Let the Enchanting Begin

Master.

To Ruby, Doloris was her sky.

A sky that looked down upon her, embraced her, and protected her.

Yet, that sky always seemed to have a freezing cold heart. Always.

Even though she always held Ruby in her arms and showed her only the warm side of the world, Ruby could tell she was hiding something.

Ruby was a clever child, mature enough to notice these things despite her young age.

But one day, Ruby's sky became warm.

Her master's face, which used to be expressionless more often than not, had recently brightened.

And the most relieving, joyful thing of all was that she no longer entered that room.

Ruby knew about that room.

She didn't know exactly what was inside, but every time her master came out of it, her eyes would look completely hollow.

That had been so terrifying to watch.

And the biggest reason for this change in her sky was, without a doubt...

"Lululu~"

...this boy, who was currently dancing around with a hammer in his hand as if he were having the time of his life.

His name was Lionel.

To Ruby, he was her first friend.

Or perhaps, family.

He had warmed her master's cold hands.

He had taught her how to tie her shoelaces.

He made her smile brightly again.

They were supposed to be the same age, or at least close, so she couldn't understand how he was capable of doing all this.

Ruby studied magic for her master's sake, wanting to be of help to her one day.

Yet, she still couldn't do anything.

She couldn't cure her master's illness, nor could she warm those freezing hands.

But the boy in front of her had done it. Rather than jealousy, it felt more like...

Whoosh, whoosh.

"Don't I look cool?"

The thoughts she had just been harboring... Fine, she admitted it.

"...Yeah."

"Huh?"

Honestly speaking, he did look cool.

I had received a rough outline of our future schedule from Doloris.

I wondered if we would stop by the orphanage first, but it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠turned out she had left with no intention of returning there from the start.

Of course, it didn't matter to me since I had no luggage to pack anyway.

I assumed they would handle clearing out the villa on their end.

Goodbye, Eric.

I'm actually going to miss him. Our Big Mac.

Hyung will make lots of money and come back. Let's meet again someday.

Keep using those gloves well.

It might seem obvious, but apparently, the travel time from this square to Duchess Doloris's estate was shorter than the trip back to the orphanage.

After all, the orphanage was in the countryside, while this place was a bustling city.

We naturally boarded the carriage, and the wagon carrying Ruby's magic books was attached behind us like a cargo trailer.

My hammer was held securely in both of my hands.

"...Lionel, shall I hold that for you?"

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

Doloris offered, but I declined.

"I need to get used to the feel of it in my hands starting now."

"I see."

Honestly, right now, I was feeling extremely, extremely restless.

When you give an addict their fix, they tend to think of nothing else.

I want to craft something right now.

I had the powder in my pocket and the hammer in my hands. I had the materials and the tools, but doing it right here in the carriage felt a bit inappropriate.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Inside the carriage, there was a table, a fruit basket, and a curtain rod.

Ah. What would happen if I enchanted the curtain rod? Wouldn't it become sturdier?

Yuna, I'm just kidding.

Spending the time with such silly jokes, I closed my eyes and rested the Enchanting Hammer on my lap.

Let's endure. She said she would graciously set up a workshop for me once we arrived at the estate.

Even if there wasn't a workshop, frankly, I could just lie down on the street and do it.

Let's not decide what to hammer just yet.

I was a bit nervous because the community forums mentioned that equipment could be destroyed during the process.

"We will arrive shortly."

"Yes."

Hurry up, please.

The carriage sped along.

The lights of Ariel Square faded into the distance, and the scenery outside the window turned dark once more.

Before I knew it, Ruby had fallen asleep with her face buried in her book.

Doloris also had her eyes closed. I couldn't tell if she was sleeping or just resting.

The tranquil moonlight leaked through the curtains.

The hammer on my lap rattled slightly in sync with the carriage's vibrations.

Just then, the moonlight outside the window grew brighter.

Wondering if the moon had suddenly gotten brighter, I parted the curtain slightly.

Moonlight, my foot. Streetlamps were lined up in neat rows on both sides of the road, stretching so far that the end was invisible.

