Chapter 6

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Blacksmith Grommel

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I'd made up my mind to head into a gate, but I couldn't go right away.

It wasn't due to some other incident breaking out or anything like that. It was just a minor issue.

"...You're not seriously planning to go like that, are you?"

"That's the idea."

I'd thrown on some casual everyday clothes and stopped by Selenne's place to at least say goodbye. She tilted her head quizzically as she asked.

She freaked out and yelled.

"You're seriously out of your mind?! No, even if you're strong, going into a gate without a single piece of gear...?"

"Most monsters can't even scratch me anyway."

Worst case, I could throw on the damaged armor and tough it out.

Even looking as wrecked as it did, it could still block a fair amount of attacks.

The lack of a sword was a drawback, though... Swords weren't something you just picked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠up lightly.

"No, absolutely not! No way, no way, no way!"

But Selenne reacted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with near hysteria, flatly refusing to let me go.

"...I don't get why you're overreacting like this."

She'd seen how strong I was, even from a distance. Normally, that should've meant she wouldn't try to stop me.

What had gotten her so worked up?

"You think there haven't been guys like you before? Returnees who trusted only in their own strength, charged in without gear, and died—trucks full of them! And with other countries eyeing us to boot..."

"Ah, yeah... that's a fair point."

It had been quite some time since the great cataclysm's aftermath had stabilized and nations had become aware of returnees as a concept.

Ten years was plenty of time for humanity to adapt just to survive.

"Other countries might send people to take us out."

"Exactly! No way I'm letting you go. Even if it kills me!"

"......"

I gazed down at Selenne, who knew full well she couldn't stop me but was still clinging desperately to my leg and throwing a fit.

"So, gear would make it okay?"

"Yes! At least put on some gear before you go!!!"

"Then I'll just need to get some gear made."

Silberion took in the sight of Grommel, who was sitting on the sofa in the corner of the living room, sipping tea.

"I have no idea why you're staring like that."

"Grommel. Didn't you say you returned after just hammering away?"

Silberion walked over to Grommel and asked.

I definitely remembered him saying something like that before.

"Yeah. Hammered away, forged weapons nonstop, then returned. A hell I never want to relive."

"Then you could make some now?"

Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?

No need to go hunting for artisans at all.

The best blacksmith in the business was sitting right in front of me.

"...Right now?"

Grommel's gaze flicked upward toward Selenne, then back down.

"Hmm... You're planning to enter gates, right?"

"That's right. To make some money dungeon crawling and handle a few things along the way."

He didn't mention anything about regaining his strength.

No need to advertise his current weakened state unless he'd recovered.

"Well, it's not like I can't. If you hadn't taken out those guys yesterday, who knows what would've happened to us."

"Just doing what needed to be done. No thanks required."

Besides, it wasn't just him—Grommel and Selenne had helped with the evacuation too. It was a shared good deed.

"Honestly, I get why Selenne's losing it. There really were returnees who died pulling stunts like that."

"......"

Like a rule written in blood.

"Returnees like us can't truly rely on the people of this world. No matter how much they help, it doesn't close the gap between us."

They'd already spent ages in other worlds.

Ten years might've passed here—or less—but returnees could've spent lifetimes long enough to forget their original world entirely.

Those who'd come back quickly might adjust, but long-timers? Adaptation would be a nightmare.

Even if they tried, perfect integration was impossible.

That's why they stuck together with their own kind.

"......"

Silberion fell silent.

That silence conveyed a deep understanding of their feelings.

Wasn't he struggling to adjust to his changed hometown right now too?

He tried to adapt, but nothing felt familiar.

He'd longed to return home so badly, yet now a new wall stood in his way.

"Still, we can't just sit around doing nothing. Staying idle doesn't solve anything."

"......"

Grommel fell silent at Silberion's words.

It wasn't wrong.

Hell, it might even be the right answer.

"Better to do something than keep ignoring it and drifting further apart."

Nothing got fixed by sitting still.

Change always had to come from within.

"...You're not the type to give up, are you."

Grommel soon rose from the sofa and reached into empty air, opening a sub-space pocket to rummage around.

"...You have a sub-space too?"

"Picked up a sub-space rune from the Association. Can't fit big stuff, but it's handy for small things."

He rummaged for a good while before pulling something out.

It was a hammer.

A gleaming silver hammer, shining brightly.

"I told you I hammered nonstop after getting dropped into that other world."

"......"

"Figured I'd pick it up again someday, but I didn't expect it this soon."

Grommel slung the hammer over his shoulder and let out a hearty laugh.

"I'll make you armor and a sword. But you'll need to bring your own materials."

"H-hey! Grommel!! You're serious?!"

Selenne, who'd been clinging to his leg, jumped in shock and shouted.

"You know how brutal the world is for returnees to survive in! And you're just gonna let him go?"

"Selenne, that's enough. He's not the kind of guy we can stop. If we can't hold him back, isn't it better as friends to help him out as much as we can instead of throwing a tantrum?"

"Th-that's..."

It was too spot-on for even Selenne to argue back.

"Don't worry. I've got no plans to die."

He wasn't heading into gates to die.

He was going to get better.

"Guess gathering materials comes first."

"My forge is at my place. Fire it up, and I can hammer any metal you want—as long as I can melt it down."

"...As long as you can melt it?"

Then maybe this would work.

Silberion pulled his thoroughly wrecked armor from his sub-space.

Thud...

"Could this be material? You could melt down the armor I used to wear too."

"Hmm... Let's take a look first. Gotta figure out what it is."

Grommel fitted a monocle from his belt.

"That thing lets you tell?"

"Tech's advanced a ton in ten years. It'll show info on pretty much any artifact, so no worries."

Grommel adjusted the monocle this way and that, then lifted the armor for a closer look.

"Th-this...!"

His hands trembled like he'd made some monumental discovery as he examined the armor from every angle.

"...Is there a problem?"

Silberion, wondering if something was wrong, asked the visibly shaking Grommel.

"N-no, it's fine. Just... need to inspect it more."

Grommel waved it off casually as if nothing was amiss and began scrutinizing the armor inch by inch.

Before peering at the pulled-out armor through his monocle, Grommel hadn't thought much of it.

It was just a ragged mess—torn to shreds, battered, and deformed.

He'd only meant to check if it could be used as raw material.

"...!!!"

But the moment he adjusted the monocle and laid eyes on it, he couldn't help reeling from the flood of information that popped up.

A Myth tier—the likes of which he'd never even heard of.

Normal artifacts topped out at Rare, Epic, Unique, Legendary.

On top of that, simply wearing it granted dozens of buffs.

He'd have to equip it himself to know the details, but the names alone screamed extraordinary power.

'...What kind of life has this guy lived.'

An armor so perfect it defied description had been shredded and shattered.

He couldn't even begin to imagine what existence could've damaged it this badly.

'Guess I worried for nothing.'

If he'd survived the place that wrecked this, normal gates wouldn't even register ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as a threat.

And so Grommel spent a long while inspecting the armor minutely.

He hadn't hammered since returning, but this was gear worthy of reigniting that fire.

Any other dwarf who saw it would've started a war to claim the right to repair it.