Book 1 Chapter 683

683.

Clang-! Clang-!

Driana was hammering.

Dweeno watched Driana silently.

"Come to think of it, I've never seen Driana make a weapon," Ennih said, stroking his chin as he murmured, watching the serious Driana.

"How skilled is Driana?"

In a corner of Dweeno's workshop.

Standing in front of the alchemy pot, stirring the bubbling contents, the sword replied.

"You'll probably be surprised if you see it."

"Well, considering that child's dexterity, I'm quite worried."

Recalling Driana, who only made all sorts of bizarre paintings and sculptures as a self-proclaimed artist, Ennih's face turned grim.

Diet, standing next to Ennih, clenched his fist.

"Let's see how well she makes it."

Diet, a smith candidate at Ibaldi.

He was the one who worked hard to become Dweeno's disciple.

However, that dream was crushed by the fact that an outsider, Driana, had become Dweeno's disciple.

Diet showed Driana the weapon he made, claiming he would check Driana's skill.

After examining the sword made by Diet, Driana pointed out its flaws perfectly, frustrating Diet.

And now it was Diet's turn to evaluate the sword made by Driana.

Watching Diet, Ennih tilted his head.

"She seems to have a good eye for identifying problems with weapons."

Iliana, who was listening to the conversation, asked the sword quietly.

"She's just being petty because her paintings were criticized, right?"

"Of course."

Karl recalled Driana's expression as she evaluated the sword Diet made earlier.

'What is this terrible finishing! The blade will get damaged quickly like this!'

'Why does this one sound like this? You! You messed up the heat control, didn't you!'

'Are you kidding me! You aspire to be Dweeno-nim's disciple while doing this! Give it up! I wouldn't teach someone like you either!'

Driana, even throwing away her usual manner of speaking, tried to belittle the sword Diet made.

Normally, she wouldn't criticize something made by someone else so harshly, but this time she attacked with blazing eyes.

"She's a dwarf as petty as her height."

Arga, sitting on a chair in the workshop, made a look of pity.

Clang-! Hwaak-!

Driana finished hammering.

Then, the flames were sucked into the blade, which was glowing red and emitting fire.

"Hoo."

Driana took a deep breath and plunged the sword into the water.

Chiiik-

With a fierce sound, steam billowed out.

Driana took out the blade, wiped it with a cloth, and placed it on the workshop table.

Ennih gasped at the sight.

"Wow… it's beautiful."

The sword made by Driana was close to a work of art.

A pattern on the blade that seemed to blaze like fire.

A blade surface that reflected faces like a mirror.

Diet also stared at the sword, mesmerized.

Watching him, Karl clicked his tongue.

'Of course. She's a genius recognized by Leo, even if she looks like this.'

Even as a fake, Driana had been imitating Dweeno's work since her first year.

Of course, Dweeno's weapons are not something that can be made simply by imitating their appearance.

But Driana had the ability to create convincing fakes.

She received smithing skills from Dweeno while clearing Dweeno's world with Leo's party.

During that process, Dweeno gave Driana his hammer.

What that meant was simple.

He recognized her as his disciple as a blacksmith.

'According to Leo, Dweeno 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 Dweeno's skills.

In that sense, just being recognized by Dweeno could give an idea of how brilliant a talent Driana had as a smith.

Since then, she has been consistently honing her smithing skills for a year.

'The training I'm receiving from Dweeno-nim now is just preparation for reaching a higher level.'

"This is a work of art in itself."

As Iliana murmured in a daze, Driana flicked her finger.

"That's not it. Now I'm going to make this sword a true work of art."

At those words, Diet was horrified.

"Hey! What more are you going to do here?!"

"First, I'll engrave patterns on the blade! Look! I'll show you how I'll transform this plain sword."

As Driana, with a triumphant expression, brought her hand to the sword.

*Thwack-!*

Dweeno's fist landed on the top of Driana's head.

Leaving Driana writhing on the floor clutching her head, Dweeno picked up the sword Driana had made.

"Excellent."

Everyone was surprised by Dweeno's brief praise.

"Diet."

"Yes."

"You look at it."

At Dweeno's words, Diet took the sword Driana had made with trembling hands.

Then he bit his lip tightly.

"It's… incomparably superior to mine."

"Right! I'm much better than someone like you!"

Driana, who had jumped up from her seat, teased Diet next to Dweeno.

"You said my dexterity was terrible and stuff. But I made this sword carelessly, and it's already this good."

"Yes… you're truly amazing."

"Do you get it now?"

Arga murmured, watching the boastful Driana.

"You made it by gritting your teeth."

"No. Why are you trampling on someone you acknowledge? It's embarrassing for us to watch."

"I know. Why is it our burden to be embarrassed?"

Karl and Arga grumbled.

Just then, Iliana brought something from a corner of the workshop.

"Let's see. Is this the drawing that the kid named Diet made?"

"Huh? What are you doing?!"

