Chapter 123: The Blacksmith’s Spirit and the Twin Blades of the Dragon

Hiiieeek!

A piercing scream echoed from high in the sky, and I instinctively snapped my head up.

It seemed the wind spirit I had attached to Wendy before leaving the village had finally done its job.

The wind had arrived. The moment the chill of Taebaek’s icy air brushed my cheek, a woman cloaked in wind dropped down in front of me.

There was no impact from the landing. Thanks to the wind spirit amplifying its power, Wendy was brought down safely.

As the gusts scattered the hazy snow mist in all directions, her face appeared through the fog. She was staring at me with a dazed expression.

“Hello.”

“Wh-What on earth…”

“I needed to separate those two. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Ah… no…”

Wendy nodded at my question. Once I confirmed she was safe and released the spirit, the wind surrounding her body dissipated in an instant.

“Ah…”

Naturally, without the wind, she could no longer remain airborne.

Wendy looked down at her feet with a disappointed expression.

The legs that had been floating just moments ago were now planted firmly on the ground.

“What was that just now?”

“A wind spirit.”

“A wind spirit…? Like the ones that stay close to elves?”

“That’s right.”

I told Wendy how I came to gain the wind spirit—how I received the World Tree’s seed in an unnamed forest, and how I met the elves who lived on a sky whale over on Monster Island.

“Is that really true…?”

“Whether you believe it or not is up to you, Wendy.”

At my words, Wendy adjusted her clothes with a strange look on her face. Letting out a small sigh, she spoke.

“It felt lighter than usual. And it wasn’t like external mana was interfering. That presence—gentle and warm beyond belief—I felt that wind. How could I not believe it?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Wendy began drawing in mana, summoning a stronger wind.

As the transparent current swirled around her feet and lifted the white snow, her body began to rise gently into the air.

“Is this how it feels…?”

She moved with far more stability than during our magic practice sessions aboard the airship.

It seemed she had learned quite a bit from her brief encounter with the wind spirit.

“Well, anyway. Did you call me here to say goodbye?”

“Goodbye?”

“Didn’t you?”

I tilted my head at Wendy’s question. The adventure wasn’t over yet. Everything pointed to that.

The journey to find the Ice Crystal was still ongoing.

The weathered journal and rusted hammer that had come to me like fate were proof of that.

“This adventure—we’re seeing it through to the end.”

Our companions and destination were set. With the two troublesome men out of the picture, I couldn’t believe how light I felt.

Together with Wendy, I began walking through the snowy mountain.

“So, where are we headed now?”

“To the place where the Dragon’s Forge is said to be. It’s called Hyeongho.”

“Hyeongho, huh…”

Wendy nodded at my answer and unfolded a map. I glanced over her shoulder, roughly grasping Hyeongho’s location.

“You don’t have a map?”

“I have a local map of Jincheon, but nothing that shows the entire region like yours.”

“You didn’t buy one…? They were selling some right in front of the airship dock.”

“Isn’t it boring if you already know what’s ahead?”

At that, Wendy tilted her head as if she couldn’t quite understand.

Before leaving the massive, snow-covered mountain known as Taebaek, I took one last look.

The Ice Crystal that had brought eternal winter to the land was now gone.

Free from the Ice Crystal’s influence, Taebaek would soon experience climate changes just like any other region.

Next time…

I didn’t know when it would be, but if I ever returned here, the pure white snow-covered world would no longer exist.

I turned my body, looking forward to seeing the true face of this land that had been hidden under eternal snow.

The name Hyeongho comes from the characters for “form” and “tiger.”

The reason behind the name became clear when we looked at the large mountain in the distance.

Its long shape, at a glance, resembled a crouching tiger. That’s how the name must’ve come about.

It was the season of autumn leaves. Behind the relaxed, resting back of the mountain that looked like a tiger, red and gold leaves bloomed in brilliant clusters.

Swaying in the cool wind, they created a crimson wave.

Wendy and I headed toward the large city ahead. The city was called Hyeongho, just like the region.

The moment we entered, countless gazes turned our way.

“They’re staring a lot. Is it because mages are rare around here?”

“This place is far from the airship docks. Most mages don’t travel this far out.”

