CHAPTER 16: MELKA GUTHENBERG

The next day, Hithindil and Seraphin go to bathe together in the early morning, right as the sun rises. Lekas meanwhile, stays behind and takes out a drake’s hide.

‘This should be enough for them to start over.’

The drake’s hide seems very well-kept and has no hole in it. Lekas brings out the other drakes’ hides that he extracted from the drakes during the year he spent there. More than thirty are now lying on the ground. All of them on perfect condition, shining from the magic power he used while extracting them. That process was of a great help to readapt and control his magic power and body, which he wasn't used to as he doesn't have the S-grade blessing anymore.

When Hithindil comes back and sees the hides, his heart immediately starts racing. He even has to hold it with his hand so as not to go into shock. Seraphin even holds him, fearing he is having a heart attack. But he calmly shakes his head while smiling.

“Don’t worry. I am okay, daughter. Lekas, what is all this?”

“Drake hides. It is my gift for you to start over. You are a blacksmith so I am sure you will know what to do with them.”

“N-No, this is too much of a gift. I wouldn’t be able to use them even if I wanted to.”

“That’s why I will send you both to GUTHENBERG.”

“In the north?” Hithindil frowns for a moment. The north doesn't have a good reputation since it is close to the demon's territory.

“Yes, GUTHENBERG has the most practical blacksmiths in the world. They are used to deal with demons as well so it should be a very good experience for you. I am sure you will learn a lot there and become a finer blacksmith. Also, for Seraphin, you should look for a woman named MELKA GUTHENBERG. She will teach swordmanship.”

“No, but what about you?”

“You haven’t forgotten that I am cursed, right? I can’t enter a city with you right now or I would be hunted down for sure. So, I want you to give me three years. I should be able to find a solution for that within that time and become stronger by then.”

“Wait, you are aban-"

“I understand. Do as you wish then. I will make sure to take care of her for you in the meantime.”

“Wait, father! I have my own-”

The teleportation light blinds Seraphin and her father before she can finish her sentence. When it fades, they are now in front of a wall. It is a high wall made of stone and fortified with spikes at the top.

***

Seraphin hasn’t said anything since they got teleported. She simply bent down and started peeking up the drake hides with her father. Hithindil doesn’t say anything as well. There is nothing to say anyway. They are weak and because they are weak, Lekas cannot bring them to wherever he is going. That’s the reality and it cannot be changed, for now. But in the future, they both swore in their hearts.

‘I will be you equal, your partner.’

‘I will be the best father-in-law you ever wish you had.’

They enter the city without any apparent difficulties. The guards only get a bit suspicious when they see them carrying two huge bags around with drakes’ skins sticking out. But after taking a good look at Hithindil, they didn’t ask anything.

‘They must have understood that I am a blacksmith.’ Hithindil thought as he advanced inside.

Inside the city, they find more than ten smithies aligned together on a street. Hithindil hadn’t traveled a lot during his life. Struggling to maintain the smithy of his father from a young age, he didn’t have time for anything else. As such, seeing so many smithies in one place makes his heart aflutter. It is as if he has reached heaven already.

‘Am I dreaming? Can this be real?’ While his mind was flying away with each and every hammer’s strike sound that is coming from the smithies, he stops without reason in front of the first one. Seraphin looks at him for a while and noticing the joy on her father’s face, she decides not to say anything.

‘it must be a real dream coming true for him, I guess.’ Seraphin remembers that once, her father spoke of creating other smithies in Tirames. It was a dream he had when her mother was still alive but one which he never spoke of again after her death.

While they are both lost in their thoughts, a man comes out of the first smithy in front of which they stopped.

“Who are ya? Ah, yer a blacksmith, eh. Ya looking for work?”

“Yes, I am indeed. My dau-”

“Nah, nah. Yar daughta ain’t fit to be a blacksmith. I won’t take ha.” The blacksmith then spits on the ground, slightly angrying Hithindil who finds it very rude. Seraphin notices it and touches her father's hand.

“It’s okay, father. I will find that woman then come back.”

“Woman? Are ya looking for someone, young lass?”

“Yes.” Seraphin doesn’t mind the tall man's rudeness at all and answers him politely. “I am looking for a woman named Melka Guthenberg.”

“Ah, the crazy sword woman, eh. Ya, ya. That gal is outside the city, in the vampires forest. Ya can ask the guards at the entrance to show ya the way.”

“Thank you.” Hearing vampires doesn’t strike Seraphin. Nor do Hithindil pay any mind to it. But the man takes a little surprised face seeing as the woman in front is about to head there unarmed and without an armor or anything.

“Take this.” The tall man brings out a long and thin silver sword from his apron like it is a knife. How did it stay inside all this time? That is an enigma. “It will help for sure.”

“Thank you but…”

“I will pay for it. Take it.”

“Thank you, father.”

Seraphin goes without looking back at her father.

‘Make me proud, my daughter. I know you can do it.’ And her father doesn’t say anything so as not to shake her resolve.

***

At the gate, the guards indicate to her how to reach the place she is looking for. To her surprise, they both simultaneously refused to guide her. Still, Seraphin engages on the path she was shown. It is a long and narrow path along the trees that seems to be going east judging by the position of the sun.

After walking for one hour, she reaches a small hut that looks like it is abandoned. All the trees around the hut are cut though. Seraphin takes one step and immediately feels a monstrous presence around her. She tries to take her sword but fear has sipped deep inside her bones, her trembling hands cannot even lift a feather right now.

“You come to kill me and you are so weak? Is this a joke or are they making fun of me now?”

Suddenly, Seraphin hears a voice behind her. But she is so afraid she cannot even turn her head.

“W-What?”

“I mean, you look skinny. You don’t have any muscle or charm. Your sword is average. You can’t even resist my killing intent. Why the fuck did they sent you?” The voice goes angrier and angrier, and the pressure on Seraphin increases so much her eyes are about to close.

“S-sent me? I-I don’t understand. P-Please, I am here t-to learn fr-fro-from you.”

“Learn? What could you possibly learn from me?”

“S-swordm-manship.”

“Swordmanship? I don’t teach swordmanship, miss. I don’t even know it.” The pressure then settles a little. And the presence Seraphin felt comes closer little by little.

“W-what? But I was told…”

“I can teach you swordwomanship, though.”