Episode 13
Zeke rode out of the academy in a carriage, heading to meet a blacksmith who had refused his request.
“Gellion Halbert.”
The name of the blacksmith lingered in Zeke’s mind. In his previous life, Zeke had shared a significant bond with Gellion. Ten years from now, Gellion would earn the title “Blacksmith of Souls,” renowned for crafting weapons that perfectly matched their wielder by reading their soul. This skill would make him the most celebrated blacksmith on the continent.
Before Zeke’s return to the past, he had once saved Gellion’s life during a mission. In gratitude, Gellion had forged a sword that Zeke desperately needed.
Zeke recalled the claymore he wielded in his past life.
“The Sun Sword, Gram.”
Adorned with a serpent coiled in its design, the Sun Sword Gram was Gellion’s masterpiece. It possessed a unique ability tailored for Zeke: the power to convert mana cultivated in the dantian into aura.
The reason Zeke sought out Gellion, and no other, was to recreate Gram.
“We’ve arrived, sir,” Decker announced, prompting Zeke to step out of the carriage.
He found himself in front of a small, shabby forge tucked away in a corner of the city. The sign read:
[Gellion’s Forge]
“Quite the name,” Zeke mused, instructing Decker to wait outside as he ventured in alone.
The moment he entered, the strong scent of alcohol hit him. Inside, a man lay slumped over a table, his head buried in his arms.
Zeke approached the table slowly.
“Ugh!”
The man, thoroughly inebriated, waved him off without even looking up. “We’re closed… go away… no business…”
The young man had pale skin and hollow eyes, hardly fitting the image of a blacksmith. Despite the scraggly beard, Zeke recognized him as Gellion.
Zeke looked down at him and spoke, “Gellion Halbert.”
At the sound of his name, Gellion lifted his bleary eyes to meet Zeke’s gaze. “Huh? Who are you… This isn’t a place for kids. Get out…”
He took another swig from the bottle, his appearance a complete mess. Zeke frowned at the sight.
“This is serious.”
He glanced around the forge, noting that the fire hadn’t been lit in months. Turning back to Gellion, he asked, “I heard you’re not taking any orders. Care to explain why?”
Gellion belched and wiped his mouth. “Ugh… I can’t make the weapons I want. What’s the point of making more?”
Zeke tilted his head, puzzled by the stark difference from the Gellion he knew in his past life. Though Gellion had always been sensitive and prone to mood swings, he’d never seen him so defeated.
After a moment’s thought, Zeke turned and left the forge. Gellion chuckled to himself, continuing to drink.
“I should just die… What kind of blacksmith am I…”
Just then, a splash!
“Ugh!”
Zeke returned with a bucket of water, dousing Gellion completely. Soaked and bewildered, Gellion stared at Zeke.
“Feeling more awake now?” Zeke asked, his gaze cold.
Gellion blinked, his eyes landing on the gloves Zeke wore. His face turned pale.
“D-Draker…”
In the Duchy of Troy, the Draker family held a unique status, especially those of pure blood. Gellion sobered up instantly, bowing his head in apology.
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to be disrespectful…”
“Let me ask again. Why did you refuse my request?”
Gellion trembled at the question. “I never imagined a pure-blood Draker would commission a no-name blacksmith like me…”
He hadn’t even checked the request in the first place.
Zeke pulled up a chair and sat down, facing Gellion. “Now that you know who I am, can you take my order?”
Despite his fear, Gellion’s voice was firm. “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your commission.”
Zeke’s eyes narrowed. “You have time to drink but not to take my order?”
Gellion looked up at Zeke. “It’s… a personal issue.”
“Explain it clearly. If your reason isn’t convincing, you can’t refuse my request.”
After a moment of hesitation, Gellion stood up slowly. “Please, follow me. I’ll explain.”
He led Zeke to the back of the forge, where hundreds of broken swords were piled up, resembling a graveyard of blades.
Zeke examined the remnants and asked, “What is all this?”
Gellion replied with a bitter expression, “This is why I can’t take your order.”
Zeke picked up a piece of the shattered swords, inspecting it closely. “This is… laminated steel processing. And it’s far more advanced than usual.”
Gellion was taken aback. “How did you know?”
It was unheard of for a pure-blood Draker to know about such intricate blacksmithing techniques.
Zeke looked at the pile of remnants. “Is it because your skills are lacking that you can’t take orders?”
Gellion nodded with a grim face. “I’ve hit a wall as a blacksmith.”
Zeke understood Gellion’s predicament. “He’s facing a monumental barrier.”
In the future, Gellion would master fire and steel, crafting the perfect weapon for any user. Zeke pondered how to help Gellion, who stood at a crossroads in his growth.
“What should I do?”
In truth, Zeke already knew how to solve Gellion’s problem. In his past life, as Gellion’s savior, he had learned much from him.
“Gellion, your weapons never cease to amaze me. What’s your secret?”
“Many blacksmiths want to know. It’s my life’s secret, but I can’t hide it from my benefactor.”
“No, if it’s that important, you don’t have to tell me. I don’t want to impose.”
“The secret is the furnace. A magical furnace.”
Gellion’s secret lay in a specially crafted magical furnace that allowed him to control the fire’s temperature at will.
