At the adventurers guild Hajime had learned of a separate kind of world threat, however, he tried to ignore it as much as possible as he went to repair the great barrier.
The place where Shizuku guided them to was being guarded by a considerable amount of soldiers, the guards turned a dangerous look towards Hajime as he approached. However, they’re eyes softened up immediately when they noticed that Shizuku was by his side.
Thanks to Shizuku’s face pass, they were easily allowed in and found a space which was made out of white marble-like stone, at the center was a magic formation with a cylindrical artifact enshrined on top of it. The artifact would normally be around 2 meters in length but, right now it was broken from the middle and it’s remains were scattered around.
Around it’s surrounding was a few men worrying till wits end as they groaned, [un,un]. They were most likely the craftsmen who were trying to repair the great barrier.
[Oya? If it isn’t Shizuku-dono. …...What brings you here?]
A man who was around his 60s with a fully grown mustache and carried an obvious craftsman aura called out to Shizuku as soon as he noticed. It appears to have been one of Shizuku’s acquaintances.
[Hello, Worupen-san. I’m just a guide. I’ve brought along a Synergist who may be able to repair the great barrier]
[What was that? Is it by chance that boy there?]
The man who Shizuku called Worupen turned his glance over to Hajime and was clearly suspicious but did not voice it to Shizuku.
Truthfully, Worupen was under the Hairhi Kingdom’s direct control as the head synergist. The great barrier artifact was naturally an Age of Gods artifact, in the present age, attempting to repair it was extremely difficult even for the head synergist of the royal palace. So even if he was suddenly told that a boy who wasn’t even 20 yet was able to fix it, it would be natural that he wouldn’t be able to believe it so easily.
However, Hajime wasn’t concerned with those kinds of glances and passed between Worupen and the other craftsmen towards the artifact and place his hand onto the ruins. What he activated was “Mineral Appraisal”.
[He~e, I see…..it should be strong if it’s like this]
[Fu~n, you’re just a kid so what could you possibly know about it]
As Hajime nodded as he understood how the great barrier was able to protect the Kingdom for hundreds of years from foreign enemies, Worupen grunted out from his nose in a bad mood.
However, Hajime was indifferent towards Worupen’s attitude and proceeded to begin “Transmuting”. Red sparks began to spread out around Hajime and one after another he began to fuse the wreckage with one hand back into their original places.
Towards that transmuting speed and accuracy, not only Worupen but also his subordinates weren’t able to peel their eyes away. Shizuku who was also seeing Hajime’s all-out “Transmuting” for the first time, seemed to also have been fascinated by the red sparks which was dancing around in the white space as she mutters, [How beautiful…..].
Hajime who finished repairing the Age of Gods artifact in only a matter of several tens of seconds suddenly began pouring in magical power into it to activate the great barrier.
The cylindrical artifact shot out light from its top which climbed up towards the sky. Immediately afterwards, a soldier who was guarding outside rushed into the room and reported that the 3rd barrier had revived.
[.......How could this be…...an artifact from the Age of Gods was so easily……]
Shizuku told the stunned Worupen with a wry smile that Hajime came from the same world as she did. [No wonder….] Worupen and them said with a convinced face.
Incidentally, when she told them that the black katana which fired them all up before was made by Hajime, they’re eyes suddenly sparkled and shined like beasts. Hajime disregarded them and continued to quickly walk towards the next artifacts location.
However, Worupen and them with their massive craftsmen spirits, knew that they couldn’t just easily let go of a synergists who was above them.
[Please wait a moment-----!! An apprentice! By all means, please take us in as your apprentices----!!]
[Uo! Wha, what’s with you guys suddenly. Or rather, don’t cling onto my feet! You’re creeping me out!]
Worupen was appealing to become Hajime’s apprentice as he clung onto his feet. In addition, Worupen’s subordinates begin to one by one cling onto Hajime in order to not let him escape. While genuinely being disgusted from the bottom of his heart that he was in such close contact with such hairy men, Hajime tried to shake them off of his leg but they had firmly gripped on so it was hard to get them off.
Since there was no helping it, he activated “Thunder Clad” which caused everyone to go, [Ababababa], and he broke free. Even still, the craftsmen crawled and reached out with their hands, as expected even Hajime couldn’t ignore them and said out a clear reason to decline them.
[Look here, I’ll be immediately leaving this place and I have no plans to return to the Kingdom either. Having apprentices is also very troublesome as well, first of all, even if you became my apprentices I wouldn’t have anything to teach you guys]
[But, you easily repaired the artifact and even made Shizuku-dono’s black katana as well. We have absolutely no idea how to create something like that at all. If you’re willing to teach us then……]
[No, it wasn’t just “Transmuting Magic” it was also “Creation Magic”, a magic which you guys aren’t capable of is required]
[That can’t be…..]
Worupen and them exhaustively dropped their shoulders towards Hajime’s words. Truthfully, the great barrier artifact was also created with Space magic through Creation magic, the barrier of the Kingdom was a special type which intercepted space.
A normal synergist wouldn’t be able to repair it. Of course, since space magic was ingrained into the ores, if you steadily repaired it, it’s likely that you’d be able to repair it to some degree but not until perfection.
Disregarding Worupen and them who hung their heads, when Hajime tried to once again go towards the location of the other artifact, Worupen and their eyes sharpened up again.
[Still, it doesn’t change the fact that you have excellent transmuting skills! By all means, take us in as apprentices~!!]
[How persistent!]
Such fearsome craftsmen spirit. It wouldn’t be good if he didn’t compromise. In the end, while Hajime was repairing all of the artifacts, Worupen and them who were supposed to be the Kingdom’s synergists were sticking onto him and crying like babies.
Furthermore was it because they heard of the rumors? Those who gathered weren’t just the synergists at the scene, eventually Hajime was being crowded as they tried to learn his techniques. Hajime who was close to wits end was beginning to fling the craftsmen far away into the distance but, they got up like zombies as they tried to learn of the secrets to his “Transmuting” and crowded around him once again.
As expected of the craftsmen’s and their desires to reconstruct the Kingdom, Hajime was planning to escape but…..it appears that they were communicating through the craftsmens network in the Kingdom, wherever he went they appeared! and asked limitless questions. It appears that until they learn of everything, they have no plans to stop clinging or leaving, as expected even Hajime was shrinking back from it.
While being bombarded with questions, Hajime finally planned to seriously escape and created the game of tag that all craftsmen in the Kingdom participated in.
[Damn, what’s happening here. Even though I’m using “Hide Presence”]
[Hahaha~, those kinds of things are useless against our “Craftsmen intuition”]
[We can clearly feel you! Nagumo-dono’s passionate pathosssssss!!]*