And where the lamps ended...

"..."

...stood a massive iron gate.

A colossal double gate, easily taller than three carriages stacked on top of each other. A crest was engraved above the gate—likely the Doloris family coat of arms.

As we passed through the iron gate, the scenery shifted once again.

"Hey."

"Huh?"

Ruby, who had woken up at some point, called out.

Seeing me stare outside like a country bumpkin, she let out a smirk.

"This is Master's estate."

"Yeah, I know."

I knew that much.

"..."

She turned her head away again. What was up with her?

At any rate, past the iron gate, rows of street trees lined the path, with red-roofed buildings visible between them. Windows were lit up. People lived there.

It was a town.

I had read my fair share of romance fantasy novels, but I never expected to see an actual estate town with my own eyes.

Yuna, how does it look from a girl's perspective? You love romance fantasy, don't you?

Pfft. She was still worrying. I guess I was a bit too intense earlier.

We traveled for quite a while longer, and at the end of an uphill slope, a massive building finally came into view.

"Shall we get ready to disembark?"

"Yes."

Doloris smiled gently as she stroked my hair.

The building gleamed under the moonlight. Multiple pointed spires rose into the sky, and a fountain stood in front of the mansion.

It looked exactly like a mansion straight out of a fairy tale. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a castle.

"We've arrived," Doloris said with a smile. "This is our home."

"Thank you..."

"Hmm?"

This had to be the life of the top 0.1%. To think I'd get to live in a place like this... I no longer envied my past life.

The carriage stopped, and as the door opened, a man was standing at the entrance of the mansion.

A monocle, a white mustache, a straight back, and a well-fitting black suit. Judging by the setup, this man had to be the butler. He was the epitome of a fantasy butler.

"Welcome home, Duchess."

"Sebas. It has been a while."

"I am relieved to see you have returned safely, Duchess."

The butler, Sebas, bowed politely and turned his gaze to Ruby.

"Welcome back, Lady Ruby."

"Yeah, I'm back."

Ruby nodded sleepily in greeting. Then, the butler's gaze shifted to me.

I was about to introduce myself, thinking he wouldn't know who I was yet, when...

"Lord Lionel. It is an honor to meet you."

"He—huh? Ah, yes... Hello."

It seemed they had already discussed everything.

"I will have the books moved to Lady Ruby's study."

"There are books for Lionel as well. Please separate the ones loaded in the front seat and take them to the workshop."

"Understood. I will see to it."

What? There are books for me too? This was news to me. Besides, did she just say "workshop"?

At Sebas's gesture, two servants waiting in the back headed toward the cargo wagon carrying the books.

Just then, a maid approached. She reached out toward my hammer.

"I will take this to the workshop for—"

Who are you?

When I instinctively hid the hammer behind my back and glared at her defensively, she bowed her head with startled eyes.

Ah, sorry. She obviously didn't mean any harm. I was just startled for a moment. I thought she was trying to take it away from me again.

I was a bit sensitive because of how Yuna used to nag me in the past.

"Ah, yes, yes. Thank you."

Perhaps impressed by how dearly I cherished the hammer, Doloris covered her mouth and chuckled. Though the reality was a bit different.

"Dinner is prepared. Please, come inside."

Dinner. According to Yuna, it was 7:00 PM. The perfect time for dinner.

Doloris looked back at me as she walked.

"You must be hungry."

"...Ah, yes."

Actually, I wasn't hungry at all. Food was the last thing on my mind right now.

Doloris led the way, with Ruby and me following behind.

Upon entering the mansion, the high ceilings and grand chandeliers caught my eye. The floors were marble, and paintings hung on the walls.

I wanted to ask about the workshop right away, but the timing wasn't right. After dinner would probably be the best time.

We walked down the mansion's hallway. The hallway felt wider than the entire orphanage building I used to live in. It was going to take some time to get used to this.

Soon, we arrived in front of a door.

Creak.

The door opened smoothly. Two maids standing on either side bowed as they held the doors open.

