The magic black stone’s completion

 
 We got the ore for the magic black stone.
Next, we’ll refine it using the magic reverberatory furnace.
 
 ”Let me just say, the ore for the magic black stone is weak to fire.
Not heat, but purely fire.” (Jay)
 
 Jay said that.
I also knew that.
If it was weak against heat, it wouldn’t survive in this mountain where magma keeps flowing.
That’s why it’s not weak to heat itself, but rather that it combusts easily.
And it also reacts when merely in the presence of a flame.
 
 ”My father tried various things.
He even tried putting it in a container so that it wouldn’t touch the fire.
But it was useless.
Just being close to fire would carbonise it, making it completely wasted.” (Jay)
 
 The magic black stone doesn’t even need to be in contact with the fire.
If it’s just a normal fire, even if you put it inside a container, it’ll burn up inside it.
 
 ”How the h**l are you going to do metallurgy on that kind of thing?” (Jay)
 
 Jay asked doubtfully.
Even the dwarves would call this hopeless, huh.
Certainly, if I think about it, this mineral would be the bane of the dwarves.
 This work won’t go smoothly if you don’t change the way you think.
 
 ”Ordinary flames won’t work.
But a magic reverberatory furnace can generate a magic flame.” (Wirk)
 ”A magic flame?” (Jay)
 ”Well, you’ll see.” (Wirk)
 
 I activate the magic reverberatory furnace in front of the dwarves.
 
 ”Wh-, what the-! The flames are pale blue!”
 ”This is a magic flame.
This magic reverberatory furnace is made of Mancrete.
When flames react with Mancrete, they change into magic flames.” (Wirk)
 

 The temperature jumps up several times once it becomes a magic flame.
Above all, this magic flame makes it very possible to make metals that would usually be very troublesome.
Things like mythril produced by using this magic flame results in a superior product with higher purity.
 
 ”Now, let’s get down to working out this ore!” (Wirk)
 ”Unii!”
 ”Mogu~”
 ”Mogu-!”
 ”Mogyu~”
 ”Mogu- mogu!”
 ”Mo~gu~!”
 
 We set to work making the magic black stone in high spirits.
The magic flame dissolved the mined ore, removing impurities, and a high-purity magic black stone was made.
 
 ”D-, did you really make a magic black stone?” (Jay)
 ”Fufun.
That’s why, didn’t I tell you? It’s because Wirk is amazing.” (Eph)
 
 Jay took the completed magic black stone in his hand and looked at it in disbelief.
Eph was proud, but Jay’s expression seemed grim.
 
 ”… I see, huh.
I guess dwarves aren’t needed anymore.” (Jay)
 ”B-, boss!”
 ”What on earth are you saying!”
 
 Having confirmed the magic reverberatory furnace had made the magic black stone, Jay muttered in resignation.
The dwarves who heard this raised their voices in panic.
 
 ”… my father once confronted a magic architect.
Maybe he was scared that the new techniques would get rid of the long-guarded techniques of the ancient dwarves.
But looking at this, I’ve realised.
We really weren’t good.” (Jay)
 ”Oi, oi, what nonsense are you saying?” (Wirk)

 
 Seriously.
He’s exaggerating something like making a bit of magic black stone in the magic reverberatory furnace.
I thought I wanted my magic architect techniques to get recognised, but I don’t understand why only this much means that the dwarves are unneeded.
 
 ”Look here.
What I’ve made just now is just the material.
It’s also up to the craftsman’s skill to put it to good use for it to slay it, isn’t it?” (Wirk)
 
 I deliberately provoked the dwarves by saying this.
 
 ”So it’s clearly the dwarves’ turn, right? Or is your job to just sit back like that and watch me refine the magic black stone like this?” (Wirk)
 
 Jay and the other dwarves were blinking in surprise.
 
 ”T-, that’s right Papa! What weak-minded things are you saying! It’s true that Wirk made the magic black stone, but the processing is Papa and the other’s job!” (Eph)
 ”Umu.
That’s right.
Or do you plan to just leave it to him and keep slacking off?” (Bamboo Princess)
 ”Kyupi~!”
 ”Koo~!”
 ”Go-!”
 
 Eph kindled Jay, and then the Bamboo Princess, Keon, Kani, and Kobelco also subsequently fanned it afterwards.
 Jay and the other dwarves all glanced at one another.
 
