Some slight mature themes involve. Proceed at your own risk.

Chapter 6: In the name of love

The sun had earnestly rose, but I was already long up before it did.

Starting from today, I’d decided to resume my morning training.

Building trust with your body is important.

It may betray you if you did not take care of it properly.

Those were my father’s words.

I recalled those hellish days when my Father would drag me out of bed to train both my mind and body. I hated it, but because of that training, I was able to survive the most brutal and savage trek I’d ever experienced in my short life.

That was supposed to be my plan for today, however I was in a position where lifting a single finger would spell my death.

Celes seemed to have rolled down the bed. I don’t know when, but she did. And since I was holding her hand, it immediately tangled us in a very dangerous position.

“Mhmm…”

Taking a shot of her breath at point blank range was definitely not good for my heart. It was the most innocent, yet the most erotic feeling in this world.

My heart was beating against my ribs, ringing in my ears.

I managed to release an arm that was sandwiched in between her thighs, but alas, Celes shifted her body, resulting in her pressing those innocent bosom more firmly against my chest.

My manhood was like a volcano waiting to erupt, a storm ready to strike.

But, just before I did the unforgivable, I heard a laugh.

The laugh of a housewife excited by the gossips she just heard—that kind of laugh.

But it was only me and Celes in this room.

How was that possible?

To relieve myself of that dreaded feeling, I decided to calm myself.

Afterwards, I carried Celes back to her bed and left the room in a hurry.

I spent the last few minutes in the bathroom, meditating.

Once I was done relieving myself of my earthly desires, I went downstairs to pick up the eggs.

Outside, the sky still glimmered dark and the wind was chilly.

Since I’d been sleeping in lately, I hadn’t met the person who delivers these eggs. I figured I would ask where the giant eggs came from. It doesn’t seem like it was an ostrich egg judging from the soft shell.

So, being curious, I sat on highest stone step in front of the shop’s door and waited patiently.

To alleviate my boredom, I started flipping this silver coin I received as compensation yesterday. I was not even sure what I could buy with it, but it was still my first money in this world. Because of that, I wanted to keep it with me as a good luck charm.

And after drowning myself in thoughts, a little girl carrying a large basket, seemingly too big for her to handle, took the steps to reach the shop.

I found myself observing her as she took her tiny steps forward.

The girl was covered in dirt and her clothes were tattered.

To make things worse, she was not wearing any kind of footwear, and the closer she approached, the more I saw her feet were covered in cuts and callouses. If I had to make a guess, she was probably around eight years old. It seemed that no matter the world that we live in, there was still children being ignored.

After the little girl left the basket of eggs on our front door, she quickly turned around to leave.

“Wait,” I said, stopping the girl on her track.

She turned to me with a baffled expression. “Nm? What is it mister?”

“Oh… Nothing… I just wanted to know where those eggs came from.”

“Why?”

An understandable reaction.

For her, it must seem very strange for a guy like me to be asking about eggs.

I did come from a world where chickens don’t lay bloated eggs such as these.

“I’m just curious… Neh?”

The girl stepped back as soon as she saw me smile.

She stood frozen in place with a knee up high, ready to jolt away.

“Relax—”

And boom—the girl sprinted, as if she was running away to save her life.

Seriously? Her reaction made me scratch my head.

“What the hell was that for?”

I picked up the basket and returned inside the shop.

It was another regular day. As normal as this life goes, I was starting to like my life here.

After everything for the morning was done, I was called to the smithy.

Over there, the old man was still busy hammering a blade down while buckets of sweat dripped down, quickly evaporating into a hot steam that exuded from his skin. His muscular build was astonishing, yet I did not want to be as bulky as him at the same time.

“Oh, Reimuz, come here, I have a gift for you.”

After noticing my presence, he immediately stopped what he was doing and told me to come along. When he said gift, I got excited right away.

“This is…”

But, contrast to what I was expecting, it was just a simple looking hammer. A hammer for flattening or hitting metals. It was probably just forged recently seeing how shiny it was. Attached at the edge of its wooden handle was a clear gem resembling a cat’s eye.

