Chapter 184 – The Last Fire (2)
“I didn’t know that ‘Slayer Maker’ would come here.” Rastad, the old dwarf guarding the last forge, laughed while stroking his long beard. “Is Solardo of the Golden Anvil Clan doing well?”
“He is hitting the iron like before.”
“Solardo allowed you to come here?”
“……”
Zakiro smiled, “That’s right. I came on my own.”
“I see. Any young blacksmith will come here at least once. And the Slayer Maker is qualified enough.”
“You’re overpraising me.”
“I’ve seen the Wizard Slayer that you created.”
Kang! Kang!
Rastad looked at the place where the sound came from. In one corner, a dwarf was hammering on iron. The heated piece of iron was struck by the hammer and slowly changed shaped. Then the hammering sped up.
“It is a quick and fast sword.”
“A big weapon isn’t needed to kill a magician.”
“That’s right. It was excellent. Who is using the sword now?”
“I don’t know.”
“You truly resemble Solardo.” Rastad smiled bitterly. “Wizard Slayer is now in the hands of a lunatic who hates magicians. Numerous innocent magicians have died at his hand.”
“Is that so?” Zakiro shrugged. “It has nothing to do with me.”
“You truly are Solardo’s clan member.” Rastad laughed out loud. “Yes, Slayer Maker. What monster will you make at the last forge here? This time, will it be an ogre slayer?”
“I already created that.”
“Huh, I see. It is a weapon against ogres, but the owner will surely suffer.”
Zakiro shrugged at Rastad’s words. He’d met the orc warrior who used Ogre Slayer and seen him kill an ogre easily. The greatsword was too big, but when it entered the orc’s hands, it felt like it had been made for him.
Zakiro smiled, “Since you’ve completed Ogre Slayer, is it now a dragon slayer?”
“Dragon Slayer…”
Dragons were an invisible and forgotten species. At one time, they flew over mountains and valleys regularly, but now people never saw them. Some said that they were all dead, while others said they were hidden somewhere. However, one thing was certain, which was that the dragons wouldn’t regain their former glory.
“My sword would lose if I make such a thing.”
“Indeed, it is impossible to use a sword to fight against a dragon. Then what about a second version of Ogre Slayer? There is trouble with ogres in this area.”
“I’m not sure.” Zakiro’s face darkened. “I will think about it.”
He had left the Golden Anvil Clan because of this.
Zakiro surpassed the level of young craftsmen. At a young age, he had already become a top blacksmith, and his Slayer series were masterpieces which everyone wanted. Many warriors and knights had asked him to make weapons for them.
However, now, he didn’t have a blueprint for the next piece. He didn’t have an image which made him want to work the metal enthusiastically. In the old days, the true face hidden in the iron had been visible. But there was nothing now. He had broken several attempts and beat the iron only to melt it again. So, his slump had become prolonged.
“You are young.” Rastad tapped his shoulder. “Don’t be in a rush. Stay and think slowly. You can stay in the blacksmith’s quarters.”
“Thank you.”
“This is the last forge, a place where you can beat iron as long as the sun shines. Hahaha. I guess I should look at that person.”
Rastad approached the blacksmith who was hammering the iron. The blacksmith was a dwarf younger than Zakiro. He didn’t have the skills, but he had a passion for hammering iron. Zakiro watched them for a while before leaving the last forge.
The dwarf who was the sun god’s priest saw him and bowed. Zakiro greeted him politely as well.
***
By the time he left the temple of the sun god, it was dark. Geherad was quiet. There were occasional raucous sounds from the pubs, but most of the buildings had turned off their lights. It was a land of the temple of the sun god. They slept early and looked forward to the sunrise, rather than staying up at night.
At that moment…
Chaeng!
Zakiro heard a noise. He turned around. As a blacksmith, it was a sound which was impossible for him not to know. It was the sound of weapons hitting each other. A battle was occurring somewhere, and the sound of the metal was strangely familiar.
He had heard that sound many times over the past few days. It was the sound of Ogre Slayer smashing monsters. Crockta was fighting.
Zakiro started running. The sound was coming from a corner of Geherad, where people rarely went. It was dark, but he ran using the light of the moon and the sound. As Zakiro approached, iron flashed in the darkness.
“……!”
A group of people was surrounding Crockta and a man. The two of them were exchanging blows. Zakiro moved closer and saw Tiyo and Anor, who spotted him and waved.
He stood next to them. “What is this…?”
“Strange guys picked a fight with us dot.” Tiyo explained, “They said we would be punished according to a divine message… Strange guys dot.”
“……!”
Zakiro knew about the divine message. All the gods wanted Crockta and the orcs to die. These people were probably fanatical followers of the gods. To them, the commands of the gods were absolute.
Indeed, the group of hooded men holding weapons was watching Crockta and the man fight, as if it was a sacred ceremony.
“Great dot. Being able to fight against Crockta…” Tiyo muttered.
However, Zakiro couldn’t tell. His vision had adapted to the darkness to some extent, but their swords were moving too quickly for him to see. Every time a light flashed, someone received damage and stepped back.
Crockta, the person who conquered the north and obstructed the empire… He had killed the crazy chieftain in the north and defeated the empire’s genius, Adandator. However, a nameless fanatic was matching him in the fight.
The two chose to catch their breath for a moment. Crockta stared at the man, and suspicions about the opponent filled his eyes. It was an expression which showed the fight wasn’t going according to his will.
