Chapter 36: Ingots
Tyler leaned against the shop counter, the coarse wood pressing into his elbow as he rested his chin in his palm. *Should I tell him I can just make ingots? I mean, it'll be faster for him to craft the things he wants, but... Why do I feel like I shouldn't tell him first? Am I being selfish?*
He shifted his weight, his boots scraping slightly against the floor.
*I need to see if I can strike a deal with the ore shop first, then I'll tell him.* He scanned the weapons hanging along the walls, the ambient light catching their sharpened edges.
* I also wanted to show him my weapon, but... Is it really necessary? Once I raise my crafting skill to common grades, that's when I can start selling here. The basic grades are just too fragile. They break just from fighting a single monster. People will start complaining. I don't want to get a bad reputation before I even start selling my items.*
He pushed off the counter and walked to the back room, pulling the heavy door inward. The sharp scent of metal dust hung in the air. Hector stood over a forged chest piece, gripping a porous, rough-surfaced block of metal. He dragged it rhythmically along the armor's sides, grinding away the thin burs to dull the sharp edges.
"Hey!" Tyler called over the scraping noise. "Can I go to the ore shop real quick? I'll be back, it'll just take a second."
Hector paused, the rough block hovering over the steel. "Do you need to buy some metal?"
"Well, not really. There's just something that I need to do."
Hector lowered the block and wiped his brow. "Alright, but be quick about it. Someone might steal something while I'm in the back."
"I'll be back before you know it," Tyler said, grasping the handle.
As he pulled the heavy wood toward the frame, Hector called out. "Wait! Leave it open."
Tyler released the handle, leaving the door ajar. He hurried out the front entrance of the shop, pulling the main door shut behind him. The outside air washed over him.
*I need to do this quick.* He quickened his stride, his boots hitting the ground with heavy, rapid steps as he walked straight to the ore shop.
The double wooden doors, closed during his last visit, now stood wide open. He stepped across the threshold into the dim interior.
The petite woman slouched behind the counter, her eyes glazed with boredom. As Tyler approached, her posture straightened, her eyebrows shooting up.
"Oh, welcome back," she said.
"Hi," Tyler replied.
"How may I help you? Are you here to buy some ores?"
"Um, no," Tyler said, bracing his hands on the edge of her counter. "Well, I'm here to make a business proposal."
The muscles in her face tightened into a frown. "Oh. Are you selling something?" Her features flattened into a rigid, deadpan mask.
"No." *What's with the look? Does she think I'm hear to scam her?*
"What is it?" she asked, her tone stiff.
"The metal you sell here, it's not refined. That's why it doesn't cost a lot, right?"
She raised a single eyebrow, studying his face.
"Well... yeah," she said, leaning slightly forward. "But if you're offering to refine our metals for us for a price, I'm afraid we can't hire you. Some craftsmen have already proposed that. Frankly, it costs a lot since it takes a lot of time to refine them. We wouldn't be making that much profit. It already costs a lot to bring them all the way from the mine to here."
"I'm not really proposing that." Tyler said, scratching the back of his head.
"Then what?" The woman said in confusion, tilting her head slightly.
"Can we go into the back room? I want to show you something."
" No. I only took you back there to tell you the prices. I can't take you back there again. Plus, I can only do that for customers only.
Tyler sighed. "Alright. I'll buy oares.
" Alright then." She smiled, switching personalties quickly. "Follow me." She said.
*She's a little greedy.* He stepped around the counter, following her into the back store room.
Massive metal crates sat in rows, brimming with the raw, jagged ores he had seen the other day.
"Which one do you want to buy?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly in the cramped space.
Tyler approached a crate filled with medium iron ores. He reached in, his fingers wrapping around a rough, coarse chunk of rock. "I want to ask you something."
He weighed the raw ore in his palm. "If a person who could refine these ores into perfect ingots in a split second came and proposed a business with you, what would you say? Hypothetically, of course."
"Hmm, that's pretty specific." She crossed her arms. "I guess I wouldn't let a chance like that go. Refining metal takes a very long time. If someone could do that in a second... it'd be a huge advantage. But of course, this also depends on how much they'd want to get paid. If they ask for too much money, that doesn't really leave me much profit. Then I'd have to refuse." She exhaled a long breath. "It'd be a disappointment, losing something like that. But why do you ask?"
*So basically, she'd agree if I don't overcharge her.* The corners of Tyler's mouth tugged upward. Still holding the rough iron ore, he closed the distance between them, stopping a few feet away. "What if I told you I have a skill like that?"
Her eyes widened before her face scrunched up. She let out a sharp, breathy laugh. "You're funny. But a skill like that doesn't even exist. If anything, it would be a—"
A faint blue light shimmered in Tyler's hand, enveloping the jagged rock. The raw ore vanished.
She stumbled backward, her boots scraping the floorboards. "What? Wha—what just happened?"
