Book 1 Chapter 683
683.
Clang-! Clang-!
Driana was hammering.
Dweno silently watched Driana.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Driana make weapons before?”
Enniha stroked her chin and mumbled, looking at the serious-looking Driana.
“How good is Driana?”
On one side of Dweno’s workshop.
Cal, standing in front of an alchemy pot and stirring its bubbling contents, replied.
“You’d probably be surprised if you saw it.”
“Well, looking at that child’s dexterity, I am quite worried.”
Enniha’s face turned serious, recalling Driana, who, as a self-proclaimed artist, only made bizarre paintings and sculptures.
Dit, standing next to Enniha, clenched his fists.
“Let’s see how well she makes it.”
Dit, Ivaldi’s smith apprentice candidate.
Dit had worked hard, wanting to become Dweno’s disciple.
But that dream was shattered by the fact that Driana, an outsider, became Dweno’s disciple.
Dit showed Driana the weapon he had made, claiming he would check Driana’s skill.
And Driana, after examining the sword Dit made, pointed out its flaws perfectly, frustrating Dit.
And this time, it was Dit’s turn to evaluate the sword Driana had made.
Enniha tilted her head, watching Dit.
“Judging by her ability to identify problems with weapons, she seems to have a good eye.”
Illiana, who was listening to the conversation, quietly asked Cal.
“Did she just act grumpy because he criticized her painting?”
“Of course.”
Cal recalled Driana’s expression earlier when she was evaluating the sword Dit had made.
‘What is this shoddy finishing? This will make the blade dull quickly!’
‘Why does this sound like this? You! You messed up the temperature control, didn’t you?’
‘Are you kidding me! You try to become Dweno-nim’s disciple doing it like this! Quit it! I wouldn’t teach someone like you!’
Driana, even throwing away her usual polite speech, somehow crushed the sword Dit made.
Normally, she would never criticize someone else’s creation so harshly, but this time, she attacked with fire in her eyes.
“She’s a dwarf as petty as her height.”
Ar, sitting on a chair in the workshop, made a disdainful expression.
Clang-! Whoosh-!
Driana finished hammering.
Then, flames were sucked into the glowing red blade that was spitting fire.
“Phew.”
Driana took a deep breath and plunged the sword into the water.
Chiiiiik-
A violent hiss echoed with a thick cloud of steam.
Driana pulled out the blade, wiped off the water with a cloth, and placed the blade on the workshop table.
Enniha gasped when she saw it.
“Wow… it’s beautiful.”
The blade Driana made was close to a work of art.
The pattern on the blade, as if burning like a flame.
The sword's surface reflected faces like a mirror.
Dit also stared at the sword, mesmerized.
Cal clicked his tongue, watching him.
‘Of course. Even if she looks like that, she’s a genius recognized by Leo.’
Even if it was a replica, Driana had been imitating Dweno’s works since her first year.
Of course, Dweno’s weapons are not something that can be made by simply imitating their appearance.
But Driana had the ability to create plausible fakes.
She received smithing techniques from Dweno during the process of conquering Dweno’s world with Leo’s party.
In that process, Dweno gave Driana his hammer.
What it implied was simple.
That he acknowledged her as his disciple as a blacksmith.
‘According to Leo, Dweno didn't teach anyone during the Age of Calamity.’
He made many weapons but never passed on his skills to anyone.
To be precise, there was no one who could learn Dweno’s techniques.
In that sense, just being recognized by Dweno allows one to guess how brilliant Driana’s talent as a smith is.
Since then, she has consistently practiced smithing techniques for a year.
‘Receiving training from Dweno-nim now is a preparatory process to reach a higher level than now.’
“This is a work of art in itself.”
As Illiana muttered, mesmerized, Driana wiggled her finger.
“No, it’s not. From now on, I will turn this sword into a true work of art.”
At her words, Dit was horrified.
“Hey! What more are you going to do here?!”
“First, I’ll engrave a pattern on the blade! Look! See what I do with this plain sword.”
The moment Driana, with a triumphant expression, brought her hand to the sword.
Thwack-!
Dweno’s fist landed on the crown of Driana’s head.
Leaving Driana clutching her head and rolling on the floor, Dweno picked up the sword Driana had made.
“Excellent.”
Everyone was surprised by Dweno’s short compliment.
“Dit.”
“Yes.”
“You look at it.”
At Dweno’s words, Dit took the sword Driana made with trembling hands.
Soon, he bit his lip tightly.
“It is… incomparably superior to mine.”
“That’s right! I’m much better than you, aren’t I?”
Driana, who had sprung to her feet, teased Dit from beside Dweno.
“You said my dexterity was terrible, and so on. But this is a sword I made casually.”
“Yes… you are truly amazing.”
“Do you know now?”
Ar muttered, watching the conceited Driana.
“Even though she made it with gritted teeth.”
“No. Why does she trample on someone she acknowledged like that? It makes us embarrassed to watch.”
“Indeed. Why is the embarrassment our share?”
Cal and Ar grumbled.
Then Illiana brought something from a corner of the workshop.