Zeke looked at the pile of broken swords with a wry smile. “The timing’s off. He’s not yet skilled enough to make the Sun Sword.”
The Sun Sword Gram was Gellion’s self-proclaimed greatest work. In his current state, Gellion couldn’t craft a sword for Zeke.
Suddenly, Gellion collapsed to the ground, crying out in frustration. “If only… if only I had the furnace…”
Zeke asked, “What do you mean by furnace?”
Gellion pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Zeke. “It’s the design for a special furnace I created.”
Zeke was astonished by the blueprint on the parchment. “It’s exactly like the one Gellion used in the future.”
Gellion spoke with a pained expression. “If I could complete this furnace, I could reach the level I envision. But… money is the issue.”
Surprised, Zeke asked, “Wait, so all these failures are because you lack the funds to build the furnace, not because of a lack of skill?”
Gellion replied seriously, “I’ve mastered all existing blacksmithing techniques years ago. I’m striving for something beyond that.”
Gellion was trying to surpass the limits of traditional blacksmithing to reach a new realm.
Zeke examined the furnace blueprint. “How much money are you short?”
Gellion sighed. “I could manage to build the furnace with a loan, but… the core magical mechanism is the problem.”
“The magical mechanism? Can’t you commission a mage for that?”
Gellion’s expression turned sour. “I tried asking the Mage Tower.”
“And?”
“They quoted ten thousand gold for the mechanism.”
“Ten thousand gold?”
A typical family’s monthly expenses were about ten gold. Ten thousand gold was an unimaginable sum for an ordinary person.
“Ten thousand gold? That’s more than the furnace itself.”
Gellion’s face was filled with frustration. “I know I can go further, but with ordinary fire, I can’t surpass this level. Every time I hammer the steel, I feel nothing but despair.”
Zeke considered Gellion’s situation. “Before I returned, Gellion’s rise to fame might have been delayed because he was saving money.”
If that were the case, completing the furnace would allow Gellion to unleash his true potential.
Then, a thought crossed Zeke’s mind. “The magic theory instructor… was it Fainan? He specialized in magical mechanisms.”
Perhaps this problem could be solved more easily than he thought.
He turned to the despondent Gellion. “Hey, Gellion.”
Gellion struggled to compose himself as he spoke.
“I’m sorry… for making a scene in front of someone so esteemed…”
“If I can craft this furnace for you, will you accept my request?”
At those words, Gellion’s eyes widened as he looked at Zeke.
“Y-you mean you’ll make the furnace for me?”
Gellion’s eyes burned with intensity.
Zeke, taken aback by Gellion’s fervor, instinctively stepped back.
“I think I can give it a try.”
Once Zeke had calmed his surprise, Gellion dropped to his knees and clutched Zeke’s ankles.
“If you do this for me, I, Gellion, will serve you as my benefactor for life!”
Watching Gellion, tears streaming down his face, Zeke recalled the Gellion from his past life.
‘He seems more grateful now than when I saved his life.’
Zeke tucked Gellion’s furnace blueprints into his coat.
“I’ll meet with the mage and let you know the outcome. And stop drinking so much.”
Gellion, his face a mess of tears and snot, nodded fervently.
“Understood. Thank you! Thank you, sir!”
Leaving Gellion’s shabby forge behind, Zeke headed back to the academy.
In the carriage, he glanced over Gellion’s blueprints.
Though he hadn’t formally studied magic, he could read basic mechanical schematics.
‘The structure doesn’t seem too complex. Why did the mages charge so much?’
It felt like there was something he was missing.
Upon arriving at the academy, Zeke made his way to the research wing where Fainan resided.
Then, something caught his attention.
‘That place…’
A secluded spot between the academy buildings.
It was where Zeke had often been bullied by Leon Conrad in his past life.
Though the bullying had ceased with his return, the memories lingered.
Just as Zeke was about to head to the research wing, he heard it.
Thud! Thud!
The sound of someone being hit echoed from the alley.
Zeke hesitated, then stopped.
‘This isn’t the time to meddle…’
Yet the painful memories of his academy days held him back.
In the end, Zeke turned and walked towards the alley.
As he expected, Leon Conrad’s gang was gathered there.
With Zeke no longer their target, they seemed to have found a new victim.
He looked at the student being beaten by Leon’s group.
‘Wait, that guy is…’
Zeke recognized the face.
‘Liam Stone.’
The servant of Jaken Valdeck and a future mercenary king.
Liam was now Leon Conrad’s new target, taking a beating.
Knowing it was Liam Stone, Zeke hesitated.
‘Liam wouldn’t just take a beating. There must be a reason.’
Interfering might cause more trouble than it was worth.
After a moment’s thought, Zeke decided to turn away and leave.
Just then, Leon’s voice rang out loudly.
“How’s that? Feeling awake now, you inferior scum?”
In an instant, Zeke’s body moved on its own.
He leapt up, using the wall as a springboard.
He grabbed Leon Conrad by the scruff and slammed him against the wall.
“Ugh!”
Leon’s gang was caught off guard by Zeke’s sudden intervention.
Zeke glared at them with a deadly intensity.
“You have three seconds. Get on your knees.”