 ”… GA~HA~HA! I see, you’re absolutely right! Lads, pick up your hammers immediately! The material we’ve dreamed of has been completed! Now that he’s gotten us this far, why don’t we show this guy that our processing techniques won’t lose to him!” (Jay)
 ””””””OoOooOOOOOH!””””””
 
 The dwarves’ raised voices shook the cave, their excited breathing rough.
Apparently they’re feelings are all the same.
 

 ”… sigh.
Sorry for showing you something embarrassing like that, Wirk.
Thanks to you, It seems you saved us from losing sight of what’s important.” (Jay)
 ”I only refined the magi cblack stone in the magic reverberatory furnace.” (Wirk)
 ”But still, it’s a big deal.
Because no matter what, we couldn’t do it.
Next is to process this… and then just challenge the King of Decay…” (Jay)
 ”H-, hey, Papa.
That guy, is he strong?” (Eph)
 ”He’s strong.
In the first place, no matter how much equipment we make by processing the magic black stone, I still don’t know if we’ll win against that guy.
However, that’s no reason for us to not do anything.
Even if I were to die.” (Jay)
 ”N, no Papa, you can’t die!” (Eph)
 
 Jay had a look in his eyes as though he had resolved himself, and Eph shouted out in a sobbing voice.
 Fumu, now that you mention it, the dwarves said that they were originally going to challenge the King of Decay.
I get it now.
 This atmosphere makes it hard to speak up.
But, well, the dwarves don’t need to wastefully throw their lives away.
 
 ”Say, about that King of Decay…” (Wirk)
 ”Yes? No way, don’t tell me you’re thinking of saying you’re going to fight him too? If so, give it up.
I approve of your techniques, but I’m not naive enough to think that a human can oppose him and win—” (Jay)
 ”No, or rather, there’s usually a way to deal with this, but would you like to hear it?” (Wirk)
 ”… Huh?” (Jay)
 
 
 ◇◆◇
 
 
 ”King of Decay-sama! Finally, the seal has finally come undone!”
 ”Decay, decay, decay, the time has finally come!”
 
 The King of Decay sneered.
He was a calamitous king that was sealed underground.
Like the Undead King, he was one of the great evils that had also been called a Demon King because of his atrocity.
That was the King of Decay.
 

 ”How long have I waited for this day to come! The likes of those cheeky humans managed to seal this strongest, worst of existences —— but this is the end! Watch as it all decays, decays, decays.
I’ll return this long-standing malice double, no, thousands of times over!” (King of Decay)
 
 Thus, the King of Decay arose.
His rotting body, dripping with rotten scent, had chunks of meat falling off of it.
The King of Decay was literally a decayed existence.
And so he also couldn’t die.
 In this sense, he was similar to the Undead King, but the King of Decay had the power to decay life and objects.
The magic black stone is able to fight against this power, but it isn’t so simple to create.
 Moreover, the King of Decay has accumulated power during the time he was sealed.
He has become strengthened into an existence that can’t be sealed away like before.
 
 ”Now, gather around, My rotten army! Now is the time to go aboveground and let everything in this world rot!” (King of Decay)
 
 And so the King of Decay, along with his rotten army, began its invasion of the earth.
The world’s end was near, or so it seemed to appear, but…
 
 ”King of Decay-sama! Th-, there’s a disaster!”
 ”Yes? What the h**l is it?” (King of Decay)
 ”Ts-, tsunami! A large amount of water has begun flowing inside!”
 ”Water, you say? Such a thing can be decayed, so it’s fine!” (King of Decay)
 ”It-, it’s a muddy water that really can’t be decayed, and the rotten army is being swallowed up one by one!”
 ”Wh-, what did you say? You fool! Get out of the way! I shall go directly—” (King of Decay)
 
 -DODODODOoooOO!
 
 At that moment, with a powerful sound, a muddy stream rushed in, quickly filling the King of Decay’s vision and swallowing even the King of Decay, along with his men.
 
 ”R-, ridiculous, even with My power, it won’t decay! Ha, this sensation, no way, it’s the magic black stone? Moreover, in such large quantitiiies! Damn it, just as I thought I broke the seal! You damn humans! But I’ll remember this! Even if I perish, My sister, the Queen of Decay, will, definitely, you…” (King of Decay)
 
 And so, the King of Decay’s consciousness ceased.
In the end, just like the Undead King, the King of Decay was unable to do anything and went into an eternal slumber just like that…