The dragon scales were placed to the side, for the time being. Junichiro moved around the area collecting jars, paper bags, and jugs of various materials. Some items went into the chemistry section to be turned into extracts. Others were tossed into a cauldron, step by step, to produce potions with various effects. Some of the extracts were dumped into potions, others set to the side for future use. Nothing he did had any wasted materials.
While various mixtures bubbled and boiled, he grabbed the first scale and set it on a transmutation circle. He selected one of the extracts made from the venom of a Rust Beast. The venom would rapidly rust mundane metals in a way that would make even the strongest mundane acids jealous. On its own it would have no effect on the scale.
Combined with transmutation though?
He poured the extract over the scale, letting the thick brown sludge cover the pure white scale. Once the scale was fully covered, he placed his left hand on the transmutation circle and sent magical power into it. The circle glowed a soft yellow and began its work. He smiled as he observed the brown sludge being absorbed into the scale.
While Rust Beast venom would have no effect on the scale, even purified and extracted, using a transmutation circle to combine the two was the first step in the process of softening the scale. He still had several steps to go through and would have to do so for every scale he wished to work with.
The sound of a hammer hitting metal rang out through the workshop as Junichiro worked. Gripped in his tongs was a glowing dragon scale that had been drastically changed from its original shape. Though it was still roughly shaped, Junichiro knew that what he was working on would, eventually, become one section of a foreleg for the golem he was constructing. It wasn't going to be a supremely complicated construction, but it would be able to move, speak, fly, and be durable as hell.
Ddraig wouldn't be able to do much fighting in it though, even with claws, as he didn't plan to make it into a combat capable model. Not yet, anyway. He might in the future after he and Ddraig were more than simple acquaintances. Once they were good friends and true partners, then he'd upgrade the golem into something far more impressive.
After hammering the scale a few more times, it started to cool a little too much and was placed back into the forge to come back up to the proper temperature. He had to be careful working the scales while they were alchemically weakened. Once he finished shaping them completely, they could be treated to return to their proper hardness, until then they were susceptible to damage from improper treatment.
While the foreleg piece reheated, he selected another piece and began hammering on it. This part would be a piece of the torso, which he planned to leave hollow so that it had space for upgrades. Most of the pieces were going to be hollow, in fact. Not only for future modifications, but to save on material usage.
He wasn't being stingy but he did only have so much of Albion's scales and he didn't want to waste even a single shaving of it. He highly doubted he would be able to get his hands on more scales of such quality anytime soon and he wanted to save them for a truly worthy project.
Not that making a body Ddraig could remote control wasn't worthy.
Unknown to Junichiro, Ddraig was quietly observing him as he worked. The dragon liked his sleep, but the incessant banging of hammer on scale had made it impossible for him to get any. His range of observation was limited by the Sacred Gear being outside of a host, but he could still observe things clearly within that range. Since he couldn't sleep, he'd taken to watching Junichiro work at his forge over the last few days.
Ddraig had no idea what the odd human was working on, but he easily recognized the shed scales of his rival. He couldn't help wondering where the boy had gotten them from. It was exceedingly rare for fully mature dragons to shed their scales and the ones he'd seen suggested they would have been some of the last Albion shed. He kept his curiosity in check though and didn't ask what the boy was making.
Instead, he enjoyed watching the boy at work. It was giving him a fair amount of insight into what kind of partner he would be. Part of him didn't like to admit it, due to being taken from his original partner, but he was impressed with the boy. He could clearly see the dedication Junichiro had for his work. It also gave Ddraig hints about what he could expect from the boy's growth. If he put even half as much dedication to making himself stronger and mastering the Boosted Gear, Ddraig could see how Junichiro could become his strongest wielder ever.
It was rather exciting for the dragon whose life had been rather boring since he died. He'd always expected he might die one day, everything living did. He'd just expected that his soul would be free to move onto its next life. Being captured and stuck in the Boosted Gear was a fate worse than death, as far as he was concerned. Still, since he was, somewhat, alive, he would do whatever he could to preserve and enjoy that life.
He was Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon Emperor, the Dragon of Dominance. He wouldn't let something like being trapped in a sort of hell have even a chance at dominating him!
Junichiro covered his mouth as he yawned while stepping into the main room for the club Rias ran. It was the weekend again and he was scheduled to help train another member of the peerage. He'd left it up to them to decide who it would be this time.
As he walked in, Rias looked up from some paperwork she was doing and gave Junichiro a bright and cheerful smile. Akeno, standing next to her, also looked up, though her smile was clearly strained. Kiba gave a small nod of acknowledgment and Koneko barely noticed him.
Rias, clearly excited to see him, was the first to speak, "It's good to see you again Junichiro-san."