“Your journey to become a fine blacksmith would be tough, but I expect great things from you.”

The old man smiled as he passed the hammer into my hands. A smile full of expectations. I don’t know why, but it felt really good. Maybe because I could feel that he truly believed in me.

I was silent for half a second, then I took a deep breath. “Thank you, Master. I will try my utmost not to shame or betray your trust.”

“Very good. Think of that hammer as a part of you and always keep it with you at all times,” he said, tapping my shoulder.

Just when I was about to enter a state of solemnness, the old man slapped me on the back. A hard whack that made me crumple in agony.

“Dammit old man!”

“This calls for a celebration! A good time to unwind. I can show you this good place that I found! They serve some really nice booze and plenty of beautiful waitresses to boot. What say you, my apprentice?”

He kept on slapping me as he yammered on and on.

As I tried to straighten my back, I heard my bones crack.

Not to mention, this old man’s loud voice was making my ears bleed it was torture.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not really interested in drinking.”

I declined his offer because I have no time for such things.

The sun was about to set and I still had some shopping to do.

After all, these few sets of clothes that Celes bought me beforehand was all I had.

“A shame. I heard they just got a new part timer and she’s an Effu. You know how Effus are said to be very beautiful,” his words enticed my ears—just like a bear tempted by a honeycomb.

“What the, really? An Effu? Where can I find this place?”

I jolted to my position and shrugged the old man as soon as my ears caught the word “Effu”.

An Effu in this city can only mean Celes.

My imagination was running wild.

Who knows what kind of shady things she’s being forced to do.

Maybe they’re making her wear some really embarrassing outfit right now?

If so, I have to see.

I told the old man to hurry and we sprinted to the location without even giving him the chance to change. After passing through the bridge, we turned right and continued forward. Eventually, the old man stopped in front of a country looking house with a big wooden chicken on the roof similar to a weather vane.

“Here’s the place,” he gestured me to the front door, panting and sweating.

“Let’s go in.”

Not even stopping to catch my breath, I pushed my way inside and I found myself standing in front of a bar.

“Welcome to Bilford’s—wait, Reimuz?”

“Yo Celes, you look beautiful in that dress.”

Her pleasant smile that greeted me was immediately replaced by a scowl.

She was displeased in a slightly embarrassed way.

Celes was dressed up in frilly outfit with a short skirt and her loose hair flows down to her waist.

Even though she was irritated and not smiling; I found her very cute.

No, that was wrong.

It was exactly because she was upset that she looked so adorable right now.

Damn, her expression made me want to lick her ears. Not good.

“What do you want Reimuz? I can’t even work properly with you here,” she said through pouting lips.

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to see if the rumors are true.”

“Rumors, what type of rumors?”

“That an Effu’s working here.”

Her eyes widened slightly. “Huh? How can I make rumors if I just started working here?”

True.

The old man averted his gaze as soon as I spun around to ask.

That reaction alone was enough for me to realize he was the one who schemed all of this. Nonetheless, seeing Celes in a waitress outfit alone had really made this trip worthwhile.

“My mistake then. Anyways, can you get us a table?”

“Fine. Over here.”

Celes showed us to our table and quickly left.

Seemed like she was quite upset with me around.

“You’re quite lucky to have her.”

The old man spoke while glancing all over the place.

This place does give me that warm feeling, as if I was at home.

“What makes you say that?” I asked in bewilderment.

“Well, I’m not supposed to say this, but she asked me for a job a few days ago,” he said, his eyes ogling a waitress’s swaying butt.

I pressed a palm on my face and rubbed my forehead. Damn this old man. Your actions could be considered harassment, you know?

“And?”

“Nothing special. When I asked, all she said was that she wanted to get you something as thanks.”

That same waitress approached us and took our order. The old man smiled at her and winked, but the waitress did not scurry to her feet for some reason. Instead, she winked back and shook her bottom for the old man to see. What the hell?