Our large mount, Nightmare, didn’t even rank in the beastfolk’s curiosity. As they glanced over at us, whispering broke out among them.

[Are those the spellcasters?]

[I heard they can produce fire and water from their bare hands… Is that true?]

[Everyone, beware of your tails and horns. My friend told me spellcasters covet them.]

[Wha… tails and horns? Why would they…?]

[To use them as ingredients in their spells…]

Even if I didn’t want to hear it, I had no choice. My hearing had become far sharper than that of ordinary people.

When I let out a sigh and quietly looked at the beastfolk, the one who’d been spreading those wild rumors noticed and quietly slipped away.

“Doesn’t seem like they’re very friendly.”

“At least they’re not outright hostile. Honestly, keeping some distance makes it easier to operate here.”

“You’ve got a point.”

I nodded, recalling what I experienced near the airship dock. The beastfolk there were way too friendly with mages.

So many of them kept sticking around under the pretense of guiding us—what a pain they were.

It was around lunchtime. Wendy and I found a tavern. The place was quite old but bustling with customers.

After asking the attendant at the entrance to watch over Nightmare, we were guided by another worker to a table on the first floor.

Once we placed our orders, I stopped the server just before they could walk away and asked a question.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes? Do you need anything else?”

“I wanted to ask something. Do you happen to know where the place called the Dragon’s Brazier is?”

“The Dragon’s Brazier…?”

“They also call it the Dragon’s Nest.”

“Hmm…”

The server tilted his head at my question. Judging by his reaction, he really didn’t know. He didn’t seem to be hiding it or trying to get money.

“I’ve lived on this land all my life, but I’ve never heard of it. You might want to ask some of the older folk.”

The server walked away, apologizing. I asked the same question to other servers, but the response was mostly the same.

Just like the first server said, it seemed like I had to seek out the elder beastfolk.

After finishing our meal, Wendy and I unpacked and headed out to the marketplace.

If you handed out a few coins, most people were quick to share what they knew. This place was no different.

“Hmm, the Dragon’s Brazier? Where was that again… maybe over there?”

“You know where it is?”

“Well, I’m not completely sure… I heard the story a long time ago.”

“That’s fine. Please, just tell me what you know.”

“Hmm… there, see that mountain? The one that looks like a tiger lying down.”

“Yes.”

The elderly beastfolk pointed to the head of a massive mountain. T

he red-tinged autumn leaves had formed an opening that looked like a tiger’s mouth.

“Up there, around the head… I believe that’s what they used to call it.”

I gave him some money as thanks. I kept asking other elderly beastfolk the same question, but very few knew anything about the Dragon’s Brazier.

“So it must be up there after all.”

“Let’s check it out, then.”

With Nightmare in tow, Wendy and I began to climb the mountain.

Though black darkness was falling over the red-stained leaves, we didn’t stop walking.

The mountain was extremely rough. There was no path—likely because people rarely visited this place.

How long had we walked?

The endless rough mountain path suddenly came to an end, revealing a massive clearing.

Large stalactites hung above and below the entrance like fangs.

“Whoa…”

Was this the Dragon’s Brazier?

I tilted my head and peered deeper into the cave, but saw nothing unusual.

“Looks like we’ll have to go a bit farther in.”

“Are you sure…? There’s some strange rope strung across.”

Just like Wendy said, there was an old, frayed rope hanging in front of the clearing.

“Some of it’s snapped. Looks like it’s been abandoned. Let’s just go in.”

“Hmm…”

Just as I stepped into the clearing with Nightmare, the bag on my back began to vibrate slightly. Then the rusted hammer inside rose up on its own.

“Uh…?”

“Gasp…”

The floating hammer shot forward and disappeared into the depths of the cave. It was reacting. That meant something was here.

With a faint smile, I tugged on Nightmare’s reins.

“Let’s go!”

Sharp stalactites growing around us made it feel like we were stepping into a giant beast’s mouth.

The wind from within the cave sounded like the cry of a monster.

The flying hammer was now held in the hand of a translucent man.

The curled horns above his head revealed he was a mountain goat beastfolk.

[You’ve come far too late.]

