Chapter 41

I don't remember how or in what state of mind I was.

When I came to my senses, I found myself standing like an idiot in a daze in front of a large building on the outskirts of the city.

The entrance to the building was guarded by two guards.

No, I thought they were guards, but on closer inspection, they were knights.

Well, it made sense.

Even if he was retired, an Archmage... a royal.

They had to have that much protection.

Because of Lupel, who was completely unlike an Archmage, I had been mistaken, but an Archmage was a name that held a sacred place, where even mentioning it was a sin.

The tension made it hard to breathe.

Regardless, Selina led me inside the building.

Whoosh!

"...The air is hot."

The moment the door opened, the heat trapped inside burst out.

My eyes, which had been moist just a moment ago, felt instantly dry.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal echoed rhythmically.

Even though the sun hadn't risen yet, I could see artisans working at their stations in front of roaring furnaces that emitted intense heat.

I immediately knew what kind of place this was.

It was a blacksmith's forge.

And a huge one at that.

An Archmage in a place like this?

Honestly, it was hard to believe.

"The Verdin family has a small mine for 'Jeogeun.' Oh, do you know about 'Jeogeun'?"

"I do. It's a very rare metal with excellent magic conductivity and a strength greater than iron, despite being a silver."

I couldn't not know.

It was called 'silver,' but in reality, it had properties similar to Mithril, a common metal in fantasy settings.

Metal alloys made from 'Jeogeun' were considered top-grade materials among users playing D&K.

Since it was such a rare item and many sought it, there weren't many pieces of equipment made from 'Jeogeun' even within Odin.

"The 'Jeogeun' found in Verdin is famous for being the highest quality not just in the kingdom, but across the entire Alliance. Because of this, skilled artisans began to gather in Verdin, and naturally, the largest blacksmith's forge in the kingdom was established."

"It is incredibly big."

To be honest, compared to the Verdin family mansion I had first seen when I arrived in this city, it might lack in splendor, but its sheer scale was probably overwhelming.

Most of the metals the artisans worked with were iron.

However, occasionally there was an artisan hammering 'Jeogeun,' and several apprentices were gathered around that particular artisan.

A young man among the artisans hammering iron spotted Selina and quickly stood up.

"Young lady! You've arriv—"

"Shh."

Selina brought her index finger to her lips, silencing the artisan.

The embarrassed artisan sat down with an awkward smile.

The younger artisans, who seemed to lack experience, hesitated, unsure whether to stand up and greet her.

In contrast, the more experienced artisans merely glanced at Selina for a brief moment, refraining from any greeting beyond a nod or a slight inclination of the head.

Considering Selina's unchanging expression despite the artisans' impoliteness, I assumed it was a directive set by the Verdin family.

Selina led me to the innermost part of the forge.

As we went further inside, the heat from the furnaces intensified, making it difficult even to breathe. It was then that I spotted the back of an old man gazing intently at a furnace.

The old man had a muscular, massive physique that didn't match his age.

"Elder."

At Selina's call, the old man turned his head.

His light brown eyes held the flickering flames from the furnace, and it suited him quite well.

"You've arrived."

"Did we make you wait long?"

"Not at all. By the way..."

The old man stood up.

Even with a slight stoop, his eye level was by no means lower than mine.

His gaze turned to me.

It was as if he was observing... no, scrutinizing me from the very core.

"Is this the one? The promising soldier the young lady spoke of?"

"Yes, it is. What do you think, Elder?"

"Hmm... to be honest, I'm quite disappointed."

The old man's expression, already seemingly distorted by wrinkles, deepened even further.

I guarantee if I were a child, I would have collapsed and cried right then.

The old man's impression was that formidable.

"I am Oscar."

"I am Ryan Kaltz."

"Judging by your expression, you seem to be wondering why you've been dragged here to listen to such harsh criticism."

"..."

He hit the nail on the head.

The only thing I could infer was that the old man in front of me was a famous blacksmith, and Selina had custom-ordered equipment for Unit 917... that was about it.

After all, there was no law saying an Archmage had to excel as a battlefield magician.

But if that was all, it wouldn't explain why I was dragged all the way here.

I had a strong urge to barrage him with questions, but the person in front of me was an Archmage.

He was only retired; his status hadn't changed, so I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut and wait for him to speak.

The old man stroked his beard and nodded as if he had expected it.

"I imagine you haven't received a proper explanation. The young lady has a tendency to be like that."

"I consider it one of my commander's few flaws."

"...I apologize."

Selina bowed her head apologetically as the arrow turned towards her.

Seeing that, the old man smiled warmly.

His gaze was like that of someone looking at a still-immature granddaughter.

He had a formidable appearance and a gruff voice, as if he could tear off meat from the bone, but surprisingly, I thought his nature might be benevolent.

"Please look kindly on her. After all, there are few commanders who care for their soldiers as much as the young lady does."

"Of course."

"Then, I shall explain on her behalf. Before that, I will supplement my introduction a little more. I am an Archmage. However, I only bear the title of Archmage because I can use black magic; I have little interest in magic. My interest lies in this field instead."

The old man tapped the belt at his waist.

Hammers and other tools frequently used for work hung from the belt.

