Book 1 Chapter 670

“Bring the sword here and let me see it.”

“……Here.”

Arga approached Dweno and carefully handed him the broken Brave.

Dweno examined Brave from side to side and opened his mouth.

“Where on earth did you get this sword?”

“Yes? Well…”

“And who on earth made this sword?”

Arga fell into thought, wondering what to answer.

Brave was a sword made by Dweno.

But not by the Dweno of today.

Brave would be completed in the distant future, many years from now.

He couldn’t tell him that straight out.

“This is the sword my brother used. I don’t know who made it.”

Leo said, placing his hand on Arga’s head with a “thunk.”

At his words, Arga nodded hastily.

“Yes! Th-that’s right! My brother… Lord Arion… *hic!* Big brother Arion gave me this precious item! *hic!* *hic!*”

“Your breathing is strange. And why is your face so flushed?”

“Well… Nyaaaak!”

“This kid is a bit strange in the head.”

“I told you not to grab my tail so carelessly!”

Seeing Arga acting like a very suspicious person, Leo mercilessly tugged on his tail.

Arga struggled, trying to free his tail from Leo’s grip.

Driana, who had escaped the furnace, butted in.

“I-I think that’s enough! I can’t take it anymore! Leo! Ar! S-save me…!”

“We’re having an important conversation, so go back inside for now.”

“Hey! Damn cat!”

Using blacksmith’s tongs next to the furnace, Arga ruthlessly pushed Driana, who was resisting being put back in, into the furnace again.

“Hey. What do you mean, just shoving him in?”

Leo delivered a “kong-” to Arga’s head with his fist.

“The Driana I know could endure more.”

Arga said indifferently.

“It’s absolutely not revenge for when he forced me back into the water to ‘help’ me during my training back then. This is for Driana’s sake too.”

Seeing Arga, who emphasized that he had no ulterior motives, Dweno stroked his beard.

“You are true friends.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Dweno burst into laughter, seeing Arga say something so calmly that Driana would have flipped out and dragged him into the furnace if he had heard it.

“Besides, the black rabbit. You put it back in, didn’t you?”

“That’s true.”

‘Well, Dweno wouldn’t have granted this much of a break, so I wouldn’t have needed to step in.’

Arga, mumbling ‘vicious’ as he watched Leo’s good-natured smile, shook his head.

“So? Can you fix it?”

As Leo asked, crossing his arms, Dweno closely examined Brave.

Observing Brave from side to side, Dweno used a magnifying glass to examine the blade closely.

Then he opened his mouth.

“It’s close to impossible. This sword is already dead.”

“……”

At Dweno’s words, Arga’s ears drooped.

“But it’s amazing. I never thought someone could create something like this.”

“Um… did you feel anything when you saw it?”

“I felt a sense of shame.”

Arga was slightly taken aback by Dweno’s nonchalant demeanor.

He had expected Dweno to recognize the sword, made by himself in the future, and feel some confusion. However, Leo wasn’t too surprised.

‘That’s right.’

The Dweno Leo met first and the Dweno at the time of his last expedition were like completely different people.

Both as a warrior and as a blacksmith.

Of course, the Dweno of this time was also the world’s best blacksmith and warrior by the standards of the time.

‘That was the same for me and the others.’

After all, Lissina chose only the best for the world.

Being chosen by Lissina itself meant being a hero who would lead the era.

‘It’s just that our journey couldn’t be navigated at that level.’

Great heroes inevitably had to overcome their limits time and again.

Of course, even from the perspective of when they first met, Dweno surpassed others in some aspects.

‘Mental strength.’

If there was one among the five great heroes with the strongest mental strength, it was undoubtedly Dweno.

‘By the time he met us, he was already mentally complete.’

As the party’s advisor, Dweno was always a solid pillar when Arhi wavered.

So Leo believed.

Even if the current Dweno felt shame, he wouldn’t be discouraged.

In the distant future.

He believed that Dweno, seeing the weapons he would create someday, would burn with passion rather than be intimidated.

‘That’s the kind of guy he was.’

Dweno was someone who always finished what he set out to do, no matter the situation.

Leo watched Dweno with a faint smile.

‘Lissina finds hope in despair. Luna never accepts despair, and Arion draws courage from despair. And Dweno.’

He always quietly did his part, even in despair.

So as not to leave any regrets.

‘If he weren’t such a pervert, he’d be perfect without any flaws.’

It was when Leo muttered a small sigh in his mind.

“Amazing. So that’s how you were able to reclaim the night sky.”

Dweno continued to examine Brave and muttered.

“But more amazing than the blacksmith who made this sword was your brother, the owner of this sword. Was it Arion?”

“Yes!”

“This sword has traces of cutting through the flames of disaster.”

“That’s right! Brother Arion is the world’s greatest warrior!”

“Indeed. It seems so. I wonder how his name hasn’t become known until now! He must be an incredibly strong warrior! And incredibly…”

“Ahem!”

Arga puffed out his chest with a proud expression.

“Incredibly…”

“……? Lord Dweno?”

“Aaaaaaak! Save me…!”

