The Author's POV

"It's me, but who be ye? Human?"

Malvil picked up the hammer from the ground and tried to place it on the table.

Seeing him struggle to put the hammer on the table, I moved forward and offered him a hand.

"I'll help out."

"Ah, thank ye."

"...What in the world is this hammer made out of?"

In hindsight, I probably should've thought this more thoroughly since the hammer weighed a ton.

Even with my current stats, I could barely lift it.

"Khh, what is this hammer made out of?"

"A lot o' bloody metal"

"Aren't you a blacksmith? How can you work with a hammer that you can't lift."

"...Well, it's nae mine, it's me students."

"Bounded artifact?"

"Ye."

"...no wonder."

Bounded artifacts were artifacts that could only be used by a specific user. If anyone else tried to use it, the artifact would not respond to any mana fluctuation.

As such, unless held by the true owner, it was nothing more than a piece of scrap metal. An extremely heavy one at that.

"I'll hold it by its head an' ye hold it by tha handle."

"Okay...ukk."

"Put more strength in your hips, youngster."

"Ugh, I'm trying."

After struggling for what felt like an eternity but was actually more like a little less than a minute, we finally managed to place the hammer on the table.

"...My god."

I collapsed on the ground, completely drained of energy.

Even if the artifact was a bounded one, to think that it would weigh so much in its regular state. Just how difficult was crafting it?

"...So what did you come here for?"

Malvil wiped his forehead that was filled with sweat.

Standing up, I tried to introduce my self. However, before I could do that, I was quickly cut off by him.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Ren, and I'm he—"

"You're here to get an artifact, right?"

"...yeah."

It looks like he already knew my answer. He probably just asked out of formality.

"What type of artifact do you want?"

"A sword."

As I asked, my heart rate sped up a little. Most likely, I was going to get rejected. But I at least wanted to know the requirements for getting accepted.

Malvil pointed towards the front of the shop and said.

"We have plenty in our shop; you can check them."

"I already have."

"...and?"

"I'm here to have a sword crafted rather than buying one."

"Crafted?"

"Yes."

An odd look flashed Malvin's eyes.

Patting the hammer on the table, he sat down on a wooden chair and rested his elbow on the table.

"Alright, show me your move. If ye can intrigue me, I may be interested in forging ye a sword."

"That's it?"

Just show him a move, and if he was impressed, he would craft it? Didn't that sound a little bit too easy?

<script>ChapterMid();</script>

At my expression, Malvin spat.

"What do ye mean tha'ss'a it? boy, let me tell ye this. I've seen all kinds o' swordsmanships. If what ye show me be nae something worth me time, I will simply nae make ye a sword."

"That makes more sense."

For someone to be hailed as one of the greatest blacksmith's of the world, they had to at least have this much pride.

Ko—! Tok—!

Tapping on the table to get my attention, Malvil warned.

"Boy, remember, just because ye helped me, dinna assume that it will affect me judgment. I'm very strict when judging."

"...Never thought you would."

"Glad ye know."

Taking out a random sword from my dimensional space, I rested it by the side of my waist.

Typically I would never walk with a sword in my waist as it hinders my movements when walking. I only took it out whenever I was about to fight or was in a dangerous environment.

Once I was set, lifting my head slightly, I asked.

"Just show you a regular move?"

"Doesn't really matter. Preferably, a regular move. Big moves can damage tha place. Whatever damage ye cause, it's on ye."

"Sure..."

Glancing at the room and realizing that it was filled with precious materials and artifacts, I decided to hold back on the major moves.

Though I wasn't sure about what he wanted exactly, I was still planning on going all out.

"Huuu..."

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand on the sheath of the sword and calmed my mind. Closing my eyes, I placed my thumb right beneath the guard of the sword.

"Ye ready?"

"I am,"

I replied.

Slowly extending my right foot back, I awaited Malvin's go ahead.

The wait didn't last long as not even a couple of seconds after I spoke, Malvil gave me the go-ahead.

"Alright, show me what ye can do."

—Click!

The moment I got the okay from Malvil, almost out of instinct, my thumb pushed forward, and a silver streak of light shot out.

What followed the silver streak was a subtle clicking sound.

In a split second, I had sheathed and unsheathed my sword at incredible speeds.

Once I performed one movement, turning my head, I looked at Malvil, who wordlessly stared at me with his arms crossed.

"..."

"How was it?"

I asked, genuinely curious and nervous about his evaluation.

I had put everything in that one strike. I felt incredibly good about that one strike.

Was what I did good enough to meet his standards? I wanted to know.

The silence lasted for a brief couple more seconds before Malvil opened his mouth. His voice, sounding extremely disappointed.

"That's it?"

"H..huh?"

His words made me lose composure slightly as my heart sank.

The unamused and almost borderline bored expression on his face was what did it for me.

It was making me doubt myself. Was it really that bad? Was my swordsmanship that boring and interesting?

Quickly recovering my composure, I looked back at Malvil and asked.

"What do you mean that's it?"

"What I meant was, was that truly tha best ye were capable o'?"

"...Yes."

Although I didn't use any of my main movements, it would've made no difference to someone like Malvil.

The fundamentals were there.

