CH958

With the new factories re-adjusted after his new levels had come, Ben prepared for the day, doing his basic set up with Mora since Thera was going to be off doing some adventurer’s work as Delair arrived, humming lightly in a way that brought Ben’s mood crashing down.

“Um, Delair? Kiddo? What exactly are you humming there?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s something I heard someone singing on the way. It’s pretty catchy, right?”

“I guess that’s one word for it,” Ben told her neutrally, all the while cursing himself for not thinking to ask Greed to hold off on performing while he was in town. It may not have been the grand stages the crab had grown used to ever since his fame had hit a whole new level but it seemed that such a thing hadn’t put him above busking in the streets when he had a free minute, leaving Ben to dread just how much it was going to end up spreading in town while he prayed that his friend wouldn’t give so much of it away for anyone to put two and two together when it came to just who it was about.

If he hasn’t already been spreading that very fact, he thought with a sigh. Ugh, oh well, if he has then it’s too late now, and compared to everyone thinking I destroyed the town or that I’m a god, I guess comparatively it’s not even that bad.

<For the record, you are a god.>

Sure, but not for the reason they think. Okay, taking my mind off of it.

He needed a distraction until Greed showed up so along with teaching the two with him as he always would, hearing as Delair got levels to material user and destruction under the effects of his authorities, he also chose to pass the time by making a few simple factories, just to explore the enchantment in a deeper way.

The simpler the enchantment, the smaller the factory needed to be and when he’d already reduced the scale down far below what anyone had expected of him, he focused on making small ones that could sit on the table, starting with producing amulet factories, applying his resistances and resistance enhancement to produce a tool that would let his unusually high values continue to benefit the world from thereafter, both through individual amulets as well as one that incorporated them all, making a nice, simple project to start the day.

<Calling that a simple project when anyone else would need to be a third-tier enchanter is almost an insult to everyone in your profession.>

It’s a way to pass the time. Let’s see, next why don’t we make a factory for a tool that can reverse petrification. Even if that doesn’t come up often, it would be good to have, right?

<Ugh, considering what you and Thera found in that gallery once, I can’t deny it. Make them cheap enough, and we might have to test them on any particularly well-made statue.>

Depressing thought, if any more petrified people were slipped into galleries then I really don’t know how I’d react.

That and other factories helped him kill the next couple hours at least though, making for a decent way to pass the time until the inevitable knock came to his door.

“Greed, Jeeves, come on in,” Ben greeted them, his student popping up the second she saw them.

“That’s who was singing today!”

“Yep. Delair and Mora, this is my friend Greed and his bodyguard Jeeves. Greed and Jeeves, this is my student Delair and my kid, Mora.”

He paid special attention to how the boy reacted to being called that, something Ben had said plenty up to that point but not in front of his face but without any other way to introduce him feeling right, he went with his heart, being rewarded with the sight of the boy brightening instantly under the statement even if he blushed too, while Greed nodded their way.

“Kid huh? I’d think you adopted if he didn’t look like you. You’re kind mature super fast or something?”

“No, we adopted. Don’t worry about the finer details too much.”

“Uh, I see,” the crab nodded, staring for just a bit longer at the two kids before focusing back on Ben. “In that case, work. Wanna grab a seat? We can go over potential designs?”

“Yeah, of course, come on over here.”

Leading them to a desk off to the side, Ben took a seat and offered one to Jeeves as well, the guard preferring to stand while he set Greed down on it for their discussion to begin.

“Alright, first things first, are there any other cultural bits about this I need to be aware of?” Ben began. “Colours or designs that need to be used or avoided, the style of hairpiece, that sort of thing?”

“No, nothing like that. From what I hear, it’s just the traditional gift.”

“Okay, in that case, as the one giving it, do you have any colours in mind? Give me any number of them, I’ll figure out a way to make it work.”

“Ah, I know she likes red,” Greed started, leaving Ben to wonder if the colour preference had anything to do with the relationship’s inception. “And I’ve always liked silver on her, you think you can make something like that work?”

“Only two colours? Easy. In that case, you want any enchanted effects on it? So long as there’s nothing taboo about that either.”

“Never heard of it, and the people I asked for details from would have known to bring it up, we should be good. What kind of effects are you thinking?”

“I can squeeze in a bunch if you want. You’ve heard about the mana and buff bracelets?”

“Yeah? What about them?”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I invented them. You want those effects in there? I’ll warn you, since she got her soul modified, using the buffing effect will be uncomfortable for a bit, but she’ll be able to get used to it with time as her soul adapts to the buff’s presence. Maybe tell her to have it active for a week, just so the effects can subside.”

“Uh, back up a bit, Legs. How did you know she had her soul modified?”

“Oh, yeah, so don’t spread this around, but I’m the guy who did all of the modifications. I spotted her soul and yours when you guys were in the crowd.”

“What? And you didn’t stop to say anything?”