The Forge of the Single Fire (1)
"..."
"..."
"..."
The Second Apostle.
The moment that name was mentioned, an icy silence descended upon the room.
Such was the immense weight carried by the existence of an Apostle.
"S-so... he really has descended..." the coward muttered in a trembling voice.
He and the rest of the Five Nightmares were all native to 'this world.'
Camilo von Taribas, Doricco Shiro, the Sphere Knight, and even the tentacle-headed woman—all of them were born and raised in the land blessed by the Elder.
But in the case of an Apostle, the story was entirely different.
Evil gods.
To be precise, they were beings that had invaded from the dimension beyond alongside the Outer Gods.
Born outside the boundaries set by the Elder, the Apostles possessed power on a completely different level compared to those native to this world.
This was evident from the fact that the one who granted immortality to the Five Nightmares was the First Apostle, the Necromancer.
Although the source of their power lay with the Outer Gods, the mere fact that they could broker contracts between gods and mortals offered a glimpse into the transcendent nature of the Apostles.
"The corpse of the Heavenly Dragon Bird will be auctioned off by part in Dawnguard. Scales, bones, claws, tendons, organs... Out of all of them, there is only one thing we must target."
Tap, tap.
The Sphere Knight tapped his finger against the round table.
He then scanned the room and spoke in a low, subdued voice.
"The Lightning Core, the heart of the Heavenly Dragon Bird."
Whoosh.
Right then, Doricco Shiro shot her hand up.
Everyone's eyes turned to her.
"Wait! I have a question!"
"...Speak," the Sphere Knight permitted.
Doricco Shiro giggled and lowered her hand.
"Didn't Gaon kill the Heavenly Dragon Bird? Why does the Ruins Merchant Group have the corpse?"
"A good question," the Sphere Knight replied calmly, his tone like one addressing a young child.
"Ownership of the Heavenly Dragon Bird's corpse still belongs to the 13th Sword Master. The Ruins Merchant Group has merely been entrusted with the auction rights."
"..."
"Thus, he will likely show up at this auction to inspect his spoils and oversee the sale process."
"...!"
Instantly, a strange gleam sparkled in Doricco Shiro's eyes.
Jumping up from her seat, Doricco Shiro bounced up and down and shouted,
"Me, me, me, me, me! I'll go! I can do a good job this time too!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Watching her in silence, the Sphere Knight flatly refused.
"Not you."
"What? Why!"
"No matter how lawless the dark city of Dawnguard is, it is not a place where we can roam around freely."
"I'll be careful! I won't do anything weird and I'll behave! Please?"
The Sphere Knight shook his head.
"I do not doubt your abilities, Doricco Shiro."
"..."
"It is just that this mission requires someone who can infiltrate the dark city of Dawnguard much more discreetly."
"B-but...! I can move quietly too...!"
Doricco Shiro protested pleadingly, but the Sphere Knight ignored her words.
Excluding her from this mission was the right choice, at least.
If Doricco Shiro, who held deep affection for Gaon, interfered in the auction, things were bound to get messy.
She had literally returned from her last mission having become friends with Gaon; who knew what she would do this time?
The others seemed to share the same sentiment, as not a single person spared a glance for the throwing-a-tantrum Doricco Shiro.
"..."
Flop.
Realizing her whining wouldn't work, Doricco Shiro slumped back into her seat with a sullen expression.
Silence began to drift through the room once more.
"Hmm."
Grin.
The tentacle-headed woman let out a soft hum, the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement.
Soon, a sweet, sticky voice echoed in the meeting room.
"Honestly, I'd love to go myself... but don't we have the absolute perfect candidate among us?"
Slide.
The woman's gaze shifted somewhere.
Doricco Shiro and the Sphere Knight naturally followed her eyes.
At the end of their gaze sat the coward, huddled up with his robe pulled low.
"H-huh?"
Instantly, the coward's face turned pale.
His small frame began to tremble violently.
"W-what...? Why is everyone looking at me...?"
"Because you are the 'perfect candidate' for this job, of course."
"B-but..."
"Shh. It's already been decided by majority vote. Can't you see the others are all looking at you too?"
"..."
The woman spoke in an incredibly gentle tone.
A voice that was terrifying precisely because it was so warm.
Gulp.
In the chilling atmosphere, the coward swallowed hard without realizing it.
"Don't be so scared. I know you can do it."
Slide.
Approaching the coward, the woman gently placed her hand on his shoulder.
The tentacles on her head brushed against his cheek.
Bringing her lips close to his ear, she whispered softly,
"I'm counting on you, Puppet Master Batu."
Causality is being distorted.
The encounter with Puppet Master Batu has been moved forward.
The Holy City of Midtemple.
Deep beneath its temple lay a hidden vault.
It isn't just a place to store holy relics.
Ancient documents regarding the Five Nightmares, the corpses and belongings of executed heretics, the cursed tools of evil god worshippers, and so on.