"Wasn't a joke." The empty space over his palm shimmered with that same faint blue light again. The air distorted slightly, and a solid metal ingot dropped into his hand, heavy and dense. It was perfectly rectangular, its edges sharp and uniform. The refined iron gleamed, catching the sunlight pouring through the high windows.
"That's... that's impossible." Her breath hitched. "How did you do that?"
"I told you, it's a skill. Here, you can see for yourself."
Her gaze darted between the shining ingot and Tyler's face. She took a cautious step forward, extending her trembling hand as if reaching into an open flame. Tyler's jaw tightened as he watched her hesitate.
"Take it," he said, pressing the heavy metal firmly into her open palm.
Her fingers closed around it. The metal radiated a faint warmth against her skin. She flipped the heavy bar over, her thumb tracing the perfectly flat surface, marveling at the sheer weight of it. "By Goddess Lumia... this is incredible. It's so smooth." She held it up to the light, running her palm down the length of the flawless iron. "The size of it..."
Tyler raised his eyebrows. "Okay... what do you think?"
She lowered the ingot, meeting his gaze. "The metal... there's so much of it. It's completely dense. Usually, when craftsmen refine it, so much of the volume is lost. But this... how do you have a skill like this?"
"That's not important. If it's okay, I'd like us to talk business now."
She blinked, her posture stiffening. "Um, right. Of course. Follow me."
She turned to her left, stepping toward a section of the wall Tyler hadn't paid attention to. A brown wooden door sat flush against the panels, its knob painted the exact same shade, making it blend seamlessly into the background.
She twisted the knob and pushed it open, revealing a small office. A heavy desk sat in the center, backed by shelves overflowing with stacked papers. She moved behind the desk and gestured to a wooden chair opposite her. "Please, have a seat."
Tyler sat, the wood creaking under his weight. She placed the gleaming metal ingot gently on the desk between them. "What are you suggesting?"
Tyler rested his forearms on the table, clasping his hands together. "Well, first let me ask you: how much are you going to sell this ingot for?"
She stared at the block of iron. "Selling refined metal ingots directly should raise the price significantly. I mean, this is readily available metal. Craftsmen wouldn't have to spend their time refining it. Weapons will be produced faster, sold quicker. I say I can sell this for double the price."
"Double the price?" Tyler leaned back. "Isn't that a bit much?"
Her brow furrowed. "You've never really seen craftsmen refine metals, have you? When they come here to buy ores, they spend an entire day just refining them. Sometimes days, without even starting the crafting process. It's not an easy task."
*Days? Well, it only makes sense. They don't have the machines we had in my world. I can use that to my advantage.* Tyler shifted back forward. "Oh... so since the small iron ore was worth four copper, would you sell the ingot for eight?"
She nodded sharply. "Yes."
Tyler exhaled slowly, holding her gaze. The muscles around her eyes were tight with anticipation, her posture guarded but eager. "Since the price will double," Tyler said smoothly, "how about I take seventy-five percent of the doubled profit?"
She stood up abruptly, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. "Seventy-five? That's too much. You're saying I only get twenty-five percent?"
"Yeah," Tyler said, folding his arms across his chest. "I mean, as you said, refining a metal isn't an easy task. You'd still be making a profit from the mark-up. Meanwhile, I'll be the one burning my mana to make it."
Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed the edge of the desk. "But still. That's too much."
"Alright, what about this?" Tyler uncrossed his arms and leaned closer. "You'll take thirty percent."
"That's still so little!" she exclaimed, her voice rising.
"Really?" Tyler let out a long sigh, dropping his shoulders. "This is my final proposition. You take forty."
"Fifty."
"Forty-five."
"Fifty," she repeated, her jaw set.
Tyler studied her determined expression for a moment before nodding. "Alright."
She slumped slightly, exhaling a deep sigh of relief.
*Looks like what Mike taught me came in handy*, Tyler thought, keeping his face neutral. *He always tended to ask for too much when making a deal. That way, when the person haggles the price down, it feels like you're doing them a favor. But it's quite the opposite.*
"So I'm guessing, from that ingot, I'll be taking two copper, right? And you'll be getting two as well."
"That's right," she said.
"Great." Tyler folded his arms, leaning back into the wooden chair. "Can we maybe sign a contract?"
"Huh? Yes, right. Of course, a contract is necessary."
*I wouldn't want her to switch up on me l later*
She pulled open a desk drawer, the wood rattling, and withdrew a thick sheet of parchment and an ink pen. Dipping the nib, she began to write, the scratching sound filling the quiet room.
"I'm writing down the things we agreed upon. After that, we'll both sign in the empty spaces. Once that is done, I'll take it to the Baron. Once it's signed, we can't break the contract."
*Baron? They have a Baron here? I guess it makes sense. There's always someone in charge of a town, like a mayor.*
She finished writing and slid the parchment across the desk. Tyler scanned the wet ink, reading over the terms to confirm them.
"Seems legit," he said, pushing the paper back toward her.
She paused, her brow furrowing. "What?"
"I mean... looks about right." Tyler cleared his throat.
She took the paper back and scribbled her name at the bottom.
