Chapter 15
“Whew…”
Se-Hoon stretched as he felt the fatigue coursing through his entire body. He looked at the four inkstone-color bracelets, which he had managed to forge, on top of the workbench.
All of them were of the same average quality, and their intended performance was perfectly implemented.
It seems like the compatibility of the inkstone ore and the spell is better than I expected.
The duration of the forging process was more than halved, and the manifested effects exceeded what he originally planned. However, above all, there was something else that truly satisfied him: the four bracelets were emitting a faint resonating sound.
Although it was just a subtle undulation of mana without any special effects, resonance held a significant meaning in the world of blacksmithing. With a few improvements, the four bracelets could create a set effect where they would synergize with each other when used together.
There should be a way to make them work with my state of body right now, but… I should just wait on it.
With the effects of the bracelets already pretty burdensome for him to wear, if the set effect was added as well, they might become too much for his body to equip. Thus, he decided to improve the bracelets at a later date, when he found a suitable solution or when his physical abilities improved.
“Is that a resonance effect?” muttered Eun-Ha as she widened her eyes, only now noticing it.
“Yes. It’s not that evident right now, but I think we could aim to create a set effect.”
“…”
Unlike Se-Hoon, who was acting casually, Eun-Ha was staring at the bracelets with disbelief. In order to create a resonance effect between different pieces of equipment, there had to be commonalities in both the materials and the forging techniques, and their overall quality must be evenly matched.
Therefore, the blacksmith’s skill had to be pretty well established for it to occur. However, Se-Hoon was already able to achieve such a feat, and not just once—he achieved the resonance effect between four pieces of Rare-tier equipment.
“Mm…”
To Eun-Ha, a set effect was like chocolate she was saving for later, chocolate that tasted even better if she ate it in one bite. She gazed intently at the bracelets, but then slowly settled her emotions, closing her eyes tightly. She then brought what she received from Se-Hoon to her lips.
Crunch, Crunch!
She munched on the pieces of the cast as if she was eating potato chips.
These pieces were given by Se-Hoon, who felt pity for her after he heard her stomach growling. Now, she was voraciously crunching on these pieces, as if she were trying to calm her hunger.
Whenever she consumed a piece, her crimson hair faintly glowed, shimmering like flickering flames. As he watched her hair glow like flames in furnaces, he felt nostalgic as memories from the past flooded back.
This takes me back.
This phenomenon was due to her unique skill, Soul Furnace. The glow of her hair was the result of the gain in power from digesting the consumed equipment. Right now, the glow was at the level of matchstick fire if compared to what he had witnessed before the regression.
Back then, her hair and everything were no joke.
While he reminisced with a bitter smile on his face, she eventually noticed his gaze and coughed dryly.
“Ahem. It seems I caused a disturbance. I apologize.”
“No, no. I really appreciate your efforts in helping me out. I should be the one apologizing for not being able to provide proper equipment.”
Based on what he had heard from her before the regression, the effects and flavors of the equipment she ate varied and deepened depending on the type of material used as well as the end quality of the equipment. That was why he believed that the hastily prepared cast would taste like nothing more than flour sprinkled with salt.
She shook her head at his remark.
“It’s okay. This was quite tasty as well.”
“You mean the cast?”
“Yes. If I were to compare it to something… it tasted like fried crumbs.”
At this review, which was better than expected, Se-Hoon was surprised. After momentarily contemplating whether such a flavor could be tasted from the hastily made cast, he came up with a plausible explanation.
Maybe it is because I’m too used to forging equipment tailored to her taste.
Just like how people had different tastes, Eun-Ha also had a preferred flavor. Of course, since he couldn’t taste the equipment himself, he wasn’t able to perfectly match her preference. But by adjusting the equipment for her based on her feedback, he had managed to make them somewhat to her liking.
Perhaps I could raise her bond level more easily than I thought. He smiled slightly at the unexpected gain.
“I’m glad that you liked it.”
“Of course, it’s a shame to be eating this cast instead of those magnificent bracelets… speaking of which, when are you planning to deal with your Five-Flame Sword and your Flaming Scabbard?”
Her eyes were shining with desire, and her appetite had intensified due to the bracelets. At this sight, Se-Hoon contemplated how to answer her.
