Return and Master Blacksmith Greisman

Benjamin stood there with his mouth agape, unable to believe the surreal scene unfolding before him.

Just a moment ago, the person who had been playing with him was now nothing more than a headless corpse in an instant.

'And it was that person...'

Although Adrias, his benefactor, carried a sword, Benjamin didn't have high expectations for him.

Nevertheless, as the owner of the Soul Sword, he had confidence in his own abilities and had decided to help Adrias as a way to repay the favor.

'How can he be so powerful?'

Adrias effortlessly dealt with the remaining enemies who were still rushing at him, with concise movements.

He didn't swing his sword more than once at any one of them.

Swoosh.

"Thunk."

Thud!

"Poof."

His movements seemed almost like a dance, as if he was harmonizing with the enemies, sending shivers down Benjamin's spine.

In comparison, Benjamin's own fights felt clumsy and inadequate.

'If I were as strong as him...'

Could I have saved the village?

While briefly contemplating, the battle came to an abrupt end.

The numerous enemies had been dispatched in a matter of minutes.

Adrias, with bloodstains on him, appeared more like a master swordsman than Benjamin had initially thought.

'I want to become strong too.'

Seeing him, a longing for strength ignited within Benjamin like a spark in a dry field.

That yearning extended to the Soul Sword nestled in Benjamin's embrace.

Woong.

The Soul Sword trembled, but Benjamin, captivated by Adrian, couldn't perceive it.

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Clang!

Steam rose from the shattered vial as it collided with the wall.

The spot where the vial broke slowly began to melt away.

"I apologize. Please give me another chance."

Beside the melting wall, a trembling man knelt, his knees shaking.

The person who threw the vial was none other than the eccentric-looking Jester.

"I specifically said it was an important matter, and you handled it like this?"

"I will take care of it myself this time, without hiring mercenaries."

"Just shut up! There are no survivors left, and there are no clues. How do you expect to find them?"

The Jester let out a rough breath and slammed his hand on the research table.

Things had been going awry recently.

He had been trying various means to obtain rare materials and valuable corpses taken by Adrias Cromwell.

Amidst all that, he had recently failed to secure the Soul Sword, despite investing considerable effort into locating it.

"Phew. Neither this nor that is to my liking."

Salem Yedidia, who had borrowed the Page of Sloth, still had no intention of returning.

As Salem continued to make frivolous excuses, further delaying the return, the Jester's patience was wearing thin.

Of course, he couldn't blame anyone but himself for giving final approval to the operation.

Unexpectedly, there was someone capable of wielding the Soul Sword there.

'Could it be that there is someone who can swing the Soul Sword without any consequences? Are they the chosen one?'

The problem was that the whereabouts of the sword's owner became mysterious.

With the mercenaries annihilated and the Soul Sword gone, they could only speculate that a new owner had appeared, but they had no idea where they had disappeared to.

Perhaps they had succumbed to the influence of the Soul Sword and died somewhere.

"You damn... Leave the investigation to others and make sure you bring the next target properly!"

"Understood, Jester."

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After dealing with all the fanatics, I immediately rode a horse from the village chief's stable and headed towards Mertheon.

Arriving in Mertheon without taking a moment to rest, I pulled Benjamin along and boarded the train.

Sitting in my seat, finally able to catch my breath, I started with an apology.

"I know it's a little late to say this, but I'm sorry for getting you involved in unnecessary trouble."

"No, it's okay."

Benjamin's attitude seemed to have changed slightly after I dealt with the fanatics. He had a posture that resembled looking up to a revered figure.

'Was he that impressed?'

Honestly, I'm not sure.

If the opponent hadn't let their guard down, the fight wouldn't have ended so easily.

I'm satisfied with just using the Sword Wind in a real battle, and I don't even remember how I swept away the remaining small fry.

Well, anyway, around this time, I should persuade Benjamin to come to the academy. But how should I do it?

As if guessing my dilemma, Benjamin spoke first.

"Um, Adrias."

"Hmm?"

"May I ask where you're heading?"

"I'm heading to Rodren Academy since I'm a student there. The new semester is starting soon."

"I see..."

Seeing Benjamin suddenly appear disappointed, as if all hope was lost, it amused me. But I thought this was the opportunity, so I subtly said:

"I noticed that you know how to wield a sword too."

"Huh? No, not really. Compared to you, Adrias, I'm nothing."

"No, I'm being sincere. You seem to have talent."

With my serious words, Benjamin looked up and stared at me.

"Don't you want to learn more about swords?"

"Swords? How could I..."

"We have a subsidiary academy called Monas Academy. Want to go there and check it out?"

His eyes widened at the sudden proposal.

However, he hesitated and asked:

"Can I attend? I don't have any money."

"I'll sponsor you. Just let me know if you want to go."

"Sponsorship?"

Benjamin's bewildered expression was adorable.

He seemed a bit mature, but still like a child.

"But why would you...?"

"Well, it's just destiny. If you feel burdened, you can repay me later when you're doing well. What do you think?"

"If I go to Monas Academy, will I be able to see you, Adrian, often?"

"Do I have to? Well, maybe we can occasionally meet."

Benjamin suddenly stood up and began bowing.

"What are you doing all of a sudden?"

"I wanted to express my gratitude."

"No need for that. I told you. If you want to repay the favor, do well in the future."

