Chapter 110: Spreading Blood on Sand (1)
The inspection had been carried out thoroughly. It took a long while for Doron to return to his senses. In his hand, he clenched a fragment of Vijra.
“Where on earth did you get this?”
“That’s a secret. So, is it usable?”
“Usable, you say… it’s undeniably brimming with powerful mana. I won’t deny that its potential as a material is limitless.”
Doron grumbled gruffly, never taking his eyes off the fragment.
“But it’s malevolent. I’ve never felt such a sinister aura before. It feels like a leaf that was plucked from a tree growing in hell.””
“What an accurate analogy.”
“In conclusion, it can be used to craft a weapon, but it’s dangerous. Unless you’re planning to create a cursed weapon, it’s best to leave it be.”
“So, you’re saying you won’t use it?”
“…Yes.”
Doron nodded heavily. His reaction was quite different from when he had brought Cita’s eggshell. A hint of concern seeped through his voice, and it felt somewhat melancholic.
‘He’s worried about me. That’s understandable.’
Ronan slowly rubbed his chin. He could understand Doron’s concerns. Vijra’s danger was on a whole nother level than that of a Cita’s eggshell. Even if Vijra’s essence had disappeared, that fact did not change.
In the black scrap of paper, mana still sparkled faintly. It might be fine for someone to just read and quietly study it like Aslle, but if someone were to use it to tear flesh and spill blood, the consequences were unpredictable.
But Ronan was not willing to give up. It was the moment when he was contemplating how to persuade the old man. Doron’s voice, filled with concern, murmured.
“Ahem…”
At that moment, Ronan realized that Doron was hiding his emotions. Behind those concerned eyes, an unstoppable desire and curiosity of a master were burning.
‘A master of craftsmanship, but can’t be straightforward.’
There seemed to be no need to persuade him any further. Suddenly Ronan snatched the piece of paper from his hand. Whoosh! Doron’s eyes widened in surprise as the paper was taken from him.
“Alright Doron, let’s leave it.”
“What are you doing all of a sudden?”
“Just make it without using this. I don’t want to become a fool by mishandling this power.”
“Well, that’s still true. But where is the courtesy in taking it away like this? Come here and give it back to me. It’s too dangerous for you to handle.”
“Haa… Doron, how about we be honest for a change?”
Ronan glanced down at Doron. His gaze remained fixed on Vijra. Ronan squatted down and spoke with a grin.
“You want to use it, don’t you?”
Doron’s face contorted. As he hesitated, he finally took the paper.
“Fine, I’ll use it. You, taking advantage of an old man like this.”
Ronan let out a chuckle and stood up.
“That’s right, Doron. What the wielder might do isn’t something a blacksmith should think about.”
“Great talker, aren’t you? Alright, what kind of weapon do you want to make with this hideous thing? Sword? Spear?”
“The type of weapon… I’ll leave that entirely up to you, since you know better than I do. But first, take a look at this.”
“Hmm?”
Swoosh! Suddenly, Ronan drew his sword. Simultaneously, he switched the power source of his mana. His heart beat in a different rhythm, and at the same time, a white glow ascended through the blade of Lamancha.
“This…!”
“It’s so damn bright. Anything will do as long as it’s a weapon that can harness this power effectively.”
“That’s ridiculous. This power is completely different from your usual mana. I’ve noticed a subtle change in your Aura since earlier, and now I know it’s because of this.”
Doron observed Ronan’s mana that had manifested, his eyes sparkling. He furrowed his brow as he felt an instinctual unease.
“Hmm… but why does it feel somewhat similar to the paper you showed earlier? Is it just because of this old man’s mood?”
“You have the insight of a master blacksmith, that’s for sure.”
“What exactly… No, never mind. Let’s see what you can do with this power. Dydican!”
“Huh? Do you want to use the shield?”
Doron nodded. Suddenly, Dydican, who went into a corner of the blacksmith shop and emerged with a shield in hand. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a test shield.”
It was a massive round shield large enough to cover one’s entire upper body. Its mirror-like surface was devoid of any scratches. Dydican, standing face-to-face with Ronan, raised the shield and spoke.
“Alright. Now, give it a try.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes. I just want to see your abilities. Don’t worry; even if it might look simple, the old man put a lot of effort into making it. So go ahead and give it a try.”
Thud! Thud! Dydican smiled confidently and tapped the shield. Ronan, who had some doubts about the quality of the shield, tightly gripped the hilt of his sword.
‘If I’m going to do this I might as well do it properly. I hope it works.’
This was his second attempt. Ronan closed his eyes and concentrated.
Shwaaa!
He could feel the surrounding air vibrating slightly, and at the same time, the Core was changing the nature of the mana. The mana, which had been shining white, began to transform into a golden color.
“Oh, that’s fascinating.”
