Chapter 221
Chapter 221
Chapter 221
[Translator – Peptobismol]
Chapter 221: Aurora Skar (1)
The griffin slowly made its descent, landing gracefully. The runway carved from the glacier shimmered faintly in a pale white hue. Ronan, the first to step off, thudded his feet on the ground.
“Wow, it’s really ice.”
Even stepping on it himself, he couldn’t believe it. He wondered how they had come up with such a crazy idea. After patting the griffin’s head, he reached out to Adeshan.
“Come on, get down.”
“Th-Thanks...”
Adeshan, hesitating, took Ronan’s hand. It was a small kind gesture that was common even before, but now it felt different. Ronan, seeing her with her head down, asked with concern.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“N-No, it’s nothing.”
Adeshan replied, avoiding eye contact and lowering her head further. She felt happy and embarrassed, yet also a little shy. Unlike her, who still felt like her face was about to burst, Ronan’s attitude remained as casual as ever. After what he had just done.
‘He’s definitely had a lot of relationships other than me.’
Even though she knew she couldn’t help it, she felt a little resentful. While she had never even had a crush, let alone a relationship. Of course, Ronan was going through his own struggles.
‘Oh man, this is serious.’
Once he started to become conscious of it, she began to look beautiful. Despite pretending to be indifferent, after their kiss, he remained in this state. In a way, it was more serious for Ronan, who had never felt the emotion of love for another person even in his two lifetimes.
He wanted to confirm the touch of each other’s lips or even check their texture, but it couldn’t be done. He had to focus his attention elsewhere. Taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, he looked around.
“By the way, where do we go in?”
There was no entrance visible on the vast ice plain. However, judging by the rhythmic sound of hammering coming from below, there was undoubtedly a forge inside. Raising her head, Adeshan spoke.
“Let’s take a look around. It might take a while...”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Ronan nodded. They needed to find the entrance quickly to prevent the griffin from freezing. Suddenly, a loud, gruff voice sounded from behind the two.
“What’s this, visitors?”
“Huh?”
For some reason, the voice sounded familiar. Both Ronan and Adeshan turned almost simultaneously. Standing about twenty steps away, a man a head taller both of them was dressed in a sleeveless shirt.
“Who are you...?”
“Wow, what luck to stumble upon this place while sailing the seas.”
As if in awe, the large man muttered to himself. He held a large bucket in each hand. It seemed more like he had stumbled upon them while working rather than coming to greet them. He spoke:
“It’s cold here. Let me guide you to the entrance.”
His kind demeanor contrasted with his rugged appearance. The large man was about to turn away. Ronan, who had been scrutinizing him closely, raised an eyebrow.
“Wait a minute, aren’t you Dydican?”
“How do you know that name...”
Staring intently at Ronan, the large man dropped the buckets. Thud! A transparent liquid, the purpose of which was unclear, spilled out with a gurgle. The large man’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
“Oh my goodness, Ronan?”
“That’s right.”
It became clearer as he looked at the man, who was staring at him incredulously. The man’s identity was Dydican, the werewolf blacksmith from Gran Cappadocia. He was the eccentric inventor who created a machine that could turn a moment into eternity.
“How long has it been? I heard rumors that you completed your mission and returned.”
“It’s been a little over two years. You’ve grown a nice beard.”
“Haha, suits me, doesn’t it? And who’s this lady with you after such a long time?”
“Umm, hello...”
Adeshan, who had been standing quietly, bowed her waist and greeted him. Dydican, whom they had seen after a long time, was in a human form.
With his beard grown ruggedly, his naturally intimidating appearance seemed somewhat softened. It was truly a strange reunion. Ronan gave his arm a friendly pat.
“Anyway, why are you here? What about Gran Cappadocia and Lord Dolon?”
“Dolon said it would be a good experience. He sent me to learn for about two or three years and then come back. The sense of time is like that of the long-living races.”
Dydican shook his head in disbelief. But judging by the smile on his lips, he didn’t seem to have any complaints. He picked up the buckets and turned around.RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only
“Anyway, follow me. I’ll take you to our master.”