“Two of the best beers you have,” the old man murmurs while scratching his chin, now feigning ignorance to the waitress’s flirty behavior. He looked at me, and I sighed.

“I see, that’s a good enough reason for Celes to work here,” I said, sighing once more.

Normally, with someone as prideful as her, it would be impossible.

However, because of her pride, she didn’t want to owe me any favors.

I had proclaimed that I would try to find a way to fix her sword after all.

Damn, I can’t say for sure but my heart is bouncing with happiness.

Other than my parents and a certain childhood friend, nobody really had paid this much attention to me, and most of the time I was ignored. But now, I can’t help but smile with this tingly feeling in my chest.

After an eternity of drinking, the old man finally succumbed to the power of alcohol.

I laughed seeing him slouch on the table while holding his last remaining mug.

I guess being underage didn’t mean a thing in this world.

My curiosity aside, I was not even at the right age to purchase beer in my original world.

He was such a bad influence. Good thing I only drank milk after that first mug, or else we’ll be in the same predicament right now... Or maybe a lot worse.

And as usual, no matter what type of topic we were talking about, the old man still managed to sway the discussion in regards to his past.

According to him, he was once a knight for a kingdom in the north. Although, no matter how drunk he got, he never once revealed the kingdom’s name for whatever reason.

He was quite loyal and has achieved many things in his youth.

Because of his achievements, the king befriended him and he was soon introduced to the king’s family where he met one of the king’s concubines. Their ages were far apart, but that still did not stop the old man from falling in love.

A few years after that meeting, the concubine of the king gave birth to a son. Even though it was the second prince, the king was still delighted. Boys are a must in a royal family.

The King donned the child with expensive clothing and he was even given leisure to do what he wished. All of the things that the concubine wished for were granted and she was even admitted as an official member of the royalty.

The old man, who was a close friend of the king at that time, was appointed to become the royal escort for the boy. Even if he could not be together with the woman he loved, as long as he was able to protect someone important to her, he was already satisfied. Thus, he immediately agreed to the king’s suggestion.

However tragedy quickly came.

When the young boy turned five, the king demanded him to perform the ritual that will gauge his magical power. If it turned out that his potential surpassed his elder brother, he would become the successor instead. That was just how twisted the royalty in this world works.

The castle was nearly toppled upside down while preparations were being made.

Everybody in the capital prepared for that event and on that fateful day…

Nothing.

The boy wielded the kingdom’s holy sword, but he wasn’t able to successfully connect with the sword’s spirit. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to bring out an ounce of mana.

“Maybe he was still a little too young for the ceremony?”

When I asked that question to the old man, he simply shook his head.

Apparently, the sword was made for the sole purpose of showing your latent power. Just by holding it, one can see how strong they would become in the future. But that Holy sword did not flash at all when the boy held it up high.

The ceremony ended in a failure.

After that the boy, along with his mother, were immediately banished from the palace. All of the liberty they once possessed had been stripped and they were quickly discarded. The boy adopted a twisted personality as everybody else treated him worse than they would a rock.

Somebody who couldn't use a spell in a magic driven world.

Somebody who couldn’t connect with spirits.

A royal disgrace.

The old man saw this chance—his one and only chance. Though he was only known as a royal guard, the boy’s mother still trusted him and they decided to run away.

Because with the current state of things, the boy would hold no future in that place, she placed her bets on the old man.

They crossed the borders and eventually reached Bilford. Since Bilford was a neutral trade city, a pass wasn’t required to enter or exit. It was the perfect opportunity for the three of them to start a new life.

The old man threw everything away and lived a peaceful life along with the boy and his mother. They didn’t get married, but he was happy by the fact that they were together.

However, shortly after they found peace, the boy’s mother left this world. The boy was only seven, but he had already experienced the harsh reality of life.

The old man was mortified, but soon he remembered that she left her son in his care, and he should never show his weak side. He had never gotten along with the rotten kid, but because of her death, they connected with each other.

The old man studied the path of blacksmithing along with the boy. The child could not use magic, but he was still young and full of potential. Therefore, he trained the boy in the art of swordsmanship and the boy strengthened his resolve through blacksmithing.

