episode_0018

“Hoo…!”

Having wiped out the troublesome Drakes in the village and even gone further to take down Cerberus and the demons, I had also managed to rescue the miners as requested by the village chief.

The process and the outcome were very satisfying, but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed when it came to settling the rewards.

The only merit I could rightfully claim was rescuing the miners.

There was nothing special to gain from the Drakes, Cerberus, or Fabian.

“Selling Cerberus for parts might earn some extra cash, but…”

Only those with verified identities could participate in the auction.

Handing it over to the merchant ladies or the blacksmiths would surely lead to questions about its origin.

It would be like openly declaring, “I’m a grave robber.”

The same went for the Drakes. They were tough opponents, and it was best to make it seem like they had disappeared to wrap up the incident.

As for Fabian, handing him over to the Holy Kingdom would earn a reward.

But demanding a reward from an enemy nation was simply absurd.

In the end, I had no choice but to gather all the bodies and bury them somewhere.

“An additional task with no rewards at all. And I have to bury these treasures with my own hands.”

[Slave!]

“Not wrong.”

Still, the burial site in the mountains could prevent the bodies from decaying, allowing me to retrieve them if needed in the future.

Leaving a mark for me to find later, I led the miners down the mountain.

“Here, take this.”

“Wow!”

As I handed over the miners to the village chief, he threw a hammer at me.

I had to catch it abruptly, and upon inspecting its contents, I scratched my cheek in confusion.

It was not a sword or a scabbard, as I had expected, but a hammer.

It was quite natural for a hammer to be passed down through generations of blacksmiths.

“Are you planning to train me as a blacksmith?”

“Are you crazy? With a pile of requests stacking up like a mountain, why would I bother training someone like you with no talent?”

“Then what is this hammer for? Are you trying to pass down one of the tools lying around the forge to me?”

If that was the case, I would cut him down right here and now, whether he was a master or an apprentice.

Fortunately, the village chief seemed to ignore my question, as if it was not worth answering.

“You’re not going to train an apprentice, so why are you giving me this hammer?”

“Do you have a reason not to accept it?”

“It’s not just an ordinary hammer, it’s a family heirloom. If you give this to someone like me who has never wielded a hammer, wouldn’t it tarnish the pride of the blacksmith?”

“Hah! I’m trying to pass that hammer to you to uphold the pride you just mentioned.”

I couldn’t quite understand the village chief’s words.

Was he telling me to learn blacksmithing on my own with the hammer?

“Ugh…!”

It might not be a bad idea to try something other than swordsmanship.

However, I wasn’t ready to pick up any tools other than a sword.

Despite reaching a level close to enlightenment as a swordsman, I still felt there was more room for improvement.

As someone who had come this far without looking back, I didn’t want to stray from the path of the sword.

“It seems like you’re having some silly thoughts, but I didn’t give you that hammer to become a blacksmith.”

“Oh? Then is there a different reason?”

“That hammer is a one-time repair tool that can restore anything to its best condition.”

“So it was a repair tool.”

Repair tools were mainly handled by mages rather than blacksmiths.

However, there were cases where blacksmiths also created magical tools.

It was a miracle that occasionally happened when the materials were special or the blacksmith’s skills and mindset were unique.

“The hammer that the ancestor first created is said to be a magical tool. So, I kept it carefully, but seeing it covered in dust recently, I felt sorry and thought that I should start using it now.”

“Then, couldn’t you just use it yourself instead of giving it to me?”

“That’s exactly where the pride of a blacksmith is diminished. If we repair it, we should repair it with our own skills that we have honed. Do you think it makes sense to just fix it with a magical tool?”

“I see!”

If we were to compare it to a swordsman, it would be like using a magic sword that can cut through anything to deal with opponents that should be overcome with swordsmanship.

While a famous sword may enhance the quality of a swordsman, if the problems are only solved with the sword’s performance, the swordsman cannot grow.

What good is swordsmanship if the enemies are all cut down just by waving a sword around?

“No matter how it is said to be a magical tool created by the ancestor, it is an item of no use to me and my descendants. It may have the shape of a hammer, but for a blacksmith, it is not a friend but a fateful enemy.”

