’...Phew.’

Elena, who had been working, set down her tools with a long sigh.

As she turned her head slightly toward the window, a faint light was leaking through the gap in the curtains.

Loosening her stiff body and standing up, Elena opened the curtains a bit and saw that the sun was already high in the sky.

’I pulled an all-nighter again....’

She had been so focused on the work that she hadn’t realized how much time had passed. Realizing she had stayed up all night, a deep sense of fatigue washed over her belatedly.

Elena leaned back in her workshop chair and stretched.

Sitting in the chair, she looked around the interior of the workshop.

A new workshop, not her usual one. This was a workshop built on the second floor of the newly constructed warehouse next to the Ian Mercenary Group’s base.

It was a place supported after she signed the contract with Ian.

On the second floor of the recently built warehouse, there was still plenty of space whose purpose hadn’t been decided yet.

Places left vacant for workshops, laboratories, or studios that would frequently need to move supplies to and from the warehouse.

Coinciding with Elena signing the contract with Ian, one of those spaces had become her workshop.

Since she had settled in Labyrinth suddenly without much preparation, she honestly hadn’t expected a workshop with facilities of this caliber. It was a high-level facility that far exceeded Elena’s expectations.

Perhaps because she was assigned the space during construction, allowing her to change the internal structure according to her wishes, it was in some ways even better than her private workshop back in Orcia.

Thanks to that, the result was crafted better than expected.

At the end of Elena’s gaze lay the gemstone jewelry she had just finished. It was the gem Ian had commissioned her to craft.

A piece that couldn’t be better as the first work of the new workshop has been produced....

Admiring her own creation, Elena let out a small smile.

How long had it been since she felt such a sense of satisfaction after making something?

After staring intently at the object she made for a while, Elena soon knocked on the door to call someone.

Since the staff managing the warehouse and assistants for the workshop were always nearby, it didn’t take long before she heard a response from an employee approaching the door.

Elena made a request toward the employee outside.

’Please call Captain Ian for me.’

It was time to deliver the finished product to the client at last.

＊ ＊ ＊

In front of Elena’s workshop on the second floor of the warehouse. Having received Elena’s call, Ian arrived and knocked on the door.

Soon, Elena’s voice saying it was okay to enter was heard, and Ian opened the door and stepped into the workshop.

Elena was sitting there with a tired face, drinking tea.

’You’re here. Please, have a seat over here.’

Elena smiled and gestured toward Ian.

Ian’s steps momentarily faltered as he tried to approach the table.

’...You should probably put on more clothes.’

Ian lowered his head, averting his gaze from Elena, who was wearing thin pajamas.

’Oh my. My apologies.’

Only after hearing that did Elena realize her attire wasn’t suitable for receiving a guest, and she stood up.

Elena threw on the outer garment she had hanging nearby.

’I lay down to sleep, but I kept thinking about this item. I only meant to work on it for a moment, but I ended up doing it all night.’

Elena said with a smile. It seemed she had been in her pajamas because she had gotten up from bed to work.

Ian sat down opposite Elena.

On the table sat a luxurious wooden box.

The fact that she had called Ian all the way to the workshop meant that the item he requested earlier was finished.

When Ian’s gaze landed on the box, Elena smiled.

’Fufu. It was fun for the first time in a while. Since it’s such a magnificent item, it was quite difficult until I got used to it, but....’

Elena pushed the box on the table toward Ian.

Ian took it and carefully opened the box. A brilliant light bloomed from inside.

The gemstone entrusted to Elena had been perfectly crafted, emitting a much clearer light.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Domain of Dominion]

- Magic [Area of Effect +50%]

- Magic [MP Consumption +25%]

- [Area of Effect] additionally increases in proportion to your [Max MP Increase] stat

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The finished jewelry was a material that could be used when crafting a magic staff.

Elena’s specialty was jewelry crafting, but processing gemstones to be used in a mage’s staff was practically the same thing.

Since she had experience doing such work a few times before, it wasn’t a difficult task.

The finished result had options that suited Mika perfectly.

There was a penalty of increased MP consumption, but the barrier magic Mika primarily used was a spell whose strength increased based on the amount of MP consumed. Since that meant the barrier’s durability would become stronger, from a certain perspective, this couldn’t really be seen as a penalty.

’Your skill is much more impressive than I expected.’

’In Orcia at least, there probably isn’t anyone who has handled things like this more than I have.’

