What's Stopping Me from Taking You?
"I hope you like it."
There was no question of liking it or not.
If someone gives you a hammer, you accept it with gratitude. But...
The real problem was that this hammer was meant for combat.
"I'm not sure if I should accept something like this..."
"I had to get it in a hurry."
I figured as much.
It looked incredibly high-quality, but...
I didn't really want to fight.
Wait, does she even care what I want? Is she trying to raise me as a combat mercenary...?
It looked incredibly heavy.
Yet Doloris held it out to me as if it were a light twig.
Just then.
A window popped up.
◈ Weight Reduction [Lv. 4]
◈ Lightning Infusion [Lv. 3]
Whoa.
What is this?
Suddenly, the item's enchantment list had appeared.
It was an interface I'd never seen before.
Did the other gear not have anything like this until now?
The moment I wondered about the level of these enchantments, Yuna chimed in.
Level 1 is a 30% reduction, Level 2 is 60%, Level 3 is 90%, and Level 4 is a whopping 99% reduction.
Must not have been easy to get.
"I had the weight reduced as much as possible on short notice. Would you like to try holding it?"
She really was planning to give it to me. She must have rushed to get it enchanted because she was worried I wouldn't be able to lift it.
It was actually quite touching.
I carefully took the hammer from her.
Contrary to its incredibly heavy appearance...
Thump.
The hammer felt incredibly light in my hand.
Yet, the solid feedback of the grip was still there.
"...It's nice."
"..."
It was nice. Really nice. I was incredibly grateful, but...
"Are you really giving this to me?"
Instead of answering immediately, Doloris pointed to the gloves she was wearing.
"In that sense, this..."
Doloris leaned down to match my eye level.
"...is my reward to you for the gloves."
"...Thank you."
Doloris smiled brightly.
The background framed her perfectly. The sunset cast a warm, slanted glow through the window.
Her unreal beauty made my head spin for a second.
The insulated gloves. It seemed the test results had been excellent.
I couldn't think of anything to say.
I had forgotten what it felt like to be rewarded for hard work.
The same went for this kind of goodwill. The last time was a cup of strawberry latte my advisor bought me near the end of my PhD program.
My memory cut off there.
It was strange.
A heavy feeling settled in a corner of my chest.
And if there was another commonality, it was that the goodwill extended to me didn't suit me.
Back then, I had a strawberry allergy.
And this hammer was for combat.
I had to tell her.
But how should I say it? I couldn't just say, "I don't like this," when she had gone out of her way to buy it.
I needed to present a rational reason and explain why it wouldn't work.
I decided to use the most beautiful questioning technique from my previous world.
"Lady Doloris, regarding the hammer you purchased, I was wondering if I might humbly ask for your permission to inquire whether it would be acceptable for me to report a slight concern, and if I could dare to ask if you would mind if I raised a question about whether it is appropriate to mention..."
As my endless question dragged on, a smile slowly spread across Doloris's lips.
"Pfft, Lionel."
She burst into a bright laugh.
She looked genuinely amused.
Apparently, my nested questions were quite refreshing to her.
"You can speak comfortably. No need to be so tense."
"...Yes."
I took a deep breath.
Yeah, please.
I closed my eyes and opened my mouth.
"Actually, you see..."
I looked down at the hammer again.
I couldn't just say, "Because it says 'combat use' on it." That wouldn't make sense to her.
"The handle length of this hammer is correct. Short-handled forging hammers are usually about this long."
Safe so far.
"But the head—the hammer head—looks identical on both sides. Usually, a blacksmith's hammer has one flat side and one narrow or rounded side. The flattening surface and the shaping surface are different."
"..."
"But this one is flat on both sides... and it's a bit narrow. It's shaped to concentrate the impact on a single point."
"...So it looks like a combat hammer."
Thanks to the excellent script Yuna wrote for me, I was able to speak without stuttering.
Doloris listened quietly, then slowly nodded.
As I've said before, lying in front of her was out of the question.
