Igniting the Maestro's Passion
Inside Palermo Cathedral after everyone had left. The fading sunset light filtered in, dyeing the interior a deep crimson.
In the midst of it all sat a middle-aged man, staring blankly at the cross.
"……Unbelievable."
He recalled the recent events, stroking the ring on his finger.
"Hey."
"Yes, Don Medici."
A response came to his question directed at empty air. Though only Medici had been there moments ago, another man now sat present.
"What do you make of that boy from earlier? Calione Junior."
The man in a suit, who had appeared out of nowhere, mulled over Medici's question in silence before speaking.
"A monster."
"Oh? A monster?"
Knowing such an assessment was rare from him, Medici turned with an amused smile.
"You think so too?"
"From the start, no one that age should be capable of such actions and judgment. It's simply impossible."
The man recalled what had just transpired as he spoke.
The audacity to enter the heart of enemy territory, even if it was a cathedral. The meticulous preparation of bringing a "Midsohmer Voucher" for instant escape if things went south. And maintaining control throughout.
"He's the spitting image of his father."
"……Exactly. That's why he's even more dangerous."
Medici nodded at the man's evaluation.
"How the hell did he know about the Fire Giant……?"
Within the Medici Family, targeting the Fire Giant was top-secret, known only to a select few. They'd even fabricated excuses for perfect security to hide it all.
Yet Eugene Han Calione knew everything, down to the details, as if it were obvious.
Kruk─.
Clenching his fist, Medici spoke.
"How much do you think he knows?"
"……Judging by his attitude and actions, probably everything."
"I see…… So that's how it is…… What a chilling kid."
The boy had claimed the Calione intelligence division knew nothing. That meant he had his own personal network, separate from the family's.
"He's already built an organization that could bypass the Calione intel division……?!"
At that age? Medici wiped away the cold sweat he hadn't noticed, shaking his hand.
"……Unbelievable."
Imagining an organization that didn't even exist yet, he issued an order to the man.
"From now on, tighten security even further. Punish anyone suspicious or who fails security immediately."
"……As you command, Don."
The man faded into the shadows like melting ink in response to Medici.
Staring at the now fully crimson cathedral, Medici rose and gazed at the statue of the saint before him.
"Forgive us our sins from the blood we must shed, and grant us peace──."
After smoothly concluding negotiations with Medici.
As I returned to the hut with light steps, I saw two people sitting gravely at the dining table.
"Uh…… I'm back?"
Breaking the heavy, indescribable atmosphere first, they turned to me and shot up.
"Y-You're back?!"
"How did it go? Are you alright?"
They'd clearly been waiting anxiously, their reactions intense.
"Everything's settled. Calm down first."
As I soothed them and sat in an empty chair, they fidgeted restlessly.
"So, what did Medici say? Something about reducing the debt?"
"You said it went well……? It's really okay, right?"
Given the gravity of the matter, they weren't calming easily.
Smiling at their worry, I began recounting the deal with Medici.
"I'll join a project the Medici Family is running. As a mercenary, helping the Medici household. In return, they'll forgive Maestro's debt entirely, and I'll get a suitable reward."
Of course, I omitted anything about the Fire Giant. It was still classified within Medici, and they didn't need to know. Better they didn't─curiosity killed the cat, after all.
"……They really accepted that? Forgoing astronomical sums?"
He reacted with understandable skepticism. It was natural; the torment weighing him down for so long vanishing so simply?
But.
"Who else but me? Embarrassing to say it myself, but mercenaries of my caliber aren't easy to hire, even for money."
"Hah."
Well, precisely─it was a massively profitable deal for me.
Raiding with the Medici Family. In other words, tackling what I'd do anyway, with their full support.
"I…… don't even know what to say. So, what happens next?"
"For now, they won't come hounding you over the debt. You can use the village workshop again. Though full freedom comes only after I complete the commission."
They weren't fools. Maestro's debt was no longer a tool for their gain─it was a leash to ensure I upheld my end.
That showed how vital the Fire Giant was to them.
But they didn't know yet. That leash would turn on them instead.
