The Blacksmith's Debut Battle, Part 1

The early morning sun had barely risen. Once again, I sat there with the desperate hope of someone scratching off a lottery ticket and tried practicing light magic.

“Moon… Dear Moon… Please grant me a little magic…”

Well, unfortunately, it seemed I had zero talent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for magic. After roughly an hour, I stepped outside. The sun was already high in the sky.

Last night I had left the leather soaking in water, but… I probably shouldn’t get my hopes up. The hide I’d been working on came from a mottled bull. It was far tougher than it looked. There was no way it would be properly cured in just one night.

“Huh?”

Splash.

When I pulled the leather out of the water, the surface was smooth, the grain still visible, and there was almost no oil or odor left. It felt like it would turn soft and fluffy the moment it dried. It was even supple to the touch.

This… this carried the philosophy of the elves. I immediately hung the hides outside to dry. With the sun blazing like this, they’d probably dry quickly.

“Is it okay to leave them out here?”

Good. Then what should I do with the remaining time? Yesterday, just in case, I hadn’t soaked all the leather. I had no idea what would happen if I submerged everything, so I left one piece only partially processed. I decided to make gloves with that one first.

Since the properly cured leather would be ready soon anyway, this would serve as practice. A test dummy, so to speak.

“Alright… let’s get started.”

I spread out the half-tanned leather. It looked miserable. The parts that still had oil left were glossy, while the scraped sections were too thin. But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since it was just for practice, I never intended to make perfect gloves with it. This was about getting a feel for the process.

The core of dwarf leatherworking lay in cutting and stitching.

“Mind showing me the manual?”

I opened the guidebook and focused. How much time had passed?

Prick.

“Ouch.”

A drop of blood welled up on my finger. I must have stabbed myself with the needle. I’d have to watch out for tetanus… Well, if I catch it, that’s just too bad.

I lifted my head and looked outside.

“……?”

The sun was already directly overhead. The only way to tell time in this world was by the position of the sun.

“What the hell? How do you even know that?”

Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?

“……Anyway, how long was I at it?”

Worked hard, my ass…

“Whoa, I almost ran out of time.”

In my hands lay a glove that was nearly finished.

“……Guess I should head out.”

In my honest opinion, what I’d made looked less like a glove and more like a leather pouch. But you can’t expect perfection on your first try.

“Trash it, trash it. No, wait. Give it to Eric. Yeah, Eric.”

I’d worked hard, but the leather was too messed up in several places, so it didn’t turn out well. Still, the attempt itself had value. It would probably fit Eric’s chubby hands nicely. I should at least finish it properly.

The final step in completing the gloves was to let them bask in sunlight for thirty minutes. Something about infusing them with the energy of the sun. Since they were called Sun Dwarves, it made sense.

I stepped outside with the gloves. Under the blazing sunlight, I held them up. Thirty minutes. All I had to do was stand there. It was the easiest part of the process.

While I was spacing out, it happened.

Hiss…

“Huh?”

A black pattern began engraving itself on the lower part of the leather pouch—no, the glove. Slowly, a sun emblem was being etched into the leather.

“…Really?”

That wasn’t important right now. I waited for the next window.

“Huh?”

A window popped up in front of me. I blinked and pressed register.

The compatibility rating was blank because there was no wearer. Plus, everything I’d muttered while making it had been engraved into the item. Civilian L. That had to be me. It seemed the maker’s words got inscribed automatically. This must be what they call flavor text… I think. Was there no privacy? Was it really okay for stuff like this to be embedded in an item? I didn’t even know what to say.

“Whatever.”

It was just practice anyway. What mattered was what kind of numbers this would show Doloris.

“Register.”

I registered the gloves in front of me and pictured Doloris in my mind. Her status window appeared, and the glove slot opened. The white gloves still glowed brightly.

Yes.

Her equipment swapped to my leather gloves.

A few things had changed. First, the compatibility finally exceeded 2. The description itself was somewhat positive, and if we consider that the grease was unavoidable since the leather hadn’t been properly tanned… This felt promising.

I quickly walked over to the leather I’d hung out to dry.

But…

“…Hm?”

Someone was already there. It was Ruby, the kid who followed Doloris around.

“Oh, hello.”

I greeted her and naturally reached for the leather, but—

“…Hey.”

Our cute but stubborn little brat blocked my way. Since I’d successfully debuted as a blacksmith and was in a good mood, I had the leisure to deal with her.

“What?”

“Is this yours?”

Ruby pointed at the drying leather.

“Pretty much.”

“What are you going to do with it?”

Her eyes were wary. It was the same look she had when someone tried to take her candy. I thought about it. Would she tell Doloris? Whether she did or not, was there any reason to hide it? And the possibility that Doloris had sent her. All those thoughts flashed through my mind, but since I’d been told not to lie…

“The Duchess looked cold.”

“……?”

“I wanted to make her some gloves.”

“Ha!”

