The story begins with Thor, the eldest son of Duke Balga Rigas, being summoned by his father. To Thor's shock, his father informs him that he is to be sent as a hostage to another country. The Duke reveals his disdain for Thor, stating he is "someone who can die without consequence." Thor, who had left the ducal household at thirteen to live as a commoner and work as a civil servant, is bewildered by this decree. He has spent four years diligently performing his duties, which include paperwork, inventory management, and item repair, utilizing his unique "Alchemy" skill.
His father, however, dismisses Alchemy as worthless, emphasizing the Rigas family's legacy of warriors and the empire's supreme value of strength. Thor's lack of combat skills, particularly offensive magic, is seen as a disgrace to his lineage, especially given his grandfather was known as a "Sword Saint." The Duke reveals that Thor is being sent to the Demon Lord's territory, a dangerous place from which no one has ever returned. This is part of a decades-old tradition where the empire offers hostages, or rather, sacrifices, to appease the bloodthirsty demons and beastmen of the Demon Lord's territory, located beyond the northern forest. Thor's father and his subordinates find amusement in his predicament, reinforcing Thor's realization that they genuinely wish for his death.
Forced into a carriage with boarded-up windows, Thor embarks on his journey north. He reflects on his life as a civil servant, a profession looked down upon but one where he could utilize his Alchemy skill. He had saved money with the dream of opening his own workshop. Upon reaching the border of the Demon Lord's territory, Thor is met by four Minotaurs and an Elf named Mabel Refrain, who acts as his guide. Unlike the fearful imperial soldiers, Thor approaches the Minotaurs with politeness, aiming to disarm them. Mabel, who welcomes him as an honored guest rather than a hostage, is surprised by his respectful demeanor.
As they journey into the Demon Lord's territory, Thor's "Alchemy" skill evolves into "Creation Alchemy" after absorbing dark magic. This new skill allows him to create items from nothing and imbue them with attributes. He demonstrates this by repairing Mabel's broken pendant, a treasured heirloom, using only his magic and a discarded shield. This act deeply impresses Mabel and the Minotaurs, who are astonished by his ability to create items without materials and his skill in repairing their own artifacts, which their craftsmen could not fix.
Upon arriving at the Demon Lord's castle, Thor is granted an audience with the Demon Lord, Lukie Evergard. The Demon Lord, seeking knowledge and technology from the human world, offers Thor a workshop and materials from a vast collection of discarded items and books left by past heroes. Thor, excited by this opportunity, agrees to cooperate, seeing it as a chance to surpass even the items used by the heroes of old. He is assigned Mabel as his attendant and overseer, and the Demon Lord's Prime Minister, Kelv, expresses concern about the potential misuse of Thor's abilities.
Thor begins his work in the vast, disorganized warehouse, discovering a "mail-order catalog" from the human world. He realizes his "Appraisal" skill now allows him to read foreign languages. Inspired by the catalog's "health goods," Thor decides to recreate them using his "Creation Alchemy." He creates a "Foot Bath" for Mabel, which not only warms her feet but also miraculously improves her magical circulation, allowing her to use magic again after years of struggle. This further solidifies Thor's value and the Demon Lord's belief in learning from humans. The story ends with Thor eager to continue his work, aiming to create items that will make the Demon Lord's territory more comfortable than the empire he was exiled from.
