HC: Pacifist | Ch. 245 - Leather Helmet Production Line (Patreon)

Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Rock Lizard Layered-Leather Helmet].

Crafting grade: D

+120 ecotailor XP.

Roth admired his first crack at the new recipe.

Rock Lizard Layered-Leather Helmet (Common)

Description: A leather helmet with a simple design fashioned from the shed skin of rock lizards.

Effects:

+10 hp;

+2 strength;

+1 endurance.

Requirements: Lvl. 14.

Even though it was brand new, this helmet looked like it had seen many battles and taken several hits. It was dented and bumpy. Roth wondered where he had gone wrong. He had been so careful while punching the holes in the pieces and stitching them together, but still he had only gotten a D.

Rather than wasting energy figuring out what was missing. He opened the Union Library and wrote ‘Leatherworking.’ He got hundreds of hits. “Wow,” he exclaimed. It looked like the Union’s library was becoming a priceless resource. He had known that craftsmen associated with guilds had an advantage, but having access to this kind of database made a huge difference.

He fine-tuned the keywords, writing ‘leather helmet, dented, bumpy’ to narrow the results. This time, he got only one hit, which directly answered his question.

“When crafting the second recipe awarded to you by the leatherworking trainer, as well as any leather piece with a lot of curvature, the final product is often deformed. There’s a straightforward solution. 

You just need to soak the leather in water for a few seconds and then find something spherical to stretch the leather into the form you want. This will make the curves in any leather equipment you make smoother.

(Insight was added by Nirtel as the entry admission into the union. Validated by UnionH.)”

As part of the management, he could access this insight into the craft and see who had added it and why. He didn’t know this Nirtel fellow, but his solution was surprisingly simple. This time, after he punched the holes and finished cutting the four shapes that formed the simple helmet design, he grabbed a bucket he usually used to wash wool and filled it with water. He soaked each piece of the design. 

He then looked around and found a wooden sphere. He compared the individual pieces with how they went into the final product and tried easing them into the shape they would gain once the product was finished. It was working. The water softened the leather, letting Roth bend it.

Satisfied with the results, Roth used the saddle stitch to combine three pieces. A large piece protected the back of the skull, and two side pieces came together on the top. Finally, a long, neck-tie-shaped piece brought the three other pieces together, creating a helmet shaped like half a coconut.

By the time he was finished, the helmet looked much sleeker. “Thank you, Nirtel!” he said, smiling. 

Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Rock Lizard Layered-Leather Helmet].

Crafting grade: B

+600 ecotailor xp.

Level up!

Rock Lizard Layered-Leather Helmet (Common)

Description: A leather helmet with a simple design fashioned from the shed skin of rock lizards.

Effects:

+30 hp;

+4 strength;

+3 endurance.

Requirements: Lvl. 14.

Much happier with the results, Roth got started with the light trap he wanted to set in this helmet. This time, he was going for the new recipe.

Squared Trap (Recipe)

Description: A four-point trap that can boost equipment.

Requirements: Light trapper, lvl. 5.

He used the system’s assistance to mark the spots he had to carve with the laser and find where the longer strip of leather overlapped with two other pieces; he got started. This time, there would be four vertices and four mirrors. 

It felt easier to draw squares than triangles. Making straight angles felt more natural. Roth was trying to make broader strokes with the laser to make the trap look smoother, and it wasn’t long before he finished carving the trap on the helmet.

Turning it over in his hand, Roth nodded approvingly. He grabbed the laser gun, placed three flat mirrors in three vertices, and finally, one convex mirror at only one of the corners. He placed the finished trap under the vacuuming machine and started on the next helmet. 

It seemed impossible to place light traps on every piece of equipment he crafted. Making a piece of leather equipment, at least these first simpler models, only took him 10 to 15 minutes, whereas setting a trap took nearly forty-five minutes. That meant that if he crafted non-stop, he could create two ordinary pieces of leather equipment and an enhanced one.

He still wasn’t sure of how much these items would fetch in the market, but Roth’s plan was to use up all the lizard hide he had purchased and then put them up for sale. He had purchased 100 pieces and used two per design, so he still had forty-something pieces of equipment to craft before leaving the workshop.