Elena let out a long sigh in her heart.

The hardest part of this job wasn’t the crafting itself, but dealing with the client at the end.

Clients who would find flaws, saying it wasn’t the result they wanted.

Clients who would ask to modify the finished product, saying they changed their minds.

Clients who would stubbornly insist on adding impossible types of crafting.

Meeting such clients was a real headache, but fortunately, this client seemed satisfied all at once.

Having finished delivering the item to the client, Elena finally relaxed and leaned back with a fatigued face.

’Now I really need to sleep. I’m exhausted after being tormented by this for several nights.’

’Then get some rest, and we’ll talk about the costs later.’

’I’m satisfied just being able to have a new experience like this. I made more than enough money while I was over there.’

Elena saw Ian out with a smile.

＊ ＊ ＊

Mika, sitting in front of Ian, swallowed hard with a nervous expression.

Completely frozen, Mika looked down at the magic staff placed before her.

’Is this... really mine?’

’Yeah. I told you I was making it last time.’

’I, I didn’t know it would be something like this....’

Before Mika lay a magic staff radiating an extraordinary light.

A body made of high-quality wood. At its tip was a large gemstone where light swirled. Even at a glance, it was a staff that was no ordinary item.

After ordering the body separately from a staff workshop, this was the finished magic staff that Elena had finally assembled.

Most staves used by mage mercenaries were simple wooden ones.

Mages who used slightly more high-end products used special wood that held greater mana, and if they spent more money, materials like minerals or monster horns were added.

Mika naturally expected something of that level, but what Ian presented was an item that had skipped about seven tiers from her expectations.

An item that was hard to even see up close, let alone use herself.

Mika grasped the staff very carefully with trembling hands.

’Kyat!’

Startled, Mika tried to let go, but then, fearing she might drop the staff on the floor, she gripped it tightly instead. it was a reflexive action that overcame her instinct.

Through her gripping hand, mana as hot as a flame flowed out from the staff and into Mika’s body.

Since mana had no actual temperature, it was just her imagination, but it was an immense amount of mana that she could mistake for fire.

It was her first time handling a staff through which such powerful mana flowed.

’Is it really okay for someone like me to use something like this?’

’Well... inside the city, it would probably be best to keep it covered. Just in case.’

’Cover it?’

Ah.

Mika belatedly realized the meaning of Ian’s words.

She remembered seeing mages in the city occasionally who had thick cloth wrapped around their staves.

She had wondered why they walked around like that....

Mika understood looking at the staff in her hand. If she went out on the streets holding something like this, she would draw the attention of everyone passing by.

’This staff’s effect is...’

’Wait a moment. I think I already know.’

When Ian tried to explain the staff’s options, Mika cut him off first.

A massive power that felt like it was burning.

Even without hearing the explanation, Mika could feel that power clearly.

’...It amplifies the power of fire, increasing the potency of flame attack magic, right?’

’No. It’s for barriers.’

’Why!’

’You know it’s getting too late for that too.’

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Name: Mika

Level: 26

Affiliation: Ian Mercenary Group

Traits:

[MP Amplification B] [Mana Increase B] [Barrier Magic C] [Meditation]

[Casting Speed Increase C] [Magic Resistance C] [Duration Increase E]

[Mana Infusion] [Curiosity] [Tongue Technique]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

To be active in combat with attack magic, one needed traits that increased the power of spells. For example, traits like Elemental Amplification or Magic Defense Penetration.

As the level increases, monsters also appear with various defensive traits, so damage dealers must also possess multiple traits to support their attack magic to have a meaningful effect against monsters of the same level range.

Attack magic without such support produced power no different from a simple magic orb sold at a shop.

This was the reason why, as levels rose, people gradually stopped using simple attack magic scrolls or orbs from shops.

Regrettably, Mika was in a state where she didn’t possess such traits.

It wasn’t impossible if one obtained a trait addition elixir or a trait reroll item to attach an attack trait, but it felt like it was far too late to start that now.

Her trait window was already that of a dedicated supporter.

’Instead, how about learning to cast a massive barrier? That should probably be possible.’

’That’s not cool at all....’

Mika hugged the staff with a dejected face.

Even if she said that, it seemed she liked the new staff anyway.

’And besides, even if I learn such a barrier, where would I use it? Unless a monster as big as a castle wall shows up or something....’

Ian didn’t give any response, as if he hadn’t heard Mika’s words.