She must have analyzed my words just now. It would have registered as the truth.
"...You really know a lot, Lionel."
"My dream was to be a blacksmith."
This wasn't a lie either. It was just a dream I had decided on a week ago.
Pretty funny, actually.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know much about hammers. I thought as long as it was short, it would be fine. Hmm... What should we do..."
As Doloris rested her chin on her hand in thought...
*Thump.*
Ruby lightly buried her head in Doloris's skirt.
Cute.
She was basically begging for attention.
Doloris looked down at her with a smile.
"Right, it's late tonight... Let's go on an outing tomorrow."
"!"
Ruby froze.
"Ruby, you like Ariel Square, don't you?"
"Yeah... I like it..."
"Good."
Doloris soothed Ruby with practiced ease, then looked at me.
"We'll buy a new hammer there. Feel free to choose whatever you like."
"Is that really okay...?"
"Of course it is."
Oh my god.
She's just going to drop a million dollars on me?
Wait, then what happens to the hammer she already bought?
As my gaze drifted toward Tozar's hammer in confusion, Doloris lifted it up and inspected it.
"By the way, what should we do with this one?"
"Um, how much was it...?"
"Two hundred thousand gold. It wasn't very expensive."
Two million dollars?
Two million dollars?!
My hands trembled. A refund was probably out of the question.
Doloris had just brought home a two-million-dollar hammer like she was picking up a loaf of bread, and she casually claimed it wasn't expensive.
"The materials seem decent, at least."
"..."
"Do you want to melt it down and use it for materials?"
"Excuse me...?"
I knew it had some lightning mineral or whatever in it, but...
Melt down two million dollars?
"Just melt it down and use it."
*Pat, pat.*
Doloris patted my head.
Without thinking, I leaned into her touch.
"Your thanks?"
"Thank you..."
It seemed Doloris was...
...filthy rich.
Doloris treated me to a delicious meal as a reward for looking after Ruby.
I thought we would go to a restaurant, but she suddenly pulled something out of thin air.
*Whir.*
A rift opened in the air, and a steaming sandwich...
...along with a cold bottle of orange juice, descended into her hand.
"...?"
Where did that just come from?
"It's a sub-space pocket."
Noticing my curiosity, Doloris explained with a smile.
"If you climb the Tower in the future, you'll naturally learn about it."
No, thank you. I have absolutely no desire to climb the Tower.
I kept that thought to myself.
The sandwich was surprisingly simple, filled with ham and vegetables. The bread was as soft as if it had just been baked.
By the time we finished eating, the sun had completely set.
Outside the window, stars had been appearing one by one for a while.
It was bedtime.
Alright, time to head out.
Today had been absolutely exhausting.
"I'll be heading off to bed now..."
"Where are you going?"
"Huh? To my room..."
"Sleep here."
Doloris pointed to a door inside the cabin.
The cabin was actually quite spacious. It felt like a villa, with about three rooms.
She seemed to be pointing to a spare room.
Resistance was futile.
"I'll just go wash up first!"
I quickly left the cabin and headed to the shower room.
I was worried she might tell me to wash up inside the cabin. That would have been a bit too awkward.
After a quick rinse, I knocked on the cabin door.
*Knock, knock.*
"Come in."
When I entered, Doloris was sitting at the table.
She was wearing sleepwear, and the starlight streaming through the window pooled over her shoulders.
The tips of her silver hair glowed with a faint blue hue.
She looked like a painting just sitting there.
Having nothing else to say, I asked about the missing kid.
"Where is Ruby?"
"She went to sleep. She's always slept a lot."
"Ah."
"Mages train even while they sleep. The more they sleep, the better."
What kind of incredibly convenient and efficient job is that?
Good to know. Suddenly, I wanted to be a mage too.
"Right. Well, good night..."
"Sit down for a moment."
"Yes, ma'am."
Escape attempt: failed.
Swallowing a sigh, I sat across from her at the table.
Doloris clasped her hands and quietly stared at me.
The starlight illuminated half of her face, while the indoor light lit the other.
