Intermission

Kenji has been living in my home for a while now. It seems he's getting used to living here. Despite how he appears, he's a fairly honest person. Kenji has worked hard at his job every day and he's improved his cooking quite a bit! He's even lost quite a bit of weight!

Winter came and went while he has resided here. I feel as if he's becoming more responsible the longer he resides with me.

The only problem that I know of is that whenever he gets here he just eats and immediately returns to his room. He doesn't seem to go and socialize with anyone and I haven't seen him talking to any women. A boy his age should be making friends, not cooped up in his room. I hear strange noises from his room at night so I doubt he's having any issues when it comes to that area.

I've recently noticed that I don't need to wake him up early anymore as he just wakes up on his own. Waking up early in the morning is a good skill to develop, so I'm happy I drilled that behavior into him.

Speaking of, he should be bringing me my breakfast soon…

As if he could hear my thoughts, Kenji stepped into the room. He carried two steaming plates. "Here you go Ania-sama, A bacon omelette and a light soup with a plumric base. I hope you enjoy."

I nodded in satisfaction as I waited for him to sit. "Pray with me boy." I demanded as I clasped my hands together.

I prayed again to the gods that have affected my life in so many ways. I thanked the gods for letting this boy in front of me learn how to cook. I concluded with an amen, as I usually do.

As we ate, I saw that something seemed to be bothering the boy, so I asked out of the kindness of my heart.

"Something bothering you, boy?" I asked between chews.

"Huh?" I seemed to knock him out of his own mind. "O-Oh, it's nothing Ania-sama. I was just thinking that it's been four months since I moved in with you."

He is right. The boy has been here for a while now and has diligently worked for this entire time. I am rather impressed by this kid. Most of the time they give up far earlier.

"Hm, well, time flies when you're experiencing it, doesn't it?" I shrugged as I took another bite.

"Haha, yeah…" Kenji looked off to the side. Something is bothering him. Whatever is bothering him I hope he can fix soon. I won't intervene of course. It's not my problem.

Once we had finished, Kenji took our plates, washed them, and went to the living room.

"Well, I'm off to work. Have a good day Ania-sama." He opened the door to the outside. The slightly chilled air entered the room as he did so.

"I plan to. Don't get arrested again." This was a line I said to him every time he left for work ever since a certain day.

Kenji walked out of the door and left me to myself. I had nothing in particular to do today so I went back into my room. Once I got to my room I brought out a metal small box and unlocked it with a key I keep in my pillow. Inside the box I counted the coins that glistened within.

"Seven hundred and twenty in total so far…" I slowly felt around the glinting gold inside the box as I counted out loud. "He really hasn't missed a single payment even after I stopped asking about it. Honestly, this boy…"

I held a gentle smile, locked the box, and returned it to its safe place. I decided I would take a walk around town and go window shopping.

After dressing myself in my day gown and locking the door behind me, I stepped outside into the newly spring sun. The temperature was not cold nor was it hot, instead it was a sublime comfortable. What a wonderful day.

As I left my house, I took a right towards the shop of a certain man I've known for a long time. As I walked I saw children playing, people going about their days, and birds flying overhead. When you look at the world like this, it seems like the threat of the Demon King isn't real.

After a few minutes of walking, I entered a certain shop.

The wave of heat from a hot furnace and the deafening sound of hammer on metal filled the room. This shop is a smithy, and it isn't just any smithy, either.

Metal items such as swords, shields, and tools littered shelf after shelf. Each item on its own spoke to the skill of the smith at the forge. Everything was a masterwork. After I walked a few steps, I saw the person I was looking for.

A sweaty dark skinned man was working on what appeared to be a sword at the forge. The man was wearing goggles, a thick apron and gloves, and a thick work shirt that was covered by overalls. Despite the grey hair on his head that showed his age, His muscles were obviously well developed from years of repetitive actions.

This man is named Gudo. Despite what adventurers have been led to believe, he is the best blacksmith in town, and he is someone I come to see on occasion. I've known him for longer than almost anyone else.

After a few more strikes upon the red hot metal, I cleared my throat to get his attention. "Ah, Ania-san! It's good to see you! When was the last time you were here?" He stood up as he lifted his goggles, revealing dark eyes.

"About… four months ago." I muttered after acting like I was thinking. I knew exactly how long it had been, especially because I was reminded of it this morning.

"Well, What can I help you with today?" He walked over to the counter as he removed his gloves.

I followed him as I looked over items in the shop. "Let's see…"

I knew the general idea of what I wanted to get. I've been here a few times over the years and I've always ordered something similar.

Armor is too much. I can't hope to use armor for this because the skill for it is nonexistent. I don't want tools either because any two bit smith can craft tools that work just fine.

I need something specific.

"If I were to request an item for you to create, when would you be able to have it done?" I leaned against the counter as I asked.

"Hmm… That's a tough question." Gudo cupped his chin as he looked up. "...I suppose it depends on the item." He shrugged as he returned his gaze to me. "A suit of armor will probably take over a month, but something like a sword could be finished within two weeks. What were you thinking?"

"What about a dagger?" I leaned back slightly as I raised my eyebrows.

"Hmm… a dagger, eh?" Gudo appeared to mull it over for a moment. "Depending on the metal you want to use, it could take between one week to one month. Of course, the longer it takes the more expensive it will be as well."

I looked at the different daggers on display around the store. Each of them varied in material, from basic iron to mithril. "This one month dagger... What will it be made of?"

