Chapter 683
Chapter 683
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 683
Chapter Title: An Unlikely Tutelage
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Clang-! Clang-!
Driana was hammering away.
Dweno watched her in silence.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Driana make a weapon before, have I?”
Enniha stroked her chin and muttered, watching Driana’s serious expression.
“How’s Driana’s skill?”
In a corner of Dweno's workshop.
Standing before an alchemy pot, Karl stirred the bubbling contents and replied.
“You’ll probably be surprised when you see it.”
“Well, considering that kid’s dexterity, I am quite worried.”
Enniha’s expression turned grave as she recalled Driana, the self-proclaimed artist who only ever created bizarre paintings and sculptures.
Standing beside Enniha, Ditt clenched his fists.
“Let’s see just how good she is.”
Ditt, a smith apprentice of Ivaldi.
Ditt had worked hard, hoping to become Dweno’s top disciple.
But that dream was shattered when an outsider, Driana, became Dweno’s top disciple.
Ditt, determined to test Driana’s skills, had shown her a weapon he had made.
And Driana, after examining the sword Ditt had made, had crushed his spirit by perfectly pointing out its flaws.
Now, it was Ditt’s turn to evaluate the sword Driana had made.
Watching Ditt, Enniha tilted her head.
“Seeing how she identified the weapon’s flaws, she seems to have a good eye.”
Hearing the conversation, Iliana asked Karl quietly.
“She was just being spiteful because he insulted her art, wasn’t she?”
“Of course.”
Karl recalled how Driana had evaluated Ditt’s sword earlier.
‘What is this shoddy finish! The blade will dull quickly like this!’
‘And why does it sound like this? You! You messed up the temperature control, didn’t you?’
‘Are you kidding me! And you dare aim to be Master Dweno’s disciple with this piece of junk! Give up! I wouldn’t teach someone like you either!’
Driana, who had abandoned her usual way of speaking to tear down the sword Ditt had made.
Normally, she would never criticize someone’s creation so harshly, but this time, she had gone at it with a vengeance.
“Such a petty dwarf, just like her height.”
Ar, sitting on a chair in the workshop, wore a pathetic expression.
Clang-! Fwoosh-!
Driana finished her hammering.
Then, the flames that had been spewing from the red-hot blade were sucked back into it.
“Hah.”
Driana took a deep breath and plunged the sword into the water.
Tssssss-
A violent sound echoed as steam billowed out thickly.
Driana took out the blade, wiped it dry with a cloth, and placed it on the workshop table.
Seeing it, Enniha let out a gasp of admiration.
“Wow… It’s beautiful.”
The blade Driana had made was akin to a work of art.
The pattern on the blade seemed to burn like a flame.
The surface of the sword reflected one’s face like a mirror.
Ditt, too, stared at the sword, mesmerized.
Watching him, Karl clicked his tongue.
‘Of course. She may not look it, but she’s a genius acknowledged by Leo.’
Even if they were imitations, Driana had been replicating Dweno’s works since her first year.
Of course, Dweno’s weapons were not something that could be made just by copying their appearance.
But Driana had the ability to create convincing fakes.
In the process of conquering Dweno’s world with Leo’s party, she had been taught smithing techniques by Dweno himself.
During that process, Dweno had given Driana his own hammer.
The meaning behind that was simple.
He acknowledged her as his top disciple, as a blacksmith.
‘According to Leo, Dweno never taught anyone during the Age of Calamity.’
He had made many weapons, but he had never passed on his skills to anyone.
To be precise, there was no one who could learn Dweno’s techniques.
In that sense, just being acknowledged by Dweno was enough to guess how dazzling Driana’s talent as a smith was.
Since then, she had been steadily honing her smithing skills for a year.
‘Training under Master Dweno now is a preparatory step to reach an even higher level.’
“This is a work of art in itself.”
As Iliana muttered, mesmerized, Driana wagged a finger.
“Not quite. From now on, I’m going to make this sword a true work of art.”
Ditt was horrified by her words.
“Hey! What more are you going to do to it?!”
“First, I’ll engrave a pattern on the surface! Watch! See what I do to this plain sword.”
The moment Driana, with a triumphant expression, reached for the sword.
Thwack-!
Dweno’s fist landed on the crown of Driana’s head.
Leaving Driana to clutch her head and roll on the floor, Dweno picked up the sword she had made.
“Excellent.”
Everyone was surprised by Dweno’s brief praise.
“Ditt.”
“Yes.”
“You take a look.”
At Dweno’s words, Ditt took the sword Driana had made with trembling hands.
Finally, he bit his lip hard.
“It’s... incomparably superior to my own.”
“Right! I’m way better than the likes of you, aren’t I?”
Driana jumped to her feet and taunted Ditt from beside Dweno.
“Saying my dexterity was terrible and what not. And here you are. This is what I can make when I’m barely trying.”
“Yes… you’re really amazing.”
“You get it now?”
Watching the gloating Driana, Ar muttered.
“As if she didn't pour her heart and soul into it.”
“Jeez. Why is she trampling on someone she’s acknowledged? It’s embarrassing for us to watch.”
“I know. Why do we have to be the ones who feel embarrassed?”
Karl and Ar grumbled.
Just then, Iliana brought something from a corner of the workshop.
“Let’s see. This is the picture that kid Ditt drew, right?”
