Kim Suwon was in his fourth year of graduate school.
Ever since he was a child, he had always felt strangely at ease when holding tools.
He loved the thrill of hammering, building, and seeing the things he made come to life.
But that didn’t mean he enjoyed simple handiwork.
He wanted to create something more special, more advanced, something astonishing.
That’s why he had chosen this graduate program, and now, it was nearly over.
There was a material called graphene, made from carbon.
One might think…
“Isn’t carbon just charcoal or graphite?”
But considering that diamond and graphite share the same elemental composition, it was clear that carbon’s properties depended entirely on how it was processed.
Because of this, carbon was gaining recognition as a material with limitless potential.
Graphene, created from carbon, was truly a dream material.
Its net-like structure made it tens or even hundreds of times stronger than steel, while maintaining exceptional flexibility.
Most notably, its high conductivity made it ideal for industrial applications, such as touchscreens.
However, current technology was not advanced enough to make graphene commercially viable.
And Kim Suwon had set his sights on this very material.
It was an incredibly grueling and exhausting endeavor.
He spent sleepless nights poring over foreign research papers, conducting experiments, and searching for the optimal method living like a zombie in the process.
Yet, in the end, Kim Suwon succeeded.
Though not perfect, he discovered a technique that could bring graphene closer to commercialization.
Together with his team, he proceeded with the experiment.
If it worked, it would not only secure his graduation but also give him a chance to make a name for himself on a global scale.
And so, the experiment began.
To put it simply it failed.
The issue lay in the data.
Many of the references they used were from foreign sources, and some contained units like yards and pounds instead of meters and grams.
Due to a mistake by one of the team members, measurements got mixed up, kilograms and meters were combined with yards and pounds.
As a result, the custom-made component for the experiment had a fatal flaw.
The defect led to an explosion.
A fragment from the blast pierced Kim Suwon’s head, killing him instantly.
A ridiculous end, brought about by a trivial mistake.
And just like that, Kim Suwon’s life came to an abrupt halt.
However—
His eyelids, which were never supposed to open again, lifted once more.
But this was not the world he had known.
This was the world of Flame of Dawn.
Kim Suwon had a small hobby, reading web novels.
He wasn’t the type to get completely absorbed in them, but he enjoyed pointing out and correcting measurement errors made by amateur writers.
One day, he came across a novel called Flame of Dawn and decided to give it a read.
And now, his second life was beginning within that very world.
“The place where I opened my eyes was the Dwarf nation in the northern part of this empire. My father is a Dwarf, and my mother is a human. So, in a way, I’m a Half-Dwarf.”
“Half-Dwarf? But you look completely human.”
After Louis introduced herself as a transmigrator, the two, startled, abandoned their meal and brought her to Felix’s research lab to continue their conversation.
Louis introduced herself as a Half-Dwarf, but to them, she didn’t seem much different from a regular human.
She had no beard, and at most, she just looked like a slightly shorter person.
“Oh, was it hidden? Here, look at this.”
“Huh…!? Your ears—”
“They’re pointy?”
“Right? I don’t have a beard, but this is how you can tell.”
As the two reacted with doubt, Louis brushed back her hair, revealing her ears. Only then did they nod in understanding.
Her ears were longer than those of a normal human, yet not as elongated as those of a Goblin or an Elf somewhere in between. They twitched slightly beside her head.
“Anyway, I lived in the Dwarf nation before enrolling in the academy this semester as a special admission student. But seriously, I never expected that I wouldn’t be the only transmigrator! That really caught me off guard.”
“The Dwarf nation… that’s way up in the north. Coming all the way here must have been tough.”
“Well… it wasn’t that bad. When you think of fantasy blacksmiths, you think of Dwarves, right? They process rare materials with unparalleled skill, something you’d never find in the modern world. I made sure to learn as much as I could!”
Waking up in the Dwarf nation had been a stroke of luck for her.
Her family was a lineage of blacksmiths, and among the Dwarves, there was hardly anyone who didn’t know how to work with metal.
Studying and experimenting with the rare minerals and materials unique to this world had been an immensely enjoyable experience for her.
“But then, why suddenly enroll in the academy…?”
Every time Louis spoke about her past, eyes gleaming with nostalgia, the two listening couldn’t help but tilt their heads in confusion.
If she had such a fulfilling life there, why had she come all the way to this distant academy?
“It’s all good… all of that was fine…”
At Rosaria’s question, Louis’s face suddenly darkened.
“These crazy, bearded bastards use whatever damn measurement units they want!!!!”
Most Dwarves had a specialized craft.
Jewelry crafting, architecture, weapon and armor forging, magic tool creation each one would dedicate themselves to a single field of expertise.
But the problem was that each specialization had its own unique way of measuring things.
“My family used pounds and yards! The guy next door who makes weapons? He uses feet! And others? Ounces, gallons, and even some completely made-up units!?”
“Even when they use the same unit, they measure differently! One person’s foot is 80 centimeters, another’s is 75! It’s all over the place!!”
“For the love of—!!! CAN’T THEY JUST STANDARDIZE ANYTHING?! I raised hell over it, but they kept saying, ‘This is how our ancestors did it!’ Like, fine, whatever, but at least make it consistent within your own damn race! But no next door, across the street, behind the house everyone used different units!!!”
“How could I stay sane in a place like that?! AAAAAARRRGGGGHHH!!! DAMN YOU, AUTHOR!!!”
BANG!
Louis slammed the table as she screamed in rage.
Surprisingly, despite the noise, the table remained completely intact.
