Chapter 26: The Reincarnated One Does It All

Iseun stood at the entrance of the bustling market in Akalcof, following Rea, and was taken aback by the scene before him.

"…There are so many."

Wherever he looked, all he could see were restaurant signs. And the enormous crowd that filled the streets at lunchtime.

Faced with the overwhelming number, Iseun asked in amazement.

"Is it always like this?"

"It's even more crowded during the first week of school, but it's not much different from usual. There are a lot of good restaurants in Akalcof."

"I see…"

Despite the bustling crowd, people moved smoothly, like a flowing river. Both students and faculty members were well-mannered, naturally avoiding collisions as they moved.

'Such a scene can only be seen in Babel.'

While Iseun was observing the wave-like crowd, Rea, who was leading the way, turned back.

"What are you doing? Stop dawdling and come on."

"Got it."

Rea, who was dodging people, eventually stopped in front of a shop at the center of the market.

[Akalcof Hardware Store]

Unlike the neatly arranged surrounding shops, this hardware store had a pile of various kitchen tools stacked in front of the entrance. Iseun looked at Rea with a puzzled expression.

"Here?"

"I told you. We're going to the workplace."

Rea entered the store as if no further explanation was needed. Iseun followed, looking around.

Since the area was a restaurant district, most of the tools inside were related to the kitchen. Iseun, who was examining these items, showed a curious expression.

'This is pretty well-made.'

At first glance, the pile looked like a jumble, but the craftsmanship of a skilled artisan was evident.

At this level, he could easily take on a professorship in the Metallurgy Department.

While Iseun was thinking this, he carefully examined the items.

"Grandma! I'm here!"

Rea shouted loudly into the store.

Swoosh—

An old woman appeared, pushing aside the ladles hanging like a curtain. She had chopsticks in her hair instead of hairpins and wore a loose work uniform. Her sharp eyes and downturned mouth gave off a fierce aura.

"I'm not deaf."

"If you don't call me, you won't come out."

"Shut up."

The old woman, looking at Rea with annoyance, soon turned her gaze to Iseun, who was standing behind.

"Who's this? Your boyfriend?"

"Ha. No way. He's a junior who entered this year. A junior."

"Hmm. A freshman."

The old woman, who had Rea's answer, openly scrutinized Iseun from head to toe and then clicked her tongue.

"Tsk tsk. Babel must be dying. Bringing in such a weakling."

Although it sounded like a deliberate provocation, Iseun didn't feel bad about the evaluation.

'He is pretty weak.'

In terms of physical abilities, he was among the lowest of the freshmen. He had passed the entrance exam based on his own skills, but if he had lost his memory after reincarnating, he wouldn't have been able to enter Babel.

Instead of feeling offended, Iseun nodded in agreement, and the old woman's expression changed strangely. Rea smiled.

"Is it okay to say that?"

"What?"

"He's the top student in the Borship Department this year. In the Metallurgy Department."

"…This guy?"

The old woman, genuinely surprised, widened her eyes. Iseun, seeing her reaction, smiled slightly and bowed.

"I'm Iseun, a first-year in the Metallurgy Department."

"…I'm Helena."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

Seeing Iseun, Helena's expression changed strangely, and she scratched her head, looking at Rea.

"Stop fooling around and get to work. There's a lot to do this week because of the freshmen."

"Okay, this way."

Rea led Iseun into a corridor hidden behind a row of frying pans, and soon a large workshop came into view.

'Hmm…'

Although a bit old, the workshop was well-equipped with all the necessary tools, and their condition was not bad. The 'time' that had been spent on proper maintenance was evident, a hallmark of a skilled blacksmith's workshop.

'That old lady. She's even better than I thought.'

It was hard to understand why someone with such skills would run a hardware store. While Iseun was looking around with a puzzled expression,

"Ugh…"

Rea, examining a pile of kitchen tools, clicked her tongue.

"It's pretty bad…"

Seeing Rea's reaction, Iseun also approached and looked at the pile.

'They must have brought these to be repaired.'

The tools showed signs of enchantments that had worn off from prolonged use.

Seeing this, Iseun immediately understood what Rea's workplace was about.

"Is this where you do enchantments?"

"Correct! You can earn money and do enchantments without worrying about the cost, so it's not bad."

Rea, showing a frying pan with a completely worn-off enchantment, smiled.

It wouldn't fetch much money to enchant such kitchen tools, but the ability to do as many enchantments as she wanted must have been appealing.

"Come on. You said you wanted to see my enchantments, right? Come here."

Rea tapped the seat next to her and brought over an 'enchantment palette' from the side.

The palette was filled with various colored powders made from grinding magical stones, a total of 16 different types.

'From what I know, the basics are 8 colors… She handles a wide variety.'

While Iseun was observing with interest, Rea took out her enchantment brush from her sleeve.

"Let's start."

Whoosh

The tip of the brush glowed blue with Rea's magic power, and when it was dipped in red magical stone powder, it shimmered red.

After the coating was complete, Rea stared at the bottom of the flipped frying pan and slowly moved the brush.

Swoosh—

Rea's brush smoothly traced over the worn-off enchantment, and the dead black surface of the frying pan began to glow red again.

The enchantment, which had come back to life in an instant, made Iseun slightly marvel.

'To revive a damaged enchantment so easily… She's quite skilled…'

Reviving a damaged enchantment is like patching a torn piece of clothing. The patch is noticeable if the color is different, and poor stitching is also visible.

Depending on the location, it can be unavoidable to notice, so it's common to remove the entire enchantment and redraw it.

Clang!

However, Rea flawlessly revived the enchantment, regardless of the damaged area, making it look as if it had been newly drawn.