Doron watched in amazement as the mana in Ronan’s hand changed. Ronan’s eyes had already sharpened as he focused.
Dydican let out a big breath. The golden residual aura that had descended along Ronan’s shoulder wrapped around his right arm, taking on a form that strikingly resembled a lion’s front claw.
‘Success.’
It was truly a rare success. The force felt as though it would tear through his skin, emanating from deep within his muscles. It was the same feeling as when Ronan had split Arondale into Aron and Dale. Ronan asked with a worried tone.
“How about stopping now? You can tell the extent of my ability if I just hit something on the floor.”
“My mind is not as good as it used to be, so I need to feel it with my body. And you can’t become a good blacksmith if you don’t sacrifice yourself to make good weapons.”
“Sounds cool.”
Ronan smirked. Thud! Without warning, his left foot struck the ground. Suddenly, the sparkling roots grew along Dydican’s legs.
“Huh? What’s this now?”
“I’ll help you out. Hold it up straight.”
“Damn it, my legs won’t move. What is this?”
Dydican was flustered, but the roots firmly anchored his lower body to the ground, making his defensive stance even more solid. Dydican, who eventually gave up, raised the shield again.
“Hey, I don’t know what you’re doing, but you should hurry….”
Before he could finish speaking, Lamancha disappeared from their sight. Ronan’s arm became a trail of golden light and split through the air. At the moment the sword touched the shield. Bang! Dydican’s body flew backwards and crashed into the wall of the forge.
“Kugh!”
“Oh my god, Dydican!”
“Kyaah!”
Doron and Adeshan screamed. The werewolf, who stood over 2 meters tall, flew like a ragdoll. Thud! Dydican, who had been momentarily pinned to the wall, collapsed to his knees.
“Gah… Haha, this is incredible…”
Dydican, still chuckling, raised his head. The roots connected to the ground had been pulled out relentlessly. On the previously flawless surface of the shield, now only a very fine and deep line remained. Ronan approached and extended his hand.
“Are you okay?”
“Ugh, yes, I’m okay.”
The Aura that had coiled around Ronan’s arm suddenly dissipated. Dydican grabbed Ronan’s hand and got up. Thud! The lower part of the shield, where the line had been drawn, fell to the ground.
“Goodness gracious.”
The perfectly divided lower surface of the shield resembled a crescent moon that seemed to float in the sky. Dydican, who had experienced an unprecedented situation, chuckled.
“Heh, I have no idea what to make out of this. This old man will have to face quite the challenge.”
“Huff… Damn it. As expected, It’s still too mana-intensive.”
Ronan, who was catching his breath, switched his power source again. A sudden wave of fatigue swept over him from the exhausted second Core.
Maintaining the power to swing the sword even once was a meager effort. Ronan looked down at Doron, who was still dumbfounded, and asked.
“So, how is it?”
“…Did you use magic? It’s not just separating the two mana, but it’s two completely different abilities.”
“That’s right. I might acquire more abilities other than this, but for now, these two are all I have. Please make suitable weapons out of them, as I’ll be paying you from Garcia anyway.”
Saying that, Ronan took out a metal plaque. It was the plague he had received from Shullifen’s father as a token of gratitude for saving Gran Cappadocia. He pointed at Adeshan, who was still in shock, with his chin.
“Don’t forget to make hers, too.”
“Yes… that’s right. Hey, would you please come here for a moment?”
“Ah, yes!”
Finally coming to her senses, Adeshan rushed to Doron. Doron examined her closely and furrowed his brows.
“You feel unusual too. Let me ask just in case, can you control shadow mana?”
“H-How did you…?”
“I’ve seen it a few times in my time. The last time was about 120 years ago… You were born with a very rare talent.”
Doron nodded as if he was intrigued. Coming from the mouth of an old man who was over 300 years old, it really seemed to be a rare talent. He spoke with a more serious expression.
“If that’s the case, you’ll certainly be able to control an extraordinary power. Alright, what abilities do you possess?”
“Uh, I’m… not a combat type..”
Adeshan looked around nervously. Her gaze suddenly fell on the bats hanging upside down from the forge’s ceiling. A faint whisper escaped her parted lips.
“Come here.”
“Kikii!”
At Adeshan’s command, the bats hanging upside down on the ceiling suddenly fluttered and flew over, arranging themselves in a straight line between Doron and herself. Adeshan spoke hesitantly.
“…I can control living creatures. It depends on the situation, though.”
“Unbelievable. Could this power possibly be used on humans too?”
“Most likely… I think so.”
“This is truly a dangerous power. It’s a relief that you seem to have a kind heart.”
Doron sighed briefly, then spoke up.
“All right. I can sense your weapon now. If you can control your opponent’s movements, it’s definitely a powerful weapon.”
“Is it over now?”
“Yes, I’ll take care of the rest from here. You can head back now. It should be complete in about half a month.”
