Crafting Orange

" Winter, mind doing me a favor?"

" Within reason, Silva."

Winter curtly replied to my question as she focused on her homework for Grimmology and Military history in our dorm room.

" I plan on constructing some weapons for some ideas I want to experiment on, but with Atlas being Atlas, no one will sell me the materials I need. So I was wondering if I could persuade you into doing some shopping for me?"

The ice queen looked away from her homework and faced me as she asked.

" How much do you need?"

" Thanks, Winter, and to answer your question, I am going to need at least several hundred pounds of materials to run some tests I have in mind. Of course, I am not asking you to do this for free as I will agree to any three favors within reason as compensation in return for helping me out."

Winter looked at me with some interest as she clarified her compensation.

" Any three favors?"

" Within reason."

I added that as much as I like Winter, I won't agree to just anything she asks me, like attending Atlas Academy instead of Beacon, as that is a hard pass. The ice queen then said with a slight smile.

" You don't have to compensate me."

" Maybe so, but I want to as I am a firm believer you should be paid for the work you do, especially since I am going to be running you ragged across Atlas to get the materials I need because of my race and people being bigots."

I felt touched that she would do this errand for me without asking anything in return, but I wasn't kidding about running her ragged as I was going to need her to go to multiple stores to get what I wanted. I have ideas and hypotheses that I want to test with the amount of knowledge I have accumulated relevant to my ideal weapon and see how I am going to use it on a regular basis. I can't hide it from Tindick what I am up to, at least this time around. Of course, that only matters if he can connect the dots on what I was exactly building, which is unlikely.

What I have in mind relates to Atlas's approach to studying Aura from a more scientific point of view, and while the knowledge is there, it would take multiple scientists from different research groups to come up with what I am going to do for my weapon. Winter asked me.

" Do you have a list ready?"

I sent the list through my Scroll and handed her my debit card connected to a temporary account I had set up.

" Here you go."

The ice queen looked at my long list with increasingly wide eyes and asked me with an incredulous expression.

" What in the name of Remnant are you building?!"

" I am mostly experimenting on a few ideas I have in mind before I build my main weapon."

I shrugged as I answered and went to draw up some more rough drafts on the experimental weapons I was going to make the following week.

***

" So want a fabrication forge for your use for a week?"

" Possibly two, general."

I told James Ironwood as I was putting in my request for forging my weapons before the expedition of the Schnee Dust Company survey team mission. I went to him because, apparently, I needed special permission to use a forge for longer than a few hours or, in my case, at least a week. According to the instructor managing the forges and maintenance areas. As he considered my request Tindick then asked.

" Why do you need a week? With a fabrication forge, you cut down the time required to make complicated parts for a mech-shift weapon by several days instead of the old fashion method of a hammer and anvil."

" I am experimenting with a few ideas I have gotten during my stay here in Atlas."

" So you were inspired?"

Tindick smiled at his own question, and internally, I mocked him as he knew no idea of the fact I have the entire scientific community of Atlas's knowledge in my head or, more accurately, my soul, thanks to Soul Archive. But I am asking a favor, a small, unimportant favor, but a favor nonetheless to use a fabrication forge for over a week, so I need to play nice.

" In a manner of speaking. Plus, a mission where there is a high concentration of Grimm to run some field and live combat tests to see how well they work."

" If I didn't know any better, Silva, I would've thought you were one of Atlas's scientists asking for a budget increase or guards to protect them."

The general smiled with good humor as I kept a poker face, and he said.

" Permission granted. I will notify the instructor that manages the forges about your project."

" Thank you, general, by your leave."

" You are dismissed, Silva."

After I gave my thanks, I left to work out the settings on the fabrication forge I am going to use.

***

I worked out the final adjustments of the fabrication forge I am working on as I waited for Winter to get back from shopping for me. I cross-referenced the notes I made for the weapon designs I have in mind to make sure that everything is set. Before I make my main weapon, I am going to work on some ideas that I want to implement in it by making some test weapons that would work as backups for certain situations. The designs are for a few pole axes, a pair of hand cannons, and a railgun.

The pole axes are an economical design approach to test different melee options that I have in mind for my main weapon to see which would work best. The hand cannons are to try two different approaches in mid to close ranged combat and may have some serious implications for the future on the use of Dust-based gunpowder. The railgun is to give me a long-range option because while my first Semblance Dark Wrath is powerful in close to mid-range combat, it is too strenuous to use continuously at long range or any range really.

While my Aura reserves surpass the average Huntsman/Huntress and are on the level of Elites, Dark Wrath and Door To Darkness take a large amount of Aura to use effectively for a prolonged period of time. So I need more economical options on how to use my Aura offensively and defensively to allow me to fight smarter, not harder. Essentially since the end goal of designing my main weapon is to slay giant Grimm like, Sea Fen Longs, Wyverns, and Leviathans. It not only needs to be large enough to deal significant damage to those monsters but also has to have a reliable utility that makes it usable in other situations.

After I finish tinkering with the fabrication forge, I just need to wait for Winter to deliver the materials I need to get started. As I waited, I went to work on the Gundam manga I am drawing by practicing drawing the mobile suits and characters in different positions and angles. Drawing a falling Zaku Mk.2 that is firing its machine gun from above, the Gundam's fast booster-powered charge with its beam saber at the ready, Char's Zaku moving at high speed while avoiding gunfire, as I continue to practice my drawing skills to reach a satisfactory level for the manga, Winter showed up pushing some gravity Dust powered pallets holding the crates of materials.

" I got everything, Silva."

" Thank you once again, Winter."

I thanked my favorite ice queen as she looked tired from all the running around she did for me and offered to treat her to lunch.

" You can use my card to treat yourself, Winter if you want."

" Thank you, but I am fine. Here is your card back."

I took back the debit card, and as I put it in my wallet, Winter asked.

" How do you have enough money for all these materials Silva? The amount you had me get you easily exceeds 100000 Lein."

" Let's just say that I have some reliable sources of revenue."

I plan on telling her that I am the author Snow Morningstar later, like after I get my court case worked out in my favor. I then offered her.

" Any interest in watching me work?"

" As much as I would like to, I have classes but do show me when you are done making your weapons."

" It would be my pleasure."

Winter then left me to my devices, and I took out my Scroll to see if the room had any cameras in it or audio devices. It looks like Tindick didn't think my project was a big deal since there were no recording devices watching me. Now to get started.