“I don’t have any plans to sell them for now.” In the end, he openly conveyed his thoughts to her.
“What? Was the price I offered too low?”
“No, it’s not because of the price. I just would like to keep them for my classes.”
While most classes at Babel Academy allowed students to use the practice equipment, with classes that were more applicable in real-life situations, such as those that involved slaying monsters, students brought their own equipment. It was possible that Se-Hoon would take such classes, so he wanted to keep the Five-Flame Sword and the Flaming Scabbard, as they were both compatible with him.
And also… it’s still a bit too early.
Although he had promised himself that he wouldn’t dwell on the past, his unpleasant memories involving Eun-Ha made him hesitate to feed her properly forged equipment. He knew that he couldn’t evade her forever, but considering that a bond had already been established, for the time being, it would probably be okay to postpone it for a while.
There is a saying that there is no better condiment than an empty stomach.
The higher her expectations of his equipment rose, the more drastically her bond level would increase. Of course, failing to meet her expectations would disappoint her. However, he was sure that would never happen, as his promise to himself was that he would resign as a blacksmith if it did happen.
“Then I guess there’s no helping it if that’s the case.” She nodded as if she understood. Yet, even though her expression remained unchanged, a sense of regret could be felt in her eyes.
Se-Hoon smiled wryly at this sight and added a few more words.
“I will inform you first once equipment becomes available in the future.”
“Hm. I look forward to it.” She poured the remaining pieces of the cast into her mouth and then nodded in satisfaction.
“Are you done forging?”
“Yes. I’m done with everything.”
“Then let’s leave the room. Don’t worry about the cleanup since the staff should take care of it later.”
“Thank goodness. I don’t have much strength left to clean this all up.”
At the academy he attended before the regression, he had to do all these minor chores by himself. This made him appreciate the differences in academies, even with such trivial matters.
After collecting all the bracelets and remaining materials, he tried to stand up from his seat.
“Ah.”
He suddenly felt light-headed, his surroundings spinning rapidly.
These were the symptoms of fatigue that occurred when his mana and stamina were drained. This was a condition he had experienced frequently while hammering before the regression.
Did I push myself too far?
He thought he was managing his stamina well, but it seemed he was only barely holding on throughout the session thanks to his tension. If he were to collapse now, it would probably be a bit painful.
Bump.
But before he could collapse, Eun-Ha stretched out her hand and supported his body before it even tilted. Turning his head toward her, he saw that she was worried.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah. Yes. It seems I have made a mistake with the management of my stamina. This is just some light dizziness.”
Although he didn’t regard this dizziness seriously, as he had experienced it countless times before the regression, Eun-Ha had a different opinion.
“…”
His body was trembling and his breathing had roughened; it was as if he were squeezing out his limits. With symptoms this severe, it wouldn’t be surprising if every single bone and joint in his body ached, yet he didn’t show a hint of pain. It was as if he was completely numb to pain rather than resilient to it.
Eun-Ha stared at him before helping him up.
“It’s good that you’re working hard, but don’t overexert yourself. You should go home and rest for the day.”
“Of course.”
“Really, you should rest. Once you’re injured, you can’t go back.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I mean it sincerely.”
“…”
He found it odd that she kept cautioning him even though he had told her he understood. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.
Did she eat something wrong?
How could someone who used to insistently nag him to forge equipment for her before the regression be so different?
As he examined her with curiosity, he quickly realized the reason behind her difference in attitude.
Ah. It’s because I’m a student right now.
Before the regression, their relationship was one of customer and blacksmith. But right now, as she was the dean, it was obvious that her attitude toward him would be different.
And it would be a shame for her if a student with promising talents like me, got injured.
No matter how he looked at it, the situation had changed significantly from before the regression. He chuckled unconsciously, and seeing this, Eun-Ha’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“I’m not sure if you’re taking me seriously.”
“No. About that…”
“Never mind. Just lean on me; I’ll take you to your dormitory.”
Despite telling her that he could walk on his own now that some strength had returned, she firmly refused and continued to help him. The two of them left the main building closely together, and then she examined her own body.
“This should be enough…”
Her body condition seemed just right for her to leap once. She finished the calculations before looking at Se-Hoon.
“Are you scared of heights, by any chance?”