“Thank you, Doron. We’ll be looking forward to it.”
“I’m the one who’s looking forward to it. What kind of monster will appear this time?”
Doron shivered. His round pupils sparkled amid the curly locks of his hair. Suddenly, clutching his hammer, he turned to Dydican and shouted,
“This won’t do. We have to start working right away. Dydican, come help me!”
“Damn, you impatient old man. I’ll walk them to the elevator and then come back.”
“Farewell, Doron. See you soon.”
Ronan waved his hand. Adeshan politely bowed. Dydican wondered if the old man was deaf since Doron did not respond.
However, the loud hammering sounds filled in for his farewell. Bang! Bang! The two followed Dydican’s lead and headed back to the elevator. Just as they were about to board the elevator, Dydican suddenly stopped them.
“Wait, why don’t the two of you stand together for a moment?”
“Huh?”
“I’ve developed a new invention this time. It hasn’t been released to the market yet, but I want to show it to you.”
It was only then that Ronan noticed the strange box held in Dydican’s left hand. It had a short cylindrical piece in the center, sealed by a transparent crystal on the rounded side. Besides that, various miscellaneous attachments were attached all over it, making it impossible to guess its purpose.
“Now, take a look here. I’m going to take a picture.”
“A picture?”
Kachak! Suddenly, the box emitted a flash, illuminating the surroundings brightly. Both of them furrowed their brows. The light subsided soon after. Ronan asked impatiently.
“What the hell did you just do?”
“Just wait and see. I’ll show you something amazing.”
Dydican chuckled. Zzzing…! The box suddenly vibrated, and a palm-sized piece of paper slid out from a slot at the bottom.
“This…?”
“Woah, isn’t this us?”
Adeshan’s eyes widened. The paper contained a black and white drawing of them. It depicted Ronan and Adeshan making a confused expression. It was so true to life that they couldn’t believe it was a drawing. Adeshan said with a trembling voice.
“Am I really this ugly?”
“You’re not ugly. Did you make something weird again?”
“It’s a device that can preserve a moment for eternity. I haven’t given it a name yet, but isn’t it exquisite?”
“It’s not bad.”
Ronan laughed as if he was amazed. He carefully unfolded the detailed drawing and put it in his pocket. The two of them then took the elevator back to the surface.
“It’s already night.”
“Yeah… Maybe it’s because we were underground, but I didn’t realize how much time passed. What kind of weapon do you think he’ll make for you?”
“That’s right. I’m curious too.”
As they left the dry goods store, moonlight poured down from above. Sounds of people living their lives in the city at night reached their ears from various parts of the city.
Ronan and Adeshan returned to Philleon, looking at the drawing Dydican had given them, Adeshan complained that she looked weird, but Ronan firmly refused to give up the picture.
***
Time flew by quickly. The day of the summer vacation arrived in no time. With just ten days, no significant events had occurred so far.
“May your vacations be filled with meaning. I hope that even while you are away from the academy, you won’t forget that you are still a student of the proud Philleon Academy…”
Katir’s formal speech marked the beginning of the summer vacation. For the next nine weeks, enrolled students could rest at home or spend their time freely without attending school.
The once-quiet grounds of Philleon quickly filled with students returning to their homes. A student who was waiting in line to get on a carriage shouted when he saw Ronan appear in front of him.
“Hey, don’t cut in line!”
“I’m already upset as is, do you want to make me more angry? I’m not going home, anyway.”
“Huh?”
“I guess I should say I can’t go. Damn it.”
Ronan just walked across the line and headed toward the club building. He was greeted by the familiar faces of his club members as he entered. Aselle, Marya, Braum, Ophelia, and Shullifen—all five members were sitting in their respective seats and were talking to one another.
“All right, everyone’s here.”
Ronan glanced at his club members with satisfaction. Thud! He deliberately slammed the door shut to attract their attention.
“Attention.”
“Ah, he’s here.”
The club members turned their heads simultaneously. Marya, who met Ronan’s eyes, asked a question as if she had been waiting.
“What’s going on? Gathering all of us like this.”
“It’s nothing special. I just wanted to decide who’ll go on a month-long trip with me during the vacation. Just one person.”
“A trip? For a month?”
“Yes. A very long and… fun trip.”
The eyes of the club members widened. Ronan, one side of his mouth lifting slightly, revealed an intriguing smile, even appearing a bit mischievous. Aselle’s face turned pale as he felt a sense of deja vu.
“Hehehe…”
“Wh-what kind of trip is it?”
“Hahaha! Did I mention that I’ll go back to my hometown during the vacation? I have six lovely younger siblings back home!”
The other members also hesitated and slowly backed away. Either way, Ronan didn’t care. As he was carefully considering his future schedule, he pointed at one of the club members and spoke.
“Yes, I would like you to come.”