Because the boy couldn’t use magic, he had to find a different way to get stronger. The training was harsh, and the boy thought of quitting many times, but his mother’s death reminded him of how this world only favors the strong.

Upon reaching the age of 19, the boy decided to wander the continent to become the strongest swordsman.

“I will take my title as prince back, and once that happens, please forge me a new holy sword… Father. A sword, forged by the greatest blacksmith…”

That was the first time the boy called him father.

For the boy, the old man was the greatest blacksmith.

For the old man, that was the best moment in his life.

Seeing the twisted boy grow up to such a fine young man was his greatest joy. Tears rained from his eyes after he released the pent-up emotions that he had closed within himself for more than a decade.

After that, the young man left to go on a long journey.

It was a very sad tale but, in the end, the old man achieved everything he had wanted. Even though it was just for a fleeting moment, he was together with his beloved.

And after hearing this story, it made me wonder to myself:

How far would I go for Celes?

I hope to return the favor as well.

One day… Even if it would take me my whole life.

For now, I guess I should just do what I can, little by little.

“I’m done for the night,” Celes said, taking the chair beside me. “Are you drunk?” she peered at my face and asked.

“Nah, I only drank milk.”

“I saw you ogling the other waitresses,” she flushed and pouted, her eyes never leaving my face. She stared and stared, making me flush as well.

“It wasn’t me, Ahahaha,” I said, scratching my nose. “That aside, let’s go home?”

“Hmm… How do you plan to get your Master home?”

“Well… I’m gonna have to give him a piggyback ride I guess.”

Oh boy. There goes my back.

.

.

.

.

.

Inside the soothing embrace of a young man was an unconscious girl he desired to protect. The girl’s delicate features were salt pale and her eyes were squeezed tight. Both of them lay on the dirt—which is now a rapidly expanding pool of blood.

His own sword—a short sword that he previously bought for twenty five silver coins—was stabbed deep on his back, piercing himself and the girl.

To get out of this situation would be a pipe dream and he knew it. Yet, however dim his vision had become, he wished for the girl’s safety. If she could only get out of this nightmare, he would have no problem transitioning to the afterlife.

But, as horrible as it was already, the one to caused all of this was not so nice to leave them to fate.

Just before the sinister scythe of death could claim him, chunks of what seemed to be brains and internal organs spattered on his face. The girl who clung so tightly to him was cleaved in half, spraying her gore to the young man’s face.

After the young man had suffered enough mental anguish to explode in tears, he soon suffered the same fate.

“Aaaaaaaagghhh!!”

Other than the crows that gathered to feast on their corpses, nobody else heard their cries of agony. On a quiet night illuminated by the crescent moon, two more corpses buffeted the hungry soil.

Spoiler : Chapter 6: In the name of love

The sun has earnestly arise, but I was already long up before it did.

Starting from today, I’ve decided to resume my morning training.

Building trust with your body is important.

It may betray you if not taken care of properly.

Those were my Father’s words.

I recalled those hellish days when my Father would dragged me out of the bed to train both my mind and body. I hated it but, because of that training, I was able to survive the most brutal and savage trek I’ve ever experienced in my short life.

That was supposed to be my plan for today, however I’m in a position where lifting a single finger would spell my death.

Celes seemed to have rolled down the bed.

I don’t know when, but she did.

And since I was holding her hand, it immediately tangled us in a very dangerous position.

“Mhmm…”

Taking a shot of her breath at point blank range was definitely not good for my heart.

It’s the most innocent, yet the most erotic feeling in this world.

My heart was rapping against my ribs, ringing in my ears.

I managed to release an arm that was sandwiched in between her thighs, but alas, Celes shifted her body, resulting in her pressing those innocent bosom more firmly against my chest.

My manhood was like a volcano waiting to erupt, a storm ready to strike.

But, just before I did the unforgivable, I heard a laugh.

The laugh of a housewife excited by the gossips she just heard—that kind of laugh.