*Accidentally used a slang term from my world. That was awkward.*
She rotated the parchment toward him, pointing the feathered end of the pen at a dashed line.
"Write your signature here."
Tyler took the pen, the smooth barrel resting against his fingers, and signed his name in the empty space.
"Right," she said, carefully taking the paper back.
"Tomorrow, you can come back and check if it's signed. It costs about twenty silver to get his signature, but don't worry, I'll pay for it."
"Okay," Tyler said. He pushed himself up from the chair. "
So, do I... Can I refine them now?"
"Now?" She blinked, looking up at him. "I mean, yes. You can."
She stood and led Tyler out of the office, back into the dim storage room. "I think you should start with the small bronze ores first."
Tyler walked over to the right corner of the room, stopping before a massive crate piled high with dull, brownish chunks of raw bronze.
*If I put these in my inventory and get them out, I might accidentally bring up my own. I need to check how much bronze I have.*
He willed his inventory panel to appear. The translucent screen materialized in his vision. He scanned the grid, noting he currently held sixteen bronze ores.
Dismissing the panel, he reached into the crate and grabbed a rough piece of small bronze ore.
*This is going to get me one copper coin.*He smiled.
The heavy rock shimmered with a faint blue light and vanished from his palm.
He reached in and picked up another. It vanished. He grabbed another, and another, and another.
The faint blue light pulsed steadily in the dim room as he systematically emptied the top layer of the crate, silently counting each piece.
"Stop," the woman said.
Tyler froze, his hand hovering over the crate.
"That's a lot of ores," she said, stepping closer. "Can you do all of them at once?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it." The ore currently resting in his hand vanished into his inventory.
"Wait, how many did you pick?" she asked.
"About forty-six," Tyler said.
"Forty-six?" Her eyes widened.
"Yeah. Weren't you counting?"
"Um, not really," she admitted.
"Well, you should."
"You should just do fifty. Okay?"
"Okay," Tyler said. He reached back into the crate and pulled out four more chunks, letting them vanish one by one.
He took a step back from the heavy wooden crate and opened his empty palm.
A solid bronze ingot materialized. It was smaller than the medium iron ingot he had shown her earlier, but its polished surface caught the ambient light perfectly.
The woman gasped, her eyes locked on the gleaming metal.
Tyler knelt and set the ingot on the floor beside the crate. He held out both hands. The empty spaces above his palms shimmered with blue light, and two more bronze ingots dropped heavily into his grasp.
He placed them neatly on the floor. He repeated the process, the metal scraping softly as he stacked them higher and higher, until exactly fifty pristine bronze bars sat in a gleaming pile.
"You did all of them," she breathed, staring at the stack.
Tyler stood up, brushing off his hands. "Yeah, I mean, it's an easy job for me."
Her brow creased in confusion. "I mean, I thought your mana would run out at some point."
*Oh, right. I told her I use mana, when I don't. I'll keep it that way so she'll think I'm actually putting in work.*
Tyler let his shoulders sag slightly and let out a heavy, tired breath. "Yeah, it's about to get exhausted. That's fifty copper coins though, right?"
"Yes," she nodded, tearing her gaze away from the metal. "I'll give them to you right away. Follow me."
*Since I'm getting half of the doubled profit, the most profitable thing here would be refining steel. I wonder why she wanted me to do the bronze ores instead.*
They returned to the front counter. She pulled open a drawer and retrieved a small leather pouch. The metal clinked together as she fished out five silver coins and placed them into Tyler's outstretched hand. The silver was cool against his skin.
"All those things," she said, her voice dropping. "Where do they even go?"
"Huh?" Tyler asked, closing his fist around the coins.
"The ores. They kept disappearing, and then when they appeared, they appeared as ingots. I assume they're disappearing to somewhere."
Tyler met her gaze. "Yeah, right. It's a bit too complicated for me to explain. Just keep it a secret, alright?"
"Of course I will," she said without hesitation.
*If I told anyone about this, they'd take him away from me*, she thought, keeping her expression neutral.* They'd offer him even more for his skill. I can't let that happen.*
"So why the bronze ore?" Tyler asked, sliding the coins into his pocket.
"To be honest, if you had turned the more expensive ore, like steel, into ingots, I'd have to pay you more. I don't have that kind of coin on me right now. And bronze is pretty cheap, so I figured I'd rather start with that. I'm pretty sure this is going to be a success, but just in case, I wouldn't have lost much."
"Oh, okay. Well, I'm in a bit of a rush, so I have to go."
"Alright. Please make sure to return tomorrow. I'll tell you the results. Oh, and I'll show you the contract."
"Sure," Tyler said. He turned and walked out the front door, pulling it shut behind him.
The woman stood in the silence of her shop. She let out a long sigh, staring at the closed door. *This is definitely a blessing from the Goddess herself. Who would've thought someone like that would just walk through that door.*
Outside, Tyler navigated the cobblestoned street, quickening his pace to a light jog.
*I'm definitely gonna make a lot of money from this. It won't take long to pay them back.*