Diet was flustered.

"I was curious to see how well you drew."

Diet, who had boasted a few days ago that he could draw better than Driana even if he drew with his feet, had promised to bring a drawing.

The drawing in Iliana's hand was the result.

Iliana, moving quickly away from Diet and to Driana's side, handed him the drawing and rubbed her hands together.

"Oh my~ Driana-nim, Dweeno-nim's disciple. I brought this. As a reward, could you give me a sword next time…?"

"Heh. Shall I?"

Watching Iliana groveling to Driana like a sycophant, Arga murmured.

"She looks like a thoroughly despicable villain."

Karl sighed.

Diet's flushed face looked pathetic.

Driana unfurled the drawing with a triumphant look.

And then she froze with a crunch.

"Wow…"

Iliana gasped unintentionally.

"My goodness! Diet! Did you really draw this?"

Ennih asked, surprised after seeing the drawing, and Diet nodded.

"Yes."

Dweeno, who took the drawing from Driana's stiff hand, was also surprised.

"Amazing! Diet! You're definitely a genius!"

"Yes?"

"Such a beautiful night sky painting! Have you drawn before?"

"It, it's my first time!"

"Amazing!"

Watching the excited Dweeno, Arga and Karl also looked at Diet's drawing.

Students at the Heroic Academy also take liberal arts classes.

They often get to appreciate works of art.

Of course, except for Driana, Arga, Karl, and Iliana would be students who would yawn in such classes, but at least their eyes would be trained.

Even to the eyes of those three, Diet's painting was incredibly beautiful.

"How did you draw it?"

"Uh… it's like, I drew it while remembering the memory of seeing the night sky for the first time."

Watching the shy Diet, Dweeno nodded, then his face darkened.

"It's a shame. I wish I had known about such talent earlier…"

"It's not too late! Diet! Have you considered becoming an artist?"

Ennih asked with a bright smile, and Diet said resolutely.

"I want to make weapons! I want to become a great smith and help the warriors who fight for this world, even if just a little, like my late father!"

"You have a noble mindset, unlike some people."

Arga chuckled, looking at Driana, and Driana flinched.

"I know. Unlike someone who tried their best to needle a younger person."

Karl chimed in from the side, and Driana, with a reddened face, rushed at Karl.

"Why only me?!"

"That stupid cat avoids getting hit by being annoyingly evasive!"

Watching the commotion in the workshop, Iliana tilted her head.

"By the way, if Driana thinks such paintings are beautiful, her emotions are fine, so why are her own works so messy?"

"She said that she wants to make something like that too, but it gets messy when she tries her best. She uses all the methods she can to make it as beautiful as possible. So the result must look beautiful to her eyes."

"…She's cursed."

After hearing Arga's explanation, Iliana looked at Driana with pity.

After the commotion.

Ennih smiled sweetly, watching Driana looking dejectedly at Diet's drawing in one corner of the workshop, and Diet looking at Driana's sword in the opposite corner.

"I have a good idea."

"What is it?"

"Driana wants to learn drawing, and Diet wants to learn smithing skills. How about they teach each other? Since they are similar in age but have different values, I think they can inspire each other."

"Hmm. It doesn't seem like a bad idea."

Dweeno crossed his arms and nodded.

"Yes. Dweeno, you still have to teach Driana, but."

"Ennih, don't you also have to teach Driana drawing?"

"Wouldn't learning from Diet be more helpful to Driana than learning from me?"

At those words, Karl tilted his head.

"Isn't that just passing the buck to Diet…?"

"Ho ho ho ho. This older sister really dislikes quick-witted children."

"I'm sorry."

"You should say 'aunt' instead of 'older sister'," Dweeno said coldly.

Dweeno hit Ennih's head with his elbow.

And Ennih collapsed on the floor, clutching his elbow.

Ignoring Ennih, Dweeno called Driana and Diet.

"So, what do you two think?"

"I'm all for it!"

Diet said enthusiastically.

He acknowledged Driana's skill, so he welcomed the idea.

"I like it too."

Driana was also stimulated by Diet's drawing.

Nodding, the two began to talk in a corner of the workshop.

Watching them, Ennih smiled.

"It's great to be able to see new possibilities."

The sun had already set, and stars were appearing in the night sky.

The despairing day passed, and a hopeful night dawned.

"It's been a while since I've seen a view like this."

It was a scene I couldn't see when I was just struggling to survive.

***

Kwaga-gag-!

The head of the giant Lord Gigantes is crushed.

Kwaang-!

Watching the Lord Gigantes with its head crushed, Leo looked up at the sky.

A week had passed since they began their exploration.

Red flames swirled around the wriggling body of the Lord Gigantes.

Hwaruruk-

Leo, burning the Lord Gigantes with Zerdinger's aura, sheathed his sword.

'This completes the exploration of the area around the fortress.'

As he returned to where his party members were, Leo narrowed his eyes.

'Why can't I see the entrance?'