33 The Blacksmith; Evor Chapter 32

*Clank!*

In a dark alleyway, somewhere in the corner stood one simple shop that spewed smoke out of its chimney. In it, the sound of a hot metal rod was being hammered down on an anvil. There, a tall man who had a black beard covered in sweat was meticulously in focus on his work.

Each pounding to the rod was perfectly weighted and measured, with not one clobber being heavier than the other. The hot surface that was clearly burning the very presence of his area didn't bother him at all, as he endowed himself to the very work before him.

Eye to eye at each detail at the rod's figure made his attention more glued to each progress of his work.

At this moment in the middle of the night, a single disturbance can easily destroy his focus and ruin his progress with his work. So to gain the perfect immersing environment, he locked himself at his own workshop in his basement.

'Yes…this form is now complete, lets settle it in the water then.' he thought as he was satisfied with his work done for the day. The shaping process of his work was finished, all he had to do now was gently place the shaped rod into a special container that was filled with a specific material.

'Okay…gentle…let's gently carry this into the container.' he thought as he slowly lifted it up from the anvil and carefully marched to a certain container.

'...' in just three gentle footsteps, he was already in front of the container.

'Okay, easy now…' he gently lowered it into place with not a single breath released from this process, as a simple exhale can ultimately break the sword.

'...and…there, Perfect.' he thought as he finally finished his masterpiece for the day.

"Haaa…another day's work done in peace. With this, the commission will be ready by three days from now. With that, I'll finally be rid of my debt." said the Blacksmith as he sighed in relief of his finished work and the ever so freedom of his paid debt.

This blacksmith was Evor. A Prodigy in the line of Blacksmiths, that was introduced in the early volumes of the novel. Situated in a sketchy district of the Kastelyst Kingdom, here he would make top-notch items that could go big for value in the Hunter's society. From making magic items to magic swords, he could do it all.

He was introduced to Arthur in the early volumes through an accidental encounter by the river, where he was found slowly floating away in a tub, completely drunk in booze. It was written that he was put their by a powerful person in pay of the debt he owed them through gambling. And with Arthur's sensual heart, he saved him. They greeted and thanked each other but, at the end of the day the conflict turned back to the fact that Evor still had a debt to pay. Scared for his life, he asked for Arthur's help in guarding him through the day. At first, Arthur found him to be just one of your ordinary drunkards in the alleyway but as the story progressed for their encounter, he was slowly showing his talent in creating weapons and creating it as if it was an Artwork. This interested Arthur even more and in the end, they were able to solve his Debt Problem through conflict as always and their connection grew. Evor was now a part of the story for Arthur through being his personal blacksmith.

Evor Considers himself to be an Artist.

A drunk, A gambling addict and an Artist.

This was the Character introduction to 'Evor The Blacksmith'.

And now, Evor had just paid off his debt again. It wasn't surprising, knowing how he was written in the book.

Noticing that it was midnight, he decided to open up his store to air up the place. Since no one is likely to visit him at this hour, he would just close up shop in a few minutes after. If there was any costumers that would pass by today, he would likely just ask them to come back tomorrow. He wouldn't bother entertaining the customer knowing its pass store hours.

"...this place is really depressing in this time of day…rats are everywhere and it smells like a sewer." he said as he got out of his store and lazily leaned on the doorway of his shop.

"Luckily, my emergency brandy is nearby to take me away." He said as he brought out a flask from one of his back pocket.

*Gulp* "Phaaa! Whew, that's as strong as ever."

As he was enjoying the brandy, he began to admire the night sky as the moon glistened its light against his ever so sober eye.

'Hmm, this is nice. A cold night with a strong drink, it keeps me up at night for sure.'

As he was in deep thought over a wonderful night, the moon was slowly being shrouded over by some gloomy dark clouds.

It was about to rain.

"Damn, looks like its about to be damp. And right when the brandy was about to strike my spirit hot." showing clear annoyance as he's night was suddenly ruined by the coming of rain.

*tick*

*tick**tick*

*tick**tick**tick*

*tick**tick**tick**tick*

The night continued on with its pitter patter of rain, ruining the very night Evor was supposedly enjoying after a day's hard work.

"Ah…damn rain" he decided to end his break here and decided to close up everything. One by one, each light was turned off and each lamp was being extinguished. As he continued to close up shop, not minding the open door before him. A sudden gust of wind suddenly blew right into his shop.

"!?" he quickly turned around to where the strong wind came from, to his surprise a person was eagerly just standing on the front door of his shop.

"Is this place open?" asked the person.

Evor saw a young boy who was drenched in the cold rain, wearing a simple gray shirt, a black mask to cover his mouth as well as a cap to cover his head.

".…a cast?" to Evor's surprise this person was also wearing a cast around his arm, indicating that he was injured.

"Are you open?" the boy again asked if Evor was open for business.

"Boy, its past midnight. What are you doing here?" asked Evor as he was suspicious of this boy visiting him in this time of night.

