Chapter 65

"Is this the blacksmith's shop within the academy?"

"......Probably not."

I thought it was a rare polite knock on the door, but the content of the words was as odd as ever.

Being a student, I have not yet opened a blacksmith's shop, so I closed the door.

"Wait a minute! It's a job request! I heard this is where a skilled blacksmith is."

Skilled!?

Alright, maybe I'll listen to what he has to say for a bit.

I invited in Jeremy Toarise, a third-year student at this academy.

He was simple and easy to get along with. At least for now, he was someone I could feel good about.

With so many strange visitors, I had developed a habit of being on guard.

Since he was a senior, I made sure to be polite and offered him my favorite tea.

It wasn't because I was flattered.

"I heard there's a student who forges swords in this dorm room."

He said it hesitantly, but as he looked around, his uncertainty turned into certainty.

It's just a hobby, so there's a misunderstanding.

"It seems the rumor is true. From the looks of the workshop, it seems you do this every day."

"Yes, but at this stage, it's just a hobby."

"I see..."

Upon realizing the information was different, Senior Jeremy looked a bit embarrassed.

He realized he had jumped to conclusions.

Since he seemed like a reasonable person, I felt a bit more at ease.

"Still, there are many eyewitness reports. Someone is making swords in this room, and they are of very high quality. I heard that even to a layman's eye, they look delicate and powerful. Every time I hear such rumors, I get interested."

Delicate and powerful!?

Go on, Senior.

"And this time, I thought it was a good opportunity. I came to ask for a job."

It seems I already have a certain reputation among seniors.

It's a pleasant feeling, but since I am still in training, being formally asked for a job makes me a bit nervous.

"My name is Kururi Heran, and I'm a first-year student. Due to various circumstances, I am learning and training as a blacksmith, but I still feel like I'm not fully qualified. My master has recognized me, but I think it's too early to take on customers."

"I see. But the reputation is quite something. It's not a lie. Many others are also interested."

"Is that so..."

Being praised is always nice.

What should I do?

"Anyway, I'll listen to what you have to say. Depending on the circumstances."

"That's great! Thank you. Please listen!"

Since it seemed like it would be a long conversation, I made another cup of hot tea.

It wasn't because I was flattered.

Senior Jeremy apparently has an older brother.

His brother is a noble who works in the royal castle in the capital.

He is very diligent and quite a stiff person.

He has no hobbies, and even Senior Jeremy doesn't know what he enjoys in life. Such a person might love life itself, but that's a different story.

After years of no contact, his brother finally wrote a letter to him.

Without friends, reliable superiors, or cute juniors nearby, he had no choice but to write to his brother, Jeremy.

Jeremy, who usually thought that no news was good news, was surprised by the sudden letter.

When he opened it, he found content that even he couldn't imagine.

The letter began with this sentence:

"I've been feeling down lately."

Jeremy apparently covered his face with his hands.

He read the content instantly and felt both embarrassed and sympathetic for his brother's awkwardness.

He was surprised, but since his father is also a stiff person, he had always expected that his brother, who is also a stiff person, would eventually have a change of heart.

So, the surprise was overshadowed by the embarrassment.

His brother, who works in a back-office administrative role, has apparently fallen in love with a frontline knight.

She is a well-known tough character in the knight's order and is very skilled.

She is considered so difficult to marry that someone in the knight's order once said, "If there's a man who can marry her, I'll buy him 100 barrels of wine. I can see the trouble coming already!"

Such contrasting personalities met in an unexpected place.

One night, Jeremy's brother was in the noble-only communal bath in the royal castle when, surprisingly, the female knight entered.

She was completely naked and showed no signs of embarrassment, acting as if she owned the place.

"This is the men's bath..."

"So what?"

She continued to wash herself without paying any attention to Jeremy's brother.

He fell in love with her at that moment...

When I let out a "What!?" Jeremy didn't seem to hear it, and I was relieved.

It's amazing how people can fall in love in such unusual ways.

Usually, his brother would hide his private parts with a towel even when with other men.

Perhaps he received a shock that felt like the world had changed, not in a sexual way but in a profound way.

When I said this, Jeremy agreed.

"Probably, that's the most likely scenario. In his letter, he described their first meeting."