It was a place where all kinds of dangerous items that should never see the light of day were quarantined.
Word had it that even Jacques von Heibrun's corpse had recently been sealed here.
"..."
Step, step.
Anyway.
The path leading to the deepest depths was narrow and dark.
An endless flight of stairs.
The further down we went, the higher the temperature rose, and the air grew increasingly stagnant.
Forge of the Single Fire
That was our destination.
A legacy left in the Holy City by the Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths.
A trial left behind during the final era when the Elders walked the earth.
To the challenger who passed this trial, an immense reward would be granted.
A relic.
And not just any relic, but a one-of-a-kind relic perfectly tailored to the challenger's own attributes.
"Lord Gaon."
Adelia, walking alongside me, spoke up.
Though she tried her best to maintain a calm expression, tension inevitably seeped into her voice.
"Is it truly alright for me to challenge this trial right now?"
"..."
The Forge of the Single Fire was famous for being a safe trial.
Unlike other trials where one might lose their life, it posed no physical danger to the challenger.
Even so, there was a clear reason for Adelia's anxiety.
Because you can only challenge this trial once in a lifetime.
Indeed.
The trial wasn't named the Forge of the Single Fire for nothing.
The chance to obtain a relic came only once.
Because of this, most challengers saved their opportunity until the very end, refusing to step forward until they were absolutely certain their growth had reached its limit.
In that sense, it was only natural for Adelia to feel anxious. She likely felt she still had plenty of room to grow.
Of course, there's no need to worry about Adelia wasting her chance.
Because...
[Lv. 88]
...in the original game, this was the exact moment she passed the trial and received the reward that suited her best.
Level 88.
On top of that, she had already acquired the unique skill, Reflection's Water Surface.
Yes.
Now was the optimal moment.
Though Adelia had passed the trial at other levels in different playthroughs, if anyone asked which moment yielded the best reward, the answer was always the same.
Level 88 Adelia.
Having finished my calculations, I reassured her.
"Do not worry."
"..."
"I brought you here because I have absolute confidence."
I looked at Adelia and added,
"Or do you perhaps doubt my judgment?"
"O-of course not...!" Adelia waved her hands in a flurry, startled.
I chuckled softly and replied,
"Then that is enough. You are more than qualified, so you will do well."
"..."
Hearing my words, Adelia's expression began to shift subtly.
Her blue eyes, which had been trembling with anxiety, gradually regained their composure. I could see the tension weighing down her shoulders melting away.
Inhale, exhale.
Adelia took a deep breath.
When she exhaled, she had returned to her usual dignified self.
How much further did we walk?
We finally arrived at our destination.
A massive door blocked our path. Elegant illustrations were engraved into its bronze surface.
Patterns in the shape of an anvil, a hammer, and flames.
A sacred piece left behind by the Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths. It was the entrance leading to the Forge of the Single Fire.
"Ah, you've finally arrived."
"...?"
Freeze.
But what was this?
Uninvited guests we hadn't expected at all were waiting for us.
It was Pokryong and Heukgol.
What the...?
We had kept Adelia's challenge a secret.
After all, there was nothing to gain from letting rumors spread through Midtemple.
The only ones who knew were me, Adelia, and Arwen, who had guided us to the trial.
...So how did these guys find out and get here?
As if reading the question on my face, Pokryong spoke up with a disinterested look.
"Pean told us. Said he happened to overhear your plans while passing by."
"..."
"Though the guy who gave us the info didn't bother showing up himself."
Pokryong shrugged as he finished speaking. Hearing that, I could grasp how the situation had unfolded.
Ah.
That damn Super Sensory.
He must have eavesdropped on the conversation I had with Adelia in the guest room a few days ago.
Seriously, what a cheat trait.
And Pean's habit of wiretapping other people's conversations was incredibly creepy, too.
But well...
It would have been troublesome if there were a massive crowd of onlookers, but just the two of them wouldn't be a problem.
In fact, it was actually a good thing.
It was the perfect opportunity to show Adelia's potential to the two Sword Masters, Heukgol and Pokryong.
Through Adelia's performance in the trial, they would naturally realize just how outstanding the master who raised such a swordsman was.
Once that happened, my status among the Sword Masters would rise even higher.
Even though I haven't actually done much for Adelia.
This is what they call a free ride.
Haha.
"Tsk..."
Right then, Pokryong clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"...By the way, is there any need to be so hasty? It wouldn't be too late to challenge it after training a bit more."
"No," Adelia shook her head.
"Lord Gaon said now is the right time."
"...?"
Pokryong let out a dumbfounded chuckle.
"Ridiculous. Do you blindly believe everything that comes out of Gaon's mouth?"
"Yes."
"Ha! So if he told you to die, you would—"
"Of course I would."
"..."
Silence.
At Adelia's instant reply, Pokryong gave up on the conversation entirely.
Ah, of course...
...Why is she being so scary?
I was just as flustered by Adelia's blind loyalty.