“I understand.”

The hammer given by the village chief was actually a magical tool needed by someone who was unfamiliar with blacksmithing.

Even if it is a heavily damaged item that is almost unrecognizable, it can be repaired and restored to its best condition.

Although it may be disposable, I expect it to fetch a good price if put up for auction.

Since there are many ancient items that even existing craftsmen cannot repair.

“Hmm…”

By the way, can I use this hammer on my body?

As it is a physical body no different from a sword, it might be possible.

If it can completely revive even withered genitals, wouldn’t this be a complete cure for erectile dysfunction?

I became curious about how far the limits of magical tools could go, so I decided to keep it for the future.

“Thank you, I will make good use of this hammer later.”

“It seems like giving you the goblet will be regrettable to the point of being harsh.”

“You promised to give it to me as compensation, so you wouldn’t think of taking it back, right?”

“Hmph…! Fine, take it.”

With a grin, I put the hammer into the leather pouch on my waist.

It was a reward so satisfying that the thought of bargaining disappeared on its own.

The hammer could be the key to preserving ancient technology and could be a panacea for repairing my damaged body.

Although the direction of its use seemed somewhat strange, as long as the results were good, it didn’t matter.

“Oh, by the way, could you also repair this sword for me?”

I pulled out the iron sword from my waist and handed it to the village chief.

Upon examining the condition of the sword, he furrowed his brow.

“You have treated this sword terribly.”

“Haha…! It’s because I only had that sword with me.”

“You may not be skilled enough to handle it, but I’ll give you a new sword to take with you.”

[Me, abandoned?]

“No, I just want you to repair this iron sword for me.”

“Have you developed an attachment to it?”

“Something like that.”

[Adoption ending, successful evasion!]

Where did the tone of the iron sword come from?

Curious as I was, repairing it was the priority, so I handed the sword to the village chief.

“I will repair it for free, but I can’t do it right now. We don’t know when the Drakes will appear.”

“Ah! You should have told me that first!”

“Haha, I forgot for a moment.”

“Tsk! Hey, guys, come here! We’re starting hammering today!”

The village chief quickly spread the news to the blacksmiths in the village that the Drakes had left.

In reality, they were all wiped out, but the emphasis was on the fact that the Drakes were not appearing in the village, so it should be fine not to mention it.

The repair of the iron sword will be finished by tomorrow, and Lady Fabiel will also start her business from today.

I wandered around the village, wanting to relax leisurely as my schedule disappeared.

If I hadn’t come face to face with the dragon entering the bustling village, it would have been a different story.

“You seem to know who I am.”

“Even though you tried to hide your energy, you can’t hide the vessel containing it.”

The dragon that had previously kidnapped a female dragonkin and left.

I don’t know why he came into the village disguised as a human, but it doesn’t seem like it will lead to a battle.

If he had come to fight me, there would be no reason for a polymorph.

“Great insight, coupled with a relaxed attitude even in front of me… As Skaha said, you are strong.”

“Skaha? Are you talking about the Dragonblade Skaha?”

“That’s right.”

“So, after going crazy about dragons, you found and killed the dragon as you wanted… Wait! Skaha had a conversation with the dragon?”

If it were Skaha’s nature, she would have tried to kill the dragon instead of having a conversation.

But listening to the words of this mysterious dragon, it felt like he had a deep conversation with the dragon.

“She is not the Dragonblade you knew. She has undergone many changes and formed an alliance with our dragons.”

“Insane! The one who hated dragons so much became friends with a dragon…”

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true.”

“Then, was the one who clung to me earlier Skaha?”

The dragon nodded.

I knew about the Ego Sword having its own consciousness, but I never imagined it could transform into a human and move.

Well, since my body has turned into a sword, there’s no reason I can’t become a human.

“I have something I want to ask you directly.”

“What is it?”

“I heard that you sold off several swords, including Skaha, in a fit of anger eight years ago.”

“That’s right.”

“If your swords deeply regret and seek forgiveness, do you have the intention to accept them back?”

A story I had never considered before.

It was bewildering, but surprisingly, the answer came out in an instant.

“I…”