Proof of Faith

Night fell.

The boundless night added to the desolation of the vast snowfield, and the cold moonlight made the biting wind and snow seem even colder...

"This is where you live?"

Yuri looked around at the open cave before him.

Iron clamps for clamping, iron felt for padding, iron hammer for forging, water pool for cooling, and furnace for casting... The wooden barrel in the corner also contains many failed forging works.

Although it's a bit simple, this is what a blacksmith's home should be like.

"This is the home of our Hearth Family two hundred years ago, but now it's just a ruin," Brax explained as he tidied up the enormous furnace.

They are now at the foot of a massive mountain, in what is said to be the Hearth Town, inhabited by the Hearth Family two hundred years ago.

Thousands of highly skilled artisans live here, single-mindedly forging their own unique works.

Their Ornn, God of the Forge, resides on a mountain called Hearthhome.

Hearth Town was protected by the God of the Forge and had never been affected by wind and snow. However, because the distance between humans and gods was too close, the Hearth Family suffered a catastrophic disaster.

The former Hearth Town has long since turned into ruins. This is the cave that Brax carved out on his own after his tribe was destroyed.

The clan chief asked him to restore the glory of the Hearth Family, but he had nowhere to go and could only return to the ancestral land of the Hearth Family.

They forged tirelessly day and night, hoping to create a work that would satisfy the gods and once again gain their favor.

However, his craftsmanship was poor, and he always failed at forging. Even the only decent piece of equipment he could make, the boxing gloves, was only a half-finished product.

The reason he encountered Yuri was because he was out looking for food when he came across the Bearfolk, who were capturing the Hearth Family members.

Although he narrowly escaped capture, he accidentally lost his horn, which is why he tried every means to retrieve it.

As for why Yuri was chosen, firstly, Brax wasn't strong enough, and secondly, he happened to run into Yuri.

Secondly, as Uncle Macken said, someone who can run around in such cold wind and snow wearing a trench coat must be extraordinary!

Moreover, this place is deep within the northern continent, a region considered a forbidden zone for humans. The fact that they were able to come here from the outside world is itself a testament to their strength.

Although nothing serious happened in the end, this kind of behavior is still quite excessive.

It was only thanks to Yuri's magnanimity that he only gave Brax a beating and then let him go...

Oh, right!

Yuri also used that horn to steal Brax's only decent half-finished boxing glove.

Although Brax felt bad, he could only swallow his pride and accept it as punishment for his wrongdoing.

And it's just a boxing glove; to get your own horn in return is an incredible deal!

Brax lit the furnace, and the cave was instantly illuminated.

The firelight dispelled the double chill of wind, snow, and darkness, bringing warmth to those suffering from the cold.

"Rest now, it's getting late," Brax reminded him. "I'll take you out of the snowfield after dawn tomorrow."

"Okay," Yuri said, then found a place to lie down and sleep.

He came to the Hearth Family to forge weapons, but now that the Hearth Family is almost extinct, he has no reason to stay here any longer.

A moment later, the sound of even breathing filled the cave.

"She falls asleep so quickly..." Brax said speechlessly.

Generally speaking, it's impossible for a normal person to fall asleep so quickly in a completely unfamiliar place, especially since he had just tricked him today.

Brax sighed. It was his own home, yet for some reason he found it harder to fall asleep than if he were in a stranger's house.

Fortunately, the wind and snow subsided considerably that night, allowing him to lie at the cave entrance and watch the moon.

The moon is very large and round tonight, and its light is dazzling, but this also makes the stars in the night sky almost invisible.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but just as Brax was about to fall asleep, a voice suddenly came from beside him.

Can't sleep?

Brax woke up with a start, turned his head and saw Yuri sitting next to him, and immediately looked resentful.

"If it weren't for you, I would be asleep by now."

"It's okay, I can't sleep either," Yuri said to himself, gazing into the distance.

"Listen to me! I told you I can sleep!" Brax growled angrily.

"In that case, would you like to talk?" Yuri turned his head and extended a warm invitation.

"Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? What are you talking about..." A vein bulged on Brax's forehead, but he couldn't resist Yuri and sat up from the ground.

Yuri took out the boxing gloves he had received from Brax and asked, "What exactly is that horn of yours that's worth trading your only masterpiece for?"

"It's just an ordinary horn, don't even think about getting your hands on it," Brax said, shaking his head and rubbing his forehead.

Although they had only spent a day together, he had gradually come to understand what kind of person this guy really was.

They have a bottom line, but no morals.

He's a decent person, but his personality is truly awful.

If he really discovers that the horn has any value, he'll probably be tricked out of it anyway.

"Then why do you treasure it so much? If you lose it, you can just get another one, right?" Yuri asked, puzzled.

As Hearth Family, even a child shouldn't have any problem forging a magical weapon or creating a simple horn.

Is it really worth taking such a big risk today?

Brax shook his head and repeated what he had told Yuri before, "In the life of every Hearth Family, there are two things more important than life itself."

"One is a horn, the other is a hammer in my hand!"

"I can understand the hammer, it's for blacksmiths, but what's the horn for?" Yuri asked curiously.

"To receive the praise of the God of the Forge for one's own creation is the highest honor that the Hearth Family can be proud of!"

Brax explained, "Every time God judges a work, He blows a horn on the mountaintop of Hearthhome. All the Hearth Family will spontaneously gather upon hearing it, waiting for God's judgment."

"God never acknowledges us as His followers; we've all simply created our own horns because we worship God."

"Gradually, the horn became the symbol of our Hearth Family."

"Every child in the Hearth Family receives a forging hammer from their elders at the age of five, then diligently hones their forging skills, finally forging their own horn at the age of seven."

"It will accompany us throughout our lives; it is proof of our identity as Hearth Family, as believers in the God of the Forge!"

Even if we were never acknowledged...