But it’s only me and Celes in this room.

How is that possible?

To relieve myself of that dreaded feeling, I decided to stop.

Afterwards, I carried Celes back to her bed and left that room in a hurry.

I spent the last few minutes in the bathroom, meditating.

Once I’m done relieving myself of my earthly desires, I headed downstairs to pick up the eggs.

Outside, the sky still glimmered dark and the wind is chilly.

Since I’ve always been sleeping in lately, I haven’t met the person who delivers these eggs. I figured I’d ask where those giant eggs came from. It doesn’t seem like it’s an ostrich egg judging from how soft the shell is.

So, curious as I am, I sat on highest stone step in front of the shop’s door and waited patiently.

To alleviate my boredom, I started flipping this silver coin I received as compensation yesterday. I’m not even sure what I could buy with it, but it’s still my first money in this world. Because of that, I wanted to keep it with me as a good luck charm.

And after drowning myself in thoughts, a little girl carrying a large basket seemingly too big for her to handle took the steps to reach the shop.

I find myself observing her as she take her tiny steps forward.

The girl is covered in dirt and her clothes are tattered.

To make things worse, she’s not wearing any kind of footwear, and the closer I look, the more I see her feet is covered in cuts and callouses.

If I have to make a guess, she’s probably around eight years old.

It seems that no matter the world that we lived in, there’s still children being ignored.

After the little girl left the basket of eggs on our front door, she quickly turned around to leave.

“Wait.”

“Nm? What is it mister?”

She turns to me with a baffled expression.

“Oh… Nothing… I just wanted to know where those eggs came from.”

“Why?”

An understandable reaction.

For her, it must seem very strange for a guy like me to be asking about eggs.

I did came from a world where chickens doesn’t lay bloated eggs such as these.

“I’m just curious… Neh?”

The girl steps back as soon as she saw me smile.

She stood frozen in place with a knee up high, ready to jolt away.

“Relax—”

And boom—the girl sprinted, as if she was running away to save her life.

It made me scratch my head.

“What the hell was that for?”

I picked up the basket and returned inside the shop.

It was another regular day.

As normal as this life goes, I’m starting to like my life here.

After everything’s all set and done, I was called to the smithy.

Over there, the old man is still busy hammering a blade down, sweating buckets and hot steam exuding out of his skin. His muscular build is astonishing, yet I do not want to be bulky as him at the same time.

“Oh Reimuz, come here, I have a gift for you.”

After noticing my presence, he immediately stops what he’s doing and told me to come along. When he said gift, I got excited right away.

“This is…”

But, contrast to what I was expecting, it was just a simple looking hammer.

A hammer for flattening or hitting metals.

It was probably just forged recently seeing how shiny it is.

Attached at the edge of it’s wooden handle is a clear gem resembling a cat’s eye.

“Your journey to become a fine blacksmith would be tough, but I expect great things from you.”

Master smiled as he pass the hammer to my hands.

A smile full of expectations.

I don’t why, but it felt really good.

Maybe because I could feel that he truly believes in me.

“Thank you, Master. I will try my utmost not to shame or betray your trust.”

“Very good. Think of that hammer as a part of you and always keep it with you at all times.”

Just when I was about to enter a state of solemness, the old man slaps me on the back.

A hard whack that made me crumple in agony.

“Dammit old man!”

“This calls for a celebration! A good time to unwind. I can show you this good place that I found! They serve some really nice booze and plenty of beautiful waitresses to boot. What say you, my apprentice?”

He keeps on slapping me as he yammer on and on.

As I try to straighten my back, I heard my bones crack.

Not to mention, this old man’s loud voice is making my ears bleed its torture.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not really interested in drinking.”

I declined his offer because I have no time for such things.

The sun is about to set and I still have some shopping to do.

After all, these few sets of clothes that Celes got me beforehand is all I got.

“A shame. I heard they just got a new part timer and she’s an Effu. You know how Effus are said to be very beautiful.”

“What the, really? An Effu? Where can I find this place?”

