Chapter 8: The Uncle and the Nightmare
During the day I had many thoughts, so I ended up having a dream.
Yesterday, I dreamed that I had finally become a bystander!
When the Hero was visiting my shop for weapons, a monster suddenly attacked. I was killed, but the Hero was able to save everybody else. It really was a good dream!
Incidentally, the monster in the dream was a silver donkey, although I’m not sure why.
If the dream had ended at this point, I probably would have been moved to tears. However, it did not end there.
I dreamed that without my help, little Elan had no means of survival. Wandering throughout the whole village and praying. Finally, with not enough to eat or wear, she could only go into the red light district.
Heavens! This dream was too scary! After I woke up I still had lingering fears.
I looked at Elan’s small figure, which was currently cleaning.
Although when we are alone together, she is happy and well-behaved, but once she got nervous, she would begin to cry and stutter. If one day I’m not there anymore, Elan would definitely have no way to survive. In other words, without Elan I would be a useless person!
In my former world, I remember that there was the Ethiopian Red wolves. They would throw their offspring out into the wild to sharpen them and make them stronger.
I obviously cannot throw Elan out. The reason is very simple. The only surroundings of wolves are snow and prey. However, Elan lives in a place full of her predators, humans.
Hence, I decided, I’m was going to teach Elan the methods of forging.
This way, even if something happens, Elan can inherit my shop. No matter what, she would be able to get by.
How can I be this smart….
After resolving to pa.s.s my techniques on to her, my mood immediately improved.
“Elan, as a teacher I intend to pa.s.s all my trade secrets on to you today!”
“Oh-”
Immediately her eyes lit up.
Her two tiny fists raised up. After a while, she pushed her forefinger under her lower lip.
“But why does big brother suddenly want to teach me?”
“This…well, I cannot always be with you. On the day you must be independent, you will have to take care of yourself. Therefore, you should learn a little now…”
“Does, does big brother not want me anymore? Is Elan very annoying?”
“No, there’s nothing like that. It’s only for in case anyways.”
“Hmm…”
Although she looked very reluctant, she did finally agree.
After hanging up the closed sign on the door, I took Elan to the casting chamber and lit a candle.
Even during the day, the forging room was very cold.
However, after lighting a fire the room would become extremely warm. One might even start sweating.
“Next, you have to watch carefully. Elan, you have to watch carefully what I’m about to do.”
Elan was a novice, so we should start with the ordinary iron sword.
I warmed the furnace, melted the iron, and pulled the bellow, all in a breath.
Using magic, I drew the molten iron in to the air, and formed and cooled it.
“Wow!”
In a moment, patterns and symbols were formed.
Proudly jumping up, I grabbed the sword with one hand.
Perfect? How is it, Elan?
Elan looked at me blankly with an incomprehensible expression on her face.
“Can you do it?”
I asked her.
“No…”
She said, after she tried on the remaining molten iron.
“How can this be?! Then how do you guys normally make weapons?”
Elan made a hammering motion.
“Generally speaking, first is the production of the mold, then adjusting the raw materials. Next would be melting, casting, then finally tr.i.m.m.i.n.g.”
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
What Elan said made a lot of sense. It seems that in the former world it was also done this way.
But ever since coming to this world, I’ve found there is a very convenient thing, magic. As long as magic in injected into the material, it can be very easily operable. Such as removing impurities, forging, molding, and the like. Can it be it that it is not so?
“That, and big brother, you ‘retention magic,’ what is that?”
Retention magic? So, in other words, when I first came here I had a magic I could use.
“Ten thousand forging.”
Elan’s small hands grabbed the edges of her ap.r.o.n skirt.
“That thing. Such a thing, only big brother can do.”
Is that so!!
Shocked by this bolt from the blue, I was forced onto my knees.
“Finished, it’s finished. Elan will have to go to the red light district.”
“The flower district?” (TL: Something about the way the words used for red light district also contain “flower street”)
Elan looked at me quizzically.
“No.”
I held my forehead.
“My meaning is, once I’m gone you will have no food.”
Elan laughed.
She was a little taller than my kneeling self, so her open arms went around my neck. She put her weight on me.
“That kind of thing doesn’t matter, as long as big brother stays by my side.”
Well, at this stage there is no good method. I’ll just let Elan practice little by little.