]

[The spirit sensitivity of a wearer who possesses Spirit Handler aptitude is amplified.]

[Allows temporary sharing of senses and power even with spirits with whom no contract has been made.]

[Prolonged wear can lead to the permanent acquisition of 'Spirit Eyes.']

─────────────────

Compatibility Rating 100.

Just like Dolores's Spring Breeze Bearing Fire before, Totality this time had also managed to hit 100.

Aside from the weight plates and things like that, this was Ruby's first piece of gear, so I'd been a little nervous...

"What a relief."

It really suit...

But then, right at that moment,

one more line appeared, a little late.

[Prolonged wear can lead to the permanent acquisition of 'Spirit Eyes.']

Wait a second.

What?

Permanent acquisition of Spirit Eyes?

"......."

Spirit Eyes, a power the Spirit Queens had stripped from the Elves long ago as punishment for some past sin.

Eyes that could perceive the shape and voice of spirits while remaining in the mortal realm, and my guess was, a spirit's true form.

And I could gain a power like that just from wearing it for a long time?

Just then,

a new line surfaced beneath the equipment window.

[★★★★☆] [Mend the Severed Bond, Inherit the Will.]

[Target: Ruby von Dolores]

[Title Acquired, 'One Who Opened a New Door']

Along with the achievement that followed,

[Reward]

This time, could it be?

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[Crafting Recipe, Totality: Vision]

─────────────────

Totality: Vision?

The instant I read the name silently to myself, a blueprint unfolded before my eyes.

─────────────────

[Totality: Vision][■■■■■■■]

[Unique Equipment][Compatibility Rating][- / 100]

─────────────────

『Wi■h one ey■, look ■pon the mor■al wor■d; wi■h the o■her, ■■■ spir■t rea■m.』

『Equ■pment ■or perce■ving the ■pir■t's fo■m ■nd vo■ce wi■hout inve■ting the bou■dary be■ween the t■o wor■ds.』

─────────────────

[Required Crafting Materials]

[Harmonics × 1]

[???? × 2]

[Whiteheart Iron × 1]

─────────────────

[Special Crafting Condition]

[Only a crafter who has reached the boundary of the spirit realm may craft this.]

─────────────────

"......."

This was the first time a recipe had arrived as a reward.

But since I'd only obtained the recipe itself so far, most of the detailed information was still locked away.

Totality: Vision.

Vision, huh...

One meaning I knew of was "sight," a field of view.

Given that the word "eye" kept showing up in the fragmented description, maybe this was gear that let its wearer see spirits?

Glasses? Or goggles?

"Heh."

I was curious.

Way too curious.

And those materials.

That one plastered with question marks, the one I needed two of, what on earth was it?

This was seriously exciting. Up until now I'd always just made gear freestyle, on my own terms.

Having a recipe handed to me out of the blue like this stirred up a completely different kind of thrill.

I wanted to march straight into the workshop right that second.

I wanted to strip off those black cloths somehow and see what lay beneath.

Just then,

I looked away from the blueprint and blinked,

- Whooosh....

- Whirr...

"... Huh?"

Somehow, the Totality Ruby held in front of me now had both flame and wind wrapped around it at once.

White flame burned brightly on one side of the rod, while on the other, blue wind coiled around it in a shimmering spiral.

And on top of that,

- Flash.

one of Ruby's eyes glinted red as she gripped Totality tight.

Just as I thought.

Maybe it was because she already had a Spirit Handler's aptitude to begin with, but even without any explanation of how to use it...

"Can you see it?"

The spirit realm.

I asked, the corner of my mouth curling up.

"Yeah."

Ruby grinned and nodded along.

"... Ruby can already handle spirit energy to this degree...?"

Dolores pressed a hand to her forehead, looking like she couldn't quite process it.

"Lionel. What in the world did you make...?"

The Dawn Branch had somehow ended up abandoned on the floor.

Well, good. As long as Totality had found a good home, that was enough.

"Okay, congrats on the enrollment gift, Ruby. I've got something urgent, so I'll just..."

- Bang!

Wind burst from the spot where Ruby had just been standing,

"... Huh?"

and at the same instant, Ruby, rod held loosely behind her back, appeared right in front of me.

Her wind-tossed hair settled a beat too late,

and her eyes, glinting red, stared straight at me.

"Hm?"

Ruby suddenly turned her head to look off to the side.

"... Should I?"

It felt like she was receiving a suggestion from someone.

... Who was she talking to?

"Should you what..."

Oh, was she talking with a spirit?

Just then,

- Smooch...

Before I could even finish my sentence, something warm pressed against my cheek...

- Mwah.

and then pulled away.

Ruby had kissed me on the cheek.

"... The thing Teacher always does."

"......."

"I wanted to do it too."

Then Ruby stared quietly at me for a moment...

- Blehh.

she stuck her tongue out,

even though her face had turned as red as a sunlight spirit.

"... Thanks for the weapon, Lionel!"

- Squeeze!

In the end, unable to contain her joy any longer, she threw herself straight into my arms and hugged me tight.

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