1.
There were several facilities within the ducal estate for the Dawn Apostles.
They were facilities Dolores had prepared, kind-hearted and generous as she was.
There was a reception room, of course, along with relaxation spaces such as a meditation room and hot springs. As long as they had Dolores’s permission, they could use them.
Isabella, however, had recently had her privileges suspended.
"It’s nice bathing together again after so long, isn’t it?"
"...Yeah."
Today, Yeomhwa had successfully dragged Dolores out with her.
After enjoying the hot spring, the two stood side by side in the changing room, drying their hair.
Naturally, the subject of their conversation was...
"What’s the longest Lionel has ever spent making a piece of equipment?"
"Two months... and two weeks."
"This one is nearly his record, then."
"...Yeah."
Dolores answered as she folded her towel, but the corners of her lips had curled upward.
Was she happy because that longest stretch of time had been spent on equipment for her?
Of course, she hoped he had not pushed himself too hard.
Once they had dried their hair, the two women began changing in front of their respective lockers.
Click.
Yeomhwa stared intently at Dolores as she fastened her bra.
"...Elysia."
"Yeah."
"Did you change your underwear?"
Freeze.
Dolores’s movements stopped.
"What about the one Lionel made you? The kid will be hurt."
"..."
Yeomhwa had asked without giving it much thought...
But from Dolores’s perspective, it was an incredibly, unbelievably difficult question to answer.
Today was Sunday, and it was currently five in the afternoon.
Since she had to leave a paper bag in front of the workshop door tomorrow morning, she needed to wear it for around twelve hours.
But explaining that to someone would be so mortifying that she would rather fight that person to the death.
"...Something got on it."
"..."
That was all Dolores said.
2.
First, there was the reward I had received: a Divine Artifact Promotion Ticket.
I had wondered what form it would take...
"A ticket...?"
A red ticket, like a movie ticket, was tucked between my fingers.
Its edges were partially lined in gold, and it felt soft to the touch, too.
"...Huh?"
Fwoosh...
It vanished just like that.
I did not know where it had gone... but I thought I knew how to take it out.
I opened my hand and recalled the ticket from a moment ago... and it slowly reappeared in my palm.
At least, I did not need to worry about losing it.
There was no need to decide where to use it right away. I planned to discuss it with Dolores later.
Why Dolores, obviously?
Who else would I give it to?
I looked over the insignia’s status again.
─────────────────
[Kargon: Garden of Beginnings] [★★★★✦]
[Unique Equipment] [Affinity] [- /110]
─────────────────
[Divine Artifact] [Designated Deity: None]
[Blessing] [None]
─────────────────
『A flower of fire blooming from the earth—people call it a volcano.』
『When the flower of fire blooms, the earth opens like petals.』
『The long conflict between earth and flame ends here.』
─────────────────
[Volcano]
The mana left behind when the wearer uses magic gathers underground and forms buds of flame.
The more mana accumulates, the stronger the buds become. When the wearer makes the flowers bloom, the power gathered beneath them bursts through the ground.
[Garden of Beginnings]
The ground where flowers have bloomed becomes the wearer’s garden.
Within the garden, power accumulated in one location can erupt from another.
A natural catastrophe.
Eruptions within the garden ignore the target’s defenses.
They cannot be defended against.
─────────────────
『I cannot believe it... How can the energy of earth fuel fire...?』
『Just what kind of world are you trying to show me...?』
- Ignia, Goddess of Fire -
『Ah... ah...』
『What a futile struggle we have carried on for so long...』
- Gaia, Goddess of Earth -
─────────────────
Even looking at it again, I was satisfied. It was good, but...
Lowering my gaze...
I lowered my head slightly.
Words I had been unable to see because the description was so long caught my eye.
─────────────────
『She’s so damn pretty... Now this is a goddess...』
『Her neckline is a little long and her shoulders are soft, so the design needs to emphasize curves too. With skin that white, red would suit her nicely... but Mama is the same, so that doesn’t matter.』
『Her face is so beautiful that even elaborate ornamentation won’t overshadow it, will it? I should put as much effort into it as I possibly can.』
- Skilled Blacksmith L -
─────────────────
Hmm...
What a fucking pervert.
Honestly, when I was crafting something, I had to keep my mouth moving.
Since it was work I did sitting alone, it got more boring as time passed.
That was why I could not stop myself from constantly muttering.
I had been like that even before I came to this world.
I probably would not be able to fix it until the day I died.
But...
"This is okay, right...?"
Until now, even when Mama Dolores saw Origin Scripts like these, she had merely smiled indulgently and stroked my head.
But Gaia was... a god...
The only remotely respectful part of that Origin Script was the signature, Skilled Blacksmith L.
Still, it was the thought that counted.
I shook my head.
Now I had to offer this to Gaia...
As I silently looked down at the insignia, what caught my eye were the Children of the Forest crest and the Heirs of Fire crest.
"..."
But as I looked at them, a passage came to mind.
『Two engravings cannot exist upon a single accessory. Since it is a Divine Artifact, its engraving will only be revealed in the divine realm. Do not worry.』
Those were the words of our late Sun Dwarves professor.
Yet there were engravings on my insignia right now.
What was this...?
My concern was that because they had been engraved onto this accessory, the accessory Gaia received would not bear an engraving.
Gaia would want to show it off to the other gods, too. She would be disappointed if there was no engraving.
