Ch.60The Artisan of the Wilderness

“Thank you! You saved my life!”

The dwarf who had collapsed on the ground gulped down a large water bottle. Envy and Saeolin quietly watched him.

Fundamentally, Saeolin was not a good person. But she wasn’t evil either. She couldn’t bring herself to ignore someone asking for help right in front of her. Besides, she had punched him due to a misunderstanding.

Seeking forgiveness with just a bottle of water was getting off easy.

‘That must have been quite a blow…’

Perhaps due to the muscles covering his entire body, he didn’t seem to have any difficulty moving.

“Ahh…!”

After emptying the entire bottle, the dwarf stood up. His beard was thoroughly soaked with water. Wiping it with his thick hand, he said:

“My name is Black Light!”

The dwarf introduced himself. Black Light thumped his chest. His arms, visibly covered in scars, revealed much about him. And that wasn’t all. The scent that came with the wind carried the strong smell of iron and fire.

A swordsman who handles blades would do well to be friendly with a craftsman who hammers steel. Saeolin lightly tapped near her shoulder and introduced herself.

“Karma Empire. Blue Wing’s intermediate knight, Saeolin.”

“Ah, I’m Envy. A mage from the Magic Tower.”

“Oh… I’ve met some distinguished people.”

This wasn’t just small talk. Black Light was genuinely delighted. With a bright smile, his gaze moved restlessly. He mainly examined Saeolin’s hands and arms, and the sword hanging at her waist and back.

Saeolin turned her gaze to look at the vast wilderness. It was desolate. All that came into view was a large rocky mountain in the distance and the flat land raising clouds of dust.

What on earth was this dwarf doing here? Saeolin asked.

“What were you doing here?”

“Hmm. I was trying to feel the starlight.”

“The starlight…?”

Previously she might not have understood, but now it was different. Saeolin could somewhat comprehend what Black Light was trying to say. Just as her master in the memories of the ascetic swordsman had captured nature within himself, this dwarf was clearly trying to capture starlight in his blacksmithing.

Saeolin nodded without asking further.

“I’ll cheer for you.”

With that, their business was concluded. Saeolin turned around. Envy, who had been standing in a daze, hurriedly followed. Just as the two were about to mount their horse, Black Light jumped up and climbed onto the back of the horse.

“What are you…?”

“Could I hitch a ride? From the looks of it, you’re heading to Black Forge. I need to go there too.”

Saeolin frowned. All three of them were small in stature and light in weight, so sharing a horse wasn’t a big problem. She was just dumbfounded by Black Light’s brazen behavior.

“You should get down right—”

“Ah, the spot where you hit me hurts so much… If I’m abandoned here, I’ll collapse on this cold earth and await death…”

His words left her speechless. Saeolin firmly closed her mouth and looked at Envy, seeking permission from her last companion. Envy was surprisingly generous.

“I don’t mind. It’s actually better this way. Having a local guide us is better than me trying to lead the way.”

So Black Light ended up joining them. The three mounted a single horse and galloped across the vast wilderness.

As time passed, the sun began to set. Taking its place was a large moon bathed in a soft glow. When had it appeared? Saeolin became aware of the deep darkness settling around them.

Whoosh—

The blowing wind changed. The hot, stuffy breeze of the wilderness now carried a cold chill. Feeling a refreshing openness, Saeolin unwrapped the cloth covering her face.

Her silver hair, flowing with the wind, sparkled brilliantly in the moonlight and starlight. It was as if another sky had unfolded. Envy and Black Light stared blankly at the sight, holding their breath.

Suddenly, Saeolin looked up at the night sky. Countless stars formed a river, flowing across the dark sky.

Saeolin recalled an old story the tribal elders used to tell. Each star in the sky was said to be a trace of those who had departed. Even if you reached out, you couldn’t touch them. They had gone too far away.

Saeolin stretched out her hand. Toward the sky, toward the stars shining beyond.

“Even if you reach out, you can’t touch them. They’re so far away. How do you intend to feel the starlight?”

Black Light answered Saeolin’s question.

“Distance doesn’t matter. It’s just about making the effort. If you keep trying, won’t you eventually reach them?”

He wasn’t talking about the physical distance between himself and the stars. Saeolin clenched her outstretched hand. The starlit breeze slipped through her small fist.

Three more days passed.

There was a half-day difference. The Magic Tower’s delegation that had departed earlier, Saeolin’s group, and Shave’s group that had been left behind were each separated by half a day. But no matter how hard they tried, that half-day gap couldn’t be narrowed.

