Chapter 8

Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

Screeeeeeech-

The exchange of glances was brief. The moment Lion lifted his hand in a gentle wave, the children who had been hiding nearby came darting out in a flurry.

“Brother, what’s your name? I’m Golden Branch.”
“And I’m Jade Leaf.”

After introducing themselves, the two siblings grinned widely.

“Did you fix up the spirit, brother?”
“Are you a doctor, big brother?”
“I’m not a doctor.”
“Then are you a pharmacist?”
“Not a pharmacist either.”
“Well, what are you then?”
“An aspiring unemployed person.”

Hahaha. The pair burst into simultaneous laughter before firing off another inquiry. At their age, curiosity was practically endless. Lion found it rather amusing, but Mudu’s wife, who had been listening nearby, looked thoroughly alarmed and quickly pulled the kids back.

“Oh, goodness! Go run along and play outside! You’ll startle the Young Master!”
“He really is called Young Master!”
“Young Master!”
“You can just call me Lion.”
“Young Master sounds much cooler!”
“Alright, we’ll stick with Young Master, then!”
“Haha, sure.”

It had been so long since he had interacted with children that he felt a bit awkward, yet it was far from an unpleasant feeling. This leisurely moment—sitting in a humble home where a gentle breeze blew and warm sunlight poured in—naturally brought a sense of calm to his chest. Besides, watching the two short, chattering kids was undeniably cute.

“Ugh, out you go. Stop running laps inside the house!”

Despite their mother’s scolding, Jade Leaf, her hair tied up in twin pigtails, stubbornly clung to Lion’s side.

“Thank you! Dad was so happy.”
“Didn’t he smile and even give you a ride on an airplane earlier?”

Millionth Mudu turned out to be a much more domestic husband than expected. Judging by his booming voice at the blacksmith’s forge, one might have guessed he acted the same way at home. No wonder the children were growing up with such bright spirits.

Looking at the pair, Lion suddenly thought of his own younger sibling—Rikschel Asteri, the biological brother of Lion Asteri.

Rikschel Asteri.

‘From what I recall, he was quite prickly.’

He was a lot like Petrick: emotionless, cold, and entirely obsessed with results.

‘More than anything, I don’t think he cared for me very much.’

Well, he wasn’t a little kid anymore, so as long as they avoided crossing paths, everything should be fine. While Lion was deep in thought, Leah finally managed to shoo the children outside.

Then, the two kids…

Slap!

Right back against the window, peering in from the outside. Their chubby cheeks and noses were pressed flat against the glass, leaving faint smudges.

“Oh dear… I am so sorry, Young Master. The children just have too much energy… By the way, my name is Leah.”

Serving Lion a steaming bowl filled with mushrooms and boiled potatoes, Leah offered an apologetic smile, looking thoroughly embarrassed.

“Truly, I don’t know how I could ever repay this kindness…”
“It’s fine. Providing me with a place to rest is more than enough.”

Besides, Millionth Mudu would likely find his own way to return the favor. Lion replied offhandedly and took a sip of the soup. It was surprisingly flavorful, even without any pepper.

“My word, how can you just be so calm about…”

Leah seemed unaware of what he meant.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

Just as they were finishing up the soup and potatoes, the front door swung open and Millionth Mudu strode in.

“Honestly, why are you pushing yourself so hard when you’re this frail…”
“He says I overexerted myself.”
“Overexerted?”

Golden Branch and Jade Leaf were hanging off each of Mudu’s waistbands. Had he just come straight from the workshop? There were streaks of soot across his face.

“Ahem. Anyway, since you’re awake and you’ve eaten, let’s get moving. I’ve prepared everything.”

Upon arriving at the blacksmith shop, Lion finally understood what Mudu meant by “preparation.” Unlike yesterday, the workshop floor was entirely cleared out, and a brand-new counter had been installed. A sign on it read: “For Lion Asteri Only.”

“What is this?”
“I told you. I’ll craft whatever you request first, anytime. When we’re both busy, you can just jot down your orders right here, and I’ll make and deliver them. Well, that’s not important. Come on inside.”

Moving past the private counter, they stepped into the back section of the forge, where a generous supply of smelted iron was already stacked.

“Judging by your current stamina, jumping straight into the smelting process might knock you flat on your back, so I prepped the materials for you.”

Lion picked up one of the piled iron ingots and inspected it.

『Iron made by the descendant of a Dwarf』
-The iron ore was melted and smelted directly, making it easy to use.
-It is strong and sturdy.
-It is perfect as a base material.
『Usage – Blacksmithing』
『☞Click to view the recipe.』

Everything had been prepared by Mudu himself.

‘He’s genuinely going to teach me?’

As if reading his thoughts, Mudu crossed his arms and glared with his wide, bulging eyes.

“What, you didn’t think you were just going to watch, copy it once, and call it a day, did you?”

Learning directly from Millionth Mudu carried a heavy weight. To be completely honest, Lion hadn’t anticipated receiving this level of instruction.

‘As he mentioned, this is true artisan craft.’

Realistically, if the roles were reversed, Mudu probably wouldn’t want to pass it on.

‘He isn’t going to make a living as a blacksmith anyway.’

He was, after all, a scion of the Asteri family. Lion figured he could survive comfortably without any blacksmithing expertise, and he certainly hadn’t shown any burning passion for the trade up to this point. Yet, Mudu seemed fully determined to drill the craft into him. If that was the case, there was no reason not to make the most of it.

