Book 1 Chapter 670

670.

"Bring me the sword."

"…Here."

Ar approached Dweno and carefully handed him the broken Brave.

Dweno examined Brave from various angles before speaking.

"You, where on earth did you get this sword?"

"Huh? Well…"

"And who on earth made this sword?"

Ar struggled with how to answer.

Brave was a sword made by Dweno.

But not by the Dweno of the present.

Brave would be completed in the distant future from now.

He couldn't just tell the truth.

"This is the sword my brother used. I don't know who made it."

Leo placed a hand on Ar's head with a 'thump'.

At his words, Ar urgently nodded.

"Yes! Th-that's right! My brother… Arion-nim… *Hoo-wook!* It's a precious item Arion oppa gave me! *Hoo-wook! Hoo-wook!*"

"Your breathing is strange? And why is your face so flushed?"

"Well… *Nyaaaack!*"

"This one is a bit… a bit off in the head."

"I told you! Don't just grab my tail like that!"

Seeing Ar acting like a highly suspicious person, Leo mercilessly pulled his tail.

Ar squirmed to free his tail from Leo's grasp.

Driana, who had escaped from the furnace, suddenly interjected.

"T-this is enough, isn't it! I can't take it anymore! Leo! Ar! Sa-save…!"

"We're having an important conversation, so go inside for now."

"Hey, you! You damn cat!"

Ar mercilessly pushed Driana back into the furnace, who was trying to resist, using the blacksmith's tongs next to the furnace.

"Hey, how can you just shove her in like that?"

Leo lightly punched Ar's head with his fist.

"The Driana I know can endure more."

Ar said calmly.

"I'm absolutely not taking revenge for when she helped me with training in the past by forcing me back into the water. This is also for Driana's sake."

Dweno stroked his beard, watching Ar emphasize that he had absolutely no ulterior motives.

"You two are true friends."

"Yes, that's right."

Dweno let out a hearty laugh, watching Ar calmly say words that would surely make Driana flip out and drag him into the furnace if she heard them.

"And anyway, you, the black rabbit, would have put her back in anyway."

"That's true."

'Well, Dweno wouldn't have allowed this much rest anyway, so I probably didn't need to step in.'

Ar muttered 'vicious' while looking at the kindly smiling Leo, then shook his head.

"So? Can you fix it?"

Leo asked, crossing his arms, and Dweno meticulously examined Brave.

After observing Brave from various angles, Dweno used a monocular to inspect the blade closely.

Then he opened his mouth.

"It's nearly impossible. This sword is already dead."

"…"

Ar's ears drooped at Dweno's words.

"But it's amazing. I can't believe there was someone who could make such an item."

"Um… didn't you feel anything when you saw it?"

"I felt self-loathing."

Ar was slightly flustered, seeing Dweno speak as if it were no big deal.

Even though it was the future, Ar had expected Dweno to recognize the sword he made and feel confused, so he was slightly taken aback.

But Leo wasn't overly surprised.

'Of course.'

The Dweno Leo first met and the Dweno when he left on the final expedition were practically completely different people.

Both as a warrior and as a blacksmith.

Of course, even the Dweno of this time was considered the world's best blacksmith and warrior by the standards of the era.

'That was true for me and the others too.'

From the start, Lysianas's party was composed of only the very best chosen for the sake of the world.

Simply being chosen by Lysianas meant being a hero who would lead the era.

'It's just that our journey couldn't overcome challenges of that magnitude.'

Inevitably, the great heroes had to overcome their limits again and again.

Of course, there were some things where Dweno overwhelmed others even based on their first meeting.

'Mental strength.'

If asked who possessed the strongest mental strength among the five great heroes, it was undoubtedly Dweno.

'He was already mentally complete when he met us.'

As the party's advisor, Dweno was always a strong pillar whenever Arhi wavered.

That's why Leo believed.

Even if the current Dweno felt self-loathing, he wouldn't give in.

In the distant future.

When he saw the armaments he would one day create, he would be fired up, not intimidated.

'Because he was that kind of person.'

Dweno was someone who would always see his assigned tasks through to the end, no matter the situation.

Leo smiled faintly and looked at Dweno.

'Lysianas finds hope in despair. Luna never acknowledges despair, and Arion finds courage in despair. And Dweno…'

He always quietly did his part, even in despair.

So as not to leave any regrets.

'If he weren't a pervert, he'd be perfect without a flaw.'

It was then that Leo subtly clicked his tongue inwardly.

"Remarkable. Is this how the night sky was reclaimed?"

Dweno continued to examine Brave and muttered.

"But even more astonishing than the blacksmith who made this sword is its owner, your brother. Arion, you said?"

"Yes!"

"This sword bears traces of having cut the flames of calamity."

"That's right! Arion oppa is the world's best martial artist!"

"Indeed. It seems so. I wonder how his name hasn't been known until now! He must be a very strong martial artist! And very…"

"Ahem!"

Ar puffed out his chest with a proud expression.

"Very…"

"…? Dweno-nim?"

"*Aaaack!* Save me…!"

Driana, who had screamed and burst out of the furnace, flinched upon seeing Dweno.

*Clang-*

"…He seems like a very brave friend… Yes…"

Dweno's voice, as he covered his face with trembling hands, was steeped in tears.