During this time, Saeolin’s group encountered many people. From those who simply greeted them to those who challenged them to a duel. They were travelers from all over the country seeking Black Forge.

Saeolin treated them as an imperial knight should. She mercilessly crushed those who dared to challenge her to a duel, and showed courtesy to those who were kind.

They reduced their sleeping time and ate while on the move. Sometimes Saeolin would dismount and run herself to spare the horse’s strength. Yet they couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the delegation ahead.

After a week like this.

Finally, Black Forge.

Saeolin gazed at the massive fortress that appeared in the distance. Standing tall on the vast wilderness, the fortress seemed to represent the pride of the dwarves. It probably wasn’t far from the truth. When Black Forge came into view, Black Light looked at it with pride.

“Do you see that? That’s our Black Forge. The birthplace of the century’s masterpieces.”

Just then, the ground trembled with a rough roar.

Screech—!

Naturally, everyone’s gaze turned toward the source of the sound. The first thing Saeolin recognized was a long body emitting a soft glow even in the darkness.

Would a mythical dragon look like that if it appeared? A massive train made of dark metal passed by the group at tremendous speed. A black tail stretched out along the rails extending across the wilderness.

Memories from another dimension whispered information to Saeolin. It was a means of transportation called a train. It had appeared in this world.

Was it an invention that was meant to be created naturally? A small question arose.

Looking at it, Black Light said:

“It seems to be Raiden’s trial operation period. We’ve seen something rare. It’s usually hard to see.”

Following the starlight in the night sky, they had raced endlessly, and now the fortress was close. Saeolin slowed the horse’s pace and approached the large gate. Being an area with high foot traffic, a long line had formed at the gate.

Just as they were naturally heading to the back of the line, Black Light jumped off the horse and said:

“Follow me. We don’t need to wait in line.”

Black Light’s words were true. Saeolin and Envy didn’t need to wait. When Black Light showed a heavy hammer to the guard, the three were able to pass through the gate without any procedure.

After passing through the gate, Black Light said:

“Thank you for bringing me this far. It was a pleasant time.”

“I enjoyed it too.”

When Envy replied, Saeolin also nodded silently. It had been a fairly good time. Throughout the journey, the small-bodied dwarf had told them various stories. Though she hadn’t listened properly, it had kept her from being bored.

“Well, I’ll be going now! Ah! If you ever have any problems with your sword, look for the Dim Lantern! I run a forge there!”

A small link of fate had been formed. Would they meet again? Saeolin blankly watched the dwarf’s back as he walked away alone. He had been consistently optimistic. How nice it would be to live like that.

“Let’s go too.”

“Ah, yes!”

Saeolin led the horse toward the large castle. It was the castle where the king of Black Forge, Big Hammer, was said to reside. The castle, shaped like a hammer and anvil, was incredibly majestic.

‘I don’t have any official business… What should I say?’

Saeolin’s mission was to destroy the power engine if it was repaired. Currently, Saeolin’s status was nothing more or less than a simple tourist.

Unlike the Magic Tower, which had come as a delegation.

However, contrary to Saeolin’s concerns, Black Forge welcomed her as an honored guest. When she revealed her identity for simple tourism purposes, Saeolin was provided with a small annex.

She had been officially permitted to stay within the castle. Although the spaces she could move around in were limited, it was enough for now.

Envy was naturally guided to the annex where the Magic Tower was staying. Before parting, Envy looked back at Saeolin. Her gaze was filled with regret.

“See you tomorrow morning!”

***

Inside the Karma Empire Castle. In the emperor’s office.

The young emperor with flowing blonde hair reclined in his chair and put his feet up on the table. It was an action devoid of dignity, but no one dared to criticize his behavior.

“You don’t seem very interested in the perpetual motion engine.”

The emperor turned his head to look at the questioner. An old man with long white hair was quietly looking at him. He was an aged swordsman who had abandoned his name. Once a great knight commander, now just the emperor’s shadow.

The emperor smiled lightly.

“This world greatly dislikes the unreasonable. It won’t be completed. You know that, don’t you?”

“That’s…”

“That’s also why you couldn’t move forward.”

The old man’s mood sank low. The emperor averted his gaze. The stare he felt from beside him was quite piercing.

“Then why did you send that girl?”

“The thread of fate has unraveled in that direction.”

The emperor’s gaze swept through the void. Beyond the pitch-black darkness, golden threads swayed chaotically.