The blade that had shattered in my grip not a moment ago now sat perfectly restored in Vorn's hand.
He looked down at it, eyes gleaming as he gently caressed the sword, like he had just been reunited with something precious.
"Full of surprises are ye?" He let out as he held it close, "Even though I had made peace with losin' er… I thank ye, lad. Truly."
"Now then," Vorn looked up at me, "I'll make you something that—"
"Before that," I spoke, looking at Vorn. "There's something I need to know."
"Speak!" Vorn straightened, eyes blazing. "And be quick about it! I'd like to get to work this very moment!"
"In this world... anywhere..." I took a breath. "Is there a way to revive the dead? Specifically, someone whose heart stopped beating less than twenty seconds ago?"
Vorn's hand paused mid-beard scratch.
I could hear Hicks from the side, muttering to himself.
"Oddly specific…"
My fingers twitched.
"...Hrm."
He looked to the sky for a moment.
"Nay, not that I know of, lad." Vorn waved while shaking his head. "But by Thalgrim's hammer, I'm not the one to ask such things. The only matters I know are metal and fire."
"Who would know?" I asked.
"I'd reckon those pig-elves might know more of that sort. Much as we despise the bastards, I'll give 'em their due; they live many more years than us stone-oafs lot. But they don't take kindly te strangers. Especially not to Humans. I'd say they dislike humans more than they do us."
"Where are these pig-elves?" I asked immediately.
'Why not just create regular elves instead of half-pig hybrids?'
Vorn stared at me for a few seconds.
Then burst into roaring laughter.
"BAHAHAHA! Aye, alright then, lad! Ye can find the pig-elves west of here, in that direction!" He slapped his thigh. "I'll start workin' on yer armor and weapons."
"Don't you need my measurements?" I asked.
"Already took 'em." He replied, "But bear in mind, it'll take a while. Not just a few days or even weeks, so take yer time wherever ye' go."
"Thanks."
I turned and started walking.
'I'm not particularly hyped for another sword, but maybe he'll make one I'll appreciate. He seems respected, and it wouldn't hurt to try. If it falls short, I'll just use what I have.'
"LAD!" Vorn bellowed.
I stopped, glancing back.
"Ye can come here and stay any time ye like fer as long as ya like! I'll have a barrel of ale cool for ye! And a feast with the rest of the stone-oafs in me clan!"
I said nothing.
"We may not fit yer fancy, but we throw feasts like no other, I tell ye!"
I looked down briefly, then back at Vorn.
'I suppose clearing the Abyss Dungeon meant something to them.'
"Thank you."
I nodded, then turned and continued walking.
'Oh. Right.'
I stopped, turned, and walked back to Vorn.
"What is it now, lad?"
"What's the best material in Crucibulum?"
"That'd be Black Steel, aye. Even a leather-thin layer o' Black Steel armor offers more protection than ye had in yer daddy's balls whilst he wore full an' heavy triple-layered metal armor wi' chainmail beneath. Magic or physical, makes no difference. It repels the lot. The top o' the top, I'd say." Vorn stroked his beard.
"Unfortunately, 'tis the stuff o' legends. It exists, sure enough, but nowhere near in quantities worth speakin' of."
"So if you could make me a sword and armor out of Black Steel—"
"Forget such foolishness, lad!" He cut me off, "Focus on what's real! Dwarven Steel is stronger than anything ye'll find in this world!"
"Okay. But what if you could've worked on it?" I insisted.
Vorn sighed while looking down, shaking his head.
"Focusin' on fantasy why don't ya… If I had Black Steel, not even the Gods'll be able to lay a hand on ye. Now, move along, I'll start workin' on—"
I reached into my inventory and pulled out ten 4kg chunks of the Black Steel I got from the 9th Circle Boss, placing them on the ground before Vorn.
"Will that be enough?"
Vorn blinked.
"...What's this now?" He crouched down, squinting at the pile. "What are all these rocks doin' here..."
He picked one up.
Turned it over in his hands.
Inspected it closely.
His eye twitched.
He looked at me.
Then back at the chunk.
Inspected it again.
His breathing quickened.
Inspected it again.
His hands started trembling.
Inspected it again.
"...Lad."
He inspected it again.
"Lad, this is—"
He inspected it again.
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
He inspected it again.
His mouth hung open.
He inspected it again.
"BY THALGRIM'S FLAMING BEARD—" he shrieked, voice climbing several octaves.
"KYAAH!!"
Hicks became a statue at the sight.
'Kyah?' I tilted my head.
Foam started forming at the corners of Vorn's mouth.
He inspected it again.
Then he dropped the chunk, staggered backward, clutched his chest…
Then did a full backflip.
Then another.
Landed.
Picked the chunk back up.
Inspected it again.
"LAD, DO YE… DO YE HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS—"
He collapsed to his knees.
Still inspecting.
His eyes were wild, pupils dilated.
More foam.
He started shaking the chunk like it owed him money.
Inspected it again.
Then, without breaking eye contact with the Black Steel, he began breakdancing.
Actually breakdancing.
'Where'd he learn to do that?' I wondered, standing quietly.
He spun on his back.
Foam flew everywhere.
He was still clutching the chunk.
He inspected it mid-spin.
"A HUN'RED YEARS!" he screamed, flailing. "A HUN—A HUNNERD YEARS I'VE BEEN SMITHING AND I'VE NEVER…!"
He froze.
Fell backwards.
Did a headstand.
Fell again.
Inspected it again.
Then looked back at the chunks.
His eye twitched violently.
"...Where."