The room beyond was clearly the dining hall.

"...Wow."

Countless dishes were laid out on a long table. Meat, bread, soup, fish, fruit, and various dishes I couldn't even name. Tableware was set for three.

What was my past life again? I couldn't even remember.

Ruby was already climbing onto her chair. Seeing her eyes sparkle, it seemed they didn't eat like this every single day. Not that I expected them to.

Doloris said as she took her seat, "Since today is a special day."

She looked back and forth between Ruby and me.

"Welcome, Lionel."

"......Thank you."

I sat down. A maid placed a white napkin over my lap.

Ruby was already tearing into some bread, and I, too, picked up my fork.

I cut a piece of meat and put it in my mouth.

"..."

It was delicious. So delicious it almost brought tears to my eyes.

The past week of eating stale bread with corn soup flashed through my mind.

Yeah. I was literally crying.

We finished dinner. A wave of drowsiness hit me now that my stomach was full, but sleep wasn't important right now.

"It would be too much to learn the entire layout of the house at once," Doloris said as she walked down the hallway. "So I will only show you the second floor today."

Ruby followed, rubbing her eyes.

As we climbed the stairs and entered the second-floor hallway, the moonlight from the garden shone through the windows.

"That white door at the very end." Doloris pointed to the end of the hallway. It was distinctly different from the other doors. Painted white, with a silver doorknob.

"That is my room. My office... though that might be a bit of a difficult term. It's where I stay during the day."

Office, check. I nodded.

Doloris walked over and stopped in front of a door in the middle of the hallway.

"This is Ruby's room."

Opening the door revealed a rather cute, cozy room.

"Normally, Ruby should sleep here too..." Doloris looked down at Ruby and smiled softly. "But we still sleep together."

Ruby's face flushed bright red.

"Th-that's only because Master gets scared when she sleeps alone..."

"Is that so?"

"It is!"

I didn't know what kind of nonsense she was spouting, but she was just a kid. I'd let it slide.

"Yeah, right."

Oops, my true nature slipped out.

"Grr..."

Doloris chuckled and moved to the next door, right next to Ruby's room.

"And." She stopped in front of the door and turned to look at me. "This is Lionel's room."

The door opened. It was spacious. The bed was huge, and the view from the window was great. It had everything I needed, and the wall lamps were lit.

Good. Everything was great. However...

"..."

Doloris peered into my face. "Do you not like it?"

"No? No, I love it. It's amazing."

"..."

Did she catch on?

"There is another place you want to see, isn't there?"

"...Yes."

Doloris let out a soft laugh. Unable to hold back her amusement, she turned around.

"Ruby, do you want to see it too?"

"Yes."

"Follow me, everyone."

Doloris led the way. We went down the stairs, and as she opened the back door of the mansion, the cool night breeze rushed in.

A garden came into view, along with a stone-paved path leading into the darkness. Ruby walked while holding Doloris's hand. I also held her other...

Squeeze.

My hand was held.

After walking along the path for about a minute, we reached an annex slightly detached from the main building. A brick house with a single chimney. And above the door, a small sun crest was engraved.

She went this far for me?

"..."

Doloris stopped in front of the door. "Would you like to open it?"

I grabbed the doorknob.

Creak.

The moment the door opened, a soft light turned on inside. Orange lamps lit up one by one along the wall, illuminating the space.

"..."

First of all, there was a furnace that looked like it cost at least 300 million won. Next to the furnace was an anvil, the kind of object that would easily rank in the top ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ten things a modern person would never see in real life. Tools hung on the walls, along with various other materials that were hard to describe.

And on the workbench, two hammers lay side by side: the Earthborn Hammer and the Enchanting Hammer.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes."

I answered immediately without looking back, then slowly turned my head to look at Doloris.

Once again, a man pledges his loyalty to the one who recognizes his worth.

"I will work hard."

So, in this life, I'm riding with you, Doloris.

It sounded cheesy, but that was exactly how I felt. Even Yuna didn't nag me this time.