Ruby laughed as if it was ridiculous and started spitting out words rapid-fire.

“Teacher has incredibly, incredibly good gloves, you know? She would never, ever wear something like the gloves you made!”

“Yeah, I see.”

From her reaction, it seemed she had come on her own, unrelated to Doloris. I pushed past Ruby and headed for the leather.

“Ugh…”

When I ignored her, she puffed out her cheeks. Exactly the reaction I expected. It would be nice if she went and tattled to Doloris. If Doloris found out in advance that I was doing something other than magic, it would be easier to explain later. But perhaps her pride was stronger than I thought, because instead of running to Doloris, she silently followed me.

Hmm, that’s not ideal. I had no interest in babysitting.

I stopped in front of the cabin door. I had no intention of showing her the entire crafting process, so I turned to her.

“Want to hear a secret?”

“……What.”

“I’m actually a Sun Dwarf.”

And, somehow, a Descendant of Fire as well.

Bang.

I slammed the door shut.

“Eek? Eeeek!!”

I could hear Ruby throwing a tantrum outside, but—

‘If she goes and tells, great. If not, whatever.’

I returned to the workbench and spread out the now fluffy, dry leather. It was completely different from the practice piece. The grain was even, consistent, and it didn’t stiffen when bent.

Now it was just repetition. Patterning, cutting, stitching. Even the sensation of the knife cutting through was different.

Crunch…

Snap.

The thread passed through the holes.

“…Ugh.”

I stabbed my finger once. Once was fine. Earlier I’d done it three times. This counted as growth.

After several more hours, I finished the last stitch and lifted the glove. Unlike the potato sack from before, this one at least looked like a proper glove. All that remained was the final process.

I stepped outside with the glove. The sunset had begun. It was cutting it close. I held the glove up to the sunlight before the sun disappeared.

And then—

Hiss…

The engraving began to form. I’d barely made it in time. Thanks to the practice run, the second attempt went much smoother. I felt a sense of pride watching the glove take shape… Wait a second. I had to say something, didn’t I?

If the maker’s words got engraved like last time, I should make this one cleaner. After all, this was my first proper piece of equipment. I’d made it while thinking of Doloris, treating it with care. Well, not exactly with care. I made it because my position was at risk. Anyway.

I cleared my throat and straightened my posture.

“Ahem. Ahem. A very fine pair of leather gloves. Exceptional thermal retention.”

Perfect. It had the dignity of a craftsman. There. Take that.

What the—? Are you kidding me?

“Do people actually see all this text?”

“Ugh…”

I put a hand to my forehead. Well, whatever. Performance was what mattered. As long as the performance was good, it was fine. Interestingly, I had been listed as Civilian L before, but now I was properly an Apprentice Blacksmith. Guess that meant I’d grown.

I took a deep breath. My heart began to race. This had to work.

I pictured Doloris in my mind. The status window appeared. The glove slot. The 5-star white gloves still glowed brightly.

“Yes.”

Once again, her equipment was replaced by my leather gloves.

……

33.

I stared at the number. It was a 1-star item. A single-star warm glove had completely shattered the compatibility of a 5-star white glove. And that wasn’t all. It said “opening” instead of closing. The white gloves had frozen and suppressed the meridians while closing them, but this was the complete opposite.

Honestly, Doloris would know better than me whether this was good or not.

“I did it.”

At least by my standards, this was a huge success. The day of the decisive battle was already tomorrow.

“Ah…”

Tonight, I felt like I could finally sleep soundly.

Late evening. The night before the promised day.

“Yes, and then?”

“…For now, there were no traces of magic usage.”

“Is that so?”

Elysia von Doloris sipped her tea as she listened to the Instructor’s report. She hadn’t specifically ordered it, but the Instructor always came to report on the boy first. The content was ultimately that the magic training had been… well. He had spent the time kneading leather and making strange gloves.

When Doloris said nothing, the Instructor bowed his head and slowly left.

Elysia von Doloris. She set down her teacup and thought.

“He seemed quick-witted.”

Had he simply played around? She hadn’t expected this.

“I had hoped…”

She wasn’t disappointed. Disappointment was an emotion that followed expectation, after all. His eyes seemed good, but if he neglected magic practice, it was meaningless. Unless he was a genius who didn’t need practice.

She gently brushed the hair from the sleeping Ruby’s forehead and smiled softly.

“I thought he might make a friend.”

What a shame.

I couldn’t sleep at all. I even scratched off the last lottery ticket of the morning.

“Moon…”

Of course, magic failed again today. But my heart felt light. In my hands was a rather luxurious-looking glove.

One interesting thing about mottled bull leather was that it turned black once fully tanned. The finished glove had a sleek black base with a gray sun engraving. It actually looked pretty decent. Honestly, the leather did most of the work.

“Hoo…”

Please, just make this work somehow.

It was time for the last supper. I was eating lunch when—

“Thanks, Lionel.”

“…For what.”

“Good luck today.”

“…Thanks.”

