CH 5.44

The Blacksmith, the Magician, and Winged Bird*

Translated by Mlzkzr

Edited by Mlzkzr

(TN: The kanji used in the title can also mean happily married couple)

“Please, make me your apprentice!!!”

It was in my third week of blacksmithing here in Odine that I was clutched by a young man in a robe at the blacksmith union.

At first, I thought that only daily necessities would be in demand for my blacksmithing work, but surprisingly, the union only requests me to create weapons and armor.

The Academy of Military Magic and Anti-magic Tactics Academy also teaches combat with weapons, so it’s not like there’s no demand for them.

Also, regarding the production of daily necessities, they said that the town’s blacksmiths will starve if it is stolen from them.

Therefore, there is not much demand for weapons and armor, but at the same time, there are no skilled blacksmiths, so they wanted to take this opportunity of having a senior blacksmith in town to make as many high quality weapons and armor as possible.

Ah, yup, that makes sense.

Of course, I would not feel bad if someone asked me to do something like that, and I was in a good mood as I repeatedly delivered swords, axes, spears, and other weapons, first completing them and then delivering them.

However, on that day, as soon as I entered the blacksmith union, a young man, a magician by the looks of him, rushed toward me, got down on one knee, bowed his head, and uttered the words that were just spoken.

Not knowing what was going on, I was so overwhelmed by his momentum that I tried to take a step back, but the young man clung to my legs as if he would not let me go.

If he had acted out of hostility, I would have kicked him to the ground and that would have been the end of it, but he was desperate, but his feelings toward me were not vicious at all.

I was inwardly a little taken aback, but I calmly quieted them down for the time being and asked him about his situation.

Now that I think about it, yes, up until now, when I requested to become someone’s disciple, I would only step in as much as the other person would withdraw, and I have been able to force my way into an apprenticeship.

Without realizing that we are doing the same thing, I involuntarily pull back and reach out to him and ask him what’s going on.

That’s probably why at that time, my defeat had already been decided.

Meeting the young man, Kauschmann Fiedel, was truly a fateful encounter, and I am only a little disappointed that it was he, and not me, who brought about that fate.

Kauschmann is a full-fledged magician who has his own laboratory and atelier here in Odine.

He’s not as good as a magician living in the spire, but if he’s a full-fledged magician under the age of twenty, he is more than good enough.

And there is only one reason why such an excellent magician bowed his head to want to learn blacksmithing from me.

It was because he wished to make a magic tool, a magic sword, that had a technique engraved on the weapon.

Kauschmann, who was an apprentice until a few years ago, says he was the apprentice of a magician.

The magician’s name is Rajudol.

A dwarven magician, who was very rare even here in Odine.

Yes, he was one of the dwarves who has magic aptitude, as I had been told by the male official at the town hall.

Rajudol had an atelier in this town, and it seems that he was conducting research into magic tools by engraving techniques on the weapons and accessories he made.

Therefore, Kauschmann, who had such a dwarven magician as his teacher, also went on to study magic tools after mastering the art of magic.

But a few years ago, Rajudol received a request from the Dwarven Nation to return to the country, so he left this town.

Fortunately, Kauschman had already learned enough of the basics of magic, so he left him to study the rest on his own…….

After that, Kauschmann continued researching magic tools while engraving magic formulas on ready-made tools, until he was recognized as a full-fledged magician by Odine.

Kauschman, however, was distressed by the comparison between himself and his mentor.

Unlike his teacher Rajudol, Kauschman did not have the skills to make his own accessories or weapons.

Rajudol returned to the land of the dwarves before he could pass on the technique, so the magic sword cannot be struck by Kauschman.

Conflicted, conflicted, and still not seeing any way to resolve it,……he saw the sword I struck at a certain place at that time.

That’s right, a sword forged with a technique that draws on the flow of the dwarves.

Kauschman seems to have sensed fate in it.

Even though he did not have the skill to strike it himself, he had an eye for discerning things, having looked up to the dwarf as his mentor.

At first, he thought that a master craftsman from the Dwarves had come to town, and when he asked the blacksmith union for an introduction, he could not believe his ears when he heard that it was an elf who had forge it.

However, there’s the fact that my master was a dwarf mentioned in the senior blacksmith certificate that I showed to the blacksmith union, so Kauschman was convinced and thought that an elf who had learned from the dwarves and acquired dwarven skills would be able to pass these skills on to him as well.

Therefore, Kauschman, not wanting to miss this opportunity, visited the blacksmiths’ union on a daily basis and waited for my arrival.

Ah, what can I say?

My personal information is being leaked to the fullest extent huh.

Well, in this world, it’s no wonder since there is little concept of protecting personal information, though……

“Please. I will do anything. I’ll even pay you. I’ll also do your chores, so please teach me that skill too.”

I honestly understood his feelings about asking me to teach him that, as much as it hurt.

Or rather, when I heard the details, Rajudor left this town almost at the same time as when I parted from Asvald, my fucking dwarf master, so it felt like we were destined there as well.

Yes, I empathized with him.

That’s why, I think.

I thought Kauschman was sneaky.

Because if I teach him blacksmithing, …… well, it will probably take close to ten years, but Kauschman will be able to forge a magic sword.

But no matter how I think about it, it’s unfair that I can’t forge a magic sword.

Rather, yes, if he needed a magic sword, it would definitely be more efficient for him to teach me magic.

I’m sure it is.

……Perhaps?

But even if I thought so, it was not so long ago that I would honestly speak out and fight about it.

I’m clever now.

The journey I have taken since leaving the Kingdom of Ludria has taught me that running forward in the dark is not the only way to achieve my goals.

Just because I want to fulfill my purpose does not mean I have to deny other people’s purpose.

After all, Kauschman said earlier that he would do anything.

“Is that so. Then if you’re willing to do anything, why don’t you teach me magic. In magic tools, I ……am also very interested in magic swords. In that case, maybe our terms are fair.”

When I said that and held out my right hand, Kauschmann, who had bowed his head, looked up in surprise, blinked his eyes, and stared alternately at my face and my right hand.