CH 157

“I’m sorry about the messy place, just take a seat somewhere.”

As I entered, I saw the typical facilities I’ve seen in documentaries, such as a kamado, a hammer, and a water tank. The ceiling was about three meters high, and the space was about the size of eight six-mat rooms. Including the equipment, it looks like several apprentices or other craftsmen could help.

(T/N: A Kamado is a traditional Japanese wood- or charcoal-fueled cook stove. Kamado is the Japanese word for “stove” or “cooking range.” Literally, it means “place for the cauldron.”)

“It’s pretty quiet. And the tools are clean and look like they haven’t been used in a while.”

“…… You’re looking at it very carefully. Well, that’s none of your business, let me ask what you want first. I’m surprised you have the materials of a dragon..”

Arjan-san sat back in his chair and crossed his arms with one leg on his thigh. I nodded and explained as I pulled my own materials out of my bag.

Both Nora and Luciela took it out, and I think Arjan-san must be a good person, because he listens to me carefully, even though his eyes are black and white. After all was said and done, Arjan-san opened his mouth.

“I see, you want an armor. That’s true, you need a good craftsman to be able to process them. But don’t worry, I’m a man who can do it. I may not be as good as my father, but you can trust me. It’s a chance for me to show those guys how it’s done ……”

“Isn’t your father around?”

When I asked, Mr. Arjan nodded his head.

“I was on a training trip a while ago, but I came back when it was over. He was sick, and he couldn’t take it anymore, so I showed him the results of my training, and he just looked satisfied and passed away. Have you ever heard of the name Clyve? He was the first person to work on dragon materials, you know?”

Hm? Clyve …… Clyve is …… I feel like heard of it before …… he said, closing his eyes and turning his head.

“Ah!? That’s right! The craftsman Leor-san was talking about is Clyve-san! I thought something didn’t feel right, so that’s it!?”

“W-What’s wrong, Lars!?”

“N-No, Leor-san told me the name of the craftsman, and it was Clyve. I’ve been wondering about him since I heard about him at the inn, but now the mystery is solved.”

This story was only told to me, my mom and dad, so everyone else had no way of knowing. I had forgotten all about it until the vacations. It’s a shame that he’s dead, though.

“Oh, what. You’ve come to ask for my father, huh. I’m sorry about that, did I give you a false sense of security ……?”

“Oh, no, not at all. But I was wondering why it was so desolate even though you have such skill.”

When my brother asked, saying that it’s so mysterious, he thought about it for a moment and then Arjan-san told us.

“Let’s get back to the story a little and I’ll tell you why the tools are not used …… The reason is that after my father passed away, the number of requests for work decreased drastically, and although I believe I’m not as good as him, people still ask me for things that my father made, and when they find out that he passed away, they just left. Once, they asked me to show them my skills and I made them a sword, but they laughed at me.”

He laughed gaily, but with a sad smile. I think he must be frustrated. Then Tigre-sensei stood up quickly and held out his hand to Arjan-san.

“…… Do you have any of your father’s sword left? I want to compare it to yours.”

“What? I don’t mind, but …… you’re a teacher, right? How do you know if a sword is good or bad?”

“I don’t know if you’ve heard of me, but I’ve been called the “War Demon” before. And my skill is called “Ignore Weapon Type”. I can almost figure it out by doing a test slash.”

When he heard the word “War Demon”, Arjan-san gulped, stood up silently, and brought two swords from his home.

“It’s this. I didn’t know you were that [War Demon]. The rumor of Berias has spread to this country.”

“It’s not a good rumor, anyway …… Ha~!”

“Well, yeah. The position of the country is opposite to ours, so if something happens, Luitzar will be a wall.”

“True. I don’t know what their current strength is …… though!”

As Tigre-sensei talked, he threw the daikon one by one, one swing at a time, to test the slice.

Then put the radish slices together and say.

“This one is yours?”

“…… As expected. That’s right. And?”

Arjan-san asked Tigre-sensei with narrowed eyes. The answer came back quickly.

“It’s slightly less sharp than your father’s sword. The cross-section was a little crushed. But–“

“But ……?”

“There’s a margin of error, but I think it’s perfect.”

When Tigre-sensei said this, Arjan-san smiled broadly, slapped his forehead, and opened his mouth to no one in particular.

“Damn! As I thought, you know what you’re talking about! I guess I’m not as good enough as my dad yet! Kah~, goddamn it!”

“You look happy for someone who’s swearing.”

When Luciela shrugged her shoulders and muttered, Arjan-san smiled and said.

“I understand what you’re saying, but there’s a certain amount of respect for my father and a certain amount of regret that I haven’t surpassed him yet.”

“I’m Luciela. But, don’t you have a hard time having a great parent? Isn’t that why you lost your job?”

“Hahaha, that’s harsh. But my father was the one that everyone looked up to for his skills, and when I was a kid I thought he was cool. I’ve always wanted to overtake my father like that, so I’ve never thought about hardship.”

“Hmm ……”

Luciela gave a curt reply, but her expression suggested that she was thinking about something.

“Okay, now that we have your approval, let’s negotiate about the work! On top of that, I have a favor to ask you …….”

“A favor?”

I asked back, and Arjan-san nodded with a mysterious look on his face. Is it about if we can give him dragon material ……?

I’d like to thank the people who noticed and passed me by (laughs).

Actually, it was someone else.

Thank you for reading!

[Afterword Theater]

“Unexpectedly, it’s the son ……”

It makes sense, doesn’t it? Looking forward to more!