Driana, who had shot out of the furnace screaming, flinched upon seeing Dweno.

Clang-

“……He seems like a very brave friend… Yes…”

Dweno’s voice, covering his face with trembling hands, was choked with tears.

Leo had witnessed the final moments of countless people in the era of disaster.

Arion, of course, as well as Lissina and Luna.

Even he himself had shed tears countless times.

But in no situation had Dweno ever shown tears.

When the party wavered.

It was Dweno’s role to keep them grounded.

When everyone was struggling and exhausted.

It was Dweno who endured until his comrades regained their senses.

A will of iron.

Leo was the only one who had seen such Dweno weep.

And only once.

After parting with Arion.

When he blamed himself, thinking that if he hadn’t been obsessed with beauty or art, Brave wouldn’t have broken.

Except for that one moment of boundless wavering, Dweno had never shown tears.

Leo was also taken aback by the fact that such Dweno was crying.

“Lord Dweno…?”

“I’m sorry. I showed you a pathetic display.”

Dweno took a deep breath.

“It’s just… it’s just that I was so relieved that tears came out. The fact that our long resistance was not in vain is overwhelming.”

“That’s surprising.”

“What do you mean?”

“I never thought you were the type of person to cry for such a reason.”

“Look here, Leo.”

“Black rabbit.”

Driana and Arga looked bewildered, but Dweno chuckled.

“It’s understandable that you think so. I’m well aware of the image I have in the world.”

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

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

‘After joining Guardsron, the epithet disappeared due to his benevolent image.’

Leo watched Dweno silently.

‘Still… this old man is crying?’

“Are you alright?”

Dweno, having composed his emotions, gently stroked Driana’s head, who was looking at him with a worried expression.

“I am not so weak that you need to worry. So.”

With a benevolent smile, Dweno’s thick hand *grabbed* Driana’s head.

“Go back inside. I never told you to come out.”

“Aaaaaaak!”

Dweno, pushing Driana back into the furnace, exclaimed.

“How can you possibly learn my blacksmithing skills with such a weak mentality! Endure it with the will to burn to death!”

“Eek!”

Startled by Dweno’s intensity, Arga hid behind Leo.

“It doesn’t seem like he can hear.”

Watching Driana writhe in agony in the furnace, Leo clicked his tongue.

“Ahem. Anyway. Let’s get back to the main point.”

Dweno picked up Brave and placed it on the workbench.

“This sword was made by a smith far more skilled than I am. I can’t guarantee whether it can be fixed or not…”

Dweno looked at Leo.

“It might be close to making a new one… but I will try to fix it.”

“You don’t need to say you’ll try to fix it.”

Leo said flatly.

“Fix it.”

“You’re being unreasonable.”

“Because you are perfectly capable of doing it.”

“Hmph. You overestimate me.”

Dweno shook his head, reached into the furnace, and pulled out Driana.

Then he picked up a bucket from the side of the workshop.

It was filled with potions made by Dweno.

*Chiiiiiiiiik-!*

Thick steam filled the surroundings.

“We’ll stop morning training here.”

“Th-thank you… Is that all for today?”

“No. We’ll do it again after lunch.”

At his words, Driana’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

Dweno put his hand into the furnace.

*Hwaaaaaaak-!*

Golden flames raged fiercely within the furnace.

“As you said, I will fix it.”

As Dweno spoke, Leo smiled faintly.

“That ring on your hand.”

“Huh?”

“That was also made by the creator of this sword, wasn’t it?”

“Right. You recognized it right away?”

“Hmph. I can tell by looking. Can you show it to me for a moment?”

Leo handed the ring to Dweno.

Dweno received it and examined it from side to side, then said.

“That’s strange. It was alive when it was on your hand, but now it’s dead. Why is that?”

“It just becomes a decoration when it’s off my hand.”

“Ho? It only exhibits its original abilities when it’s on your hand? This is also not a normal state. Interesting. I’ll try to revive this ring too.”

“Can you do it?”

“Hmph. After provoking me so much, what are you asking? Are there any more items like this?”

At his words, Leo took out Arion’s greatsword from his pocket.

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

“If all of these are revived, do me one favor.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s drink without restraint.”

“……I think I might die.”

“Shouldn’t there be a reward for asking for difficult things?”

Leo, the greatest drinker among the great heroes, burst into a hollow laugh at Dweno’s words and said.

“Alright.”

Dweno grinned.

Leo, carrying the unconscious Driana under one arm, left the workshop, also carrying the nearly dead Iliana under his other arm.

Dweno, left alone, 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 this?’

To the unresponsive echo, his body trembled with fear.

‘Oh God… why do you not speak to me?’

The sudden situation led him into endless fear.

Then.

“Indeed, it’s hard to find. If it weren’t for me, you never would have found it.”

*Boom-*

As if an earthquake had struck, the ground shook.

Malice flickered on the face of the praying man.

“What are you?”

Seeing the one looking at him with eyes burning with hatred, the one who appeared spoke.

“King of Giants, Gias. Who am I? Can’t you tell by looking?”

A grotesque and hateful smile spread across his face.

“I am you.”