" Talhand, you've really made something of yourself, managing to get the Primordial God Impact to personally intervene on your behalf."
Gottwald looked at Talhand, his tone slightly mocking.
"I..."
Talhand opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
"I got involved in this matter on my own initiative."
Rudeus spoke up, taking over the conversation.
" Gottwald, from my interactions with you these past few days, you don't seem as stubborn and rigid as the rumors suggest."
"I don't know what your considerations were when you made that decision."
"But in my opinion, if a person doesn't even have the courage to try, then one day he will regret his stagnation."
Rudeus paused, his gaze falling on Gottwald.
"Think carefully about the last words left by your first Mining God."
"The path that Talhand wants to take may not be wrong."
Silence fell over the council chamber.
Gottwald remained silent for a long time.
After a moment, he slowly spoke:
" Jekuroseku, go and arrange accommodations for our distinguished guests."
"I need to speak with Talhand alone."
"Okay."
Jekuroseku nodded with a smile.
Rudeus and his entourage then followed him out of the council chamber.
Guest room lobby.
"Call..."
Elinalise let out a soft breath.
"I never imagined the relationships within the Mine Race were so delicate."
Roxy nodded slightly.
"That Mining God must be caught in the middle, torn between his own people and his brothers."
"But I hope that Talhand and Mining God can reconcile their relationship."
Rujierd said in a deep voice:
"If they can reunite, they might actually be able to forge a sword to slay Laplace."
That's true.
Rudeus nodded.
"I also have high hopes for Talhand's abilities."
"However, he cannot leave Gottwald."
Eris blinked in confusion.
"Why?"
Rudeus said in a very serious tone:
Just like bread can't exist without milk.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
Although no one understood why bread couldn't exist without milk, that didn't stop them from thinking that Rudeus's statement seemed to make a lot of sense.
Rudeus.
Eris suddenly spoke.
"It's so boring here. When are we going to the next town?"
Rudeus raised an eyebrow.
"Boring?"
"Didn't you say before that you wouldn't get bored as long as you were with me?"
"Huh?"
Eris was speechless.
"I... I'm..."
Rudeus's lips curled up slightly.
"Ha... woman."
"They were all just saying one thing and meaning another, huh?"
Eris's expression changed immediately upon hearing this.
She clearly thought Rudeus was genuinely angry.
The next moment, she pounced on him, wrapped her arms around Rudeus's neck, and kissed him without hesitation.
"Ara~~~"
Elinalise covered her mouth, watching the two of them with a smile.
Roxy coughed lightly and silently picked up Leona.
"Ahem... I'm sleepy, I'm going to rest now."
After saying that, she turned and went back to her room.
Rujierd also stood up.
He opened the door and glanced back at the group.
"You should all get some rest too."
"You never know what might happen tomorrow, so it's best to get plenty of rest."
After saying that, he closed the door.
Ah, this innocent love, it's truly enviable...
Elinalise chuckled and shook her head.
"However, I'd better not bother you any longer."
Goodnight~
After saying that, she returned to her room.
Only Rudeus and Eris remained in the vast hall.
Eris's gaze grew increasingly intense, as if she were trying to prove something.
Rudeus swallowed hard.
"Um... Eris."
"What I said just now was actually a joke."
"Of course I know Eris has always loved me."
"Besides, it's getting late. Didn't Rujierd just say that something might happen tomorrow, so..."
He hadn't finished speaking.
Eris bent down and picked Rudeus up in her arms.
"Huh?"
Before Rudeus could react, he was already airborne.
The next moment, he was carried into the room in a princess carry by Eris.
The door closed slowly.
As for what will happen next...
It's so hard to guess!
The next morning.
The sky was not yet fully bright.
The central square of the Mine Race settlement was already packed with a dense crowd.
Mine Race have never liked pointless noise.
But today is different.
Because Gottwald wanted to personally retest Talhand.
The news spread like wildfire.
In less than half an hour, the square was filled with clansmen.
"Have you heard? Mining God wants to retest Talhand."
"Test what? That guy can't even forge, what can he possibly test?"
"A Mine Race doesn't spend his days working as a blacksmith, but instead studies magic—he's simply an anomaly!"
"Exactly! The honor of our Mine Race lies in forging. If he can't even do that, what's the point of him staying in the clan?"
There was much discussion around.
The sounds were not silenced at all; they were even deliberately allowed to reach Talhand's ears.
Talhand stood there silently the whole time.
His hands clenched slightly.
After a moment, it slowly loosened again.
Gottwald stood before the forging table, expressionless.
" Talhand."
"I am here."
Do you remember what I said last night?
Talhand raised his head.
Gottwald stared at him and said in a deep voice:
I will give you a chance to prove yourself again.
"If you pass today's test, you can remain in the clan."
He paused.
"And from today onwards, you will remain my deputy."
A commotion immediately arose in the crowd.
"Deputy?"
" The Mining God is actually willing to give him this position?"
"Are you kidding me?"
Just then, Hazeluni walked to the forging table with his cane and gave the crowd a cold look.
"Quiet."
An aged, yet extremely authoritative voice rang out.
The noisy crowd immediately fell silent.
Jekuroseku stood on the other side with a smile.
"Then, the test shall officially begin."
He looked at Talhand.
"This test is very simple."
"The two of you will forge a sword together."
"As long as the finished product reaches the highest quality, it is considered passed."
"The final result will be jointly determined by our two elders."
Jekuroseku Losec pointed to the forging furnace.
" Gottwald is in charge of forging."
"And you..."
"Responsible for controlling the flames."
The words had barely left his mouth.
A burst of snickers immediately erupted from the crowd.
"Control the flames?"
"Does he really think he's a magician?"
