Chapter 112 - 14

The next day after the golem attack incident, the students readied to go on their study tour. Last night's incidents did not delay or stop the activities that had been scheduled for that morning.

The study tour on their first day was to a weapon forge located not far from the castle of the Dwarven Kingdom. Even though inside the castle there was a forge, but it was only a private forge and wasn't that big. The one they were going to this time was the biggest and best in the Dwarven Kingdom.

The students were taken to a large building in the shape of a cube. The walls of the building are made of steel so that it looks like a fortress or a shelter from disaster.

The place has a very strict level of security. Many soldiers and golems were stationed to guard there. What they felt for the first time when they entered the building was the heat coming from the forging furnace and the noise from the clash of metals.

"It is very hot here!"

"Yes, hot and noisy!"

The students started to complain about the situation inside the building. Those who were not used to the state of forging would not be comfortable in that room. It was different from when they practiced blacksmithing and magic tool creation in the academy because the number of forging furnaces wasn't this many.

"Many of you students might feel uncomfortable with this situation. But that's how blacksmiths work. For those of you who want to learn about blacksmithing, you have to adapt to situations like this. But for those of you who have complained just because of this, it indicates that you are not suitable in this line of work." Prince Torin served as their study tour guide on this day. King Auva assigned his two children as guides in the activities of the students of the Piqmentia Grand Academy. They will take turns accompanying the students to the places that will be visited in their study tour schedule.

"Torin, you said this place was the best forging in the Dwarven Kingdom, didn't you?" Prince Fritz asks because he intends to repair his father's Claimh Solais which was broken during the battle at Alba Mountain Range.

"You're right. For commercially sold weapons, here is the best place. But if you want to repair an artifact class weapon, I suggest you do it at the place I've shown you before in the castle." Prince Torin completes his explanation. The students had previously been told that they would be visiting the best forging site. So the answer to Prince Fritz is also an explanation for the students so as not to misunderstand what is meant by the best forge.

It was indeed the best place for making weapons in the Dwarven Kingdom, but it was only limited to weapons that would be developed into magic tools. It's a different story if it's an artifact because they have a special place for making and repairing it.

"I understand. Don't forget your promise to take me back there." Prince Fritz had already gone there when he disappeared at the banquet. Unfortunately, the person they were looking for was out. So he had to wait until that person came back.

"I'll let you know as soon as he returns. Now let's continue this study tour. I'll take you to where the blacksmiths make weapons. I hope you don't make a lot of noise there. Because blacksmiths have an irritable temper." Prince Torin brought them to the place where the hammers clashed the loudest.

"Okay!" The students answered in unison.

They entered the room with a higher temperature than before. But the students can't complain because Prince Torin has reminded them. Ziel is currently not with Clara. He walked with Dalvin and James, his roommate. He felt he would get into trouble if he continued to be with Clara. He didn't want to drag her into trouble because of the heroes.

"Ken, why are you not with your lady today?" Dalvin asked curiously. Because Ziel would usually accompany Clara as a butler and guardian. So it was strange for Ziel to be separated from her at a time like this.

"She's with another girlfriend. So I don't want to bother her." Ziel answered him honestly. He says one of the reasons he's not with Clara at the moment.

"Haha...don't worry, you still have us with you." James patted Ziel's shoulder like he was calming Ziel who was sad.

"Thanks." Ziel answered it curtly.

"Haa...aren't you being too stiff? Putting that aside, by the way, did you notice that there's been something odd about that girl's attitude lately?" James glanced at the pink-haired girl who had previously been a cheerful girl but had now become quiet. She rarely even spoke to them. When she was asked, she would give a simple answer.

"You're right, I feel that too. Did something happen?" Dalvin asked James back. Then look at Ziel.

"Why don't you ask her directly?" Ziel already knew the reason, therefore he had no interest in discussing it.

"That's a good idea, but I feel like she'll just ignore me if I do." Dalvin sighed heavily. He knew what was coming because he had tried it before.

"I've also asked her and the result is the same." James smiled bitterly because he had the same fate as Dalvin.

"What if you ask him, Ken? I see you haven't spoken to her since coming back from the survival test. Did something happen?" Dalvin smiled and tried to tease him. He remembered that Ziel never said anything to Rhea when they returned to the academy after the holidays.

"Nothing. I'm just busy with other things." Ziel didn't want to answer more as necessary. He didn't want to discuss matters that didn't belong to him any further. Dalvin and James who saw his response couldn't help but sigh. They returned to focus on Prince Torin who was explaining one by one the rooms in the building.

At this time the students entered the finished weapon storage room. Starting from swords, spears, daggers, scythes, gauntlets, armor and other weapons lined up in there. The students who chose to become a knight would naturally be interested in that. But to a mage, the weapon was unattractive before it became a magic tool. The same goes for Clara and Princess Iris.

Currently, Clara is walking along with Princess Iris and Lilith. She's in a bad mood. Throughout the study tour, she just grumbled about Ziel not being with them.

