Alan finally turned around.
When Alex saw his face, he wasn't surprised at all. He had already been shocked once when he first saw the data in the Divine Library.
Alan's face could be described with one word: dirty. But it wasn't the kind of dirt from grime or stains. It was a thick, heavy kind of dirt, like a mask that had formed from years of neglect.
Despite Alan's appearance, Alex felt no disgust. Alan was filthy because he was wholly dedicated to forging, to the point of neglecting everything else.
Seeing the dragon horn in Alex's hand, Alan's eyes widened. He walked over shakily, his voice trembling, "Is this... really a horn from the Aeolus Dragon?"
Alex smiled and respectfully handed over the horn, "Genuine and unaltered!"
Taking the horn, Alan swallowed hard and carefully wiped the texture on it, looking at it as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. After a long while, tears welled up in his eyes.