I jolted to my position and shrugged the old man as soon as my ears catches the word “Effu”.

An Effu in this city can only mean Celes.

My imagination is running wild.

Who knows what kind of shady things she’s being forced to do.

Maybe they’re making her wear some really embarrassing outfit right now?

If so, I have to see.

I told the old man to hurry and we sprinted to the location without even giving him the chance to change. After passing through the bridge, we turned right and continued forward.

Eventually, the old man stops in front of a country looking house with a big wooden chicken on the roof similar to a weather vane.

“Here’s the place.”

“Let’s come in.”

Not even stopping to catch my breath, I pushed my way inside and I found myself standing in front of a bar.

“Welcome to Bilford’s—wait, Reimuz?”

“Yo Celes, you look beautiful in that dress.”

Her pleasant smile that greeted was immediately replaced by a scowl.

She’s displeased in a slightly embarrassed way.

Celes is dressed up in frilly outfit with a short skirt and her hair is loose down to her waist.

Even though she’s irritated and not smiling, I still find her very cute.

No, that was wrong.

It’s exactly because of that that she’s so adorable right now.

“What do you want Reimuz? Can’t even work properly with you here.”

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to see if the rumors are true.”

“Rumors, what type of rumors?”

“That an Effu’s working here.”

“Huh? How can I make rumors if I just started working here?”

True.

The old man averted his gaze as soon as I spun around to ask.

That reaction alone was enough for me to realize he’s the one who schemed all of this. Nonetheless, seeing Celes in a waitress outfit alone really made this trip worthwhile.

“My mistake then. Anyways, can you get us a table?”

“Fine. Over here.”

Celes showed us to our table and quickly left.

Seems like she’s quite upset with me around.

“You’re quite lucky to have her.”

The old man spoke while glancing all over the place.

This place does give me that warm feeling, as if I’m at home.

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, I’m not supposed to say this, but she asked me for a job a few days ago.”

“And?”

“Nothing special. Celes said she wants to get you something as thanks when I asked.”

“I see, that’s a good enough reason for Celes to work here.”

Normally, with someone as prideful as her, it would be impossible.

However, because of that pride, she doesn’t want to owe me any favors.

I did proclaimed that I will try to find a way to fix her sword.

Damn, I can’t say for sure but my heart is bouncing with happiness.

Other than my parents, nobody really has paid that much attention to me and most of the time, I’m ignored. But now, I can’t help but smile with this tingly feeling in my chest.

After an eternity of drinking, the old man finally succumbs to the power of alcohol.

Seeing him slouch on the table while holding his last remaining mug made me laugh.

I guess being underage doesn’t mean a thing in this world.

My curiosity aside, I’m not even at the right age to purchase beer from where I came from.

He’s such a bad influence.

And as usual, no matter what type of topic we’re talking about, the old man still managed to sway the discussion in regards to his past.

According to him, he was once a knight for a certain kingdom in the north.

Although, no matter how drunk he got, he never once revealed the kingdom’s name for whatever reasons.

He was quite loyal and has achieved many things in his youth.

Because of his achievements, the king befriended him and he was soon introduced to the king’s family where he met one of the king’s concubine. Their ages were so far apart, but that still did not stop the old man from falling in love.

A few years after that meeting, that concubine of the king gave birth to a son. Even though it was the second prince, the king was still delighted. Boys are a must in a royal family.

The child was donned with expensive clothing and leisure from the king. All of the things that the concubine wished for was granted and she was even admitted as royalty.

The old man, who was a close friend of the king at that time, was appointed to become the royal escort for the boy. Even if he cannot be together with the woman he loved, as long as he’s able to protect someone important to her, he’s already satisfied. Thus, he immediately agreed to the king’s suggestion.

However tragedy quickly came.

When the young boy turned five, the king demanded him to perform the ritual that will gauge his magical power. If it turns out that his potential surpass his elder brother, he’ll become the successor instead. That’s just how twisted the royalty in this world works.

The castle was toppled upside down while preparations were being made.

