Chapter 8 Charmer

Chapter -8.

Bronk, with a playful smirk on his face, picked up a sword from the pile and then threw it back toward Lucien, saying, "That's the one for you."

Lucien, on the other hand, knew something was not right with the sword as he picked it up. However, since neither Elva nor Gilbert said anything this time, he couldn't tell what was wrong.

Seeing Lucien staring at the sword, Elva watched him intently. She knew that the sword was defective and lacked durability, but at that moment, she was on the same page as her master. Like him, she didn't want to hand over a well-made sword to a rookie who might only participate in the hunt once, and get frightened in that too.

Just as she was thinking that, Lucien, unable to identify the defect, decided to do what he could best. He walked toward the empty area of the smithy and began to wave the sword around in an orderly manner, using the techniques he had learned in his free time on Earth.

Though the sword was defective, it responded well to each wave and thrust. However, when Lucien focused his attention on the small dummy placed in the smithy, which already bore many sword marks, Bronk's expression tightened. He wanted to intervene; he was confident that with this sword, Lucien could manage to kill one or two goblins with ease, which was the maximum number he could probably kill. But the dummy was another matter entirely, as it was made of a very hard material, and a sword with such poor durability would break in no time.

Before he could act, Lucien, with a well-maneuvered swing, slashed at the dummy.

Clang!

A loud sound echoed, and Lucien, who sensed something was wrong with the sword, felt a tremor in it. He realized the error he had been unable to identify: its durability and build quality. Instead of stopping, he raised the sword upward and then thrust it down onto the dummy.

Clang!

This time, the sound of metal clashing was much louder than before, and the sword trembled even more. Lucien, feeling it, knew that it would take just one more strike to end its durability, and he did so.

"You broke it." Bronk, hiding his ploy behind his anger, walked toward Lucien with heavy, angry steps. But before he could reach him, Elva pulled him back. With her eyes sparkling with newfound passion, she stepped forward and placed her hand on Lucien's shoulder. "Do you want to try a sword I made? Its durability is much higher than this one, and I would like to make all the swords you'll use in the future."

"Huh? Ah, alright." Lucien, seeing the sincerity and fierce passion in her eyes, could only nod in agreement. He didn't want to place his trust in that old man Bronk again; who knows, his sword might break when he needed it the most, and that would be totally disastrous.

Meanwhile, Bronk, seeing how his disciple had switched sides again and even wanted to become the man's personal blacksmith, couldn't help but say, "Elva, you don't need to do that; your master here will give him a better sword than before." But Elva, who had already made her decision after observing Lucien's well-balanced sword technique and his perception of sword durability the moment he touched it, was determined not to back down. "It's fine, Master. Since you make swords for everyone else in the village, I think I can handle making a sword for one person. I believe I'll be able to get good feedback on it regularly, too."

"Sigh, do whatever you want," Bronk said, though he didn't want to admit it. Lucien's skill in swordplay was more refined than anyone else's in the village—refined enough that he even wanted to curse himself for playing tricks on him earlier. Now, his disciple had taken on the challenge more fiercely, and he couldn't do anything about it.

Elva, with a smile on her face, made her way toward the small area where the items she had made were scattered around. She picked up a sword with a leather-bound hilt, waved it around for a moment, and felt the same rush of excitement she had when it was made. Then she approached Lucien and extended it toward him.

Lucien, turning his attention to Gilbert, who nodded at him with a smile, took the sword from Elva's hand and felt the weight of its power. The sword seemed perfectly balanced, and as he waved it around, he felt a rush of excitement and potential.

"It's good, and more durable." Lucien couldn't help but feel that this sword was better than the one he had practiced with in his life on Earth. Elva, hearing the praise, blushed slightly and said, "It's just a fine weapon; what matters most is how you use it."

Gilbert, who had been standing there like an NPC without any dialogue, now walked forward, slapped Lucien on the back, and said, "Looks like you're ready to hunt some goblins, my friend." To which Lucien replied, "I guess so, but how am I going to pay for this? You do know that I don't have any money, right?"

"Don't worry about that; you can have it for now. Helping the village is what matters most," Elva quickly interjected. She didn't want money, as what her master was paying her was more than enough while she helped him around. What she really wanted at that moment was for her craftsmanship to be useful and helpful for someone who could aid the village.

Lucien looked at Elva and couldn't help but feel that she was a kind soul. However, as he took in her inviting figure, those thoughts were immediately pushed aside, replaced by a desire to conquer this woman. "Then I'll be looking forward to working with you," he said, extending his hand. But instead of shaking his hand, Elva abruptly gave him a hug, startling him in the process.

"My, aren't you a charmer," Gilbert teased. However, noticing Bronk, who looked ready to kick him in the leg, Lucien tried to explain, "I just wanted to shake her hand, in gratitude... that's all."