The Elf's Elixir (1)
Jerman was called the oldest of the Palstar Heroes, an elf who had lived for an extraordinarily long time. He had outlived even Dragon Emperor Ahajaka Eldark by far, to the point where he was acquainted with the previous head of the Eldark family—a man of immense experience. And yet, even for him, obtaining Eldark blood was absolutely impossible.
As he had said, the dragons of Eldark loathed spilling even a drop of their noble blood, having grown strong precisely to prevent such a thing. Unless one forced them into it by beating them to death—which was out of the question—there was no way to acquire it. After all, who would dare pick a fight with the dragons of Eldark, who were among the strongest beings in the world? That was why Jerman had declared it impossible.
"Y-you can obtain it?"
"Yes, probably."
Jerman steadied his startled heart at Seong Hyun-jin's far-too-calm response. Composing himself, he asked steadily, "...How exactly do you plan to obtain it?"
"Does it have to be pure-blooded Eldark blood, by any chance?"
"No such condition exists, but where would one find Eldark blood that's not pure...?"
Jerman trailed off mid-sentence, suddenly pausing. He recalled that Ahajaka Eldark, the current Dragon Emperor and head of the Eldark line, had tastes as unique as his power. The tale of the Dragon Emperor falling for the princess of the northern forest—famed for her beauty—was still sung by bards to this day. Even Jerman, who paid little heed to outside affairs, couldn't forget that. And hearing Seong Hyun-jin's words made it click instantly.
A being with Eldark blood, though not pure-blooded.
"Surely you're not referring to Ahajaka's daughter?"
"Yes, my girlfriend."
"...!?"
Jerman was more than a little shocked this time—quite a lot, in fact. As far as he knew, Ahajaka cherished his daughter as much as he loved his wife.
"Does Ahajaka Eldark know about this? If he did, he never would have let you live..."
"Looks like the rumor about the Dragon Star being a total daughter-con is pretty famous, huh."
Seong Hyun-jin smiled sheepishly, recalling his meeting with Ahajaka.
"Yeah, he knows. He laid down some conditions, but he gave his permission."
"...Hah."
Jerman let out a hollow chuckle as he looked at Seong Hyun-jin. Like father, like daughter—drawn to elven blood? Or was it just that this kid standing before him was handsome enough to turn heads? Either way, Jerman found the situation intriguing as he spoke.
"Pure blood isn't necessary. It's the components in that noble dragon blood we need."
"Then, can I contact her and ask her to come here?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Jerman nodded, then emphasized firmly.
"But the Eldark daughter is the only one. It deviates from the plan, but since Eleonora asked, I'll allow it."
His tone suggested no more visitors, leaving Seong Hyun-jin and Ciela tilting their heads in confusion. Come to think of it, they'd heard that Jerman had been refusing visitors for over a week. Unable to contain his curiosity, Seong Hyun-jin brought up the rumor that had been passed along from the gatekeeper onward.
"...By the way, I heard you've been refusing to meet anyone else."
"Who told you that?"
"No one in particular... Pretty much everyone, starting from the gatekeeper, mentioned it."
Jerman sighed softly at Seong Hyun-jin's answer.
"I should have just said I wasn't here..."
"Is there a special reason?"
"Why are you so curious? I simply don't want to meet them."
"You treated us just fine, so it didn't seem like you hate seeing people in general."
Jerman let out a wry, defeated laugh at Seong Hyun-jin's sharp observation. His expression wasn't unpleasant as he replied.
"You have a knack for hitting unexpected points."
"If it's hard to talk about, I won't ask."
"No, it's nothing difficult. Just a trivial reason."
With that, Jerman turned and picked up something from the corner of the forge. Though tucked away, it wasn't carelessly tossed aside—it was carefully placed, like a treasured item: a single sword.
"This is the culprit."
"A sword, huh?"
Even to Seong Hyun-jin's eyes, it looked unfinished. Naturally so; unlike a typical blade, it lacked any edge polish. He wasn't an expert blacksmith, but it seemed the quenching wasn't fully complete either.
"It doesn't look finished."
"Indeed, it's unfinished. You spotted that right away. Are you a swordsman yourself?"
"Yes, and I'm carrying one right here."
"I thought you were just holding it for show."
"......"
As Seong Hyun-jin's face soured at the implication, Jerman quickly clarified.
"Not trying to insult you—there really are people like that."
He then explained why he was avoiding visitors.
"No special reason otherwise. I've been holing up to finish this blade, avoiding everyone. Interacting with others dilutes the inspiration in your mind. So, I've minimized contact to focus solely on forging it. I planned not to meet anyone until it was done."
"How long will it take?"
"Who knows? Even I don't. Could be weeks... or years."
"...Years?"
Seong Hyun-jin blinked in surprise, but Jerman merely nodded calmly. Forging a single sword for years without seeing anyone? It sounded absurd. But Ciela's reaction was different.
"...Could that sword be your 'masterpiece,' Lord Jerman?"
Ciela, who had been quietly listening, asked with evident surprise. Jerman gazed at her intently before replying.
"...Now I see—you're from the Teraport family."
"Ah, yes. Ciela Teraport."
She had given her family name during introductions earlier, but only now did it register, making Ciela keenly feel how little interest Jerman had in others.
