Ch.5Omens of Civil War (1)

Early in the morning, Najin headed to the blacksmith’s shop.

The reason was simple—his usual sword had become unusable. He’d vaguely noticed it when cleaning up Trixie’s tavern recently; the blade had lost all its teeth.

‘But it’s a bit strange.’

The sword seemed fine until he received sword training from Offen, before cleaning up Trixie’s tavern. If there had been something wrong with the sword, Offen would have mentioned it.

‘It doesn’t seem right that it broke during a fight.’

It wasn’t a poor-quality sword that would dull after facing just a few thugs waiting at the tavern. He had picked the best one available at the blacksmith’s shop. Unable to find a reasonable explanation, Najin scratched the back of his neck.

“Tsk…”

If he just went, old man Hogel would have something to say.

It hadn’t even been a month since he received the sword, and his conscience pricked him a little about returning so soon.

“……”

Najin stopped walking.

Lost in thought while walking, he had already arrived at his destination. At the edge of Ivan’s territory. A blacksmith’s shop located on the boundary line between territories, adjacent to Dusk Horsey’s domain. Old man Hogel’s blacksmith shop.

Clang, claaang!

The sound of hammering metal and.

Whoosh.

The rush of sweltering heat.

Najin exhaled briefly and stepped inside the blacksmith shop. There was an elderly man with his back turned, hammering away.

“What is it, youngster?”

The owner of the blacksmith shop, Hogel.

He turned his head and glared at Najin.

“What brings you here? Seems like you haven’t had that sword for long. Did Ivan say he needed a sword?”

“Uh… that’s not it.”

Najin gave an awkward smile.

“Um, old man.”

“What is it? Don’t beat around the bush.”

“About the sword you gave me last time.”

Hogel glanced at Najin’s waist.

After confirming his own work tied there, the old man put down his hammer and raised the corner of his mouth.

“I put quite a lot of effort into making that one. It’s the best one I’ve hammered out in years. What, is the blade too sharp for you?”

“It seems like a defective product.”

“What?”

Hogel’s eyes widened.

Najin drew the sword from his waist and handed it to the old man. Hogel’s eyes widened even more as he took the sword. Gone was the sharp, smooth gleaming blade, replaced by one worn and missing pieces, like the old man’s teeth.

“You, you…”

Hogel’s hand holding the sword trembled.

“What on earth do you do with swords to make them end up like this? Do you use them as hammers?”

“Come on, of course not.”

He had struck a few heads with the back of the blade, but never used it as a hammer. As Najin shrugged his shoulders, Hogel turned the sword this way and that.

“This sword, I think it’s only been a month since you took it.”

“A month is a long time.”

“You crazy bastard.”

“Why are you cursing at me?”

“People who buy swords from me use them for at least a year. With proper care, they can last even longer. But you go through them monthly, and you think this is normal…”

Hogel stopped mid-sentence.

His hands examining the sword from various angles also stopped. He had discovered something on the ruined blade.

“Najin.”

“Yes, old man?”

“Have you ever lent your sword to Ivan or Offen?”

“No? Never. But why do you ask?”

As Najin tilted his head in confusion, Hogel ran his finger along the blade. He frowned at the sensation that traveled through his finger.

A swollen blade with microscopic cracks.

He knew well what this meant.

A phenomenon he often experienced in the upper town, but had almost forgotten since coming to this city—what happens when an ordinary forged sword is given to a swordsman who can handle sword energy.

“……”

Hogel silently glared at Najin.

In this city, only two people could draw out sword energy: Offen and Ivan. If he hadn’t lent the sword to either of them, then this youngster must have drawn out sword energy himself.

Drawing sword energy at that age? And in this underground city without a proper master?

Hogel stared at Najin with narrowed brows, but soon averted his gaze. Whether this youngster was an unprecedented genius who could draw sword energy or not wasn’t his concern. A blacksmith only needed to be good at hammering metal.

Swish.

He rolled up his sleeves.

A smile formed on the old man’s lips at the thought of properly forging a sword after a long time. Hogel pushed aside the tools he had taken out to sharpen blades, and threw the sword Najin had handed him into a corner of the shop.

“Hey, what’s that about? Aren’t you going to sharpen it?”

“I’d sharpen it if it were just moderately damaged. I’ll make you a new one, so wait.”

“Can’t I just take one of those hanging there?”

Najin pointed to the swords hanging on the wall.

Hogel made a face like he’d bitten into a bug at Najin’s nonchalant question. Was he doing this knowingly? Or was he genuinely clueless?

