Collaboration

"Okay so what the hell was that!"

"Well I can make the metal into any shape I want."

"So you can make any weapon you want as long as you have the metal on hand?"

"Close but it doesn't work well without knowing what I want."

"Explain!"

Currently I am trying to calm down an angry blacksmith who's shaking me back and forth like a ragdoll.

"I've gotta know what I'm making. If I don't know it's structure it comes out looking like some toy version or model of it instead of the real thing. Here just let me go and I'll show you!" She releases her death grip on my shoulders and I promptly hit the ground.

"Well show me!"

"Just let me get my head on straight first." I calm down for a second before getting one of my spare emergency ingots out of my backpack.

"Here look." I quickly monkey the block into a basic dagger shape hilt and all. Tsubaki takes it and gives it a once over.

"Huh, so this is weird no edge, balance is off, no grip, and the whole thing is the same hardness. Heck, I don't think making something like this is even possible normally."

"Yeah that's what happens when I don't know what I'm making. All those things I have to think about when I'm making it. Problem is I'm not a blacksmith so everything is just based on what I think should work."

"So basically you can create a dagger straight from an ingot but you've got to know what makes a dagger a dagger to make anything good."

"Yeah, it also helps if I know how to make one like a regular blacksmith. I think something in the magic makes it easier if I can imagine the process while I'm making it."

"Right so your magic just skips all the forging steps to go straight to the product. I don't know whether that's a gain or a loss."

"Huh, I figured most people would think it's cheating. Why do you think it could be a loss?"

"Hah! No blacksmith worth their hammer would make it with a cheating magic like that. Sure you could make no end of low grade stuff, but you'll never get the experience to be a master cheating your way through." Her answer surprises me quite a bit. Lord Miach had warned me that I needed to avoid just snapping my fingers to make potions. Sure it was quicker even if it took a lot more mind power, but I wouldn't get the experience I needed for making harder potions. The fact she saw the same issue if I tried to be a blacksmith said a lot about her level.

"Yeah, my god said pretty much the same thing. Still I'm not a blacksmith so no worries there really."

"You're not? But why? Sure it won't make you a master but that skill basically makes you a born smith. Most smiths would kill for a magic that let them do whatever they wanted to metal."

"Because it doesn't mesh well with the forge development ability."

"Ah that would be a problem."

"Yeah, perhaps when I get stronger, and I mean a lot stronger I could add effects like a high level blacksmith, but since I'm not 'forging the metal' I can't expect forge to work for me. So yeah not looking to be a blacksmith any time soon. Still it will work for now till I can get a blacksmith to make halberds for me. It also does great for repairs!"

"Well I guess it does work great for you. Still where did you get the idea for a polearm like that?"

"Well it's something rather well known where I come from. Sure it's not very common, but it's still pretty popular. I just can't understand why no one thought about something like this before."

"Oh that's easy."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you see most people just want something easy to use like a sword or spear. Something like this is too hard to use for most people."

"I get that, but still as a weapon it allows for crushing, piercing, and slashing. It allows you to take on any monster in the dungeon."

"But it isn't as good as a dedicated weapon. It doesn't pierce as good as a spear, chop as good as an axe, or smash as good as a hammer. Most people would just get people with the other weapons and go in a party."

"What about solo delvers."

"Kid, solo delvers don't survive long."

"But you're here solo?"

"Yeah after getting a party together and going way deeper than this. Look I'm way stronger than these floors. If you wanna get stronger you have to dive deeper and starting at the middle layer it's impossible to go solo."

"I think my advisor mentioned something like that, but why?"

"Stamina really. Too much too fast. Here on the upper floors you can sit and take breaks between battles, but deeper down it's just too much for one person to solo."

"So basically it goes from groups of monsters to swarms?"

"Basically, plus the dungeon gets a lot more sinister."

"Alright, I think we got sidetracked. So you were saying that while a halberd can do three different things it's more like a jack of all trades master of none?"

"That's a good example! Yeah it's just not good enough at any one of the things it can do to make it worth it for most."

I take some time to consider her words. She's got a point. Still I think I might be able to make it work, plus if she's as good a blacksmith as she sounds it might be even easier.

"Hey, do you think you could make one that could be as good?"

"You mean if I could make a halberd as good as a spear or axe? Yeah I might be able to but it will come at the cost of the other parts."

"Still I think it's possible to do it without sacrificing the other parts."

*Hmmm* She takes a moment to think about it.

"Perhaps, but it would take a ton of time I don't have to get it right."

"Yeah, but I have the time and the perfect ability to do it."

She lights up as the idea hits her.

"Right! You can just make adjustments right here in the dungeon. Man the time I could save if I had that magic. Still you don't have the knowledge to tell if it's good or bad do you."

"Yeah that's why I need your help to be able to get it perfect."

"Well this does sound like a challenge! Alright, lets do it! I haven't had a good challenge like this in a while! Alright let's get to it!"

"Ah wait! Don't drag me!"

And with that she grabs me by the arm and drags me deeper into the dungeon.