Ch.203Chapter 203 – Even Birds Fall from the Sky Sometimes

The dwarves living in the Grendillet Mountains were known as the race of craftsmen throughout the world due to their exceptional dexterity.

The lives of dwarves were always intertwined with fire, to the extent that it was said that when they woke up each morning, the first thing they did was not wash their faces but light their furnaces.

“Huff…”

“No. This isn’t right either.”

However, right now, the faces of the dwarf craftsmen gathered in the forge, each creating something, showed anything but satisfaction.

What they were making was just one thing.

‘Hammers.’

A hammer was the first tool a dwarf would hold after birth, and the one they would never let go of until their dying breath.

Therefore, it could be said that no tool was more familiar to them than a hammer.

“I’m not quite satisfied with this. I’ll have to discard it and make another one.”

“Sigh… is this all I can do? I need to gather my thoughts and try again.”

The dwarf craftsmen were not pleased with the items they had created.

They were all looking at hammers with metal heads attached to wooden or metal handles.

These hammers, made by each craftsman standing before their anvils and giving their best effort, were far superior to anything available on the market.

If even one of these were to be released for sale, it would fetch a price high enough to buy an entire mansion.

“This is a gift for our benefactor, and it’s not good enough. Shouldn’t we make something even more exceptional?”

“Absolutely! If it’s for our benefactor, this simply won’t do!”

The reason they were burning with such passion and striving to improve their work was because these were gifts for their clan’s benefactor.

The clan’s benefactor.

That was none other than the Count of the Gelebrio Empire, the man who had fixed the Heart of Extreme Flame.

Pathos Severio.

“Let’s take a break and rethink our designs. Haven’t we all been working too hard?”

“You’re right. Come on, everyone, let’s go to the tavern for some beer to cool our heads. We’ve all been working non-stop.”

However, they too had their limits, so they temporarily left the forge to set aside their creative fervor and cool their overheated minds with some beer.

“Ah, there’s really nothing like the taste of beer after a hard day’s work.”

“Oh, my back. Standing and working continuously these days has made my back stiff.”

“Hahaha! You’re getting old now. Why not step down from your craftsman position and rest comfortably at home?”

“If I’m old, aren’t you old too? Shouldn’t you also step down from your craftsman position?”

The dwarf craftsmen, cooling their heads while drinking beer, looked at each other and exchanged small talk.

Since they never opened their mouths when facing the blazing fire in the furnace, these moments away from the fire were precious to them.

“By the way, is our benefactor going to use the hammers we’re making?”

At that moment, one dwarf craftsman posed a question to everyone gathered there.

“Hmm? Why do you ask that?”

Another craftsman countered with a question of his own.

“Well, looking at what we’re making, we’re all crafting them to fit our hands.”

“What’s strange about that?”

“Our benefactor isn’t a dwarf like us, but a human… if we give him hammers made for our use, will he be able to use them?”

His question seemed reasonable at first glance.

Although dwarves were shorter than humans, their hands were similar in size or even much larger.

So all the hammers they were currently making were being crafted to fit dwarf hands.

“Hahaha. What kind of question is that? Look, this is a gift, a gift.”

“Is that so…? But His Majesty said that the hammers we’re making now are for our benefactor’s use.”

“What?”

“Wait, what did you say?”

At the words of the dwarf who had first posed the question, the gazes of all the craftsmen in the tavern flew toward him.

“What? Didn’t everyone know? The hammers we’re making this time were commissioned by our clan’s benefactor for his personal use.”

“…”

“…”

The heated atmosphere in the tavern cooled dramatically at his words.

A silence more profound than when the Heart of Extreme Flame was dying out filled the tavern, and it was broken by the words of the dwarf who had first raised the question.

“Sigh. Everyone just rushed to make hammers without considering the details…”

“Ahem.”

“Hmm, well… I suppose that could happen…”

Everyone felt a pang of guilt, but what could they do?

