Chapter 227

Chapter 227
Chapter 227: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Hearing his own voice ring out unexpectedly, Sonkkeut stepped inside the blacksmith’s workshop to inspect the gemstone.

Just as the murmurs outside indicated, the crystal was completely devoid of any blemishes.

‘The dwarves must have been wrestling with this.’

To be fair, this turn of events wasn’t entirely unexpected.

From the exact moment the alchemy vessel cracked, a lingering premonition told me it wouldn’t be a simple task.

That was precisely why the job had been handed over to the dwarves in the first place.

After all, aren’t they the ones boasting the most profound expertise regarding gems throughout this settlement?

If even they fell short, it meant the material simply defied ordinary craftsmanship.

And Lion’s intuition proved spot-on.

They had fallen short.

Even so, that very failure ended up providing a valuable lead.

“Even if it remains a mere hypothesis, any insight will prove immensely helpful right now, so please share your thoughts.”

Prompted by Lion’s request, Sonkkeut nodded and began to speak.

“Actually, it’s a piece of folklore known to every single dwarf. It traces back to ancient times and is called ‘The Creations of the Dwarf King’…”

The tale itself was structured like a fable, crafted so that even young children could grasp the legendary prowess of the Dwarf King.

The Dwarf King possessed the ability to forge anything in the blink of an eye, yet certain creations demanded notoriously troublesome materials.

Driven by stubbornness, the hot-tempered monarch initially tried tackling the task alone and failed, only to eventually overcome the obstacles with someone’s guidance and assistance.

This particular gem shared that exact story.

-The hardest and most brilliant jewel in the world scoffed at the Dwarf King’s touch!

-Hmph! I don’t care for short-tempered, pint-sized dwarves like you!

-Stung by the harsh words, the dwarf wept and ran off into the deep forest.

-And that was where their paths crossed.

-The most magnificent and noble spirit in existence, capable of commanding every single element!

“A spirit?”

“Indeed, that’s correct.”

Sonkkeut proceeded to recount the remainder of the legend.

To sum up the rest of the narrative, the Dwarf King succeeded in shaping the gemstone thanks to the solace and aid provided by that all-elemental spirit.

Ever since that era, dwarves came to view any elements infused with the essence of spirits as the absolute pinnacle of crafting materials.

Much like how Mudu was currently operating within a workshop imbued with the fire spirit.

“……Oh.”

And yet.

That very spirit.

Doesn’t it seem rather familiar?

Turning his head, Lion glanced at the tiny bird perched comfortably on his shoulder.

*Flustered.*

Nature visibly quivered and quickly averted its gaze.

As everyone listened intently to Sonkkeut’s tale, Lion lowered his voice into a subtle ventriloquist murmur,

“Did your past really involve something like that?”

“Peep.”

Having avoided eye contact until now, Nature finally let out a heavy sigh and stared blankly into space with a wistful look.

It was an expression that seemed to say, ‘Ah, those were the golden days.’

At the same time, it carried a distinct embarrassment at having old history aired out by someone else’s lips.

A faint pink flush seemed to rise across its plump, yellow cheeks.

“So… if this crystal follows the same rules as the one in the fable, I doubt our current capabilities are enough to handle it.”

It was a rather discouraging verdict coming from craftsmen who would normally hammer away a thousand times over until they triumphed, yet it made complete sense.

The primary reason was self-evident.

It all came down to the spirit.

Modern dwarves could generally sense the presence of spirits, but direct communication remained beyond their reach.

Perhaps the ancient story had simply been embellished to highlight the legendary prowess of the Dwarf King.

Then came the second reason.

“After all, this was a tale centered around the Dwarf King.”

While the Dwarf King was revered by all kin, most viewed him as a purely mythical entity.

No matter how fond dwarves were of a good challenge, nobody would obsess over an impossibility.

There were plenty of other projects waiting to be done.

Observing the dwarves exchange glances that clearly signaled, ‘Doesn’t that mean it’s impossible?’, Lion shifted his attention back to Sonkkeut, who had introduced the legend.

‘She appears the most disappointed of all.’

Out of everyone gathered, Sonkkeut—who had just explained the situation—harbored the deepest regret.

Though she claimed she hadn’t been crafting new pieces lately, she was still a dwarf through and through.

The tools she hadn’t picked up in a long while, paired with a completely unprecedented gemstone, would have been the ultimate catalyst to reignite her dormant passion.

Mudu, having listened closely to the exchange, let out a quiet sigh of internal disappointment.

‘I really wanted to see Mother work with precious stones again. Such a pity.’

Back when Mudu was little, his mother’s hands were never idle.

He remembered returning late after competing with his younger siblings or village peers, only to find his mother still polishing gems under the lamplight.

It remained a unique yet comforting memory for a dwarf like Mudu… but.

Still, nobody could foolishly cling to an impossible task.

More importantly, the owner of the artifact appeared to have already given up.

“Is that so? What a shame.”

Feigning disappointment, Lion safely retrieved the crystal.

Even the artisans who made their living through gem-cutting voiced their regret but raised no objections to his decision.

Without leaving so much as a single scratch, how could anyone hope to work on it?

Especially not here, but all the way in the Asteri Territory.

“Um, if you ever happen to visit the Baidantis Territory down the road, would you mind letting us try again?”

“Indeed. We’ll have sharpened our craft by then, one way or another. Our techniques have certainly progressed lately, haven’t they?”

“Yes. If the opportunity arises, I’ll definitely drop by.”

They simply wanted to use the promise of a future visit as a form of consolation.

However, Lion had no intention of stopping there.

“By the way, regarding the crafting process itself—would it be possible for me to try my hand at it? I’ve suddenly grown quite curious.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve taken an interest in this?”