He inspected the chunk again.
"Where did ye..."
Inspected it again.
"...How."
Inspected it again.
He grabbed me by the wrists, shaking me, foam still dripping from his beard.
"LAD! DO YE UNDERSTAND WHAT YE JUST DID?! THIS. THIS IS—"
He released me, stumbled back, and picked up another chunk.
Inspected it.
Dropped it.
Picked it up again.
Inspected it.
"I COULD FORGE THE ARMOR OF KINGS! THE WEAPON OF LEGENDS! THE… THE—"
He clutched his chest again, hyperventilating.
Then inspected another chunk.
"...I need to sit down."
He didn't sit down.
Instead, he picked up all ten chunks, cradling them like newborns, rocking back and forth.
"Me life's work... me entire life's work... and this lad just drops enough Black Steel to outfit an entire army like it's a sack of turnips..."
He looked up at me, eyes glistening.
"Lad."
He inspected a chunk again.
"Lad, I don't know who ye are, or where ye came from, or what unholy pact ye made with the Metal God himself…"
Inspected it again.
"... but I will forge ye the finest arms and armor this world has ever seen."
He stood, clutching the chunks, foam still flecking his beard.
"And when I'm done, the Gods themselves will weep at the sight of it."
I just stood there.
Watching.
"...So that's a yes?"
Vorn let out a sound somewhere between a sob and a war cry.
"GET OUT OF ME SIGHT BEFORE I KISS YE, LAD!"
Hicks merely stood there, watching.
Pale-faced.
I looked directly at him.
His body froze in place.
"..."
'I'll figure out what to do with the kingdom later,' I thought, turning around and walking toward where Vorn had pointed.
Behind me, Vorn happily jumped and skipped back to his forge, still clutching the Black Steel like it was treasure beyond reason.
Hicks said nothing.
I kept walking.
'I'll set out for my revenge. I will.'
'But first…'
'...I'll save my mom.'
— A little later —
"So he's left…" She sighed, leaning on her elbow. "Also not waiting for me like I asked…" She murmured, more to herself with a pout.
"Alright. What is it that you want, you traitorous bastard?" she added with a glare, sitting near the forge as Vorn happily strutted about toward his storage area.
"Your Highness," Hicks started, sitting several seats away from her in the warm forge.
"I should first inform you that I believe the young knight who rescued us—"
"Makoto Tanaka, isn't he? The Otherworlder who was sent to die a year ago for being cursed."
"You've… already deduced that, Your Highness?"
"It'd be incredibly unlikely he'd be someone else," she replied, looking away.
"Someone with a young voice, casually giving us potions where each drop would cost a few castles, who popped out of the Abyss Dungeon… The way he speaks, and how he seemed out of place. Either he was born in the Abyss, or not from this world."
She raised a mocking, annoyed eyebrow at Hicks.
"Please tell me that's not what you seriously wanted me to know."
'She knew…? That we'd been sitting next to someone who bears ill will toward the kingdom, and remained this composed?' Hicks thought.
"Well… I'd say you've had me beat. Haha." Hicks scratched his mustache. "But there's another matter we need to discuss."
His eyes intensified.
"Your return to the kingdom."
"..." Amoria's eyes darkened. "No. Possibly never. Not with those motherfuckers… The House of The Risen Sun…"
She clenched her fist. It trembled. Her face paled, but her eyes widened as she stared at the wall as if she meant to devour it.
"...I will not rest until they burn in cinders. I will cast each and every single one of them in a burning iron cabinet. I'll make them all regret the fact their mothers dared to push them out of her stinking hole. Each and every single one of them…"
She bit her lip.
"Each and every single one of them...!!" Her voice quivered.
"..."
She took several deep breaths.
"...I'm well aware that going back to a kingdom infiltrated by these shits is suicide. I shall stay here with Master Dwarf and think of something for a little while."
"Alright," Hicks nodded, rising from his seat and bowing to the princess.
"Then I shall humbly beg for your forgiveness, Your Highness. I've been misguided."
Amoria turned sideways, looking down at Hicks as she leaned on her elbow once more.
"I didn't believe that—"
"Let me guess," she sighed. "You hated my 'brother's' cruelty, blah blah blah, they had a noble cause, blah blah, they charmed your pathetic self. Then, when you saw how…"
She gulped.
"... Barbaric their methods are, you had a change of heart. Is that about it?"
"..."
"Your wisdom knows no bounds, Your Highness. And I shall keep the secret about your 'brother.' Taking it to my grave." Hicks bowed deeper.
"..."
"I WILL still have you executed when we emerge triumphant. You are aware of that, aren't you?"
"...I am. Such is the price I must pay for my foolishness and ignorance."
She sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"Fine. Do as you like."
"I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes, leaning on the table.
'I need to think of a plan now. Haaah…'
Van's image surfaced in her mind.
'If I could've seduced him… He would've been a valuable ally. A little more time and I'd have accomplished it.'
"HAHAHAHAHA IT DOESN'T BREAK OR MELT!!! WHAT A CHALLENGE HAHAHAHAHA!!" Vorn's boisterous laughter echoed from within the forge.
"...?" She tilted her head. "What is he so joyous about?"
"Ah," Hicks stood, glancing toward the storage area. "He's making equipment for Makoto. For when he returns."
"Oh."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I see… So he's going to come back."
Her posture straightened. Her face seemed slightly brighter.
"...Did he…"
She paused, leaning forward slightly, her voice softer.
"𝒮𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝒽𝑒'𝒹 𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃, 𝒷𝓎 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒?"