"She had no shame in exposing her body. It made me feel as if I were seeing a war god. Oh, I can't forget that image. Oh, I can't get her out of my mind. Oh, the world feels so hazy. I must be seriously ill. Even the famous doctors in the capital can only smile and won't give me a diagnosis. What should I do, my beloved brother, please help me."

"Hmm, it sounds serious."

"Yes, it is. It's a serious condition. I never thought my stiff brother would use words like 'beloved brother'..."

After finishing, Jeremy looked as if he had seen a strange creature.

Indeed, he had been shown a completely different side of his brother, which must have been a big shock.

"So, why did you come here? I don't see the connection."

"Ah, right. So, I advised my brother to give her a gift. But being my brother, he probably hesitated to even speak to her. He couldn't find an excuse to give her a gift, so he started sending me letters every day."

Jeremy continued, looking tired.

"Every day, he would write things like, 'What if she doesn't like the flowers I give her?' or 'What if she has a boyfriend?'"

"......I can imagine how difficult it must be for you."

"Ha, so I told him to ask someone who knows her what she wants. It turned out she wants a sword. I told him to give her a sword, but he lacks confidence in choosing a good one. So, he asked me to find someone who could choose a good sword for him."

"Sounds like you have a challenging brother."

"Well, he has helped me in many ways. He was always known as a low-maintenance child, so this must be the most troublesome period of his life. I want to help him now."

Impressed by Jeremy's depth of character, I felt a strong desire to forge a sword for this good young man. More accurately, for his brother.

These pure-hearted people deserve the best of my skills.

"Hmm, but are you sure you want to entrust such an important task to me? There are probably more skilled blacksmiths in the capital."

"No, I've heard from a very reliable source that the swords forged by Kururi are excellent. I haven't seen them myself, but would you consider taking this job? I'd like to see the finished product."

After sipping the tea, I thought about it again.

There are plenty of swords already made, but this would be the first time I forge a sword for a customer. This could be my first official customer.

It doesn't seem like a bad first job.

"Alright, I'll take the job."

"That's great. Can the payment be made later? I'm a bit short on cash right now."

"Sure, of course."

We shook hands, and the deal was sealed.

I believe the best way to forge swords is to tailor them to the customer's needs.

I never expected to have a customer before officially opening a shop...

The deadline given by Senior Jeremy is one week.

That should be enough time to make a good sword.

This is an important first job.

I'll use the iron I've been saving for a long time.

It's iron from the largest mine in the Kudan Kingdom. The mine, located in the center of the country, is rich in resources and is being developed with a significant investment by the Kudan Kingdom.

It's called the Illimine Mine.

Due to its high supply and quality, it is the most widely used iron in the Kudan Kingdom.

My master once told me:

"Illimine Mine iron is the material that best shows a blacksmith's skill."

It's not the low-quality iron I usually use for practice. It will allow me to pour my maximum effort into it.

From that day on, I worked on the sword every day except when I had classes at the academy.

I wasted some materials and had to start over a few times.

However, I did not exceed the agreed-upon cost.

I aimed for a 30% profit margin, as is appropriate for a blacksmith.

I put all my effort into it, and a beautifully balanced, straight sword was completed.

I engraved my name, Kururi Heran, on the blade.

This was based on advice from Ray.

As a blacksmith, it's important to build a reputation.

One week later, Senior Jeremy came as promised.

He is still a polite person and tried to pay before receiving the sword, but I politely declined and brought the sword.

I drew the sword from its scabbard and showed it to him.

"It's a straight blade with perfect balance in width and length. I've poured all my current skills into it."

Senior Jeremy took the sword and examined it closely, bringing the blade almost to his face.

"Excellent work. It shines like water droplets. I've heard that a well-balanced sword feels light. This is exactly that. I can't test it, but I'm very satisfied."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you. You did a great job in just one week. This will give me the confidence to support my brother. Thank you again."

He left the payment and went back.

He seemed eager to send the sword to his brother right away. His joy for his brother was evident, showing his good nature.

Thus, I completed my first official customer.

Unusually, I fell ill and had to stay in bed that night.

I must have been quite exhausted.

The set deadline, the required cost, the demanded skills and experience, and the high expectations from the customer.

It felt like I had done something completely different from just forging iron.

I might have taken on a more challenging path than I thought. But if I want a happy future, I have to push forward.

I decided not to waste the first payment I received and closed my eyes that day.

I hope Senior Jeremy's brother's love will work out well...