“Um, Mr. Tanton….”
“Yes.”
“We agreed that it would just be the two of us going to the blacksmith, right…?”
“That’s right.”
Muyun pointed a finger at the presence next to me while expressing her dissatisfaction.
“But why is this person here?!”
Even though Muyun was openly mocking her, Asti merely gave her an expressionless glance, as if she understood nothing.
Well.
How should I put it…
‘I can’t exactly say, “Actually, she’s an assassination maid who doesn’t genuinely want to kill me, but if left alone, her mind might change, you know?”‘ So, I could only force a smile.
Seeing my reaction, Muyun sighed and turned her gaze forward once more.
I guess she couldn’t bring herself to tell Asti, who had been abducted illegally and trained as a slave, to leave her alone.
I’m sorry, Muyun!
I’ll treat you to a meal next time.
With that, we arrived at the blacksmith under Muyun’s guidance without any further conversation.
Differing from the other modern-style buildings, the design was quite rustic, made of cement and gravel.
The roof, which seemed to be haphazardly constructed, covered the entrance as if it didn’t care about the rain, taking on a nearly rectangular design.
All of this contributed to a very rugged image that matched the title of the building, the blacksmith.
At the same time, I couldn’t help but think…
…It’s smaller than I thought?
Since the deputy director and Muyun had praised it so much, I imagined it would be quite grand, but it felt more like a hole-in-the-wall shop run by an old man as a hobby in a rural corner.
“It’s a bit small since it’s just the craftsman working alone. But it’s fairly big for a one-man operation.”
As if reading my thoughts, Muyun spoke up to explain.
Well, it’s a world where some people call themselves blacksmiths while just holding a hammer on the side of the road, so I shouldn’t be surprised.
Also, usually, those with such shabby exteriors are indeed the real deal.
Muyun approached the blacksmith first and carefully knocked on the door.
“Uncle, are you there?”
Uncle?
Do they know each other?
As Muyun’s voice echoed, I could hear a faint shuffling sound coming from inside the building after a while without a reply.
The door swung open with no answer.
Behind it stood an old man, hunched over with a hood covering his head, making his face hard to see.
However, one thing was clear: his lips were twisted, indicating he was full of complaints.
The old man’s gaze fell upon me.
That intense stare made even me, who had never flinched at an outsider before—mostly because they all looked like pretty girls—shudder slightly.
The scrutinizing gaze quietly retreated.
“…where did you bring this timid-looking kid from?”
“Hehe, he wants to make some weapons here.”
“Weapons? Give me a break.”
His voice was weary as if he had given up on everything.
With a look of utter disbelief, he clicked his tongue and turned his back on us.
“I clearly said I wouldn’t sell weapons to someone with inflated vanity, didn’t I?”
Taken aback by that biting sarcasm, I widened my eyes.
Ugh.
He already exuded the strong-willed vibe of a stubborn old craftsman.
He felt like a character, designed to make the dark fantasy world feel fresher.
“No! Mr. Tanton isn’t… that kind of person! He even took down two outsiders!”
“That raggedy-looking kid?”
The old man, who had been spitting out sharp words without a care, still wore a discontented expression, but perhaps seeing Muyun, he decided to let it slide, waving his hand and inviting us inside.
“Well, come in then.”
As I was about to enter the blacksmith, Muyun stepped closer to me.
“Don’t mind it, Mr. Tanton. Uncle Sintol has been disappointed by knights who don’t properly use the weapons he makes.”
…Knights who can’t properly use weapons.
Suddenly, I recalled the knights who had perished during the day we went to capture the gardener, due to the hunter’s solo mission and Agartha’s escape.
Certainly, given that he made weapons for such guys, it wouldn’t be surprising if he felt a sense of futility.
Sympathizing with the blacksmith’s feelings, I stepped inside the workshop.
#
As soon as I entered, the acrid smell filled my nose, making me scrunch my face.
It wasn’t just me—Asti followed behind and was actually pinching her nose with her hand.
Still, it seemed better to not let it show.
Sintol cast a disdainful glance at Asti, as if her reaction bothered him.
“Who’s this now?”
“…I’m just a sla—”
I clamped my hand over Asti’s mouth before she could continue rambling on.