It was their own fault for completely forgetting the fact that these were commissioned for actual use.

The dwarf craftsmen, who had downed about five mugs of beer each, rose from their seats and headed home.

They needed to sleep at home and then, with clear minds, redesign the hammers for their benefactor from scratch.

It would take some more time before they could produce something satisfactory in the forge.

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[“…And that’s what happened. Everyone thought they were just making hammers for you, but they forgot the part I mentioned about ‘for your use,’ which led to this mess.”]

Learning from Ironbeard why the creation of my hammer was delayed made me feel somewhat deflated.

Really? These so-called craftsmen didn’t even properly check their client’s requirements?

“I suppose they’re all just very enthusiastic people.”

[“What good is enthusiasm alone? If a craftsman doesn’t understand why the person needs the item, they’ve failed as craftsmen. Well… it seems they were so excited about making something for you that they simply forgot.”]

“I don’t mind. It doesn’t need to be too fancy, just a hammer that’s just right for me to hold and swing. It would be even better if I could wield it with one hand.”

[“Hmm, I understand. I’ll make sure to clearly convey your requirements to the craftsmen. In the meantime, take care of yourself and get well soon.”]

As Ironbeard finished speaking, Sister Regina ended the crystal ball communication.

“Sister.”

“Why are you calling me?”

When I called Sister Regina, she responded with a gleam in her eyes, as if asking what I wanted.

“Could you go to the forge and buy me any hammer…”

“If I buy you a hammer from the forge, would you be able to hold it with your arm?”

I realized what I had been overlooking from Sister Regina’s words.

“That’s… true.”

My condition has improved a lot compared to before.

Of course, improvement means going from being able to just hold up my neck to being able to move my arms and legs to some extent…

But I still can’t put strength into my hands and feet.

‘In dramas, I remember seeing strength return to fingers and toes first, but was that all a lie?’

My fingers and toes still have no strength.

So I still rely on Sister Regina’s help for meals and personal needs.

Just because there’s strength in my arms and legs doesn’t mean there’s strength in my hands and feet.

It seems like having a hammer might help solve something… but since the person who could get me one doesn’t seem likely to do so, it might be better to wait a bit longer.

“By the way, when can I return to the academy?”

“Return? Ah… right…”

When I asked about returning to school, Sister Regina reacted as if she had completely forgotten about it.

“I’m really sorry. Even for us, this is the first time we’ve had a student who was declared dead come back alive…”

“Well, I guess no one ever thought a dead person would come back to life and want to return to school.”

“This isn’t something I can decide on my own. Soon, I’ll either have to visit the imperial palace or ask them to send someone here.”

From Sister Regina’s words, it seemed this wasn’t a matter the academy could handle on its own.

“Is it that serious of an issue?”

“It’s not so much serious as it is unprecedented. Even though the academy might seem to operate haphazardly, it’s still an institution within the empire and runs according to imperial law.”

“If it’s not in the regulations, then even the principal’s authority can’t resolve it, right?”

“That’s right.”

Sister Regina stroked my head, seemingly satisfied with my response.

I hope this unprecedented situation gets resolved well.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

[‘…So, Count Pathos Severio wishes to return to the academy, but there’s an issue due to the lack of relevant regulations. What are your thoughts?’]

[‘We could create a regulation for this now.’]

[‘It’s not difficult, and I think it wouldn’t be bad to establish a regulation now in preparation for similar cases in the future.’]

[‘Then, reflecting your opinions, I will establish a new regulation and authorize his return to the academy by my authority. Any objections?’]

[‘None, Your Majesty.’]

[‘Then let it be so.’]

For these reasons, my return to the academy was approved, and I heard that the academy’s regulations would be newly revised to include content related to this matter in the future.

It seems my worries were unfounded.

“This… is the new hammer you’ll be using.”

“Wow…”

In truth, more than my return to school, I was in awe of the hammer sent by the dwarves of the Grendillet Mountains.