Chapter 14
1.
It was a game I encountered during puberty.
There was no game I couldn't play, and naturally, this game should have been no different.
“Wow, that looks really hard to do. That's talent too.”
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[Results]
[Excellent] [12]
[Great] [65]
[Good] [135]
[Bad] [67]
[Miss] [56]
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But the results weren't like that.
The GOOD grade was, in other words, a judgment about half a beat off from the exact timing.
It was something difficult even if someone told you to do it, even if they told you to hit only that one.
Back then, I accomplished it through pure talent.
“This fucking guy is so bad….”
“What did you just call me?”
For a moment, my head spun.
I couldn't accept that the game had presented me with such a shitty report card.
It wasn't just being told I had no talent. What made me even angrier was that.
I couldn't accept it. There was no way I couldn't play such a shoddy game.
I had always tended to direct my passion in strange ways.
The moment I focused on one thing, I shut myself away until I saw it through to the end.
There had even been times when I focused on something without eating anything for almost a week.
In other words, once I got hooked, I'd pursue it to the death.
And that thing was rhythm games.
The problem was, the deeper I dug, the more addictive they became.
I started in middle school and continued through high school, my undergraduate years, my master's, and all the way through my doctoral program.
Even when I was writing a paper, if it pissed me off, I would play.
Most of my life had been like that.
Writing papers in the lab, playing rhythm games. Eating, playing games, and saying, “Just one game before bed,” until four in the morning.
While knocking on the door of the job market after graduation, Yuna and I once reached a conclusion.
[Isn't oppa's problem that he plays too many games?]
Then I'll just die.
[I'm being serious, you know?]
In the end, the negotiations spiraled into catastrophe.
It was the first war between Yuna and me.
Yuna blocked every game on all my devices, while I minimized her access privileges; Yuna covered my monitor with a hologram, and I covered her holographic projection with a towel.
After a week of war, I finally succeeded in quitting.
Well, if quitting had immediately gotten me a job, I wouldn't have called you Yuna in the first place.
It wasn't because of rhythm games. The world simply had no need for humans anymore.
In the end, nothing changed.
Just then, in an empty lab, I buried my head after rubbing my dry face with my hands.
I came to this world, and now.
[Aaaaaaaah!!]
Yuna was claiming she had PTSD.
Things were hard for both of us back then.
“……You trust me, right?”
[I'd rather trust the old man I met for the first time today.]
Don't worry, Yuna.
I hadn't been thinking at all before, so that's why it happened.
But if I did it again, I was confident.
No, that wasn't enough. To put it more appropriately.
I have no confidence—the confidence that I can't do it.
There was no song playing, but it was more than possible just by watching.
I immediately picked up the hammer and tried again, but….
“…Tsk, what a shame.”
There were too many restrictions to begin with.
This hammer wasn't mine, and the powder wasn't mine either.
It even seemed precious to Henrik, judging by the fact that he kept it in a safe.
I had managed to gather enough from the residue and try it once, but I wasn't reckless enough to take out more just for this.
That was when.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Lionel.”
“……”
Henrik emerged from the back, studied my face, then pulled up the corners of his mouth.
“…Haha, did you find a good hammer?”
“Pardon? No, not really.”
“You have such a bright smile on your face.”
“……”
“That's what I thought.”
Was I? Without realizing it?
I didn't bother holding back the laughter escaping me at his words.
“I suppose I do.”
I simply laughed even more.
2.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
There were two choices before me.
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[Earthborn Hammer][★★☆☆☆]
[Compatibility —/40]
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『Forged solely from what belongs to the earth. It has no extravagance, but neither does it have any falsehood.』
— Anonymous Master —
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A two-star forging hammer.
By my standards, it was the best hammer I'd touched today.
According to Henrik's explanation, it was the most suitable hammer for beginners.
Its weight was evenly distributed, the two faces of the head were asymmetrical, and the handle was an appropriate length.
It was a textbook example of the forging hammer I'd explained to Doloris yesterday.
It was even an Earthborn hammer, made solely from materials that came from the earth, without any alloys.
I could look forward to some synergy with the Sun Dwarves, too.
It was ordinary. There was nothing wrong with ordinary.
However, the second choice was giving me a lot of trouble.
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[Basic Enchant Hammer][★☆☆☆☆]
[Compatibility ─ /20]
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『Do not dare mistake enchantment for luck.』
— Ogeron, Fourth Master Craftsman —
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I'd researched enchantment during my short break.
Naturally, my source was the Inner Tower's community, and the keyword “enchantment” was the most popular one.
Title: [Why Dwarf enchantment is rigged. txt]
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(Photo of a successful +17 enhancement)
Thank you.
Mathematically, it was impossible for everyone to be lucky. The more you enhanced, the more you had no choice but to regress toward the mean.
I was lucky today. You were unlucky your whole life.
My good luck combined with yours to become average.
In other words, thanks to you guys, I hit the jackpot.
Much obliged.
So I grant you the title of Guardian of Balance. You are the true benefactors.
Please take care of my next enhancement too.
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ㅇㅇ: Ban this fucking bastard.
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Well, there was a variety of content, but.
The conclusion was simple. Enchantment was in extremely high demand.
What was more, I realized that there was effectively nowhere to enchant equipment besides a place called the Dwarf Company.
There were posts claiming that a few other places existed, but for some reason, every account had been banned for illegal advertising or something.
‘Got banned.’
It must have been because they were false advertisements.
But if the Dwarf Company was the only place offering official enchantments, and that was common knowledge in this world.
Wouldn't there be a huge shock if I started enchanting?
Henrik had said so too—that it was difficult for humans.
