Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha

The inside of the blacksmith workshop I'm guided to is filled with heat.

Standing in there is a slender but muscular man earnestly swinging his hammer at a sword.

Seeing that, I thought "aah, this won't be quick at all, huh".

Just as I thought of that, even Luca who guided me is saying,

「……… My deepest apology.  This will take a while…………… Since I think it'll take around one hour once he's like this, so if it's acceptable, please kill some time in the city during that……………」

She said that while apologizing.

But, I'm used to seeing Clove like this.

He's always like this when he's hammering a weapon.

And when he's like this, even addressing him is futile.

Depending on the situation, a hammer might go flying at me, so when he's like this, there's no choice but to left him alone till his work is finished.

That was what I understand about him,

「………….. N-No, I Don'T MinD To WaiTIng. Can I waiting in this place？ 」

Thus Luca is,

「Yeah, I don't mind but……………. Could it be that you're really okay with it？  There's really nothing interesting in this place. It's so boring………」

Since she was asking like that, I,

「I wanT To See HiM WoRKINg…………………. It'S Not BORIng AT AlL…………….」

Answered like that.

Despite Luca showing a slightly surprised expression, it returned to normal immediately, and then while smiling, she,

「In that case, since there's a chair over there, please feel free to look around. I'll be back with beverages」

Left as she said that.

The truth is, I just love looking at someone doing their job.

No matter what kind of job, the job done by first class people feel like they are transmitting something great, I can feel that I'll understand the job if I keep watching.

Clove is undoubtedly a first rate master blacksmith, I can feel some kind of beauty in his work.

I couldn't even feel bored looking that.

◇◆◇◆◇

A while later, the intermittenly sound of the smithing which can be heard as it's resounding has stopped, the tension which enveloped the blacksmith is dispersing.

Clove was laughing while looking at the sword he was hammering up till now.

Maybe he's satisfied with the result.

That's good. And then, at the same time as I think of that, Clove's turning towards me,

「My apologizes. It seems I had you waiting」

And then addressed me.

It didn't mean that it seems he somehow didn't notice me, him concentrating so hard during smithing is the reason why he was ignoring me.

Maybe that's just natural since it's impossible to stop his hand which is still in the middle of working, so it's not a problem.

That's why I replied.

「………….. It'S NOthINg, I DOn'T MinD…………. It WaS INTereSTiNG……………」

To that answer, the man in front of me, Clove, started laughing merrily,

「Hou, and here I thought it was rare for Luca to bring someone in this place……….. Aren't you quite an interesting guy？」

And said those words.

Rather than that of master blacksmith, Clove's expression is something a soldier, who just met their opponent, would have. This expression matches him very well.

From his not so young face, you might feel that he's in just before his forties.

Though it seems quite older than Luca, actually, it seems that their age isn't that much different.

Seemingly, since no one has ever heard about Luca's true age, the only factor to measuring her true age was words once said by Clove that went like 「She's my childhood friend」.

By the way, though it doesn't mean that the means to directly asking her real age is…………….. unknown or I don't know, it just that I'm unable to ask the question due to her coercive pressure.

In short, she never told her age.

「ThoUgH I Don"T UnDeRSTanD WHEthER You'LL Be INtEREsTING AbOUt It…………. I CAmE To ASk YOu To MADe Me A SWOrd………….」

「Ah, so it's an order made one huh？ An yet, despite the lined up of allkindsword in the store front…………. All of them are my best creation. Even if you're not specially requesting for an order made, which has quite a price, you'll find the one which matches your style if you're looking for it in the store front」

What Clove just said could be thought of as a refusal by some people since his wording is a bit too blunt. But in actuality he just said "There's no need to waste your money"

Just a glare from this kind of man, with a sharp look, would be enough to make people weep. Thus all of his words are perceived as nothing else but threats and intimidations. But I have known for a long time that the true content of his words is unexpectedly kind one.

That's why I'm calmly replying to him.

