Currently, there were several prepared crystals and tal bands. Lena had assud it was now ti to input the crystals into the rings, but she got proven otherwise when rath spoke. "Thus far, we have rely been making the ring operable. Capable of keeping and utilizing mana. But using it for what?"
"Um." Lena thought back to earlier. One of the runes was to create an enhancing effect. She assud that was the point. "One of the runes enhances the wearer, right?"
rath nodded. "That’s one of the uses, yes. If it were just that, the ring would be passable, but not fit for your level. I notice you and Lumi have gotten much stronger."
Lena nodded.
The old man continued. "Therefore, you can handle a much stronger effect. Let’s move on to infusing the ring band."
"The tal must be heated to exactly the right temperature." rath said, placing the materials over a magical fla he produced. It was different from last ti, where he heated up the tal directly with his magic. "Too cool, and the mithril won’t integrate properly. Too hot, and the silver’s molecular structure becos unstable."
"How do you know when it’s right?" Lena asked.
"Experience. But also this." rath gestured, and a small thermoter-like device appeared, hovering near the crucible. "Magical thermotry. It asures both physical temperature and mana resonance."
The rings began to glow as it heated. rath watched the readings carefully, adjusting the fla’s intensity with minute gestures.
When the asurents reached the optimal range, he began the actual infusion process. He took out a bunch of Ems...
"What." Lena blinked.
"What?" rath said, pouring the coins to be lted on the ring.
Lena looked on in disbelief. "What are you doing?"
"Don’t you know?" rath tilted his head, puzzled. "Ems provide a magical enhancing effect."
Lena couldn’t react other than a single flat word. "How."
Now rath was the one confused. "Don’t question about how the world works. Why do you think Ems are used as money, anyways? Because they have inherent value as a magical material! Now pay attention!"
He moved on. The powdered mithril was added gradually, stirred with a crystalline rod that wouldn’t contaminate the mixture.
Lena was still too baffled to speak. She had never knew... why wasn’t she told? What the heck. How did that make any sense?
She violently shook her head from side to side to recalibrate herself. Once she had reset her ntal state, she asked. "Why use a crystal rod?"
"tal would dissolve slightly into the mixture." rath explained. "Wood would burn. Glass would leach impurities. Crystal is inert and heat-resistant."
Lena filed that information away.
With the infusion complete, rath poured the molten tal into ring-shaped molds. Steam rose as the material settled.
"These will need to cool for approximately fifteen minutes." rath said. "Can you tell what this did?"
"I... can’t?" Lena entirely admitted. "I have no idea about the Ems, but I’m guessing they act as a very general enhancer. As for the mithril, they were added after the runes, so I can only suppose that they enhance the existing runes."
"Very good." rath nodded. "You have it correct, but you are still missing sothing. There are many ores that can enhance what we did. Why Mithril?"
"Hmm," Lena considered the information. "I have no idea what Mithril’s properties are. However, given that the rings are for us, and we are magicians, it likely boosts our magic attack in so way."
"Exactly!" Although it had nothing to do with crafting, and more just context clues, rath was happy enough that Lena had got it right. "Now that the rings are cooled, we rely need to slot the jewel into the ring."
"Can I try?" Lena asked impulsively, then imdiately regretted it. "Sorry, that was presumptuous."
rath glanced at her. "No, it’s a fair question. But the answer is no, not yet. If you’d like to try, do it on cheaper materials on your own ti. I’m sure you’ll get it in a few attempts."
Lena’s face lit up. "Really?"
"Really." rath confird. "Your observational skills are excellent, and you grasp concepts quickly. With proper practice, you could beco a skilled accessory crafter."
That praise ant more to Lena than rath probably realized. She redoubled her focus, determined to absorb as much knowledge as possible.
After a while, finally, rath held up the completed first ring. It glowed with a soft internal light when held up to the air, yet otherwise looked like a fancy, but mundane silver ring.
"Woah..." Lena’s eyes shone as she looked at the ring.
rath smiled. "I hope you learned sothing. The rest of the rings will take too long to do now. I’ll move on to the potions."
Lena nodded. "Thank you for teaching ."
"Thank you for being a good student." rath replied. "Most people lose interest after the first hour."
"This is too interesting to lose interest in." Lena said honestly.
rath smiled slightly. "Good answer. Will you stick around for the potions?"
"Sorry." Lena put on an apologetic face. "I really wish I could, but I need to get going."
"That’s alright." rath smiled at her, and got back to his work.
...
As the day drew to a close, Lumi and Lena prepared to log out of Masteria for the night.
"Tomorrow’s the big day." Lumi said to Lena as they walked toward a safe area to disconnect.
"The raid." Lena confird. "Are you nervous?"
"A little." Lumi admitted. "A lot can go wrong."
"But a lot can go right too." Lena pointed out. "You’ve planned this well. Everyone is excited. We have good information about the target."
"True." Lumi said. "I’m only worried about Eden. We’ll have to keep him safe."
"Of course." Lena said confidently. "I’ll die for him."
Lumi smiled at that. "Get so rest tonight. Tomorrow will be intense."
"You too." Lena said.
They reached a quiet corner of Elenora where they could safely disconnect without being disturbed. And with that, both of them logged out, their consciousness returning to Earth.
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