The spacious area, carved from the glacier, was as wide as putting together several ordinary forges. The first thing that caught their eyes was the ice furnace and the blue flames flickering inside.
“These flames are produced by special ore as fuel. They’re much hotter than regular flames.”
Even though there was considerable heat, it was surprising that the ice didn’t melt. Around the furnace, about six blacksmiths were each working on their own tasks.
Some were hammering, while others were tempering newly forged blades by plunging them into the ice. Dydican approached a woman standing with her arms crossed, gazing at the furnace.
“Master.”
Dydican called out, but there was no response. She wore wide pants and a daring outfit that covered only her chest.
However, she didn’t particularly exude sensuality, perhaps due to her short, closely cropped hair and impressively thick forearms, reminiscent of a man’s. Her muscular back was adorned with a tattoo of a dragon.
‘That’s amazing.’
Even without weapons, she seemed capable of handling ten men at once. Seeing her demeanor, Ronan understood why Dydican was being respectful despite his usual arrogance. Dydican cleared his throat nervously.
“Um, Master. I’ve brought guests.”
“Dydican, is it? Guests, you say?”
“Yes. They’ve come to find the most skilled blacksmith in Aurora Skar. They are also the benefactors who got rid of Jaeger’s soldiers.””
“What?”
The woman finally turned around, revealing a set of well-defined abs. Her features, in contrast to her wild physique, were rather beautiful. Dydican gestured toward the woman as he spoke.
“Ronan, this is my master, Katan. She’s the best blacksmith in Aurora Skar.”
“I won’t deny it. But how could such younglings save us?”
“Well, you see...”
The woman called Katan coolly acknowledged herself as the best blacksmith. Dydican briefly explained the truth of the events he had heard from Ronan. She, who alternated her gaze between Ronan and Adeshan, let out a small sigh.
“Hah, it seems to be true. To have such energy at such a young age... Please forgive me for calling you youngsters based on appearances alone.”
“It’s okay. You apologized quickly, and I’m used to such treatment.”
“Thank you. As Dydican mentioned, my name is Katan. I sincerely thank you for rescuing our fellow comrades.”
Katan extended her hand for a handshake. Ronan, without much thought, shook her hand, feeling somewhat startled. It felt like touching tree bark rather than a person’s hand, due to the stubborn calluses and scars.
‘There was a reason for her confidence.’
Ronan chuckled softly. With just one handshake, he could somewhat gauge Katan’s level. She was undoubtedly an incredibly skilled blacksmith. She spoke again.
“Well, now tell me what you’ve come for. Seeing as you came at such a time, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary matter.”
“It’s not particularly urgent... but let’s start with this.”
Ronan, who was rummaging through his pouch, suddenly handed her an elegant envelope. It was a letter of recommendation written by the elders of the Festival of Swords. Katan whistled as she read the recommendation letter.
“Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a recommendation letter like this. It’s the first time I’ve seen the old bastards of Heiran give such high praise.”
“What does it say?”
“It’s a sight to behold. I’m sure you’ll feel flattered when you read it, so read it on days when you feel your self-esteem is low.”
Katan chuckled. It seemed to be filled with heartfelt gratitude. After returning the recommendation letter, she spoke.
“I really need to work hard on this. It’s about time the black man arrives, so let’s start as soon as he leaves.”
“The black man?”
“Yeah. There’s a guest who always comes around this time. I saw earlier that the weapons he commissioned seemed to be finally completed, so let’s start by handing those over.”
Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. He was about to say something when a palpably ominous and intense aura flashed behind him.
“What the hell?”
Every hair on his body stood on end. An oppressive feeling that could never be felt in daily life weighed down on his shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
“Ronan? What’s wrong?”
Adeshan and Katan raised their eyebrows. The blacksmiths continued their work as if nothing had happened. Ronan, having caught his breath, spoke up.
“...Are you two not feeling anything?”
“Hmm...? What do you mean?”
It seemed that everyone else except him didn’t feel anything. While it was understandable for Katan, it was strange that the sensitive Adeshan didn’t feel anything either. At that moment, a strange voice came from behind Ronan.
【Hey, is what I commissioned ready yet?】
[Translator – Peptobismol]
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