「It'S BeCausE I Can'T FInD The WEaPOn I wANt AMONGst ThE OneS IN There 」

「Se-i-ki…… I see, Seiki huh. Just what kind of person are you, are you a clergy with that kind of appearance？ If it was that, a superior master blacksmith must've it」

「I'M NOt EVEn A CLErGy……………. Well, I caN USE HeAlInG PowER too THOUGh」

「NO WAY, YOU CAN USE EVERYTHING！ ？　……… So that's the reason, I see. In that case, the goods in the storefront are no good……………… So Luca passed you on to me. Do you have the money？ 」

「The ShOpKeePEr SaId That The AMouNt IS JusT ENouGh」

「If Luca says so……………….. Well, understood.   I'll start at once but, I've few questions. It's also including your estimated budget」

Saying so, Clove is bringing a chair from somewhere including a small table and then started the conversation.

◇◆◇◆◇

「……….. Well, so it's like that. Next, since I would need to do small adjustments, is it okay for you if I'm contacting you each time I need to do that？ 」

「I DOn'T MinD」

「Yosh. Well then, that's the end of our discussion. I'll do my best for your request」

Clove was coming to me outstretching his hand while saying so.

He might be asking for a handshake.

I wavered for a moment in what I must to do.

This hand of mine was the hand of an undead.

He might noticed various problem when he touches it.

But, even this hesitation of mine was only last for a moment.

I can't told Clove the fact that I'm an undead.

But……………..

I'm grasping Clove hand.

「I'Ll LEaVE It To YoU」

I said so.

◇◆◇◆◇

***Luca's POV***Our customer was just leaving from the door of the store.

He was an unusual customer.

Wearing mask and wrapped in a robe.

But, there was a trace of the youth who came to this store few days ago in his retreating figure.

But……

「Ow, Luca. What's matter. You have unusual look on your face」

From my back, my husband, Clove, who's also the owner of this store was calling my name while letting out a bitter smile.

I'm turning around and then answering him.

「…………. You should know the reason right？ That is……………..」

To me who's stopped in the middle of my sentence, Clove is,

「……… Well, I guess. Since I didn't see his appearance in the bar or city lately, I thought that he might be going to somewhere but………. It seems he's caught in quite a troublesome situation」

「I wonder why isn't he relying on us？ Why isn't he trusting us like that*？ 」 [* "Are we that untrustworthy?"]

In hearing my unintentional words which turned into sorrowful ones, Clove is answering while stroking his chin.

「He might be so…………… Uhm, I'm joking, it's just a joke you know」

Clove is waving his hand in panic and making an excuse when he notices that I'm crying.

Well, when I'm asking with my line of sight about "what's the cause", Clove is,

「………… Maybe he doesn't want to bring trouble upon us？  Though I don't know why he's wearing a robe and that mask, maybe it's something like a curse. If that guy is cursed, the guy who will come to find a fault in our weapon will also coming out, in the first place, it's because there's this kind of customer who's coming in a group to this store. Maybe to not bringing trouble to us later so we can say, "We don't know who is he, nor we know what kind of curse it is, and he never come again", is what he think

「Something like that！  Honey, you won't say something like that right？ 」

To me who's steadily approaching while releasing oppressing aura, Clove is telling,

「……… That's just natural right.  It's not like they'll care about what said by trivial guy like me.. But him, he's taking some distance like this. Well, that might be okay. I know that he's alive. It's been a long time, I'll make sure to made it to his liking. You can say your problem to us you know…………. You should at least say things that will let us know of your identity.  Though he couldn't say it, that area might be the limit of his compromise……. Moreover, it seems that you've no plan of coming to us without masquerading」

I was thinking that way while saying those words.

It's quite rare for someone to have all of magical power, qi and, reiki, and yet can freely coming in and out from Lorraine-chan house.

Even that much was already quite a hint in itself.

There was no doubt about it, he was making sure to give a hint about that to us.

But, we definitely won't understand what has happened to him with only that much hint.

Maybe it was something that he can't say to the people.

And yet, he was coming to us saying that he wanted to buy a weapon…………… Even I feel like forgiving him if he give us that much of his trust.

I, to my husband who understand,

「Yup………………. That must be so right」

Said those words while wiping off my tears that are spilling from my eyes.

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