Eric grinned as he wore the gloves I’d given him. Give it to Eric. Yeah, that was right. I had decided to give it to him for real. He said he was managing the ranch at night these days, and the gloves kept his hands warm. It seemed he had given up on magic and found joy in farm work instead. They really suited him. The potato-sack gloves on those chubby hands were a perfect match.

I left the cafeteria without even knowing whether I’d swallowed the food with my mouth or my nose.

“She says to come after lunch.”

“Yes.”

The Instructor was waiting. He hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Did the magic… succeed?”

Sorry, Instructor. Turns out magic doesn’t exist in this world.

“No.”

“……”

The Instructor’s face hardened. After giving me a whole week, the result was failure. I understood.

“Do as you will.”

He left with those words. The word “disappointment” might as well have been written on his back. It was bitter, but results spoke louder than a hundred words.

I gripped the glove in my pocket.

Knock, knock.

I lightly rapped on the cabin door.

“Come in~”

I slowly opened the door and stepped inside. A fragrant aroma of tea. Doloris greeted me with a bright smile.

“You’re here. The air feels nice, thanks to you… I healed very well this past week.”

“I hope today’s result will heal you even more.”

“Hmm?”

When I spoke with unexpected seriousness, Doloris’s eyes widened slightly. She tilted her head and smiled.

“According to Ruby, though…”

Doloris slowly swirled her teacup.

“You didn’t practice magic at all and only made gloves?”

She went straight for the throat. From my thirty years of experience, the smile she was making right now was quite close to mockery. If I had to interpret it, it meant:

‘I told you that you had talent for magic, yet you spent the entire week making gloves?’

Beside her, Ruby stood with her arms crossed, looking at me with a confident expression.

“You told me to show you something interesting.”

I opened my mouth.

“Even if it isn’t magic, there are other ways to surprise you.”

Then I took the glove out of my pocket. Black leather with a gray sun engraving. My glove.

During the past week, I hadn’t only made gloves. I had also looked into Doloris whenever I had the chance. And I had learned one thing. Nowhere—not in the wikis, not in the community—was there any record of Doloris suffering from Nine Yin Severed Meridians. It meant no one knew.

In that case, beating around the bush would be useless. I had to present evidence.

“I wanted to create equipment that would alleviate Your Grace’s Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

“……!”

Her eyes widened. The air in the room froze. Ruby tilted her head in confusion. Her pupils darkened slightly.

I continued slowly.

“It will be slow, but perhaps gradually…”

“Just because you have a mouth does not mean you can say everything.”

Doloris slowly stood up.

“There are things that must not be spoken.”

Slither.

A familiar sound came from behind me. It was a scorpion tail.

“Where did you hear that?”

When I turned my head, Ruby had already collapsed onto the bed, fast asleep. Had she put her to sleep? Scary. Was this a dangerous situation? Probably, if I had simply been running my mouth. But—

“My eyes are rather good.”

“……”

The scorpion tail that had been approaching me stopped. As expected, Doloris… seemed capable of distinguishing truth from lies. The warning not to lie on the day we first met hadn’t been mere advice.

Since I was only speaking the truth and she knew it—

“You may kill me if you wish.”

Though I really didn’t want that. I lifted the glove.

“I did put quite a bit of effort into making it.”

Then—

Flip.

I turned the glove over to show the underside. When I moved my hand away, the pattern I had been covering was revealed. The gray sun engraving.

For the first time, Doloris’s eyes shook.

Another thing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I had learned during my research: Equipment made by a Descendant of Fire among the Sun Dwarves. It was legendary in this world. Everyone knew of it, everyone wanted it, and almost no one could make it anymore.

“Would you like to try it on?”

The fact that such an engraving was on a glove made by some orphan from the orphanage—

“……This is.”

Doloris’s gaze rose from the engraving to my eyes. The scorpion tail slowly lowered and crossed. I smiled silently.

“……”

Without a word, she accepted the glove. Then—

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

“Just so you know, it’s genuine.”

Even if I was only an apprentice blacksmith. I added with a smile.

Doloris looked at me for a moment.

Slither.

Keeping her eyes fixed on me, she removed Gorgogne's White Gloves. I naturally lowered my head and accepted them. That was how valuable Sun Dwarf craftsmanship was. Even if a mere kid offered equipment, it was worth trying at least once.

Her hands were white. So white they looked almost pale. Doloris picked up my glove. And… slowly put it on.

The reaction was immediate.

“……!”

Doloris’s eyes widened. The moment the black leather touched her hand, the gray sun engraving sparkled. And then—

Drip…

Water flowed from between the glove. Just a few drops. As if ice were melting and water was flowing.

Doloris stared down at her own hand.

“……”

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. I might not know, but she would. No, she would be feeling it.

Her own bodily sensation would be far stronger than a hundred lines of text.

“…It’s warm.”

Doloris said. Her voice was small. With her head lowered.

“It’s warm.”

She said it once more.