“Huh? What are you doing!”
Ditt was flustered.
“I was curious to see how well you drew.”
Ditt, who, during an argument a few days ago, had claimed he could draw better than Driana even with his feet and promised to bring a drawing.
The drawing now in Iliana’s hand was the result of that promise.
With a quick ‘swoosh,’ Iliana dodged Ditt, went to Driana’s side, handed her the drawing, and rubbed her hands together.
“My, my~ Lady Driana, disciple of the great Dweno. I have brought this for you. As a reward, perhaps a sword for me next time….”
“Hmph. I shall consider it.”
Watching Iliana suck up to Driana like a sycophant, Ar muttered.
“She’s acting just like a despicable villain, isn’t she?”
Karl sighed.
Ditt’s deeply flushed face was a pitiful sight.
Driana triumphantly unfolded the drawing.
And then she froze solid.
“Wow….”
Iliana let out a gasp without realizing it.
“Goodness! Ditt! Did you really draw this?”
Enniha, who had seen the drawing, asked in surprise, and Ditt nodded.
“Yes.”
Dweno, taking the drawing from Driana’s frozen hand, was also surprised.
“Amazing! Ditt! You are surely a genius!”
“Huh?”
“Such a beautiful painting of the night sky! Have you ever drawn before?”
“It’s my f-first time.”
“Incredible!”
Watching the excited Dweno, Ar and Karl also looked at Ditt’s drawing.
Students at the hero academy also took liberal arts classes as part of their curriculum.
They often appreciated works of art.
Of course, aside from Driana, Ar, Karl, and Iliana were the type of students to yawn through such classes, but at the very least, their standards for art had been raised.
Even to their eyes, Ditt’s drawing was incredibly beautiful.
“How did you draw it?”
“Well… how do I put it, I drew it while recalling the memory of the first time I saw the night sky.”
Watching the embarrassed Ditt, Dweno nodded, then his expression clouded over.
“What a shame. If only we had known about this talent sooner….”
“It’s not too late! Ditt! Have you ever thought of becoming an artist?”
Enniha asked with a bright smile, but Ditt replied firmly.
“I want to make weapons! I want to become a great smith and help the warriors who fight for this world, just like my late father!”
“A noble mindset, unlike someone else.”
Ar grinned at Driana, who flinched.
“Indeed. Unlike someone who did her best to heckle a kid younger than her.”
Karl chimed in from the side, and Driana, her face red, lunged at him.
“Why only me?!”
“That stupid cat is annoying and dodges whenever you try to hit her!”
Watching the commotion in the workshop, Iliana tilted her head.
“By the way, if Driana can look at a painting like this and think it’s beautiful, her sensibilities must be fine. So why are her own works such a mess?”
“She says she wants to create things like that too, but when she tries her best, they end up a mess. She uses all the methods at her disposal to make them as beautiful as possible. So I guess the results look pretty to her.”
“…So she’s cursed.”
After hearing Ar’s explanation, Iliana looked at Driana with pity.
After the commotion died down.
Watching Driana, who was staring at Ditt’s drawing with a gloomy face in one corner of the workshop, and Ditt, who was looking at Driana’s sword in the opposite corner, Enniha smiled brightly.
“I’ve got a great idea.”
“What is it?”
“Driana wants to learn to draw, and Ditt wants to learn smithing, right? How about they teach each other? They’re around the same age but have different values, so I think they could inspire each other.”
“Hmm. That’s not a bad idea.”
Dweno crossed his arms and nodded.
“Yes. Dweno, you’ll still have to teach Driana, of course.”
“Enniha. Shouldn’t you be teaching Driana to draw as well?”
“Wouldn’t it be more helpful for Driana to learn from Ditt rather than me?”
Hearing that, Karl tilted his head.
“Aren’t you just passing the buck to Ditt….”
“Hohohoho. This big sister really doesn’t like clever little boys, you know?”
“My apologies.”
“More like an old lady than a big sister.”
Dweno said coolly, and Enniha slammed her elbow into his head.
Then she clutched her elbow and collapsed to the floor.
Ignoring Enniha, Dweno called Driana and Ditt over.
“So, what do you two think?”
“I’m all for it!”
Ditt said enthusiastically.
He welcomed the idea, having acknowledged Driana’s skill.
“I’m fine with it too.”
Driana, too, had been stimulated by Ditt’s drawing.
The two nodded and began talking in a corner of the workshop.
Watching them, Enniha smiled gently.
“It’s wonderful to see new possibilities.”
Before they knew it, the sun had set, and stars were appearing in the night sky.
The desperate day passes, and a hopeful night rises.
“How long has it been since I’ve seen a sight like this?”
It was a scene one couldn’t afford to see in the days when they were just struggling to survive.
***
CRUUUNCH-!
The head of a giant Lord Gigantes was crushed.
KWAAANG-!
Looking at the Lord Gigantes with its crushed head, Leo looked up at the sky.
A week had already passed since they began their search.
Red flames swirled around the twitching body of the Lord Gigantes.
Fwoosh-
Leo, having incinerated the Lord Gigantes with the Jerdinger Aura, sheathed his sword.
‘With this, I’ve searched the entire area around the fortress.’
Returning to where his party members were, Leo narrowed his eyes.
‘Why can’t I find the entrance?’