“Let’s see. This is the drawing that kid Dit drew, right?”
“Huh? What are you doing?!”
Dit was flustered.
“I’m curious how well he drew it.”
A few days ago, during an argument, Dit had claimed he could draw better than Driana even with his feet, and said he would bring a drawing.
The drawing in Illiana’s hand was the result of that.
Illiana quickly scurried past Dit to Driana, handed over the drawing, and rubbed her hands together.
“Oh dear~ Dweno-nim’s disciple, Driana-nim. I brought this. As a reward, next time, could you make me one sword, please….”
“Hmph. I suppose I can.”
Ar muttered, watching Illiana fawn over Driana like a sycophant.
“Her behavior is utterly despicable, like a villain.”
Cal sighed.
Dit’s reddened face looked pathetic.
Driana triumphantly unfolded the drawing.
And then she froze solid.
“Wow…”
Illiana gasped involuntarily.
“Oh my god! Dit! Did you really draw this?”
Enniha asked, surprised, after seeing the drawing, and Dit nodded.
“Yes.”
Dweno, who took the drawing from Driana’s stiff hands, was also surprised.
“Amazing! Dit! You are truly a genius!”
“Huh?”
“Such a beautiful night sky painting! Have you ever drawn before?”
“F-first time?”
“Remarkable!”
Ar and Cal also looked at Dit’s drawing, watching the excited Dweno.
Hero Academy students also take general education classes.
They often appreciate works of art.
Of course, excluding Driana, Ar, Cal, and Illiana are students who would yawn through such classes, but at least their eye for appreciation becomes sharper.
Even to their eyes, Dit’s drawing was incredibly beautiful.
“How did you draw it?”
“Well… I drew it while recalling my memory of seeing the night sky for the first time.”
Dweno nodded, looking at the embarrassed Dit, then his face saddened.
“What a pity. I wish I had known about this talent earlier…”
“It’s not too late now! Dit! Have you ever thought of becoming an artist?”
Enniha asked with a bright smile, and Dit said firmly.
“I want to make weapons! I want to become a great smith and help the warriors who fight for this world, just like my deceased father!”
“Unlike some people, that’s an excellent mindset.”
Ar grinned, looking at Driana, who flinched.
“Indeed. Unlike someone who did her best to provoke a child younger than herself.”
As Cal also chimed in, Driana, with a reddened face, lunged at Cal.
“Why only me?!”
“That stupid cat always dodges annoyingly even if I want to hit it, doesn’t it?!”
Illiana tilted her head, looking at the noisy workshop.
“By the way, if Driana thinks this kind of drawing is beautiful, then her sensibility is fine, so why are her own works so messed up?”
“She says she wants to make them like that too, but when she tries hard, they get messed up. She uses the best methods she can to make them as beautiful as possible. So, the results probably look pretty in her own eyes.”
“…She’s cursed.”
Illiana, who heard Ar’s explanation, looked at Driana with a pitying gaze.
After a brief commotion.
Enniha smiled gently, seeing Driana in one corner of the workshop looking at Dit’s drawing with a gloomy face, and Dit in the opposite corner looking at Driana’s sword.
“I have a good idea.”
“What is it?”
“Driana wants to learn drawing, and Dit wants to learn smithing, right? How about they teach each other? Since they are of similar age but have different values, I think they could inspire each other.”
“Hmm. That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”
Dweno folded his arms and nodded.
“Yes. Dweno. You’ll still have to teach Driana, though.”
“Enniha. Shouldn’t you also teach Driana how to draw?”
“Wouldn’t learning from Dit be much more helpful for Driana than learning from me?”
Cal tilted his head upon hearing that.
“Isn’t that just pushing it off onto Dit…?”
“Hohohoho. This unnie really dislikes sharp-witted children, you know?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not unnie, but ahjumma (auntie), wouldn’t it be?”
As Dweno said coldly, Enniha elbowed Dweno’s head.
And collapsed to the floor, clutching her elbow.
Dweno ignored Enniha and called Driana and Dit.
“So, what do you two think?”
“I like it!”
Dit said enthusiastically.
He welcomed the idea because he had acknowledged Driana’s skill.
“I like it too.”
Driana was also inspired by Dit’s drawing.
The two, nodding, talked in a corner of the workshop.
Enniha smiled faintly, watching them.
“It’s really nice to be able to see new possibilities.”
The sun had set, and stars were rising in the night sky.
The despairing day passed, and a hopeful night dawned.
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen a sight like this.”
It was a sight one couldn’t see in the days when merely surviving was a struggle.
***
Kwagagagak-!
The enormous head of the Lord Gigantes was crushed.
Kwaaaang-!
Leo looked up at the sky, watching the crushed-headed Lord Gigantes.
A week had already passed since they began their search.
Red flames swirled around the writhing body of the Lord Gigantes.
Hwaruk-
Leo, who had burned the Lord Gigantes with Zerdinger’s aura, put his sword back into its sheath.
‘With this, I’ve explored the entire area around the fortress.’
Leo narrowed his eyes as he returned to where his party members were.
‘Why can’t I see the entrance?’