Leo had witnessed the demise of countless individuals during the Age of Calamity.

Arion, of course, and Lysianas and Luna.

Even he himself had shed tears countless times.

But in no situation had Dweno ever shed a tear.

When the party faltered.

Dweno's role was to be the center.

When everyone was exhausted and struggling.

Dweno was the one who endured until his comrades regained their composure.

His iron-like mental strength.

Leo was the only one who had ever seen Dweno cry.

And that was only once.

After sending Arion off.

When he blamed himself, believing that if he hadn't been obsessed with beauty or art, Brave would never have broken.

Excluding that one single moment of immense wavering, Dweno had never shown tears.

Leo couldn't help but be flustered by the fact that Dweno was crying.

"Dweno-nim…?"

"My apologies. I showed an ugly side."

Dweno took a deep breath.

"It's just… I was just so relieved that tears came out. The fact that our long resistance wasn't in vain is simply overwhelming."

"That's surprising."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you were absolutely not the kind of person to cry for such a reason."

"Hey, Leo."

"Black rabbit."

Driana and Ar gave him scolding looks, but Dweno chuckled.

"It's understandable that you'd think that. I know full well what my public image is."

Before joining Arhi's party, Dweno's epithet was 'Iron-Blooded Guardian'.

He was a man who protected Ivaldi with an unshakeable demeanor.

'Though it was an epithet that disappeared after joining Guardsron due to his benevolent image.'

Leo silently looked at Dweno.

'Still… this old man is crying?'

"Are you alright?"

Dweno, having composed himself, gently stroked Driana's head as she looked at him with a worried face.

"I'm not so weak that you need to worry about me. So."

Dweno's thick hand, forming a benevolent smile, suddenly grabbed Driana's head.

"Get in. I never told you to come out."

"*Aaaack!*"

Dweno yelled as he pushed Driana back into the furnace.

"How do you expect to learn my blacksmithing techniques with such a weak mind! Endure with the mindset that you'll burn to death!"

"*Eek!*"

Ar, startled by Dweno's intensity, hid behind Leo.

"Doesn't sound like she heard you?"

Leo clicked his tongue, watching Driana writhe in pain inside the furnace.

"Ahem. Anyway. Let's get back to the main topic."

Dweno picked up Brave and placed it on the workbench.

"This sword was made by a smith far more skilled than I. I can't guarantee whether I can fix it or not, but…"

Dweno looked at Leo.

"It might be almost like making it anew, but… I will try to fix it."

"You don't need to say 'try to fix it'."

Leo cut him off.

"Fix it."

"You're so stubborn."

"Because you're perfectly capable of it."

"Hmph. You overestimate me too much."

Dweno shook his head and reached into the furnace to pull Driana out.

Then he picked up a bucket from one corner of the workshop.

It was filled with Dweno's concocted potion.

*Chiiiiiiik-*!

Thick steam filled the surroundings.

"Let's call the morning training done for now."

"Th-thank you… It's over for today, right?"

"No. We'll do it again after lunch."

At that, Driana rolled her eyes and fainted.

Dweno put his hand into the furnace.

*Whoosh-*!

Golden flames fiercely blazed within the furnace.

"As you wish, I shall fix it."

Just as Leo smiled at Dweno's words.

"That ring on your finger."

"Hm?"

"That was also made by the maker of this sword, wasn't it?"

"That's right. You recognized it right away?"

"Hmph. I can tell by looking. Can you show it to me?"

Leo handed the ring to Dweno.

Dweno, who had received it and examined it from various angles, said.

"Strange, it was clearly alive when it was on your hand. But now it's dead. Why is this?"

"If it leaves my hand, it just becomes an ornament."

"Oh? It only exhibits its original abilities when it's on your hand? This isn't a normal state either. Interesting. I'll try to revive this ring too."

"Can you do it?"

"Hmph. What are you saying after provoking me so much? Do you have any other such items?"

At that, Leo pulled Arion's greatsword from his embrace.

Dweno, who had received the armaments made by his future self, said.

"If all these are brought back to life, grant me one wish."

"What is it?"

"Drink until we drop."

"…I feel like I'll die."

"Shouldn't there be a reward for assigning a difficult task?"

Leo let out a wry laugh at the words of Dweno, the greatest drinker among the great heroes, and said.

"Alright."

Dweno grinned.

Leo, with the unconscious Driana tucked under his arm, left the workshop, also carrying the almost-dead Illiana under his other arm.

Left alone, Dweno gazed at Brave on the shelf for a long time.

***

'What on earth is going on?'

He closed his eyes and prayed.

'Why is the sky like that?'

His body trembled with fear at the unanswered echo.

'Oh God… why do you not speak to me?'

The sudden situation led him into endless fear.

It was then.

"Indeed, it's hard to find. I wouldn't have been able to find it if it weren't for me."

*Thump-*

The ground shook as if an earthquake had occurred.

Murderous intent dwelled on his praying face.

"What are you, you wretch?"

The one who revealed himself spoke, looking at the person who was staring at him with eyes burning with hatred.

"Giant King Gias. Who am I? Can't you tell by looking?"

A hideous and repulsive smile appeared on his face.

"I am you."