Instead of answering, Doloris leaned against the doorframe and smiled quietly.

"You don't have to push yourself so hard."

"..."

Doloris took a step closer and squatted down in front of me. We were now at eye level.

"Don't overdo it. Take it slow."

"..."

She brushed my bangs aside. "Alright?"

No.

"...Yes."

Doloris stood up, looking satisfied. "Shall we head back now?"

Doloris and Ruby turned around, but I remained rooted to the spot like a Siege Tank. Instead, I slowly shuffled backward toward the hammers.

"Excuse me."

"Yes?"

"Could you give me a piece of equipment that you wouldn't mind throwing away?"

"...Huh?"

And then, I grabbed a hammer.

"I'm just too restless."

Which hammer was it? Damn right, it was the Enchanting Hammer.

Doloris and Ruby left with dumbfounded expressions.

"Make sure to return to your room and sleep before the lamps go out, okay?"

"Yes."

"I will leave the garden lights on for a while."

"Yes."

"...Still, if you find it too scary to walk back to the mansion at night, call Sebas. If you shout loudly, he will surely come."

"Yes."

Doloris showered me with worries, but honestly, I doubted I would even go back to the room tonight.

"...We'll be going, Lionel."

She led Ruby away, casting a slightly pitiful look back at me. I didn't know why she felt that way. I was currently living my best life since being reincarnated into this world.

I looked down. The equipment Doloris had brought me was none other than...

Otherwise known as construction cotton gloves.

In all my life, I had never seen equipment without even a single line of flavor text. I guess if an item was too trashy, it didn't even get that. It didn't matter to me right now.

"Whew..."

What I was about to do was, of course, enchanting.

I carefully untied the pouch Henrik had given me. And...

Rustle...

I sprinkled a pinch of the blue powder onto the gloves. One might think it was a waste, but I had changed my mind. Since it was my first time, I couldn't risk blowing up a good piece of equipment on the first try. Practice is best done with cheap stuff.

*Hummmm...*

I lifted the Enchanting Hammer.

Yes, I'll attempt it.

This time, I didn't just stand there blankly. A circle appeared. An outer circle slowly shrank, closing in. The two circles approached each other. Slowly.

I aimed precisely for the moment they overlapped.

Clang!

A rainbow light burst forth.

[Marvelous!]

This is it... This is the feeling...

My body remembered. I didn't even need my brain for this; it was pure spinal reflex.

The next circle appeared. The position had changed, but it didn't matter. I read the shrinking circle and caught the exact moment of overlap.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

[Marvelous!]

[Marvelous!]

[Marvelous!]

Just like that, a frantic ten seconds flew by.

93%.

Unless the probability was rigged, this was a guaranteed success.

"Whew..."

A faint light emanated from the cotton gloves.

The interesting thing was that even though the magic applied was Weight Reduction, the actual sensation of swinging the hammer remained the same.

I see. So it feels like something is helping lift it for you.

But, Yuna.

"There's one huge thing missing right now."

Right now, a mere +1 enhancement or some Weight Reduction magic wasn't the issue.

First of all, the difficulty was way too easy. And...

"There's no music."

I looked up at Yuna.

"Play some music."

The only reason I didn't get an All Perfect was definitely the lack of music.

"Hurry up and play it."

Yuna's hologram flickered slightly. A moment later, music began to echo throughout the workshop.

The song played softly in the background. A rhythm game without music is just manual labor. I could adjust the BPM and other settings later.

It was then.

"Huh?"

"..."

I remembered. Back when I was trying to gradually quit gaming, I had set up a script to track my playtime. I had programmed Yuna to automatically call out to me whenever I started a rhythm game.

A notification every 30 minutes. Forced shutdown after 2 hours. If I didn't set this up, I would ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠play until four in the morning.

However...

"Yuna."

I spoke with a benevolent smile.

"You can turn that off."

"This is my job now."

"I can't be bound by time."

Because...

I am a professional.

Pulling an all-nighter like a pro was only natural.

With Yuna's scream serving as my background music, I lifted the hammer once more.