Chapter 98 98 – A Room

Darren turned his head to Ayre and said nothing.

"Sorry in advance if I will offend you." I followed the wave made by Ayre. "Do you want the knowledge of forging Mythril to be lost in your generation?"

I learned from Faye that Darren has no relatives left.

A low chuckle left Darren's mouth. "You think that I won't be able to have children, huh? Hey, it's my nerves that are sick, not my dick."

Doubt filled my head as I said this, but I knew I had to. "Are you sure when your children are old enough, you can still teach them?"

Darren's illness was most likely the same as that of Lexi's mother. Maybe in a few more years, Darren will no longer be able to move and speak, let alone teach someone about smithing.

Veins started to protrude on that man's forehead and neck. "Leave me alone. Leave, now."

"If you teach this partner of mine, then she can teach your children in the future when you can't do it anymore." I kept pressing him.

Darren rubbed his face with trembling hands. His frustrated expression grew even more obvious.

"You two can recognize other blacksmiths, right? Why me?"

"Of course, I'll look for the others too." I walked closer to that man. "And when I do that search, I'll still let my partner learn from you. So, if I don't find another Mythril smith, I still have her."

"So, I'm just your insurance, huh?" He stared intently into my eyes. "Say, young man. What do you want to do with Mythril? Do you want to defeat a dragon? It's still doable using other types of weapons."

"No." I gave him a meaningful smile. "We just want to go home. If I tell you about it, you won't understand."

The blacksmith kept looking at me, and he slowly laughed. "What kind of answer is that!?"

If I told him we were going to use time travel magic, perhaps he'd think we were crazy. He might not want to teach Ayre anymore because of that.

I keep smiling. "If you don't accept our offer, you'll have to find someone else who will be your disciple. Can you really do that with your crippled legs?"

"You have a sharp mouth." He then looked at Ayre. "Well, I don't really believe your friend will keep his word in the end, Miss. However, I have nothing. This shop is dying. At least by teaching you, I'll be busy."

"Good." My smile widened.

"Get ready, miss." He walked towards the shapeshifter general. "We have to start everything from the bottom."

"I am ready, sir." The shapeshifter general answered.

Actually, I feel bad for Darren. In the end, Ayre will come home with me. Maybe she would never train Darren's kids.

"The sun is already setting." Darren walked back to the counter. "You two better spend the night here. You won't have enough time to go to the inn."

"Sure," I respond. "If you don't mind."

This could be a way to get us closer to the blacksmith.

Darren glanced at me a little. "Wait a moment. I'll make the dinner and prepare your room…. And I don't need your help. I can still slice carrots and put the bed sheets on myself."

"I have one question, my lord," Ayre whispered when Darren finally disappeared behind the curtains. "Why don't you use more force, like with Kevin, the bartender? You apply pressure and offensive words to Darren, but that's not a threat."

"Well, I feel that we should use a middle-of-the-road approach with Darren. Not too hard, but not too soft either…. Maybe you could say that because my instincts told me so."

***

"Sorry, I hope this bed is enough for two," Darren said after lead us into the guest room.

I raised an eyebrow when I saw that the bed was bigger than usual but too small for two people. "We're not lovers, Darren."

Darren was silent for a few seconds, then laughed. "Sorry, I only have this. I can't possibly give you my bed. You understand my condition, right?"

"I'll manage." I chuckled too. Well, I don't need sleep in this world, after all. I just have to use the fast-forward feature to wait for the morning.

"At the very least, I'll get you a blanket." Darren started to walk away from us.

"No need…."

"It's okay!" Darren cut me off. "I've been alone for a long time. Having you both here feels like a breath of fresh air."

Ayre looked around the small room with dull brown walls. "Why are you hesitant to sleep with me? What makes me different from those who have slept with you? Is it because this bed is too narrow? I can flatten myself out so you won't feel cramped."

Those long words from Ayre caught me off guard. "Well, I'm sorry…."

I really don't know how to reply to her unexpected words.

"Usually, you are good at talking, especially to influence people." Ayre rubbed the sheets on the bed. "Now look, I managed to keep you speechless."

I folded my arms across my chest. "What do you want to say, Ayre?"

She stared at me with her signature blank expression. "Do I have to be something else for you to think of me as a woman?"

It took me a while until I could process her words. "Why?"

"Is that what you asked the others?" She approached me. "Do I need a reason to love my master? Are the others also expressing their reasons for loving you?"

I opened my mouth, but no words could come out.

"Finally, we really can be alone, my lord. Away from the others." She sighed, caressing my face with her warm hand. "Since yesterday, I've been thinking about telling you this, but I still have doubts."

My heart rate crept up. All this time, I never really thought that Ayre had the potential to be someone special to me. However, when a woman expresses her feelings to me like this, I feel very flattered.

"I'm not as good at these things as succubi. I also don't have an instinct for flirt like humans." She continued while pressing her forehead against my chest. "But one thing I know, my feelings are real, my dear lord. I…."

Before she could continue her words, I pressed my lips against hers.

"I put the blanket outside!" Darren's voice came, followed by the soft thud of the door being shut. However, I don't care.

I'm currently enjoying the warmth of this woman's lips.