“Why would I give those to someone who can draw sword energy just to have them ruined? Rather than having you break another sword in less than a month, I’ll make you a new one.”

“What? Sword energy?”

Najin blinked.

“How could I draw sword energy, old man? I don’t even know how to handle mana yet.”

“Then why is the sword in this state?”

“How would I know?”

If you don’t know, who would?

They gave each other that kind of look. Hogel was the first to turn away. The youngster didn’t seem to be mocking him, so he probably wasn’t aware of it.

“Anyway.”

Hogel muttered as he increased the heat of the forge.

“This one’s going to cost you dearly.”

This was the underground city, Attman.

Since there was no one to properly use a well-made sword in this city, he had only been hammering out ordinary swords. However, if a customer was a swordsman who could draw sword energy, that changed things.

“I’m going to make it properly this time.”

“Wow, so you’ve been giving me defective products all along?”

So that’s why they kept breaking easily.

Seeing Najin grumbling like that, Hogel pointed a red-hot hammer at him.

“Before I hammer your head instead of the iron, shut your mouth and sit there.”

“Yes, sir.”

Najin promptly closed his mouth and sat down obediently.

2.

“Come to think of it.”

Clang, claaang.

Hogel spoke while hammering the iron.

“I had something to tell Ivan, but since you’re here, I can tell you instead.”

“For Ivan? What is it?”

“These days, Horsey’s men keep crossing the line. They not only lurk around the boundary but even push their way into my shop.”

…Into the shop?

Najin frowned.

“As customers, or…?”

“If they came as customers, I wouldn’t even mention it.”

The old man shook his head in disgust.

“They demanded protection money. They said since my shop is half in their territory, I should naturally pay them too… what nonsense.”

Ivan, Horsey, Hakan.

Long before those guys started drawing lines and playing territory games in the underground city, the old man had established his shop and been doing business here. It was absurd for them to come now and claim his shop’s location was wrong.

“Did they threaten you?”

“They took a few swords. And added that things wouldn’t be pleasant if I didn’t pay up.”

“Hmm.”

Najin rubbed his chin.

“That’s quite rude, isn’t it? I mean, where does this confidence come from?”

This was clearly Ivan’s territory.

Naturally, this blacksmith shop was also under Ivan’s protection. That’s what was agreed upon after the civil war, and it had been maintained for nearly ten years.

And now they’re picking a fight over this?

It seemed like nothing but provocation. Najin couldn’t quite understand it. Wasn’t Horsey badly defeated by Ivan during the civil war ten years ago? There was nothing to gain by provoking Ivan.

‘Moreover, the power difference must be significant?’

Although Dusk Horsey was said to be a strong opponent comparable to Ivan, Ivan’s side also had Offen. Two swordsmen who had reached the Sword Expert level. That wasn’t a power gap that could be easily overcome.

“It is strange. I’ll tell Ivan about it.”

“Good. And also.”

Clang, claaang.

Hogel glanced at the clock while hammering.

“They said they’d come again today, so take care of them before you leave. That’s why I pay protection money to you guys.”

“Can you afford me? I’m extremely expensive.”

“What?”

Najin grinned.

“I’m Ivan’s direct hunting dog. Are you sure you can afford me? Your protection fees will skyrocket after using me once.”

“Huh. You ungrateful bastards. Do you remember how many swords you’ve taken from me for free?”

“I’m joking, just joking.”

Najin shrugged his shoulders.

It was just a joke from the start, and this was a matter he had to handle without compensation. Mediating conflicts between organizations, not just individual disputes, was naturally something they had to step in and handle.

“Old man, can you lend me something to swing right now? I’d rather not beat them up with my bare hands.”

“You’re not saying you can’t do it.”

“If I have to, there’s nothing I can’t do.”

Hogel laughed incredulously.

“Just use this for now. The one I’m making will take some time to complete.”

Hogel threw a sword to Najin. It was an old, rusty sword that seemed to have been abandoned in a corner of the warehouse for a long time.

“It’s a bit heavy, isn’t it?”

“It’s a sword Ivan used to use. It’s heavier because I used a different ratio of ore. But it should be usable for now.”

At least it’s sturdy.

After saying that much, Hogel focused on his hammering. The clang, claaang of hammering filled the blacksmith shop. Leaving the old man immersed in forging, Najin sat down on a chair in a corner of the shop.

Then, rummaging around.

Najin pulled out a crumpled hat from inside his clothes. A postman’s hat. A disguise hat that Najin often used to cover his face.

3.

About an hour or two later.

