Chapter 34 – Making the Great Bell of Holy Rest

Hirune used holy magic to make one prototype out of Makura iron.

The first thing she did was to make it the size of a wind chime to see if she could transform it.

“Hmmm ……, that used quite a bit of magic.”

They had all gathered in a corner of the fountain square at Morgul Steel Mill.

Master Zuguri’s eyes popped out of his head in amazement when he saw the translucent wind chime in Hirune’s small palm.

“The iron turned translucent …… and white …… with holy magic…..impossible …”

The craftsmen around him were also astonished.

And the priests who were Hirune’s attendants were losing their minds over the delicate manipulation of magic power.

“This is… the holy magic of the Great Saint…….” “Object manipulation, purification, and other holy magic are also granted …….” “When you pray, do you suppress your power? ……”

They’ve seen Hirune’s holy magic on a regular basis, but this was the first time they’ve seen holy magic that required such delicate manipulation, and they couldn’t hide their surprise at her skill.

(Prayer is just sleeping, though. ……)

With that in mind, Hirune puts the wind chime-sized prototype in Jeanne’s hand.

“Hirune-sama …… I’m afraid to hold this.”

“Do you know what it’s supposed to look like?”

Smiling, Hirune looked into Jeanne’s eyes.

The cute maid blinked a few times, then immediately opened her mouth, as soon as she caught had on.

“I got it! The lily-of-the-valley flower, right?”

“That’s a great answer! Since you guessed correctly, you will receive a shoulder massage.”

“No way I’m giving you a shoulder massage! I’ll do it for you later, Hirune-sama.”

“Oh, then please do”

(Jeanne’s shoulder massage feels so good)

Hirune nodded her head without hesitation.

Jeanne giggled.

“So I decided to use the lily-of-the-valley flower, which is popular in the southern regions. What do you think, Master Zuguri?”

The small bell resembled the shape of a cracker used at parties, with six petals parting at the bottom to form a beautiful curve. It was a fragile and graceful piece of work, just like a lady of the deep.

Master Zuguri nodded, not taking his eyes off the wind-chime sized prototype for even a moment.

“It’s a model that can be called a divine work of art. The six petals are also beautifully formed. …… This is a masterpiece.”

“It’s all thanks to holy magic and the goddess.”

Hirune made the holy seal in front of her chest.

The priests behind her also reverently made the seal.

(Making the holy seal has become a complete habit. This is also the result of Wanda’s education…….)

This reminded her of the many times Wanda had been angry with her in the past.

Hirune liked Wanda, she was strict but loving, but her sermons were too long.

Whenever she thought of the word “sermon,” for some reason she started to feel sleepy.

“Well….then, this prototype will be given to Master Zuguri.”

“Eh? Is that okay? Are you sure you want to give away such a precious thing?”

“It’s okay. The holy magic I use is free of charge.”

“Well, how can it be free, ……?”

Master Zuguri chuckled at Hirune’s tone of voice, as if she were handing out surplus vegetables to her neighbors.

The prototype of the petite iron bell was placed as a wind chime in the rest area of the steel mill, and its gentle sound would bring comfort to the craftsmen, but that was a story for another few weeks. It will be a few weeks before the wind chimes become a very popular product in Morgul.

“May I ask you to bring the large iron to me? I’m starting to get sleepy.”

Hirune yawned and bowed.

“Yes!”

Master Zuguri regained his composure and called the craftsmen to work.

Hirune and the priests sat down on the chairs that the thoughtful craftsman had brought them, and Jeanne made tea with a tea set that she had borrowed from the rest stop in exchange for the prototype.

(Speaking of maids, tea. Speaking of tea, tea set. The scent of black tea made with holy water …is so soothing.)

Hirune sighed and gazed blankly at the fountain that was sprinkling water droplets.

At the back of the square, iron ore was being cleaned using the holy water from the fountain. She couldn’t help but follow the agile craftsmen as they worked.

(The buckwheat noodle shop I went to with my mother a long time ago was delicious. …… It was fun to watch the buckwheat noodle cutting through the glass.)

She sipped her tea, somehow remembering the events of her previous life.

A number of Craftsmen bowed happily when they saw Hirune, she smiled in reply.

Perhaps the sight of the great saint, the savior of the city and the symbol of its recovery, sipping tea in a relaxed manner warmed their hearts, and the craftsmen continued, hard at work. Hirune was a beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair who looked like a saint out of a storybook when she wasn’t talking. It’s no wonder the craftsmen were in high spirits.

(I wonder if buckwheat noodles exist in this world……. Ah, these cookies are delicious. …… I like that they’re hard.)

The great saint drank the tea that was served to her carefree.

“Hirune-sama, here’s a cookie”

Hirune was grateful that Jeanne was willing to take care of her.

“ it’s so calm….let’s sleep like this. Jeanne, give me a lap pillow.”

“What are you talking about, don’t fall asleep. We’re going to make bells, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we are. I was so relaxed that I almost forgot what I was doing.”

While they were lazing around, the sun was beginning to set and the lumps of iron that would be used to make the bells were being brought in.

The logs were lined up and pushed by twenty people.

The shouts of “Heave-ho, Heave-ho” echoed through the steel mill.

(It’s huge! It must be twice as big as the bells in Church.)

Hirune’s eyes lit up when she saw the iron lump being carried in.

“If we use this as a bell, the sound will definitely reach Diego village outside the city……. ”

She nodded her head and stood up.

Jeanne put away the tea set so quickly that it left an afterimage in her hands.

“How about this one, Hirune-sama?　　We’ve made a whole batch of high-quality iron ore.”

Master Zuguri tapped the iron lump with a reliable face.

“it’s wonderful. Now, let’s use holy magic to transform it. It’s going to take a lot of magic power, so you’ll be dazzled. Everyone, please step back a bit.”

At Hirune’s instruction, everyone moved away from the iron lump.

The priests were worried about the considerable amount of magic power required just to transform a palm-sized piece of iron, and showed some nervousness on their faces.

Jeanne clasped her arms in front of her chest.

“Please do your best, Hirune-sama!”

Jeanne cheered her on.

“Leave it to me.”

The iron lump reflected a dull silvery light.

(The image is important. When I made the small bell earlier, the transformation was accelerated by expanding the image. …… For now, let’s just try it with the feeling that it’s okay to fail.)

Hirune closed her eyes as if in prayer.

Hirune chanted carefully, making sure not to omit a single word of scripture and not to make any mistakes.

At some point, stardust began to dance around Hirune. Jeanne, the priests, Master Zuguri, and the craftsmen were transfixed by the sight.

(Scripture chanting complete–infuse magic power into iron …… for a restful sleep and …… for a calming tone… …)

Hirune concentrated on building up the image.

She imagined the lily-shaped iron bell in her mind over and over again, starting over and imagining it again.

“The Great Bell of Holy Sleep–!”

When she opened her eyes, a dazzling magic circle appeared in multiples around the iron mass, and stardust blew up with a sound.