"Big spender, eh Ania-san?" Gudo gave a toothy grin as he leaned on the counter. "You've always had an interest in unique items though, so it's not surprising. This one would be made out of the best metal I can get my hands on, but it's not cheap."

"What metal is it, Gudo?" I stared directly into his eyes as I asked.

"Adamantite. One of the strongest natural metals we can get at the moment." He made a fist and clenched it as hard as he could. "The metal is the perfect mix of toughness and weight. Adamantite can cut through steel yet weighs only half what a dagger made of iron would weigh! Honestly just working with a metal of such high quality gets my blood pumping."

I was impressed. A metal like that would be incredibly useful, but there's an issue. "How much would this adamantite dagger cost?"

Gudo's smile immediately faded as he looked away and began to think aloud. "Hmm… Normally it would cost quite a lot… but for you, Ania-san, I would charge a thousand juns. This may sound like a lot, but I guarantee that any other smith would charge you double that price, if not more."

One thousand juns for a single dagger… That's quite the investment for something so small...

I don't even have a thousand juns to spend on a dagger such as this yet, so even if I was ready to splurge I wouldn't be able to.

I bit my fingernail as I mulled it over. "Will you keep this offer for me in the future?"

Gudo began to put his gloves back on. "For you, Ania-san? I will. You're a good customer and you've always been good on your payments so I know you'd be good for it. How long would you have me wait to start?"

I did the math in my head. After a moment, I answered Gudo's question.

"About seven more weeks." I looked at him. "Would the offer still be available then?"

At this, Gudo frowned and crossed his arms. "Hmm… I can't guarantee it, Ania-san. I've heard a rumor that the dwarves over in the Frozen Mist Hills are under siege by the demon king's army. If that's true then I don't know how the adamantite supplies will be affected…"

No matter how hard we try to forget the world we're in, the reality of our situation is always present. If nobody stops them, I truly believe that the demon king's armies will come to this city and destroy it in only a few more years.

I held my hands together as I looked to him. "Gudo, please wait seven more weeks. Please, I know I'm asking a lot of you, but this is important to me."

A pained expression shot across Gudo's face as he looked to the ground.

"I would hate to disappoint you, Ania-san." He looked up towards me. "I'll do my best, but even my best is not a guarantee."

Of the people in this city, I knew that when Gudo said that he would do his best, he truly would be doing his best. I both trusted and appreciated his honesty.

"Thank you Gudo. I've always appreciated the work you do for me." I bowed my head to him.

Gudo said nothing and instead just gave me a small smile.

The back door opened and another dark skinned man walked into the room. His muscles were also evident and his clothing was the same as Gudo's. Unlike Gudo, this man's hair is not grey, but instead a dark black and very short. This is Gudo's son, Gard.

"Ah, 'morning Ania-san. It's rare to see you here." He waved to me as he stepped behind the counter and began to don an apron.

"Ania-san here was just asking me about making a special item for her." Gudo pointed to me as he spoke.

"Oh? What is it?" He began tying the apron around himself as he turned to look at me. "Tell me it's a set of armor, I've always wanted to make a good set of that."

Gudo shook his head. "It's not armor. Ania-san wants us to make her an adamantite dagger."

Gard stopped tying his apron as he looked between Gudo and myself. "An adamantite… dagger? Not a sword or a shield? I could understand a sword or a shield, but a dagger? Adamantite never dulls and it's lighter than steel yet is twice as strong as even mithril! You want to waste such a rare metal on a dagger?"

Gudo placed a hand upon his son's shoulder. "Gard, you're still inexperienced so I'll let this outburst slide. You need to learn the value of each item."

"But father, nobody has ever heard of a hero wielding a legendary dagger!" He slapped Gudo's hand away. "It's always a legendary sword! If not a sword, a shield that can block any attack or armor that protects from all harm! A hero that wields a dagger is the same as a blacksmith that wields a set of kitchen tongs!"

I feel like they're about to get into a long discussion, so I will interject myself for a moment.

"If I may, Gard-chan, it is not the weapon that makes the legend, but the hero that uses it." I leaned against the counter once more and began twiddling my fingers. "For all we know the greatest hero that will defeat the demon king will defeat him with a spoon! The tools don't make the hero, but the hero makes the tools."

At this, Gudo gave a large grin as he turned back to his son. "Well said Ania-san. As a smith, you must understand that every item is made not to be its own item, but to be wielded by someone. If someone short came into this room and requested a greatsword, what would you tell them?"

Gard put his large hand on his chin and pondered for a moment before he suddenly spoke.

"I would tell them that they should consider a short sword instead because it fits them better." He shrugged.

Gudo nodded. "Correct. Now what would you think if that short person went and slayed a dragon with that short sword you sold them? Would you think the sword is the reason, or the person?"

Gard looked away as he fiddled with his apron. "...The person, I guess."

Gudo clapped. "Exactly right! Any tool is just an object in the hands of someone that doesn't appreciate its value, but a true master can bring out the value of any object. That is the value my master taught me. This is why we smith, not to create weapons that kill things, but to create items that can be brought to their true potential in the hands of one that is worthy to wield them."

Come to think of it I just came here to request a dagger and now I feel like I'm in the middle of a big family moment. I should leave.

"Now that that's settled..." Gudo turned away from his son. "I'd be happy to help you Ania-"

"Oh, father it looks like she left while you weren't looking." Gard finished tying up his apron as he began putting on gloves.

Gudo scratched his chin. "Oh I see…"