episode_0084

“I’ve eaten well.”

“I saw that, for a wounded guy, you sure ate quite well.”

“….”

I picked up the empty bowl and tray, heading to the kitchen.

As I was about to start washing dishes to clean those bowls, my foster father, who was preparing food nearby, glanced at my arm and said, “Why wash dishes when you’re injured? Just leave the dishes and go.”

“….”

“And, Esoong, from now on, just come to work on weekends.”

“….?”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Esoong, you’re a student, so you must be busy. Besides, you keep getting hurt all the time and not coming in properly.”

“….”

He hit the nail on the head.

While I used to come to work every day until recently, I had been skipping shifts lately due to getting injured frequently.

To be honest, my foster father is a good person for speaking so kindly like this.

Normally, even if I were fired, I wouldn’t have anything to say.

Yet, my foster father…

“Of course, I’ll still pay you the same. But, I’ll nag you a lot, so keep that in mind.”

“..Foster father.”

“Don’t make that face, it’s creepy.”

“…Got it. Well then, foster father. I’ll leave the money for the food here.”

“Fine, just leave it.”

“What’s this about…”

“You don’t have any money, how will you pay? Come out and work hard on weekends.”

“…Alright, I’ll leave it here.”

With that, I left some coins on the table and stepped outside the store.

“…Stubborn.”

….

I was heading towards the outskirts of the city, a bit away from the academy.

In this academy city, there aren’t many ordinary people living, especially in that area.

Walking under the darkening sky, I pondered over what my foster father had said earlier.

“Esoong, you’re a lucky guy. There are people around who worry about someone as rude and rough as you.”

“So, protect yourself. Esoong, you’re a strong guy. You can handle things better than I can.”

Perhaps my foster father was right; maybe I am a lucky guy.

When I first entered Bern’s body, things seemed hopeless, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Surviving in this world so different from where I came from was truly…

At first, I was bewildered, but as time passed, I grew fearful of what lay ahead.

So, I struggled.

I fought with all my might to live, to survive, to go back home.

There were many times I almost lost my life.

At those moments, I really… just wanted to escape, even just a little bit.

If there was a mouse hole somewhere, I wanted to hide there.

But… not anymore.

Now, I won’t run away.

I have people who believe in me around me now.

People I want to protect, reasons I want to protect.

Even the people in this world have become precious to me.

So, as my foster father said, I must stand up and move forward.

Now, no matter what happens, I must endure.

To do that, I need to acquire a new weapon.

That’s why I came to the outskirts of the city.

However, this place is somewhat special even among the outskirts.

Because ordinary humans don’t live here.

Here, there are different-looking beings… other races living here.

People who settled here after the war that happened 15 years ago.

I came here to meet one of them.

The dwarf blacksmith, Balkan.

A dwarf who settled here instead of returning to his own country after the war ended.

In the land of dwarves, ‘Kalbare,’ known for its rather stern and old-fashioned mindset, he found himself trapped, not unlike the Elven realm of ‘Albasia.’

Living modestly in the academy city was his original story.

Well… not entirely, but most people living here are either those who haven’t returned to their own country despite the war ending or those with certain circumstances.

Therefore, this place serves as a foundation of life where not only dwarves but also elves, giants, and others with different appearances coexist.

I checked the paper and map given by the shop owner, Valter, and proceeded forward.

The streets here are a bit complex, so I too got lost a lot during my newbie days.

Well, not anymore.

After some time passed, I could reach the rundown forge.

“Is this it.”

It looks even more rundown in reality.

Do they not do any maintenance? It wouldn’t be surprising if it collapsed at any moment.

Anyway… let’s go in for now.

I removed the tattered curtain and entered the interior of the forge.

As I entered, I heard the sound of hammering from inside.

– Clang!

– Clang!

The rhythmic sound of the hammer resounded.

Following that sound, I began to venture deeper inside.

– Clang!

– Clang!

As I went further in, the air gradually grew warmer.

And the sound of the hammer grew louder as well.

So, as I ventured inside.

I came face to face with the dwarf blacksmith, Balkan.

Although he acknowledged my presence, he continued hammering without paying me any attention.

