War and Fortune 2.243

—This is much better— Viggo said, placing his left hand on his right shoulder and turning his shoulder inward. At this time, he was bare-chested, belted, and red-robed. Nothing annoying noble clothes, even if they were beautiful and soft.

It had been three weeks since Viggo entered the painted picture of the nightmare. He was already more relaxed and could sleep naturally, but he still woke up at night thinking that at any moment a monster would appear and attack him. He was now at Kain's house, in the blacksmith shop. Of course, there was Kain, the tall elf with white hair and pointed ears with his leather apron with the grease and oil stains. There was also his dark-haired, slanted-eyed brother Tatsumi like his aunt Mikoto.

Viggo and Tatsumi each had a leather apron, but unlike Kain, theirs was clean, as beginners they were.

It was just the three of us, the forge was off, and the metal ingots on the worktable to the right of the workshop. In total, twenty pieces of metal placed side by side.

—Nii-sama should take more care of his image— Tatsumi said to his left.

—Same thing, boy— Kain said, standing in front of them.

—Leave it, please— replied Viggo with some annoyance —I have enough that Semiramis and Scheherezade are telling me all the time to occupy the noble's clothes. Today I have an excuse to be myself—

—Idiot, you're always still yourself— Kain said with a frown —only there are clothes that are more comfortable than others. That's it, or do you think walking bare-chested makes you Viggo?—

—Father, don't start with philosophical things, let's do what we came to—

Kain shook his head, in a gesture of weariness and frustration. He could only think that his son was too immature to think broadly —ok, whatever— he said —today we're going to work with metals, know their names, strengths and the amount of heat needed to be able to work it—

—And Tatsu?— asked Viggo.

—I want to learn a little oto-sama— Tatsumi said with some embarrassment.

—Oooh, that's okay, Tatsu. I'm also learning from the old man. Come on, up the spirits—

—Yes—

Kain watched them converse for a few minutes, but unlike how they looked, he could only see the little rioters who grew up under his care. It lacked its flower, its star, its piece of sky, Flora. That made Kain feel a little sad, but he preferred to smile rather than think she was away from him. Maybe where Flora, Achilles, and the baby they named Kain went to live, just like him.

—Well, let's start the forge first— said Kain —outside the workshop there is a wheelbarrow and a shovel. Next to the workshop is a pile of coal. Bring as much as you can—

—Why?— asked Viggo —you said you occupied something called ember—

—Yes, but first you need to heat the forge and then use the embers. In addition, we will not occupy a special ember, only something that the rest of the blacksmiths occupy—

—Someone like me?— asked Hepahestus entering the workshop. She wore short hair and a loose-fitting white dress that allowed her to stretch at belly height. She was already in her fifth month of pregnancy and the baby's name had been decided; Marcus.

—Love— Kain said with some tiredness, every time he tried to teach Viggo something, she would come and start bothering him. All in order to show that she was a better blacksmith than him —please, I'm busy with the guys—

—I am the goddess of forging; I have something to teach— said Hephaestus with a firm tone of voice.

Viggo and Tatsumi looked at each other sideways and laughed lowly.

Kain noticed that they were laughing at him, and he told them —enough, go get what I said—

Viggo and Tatsumi walked outside the workshop as Hephaestus looked at Viggo and winked. Viggo only laughed in a good mood while Kain frowns. Of course, Hephaestus noticed her cranky husband, but on the way to him, she stopped a few inches, leaving space between him and her bulging belly. She looked into his eyes with some defiance and Kain circled his eyes to the ceiling in a gesture of annoyance. She laughed like a fairy, amused by her husband's expression. Kain looked into her eyes again, she smiled, and he couldn't do anything about it. He doesn't touch her because his hands were dirty and the leather apron, she was wearing didn't help either, but he bent down and gave her a little kiss.

On the other hand, Viggo and Tatsumi went to the side of the blacksmith's shop, where there was a mound of coal. Viggo drove the wheelbarrow while Tatsumi carried the shovel. Viggo lay the wheelbarrow on its side on the mound while Tatsumi took the shovel and began dragging the coal up and down in the direction of the wheelbarrow.

—It's been a while since we did anything like this— Tatsumi said with a small smile.

—Yes, besides this is the first time we do it because we want to— said Viggo with a smile and watching Tatsumi push the coal with the shovel.

—It was usually a punishment because nii-sama or Flora got into trouble, and we had to help Aunt Demeter with her gardens—

—Hey, why are you calling Flora by name and me honorably?— asked Viggo.

—I don't know, custom?— asked Tatsumi —years ago Flora scolded me because I called her nee-sama. From there I never called her that way again or she kicked me in the shins—

Viggo let out a sigh and said —the barbaric methods of the big sister, I miss her, you know?—

—I miss her more— Tatsumi said, stopping the movement of the shovel —when she was here, everything was easier—

—Come on, Tatsu, we've already talked about that. It's not good to be dependent—

—I'm not just dependent— Tatsumi said, straightening his back and looking into his eyes —I thought we were always going to be together, the four of us. But Ottar walked away, Viggo got silly and then went to train. Now Flora married and went to another land because of Achilles— Tatsumi's eyes filled with tears and Viggo froze. Tatsumi was always the quietest, smiling, and courteous, but he never cried or was selfish.