"Using magic to help smelt iron? That's absurd!"
Rudeus ignored the voices.
He just pondered to himself.
If it's just ordinary fire magic, then it's nothing special.
The real challenge lies in precisely controlling the temperature during the forging process.
To forge a truly excellent weapon, the flame must always be kept at the optimal temperature.
Too high, and the ore will be damaged.
Too low, and the material cannot be shaped.
More importantly, as the metal undergoes continuous changes, the temperature of the flame must also be adjusted accordingly.
" Talhand..."
Rudeus looked at him.
Can you do it?
Gottwald also looked at Talhand.
Are you ready?
Talhand took a deep breath and raised his head with a determined look in his eyes.
"Ready."
Gottwald glanced at him.
"Let's begin."
The next moment.
boom--!
The flames in the forging furnace suddenly rose up.
Talhand raised his hand.
Magic surged.
A gentle breeze appeared out of nowhere.
The originally raging flames were immediately drawn in, and the tongues of fire quickly contracted, like a tamed fire snake, slowly coiling in the furnace.
"This..."
The crowd that had been laughing just moments before fell silent instantly.
Gottwald remained silent.
He took out the red-hot ore and placed it steadily on the anvil.
"Start."
Bang!
The heavy iron hammer crashed down.
Sparks flew everywhere.
Talhand's gaze remained fixed on the metal.
"The temperature is dropping."
The wind suddenly weakened.
"Not enough."
The flames rose again.
Gottwald swings his hammer.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
One hammer blow after another.
Every landing was incredibly precise.
Meanwhile, Talhand kept adjusting the flames.
There was no further communication between the two.
Yet their movements seemed to have been coordinated hundreds of times before.
The rhythm with which Gottwald swings his hammer is the same rhythm with which Talhand controls the flames.
One hammer blow.
One fire.
Another blow.
It's on fire again.
The entire forging process was incredibly smooth.
Gradually, the surrounding sounds disappeared.
All eyes were focused on the forging table.
Those tribesmen who had previously mocked Talhand now stared wide-eyed.
Because they suddenly discovered...
Talhand was not helping Gottwald at all.
He is becoming Gottwald's other hand.
Bang!
The final hammer fell.
Gottwald picked up the sword blank.
"Water."
Talhand raised his hand again.
Water elements rapidly converged.
Whoa--!
Clear water appeared out of nowhere.
Without the slightest hesitation.
The sword disappeared into the water.
Sizzle--!
A large amount of white mist suddenly rose up and enveloped the entire square in the blink of an eye.
A moment later.
Gottwald retrieved the longsword from the water.
A brand new longsword was presented to everyone.
The sword is perfectly straight.
The texture is uniform.
A cold glint flashed.
There are not a single unnecessary flaw.
Hazeluni stepped forward first.
He took the longsword and examined it carefully for a long time.
He then flicked the blade with his finger.
Clang!
The crisp sound of swords rang out across the square.
Hazeluni's expression changed noticeably for the first time.
"What a fine sword!"
Just two words.
But this plunged the entire square into complete silence.
Jekuroseku stepped forward and took the longsword from his hand.
He examined the sword closely, then looked up at Talhand.
The smile on his face gradually deepened.
"Precise heat control, smooth forging, and perfect tempering."
If we only consider the finished product...
He slowly raised his longsword.
"This is already the best of the best."
The crowd fell completely silent.
Those who were just mocking Talhand were now speechless.
Talhand kept his head down, seemingly still unable to believe what he was seeing.
Gottwald simply stared silently at the sword.
for a long time.
He spoke slowly:
"This wasn't something I created by myself."
Talhand suddenly looked up.
Gottwald looked at him.
"Your magic can indeed be incorporated into forging."
"And..."
He paused for a moment.
"It suits me better than I imagined."
Talhand's eyes reddened slightly.
"Little brother..."
Gottwald did not answer.
He simply turned around and looked at all the clansmen in the square.
"Listen up, everyone."
The sound wasn't loud.
Yet the sound clearly resonated throughout the entire square.
" Talhand did not betray the Mine Race."
"He simply took a path we've never taken before."
"If a Mine Race could use magic to make forging even better..."
Gottwald scanned the crowd.
"So, what's so shameful about it?"
No one answered.
"What our ancestors left us was never a rigid rule like 'it can only be forged with a hammer'."
"What should truly be inherited is the forging process itself."
"As long as we can create better weapons..."
He turned to look at Talhand.
That is our power!
This time.
No one laughed at Talhand anymore.
Some people even started whispering among themselves.
"So magic really can help with forging..."
"If that's really the case..."
" Talhand may not have been wrong after all."
Talhand stood there, silent for a long time.
Until Gottwald walked up to him.
What are you still standing there for?
"Come back with me."
Talhand stared at him, stunned.
"Little brother..."
Gottwald frowned.
Don't call me that so mushy.
Talhand couldn't help but laugh.
"Good."
far away.
Rudeus crossed his arms and took it all in.
Eris, standing beside him, couldn't help but sigh:
"I can't believe it actually worked!"
"Um."
Rudeus smiled.
Sometimes, rules aren't meant to prevent change.
"It's simply because people in the past hadn't found a better way."
Roxy nodded gently.
"Therefore, what should truly be inherited is what they created, not the shackles that bind future generations."
Rudeus looked toward the center of the square.
There, Gottwald and Talhand had already left side by side.
Just then, a ray of sunlight streamed down from between the mountain walls, falling on the two figures behind them.
This moment.
Talhand has finally reclaimed his rightful place.
And the Mine Race have finally taken the first step toward change.
As for that sword that could slay Laplace...
Perhaps, it has finally become possible for it to truly be born.