Iseun, who observed the restoration process, nodded unconsciously.

'Not bad.'

Her basic skills were impeccable, and the causes of the enchantment's decline were immediately apparent.

'At this level, it should be done quickly.'

Iseun, who had a rough idea of how to solve it, was about to speak when Rea finished and picked up a new pot.

"…"

Rea, without blinking, continuously moved her brush, completely absorbed in her work. Iseun watched her for a moment and then smiled.

'Good.'

Being able to focus like that is a kind of talent.

Rea, a genius in the field of enchantment, steadily built her foundation despite the slump. Iseun, deciding to let her finish, quietly stood up and looked around the workshop.

'They really have all the tools here. Maybe I could borrow this place to make a new hammer… Hmm?'

While examining the surroundings, Iseun noticed a row of stones and his eyes lit up.

Rectangular stones of various colors. Recognizing them as whetstones, Iseun walked over.

'They're all custom-made.'

Not only for sharpening but also for adding special effects by aligning and resonating magic power, these custom whetstones were difficult to use without knowing the exact method, as they could damage the blade. However, Iseun had a good sense of how to use them.

'Pretty good day…'

Just by touching the surface of the whetstones, he could visualize the edge when it was complete.

His body was already itching from engraving 'White Light' yesterday, and seeing the proper tools made him want to sharpen a blade.

While Iseun was thinking about what to do,

"Try it."

A gruff voice came from the corridor.

"If you can, that is."

Helena, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looked at him skeptically. Iseun, sensing her intent to test his skills, pointed at the whetstones.

"Can I really use them?"

"Sure. Use any of the knives piled over there."

A pile of kitchen knives on one side of the workshop. They were of various types, all with damaged edges.

'They must have been brought here to be sharpened later.'

Although it felt like he was being used, the opportunity to use such high-quality custom whetstones was a good deal.

"Understood."

Accepting Helena's offer, Iseun first examined the pile of kitchen knives.

'If I'm going to do it, I should use a proper one.'

Carefully examining each knife, Iseun picked up a crude-looking one.

Among the pile, it was the most unremarkable, but Helena was surprised.

"…You're going to use that?"

"Yes. From the marks, it seems to have been used by a skilled person. It should be satisfying to sharpen it."

The same knife can leave different marks depending on who uses it. Iseun could tell that the user of this knife had a considerable level of swordsmanship.

'The edge is evenly worn, and the spine is not twisted.'

An average person would have brought it in if it was half as worn, but the owner of this knife had used it to its limits with their skills.

'Whoever it is, they must be quite skilled with a sword.'

'Let's see. The whetstone… this one.'

Among the whetstones, he chose the one with the most evenly compressed magic particles. A skilled user like this could handle the edge sharpened to its limits.

Swoosh—

Iseun sprinkled water diluted with magical stone powder on the whetstone, took a stance, and began to sharpen the knife slowly.

Sss— Sss—

As the knife moved against the whetstone, its edge began to glow white again.

Helena, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened up and stared at Iseun, who was completely absorbed in his work.

'Is this really a freshman who just entered this year?'

The scene was unbelievable, and Helena stared at the knife in her hand. The sound of the brush and the knife being sharpened echoed quietly in the workshop.

After a short while, as the sounds began to fade,

"Done!!!"

Rea, who had been bent over, straightened her back and shouted, having completed the enchantment on the last ladle.

"Hey. What's up? When did Grandma come in?"

"…I don't know."

"What? Why are you so irritable… Ah."

Rea, noticing Iseun examining the knife, realized the situation and smiled.

"Our junior tried to find a flaw but ended up being impressed, didn't he? Right?"

"Shut up."

Smack!

"Ouch!"

Helena, hitting Rea's forehead with a metal spoon, approached Iseun, who had finished sharpening the knife.

"Are you done?"

"Um…"

Iseun, in response to Helena's question, looked at the blade, which was now faintly glowing blue.

The faint blue glow rippling over the blade was a sign that the magic power in the surroundings was naturally drawn to the blade's magic array.

This indicated that the blade had been properly sharpened with the custom whetstone, but Iseun frowned.

'It's not perfect.'

Compared to what it should have been with this whetstone, it was only a superficial attempt. Iseun felt a bit disappointed with the incomplete result.

'If I had a bit more magic power… Tsk.'

Iseun, who had inwardly clicked his tongue, answered Helena, who was staring at him.

"This is the best I can do for now."

"…Alright. Then both of you can leave now."

Helena, pointing to the corridor with a metal spoon, as if there was nothing more to say. Iseun, without hesitation, put down the knife and stood up.

"Unnecessary irritability… Let's go!"

"Sure, sure."

Just as Rea, rubbing her forehead, grabbed Iseun's arm and was about to leave,

"Can you do this well next time?"

Helena, looking at the knife, asked. Iseun, after a moment's thought, smiled.

"I'll do even better next time."

"…If I need help, I'll call you. If you're interested, come."

Iseun, looking at Helena's back, who was speaking bluntly, nodded.

"I'll look forward to it."

With that, the two left, and Helena, left in the workshop, stared at the knife Iseun had sharpened.

Just as a strange silence filled the workshop,

"Sis! Are you refining something?!"

A large man entered the workshop with a loud voice.

"What? You're not doing anything. Why didn't you answer when I called?!"

"…Shut up."

"If you had answered from the start, it wouldn't have been noisy! But the knives? The orders are piling up!"

Helena, irritated by the man's constant urging, glared at him.

"When are you going to close that restaurant? As a professor in the Swordsmanship Department…"

"Don't criticize someone else's hobby. But the knives… Ah, there they are!"

The man, spotting his knife,