"I've heard that this was a place for where I can mostly find anything a hunter needs for his hunt."

"...You're a hunter?"

"I am."

"Hmm, if your looking for an item for your hunt come back tomorrow. I'm close for the night."

"...I can't."

"Why?"

"I need this item for tomorrow…I need the Verity Cage."

"!?" as he caught the attention of the name of the item, he's mind suddenly became more alert from the item's mention.

"...I've heard that aside from the Black Ridge Market, this place is the only shop I can get that cage." said the as he started to walk into the shop.

"Where did you heard of this!?" but Evor yells at the boy and made him stop his tracks from getting into the shop.

"...from a reliable source." said the boy calmly as he stopped walking.

"!!" Evor's mind became even more alert and cautious as he heard the vague answer from this boy.

'A source? What source!?' his mind became clouded by this 'source' the boy spoke of.

Threatened and panicking, Evor made his pick of action.

Evor slowly walks to the other side of his shop, on it was an array of weapons neatly displayed on the wall. He reached out to pick a certain weapon that he was fairly familiar with. He picked out an axe.

"That item is something no costumer of mine has ever heard of…no person could know of this except me and me alone!" he said as he pointed the axe right at the boy's face.

"..."

"So how did someone like you know!"

"...I need that Item." Ignoring the taunt from Evor loudly voiced out, he simply tries to give no reason but instead tells his need for the item.

"Tell me where you got this information!" desperate for an answer, he yells again.

"...A reliable source in the black ridge market." said the boy.

"...the black ridge market…that God forsaken place…Damn it!" Evor's mind was shocked to hear his answer, but he can somewhat agree that it was plausible…

"..."

"Do you know what the verity cage is used for?" Evor asked if the boy actually knew the purpose of this certain item , if the boy knew what this item could do…

"I do." said the boy in a cold tone.

"Then you know that this isn't something that can cage a monster?"

"...it cages people." answered the boy.

"That's right." affirmed Evor.

"It cages people for the truth." said the boy as he extended his answer.

"And is bounded by only the truth."

"then can I-"

"No."

"...I need it." said the boy in cold but threatening tone.

"And I'm not selling it."

Both their voices were cold that night.

"Why?"

"There's many reasons why I shouldn't sell it to the public, especially to a stranger like you."

"..."

"Get lost and don't come back."

"...Then I have no other choice then."

He moved his left arm to the cast and slowly pulled it off.

"If your planning to fight me for it, big mistake kid."

After a minute of ripping it off, the cast was fully removed. Seeing that his arm was in full view, he tried swinging his arm around to test if it was okay to move it, and it was.

"...looks like you weren't injured after all."

"...Apolo."

"Hmm?"

All of a sudden, lightning strikes down from above. Its flashing light blinded Evor for a quick second but once it was done, the boy was gone.

All that was left was a scratched floor board that said

[I'll bring it back in a few days.]

"...What?" he was genuinely confused as to what happened…but the context of this word worried him for dear life..

"Don't tell me…"

He quickly dropped the axe to the floor and ran to his basement. As he got to the entrance of his basement, the hinges were broken as well as the lock.

"...Oh my God."

He slowly opened the broken door then reached for the light switch by the wall and turned it on.

As the light illuminated the room, what he saw before him left him is dis-array.

"...How?"

Everything was still the same as before, his tools were still at the same place and the commissioned work was still at its container but one thing was left not the same as before.

"The floor safe…how?"

Right by the corner of his workshop basement, a certain floorboard was ripped open. As he got to that area, certain items were placed there that was not meant to be seen by the public eye.

Items that were illegal to say the least…items that were taboo.

No one knows of this location except him, so for it to be opened and stolen from, made his veins grow…

"...That bastard!"

"If he knows this location…if he got his information from the black ridge market…I…I gotta move all of this." he panicked and started hauling everything that was in the floor safe.

"Who could have known…who could have told him!" he quickly puts everything in his storage space ring and locked the shop that night. He was to concerned over his items that he had no time to worry over the fact that someone like that stranger was able to immediately get through him in just a second.

These items were to dangerous for any person to know its existence. That boy was the least of his worries as of that moment.

He ran through that whole night, never to look back until he could find another safe place for those taboo items.

"The only place now is…dammit."

Even though it rained heavy, the blacksmith didn't stop for one second and continued to run like his life depended on it.

Back at the Shop, a certain person was casually stalking the blacksmith as he ran through the dirty alleyway.

The boy just sat over the roof while being in the pouring rain. Never in the sight for anyone to see.

'Light reflection…' he dispelled his skill and revealed his full body.

It was the first time he ever used the Bow skill he got from the Blind Archer. It felt weird seeing his whole body not visible to the anyone, not even to himself.

"Did I do this right? Stealing from the blacksmith isn't really something I should do but…time is running out."

"I'll just return it by the time I finish this whole arc…" he said. Justifying the fact that he somewhat broke into a man's basement and stole this priceless item.

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