“Huff…! Huff…! So anyway…! I heard the academy properly uses the metric system, so I came here.”
“Thankfully, Dwarves have a reputation for being the best at magic tool crafting, so I got in easily as a special admission. The magic tools I made as a test were more than enough to get me accepted!”
“A-Ah… I see…?”
“So, about that gun. Can I take a closer look? I’ve been dying of curiosity ever since I saw it.”
“Ah, well… sure… here.”
“Thanks! And you don’t have to be so formal just talk casually!”
After venting her frustrations, Louis immediately turned her attention to the gun, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Overwhelmed by her energy, Rosaria hesitated briefly before handing it over.
“Oooh… So that’s how you used magic circles? You’ve engraved a protective magic circle along the long barrel to reduce recoil, and the bullets themselves have magic circles inscribed on them for independent activation. And inside the bullet… magic stone dust? Ohh, so that’s why the bullets also have protective magic circles.”
“…You figured that out?”
“That’s right. If you don’t engrave it onto the bullet, the gun might stay safe when fired, but the bullet itself won’t be able to withstand the force. By the way, this material despite being made of wood seems to have excellent magic conductivity!”
“Engraving such a complex magic circle onto such a tiny bullet… That’s insane. And on top of that, the circuitry looks perfectly designed to function at optimal efficiency!”
“Heh…! Well… it’s not a big deal…?”
As Louis, who had been closely inspecting the gun, kept showering it with praise, Felix, the gun’s creator, couldn’t help but puff up with pride.
“For reference, I designed this part to enhance stability…”
“I see… and yet, you managed to maintain its power as well.”
“Right? And also—”
“Oh, geez.”
Felix, getting fully into his explanation, stood up and moved next to Louis to continue his detailed breakdown. Realizing that this conversation would go on for quite some time, Rosaria let out a deep sigh.
Just as Rosaria’s eyes started to grow heavy…
“Hah… Still, it’s kind of disappointing.”
“Disappointing? My masterpiece of the century?”
Hearing Louis sigh, Felix frowned, realizing there was some dissatisfaction with his creation. A vein popped on his forehead.
“I mean, the performance itself is fine… but it doesn’t really consider the user’s convenience. The shape of the gun is roughly standard, but certain details in its craftsmanship are lacking.”
“Ah, that’s true. When aiming, the stock is a bit uneven, which makes it hard to stabilize.”
“Ugh…! T-That’s…! I can’t help it! My expertise is magic, not weapon crafting!”
When Louis precisely pointed out his weakness, Felix pouted and made excuses. He was well aware of it himself while he was skilled in magic, he lacked the dexterity for crafting magical tools.
“This material… it’s a branch of the World Tree, isn’t it? I’ve seen it once before in the Dwarven Kingdom. It’s an incredible material!”
“Yes, but while its magic conductivity and amplification properties are outstanding making it great for magic staves or magic tool components it’s not exactly ideal for making a weapon’s entire body, especially for close combat.”
“Judging by the way this gun is built, it’s not just for long-range combat, right? It’s meant for close-quarters combat too.”
“Oh, that’s right. How did you know?”
“There are faint signs of wear and tear here. Looks like the stock has been used for melee combat.”
“Oh…! Impressive!”
This time, Rosaria was intrigued that Louis managed to deduce her combat style just by looking at the gun.
“No matter how many protection magic circles you use… if you keep using it this way, it won’t last long.”
“…Really? Then do I have to make another one? But will it work well with a material other than the World Tree’s branch?”
“I don’t know. It just seemed like the most suitable material at the time.”
As Louis analyzed Rosaria’s fighting style and pointed out the gun’s flaws, Rosaria turned to Felix, looking troubled.
“Well… If it were up to me, I’d use the World Tree’s wood for the internal structure and cover the exterior with a tougher, more durable material. Mithril… is a bit too soft. Like the branch, it’s more specialized for magic. In that case, adamantadium might work…”
“Adamantadium?”
“It’s one of the top three hardest metals. But it’s ridiculously expensive even making a weapon this size would cost a fortune. They say you could build a small mansion with that kind of money.”
“A… a mansion?!”
Rosaria’s jaw dropped at the sheer cost of the alternative metal.
“Or we could use dragon scales. They’re sturdy, have low magic conductivity, so they won’t be affected by magic, and since the inside is made of the World Tree’s branch anyway, it would be perfect.”
“Dragon… scales?”
At that moment, Rosaria seemed to realize something upon hearing Louis mutter to himself. She turned to Felix, who was looking at her with the same realization.
“But, well… dragons aren’t exactly easy to find, and if we’re talking about cost, dragon scales are even more expensive than adamantadium. It’d be better to just use a slightly softer metal instead…”
“That’s it!!!”
“Whoa!?”
Since using dragon scales was practically a joke, Louis had been trying to come up with a more realistic alternative. But before she could finish, both Felix and Rosaria shot up from their seats, startling her.
“We have scales!!”
“And a whole bunch of them!?”
“W-What…?”
Dragon scales were an incredibly rare material, but the two of them already knew exactly where to find plenty.
“Achoo!? …Sniff… What was that?”
At that moment, Tene, who was once again carrying the laundry, tilted her head in confusion at the sudden sneeze.
“Tene, where are you?!”
“Ah, I’m coming!!”
‘Feels like someone was talking about me… Must be my imagination.’
Shaking off the thought, she quickly picked up her pace at the sound of Bennet calling her. After all, the sooner she finished her work, the sooner she could eat.