"Yes. I will definitely repay this favor."

Good. Things are going easier than I thought.

Now, I need to find a way to get him enrolled...

"Let's try confronting them first. If that doesn't work, we'll find another way."

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As soon as we arrived at the academy, I inquired about the admission process for Monas Academy.

Fortunately, Monas Academy had a recommendation system for nobles.

"I can finally make use of my noble status."

Though I couldn't fully comprehend it, my title was that of a Count, belonging to the upper echelons of the nobility.

Regardless of its obscurity, being a Count was still being a Count.

Thanks to that, the recommendation letter I wrote carried the weight of a recommendation from a high-ranking noble.

The admission process for this semester had already concluded, but my influence proved to be unexpectedly effective.

"Ahem. I am here to meet Lord Cromwell."

The official in charge of Monas Academy admissions greeted me.

Normally, someone like me wouldn't be able to meet just anyone from the aristocracy, but as I mentioned before, I was no ordinary noble.

By my side stood Benjamin, wearing plain clothes and carrying a modified Rubens on his back.

"So, is this the one recommended by you...?"

"Yes. If you want to assess his skills, go ahead."

"No, I couldn't possibly evaluate a child brought by Your Lordship."

Honestly, Benjamin didn't seem to have any exceptional talent at first glance.

For a 15-year-old, his small stature, height, and frail body didn't give the impression that he could wield Rubens with such proficiency.

"Admission for this semester is already closed, and it might be a bit difficult to enroll. But if you're open to next semester, how about that?"

I thought it would be a free pass, but apparently, it was a free pass for the next semester.

Well, I can't help it. I have to use my trump card here.

I rummaged through my pockets, and the admissions officer extended his hand.

"Lord Cromwell, I won't accept any bribes. Even if you were to offer such a thing..."

The admissions officer hesitated as he examined the potions that emerged from my pocket.

Perhaps he had been anticipating my arrival ever since he heard the name Adrias Cromwell.

"This isn't a bribe. I just thought you might be tired, so I brought some potions. Have you heard of the Everlast Potion?"

"E-Everlast Potion! Of course!"

"Oh, and these are potions I recently invented: the Regeneration Potion and the Healing Potion. The Lord of the Rodelian Tower confirmed their effectiveness himself, so you don't need to worry about any side effects."

The person before me, captivated by the three potions I presented, swallowed nervously and accepted them into his possession.

Meanwhile, Benjamin watched with confusion, wondering what was happening.

"Cough. Technically, this shouldn't work, but..."

He quickly retrieved a paper from his desk and handed it to me.

"Here's your admission confirmation."

"Hahaha. Good thing we understand each other. When should I pay the tuition?"

"You can pay it here right now."

I swiped my card, shook his hand, and gave him a firm handshake.

"Thank you. I'll remember this favor."

"No, Your Lordship. I only helped because I wished for your talented friend to grow as soon as possible."

"Alright then. I'll be going."

"Yes, please enter."

Everything happened so quickly that Benjamin seemed clueless about what had transpired.

Leave it to me, little brother.

You just lie down and enjoy the perks.

Now that I've successfully enrolled, it's time to find a suitable sword for Benjamin.

We can't use Rubens within the academy, so we need to find a regular sword.

'By the way, how do I hide Rubens?'

My head began to ache at the sight of the conspicuous Rubens.

While Benjamin also wanted to keep the dangers of Rubens hidden, it seemed difficult for him to part with the weapon.

The counter assistant at the "I'm the Best at Hammering" shop, where I visited last time, gave me a strange look.

Well, is that how you treat customers?

Of course, even if they make such expressions, they'll still live here.

"I feel like I am receiving too much."

Benjamin finally couldn't endure the favor any longer and expressed his concerns.

Just trust your brother. Seriously.

"Stop talking and choose quickly. Or are you planning to use that? It looks unnecessarily long and inconvenient."

When I pointed at Rubens, he nervously shook his head.

Benjamin still seemed to believe that I didn't know the true nature of the sword.

In the end, Benjamin went through another storm of profuse thanks and examined the swords again.

Honestly, I wanted to entrust the custom order to someone else, but the admission date was only two days away, so I had no choice.

While he was testing each sword, an unexpected person emerged from the back.

"Oh, long time no see."

It was Greisman, the owner and blacksmith of this place.

He appeared, wiping sweat with a towel as if taking a short break, and when he saw us, he greeted us casually.

"Customers!"

I nodded in place of Benjamin, who was choosing a sword.

"Yes, are you the owner of this place?"

"That's right! I'm Greisman, the world's greatest blacksmith!"

I knew he was a strong person, but hearing his voice in person, it resonated like a boiling cauldron.

He walked towards us and, seeing Benjamin choosing a sword, spoke.

"Reach out your hand."

Benjamin tried to be cautious at the sudden approach of a stranger, but I nudged his shoulder from the side.

"Why are you so nervous? Just do as the owner says and reach out your hand."

"Yes."

I was also intrigued by Greisman's sudden actions, but I was sure it wouldn't cause any harm.

When Benjamin extended his hand, Greisman grabbed it and started examining it.

"This is..."

Greisman murmured to himself, lowering his waist to meet Benjamin's eye level.

Then, with an expression of incomprehension, he muttered, "What the heck are you?"