The fundamental principle was that two engravings could not be inscribed onto the same accessory. In other words, they should not have appeared in the mortal realm.
Normally, whenever I had a question, I could not rest easy until I asked it right away. Unfortunately, Yuna could not answer this one.
In that case...
"Let’s make a trip to the Formless Divine Furnace."
Let’s go show it to Harngar.
The living Sun Dwarves encyclopedia.
I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
Perhaps because I was so tired... my eyes shut in an instant.
Rumble...
The sound I always heard rang by my ears.
When I opened my eyes, the Formless Divine Furnace where I worked stood before me.
"Descendant."
Harngar was there as well, for the first time in a while.
"It has been a while."
"There is something I would like to show you."
Fwoosh.
I closed my eyes, imagined it, and held out my hand. The Divine Artifact I had just made appeared in it.
"..."
Without a word, Harngar accepted the insignia and examined it.
He inspected the flowers... then turned it over slightly as well.
"Was my mouth hanging open?"
"Yes."
"...I hope you can understand. I cannot seem to close it."
This was the first time I had ever received such lavish praise.
The hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood on end.
W-Was it really that good...?
This was the man who had done nothing more than pat my shoulder once or twice even after seeing Dawn Bringer.
The same went for the rose.
Since he seemed to be inspecting it closely, I added an explanation from beside him.
This was equipment for my benefactor... and the insignia that benefactor had originally worn had not suited her in some way.
So I explained what sort of equipment I had intended to make for her.
At first, I had tried to mix fire and earth and failed...
I also explained how, only after ruining every attempt, I had decided not to make the two energies destroy each other and instead bring out each of their strengths.
When blacksmiths explained their work to each other, it would not do to just thrust out the finished product and call it a day.
Even at Michelin restaurants, the chef came out and explained it, right? What ingredients they used and what intention had gone into making the dish.
It was just like that.
"...That was my intention, but then these engravings appeared."
"As it is a Divine Artifact, the engravings should not be visible in the mortal realm."
"Yes. Exactly."
Harngar looked down at the insignia again...
His beard curled upward slightly. He almost seemed to be smiling.
After studying the two crests and thinking for a moment, he spoke.
"When you made your first Divine Artifact... how did you feel when you were told that its engraving would not be revealed?"
"I liked it."
I remembered that. It would have been rather troublesome if the princess had discovered the Sun Dwarves engraving.
"I was glad I could conceal it."
"And this time... I wonder how you felt."
"..."
Tap, tap.
Though it was an insignia from a dream world and could not be damaged even if he handled it roughly, Harngar carefully tapped its petals.
I mulled over what Harngar had just said.
This time, during the crafting process... I had never tried to hide anything.
I had not intended to mix the flames and earth together. I had worked to draw out the greatest power from both.
I had shaped it with the intent of making them both display the best performance they could offer.
"They say that before the equipment you craft, you should not even breathe carelessly."
"...I agree."
"...Because everything is contained within it."
It was not merely the Origin Script.
Even the words I muttered here and there were preserved, so how much more deeply would the mindset I had held for two entire months be contained?
This time, I had not tried to conceal either one...
"The reason both engravings appeared..."
Perhaps it was only natural.
I had told them both to give their very best, so the Heirs of Fire engraving could not hide itself while the Children of the Forest engraving stood so boldly displayed.
I had not even intended to hide it in the first place.
"Having made such equipment... more people will seek you out now."
"..."
Harngar took his eyes off the insignia and looked at me with a slow smile.
Thump.
A palm thick with calluses settled on my shoulder.
"You may take pride in it, Descendant. The equipment merely contains your will."
"...I understand."
"Come visit again. It seems there may not be much time left for days when I can see your face like this."
Twitch.
My body trembled.
Somewhere deep down... I must have assumed that Harngar would always remain by my side.
That he would always be here, and whenever I had a question... I could visit him and ask.
"...I’ll bring the next one too."
I could not ask him not to go.
He had already helped me so much.
"...I will wait."
With those words from him, the scenery before my eyes gradually blurred...
"..."
When I opened my eyes, I saw the familiar ceiling I always saw whenever I awoke after finishing my work.
A soft bed, the insignia in my arms, and...
Soft breathing...
Dolores, sleeping before me while holding me in her arms.
Whatever scent lingered in the underwear, it could never beat the real thing.
And perhaps because tomorrow was delivery day, she was wearing the [Embrace Filled with Fresh Wind] that would be delivered tomorrow.
"...Mmh, Lionel...?"
Dolores rubbed her eyes and raised her head.
Kiss.
Lightly, playfully, I kissed the back of her hand.
It felt like I was always the one receiving things.
Her face was too difficult.
"?!?!"
Dolores’s eyes widened into circles.
Then, as though she could not comprehend what had just happened, she shot upright.
Click.
Taking that opportunity, I carefully pinned the insignia to her chest.
A red insignia rested against her white pajamas.
I had imagined this sight for over two months...
‘As I thought, it suits her perfectly.’
"Shall we go, Dolores?"
"...Li, Li, Lio... Lionel..."
"To pray to Gaia."
Now it was time to offer the Divine Artifact.
Because Dolores was not its only owner.
─────────────────
[Kargon: Garden of Beginnings] [★★★★✦]
[Unique Equipment] [Affinity] [110 /110]
─────────────────
My first customer.
Dolores passed with a perfect 110 out of 110.
Now it was Gaia’s turn.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register