"No, I’m no… agh!”
Before he could finish his response, she swiftly reached under his thighs and promptly lifted him up. Unwillingly hanging onto her neck, he made a weird face.
Then, the crimson tips of her red hair started flickering with a vermilion glow.
“Here we go.”
Vroooom.
Sounds similar to an engine revving up emanated from within her body, and in that instant, her toes gently kicked the ground.
Thump-!
The two soared high into the sky.
The scenery around them changed in the blink of an eye. They were now looking down at the landscape of Borsippa College beneath the night sky. Se-Hoon’s eyes widened in astonishment.
How is the energy output from the cast this large?
Judging from her stomach growling, she probably hadn’t consumed any other pieces of equipment before the session. In other words, she was extracting such a large amount of power from just a cast. This was way beyond what Se-Hoon had anticipated, almost double the expected output.
So the better the taste, the higher the output.
Before the regression, he believed that the increase in her output was due to the improvement in his skills. But now, he realized that the taste of the equipment also mattered quite significantly.
As he was looking down at the College of Borsippa, he was surprised to find a familiar figure near the entrance of the main building of the Department of Blacksmithing.
Erika?
He tried to take another look, but they began to descend and the view was obstructed by other buildings. Recalling what he had just witnessed, he shook off the possibility.
It couldn’t be Erika.
He believed there was no way she would follow him all the way to the main building of the Department of Blacksmithing and wait there for hours, even after they had already finished taking the test for the Barrier Composition class. He quickly dismissed the idea that he had seen her.
Moments later, they landed in front of the dormitory.
Thud.
The landing was soft compared to the immense leap. The crimson glow at the tips of her hair faded, as she seemed to have depleted all of her stored power for the leap. She gently lowered him to the ground and grabbed his shoulders.
“I’ve said it before, but get some rest―”
“…”
“―never mind; you definitely seem like you are going to rest.”
She interrupted herself after seeing his expression. She let go of his shoulders and changed the topic of the conversation.
“Today’s forging session was brilliant.”
Her compliment brought back his old memories. He smiled to hide his bitter feelings.
“Thank you.”
“Well, I’ll head back then.”
After she bid farewell and left, he went up to his room and threw himself onto the bed after taking a quick shower.
“Ugh…”
Even though he was lying on the soft bed, his whole body ached. It seemed like he had overestimated the limits of his current body. It was no wonder that Eun-Ha had made such a fuss back there.
I really should take a break for today.
As the drowsiness overwhelmed his senses, he calmly gazed up at the ceiling. Although he was tired enough to fall asleep at any moment, surprisingly, his mind became clear when he lay down. At this discovery, memories from before the regression slowly resurfaced.
Maybe it’s because I met Ryu Eun-Ha…
Although he had spent most of his life holed up in the workshop, he still had a vast amount of knowledge compared to ordinary people. Furthermore, Frost Dog Amir, who excelled in gathering intelligence, had told him all kinds of information to boost his knowledge further. Thus, with his vast knowledge, in his final years, he became a central figure in the human alliance.
But most of what I heard from him was about events that happened way in the future.
Certainly, some of these events were most likely unfolding discreetly right now. However, dealing with them at the moment was challenging, as the information he had was fragmented and scarce.
Well then… for now, I should start with the ones I can deal with inside Babel Academy.
Having already decided on what he should do first, he took out his phone and read the articles he had looked up earlier.
“‘Inferno Ring’ is on the verge of losing its Intangible Cultural Heritage title. Controversy over the current wielder’s qualifications.”
“Flame Sect: ‘They will soon come back with accomplishments.’ Will a successor emerge to end this vacancy?”
“The rising star that will take charge of South Korea: Who is this Yeom Sung-Ha?”
Pictures of Yeom Sung-Ha’s face popped up here and there among the news articles, annoying Se-Hoon. Looking at how young the Mad Dog was, he found himself chuckling.
Just you wait.
This time, Se-Hoon planned to firmly discipline him to prevent him from doing anything foolish. With that resolve, Se-Hoon closed his eyes.
kyokon's ThoughtsSigh: If there is anything reading all of these novels has taught me, it’s that a student-teacher relationship has never stopped a waifu from joining the harem. Also, Erika waiting hours for him… Yandere vibes?
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