His faded voice echoed through the cavern. He looked at me with a gaze filled with complex emotions.

“Don’t tell me… you’re the one who reforged the Dragon’s Breath?”

[It’s all vague now… Perhaps because my existence is fading.

What still binds my eroding spirit are you, the soul left behind by the dragon, and my lingering regret.]

The moment he finished speaking, his presence began to swell.

Even though he had no physical body, I could feel him there.

The surrounding mana began to gather around him, as if responding to his will.

[For a single, final act of blacksmithing… I waited a lifetime.]

Clang—!

The man swung the hammer he was holding.

As it struck the formless mana midair, a crisp sound rang out, and a cascade of bright sparks rained down.

“Wait, I think there’s been a misunderstanding…”

[I know. That you are not the dragon who made the promise with me. But… I haven’t much time left. Before I disappear, let me swing this hammer one last time, pouring into it all the longing I’ve held onto.]

“In that case…”

[Tell me what you need.]

“Could you forge a sword… a sword for me to wield?”

[A sword that could be wielded by a dragon’s flesh…?]

“No. With this body.”

As soon as I said it, the man’s transparent eyes scanned my body. The mana around him stirred and brushed past me.

[A small body. Not ideal for wielding a sword. But… if you wish it, it’s not impossible. I simply need… a medium touched by your hand.]

“A medium…?”

[A vessel to contain the Dragon’s Breath. Perhaps a dragon’s scale or tooth. Or… the sword your steed carries.]

I looked down at Stormbringer, fastened to Nightmare’s side.

A powerful weapon—but one I rarely used due to its overwhelming size.

I nodded and lifted Stormbringer high.

“You’re saying we’ll forge a new sword from this? But it’s way too big for me…”

[Its current size does not matter.]

Just as I nodded at his words, Stormbringer trembled slightly in my grasp—then flew toward the man.

Clang—!

In that instant, the man struck the approaching Stormbringer with his hammer, unhesitatingly. With a single blow, its form twisted.

[Prepare the Breath.]

I nodded and leapt off Nightmare. The sharp-witted beast began to retreat behind a large boulder, sensing the need to hide.

“W-What is happening…?”

Only Wendy stood blinking, unable to follow what was going on.

Kiiiiing—

As the circle in my heart began to spin rapidly, another circle began to form behind my back.

This was the preparation to use two different attributes simultaneously—a manifestation of the external circle.

As the newly-formed circle behind me emitted a chilling frost, ice began to settle in the cavern.

At the same time, searing heat rose from within me, starting at my heart. Flames flared from my exhaled breath.

Fwoooosh—

[Two forces at once…? Just what are you…?]

“Should I only use one?”

[No, it’s fine. Let it all out.]

The marks of the dragon began to emerge on my body. Blue and red scales spread across the backs of my hands. Large horns grew from my head.

Finally, when a long dragon’s tail burst through my pants, I crouched down and focused both manas at the center of my chest.

And then—when everything was ready—I extended the long tail and released the mana I’d gathered inside.

KWAHHHHHHH!

A blazing blue flame—the Dragon King’s breath—burst forward. The beam of light pushed aside air and mana alike.

At that moment, the man swung his hammer.

CLAAAAANG—!

A thunderous roar echoed throughout the cavern. The Breath struck by his hammer began to focus in one spot.

Once again, he struck with his hammer.

CLAAAAANG—!

KUGUGUGUGU—!

Cracks began to spread across the cavern, unable to withstand the shock.

The impact from the hammer had triggered a massive quake.

Watching the man hammer away, I furrowed my brows. I’d never unleashed the dragon’s breath for this long before.

The mana within me was nearly depleted.

Even the external mana circle was beginning to flicker, most of its energy consumed.

Just as I thought I’d reached my limit, the man swung the hammer again—this time, with a grand motion that felt like a final blow.

CLANG—!

This time, a clear, ringing sound echoed through the air.

A blinding light exploded from the point where the Dragon’s Breath and Stormbringer met, painting the entire world white.

When the brilliant light finally faded, the man was nowhere to be seen.

In his place, two short swords lay side by side.

From each, searing heat and biting cold radiated—while crackling blue lightning sparked along their blades.