The first to rush to the collapsed blacksmith was the one-eyed monster. Bound in my Silveit, the creature darted forward and placed a hand on the old man's chest.
"Kid, I'll examine the Gatekeeper's body. I'll be using magic, is that alright?"
"Go ahead."
When I answered, the boy widened his single eye and focused it on the blacksmith. The moment he did, his head whipped toward me with a start.
"This is bad! Kid, can you use healing magic?"
"Yeah, I can."
"As expected of you! I'll tell you exactly where to focus your spell."
He pointed at the center-left part of the blacksmith's chest.
"His heart?"
"His main artery's clogged up tight."
"...Got it."
The moment he said it, an image of the human heart from an old anatomy book I'd seen as a child flashed in my mind—the shape of the aorta, clear as day.
"Drop some of your Silveit into the spot I show you. I'll guide you from here."
"...Alright."
Normally, trusting a monster's instructions would be insane, but this situation was anything but normal.
"Move it a bit more to the right... That's it, keep it steady, steady... but hurry it up!"
"Which is it—steady or hurry?"
"Both!"
Although his directions were erratic, I lowered the Silveit into the spot he indicated. If the monster were planning something nefarious—like forcing me to rupture an artery—I could undo the damage quickly. Still, I needed to act.
"That's it, right there. Now break up the blockage."
"Okay."
I used Silveit, forming it into a fine point, and shattered the obstruction. As the flow resumed, I felt a rush through the thread of magic—a faint, but sure, signal of success.
"Alright, alright. As long as this old guy stays calm and rests, he'll wake up. Once he's stable, let his apprentice take care of him. For now, we'll focus on the task at hand."
"Apprentice?"
I tilted my head. The monster tilted his in return.
"Yeah, someone's gotta take over the Gatekeeper's duties someday, right?"
I glanced back toward my father, who stood behind me. If anyone knew the blacksmith's circumstances, it would be him.
"The old man doesn't have an apprentice."
"What?! Really?!"
His shock was palpable as he dashed toward me.
"Uh, yeah... See for yourself."
A little overwhelmed by his energy, I held up my necklace strung with relics.
"No way... Relics. Haven't seen these in ages. So you're the real deal, huh? And at your age? I've never heard of anything like this. But it's not a lie, is it? Incredible..."
The boy muttered to himself, alternating between disbelief and awe. Then, he seemed to catch on to something.
"If you're that strong, kid, why are you here? Why not somewhere better suited for your talents? You should be treated like a hero."
He rattled off questions, answering some himself before I could respond.
"Oh, I get it. You're here to get a sword, right?"
"...Something like that."
"Ah! That makes sense! So when I woke up and saw you, that's why!"
"What's why?"
"I'm a guide! I was born to lead someone like you to the Immortal Realm. My awakening wasn't random—it was fate, kid!"
The monster stomped the ground dramatically, pointing at me with conviction.
"With you, kid, we've got this in the bag. Let's get to the Immortal Realm. Uh, but... you don't have a sword yet?"
"Nope."
"Not even started?"
"The blacksmith refused to forge one."
Hearing that, the boy scrunched his brow.
"Smithing's sacred. Maybe the old man was worried forging a blade would mess up the balance. But still, no exorcist goes in without a weapon. If we restore balance, maybe he'll change his mind."
"He's still unconscious."
"Don't worry! Once we restore balance, the Gatekeeper will bounce back, good as new. Then I'll knock some sense into him!"
I wasn't sure if I should believe that, but if the sword came as a bonus for restoring balance, I'd take it.
"Alright, kid. Let's head to the Immortal Realm."
"How do we get there?"
"The barrier's weak here. One of the paths between the mortal world and the Immortal Realm is right in this spot."
"...Where exactly?"
The boy grinned and pointed to the old, weathered well where the earlier monster had emerged.