"Haa...Clara. You know he did that for your good, right?" Princess Iris tried to raise her mood a little.

"I know, but it still doesn't have to be like that right?" Clara is still sullen even though she knows what Ziel did for her good.

"You can still meet him later. So why do you have to look like that." Lilith started to get close to them. So she wasn't reluctant to remind her.

"Okay, I get it. I'll hold it in for now." Clara finally managed to smile a little. Even though her mood hasn't improved at all.

"Why do I feel like you're like a separate couple?" Lilith raised her eyebrows after hearing what Clara said.

"Ah, uh you're right. What did I say... Ahaha." Clara was embarrassed and her face was flushed. She turned his face away from the two of them. On the other hand, Princess Iris pouted seeing Clara like that.

"What's wrong with you? Were you infected by her?" Lilith glanced at Princess Iris's face. She didn't seem to notice that her expression changed because of Clara's words.

"It is nothing." Princess Iris also looked away in embarrassment.

"Haa..." Lilith could only sigh heavily at the behavior of the two girls. They both are easier to manage when Ziel is with them.

It's noon, the sun was already above their heads. Soon it will be lunchtime. The current students were going to the last room in the building. It was a room that contained materials used for blacksmithing. King Auva intentionally put the room in the last place, because in that place they will be given forging materials as souvenirs.

The students were free to choose the materials they could refine according to their abilities. King Auva's purpose was to provide materials and not finished weapons because not all students there were knights. Another goal is to make them learn to do blacksmithing or the creation of magic tools with the materials they choose there. Because that is the main purpose of this study tour.

"Well, you are free to choose one of the tens of thousands of materials that are in front of you. Remember! Choose materials that you can process, that is our requirement. Otherwise, you have to pay for the materials you take. You need to know, the materials in front of you are usually rare and very expensive, some are even priceless because we don't know their names." Prince Torin explained seriously. The students gulped their saliva upon hearing his words.

The students started to spread out and choose materials carefully. The room was enormous to accommodate tens of thousands of forging materials. Ziel decided to part with Dalvin and James. He slowly looked at the materials hanging on the wall and line up on the table but nothing caught his attention. After a while of searching finally, he saw the pile of materials in the big basket.

Ziel slowly approached the basket. It was more like a trash can filled with useless materials. But he felt something familiar from inside. He saw a piece of stone piled there. When he was about to pick it up, someone else was already ahead of him.

"Eh, ah..." Rhea was surprised that Ziel was suddenly there when she picked up the piece of stone that caught her eye.

"That thing in your hand, may I have it?" Ziel saw a piece of rock the size of a plate in Rhea's hand.

"Ah, this...please take it!" Rhea thrusts the stone at him and intends to leave that place immediately. She was too nervous and afraid to talk to him.

"Wait." Ziel quickly stopped her before she left.

"Is there anything else you need from me? I need to find some forging materials before time runs out." Rhea didn't dare to look directly at Ziel.

"I don't know what Freya said to you, but you can forget about it. Besides, I'm grateful that you didn't tell anyone about me. So you can act as usual from now on." Ziel said that because Rhea gave the piece of stone to him. He could take care of Rhea on his own without Princess Freya's help. But since Princess Freya had already acted for him, so he couldn't do anything about it.

Rhea trembled after hearing his words. It was something she had been thinking about lately. The fear and nervousness that had been haunting her for so long disappeared instantly. She subconsciously smiled, it was the smile she usually showed. But this time her eyes were a little wet from holding back tears.

"Hmm...thank you." Rhea quickly wiped the tears that suddenly flowed so that no one else could see.

"Good thing you're back to being you. Then I'll go first." Ziel left the place and rejoined Dalvin and James. He was holding the rock shard he got from the Rhea earlier. The stone is the same thing he got from Ashil and Asbil. The thing in his hand was a fragment of a world altar. It seemed like the Dwarven Kingdom couldn't identify the stone at all and piled it together with other common materials

"Have you got the materials you want, Ken?" Dalvin asked him when he saw Ziel coming.

"I've got it." Ziel showed her the wyvern's hooves. He quickly exchanged the world altar fragments for the wyvern's hooves from his space storage.

"I got it too and it looks like James has too." Dalvin showed him the fangs of a two-headed lion. While James holds the behemoth bone.

"Good..." Before Ziel could answer, he was cut off by a girl's cheerful voice.

"May I join you guys!?" Rhea, the pink-haired girl, had returned to the self they knew.

"Ahaha... Of course. It's been a long time since I've seen you like this." Dalvin laughed happily after seeing Rhea's smile. Not long after, james also joins them and is happy with Rhea who is cheerful again.

The four of them chatted happily, or rather three of them. Because Ziel only spoke briefly and passively. As they were immersed in their conversation, suddenly the building shook violently along with the sound of a huge explosion.

Boooooommmm!