Everybody in the capital prepared for that event and on the fateful day…

Nothing.

The boy wielded the kingdom’s holy sword, but he wasn’t able to successfully connect with the sword’s spirit. No matter how hard he tried, he wasn’t able to bring an ounce of mana.

“Maybe he was still a little too young for the ceremony?”

When I asked that question to the old man, he simply shook his head.

Apparently, the sword was made for the sole purpose of showing your latent power.

Just by holding it, one can see how strong they will become in the future.

But that Holy sword did not flash anything when the boy held it up high.

The ceremony ended in a failure.

After that, the boy, along with his mother, were immediately banished from the palace.

All of the liberty they once possessed has been stripped and they were discarded.

The boy adapted a twisted personality as everybody else treated him worse than a rock.

Somebody who couldn't use a spell in a magic driven world.

Somebody who couldn’t connect with spirits.

A royal disgrace.

The old man saw this chance—his one and only chance. Though he was only known as a royal guard, the boy’s mother still trusted him and they decided to ran away.

Because with the current state of things, the boy will held no future in that place, she placed her bets on him.

They crossed the borders and eventually reached Bilford.

Since Bilford is a neutral trade city, a pass isn’t required to enter or exit.

It’s the perfect opportunity for the three of them to start a new life.

The old man threw everything away and lived a peaceful life along with the boy and his mother. They didn’t get married, but he was happy by the fact that they’re together.

However, shortly after they found peace, the boy’s mother left this world.

The boy was only seven, but he’s already experience the harsh reality of life.

The old man was mortified but, as soon he remembered that she left his son in his care, he can never show his weak side. He’s never gotten along with the rotten kid but, because of that certain event, they connected with each other.

The old man studied the path of blacksmithing along with the boy. He may not be able to use magic, but he’s still a young boy full of potential. Therefore, he trained the boy in the arts of swordsmanship and the boy strengthened his resolve through blacksmithing.

Because he cannot use magic, he has to find a different way to get stronger. The training was harsh, and the boy thought of quitting so many times, but his mother’s death reminded him of how this world only favors the strong.

Upon reaching the age of 19, the boy decided to wander the continent to become the strongest swordsman.

“I will take my title as a prince back and once that happens, please forge me a new holy sword… Father. A sword, forged by the greatest blacksmith…”

That was the first time the boy called him father.

For the boy, the old man is the greatest blacksmith.

For the old man, that was the best moment in his life.

Seeing the twisted boy grew up to such a fine young man, that was his greatest joy. Tears rained from his eyes after holding those emotions from within him for more than a decade.

After that, the young man left to go on a long journey.

It was a very sad tale but, in the end, the old man achieved everything he had wanted.

Even though it was just for a fleeting moment, he was together with his beloved.

And after hearing this story, it made me wonder to myself:

How far can I go for Celes?

I hope to return the favor as well.

One day… Even if it’ll take my whole life.

For now, I guess I should just do what I can, little by little.

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A young man with the appearance of the swordsman blasted through the gigantic gates. His clothes and robes are tattered yet his face shows an overwhelming amount of dignity. With golden hair and blue eyes, his facial features is the reminiscent of a handsome noble.

Once a kid who enjoyed a leisured upbringing, but was quickly discarded after seeing that he has no worth. He was regarded worse than a rock for he cannot use magic in this magic driven world.

And now, he has returned to his birthplace with a goal in mind.

To claim his title as a prince back, he waltz into the royal palace all by himself. Guards and knights are flying on each direction trying to stop the young man, but none was able to impede his advance leading to the audience chamber.

There is no fluke to his overwhelming strength. Overcoming twelve years of harsh training with his foster father and conquering the demon continent for three short years, he became invincible.

The ultimate hard-worker—one who built up all of his strength from scratch.

“My name is — — and I request an audience with his majesty!”

Although, unknown to the young man, his father, who was once a king, had long passed away.

What will become of this man?

Whatever fate has in store for him, only time could tell.

Thanks to DemonWing for proofreading this chapter! Cookies to him please!