"I see"

Standing up, Malvil let out a sigh before going back to the entrance of the shop. I followed from behind.

"Excuse me?"

"...What?"

"So, did I fail?"

"You dinna think."

A trace of disappointment flashed across my eyes.

Although I never had too much hope from the beginning, getting told outright that I didn't make the cut still disappointed me.

"Can you at least tell me why?"

I put my katana back and leaned on the counter of the shop where Malvin stood opposite.

"What was the problem with my swordsmanship?"

Though disappointed, I wasn't disheartened.

I faced many failures in my life.

One single failure or rejection wasn't going to make me lose myself. Rather, it was best for me to understand why I had failed so that I could work on it.

Just because he rejected me now, didn't mean he was going to reject me again in the future. I knew that I just had to prove my worth.

No knowledge from the novel could help me with this regard.

Slightly glancing at me from the side, Malvil picked up an artifact and cleaned it.

Before long, letting out a sigh, he opened his mouth.

"I'll do this because ye be young."

"Please."

I smiled happily.

Rolling his eyes, Malvin went straight to the point.

"Simply put, your swordsmanship be a mess."

"A mess?"

"Ye probably only have just learned how ta wield a sword nae too long ago, right?"

Putting the artifact down, Malvil picked another one and repeated the same process as before.

As he cleaned, he eyed me from the side of his eye.

"Is me analysis wrong?"

"...no, you're correct."

I bitterly shook my head.

As expected of one of the best blacksmiths in the world. With just one glance, he was able to tell that I had only touched a sword for just around two years.

"Yer nae bad for someone who just touched a sword for that little bit o' time. I can tell from your rank that yer talented, an' that tha swordsmanship ye practice be quite sophisticated, but..."

Malvil paused.

Putting the artifact down, he once again picked another one and repeated the same process.

Glancing at the artifact he put down and looking back at Malvin, I urged him to continue.

"...But?"

Though the way I was acting may come across as rude, his words were really enlightening me.

It felt as though a new door was opening up to me. My impatience was understandable.

Fortunately Malvin didn't take my action to heart as he lightly shrugged.

"That's all there be ta it. Ye just have a high rank, average degree o' psyons control, an' a good art. In terms o' actual swordsmanship, yer pretty bad."

"Bad?"

"Mhm, I can bet that aside from that weird swords style ye use, ye've never actually trained with tha sword properly."

"...Never trained with a sword properly? What do you mean?"

My brows knit tightly.

A part of me wanted to reject what he was saying, but another part of me, deep down, knew that he was probably right.

With his attention on the artifact in his hand, Malvil lightly said.

"Instead o' focusing on tha basic o' swordsmanship, ye've only focused on improving your little style, an' completely neglected tha fundamentals. Correct?"

"You're correct."

What he said was correct.

I've only truly trained the Keiki style, never actually trained in the basics of swordsmanship.

Malvil shook his head in disappointment at my confirmation.

"That's wrong."

Tossing the artifact back down, Malvil picked a new one.

"Although, I can also see that ye've put a lot o' effort in mastering psyon control, but tha'ss'a nae enough. Ye be simply wasting your talent."

"..."

Closing my eyes, I didn't say anything and just processed what Malvin was trying to say.

My mind was a bit of a mess right now, but what Malvin said was nothing but the truth.

I had only been focused on improving the Keiki style and my wind psyon control, that I completely neglected to train the basics.

Putting another artifact down, Malvin leaned on the counter.

"When someone asks me ta craft them an artifact, I always tell them tha same thing. Unless ye show me something that can truly inspire me ta work, I will never craft an artifact for them."

"...I understand."

Opening my eyes, I took my elbows off the counter.

Giving a light glance at the artifacts present in the room, and noticing their astronomical prices attached to them, I quickly gave up on buying them.

Lowering my head, I thanked Malvil for his advice.

"Thank you for your advice. I will come back once I'm ready."

"Well, ye better be quick. I'm getting on with me age soon. Dinna make me wait too long."

"Sur—Uh?"

WHIIIIIIIII! WHIIIIIIIII!

At that moment, just as I was about to leave the shop, an alarm rang out. Resounding across the whole city.

Putting an artifact down, Malvil's face darkened.

"Haizz, tha city be under attack again."

"Under attack? Again? Can you tell me what's going on?"

Malvin's words confused me.

What was going on? Were the demons perhaps already invading? And what did he mean by Again?

I had many questions to ask, but Malvil promptly ignored them as she screamed towards his disciple upstairs.

"Oy, ye ungrateful bastard, tell tha commander that I will be coming soon."

"Yes master!"

The disciple replied.

Finally turning his attention back to me, Malvin opened the door of the shop.

"Human, ye shou' probably go back now. Although we shou' be fine, ye never know what might happen."

"Can you at least tell me what's going on?"

"We're under attack tha'ss'a what's going on. Now go, tha shop be closed."

"Okay."

Seriously nodding my head, I took a step out of the shop.

—Clank!

The moment I set foot outside of the shop, the door of the shop behind me closed.

Not minding it, I quickly ran towards where the lodgings were.

If the city was truly under attack, then I needed to quickly reunite with the others. They may be in danger.