“It struck my fancy all of a sudden. Is there an expert dwarf around who could teach a beginner properly?”

Hearing those words, the dwarves exchanged quick looks before impulsively wrapping their short arms around one another and bumping their foreheads together.

*Whispers.*

“Indeed. Come to think of it, he acted rather strangely the last time we met.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case…”

“Besides, didn’t he mention he was a friend of Mudu’s?”

With a brief upward glance at Lion, followed by a quick look toward Sonkkeut, they slammed their foreheads together once more.

The impact was dynamic enough to sound like a splitting watermelon, yet being dwarves, they didn’t even flinch.

Finally, the representative who had concluded their hurried conference cleared his throat and gave his answer.

“Ahem, when it comes to tutoring a novice, our Sonkkeut is hands down the ideal candidate.”

“Quite right. We all learned our trade from her.”

“Off we go, then! Sonkkeut, please take the Young Master under your wing.”

“No, it would be far more appropriate for us to clear out of the room!”

“Indeed! Let’s head over to the tavern.”

“Mudu, make sure you tidy the place up thoroughly!”

“R-right…”

Moving as if on cue, the dwarves muttered awkwardly and hustled out of the workshop on their short legs.

An abrupt silence settled over the previously bustling room.

“Ohoho… what on earth has gotten into those fellows…”

Caught entirely off guard, Mudu’s mother offered a sheepish smile, her cheeks flushing as she nudged Mudu in the ribs with her elbow.

“Ugh.”

Clutching his midsection from the abrupt jab, Mudu seemed to snap back to reality and quickly chimed in.

“R-right. There isn’t a single artisan as skilled as my mother. I can personally vouch for her.”

“Oh, really? Coming from my dear ‘friend’ Mudu, that praise carries a lot of weight.”

Shamelessly leaning into the word ‘friend,’ Lion turned his gaze directly toward Sonkkeut.

“Would you be willing to give me a lesson, then?”

“My goodness. Why are you suddenly speaking with such formal politeness?”

“Even for a brief lesson, a master deserves proper respect. Hahaha. Besides, she is the finest smith in our territory—Mudu’s own mother.”

Just like any mother, she melted instantly at her child’s praise.

Unable to suppress her grin, Sonkkeut burst into a warm ‘Ohoho’ laugh and reached for an apron hanging on the wall.

It clearly belonged to Mudu’s personal collection, but since it was spotless, Mudu must have frantically cleaned it before his parents arrived.

“Let me go tidy a few things and I’ll call you over. Feel free to chat with Mudu in the meantime.”

With that, she stepped away to prepare the necessary tools.

The moment his mother vanished from view, Mudu hopped up onto a workshop chair and locked eyes with Lion.

“You absolute eccentric!”

“Hm?”

“Damn it, thank you!”

“……”

Perched on the chair, expecting some grand speech, Lion simply received a heartfelt expression of gratitude.

“I didn’t do anything that requires thanks.”

“Hmph! Don’t play dumb. I see right through you.”

See through what?

“You’re already fully capable of crafting this crystal, aren’t you?”

Mudu kept his voice to a whisper, straining to ensure his mother wouldn’t overhear.

“So you pulled all this off just to lift mine and Mother’s spirits, didn’t you?”

Catching every word of the barely audible whisper, Lion let out a hearty laugh.

“Is that so?”

“Ah, you’re denying it?”

“Yes. Half of that is correct, and the other half is off the mark. I can’t say for certain yet.”

“You mean you actually can do it?”

“Yes. Though it’s equally true that I need the assistance of a master gem-cutter.”

“…Ugh. Even I can’t wrap my head around your logic.”

Claiming he couldn’t do it while simultaneously implying he could—it made zero sense. Even so, this eccentric’s predictions had never proven wrong in the past.

And one crucial fact remained abundantly clear.

“In any case, your mother’s help is genuinely indispensable here, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. I’d like her to walk me through the fundamental techniques from the ground up.”

That part was the absolute truth.

Lion had already figured out the exact method required to handle the crystal.

At the very least, this time around, success was guaranteed.

After all, he intended to utilize the item discovered back at the Silling Shop.

“Ohoho, you’ve kept me waiting quite a bit, haven’t you? Shall we kick off the lesson now?”

“Yes. I’ll make sure to learn as diligently as possible.”

“Such boundless energy from a young man. Very well, let’s start with the proper posture.”

Sonkkeut poured her heart into teaching Lion the core fundamentals of gemstone crafting and polishing.

And Lion…

“…Oh my?”

He followed along with a level of intense, surprising focus.

Even Sonkkeut, who had trained countless dwarf apprentices throughout her life, couldn’t hide her astonishment.

Before long, polished and radiant gems began piling up beside Lion, driving Sonkkeut’s enthusiasm straight through the roof.

“My goodness. You’re the very first student who has ever kept pace this effortlessly!”

Mainly because she had finally found an apprentice who made teaching an absolute joy!

“This next step is a bit tricky—shall we tackle it together?”

“Yes!”

“Ohoho!”

“Hahaha!”

Watching the two of them from afar, Mudu shook his head slowly.

He could easily picture how this scene looked from an outsider’s perspective.

“Tsk.”

Even so, a strange warmth settled in his chest.

It had been an awfully long time since he last saw his mother’s face beam with such genuine radiance.

“Khrrr.”

Rubbing the back of his hand roughly across his face for no particular reason, Mudu sniffled.

Perhaps it was simply the emotional weight of seeing his mother so happy after all these years, but a stray tear—or perhaps a runny nose—kept threatening to spill over.

With Mudu’s quiet sniffles serving as background music, Lion continued dedicating himself to mastering the basics.