Leaning against the wall with my arms crossed, I absentmindedly watched Balkan busy at work with his hammer.

After some time passed, the echoing sound of the hammer in the forge began to diminish.

Balkan set down the hammer next to the anvil and wiped the sweat off his forehead before speaking.

“What brings you here.”

I pushed myself off the wall and replied to him.

“Can you make a sword for me?”

“Go back. I don’t know how you found your way here, but I’m not taking any more custom orders.”

“Is that so, then… Can I buy the sword you just made?”

“Are you referring to this?”

He held up the freshly forged sword and asked me.

“I don’t hand my swords to just anyone. Why do you want this sword?”

I gazed sharply at the sharpened blade and spoke.

“…To protect the ones dear to me.”

“Huh, a sword to protect them… What a ridiculous notion.”

“….”

“A sword is a tool made to kill someone. Do you really think you can protect someone with this sword?”

As Balkan said, a sword is a tool made to kill someone.

A weapon crafted for the purpose of killing each other.

However, I want to protect the ones dear to me with this weapon.

If there is darkness blocking their path, I will cut through that darkness with my sword.

If there are enemies threatening their lives, I will pierce their hearts with this sword.

I hope my friends continue to shine brightly like stars.

Like stars shining beautifully in the dark night sky, may they continue to emit that light.

To ensure that light isn’t engulfed by darkness, I want to protect those stars.

Even if I have to fall to the ground to catch those stars… I will.

“I will protect them. No, I have protected them. To do so, I need a sword that won’t easily break.”

He stared into my eyes intently and muttered with a mix of resignation.

“…Hmph, amusing little kid has come.”

After that, Balkan said nothing, just looked down at the sword he had made.

And later on, he set down the sword he was holding and began to speak firmly.

“Young black-haired kid, did you bring the materials?”

“I did.”

“Well, then, show me once.”

…

“Grade 6 material, Steel Fangs, Grade 3 materials like Troll’s skin and blood, as well as Chimera’s skin and fangs… Black hair, what in the world are you up to?”

“I’m an Academy student.”

“No, that’s obvious at a glance. What I mean is, where did you get these materials from? They’re not something students can easily obtain.”

“I obtained them by hunting myself.”

“…Huh. Living for a long time, you end up meeting all sorts of strange folks.”

“Why do you say that?”

“It’s nothing. By the way, who did you hunt those monsters with? You couldn’t have taken down Grade 3 or 4 monsters alone…”

I did hunt them alone…

“…”

As I remained silent, Balkan, looking astonished, exclaimed, “Surely, you took all of them down alone? Truly, you’re out of your mind. Indeed, there was something off about your gaze… Kid, aren’t you afraid for your life?”

Calling me crazy is a bit harsh.

I had to hunt them down to survive.

Well, I just happened to catch those creatures due to sheer luck.

If luck hadn’t been on my side… I might not even be standing here.

Anyway, these materials hold deep stories within them.

“To put it simply, it’s a long story.”

“Enough… You don’t have to say it. So, kid, what kind of sword do you want that made you seek me out?”

“I came here on Valter’s recommendation. Heard there’s a skilled blacksmith here.”

“Ah, so it was his referral… So, what kind of sword do you desire?”

Taking out the sword that broke during my fight with a troll last time, I said to him, “I’d like one with high durability and resistance. As you can see, I tend to break them often.”

Balkan, picking up the sword I handed him, let out a deep sigh.

“This is something I crafted. I made it sturdy, but you managed to shatter it completely.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize. Swords are bound to break eventually. By the way, kid, what’s your name?”

“…Bern, just Bern.”

“Just call me Balkan… comfortably.”

“Balkan, can you make the sword I described with those materials?”

“…”

He fell silent for a moment, then started staring intently into my eyes.

Afterward, he let out another deep sigh, stood up from his seat, and said, “Wait here for a moment.”

Saying so, Balkan disappeared somewhere.

However, not long after, he returned to the workshop.

Approaching me with something exuding a sinister aura in his hand, he said, “Kid, do you know what this is?”

“This is… a Demon Sword.”