Tatsumi felt the warmth of his tears and ran his hands, left dirt marks from the coal, and then continued to move the shovel to fill the wheelbarrow. However, her tears did not stop at any time.

Viggo had never met anyone who cried silently. In turn, he understood how little he knew his brother.

Once Tatsumi filled the wheelbarrow, Viggo turned it over so that it stood on its three points of support (the front wheel and the two hind legs). Then he asked Tatsumi for the shovel and threw some coal into the wheelbarrow. When I finish, I pass the shovel to Tatsumi, he took the wheelbarrow by the handles and led it to the workshop.

—Old man, we've already come, is Mummy still scolding you?— asked Viggo jokingly as Tatsumi laughed a little at just listening to him.

Kain walked out of the blacksmith shop with a frown, stopped in front of them, and stared at them as if they were his enemies. Behind him came Hephaestus, almost two heads smaller than him. She smiled amused, but it seems that Kain was not very happy with such comments.

—Take the damn coal to the forge, place it as I taught you the other time— Kain said in a serious tone.

—Eeeeh— said Viggo, looking at Tatsumi, but Tatsumi shook his head. Viggo looked at his father and said —I don't remember—

—Well, ask someone else— Kain said.

—Come on, old man, don't be angry—

—Move, you will do it as I told you last time. If it's bad, you do it until it's good. I won't help you—

—Come on, what is the purpose of teaching without teaching—

—Well, you're funny, I hope that helps you—

Hephaestus let out a sigh and looked at her husband —come on, Kain, don't be angry, it was just a joke. Help the boys— he said.

Kain let out a sigh, looked Viggo in the eye, and made the gesture to close his mouth, as if closing a closure. Viggo made the same gesture, but his eyes smiled in a mocking expression. Kain was about to put it in place, but he took a deep breath and said —Try to put the wheelbarrow inside the blacksmith shop—

—Tatsu— said Viggo —you take the wheel and I take the handles; we picked it up and entered it—

—Yes, nii-sama— Tatsumi said.

That way, Viggo and Tatsumi entered the wheelbarrow. Then Kain pointed out how to place the coal in the lower part of the forge, where there was a ventilation grid so that the fire would not drown. Of course, the goddess of forging had a lot to say and a lot of advice to deliver. She was pointing out the correct use of things, to the point that she transformed Kain into her assistant and she into the teacher. However, when they turned on the oven, she said goodbye. Although she was a goddess, she did not want to risk high temperatures, smoke and toxins from metals.

In the afternoon Viggo and Tatsumi were measuring temperature, melting metals, and learning how to remove impurities. At about nine o'clock in the evening, Semiramis and Scheherezade came to look for Viggo in a carriage accompanied by Bell and Uriel, who were the king and queen of the house.

Uriel ended up in Hephaestus' arms and although Viggo asked for consideration, Hephaestus would always be Hephaestus and would give priority to her blood over any other type of union. Even if she did not agree that the child was part of Viggo's family, knowing Kain, she doubted that her son Viggo would disown the child. So, she preferred to keep quiet. First, he had to put up with that woman Semiramis and now the baby of strangers.

On the other hand, Bell ended up in the arms of Kain, who laughed and did all kinds of stupid things to get the baby's attention. The god feared by the gods of Orario had been hidden somewhere and only an idiot grandfather was left who moved his ears just as he did for his children. Of course, Bell didn't understand anything at all, but anyone is happy when they are loved, and an innocent child can feel it. At least, his smile and squeaky, contagious giggles conveyed it.

Viggo and Tatsumi went out to chat in the courtyard. It was dark, the breeze ran strong carrying a pleasant aroma of grass and wet earth. They sat on the chairs, in front of the table, under the apple tree.

—Next week I'll be training and taking the Bishamon family to the dungeon.

—I, well, I don't want to be part of your family— Tatsumi said.

—Why?— I told you something the other time, but you didn't listen to me.

—I don't know, I talked to the goddess and the other members of the family, and I don't feel well— Tatsumi said.

—You shouldn't be so closed with people you don't know. Bishamon is a great person. Siegfried is a little enthusiast, his sister Erica is a heavy, but passable. You should meet other people, Tatsu, it doesn't do you any good just to stay with the family. You need to expand your horizons—

—I— Tatsumi said, looking down —well, I'll accompany you, but I won't be from the Bishamon family—

—Man, I'm about to find Flora for advice. Maybe you listen to her—

—Maybe she'd scold me— Tatsumi said with a little smile.

Viggo stared at him, looked down and remembered his sister. Blonde hair, a braid, big, friendly eyes. Big sister called herself. Nosy, cunning, but sympathetic and talkative. She, without realizing it, also missed her. Nothing is the same anymore, even if he and Ottar fixed their misunderstandings. It seems that the brothers will never be together again. Each one made his way.

—Yes, she may scold both of us— Viggo said.

—Why you too?—

Viggo raised his face, looked at Tatsumi with a smile, and said —because she is the eldest sister, hahahahaha—