The outside of the blacksmith shop became noisy. Najin kept his head down and only moved his eyeballs to observe outside. Six men with sturdy builds were approaching the blacksmith shop with swaggering steps.

Men who proudly displayed their scars as if being beaten up and stabbed was something to boast about.

Seeing that they were coming from Horsey’s territory, they were definitely Horsey’s men that old man Hogel had mentioned. Najin kept his head down and pulled his hat lower.

“Old man Hogel!”

A husky voice. The man at the front raised his voice as he barged into the blacksmith shop. Three men entered the shop, with three more outside.

“What about the protection money I mentioned last time? You’ve set aside a hefty sum, right?”

Clang, claaang! Regardless of what the man was saying, Hogel just kept hammering the iron. The man, treated as if he didn’t exist, twisted his expression and kicked whatever was at his feet.

“Has this old man gone deaf from all that hammering? Can’t you hear me? I’m asking if you’ve prepared the protection money. Didn’t you hear me say we’d take all the swords here if you don’t have money?”

He gestured to the subordinate who had followed him.

The subordinate put down a box he was carrying with a thud.

“Hey, old man. If you don’t pay up, we’ll take all the swords here, so be aware.”

The men continued to threaten and cause trouble.

Eventually, they approached where Najin was sitting. They snickered as they glanced at Najin, who was sitting with his head down.

A boy wearing a postman’s hat with his head bowed. With his head deeply lowered and avoiding eye contact, he looked scared to anyone who saw him. One of the men nudged Najin’s chair with his foot.

“Hey, kid. Can’t you see the big brothers are talking? Why don’t you scram? Tsk, no sense of timing.”

The man raised his arm and tapped Najin’s head.

Once, twice, and three times. There wasn’t a fourth time. Because Najin firmly grabbed the man’s wrist.

“Huh, look at this kid. Lost his fear…?”

The man’s words didn’t finish.

Even when he applied force to his arm, the boy didn’t budge. While the man’s colleagues snickered, saying he was being overpowered by a mere child.

“Hey, wait. This is strange…”

The man whose wrist was caught by Najin broke into a cold sweat. His caught wrist was hurting. His hand was turning pale white from lack of blood flow. Just as the gritting man was about to draw a blade with his free hand.

Crack!

The sound of bones twisting echoed.

“Aaaaargh!”

The man’s wrist bent in a grotesque direction.

His colleagues couldn’t react immediately to the sudden situation. A few blinks, a few breaths. And belatedly drawn blades and shouts.

In the chaotic moment, Najin glanced aside.

Najin’s gaze was not on the men standing before him, but on Hogel, the owner of this blacksmith shop. Receiving the gaze, the old man briefly looked back and said shortly:

“Go outside to fight. Don’t mess up my shop.”

With those words, Hogel continued hammering.

Turning his head back, Najin twisted the man’s wrist a bit more. With a scream of “Aaaaargh,” saliva dripped from the man’s mouth.

“That’s what he says.”

As the man now knelt and screamed, Najin slowly twisted his wrist and tilted his head.

“Shall we go outside to fight?”

“You crazy bastard!”

Facing the charging men, Najin reached behind his back. Grabbing the sword hilt hidden behind his back, Najin kicked off the chair and stood up.

Slash.

Najin knocked down the man whose wrist he was holding with a knee to the face and drew his sword. Sring, and then swish. The sound of the sword being drawn from its scabbard and the cutting sound echoed simultaneously.

Swoosh.

The arm of the man swinging an axe at Najin was severed along with the axe handle. In one go, without any resistance.

“H-haaaaargh! My, my arm!”

A belated scream, gushing blood.

Seeing this, another subordinate who was charging with the man hesitated in confusion, and Najin’s hand grabbed the subordinate’s face with a grip.

Then, crack.

The subordinate’s head was smashed into the blacksmith’s shelf. The subordinate’s eyes rolled back as the shelf caved in. Najin carelessly threw the limp subordinate to the floor and glanced at the man who was screaming with his severed arm.

Blood splattered everywhere.

A shelf wrecked in the shape of a head.

A man screaming loud enough to bring down the blacksmith shop.

“Ah, geez.”

Looking around at the chaotic scene, Najin scratched the back of his neck and muttered. This is a mess.

“I said let’s fight outside.”

Why don’t you listen?

Clang!

Najin struck the screaming man’s crown with the back of his sword.

“Urgh…”

The man’s eyes rolled back.

Only then did it become quiet. Najin grabbed the man’s hair and dragged him outside the blacksmith shop.

Three remained outside.

Among them was one who seemed to be the leader.