While Kael walked through the crowded street, his eyes slowly scanned his surroundings as if searching for something unseen.
In his hand, he held a pouch—taken from the bandits of the Mad Butcher.
He lightly weighed it as he walked, expression unreadable, still observing the city around him without stopping.
Then Kael stopped.
His gaze fixed on a nearby shop—an old blacksmith's forge.
From inside, the steady rhythm of hammer striking metal echoed through the walls.
CLANG… CLANG… CLANG…
Sparks flickered faintly through the open doorway as heat and smoke drifted outside.
Kael stared at it for a moment.
"…Blacksmith," he muttered, then stepped closer.
"At first… the most important thing is a weapon," Kael muttered.
He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly as a memory surfaced—the fight with the Mad Butcher's men.
The swords he had picked up from the ground… shattered, bent, or couldn't withstand even a few of his swings.
"…Too weak," he said quietly to himself.
His gaze returned to the blacksmith's shop with a more focused look, as if he had already decided what he needed.
Kael stepped into the forge.
Heat immediately washed over him as the sound of hammering grew louder inside the blacksmith shop.
Inside the forge, several unfinished weapons hung along the walls while sparks scattered from a blazing furnace nearby.
A large man with muscular arms stood near the anvil, repeatedly hammering glowing metal without even glancing up.
CLANG! CLANG!
"…We're closed if you're here to waste time," the blacksmith said gruffly.
Kael ignored the blacksmith's words completely.
He continued walking deeper into the forge, calmly observing the weapons displayed around the shop.
Swords, axes, spears, daggers—rows of steel lined the walls and weapon racks.
Some were rough and practical.
Others carried faint traces of Spirit Energy within the metal itself.
Kael's eyes moved carefully across each weapon, quietly evaluating them one by one.
The blacksmith finally stopped hammering.
CLANG!
He glanced over his shoulder, frowning slightly as Kael continued inspecting the weapons without permission.
"…Oi. You deaf or something?" he said gruffly. "If you touch anything, you pay for it."
"Can you make me the strongest sword?" Kael asked calmly.
The blacksmith stared at him for a second.
"…Huh?"
Then he let out a rough laugh.
"You walk into my forge dressed like a survivor from the Abyss and ask for the strongest sword?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Kid, do you even know how expensive those words are?"
Kael remained calm.
Without another word, he reached into the small magic pouch at his side and pulled something out.
A massive dark horn landed heavily on the counter.
The moment the blacksmith saw it, his expression froze.
"…A Quadra Wolf Horn?" he muttered, eyes widening slightly as he stared at the rare material in disbelief.
The blacksmith immediately stepped closer, grabbing the horn carefully with both hands to inspect it.
"T-this is really a Quadra Wolf Horn…" he muttered in disbelief.
His fingers traced across the dark surface, feeling the dense energy still lingering inside it.
"The color… the size… and most importantly…"
His expression turned serious.
"…The Will of Quadra Wolf are still inside it."
"…Hmm. So I was right," Kael whispered to himself. "That horn really is usable."
The blacksmith slowly lifted his gaze toward him, his earlier dismissive attitude completely gone.
"…Where the hell did you get something like this?" he asked quietly.
Kael didn't answer directly.
He simply looked at the weapons hanging around the forge before speaking calmly.
"…Can you make the sword or not?"
The blacksmith stared at Kael for a long moment, then let out a slow breath.
"…Heh."
He set the Quadra Wolf horn down carefully, his expression shifting into something more serious.
"I can make it," he said. "But if I use this, it won't be just a sword… it'll be something far beyond normal steel."
"However… you really trust me with such a rare material," the blacksmith said slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Don't you think I could just run away with this?"
Kael didn't respond immediately.
He only looked at him calmly.
"…This kingdom only has one blacksmith shop, and it's here," Kael said flatly. "If you run… where would you go?"
The blacksmith slowly smiled.
"Hahaha~ kid… you really got my interest."
He crossed his arms, studying Kael more carefully now.
"Alright. I'll make it beyond your expectations," he said. "But tell me—what kind of sword do you want?"
Kael paused for a moment.
His eyes slowly shifted to the horn on the counter.
"…A sword that can handle my strength," he said calmly. "And won't break."
The blacksmith blinked once… then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! That's your answer?" he said, wiping his face. "Not sharpness, not style, not Spirit Arts…"
His grin widened.
"…Just a sword that won't break."
Then he back in his composer.
"Then I'll make you a sword that's both durable and sharp," the blacksmith said confidently. "And from the way you move… I'm guessing you've never truly wielded a sword before."
He glanced at Kael from head to toe.
"So it can't be too heavy… nor too light."
The blacksmith then rested his hand on the Quadra Wolf horn again, his expression turning serious.
"However, the Will of the Quadra Wolf still remains inside this material. Forging it won't be simple."
He exhaled slowly.
"…It'll take around three days."
Kael nodded once.
"…Fine."
He turned slightly, preparing to leave without another question.
But before he could step away, the blacksmith suddenly spoke again.
"…Kid."
Kael paused.
The blacksmith's eyes narrowed as he looked at him seriously.
"…What's your name?"
"I'm Kael."
Then he stepped toward the door.
As he opened it—
He suddenly stopped.
His gaze shifted to the right side of the forge, where several blades were neatly arranged on a weapon rack.
Kael stared at them briefly before looking back at the blacksmith.
"…Hey. Can I borrow this for a while?" he asked calmly, reaching toward one of the swords.
The blacksmith raised an eyebrow.
"…Borrow?" he repeated, sounding almost amused. "You planning to survive three days with that thing?"
He let out a rough chuckle and waved his hand dismissively.
"Whatever. You can take it yourself."
Kael nodded slightly.
Without hesitation, he reached out and picked one of the swords from the rack.
He tested its weight once in his hand, expression calm.
"…It'll do," he muttered.
Then he turned toward the door again, stepping out of the forge and disappearing into the street, leaving the sound of the blacksmith's hammering behind him.
Outside, the street noise of Fortress Genesis returned—crowds moving, merchants shouting, armor clanking in the distance.
Kael walked forward alone, the borrowed sword resting at his side.
Behind him, the blacksmith watched from the forge entrance for a moment, narrowing his eyes.
"…Strange kid," he muttered, then went back inside as the hammering resumed.