A man ran out from the wooden house toward Zofia and hugged her, overjoyed.
"Thank you, adventurer! If not for you, that monster would have finished me off."
Zofia hurriedly pushed him away.
"Oh dear, I was so happy I forgot my manners. Please forgive me, My Lady."
"It's fine, just... don't do that again... and don't call me 'My Lady'. My name is Zofia."
Only then did Zofia notice the man was a whole head taller than her, with an incredibly muscular build and a long beard curling up at the sides.
"Can you help me carry my teammate inside? He fainted from the monster's scream."
"Su... sure! And if you don't want me to use honorifics, feel free to call me by name."
Zofia stood there waiting for the man to say his name, but he seemed to have forgotten and walked straight to where Nathan lay, picking him up alone.
"Uh? I still don't know your name..."
"Ah right, I haven't said my name, ha ha ha... how absent-minded. My name is Gildur."
"You're the blacksmith, aren't you?"
Gildur chuckled and patted Zofia's shoulder while carrying Nathan inside.
Zofia sat on the only chair nearby. Gildur placed Nathan on the bed and went to the kitchen to bring up two glasses of water.
"I only have water and wine."
"You predicted we would come. Do you have the gift of prophecy?"
Suddenly, Gildur spat out the water in his mouth and laughed loudly.
"I just said it for fun, and it actually happened? Ha ha ha."
Zofia didn't know which expression to show anymore. She didn't know what to say next.
"Since you came all this way to find me, I will craft whatever you request. After all, you saved my life, ha ha ha."
"Really?"
Hearing this, Zofia excitedly pulled the two ores from her bag and handed them to Gildur.
"Well, well, rare goods. I've only ever made two items from these types of ores before."
Hearing this, she immediately looked at the blacksmith with skepticism.
"Ha ha ha, just kidding! Two items since I moved here. Now... since this young man is unconscious, you help me. It's not heavy work, just keeping eyes on the fire."
Zofia nodded, her eyes shining. she had never shied away from hard work, and she was actually happy to see Mr. Gildur's forging process.
While assisting, the blacksmith confided in Zofia about his life to pass the time. After all, there was no other entertainment in this world, so listening to stories like this was a relief.
Before Gildur lived as a hermit in this forest, he had been a Royal Blacksmith, forging countless weapons for kings and generals. However, after realizing the weapons he forged were used to oppress and conquer neighboring lands, Gildur decided to retire early.
However, his reputation lived on. People wanting weapons still frequently came to him. But Gildur was different now; he asked them countless questions and gave them ridiculously unreasonable tests to see if they had the aptitude to use the items he created.
"So why did you agree to craft for me?"
"Because you saved my life and cared for your teammate. I was inside the house, but I saw everything. Besides, for a Silver rank adventurer to have this rare ore, you either robbed someone or saved someone and were repaid."
"What if I robbed someone?"
"Then I guess I trusted the wrong person, ha ha ha... kidding! If you were someone who robbed others, you would have left the monster here and saved yourself. By the way, how is that wound?"
"I healed it with magic."
"A mage capable of both combat and healing? Rare indeed. And I guess you can use all five elements?"
"But I haven't mastered any of them."
"You will in time. Hard work always beats talent. And if you have both talent and diligence, you will go far."
Zofia nodded, smiling without realizing it. Gildur reminded her of her high school teacher. He knew her situation well, always encouraging and supporting her passion despite her family's objections. It was thanks to those years with such a wonderful teacher that she kept herself on the right path.
"The final and longest stage. I need quiet and solitude now, so please go inside the house. I can't work with people watching."
Zofia nodded and went inside to check on Nathan. It seemed he had woken up, eaten all the food Gildur prepared on the bedside table, and gone back to sleep.
She smiled and cleared away the dirty dishes, feeling like she was taking care of a sick younger brother.
Sunset gradually fell. Just as Nathan woke up, Gildur happily walked in to call them out to see the finished products.
"This is a staff mounted with a gem refined from Axingerite ore. It will help you use magic more effectively, meaning less energy cost. And this is a sword made from Lonsdalite, the hardest sword in the world. However, nothing resists the erosion of time, so I mixed in a little Axingerite. Whenever it gets worn or chipped, just infuse a little magical energy into it."
Zofia and Nathan delightedly accepted the two items. He immediately ran to the vacant lot in front to test the sword. However, Zofia was a bit dissatisfied with her item. She wanted something more flexible, so she asked Gildur to re-forge it.
"Could you craft this gem into a necklace or bracelet? I feel my fighting style doesn't suit using a staff."
"I knew you'd say that. I watched how you fight."
Gildur glanced at Nathan to make sure he wasn't paying attention, then took out a pair of earrings and a bracelet to give to Zofia.
"These are the true refined gems. That staff is a fake, used to deceive enemies. When they think you need the staff to fight, they'll target it, but they'll be sorely mistaken."
Zofia nodded, understanding immediately. Truly worthy of a famous blacksmith; he had calculated for such a scenario. She happily accepted them.
The two stayed one night, ate a hearty meal with Gildur, and set off early in the morning.
"Visit me when you have the chance."