Roth proceeded to make a B+ helmet and a B-, and by the time he was finished, the machine finally beeped. He grabbed Bergelmir’s laser and charged it using the technique he and Maggie had devised.

Congratulations! You’ve crafted [Quadrangular Trap].

+150 light trapper xp.

Rock Lizard Layered-Leather Helmet (Common)

Description: A leather helmet with a simple design fashioned from the shed leather of rock lizards.

Effects:

+30(+1) hp;

+4(+2) strength;

+3(+1) endurance.

Requirements: Lvl, 14.

Light Trap Effects:

+1 to all equipment stats;

+1 to equipment’s highest stat.

The new trap he had just learned had an added effect. It granted +1 to the equipment’s highest stat, in this case, strength. He guessed that bonuses for health and energy weren’t included in this bonus. That was a good thing, too. It was much better to have +1 strength than just +1 hp. 

Thinking about how many pieces he was still going to make, Roth placed the new B+ helmet he had just made under the vacuuming machine and, standing up while stretching his neck, went to find Keith. He had mentioned there was another leatherworking technique he could learn. That might improve the equipment and sell for more money at the auction house.

Keith was finally done dressing the mannequins in his store and stood behind the counter reading a magazine. It was the first time he saw Keith doing something other than working. 

“Hi, Keith! How are you?”

“Nature’s weaver. How goes your work with leather?”

“It’s going great! Listen, you had one more skill you could teach me regarding leatherworking, right? I feel confident about the basics you taught me, so I would like to learn it too.”

“You mean bevelling?”

Roth was unfamiliar with the term. “Yes. That’s right.”

“Very well. To do that, you need to use a beveler stamp.” He opened a drawer in his desk and grabbed what looked like a mix of a fork and a screwdriver. There were two small teeth at the end of the thin metal rod. “You use these to cut away the edges of the design and create a raised border around it.”

“What’s the point,” asked Roth, curious?

“It looks nice. It gives your designs more depth. Come. I’ll show you.”

Roth followed Keith back to his rented workspace. This time, Lin didn’t even react to Keith’s arrival. It looked like the kitten was getting used to their landlord barging in. Keith spotted the bucket of water and the finished leather helmet. “Good. You soaked it, huh?”

Roth smiled. “That’s right, sir.”

Keith is impressed with how insightful you are.

+200 ecotailor XP.

Keith then froze like a deer in the headlights. His eyes were glued to the bright light shining from the helmet. “Goodness, gracious. Did you make that?” he said, reaching for the equipment and turning it over like a priceless treasure.

“Yes, sir.”

“Incredible! A light trap. I only read about those in old manuals. But how? How do you know the lost art?”

“Uh… I’ve inherited this profession from my mentor,” Roth said. He tried to phrase it in a way that the NPC would understand but was careful to omit the details of who his mentor was and how he had been dead for centuries.

“Incredible. You are something else. Are you taking orders?”

“Uh? Excuse me?”

You’ve unlocked a new quest: [Wadi’s Light].

Wadi’s Light (Rare)

Keith has been having trouble selling leather equipment in Sapphira. The competition is fierce. After seeing your light-trapping skills, he sees an opportunity.

Objectives: Install light traps in 100 full suits of leather armor crafted by Keith.

Roth blinked as he unlocked yet another rare quest—a quest related to crafting! He stared at it for some time.

“So?” prompted Keith.

Quests were the best way to speed up a player’s progress. On top of gaining XP from crafting while fulfilling the assignment, he would receive an additional reward at the end. Roth didn’t need to think much before making a decision.

“Of course! When do I start?”

You’ve accepted [Wadi’s Light].

“Brilliant! I knew having you here was the right move. I’ll get you the suits of armor. I’m looking forward to seeing how good they’ll look.”

Keith was about to go away, and Roth cleared his throat. “Master Keith?”

“Yes? Oh. Of course! I almost forgot! Beveling. Go ahead. Cut the pieces and punch holes in them. I’ll go get the suits of armor in the meantime.” Keith ran as fast as the wind, and Lin, this time, raised his head, alarmed by their visitor’s sudden moves.