Zakiro followed Crockta’s gaze towards the opponent. The hood was torn, so the opponent’s face was revealed. It was a middle-aged man. He looked at Crockta with a calm expression.
Then he declared, “You can’t resist the power of the gods. Accept your fate, Crockta.”
It was at this moment that Zakiro realized something. There was a faint light coming from the man’s sword. Magic swords were able to exert such power. However, Zakiro saw that it wasn’t a magic sword.
God’s soldier…
Crockta’s opponent wasn’t a warrior who was good at the sword. However, he had the power of a god itself. A god’s power was coming down to the man through that sword. It wasn’t the god’s full power as there were constraints about using divine power against mortals. However, this was enough to aim at Crockta’s neck.
The man wielded his sword again. A light flashed.
Kaaang!
Crockta blocked the sword with Ogre Slayer. Then he stepped back.
“Ugh.”
“In the name of the gods!”
Kakang!
Zakiro could see it. Crockta’s sword, Ogre Slayer, was shaking. Zakiro was a blacksmith, a master who heard the voice of the iron and the sword. Just like how a warrior saw the paths through the opponent’s gap in order to kill them, Zakiro had an eye for seeing through metals and weapons.
In his eyes, Ogre Slayer looked like a boxer who barely blocked the punch.
It had won many fights but hadn’t healed properly, causing the wounds to accumulate. Its broken bones set wrong, and its wounds filled with pus. A punch to the head caused damage which would make the hands shake.
However, nevertheless, Ogre Slayer still looked straight at the opponent. This was a fight, and the opponent was still in the ring. A fighter who wouldn’t collapse when weak… That was Ogre Slayer. And Zakiro was the father who had made Ogre Slayer.
“Bul’tar──────!”
Crockta’s roar shook Geherad…
And Crockta’s speed increased.
The man stepped back from Crockta’s power. An unknown swordsmanship was being used with Zakiro’s sword as Ogre Slayer implemented an unknown power. The man’s sword bounced off, and Ogre Slayer aimed towards the gap.
However, it was blocked. This was the god’s power. Opportunities were equally given to both sides. The enemy’s attack flew when Crockta’s blow was deflected towards the ground. The sword had a white haze around it.
Then Crockta raised Ogre Slayer.
Kaaaang!
At that moment, Zakiro thought that Ogre Slayer would break. However, it managed to hold on. Crockta blocked the attack and kicked the man’s elbow. The sword was momentarily lowered. Then Crockta turned and swung his greatsword at the man.
It seemed like this fight was over. However, the man’s sword swung around in the air, as if a thread was tied to it. Then it moved into a position to stop Crockta’s sword. The man grabbed his sword and inserted strength into his legs.
Kwaaaaang!
Once again, the two swords collided. The man was pushed back. It was a power struggle. The dim light from the man’s sword enlarged to cover his body, and his eyes shone white. The god’s power was encroaching on his body.
His sword became faster. It aimed at Crockta from every direction. Thanks to the gods, the man’s attacks were swift and powerful.
“……!”
However, Crockta’s Ogre Slayer defended against all attacks. It endured, and the reaction was marvelous. Crockta was really one with the sword.
“Is that really my sword…?” Zakiro muttered.
It was beautiful swordsmanship. However, it wasn’t beautiful due to smooth movements or gentle curves… But because the sword and owner were one. All types of movements were completed with the big greatsword. Zakiro couldn’t tell if Crockta was leading the sword, or if the sword was leading him. The sword was connected to Crockta, and they moved as one.
Then Crockta hit his opponent’s abdomen.
“Cough!”
Crockta immediately swung the greatsword at his opponent.
Kakang!
The enemy’s sword flew through the air. It rolled across the ground and stopped at Zakiro’s feet. The dim light faded, and it became dark. The god left. Zakiro picked up the sword. It wasn’t a bad sword, but it wasn’t superb craftsmanship. It was just a fairly decent sword.
He raised his head and looked at Crockta and the man. Crockta’s greatsword was pointed at the man’s neck. The man slowly opened his eyes. He saw Crockta and the sword pointed at his neck. He didn’t know what to do.
“Tell me about the divine message.” Crockta demanded.
The man mumbled something.
Zakiro felt something strange while watching the scene. The man wasn’t a great warrior… He was just a fanatic. His sword wasn’t exceptional… It was just a decent sword. He was like a grain of sand compared to Crockta, a orc with a proper sword.
However, when the man used the power of the gods, he could fight against the ‘Northern Conqueror.’ This was the power of the gods. Crockta won now, but he would eventually fall. All the gods wanted his death.
What if this power was used on a stronger person with a better sword?
Crockta and Ogre Slayer… The beautiful dance of the two would end soon. It was inevitable. After all, it wasn’t an ogre they were facing. The gods… No matter how good Ogre Slayer was, it couldn’t kill a god. However…
“I want to keep watching.”
As long as the sun still blazed, the last forge wouldn’t turn off. Likewise, Zakiro hoped that the beautiful combination of Crockta and Ogre Slayer wouldn’t end. The sword he made was more than a sword, and the harmony with its owner was a miracle he wanted to last forever.
Zakiro wanted to do it.
“This is also destiny.”
A warrior had to fight. For a warrior to survive, he must kill without dying… And in order to kill, he needed a weapon that could kill.