15 Edgar The Blacksmith

After talking with Fendal for a bit more, it was decided that I'd buy an iron sword to use temporarily. Once I was E rank, I'd allow myself to get a better one. For now, I'd just replace the iron sword whenever I needed to.

Navigating the alleys by myself was a bit harder than expected. It took me almost thirty minutes to get back to the main street of the food district. It was almost noon, so I headed to the guild to find Bella. I owed her a meal, and I thought lunch would be perfect. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't planning on eating after that massive feast of a breakfast. However, a debt is a debt.

I walked into the guild building and waited around for a bit. A few minutes later, Bella walked in and I waved her over. "So... I owe you a meal. Is there anywhere you want to eat? I won't be eating lunch today, but if you want, I can pay for you now."

"If you're not eating it's pointless!" She complained to me in low spirits. "Well, then we will go eat dinner together. It's decided."

There was no use in fighting over it so I gave in quickly. In the meantime, I thought to ask if she knew a blacksmith. "Hey, Bella. By any chance, do you know a blacksmith that I can get an iron sword from?"

"Oh! My dad is a blacksmith! He only works with steel though. I think his apprentice works with iron though. We can go, if you want to check." Bella said with a pleasant smile. Damn. She was really cute right now. I think I'll ask her out at dinner tonight.

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"Hmmm.. If it's an iron sword your looking for, I can give you a cheap price for the apprentice ones. After all, Bella seems to like you." Edgar said. His voice was very rough, making him sound like he smoked a lot. Though that was probably from working in a smithy all day. He had a powerful build, just as you would expect from a blacksmith.

Behind him were two boys, around fifteen to eighteen years old, bending over an anvil. They were taking turns hammering the heated sheet of metal and slowly curving it to take the shape of a shield.

"I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you very much, Mr. Supard." I thanked him in a polite manner.

"Haha! No need to be so formal. You can call me Edgar." He said as he took us over to a barrel where he kept the swords the apprentices worked on.

With his permission, I rummaged through the barrel, and after almost twenty minutes decided on an iron sword that was a bit longer than the one I had until now. I also took two others of the same length and weight, though they were not as well made.

Going over to where Edgar was sitting while talking to Bella, I said, "I found three sword I'd like to buy. how much will it cost?" I was hoping it was less than the seventy five silver I had, but I had no idea how much an iron sword goes for.

"Twenty silvers ought to cover it." Edgar said without even checking the swords I'd taken. Later, I learned that all the swords in the barrel kept the same price, at ten silvers a sword. He had given me a nice discount.

I took out the twenty silvers and handed them over to Edgar. After he verified the amount, he split the silver between the two apprentices and told them they could take a break once the shield's shape was ready.

"Follow me for a bit. I'd like to talk to you, Luke. Bella, stay here and keep an eye on them please." Edgar told us as he took me to another room. The room was a simple one. A bed was pushed against the opposite wall, and a single window was centered on the wall to the left of the door. There were no decorations.

"Is there something you want to talk to me about? I asked Edgar, a bit concerned. He seemed very serious about something and that confused me. I've never met him before, so could I have done something to make him angry? I had no idea.

"My daughter." He began speaking with those two words.

"Ever since she was little, she wanted to become an adventurer. She even went behind my back and had someone teach her about magic and how to find out your own. She was six when that happened. Her magic is already at a level where she could fight against B rank adventurers on equal footing." He stopped here and looked me straight in the eyes.

"However, she has never had a friend she would consider a close friend. The way she smiled when she is with you is something I've never seen before. When she's at home, she talks about you a lot too."

I was stunned. I knew she liked me, but I didn't know that I was basically her first real friend. I was somewhat moved by the thought. "If you're wondering how I feel about her, I feel the same way. I can promise you, I'd never intentionally hurt her. We are a party now. And party members must always keep each other safe. I won't sit here and pretend like I can guarantee her safety, but I will do my utmost best to do so." I said, glad he was telling me this.

"Phew! That's good to hear. I was worried about the kind of person you may be. but that expression of yours is basically screaming you're in love with her too." He said, making me scratch my neck in embarrassment. "Keep her safe as you travel. Come back whenever you are ready for a man's sword. And stop by every now and then before you two set off on your adventure."

I extended my hand and Edgar returned the handshake. After we both stood up, I said, "Thank you for trusting me. you can count on me." We then went back to the main room, and Bella looked at me questioningly. I pretended not to notice, but I'm pretty sure my ears reddened a bit.

I thanked Edgar, and then Bella and I left his smithy. We were there for a long time, as the sun was already on the horizon by the time we got to the food district.

"Now let's go to my favorite bar!" Bella announced with a large smile. "The Babbling Bard!"