Jerman nodded, reflecting on her reaction.
"Yes, it might become the masterpiece of my life."
Ciela's eyes widened at his words. There was good reason for her shock.
Masterpiece. For a blacksmith, it was the one item in their lifetime into which they poured everything. It could be anything, but it would forever be the pinnacle of their craft. And the elf before them wasn't just any blacksmith—he was a man who, after centuries of creating countless masterpieces, had ascended to the ranks of the Palstar Heroes with the title of Forge Star.
His heroic status stemmed from other feats, but the moniker Forge Star attested to his unrivaled skill. For such a man to create his life's masterpiece... Ciela couldn't even imagine the excellence of a blade born from centuries of experience, nor its immense value.
That was why she was stunned, but Seong Hyun-jin casually asked from beside her,
"So why are you making something that looks like a kitchen knife?"
"Didn't I say it broke? And... well, honestly, I'm a bit stuck right now. That's why my eyes wandered elsewhere."
Jerman sighed in frustration.
"I had a flash of inspiration when I started, but now... nothing comes. Maybe I should give up and revisit it when the time feels right."
Seeing Jerman's near-resigned attitude, Seong Hyun-jin felt it would be a shame and pressed.
"If this is your life's masterpiece, coming after all those long years you've lived—wouldn't it be a waste to abandon the inspiration now?"
"You're right. That's why I can't let go. But what can you do when nothing sparks?"
"It's not like hammering it more will magically fix it. Then it'd just be an ordinary sword."
"Hmm......"
Seong Hyun-jin tapped his chin thoughtfully. Jerman chuckled lightly at the sight.
"It's none of your business, yet you're pondering it so deeply."
"Huh? You're doing me a favor—it's only right I think about your problem too."
"Is that so."
Jerman said, "Don't worry about my work for now. Focus on yours first. Pondering won't solve it any faster."
"Ah..., yes."
"Do you have a way to contact the Eldark child?"
"Sunbae, can you reach the headmaster?"
Ciela nodded and pulled a small orb from her handbag.
"It's a communication crystal my master made. It only connects to her, but it should work from here."
"Nice. Ask her to send Serena here. She can join the remedial lessons too."
"Pfft, my remedial study buddy count just went up."
Noting how Ciela called Eleonora "master," Jerman asked,
"Eleonora's disciple?"
"Ah, yes. That's right."
"I see. Sorry for not realizing earlier. I have zero interest in outside matters."
"No, it's fine. May I step away to contact her?"
"Of course."
Ciela took the crystal and moved away from the forge. Jerman turned back to Seong Hyun-jin.
"While the Eldark child comes, we need the other ingredients."
"You said the others are easy—where from?"
"I'll handle the ancient tree leaves and the eight-horned deer's antlers. Only a pure high elf like me can obtain them. You're a swordsman, so... skilled in combat, I assume?"
"Well enough."
As Seong Hyun-jin nodded, Jerman continued.
"Then you fetch the hundred-year centipede venom. Wait a moment."
Jerman stepped away briefly and returned with a fairly large glass vial, handing it to Seong Hyun-jin.
"Fill this, and it'll be enough."
"...That's a lot. Where do I find a hundred-year centipede?"
"Most centipedes in this forest are over a century old. And they're not hard to spot. Just wander the woods, and you'll see them."
"Pardon?"
At Seong Hyun-jin's baffled look, Jerman explained.
"They're disgustingly huge."
# Ciela successfully contacted Eleonora, securing a promise to send Serena to the elven forest. With that, Seong Hyun-jin and Ciela ventured into the woods to hunt for the centipede venom.
"We'll just run into one wandering like this...?"
"That's what he said."
"......"
Ciela stuck close to Seong Hyun-jin, her face tense. He tilted his head at her, and she explained.
"S-sorry, but... multi-legged things are one of my least favorites. Spiders, centipedes, that sort..."
"What about crabs, octopuses, squid?"
"Not a fan of those either."
"Got it," Seong Hyun-jin said. "I'll handle it, then. You rest, sunbae."
"...You sure?"
"Yeah."
Ciela expressed her gratitude as he replied confidently.
"Thanks..."
"It's my job anyway."
They wandered the forest a bit longer. Soon, upon entering a dim, humid area, they encountered the hundred-year centipede.
"Whoa."
"Eek...!"
Seong Hyun-jin recalled Jerman's words about its filthy size. He understood immediately why.
Chirrurruk────.
Dozens of legs and segments writhed with an unpleasant sound. Spotting Seong Hyun-jin, it reared up like a snake, antennae held high.
"It really is disgustingly huge."
"H-how is that a centipede!? It's just a monster!"
"It looks like one, though."
This colossal centipede from Igrasil Forest was named Gigantia Gigantia, emphasizing its massive size. Nearly 4 meters long, with thick segments, it dwarfed even large snakes. Matching its monstrous form, it spread venom claws bigger than a human head, warning Seong Hyun-jin to stay back.
"Eek─!"
Ciela shrieked and hid behind him, trembling.
"I-I can't look! Save me, junior!"
"It hasn't done anything yet..."
Seong Hyun-jin shrugged and drew his sword, grinning.
"Big size means it'll feel good to slice."
"Shaaaaak─!"