"Lionel."
"Yes?"
"We are returning to my estate tomorrow."
Oh.
Estate? Since Doloris was a Duchess, it would be her duchy.
She must have a home of her own.
"That's good news."
I said it without much thought.
Once Doloris left, the insulated gloves request would be over, and I would return to the orphanage.
Back to my daily routine.
"You're coming too."
"Huh?"
"Pardon?"
"Lionel, you are coming with us."
Doloris repeated herself with a calm expression.
I hadn't misheard.
"But the orphanage..."
"Is there a problem with me taking you?"
"No. Not at all."
"I'll set up a workshop for you at the estate."
A workshop?
Wait, seriously?
A standard workshop meant a forge and a comfortable environment to live a blacksmith's life.
"Improve your skills there... work hard."
"..."
"I can provide you with anything you want."
I couldn't answer right away.
It wasn't because I didn't want to. There was absolutely no reason to refuse.
Telling me to improve my skills meant she believed I could grow.
It meant she saw my potential.
For a brief moment, my past flashed before my eyes.
Over the last five years, how many people had actually said those words to me?
"...Thank you."
My voice cracked slightly.
A man pledges his loyalty to the one who recognizes his worth.
Alright, I've chosen you as my master for this life, Doloris...
Fine, fine.
I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts, then asked why she was treating me so well.
"What should I do once I improve my skills?"
I had a rough idea, but...
"I don't know how you found out..."
Doloris paused.
"...but you were certain that I suffer from the Nine Yin Meridians."
"Yes."
"Make me gear that can cure it... or at least delay it."
Doloris let out a slightly self-deprecating smile.
"It might seem ridiculous to ask this of a child. But I'm serious."
She looked at me.
"I won't hold back any support."
From Doloris's perspective, she was clinging to a thirteen-year-old kid to save her life.
A Duchess. The Lord of the 5th Floor. A High Ranker.
The fact that someone like her was begging an orphan boy...
...meant she had tried everything else, and I was her last resort.
"I'll do whatever it takes."
I spoke casually, but...
...I was fully committed.
"...Yes, thank you."
*Pat, pat.*
Doloris stroked my hair.
I didn't lean into her hand this time, but she didn't pull it away either.
Smiling softly, she slowly stood up.
"Now, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow will be busy."
"Yes."
Doloris opened the door to the inner room.
"..."
Ruby was sleeping inside.
She was curled up like a shrimp in the middle of a large bed, the blanket half-kicked off.
Where was my room?
But then, something caught my eye.
Next to Ruby, a blue pillow was neatly placed.
Wasn't I sleeping in a spare room?
To make matters worse, there was a white pillow on Ruby's left.
So it was Doloris, then Ruby, and then me.
"...Me too?"
"Of course."
Doloris replied nonchalantly.
"Children get scared sleeping alone at night."
I'm thirty.
Of course, I couldn't say that out loud.
Once Doloris made sure I was inside the room...
*Click.*
...she locked the door.
"..."
"..."
In front of me, Ruby tossed and turned, mumbling in her sleep.
I really have to lie down, don't I?
I rested my head on the blue pillow and stared at the ceiling.
Starlight quietly filtered through the window...
*Smooch.*
"..."
Doloris lightly kissed the sleeping Ruby's forehead.
It was as natural as a daily routine.
Ah, right. She did that earlier today too.
Wait, no way.
Surely not... I'm just being self-conscious...
Just then.
*Smooch.*
"Good night, Lionel."
My eyes were closed, but I felt something touch my forehead.
Soft, warm, and brief.
"..."
The window to reply had already passed.
I felt the blanket tugged slightly, and the other side of the bed sank.
With Ruby between us, Doloris lay down.
Soon, only the breathing of three people remained.
Well, technically two. Since I couldn't close my eyes.
*Pinch.*
What the?
Someone suddenly pinched my thigh.
...So Ruby was awake too.
Actually, it was just one person's breathing.
My forehead remained warm for a long time.