I had only looked for a brief moment, but I could see signs of extensive use everywhere.

"I have hammered with a hammer since my youth, and I have made many pieces of equipment. But as I grew older, a desire arose within me. A desire to create not mass-produced items to be used and discarded, but works that everyone would covet."

"Works...?"

"Shouldn't an artisan have that much ambition? And throughout my life, I have brought forth six creations that could be called 'works'."

"May I explain that part?"

Perhaps bored of just watching, Selina suddenly interjected.

When the old man nodded, Selina continued her explanation in a calm voice.

"Ryan. Since this war began until now. Do you know who the most renowned named character is across both White Hero and the Alliance?"

"...The Scarlet-Eyed Witch."

"Correct. Odin's named character. The Scarlet-Eyed Witch, Leisia... She is a monster who sent countless mages and knights of the Alliance back to the dragon's embrace. And in Leisia's hand, there was always a crimson sword. The identity of the sword is one of the six treasured swords of the continent. The fifth number of the Ella series. Besides that..."

I felt sorry for Selina, who was explaining so earnestly, but I couldn't concentrate, perhaps because it was all information I already knew.

I was the one who, along with Leisia, killed the Alliance's named characters and handed over the captured Ella 5 sword to Leisia, and I had watched her gain fame on the battlefield with the Ella 5 sword from the closest vantage point.

It would be strange if I didn't know.

The Ella Series.

Six treasured swords made from 'Jeogeun' alloy.

Undoubtedly, among the strongest weapons in D&K, they were priceless treasures always listed within the top ten.

When I first acquired the Ella 5 sword, I had set a goal of collecting all six.

Despite investing quite a lot, I only managed to get two, the 5th and 2nd swords.

I knew that one was held by a player ranked 6th, and the remaining three were with the Alliance.

While I was lost in thought.

Selina's explanation was also nearing its end.

"...So, currently, the Alliance only possesses three swords from the Ella series. But Ryan. Soon, the Alliance will have a total of four Ella series swords."

"You're going to retrieve one? That won't be easy..."

"No. We're not retrieving an existing one that was lost. The seventh. A new number is about to be born."

Selina's gaze was directed towards the old man as she spoke.

Just in case, I looked at the old man, and he slightly moved aside.

The table that his large body had been obscuring came into view.

On the table lay a beautiful, long crimson sword, which I presumed was in its final stages of completion.

Its form was very similar to the two treasured swords I possessed.

"Could it be..."

My gaze turned to the old man.

He was several times more extraordinary than I had imagined.

And.

"The young lady said she would like to hand over the seventh sword, which is about to be born, to you."

"..."

My mind was blank from the shocking news.

Come to think of it, in the previous battle, Selina had been thrown far away by the impact of my final blow.

She must have hit her head hard somewhere then and gotten injured.

Otherwise, there was no way to explain the current situation.

Think about it.

Who would ever consider putting a legendary treasured sword, known to everyone, into the hands of a mere low-ranking soldier?

A treasured sword.

Ella 7 sword.

It would be good to have, of course.

I had never used it myself, but according to Leisia, its sharpness was astonishing, and its magic conductivity was beyond imagination, allowing for an overwhelming level of power compared to normal.

There was always a reason for fame.

The problem was that fame attracted many unwanted attention.

Every swordsman desired a renowned sword.

Even if it meant killing its owner.

It was unfortunate, but with my abilities also reset, I didn't have the confidence to protect a famous sword even if I wielded it.

"I don't need it."

"...Li, Ryan?!"

"May I ask why?"

Selina was shocked by my refusal, and the old man smiled with interest, posing the question.

There was no reason to hide anything after coming all this way.

And I didn't think there would be much to regret even if I misspoke and fell out of favor, so I spoke honestly.

"It's a burden. I am not someone who fights for the nation or for my own honor; I am merely a low-ranking soldier who wishes to survive this war."

Excessive attention would only hinder my survival.

And a renowned sword attracted more than necessary attention.

The gazes of countless swordsmen, regardless of their allegiance, would focus on me, and the number of people targeting my neck would increase accordingly.

It was attention I absolutely wanted to avoid.

"...That makes sense. I respect your wishes."

"Thank you."

"Then, young lady. This matter..."

"W-Wait a minute!"

Selina cut in between me and the old man, who were about to conclude the conversation.

Her eyes stared straight at me.

Somehow, Selina seemed more desperate than I, the person directly involved.

"Ryan doesn't fully understand his situation. Ryan, you shot down an Odin hero. And Odin... is a fearsome combat group."

She grabbed my shoulder.

Through her touch, I could feel how much she was trembling.

"Ryan, you've become Odin's target. And Odin's commanders never give up on an enemy who has killed an Odin hero."

"I know it's not something to say to someone who shot down a White Hero, but I really want to tell you this."

Following Selina's trembling voice, the calm voice of the old man created a sense of disparity in the atmosphere.

Unlike Selina, whose voice was filled with worry for me, the old man's gaze was chillingly cold.

"If I were the commander, I would have abandoned you, even if it meant dishonor. Because the entire unit would be in danger because of you."

"..."

Those words pierced me like a dagger.