"A Medici commission…… I'll owe Calione another massive debt……."
Ludovico understood this world's laws well. Favors became debts here, destinies you had to repay someday.
So he smiled─relieved yet bittersweet.
"About that, Maestro."
Thus, I decided to lighten his burden a bit.
"For this raid, could you rework these shoes for me? I'd be grateful."
With that, I placed Black Fog from my cube onto the table─the shoes I'd prepared before coming.
They settled quietly, emitting faint black mist.
"……This. A relic?"
His voice sharpened, eyes locking onto Black Fog with keen interest.
"Yes. Their name is Black Fog. The shoes I'm using now."
"May I take a closer look?"
"Of course."
With my permission, he reached out slowly, lifting the shoes.
Inspecting every inch with delicate, gentle hands, like a newborn babe. It was the most serious I'd seen him.
"……Beautiful."
His first words were pure praise.
"The stitching, materials─all top-grade. Considering it's a relic, whoever imbued it with such narrative is nothing short of miraculous."
Setting Black Fog down, he steadied his excited breath and looked at me.
"So, how would you like me to rework this child?"
Agreement to my request. Grinning, I began pulling materials from my cube, placing them beside Black Fog.
Tuk.
Tuk.
Tuk.
◈ The essence of a dark spirit that should have been immortal, now returned to nothingness. Endless darkness seems to emanate just from looking at it.
◈ A stone imbued with the Thunder God's power. It emits powerful currents on its own and boosts spirit affinity.
◈ The armor of dragons, lords of magic. Currently tainted by the evil dragon's influence with unfathomable dark energy. Appears to resist magic strongly.
"I've prepared these materials for reinforcement. What do you think?"
I pulled out everything I'd gathered for this upgrade and looked at him.
"───!"
His jaw dropped in the most shocked expression I'd seen yet.
"Th-this, th-this, th-this, th-this."
Too stunned to speak properly.
"Gr-Grandpa? Grandpa? What's wrong?"
Elena, confused by his reaction, grabbed and shook him.
Snapping to, he squeezed his eyes shut then open.
"Wh-where did you get these?! I've been a Maestro for decades, but I've never seen materials like this gathered in one place!"
His reaction was understandable.
The Essence of the Upper Dark Spirit hadn't even hit the market in this era, as far as I knew. The Thunder God's Stone rarely circulated properly. And the Evil Dragon's Scale was fresh from the recent kill─likely the world's first reveal.
"Grandpa, what's so special about these that you're freaking out?"
She reached tentatively for the scale before her.
"That's an evil dragon, Fafnir's scale."
"Wh-what?! F-Fafnir? The dragon that nearly wiped out an entire island?!"
"Yeah. I heard Vatican subdued Fafnir recently, but who expected the byproducts to show up here."
The credit for Fafnir's subjugation had gone to the Jeju diocese, and word had spread this far. Vatican must've used it for propaganda.
"I joined that raid too. So no worries about the source. Anyway…… can you do it?"
He's the best shoemaker I know right now. No one else could handle these materials on the spot.
"Unleash your full Maestro creativity, please."
"Hoo."
Sighing at my words, he stood, grabbed a wine bottle from the table corner, and chugged it straight.
Gulp─ gulp─ gulp─ gulp─.
His throat bobbed relentlessly as the wine vanished. Emptying the bottle in seconds, he wiped his mouth and met my eyes.
"……I'd set aside hammer and leather long ago. Lamenting my reality, I thought my artisan's fire had died."
Bam!
Slamming the bottle down, he thumped his chest.
"But no. Your words, these items─they reignited it. Burning hot, like scorching my heart! Wine can't quench it! I want to grab hammer and needle right now!"
"……Grandpa."
Elena's eyes welled up watching him.
"I'll do it. You, who relit this dying old man's fire─how could I refuse?"
Standing, Ludovico donned his coat from the chair.
"First, head to the village, clean the workshop. Elena, can you help?"
"……Yes! Grandpa!"
His passion burned unlike anything before. Smiling, I rose too.
"I'll come along. I'll help."
It's for my new babies, after all. Of course I'd pitch in.