Roth guessed that Keith was excited about improving his equipment, so, smiling, he started working on a pair of greaves. Before working on this design, he wanted to try soaking the leather to determine if it also got a better grade.

While Roth was punching the holes, Keith entered the room, followed by three aides, who dumped many pieces of leather equipment in the corner. He glanced at the worktable and, seeing how Roth wasn’t finished yet, ran out before Roth could say anything. Roth sighed and kept punching holes with the chisel. By the time he finished cutting the leather, Keith and his aides hadn’t returned, so he ran to the pile, curious to see the equipment he would be working on.

As he approached, his mouth went dry. With trembling hands, he grabbed a leather helmet. It was fiery red, with beautiful veins and patterns carved into it. Where Roth’s leather helmet was made up of four pieces stitched together, this helmet had at least twenty. Not only were they stitched together, but they also had rivets strengthening the joints. He inspected the helmet and almost fainted.

Komodo Leather Helmet (Rare)

Description: A beautiful, strong helmet made of Komodo dragon leather. It has been dyed in molten ruby and is coated with sequoia oil. The craftsman outdid himself. It’s part of a set.

Effects:

+20% damage reduction;

+31 resilience;

+310 hp;

+40 strength;

+12 dexterity.

Restrictions: Warrior, lvl. 60.

Set effects: If all five pieces are equipped, you can use [Warrior’s Mindset] and [Sundering Sword].

What in the world? This was a serious piece of equipment! It even came with skills!

Keith returned with another load of equipment and put it on the corner. “Ah! I can see you’re admiring my work.”

“Y-you made these?”

“Oh yes! I originally made it for the garrison’s soldiers. I haven’t had much success selling it, though. That’s where my order comes in.”

Roth nodded. Soldiers were at a much higher level than players, so it's no wonder this equipment was this good.

“Anyway, have you finished preparing the pieces?”

“Yes! Here, take a look.” Roth said, offering the pieces of the pair of greaves.

“You’ve soaked these, too? Good. That’s a good idea. So, beveling. This technique creates a raised outline around a design, which adds depth and dimension. Let me first do one for you.” 

Keith randomly selected a piece of leather and laid it on the table. He then grabbed the fork-like tool and positioned it on the edge. “Now, with a steady hand, I apply pressure along the edge of the design.” Keith pushed the fork-like tool away from him, along the edge of the piece, cutting a strip of leather. It looked like there was a sharp blade between those two teeth. “See how much smoother it looks?”

Roth nodded excitedly. 

“Even though it’s not essential, it adds a nice finish. Now you try,” he invited while handing the bevel over.

Roth grabbed the tool and tried to mimic Keith's technique. 

“Hold the beveling tool at a 45-degree angle to the leather, with the beveled edge facing down. Apply even pressure to the tool as you drag it along the edge.”

Roth did as he was told. It reminded him of a similar technique used in carpentry called planing. It required using a blade to shave off pieces of wood and produce a flat surface. In this case, however, it was only used on the corner of the design. He changed the angle accidentally, and his hand slipped. The bevel stamp fell out of his hand.

“Don’t worry. That’s normal. You’ll develop a sense of how much strength to use as you do this more.”

Roth kept working along the edges of the piece, creating a lined frame. “Is this good?”

Roth caught Keith drooling while glancing at the pile of his equipment in the corner. “Excuse me? What?”

“Does it look good?”

“Oh yes. Perfect. Well done!”

“Now what?”

“Now, turn it over and bevel the other side.”

He turned the piece over and proceeded to bevel it as well. Sensing that Roth was more confident, Keith dropped a few more hints while he worked. “The key to beveling is maintaining a consistent angle and pressure with the beveling tool. What you did,” he said, pointing at the bucket, “wetting the leather helps.”

Roth finished beveling the back side of the design. He held the finished piece in his hand and studied it. The worked edges made the leather look neater and created the illusion that the piece had more texture. 

“Good! You got it! Now, when can you start with my order?”

You’ve learned [Beveling].

Ch. 244 - Inflation

INDEX

Ch. 246 - Eidetic Memory