That was why I was looking forward to it.
As I pondered that, resting my chin in both hands with a serious expression unbecoming of a thirteen-year-old kid.
I could feel Henrik repeatedly sneaking glances in my direction.
He seemed to want to say something, but I pretended not to notice.
Mr. Henrik, you're nice and all… but you do have a bit of a chatterbox streak.
It wasn't a bad thing, but this was time for me to think.
And then.
- Jingle.
Doloris returned.
“Lionel?”
Doloris called my name in a gentle voice the moment she entered.
For some reason, she seemed to be in a better mood than usual.
“Yes.”
I hopped down from the tall chair and ran toward her.
I really did feel like I had become part of Doloris's family—even running over when she called me.
Ruby was hugging a thick book behind Doloris.
Her eyes were sparkling too.
Doloris held out the rather luxurious clothes in one hand slightly toward me.
“That should look good on you.”
“…Thank you.”
“Yes, good. Lionel? That's it.”
- Swish, swish.
Doloris seemed satisfied with my answer and stroked my hair.
“You don't need to refuse. Just say thank you.”
“Yes….”
This really did feel like being kept as livestock.
Doloris put the clothes into her subspace and headed toward the counter.
And then, all of a sudden.
- Hoist.
She lifted me with one arm.
“So, have you chosen a hammer?”
“Uh, uhbuh….”
Even though I was thirty, I couldn't help being flustered by the physical contact.
Doloris gently set me down on the counter.
In an instant, our eyes were at the same level.
“So it's these two?”
“Ah, no. I was deciding between the two.”
“Deciding?”
Doloris glanced down.
“Henrik, how much are they?”
“The total is ten thousand gold.”
“Mmm, I see.”
She met my gaze now that we were at the same height, then.
She gently brushed my bangs upward.
“Do you want both of them?”
“Ah, um… that's….”
I did want them. Both of them.
But saying the amount of ten thousand gold out loud felt a little awkward. Regardless of her wealth, I couldn't just ask her to buy them for me outright.
“…You don't seem to understand the weight of what you've done for me yet.”
Doloris looked at me and murmured quietly.
Only then did I see, beyond Doloris's face.
The scenery outside the shop.
A carriage piled high with mountains of books.
The single book Ruby was holding wasn't the end of it.
All of that outside—it seemed she'd bought everything today.
- Slide.
Doloris took my hands and placed them over the two hammers, one on each.
“Now, Lionel. Repeat after me.”
“……”
“I want it.”
“I-I want it….
“Good job.”
Doloris smiled contentedly and nodded at Henrik.
“We'll take both of these.”
“Yes.”
Henrik bowed his head.
“What does each one do?”
“This one is for forging, and this one… um, enchantment….”
“Enchantment.”
Doloris narrowed her eyes.
“Lionel did it himself?”
“Yes.”
A trace of bewilderment entered Doloris's voice.
Equipment crafting was fine since I was a Descendant of Fire, but suddenly saying I could enchant was bound to leave her speechless.
“…Because I thought I could do it.”
I was confident.
Doloris looked at me.
Whenever Doloris stared intently at me, she was usually distinguishing the truth of what I said.
After a brief silence, she smiled sweetly and nodded.
“All right.”
Doloris asked no further questions.
That meant she believed me.
“Then you'll need powder too.”
Perhaps because it was such a famous concept, she seemed to know about the existence of enchantment powder.
That was when.
“…I'll include the powder as a complimentary gift.”
Henrik took a cloth pouch from beneath the counter and held it out.
It was the same pouch he'd taken from the safe earlier.
Doloris tilted her head.
“If the person using it is taking it with them… we couldn't ask for more.”
Henrik gave a wry smile.
“You can think of it as a bundled package.”
“I see.”
Doloris chuckled and paid for everything.
Just as I was wondering whether I had to carry the hammers and was about to pick them up with both hands.
“Just a moment, please~”
The woman came out from the back.
She took the Earthborn Hammer and the Enchant Hammer, then placed them on the counter.
Then she pulled a small brush from her apron pocket and began drawing something on the ends of the handles.
Just then.
I saw the woman's lower abdomen glow.
That meant this was magic. She was using mana.
- Swish, swish.
Each time she moved the brush, gray lines were engraved into the hammers.
Before long.
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[Enchantments]
[Weight Reduction][LV.2]
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The same interface I'd seen on Tozar's hammer appeared.
“They aren't very heavy to begin with, so level 2 should be enough.”
So the person who had enchanted them was the lady.
What a skilled couple.
She handed me the hammers, and I lifted them lightly.
“…Wow.”
They had become a weight that fit perfectly in my hands.
Both hammers.
“Your Grace… are you returning to your domain?”
“Yes. Wouldn't you like to return to the domain with us, Mia?”
“Thank you for asking, but… hehe.”
While the payment was being made, I approached Ruby carrying the two hammers.
Heh-heh, I couldn't resist showing off.
There had to be something here that couldn't be conveyed by a mere book.
I approached Ruby, waving the hammers in front of her.
- Wave, wave.
After I kept hovering around in front of her, Ruby's brow furrowed slightly.
“…What's that?”
“Cool, right?”
- Wave, wave.
Just then.
“…Yeah.”
“Yeah…?”
Ruby nodded.
Huh? What was this?
This wasn't the reaction I'd expected.
When I stared at her.
“What.”
Ruby suddenly pretended to look at her book and turned away.
Her ears were slightly red.
I moved closer to her.
“…What? Why.”
“Wipe your mouth.”
“…Eeeeeek!”
Chicken-skewer sauce was still smeared around Ruby's mouth.
Good grief, how sloppy.