This crazy person!
If you say something like that here, it’ll be instant banishment!
“I’m… just looking after a lost child.”
“…Well, if it’s a kid, I can’t do anything about it.”
When I quickly answered in place of Asti, I noticed Sintol’s expression soften for a moment.
He seems to be surprisingly lenient towards children.
It was evident that he wasn’t as terrible of a person as I thought.
The interior of the blacksmith’s shop was much simpler than its exterior suggested.
There was an anvil, a blazing hearth, tools for crafting weapons hanging above, and various weapons haphazardly strewn about on display.
The setting seemed to show his intent to only focus on what he does efficiently, and I could already sense the stagnant air of someone who had been in the game too long.
“Uncle, could I ask you to make some weapons?”
“What are you talking about? Just take any of those lying around.”
Sintol gestured at the pile of weapons in front of him.
While none of them were unusable, they looked quite worn compared to the gear Muyun was wearing.
“Uncle…”
“Why should I make weapons for someone I don’t trust at all?”
“You made one for me.”
“I made one for you because of your father.”
Sintol’s blunt remarks made me worry about whether they would affect Muyun’s feelings, but she seemed accustomed to it, sticking close to Sintol.
“Uncle, please don’t be like that. Just this once.”
“Whoa, what’s with this kid’s stubbornness today?”
Seeing Muyun earnestly pleading on my behalf, I couldn’t just sit back.
To show that I was different from those knights, I approached Sintol, trying my hardest to convey determination through my eyes.
Due to his hunched back, Sintol had to look up at me.
“What’s this? Are you trying to threaten me now?”
“…I need your weapon. To save more people, no, to save this empire.”
Sintol looked momentarily dumbfounded.
I knew I had to push a little further.
“I’m aiming to take down the giant of the snow mountain.”
“…?”
I could see Sintol’s gaze shift for a moment.
This was my chance to persuade him.
“If the giant of the snow mountain is as strong as they say, then merely pretending to be a knight won’t be enough to defeat even an outsider. That’s why I want to request weapon crafting. I might be lacking at the moment, but I came all this way to find a weapon that will grow alongside me.”
After finishing my words, I knelt before Sintol.
Muyun, surprised, waved her hands in a gesture as if to say not to go that far, but I didn’t stop.
I absolutely needed to become stronger.
Relying solely on the party flute’s power has its limits.
That should be used primarily to suppress the opponent in decisive moments, which meant I ultimately needed specialized martial arts.
For that, I needed to acquire a better weapon.
“I promise to treat the weapon you craft with care. I won’t let your efforts go to waste.”
I concluded my last appeal and lament.
If he refuses even after this, then that would be the end of the line.
Sintol continued to stare at me, not saying a word.
How much time passed?
A deep sigh escaped him, and then Sintol began to walk somewhere.
Well, I guess it didn’t work after all.
Feeling disappointed, I watched Sintol, who suddenly turned back with a furrowed brow.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
Sintol abruptly said in a blunt tone and started walking again.
…This guy speaks without thinking.
What a dishonest old man.
Somewhat embarrassed, I twisted my lips a few times and followed behind Sintol.
#
Sintol led me to the basement inside the blacksmith’s shop.
As we went down the stairs, I felt an increasing wave of heat.
After descending all the stairs and opening the door in front of me, I was taken aback by what lay inside.
It resembled Lia, but unlike Lia, something made entirely of flames was shooting fire upwards.
I suspected it was something related to outsiders.
“The fire that was in the furnace earlier comes from this thing.”
Sintol sneered as he spoke.
So that’s why the flames never weakened.
I wondered why this was here.
“An outcast god can appear anywhere. According to you knights, it’s like a fragment that fell off from an outsider. I don’t know how it appeared, but it unexpectedly emerged underground while I was still active, and I’ve been taking care of it since.”
I could think that it could potentially be an issue that could lead to a death sentence for treason, but…
“What? Do you think I’m crazy enough to do it in secret? I reported to the knights, and the princess herself said it could be useful as something for the blacksmith, so I’ve been leaving it here.”
Sintol answered, seemingly annoyed by my reaction.
If he hadn’t, the deputy director wouldn’t have recommended him for this job.
Why would he permit something like that?
Perhaps he felt some kinship with this outsider, as they both had a connection to flames.
…Considering the princess’s personality, that seemed entirely plausible.
“So why is this here…”
“If it’s true that you took down an outsider, then even that thing shouldn’t frighten you much.”
Sintol said that while pointing to the flaming outsider.
“It’s about time for its meal. If you can personally feed it, then I’ll accept your request.”
Sintol threw down that very difficult task before me.
If the other knights had heard this, they might have considered it a dire situation.
However, my thoughts on this were different.
…Isn’t this too easy?
After all those demands, all I have to do is this?
Though it felt a bit like it was a freebie, since it was his task to give, I just had to carry it out.
“…Don’t overdo it. Even knights who have fought outsiders in the past tremble in fear just by facing that.”
Sintol spoke harshly, but in the end, he fell silent.
I confidently walked over, grabbed a handful of charcoal that looked like food for the flame outsider, and approached.
As I got closer, the flame outsider, which had been quietly spitting fire, lowered its posture as if it was cautiously evaluating me.
“Eh? A human I don’t know.”
“Hey, want to eat this?”
“Get away…!”
It seemed to refuse, yet it didn’t attack right away, so it didn’t appear to be a bad outsider.
After all, it grew in a human’s hand, so it would be strange for it to attack.
“Shall we go then?”
“…Huh? Can you understand me?”
“Of course. I’m here to play with you.”
Recalling my previous experience talking with outsiders in the underground prison, I cautiously continued the conversation.
Upon realizing that we could communicate, the flame outsider’s expression brightened significantly.
“Wow! A human who understands me!”
“Yeah, yeah. Want to eat this?”
“Yes!”
Just the fact that we could converse brought us much closer; how many words did these outsiders have for humans?
After offering a piece of charcoal and watching it munch happily, I petted its head, enjoying the warmth.
It wasn’t too hot as long as it wasn’t aggressive.
It felt just a bit hotter than a human’s warmth.
“Hehehe!”
Seemingly delighted by my touch, the creature made an adorable sound and continued to munch.
If Lia was like a cat, this one resembled a dog that gradually warmed up after initially being wary.
After giving it a couple more pieces of charcoal, I eventually ran out, and it leaned against the wall, a happy expression on its face while patting its belly.
Everything about it was so cute that, if it didn’t have an owner, I’d want to take it with me.
“…Ugh, my back. Uncle, I’m done, but now….”
As I stood up, stretching my back slightly, I noticed the two staring at me oddly.
Muyun looked amazed, while Sintol’s expression was inscrutable.
Still, I could tell it wasn’t a negative reaction.
#
Back in the blacksmith’s shop.
Standing beside Muyun, we quietly awaited Sintol’s response.
Sintol returned to his strict expression, turning to the anvil without saying anything.
I was starting to think he might have said all this just for show when suddenly…
“…A sword will do.”
“…!”
Finally, he answered.
As I prepared to respond with excitement, Sintol waved his hand.
“Don’t get too excited. The happier you feel, the more you should behave yourself nicely to be well-liked wherever you go.”
“…Thank you!”
“Come back in a week. I won’t charge you this time.”
He even declared an astonishingly free offer.
Surprised, even Muyun stared at Sintol as he began gathering materials.
“I prefer to keep my promises. So stop with the needy questions and go do what you need to do.”
Could a cold voice be this warm on a day like today?
“Yes.”
I succeeded in acquiring our weapon.
Now, if I can just gather some information at the market, that would wrap up today’s tasks.
I was pleased with how smoothly everything was going.
At that moment, I heard a sharp metallic sound and turned to look at Asti.
…Although she quickly hid it, I caught sight of the knife in her hand.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ll show that blacksmith who’s stubborn if he keeps it up…uuhm.”
…No, that won’t do.
Before Sintol could notice, I covered Asti’s mouth with one hand and promptly carried her out of the blacksmith’s workshop.
“Thank you, Uncle!”
“I told you not to fuss.”
Muyun quickly followed behind me, offering a quick apology as well.
Thus, I couldn’t hear Sintol’s mumbling.
“…Feels like I’m seeing a strange kid again.”
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