“Of course not. I hope you can teach me quickly.”
“Ha! That’s the spirit!”

Whatever you do, you do with total dedication! Mudu looked thoroughly pleased with Lion’s attitude. At first, he had pegged the kid as just another eccentric wanderer loitering about, but after witnessing him spot spirits and restore vitality with his own eyes, dismissing him as a mere rumor was no longer an option.

“Now then, I’ll give you a demonstration.”

Mudu promptly tossed a piece of iron into the roaring furnace.

“The temperature of the iron is crucial. You can’t just let it get red hot. If it melts down too much, it turns into useless molten slag.”

Unlike yesterday, the fire burned with its full, original intensity. The iron rapidly shifted from red to yellow, right before turning blindingly white. Using a pair of tongs, Mudu pulled the metal out, carried it to the anvil, and began hammering with a steady, rhythmic cadence.

Clang! Clang!

In just a few strikes, the iron bar began taking on the curved profile of a hoe.

“Control over your strength is key here. The blade needs to be thin and sharp, while the spine must remain thick and sturdy.”

Once the basic contour was set, he meticulously refined the shape and honed the edge against a whetstone. Finally, attaching the wooden handle…

“There. Simple enough, right?”

Any ordinary person would naturally respond with, “How on earth is that simple?” Anticipating this, Mudu quickly added:

“Hahaha! Well, no, it isn’t actually easy. But don’t you worry. This Millionth Mudu is right here to—”
“Can I use all of this iron?”

Lion’s counter-question threw him off.

“Huh? Oh—well, yes. I gathered it all for you to practice with.”
“Got it. Perfect.”

Wait, perfect what?

Before Mudu could ask, Lion unhesitatingly tossed a fresh piece of iron straight into the furnace. And then…

Clang! Clang!

He began hammering away without a single pause. Naturally, because his technique was raw, most of the iron failed to hold any proper shape, crumbling apart or cooling down into a misshapen mess. Every single attempt ended in failure.

Even so, Lion refused to stop. His hands holding the tongs shook violently, and the heavy recoil caused him to drop the hammer more than once, but he picked it right back up and kept swinging.

“Excuse me…”
Clang!
“If there’s anything I can help with…”
Clang!
“…the kid’s completely ignoring me. What an eccentric brat.”

Mudu shook his head, though a trace of awe crept into his expression. The level of sheer focus was incredible. At first, it looked like he was just blindly bashing the metal, but gradually, his movements smoothed out as he started getting a feel for the rhythm. More than that, he actually seemed to be enjoying himself.

‘Well now.’

To Mudu, the sight carried a certain reckless, youthful charm.

‘So young. Truly young.’

Isn’t that fearless age the foundation of being able to attempt anything? Sometimes it leads straight into a muddy pit of failure, but the ability to jump right back up on your feet… That was the true essence of it.

‘Guess I’m learning a thing or two from watching him, too.’

Instead of stopping him, Mudu stepped back and took on an assistant’s role. He tossed fresh iron into the furnace whenever it ran low and cleared away the useless scrap metal.

After a considerable amount of time passed…

“…!”

At some point, the nature of Lion’s strikes shifted. His hammer fell in a steady, unyielding cadence, and his grip on the tongs stabilized completely. Even his force distribution had evened out.

Mudu’s bulging eyes widened to the point of popping. And on Lion’s face, a genuine smile began to form.

‘Got it!’

Blacksmithing was no simple feat.

『Unfinished Hoe – Unrecoverable』
-Oh dear, you’ll have to melt this down and start again to reuse it.

He hadn’t even finished a proper item yet, repeatedly botching the process halfway through.

『Unfinished Hoe – 15%』
-It’s uncertain whether the hoe will be completed.

Still, Lion didn’t quit. He knew well enough that repetition was the only bridge to success.

『Unfinished Hoe – 40%』
-It is still an unfinished hoe. It will be usable if completed.

Yes, just like this. Gripping the heavy hammer tighter with trembling hands, Lion swung again. The physical toll was severe, muscles aching and skin scorched by the radiating heat of the white-hot metal, yet his enthusiasm never dipped. Sparks showered across the workshop with every impact, scattering cooling iron dust in their wake.

『Unfinished Hoe – 52%』
-It is still an unfinished hoe. It will be usable if completed.

Countless failures piled up alongside a tiny handful of minor breakthroughs. When Lion finally lost his grip and dropped the hammer to the floor, panting for breath:

『★Unfinished Hoe – 50%』
-It seems like a pretty good hoe will come out of this.

At last, a product he was genuinely satisfied with took shape. Simultaneously, a system notification echoed in his mind.

『You do not falter despite countless failures and awaken to a new talent!』
『New Talent: Blacksmithing』
『Blacksmithing Proficiency has become Apprentice Lv. 1.』

He had officially unlocked the blacksmithing talent.

“Th-that right there! Finish that one off!”

Mudu, who had been watching breathlessly from the sidelines, recognized the quality difference and shouted encouragement. Lion immediately picked up the pace for the remaining steps. Perhaps due to the newly awakened talent, the final polishing phase flowed naturally. He smoothed the edge with the whetstone and fitted the handle securely into place.

『★Asteri Made Hoe – 100%』
-A masterpiece by a beginner blacksmith.
-Gathering speed increases.
-The probability of obtaining higher-grade herbs when gathering increases.
-It is imbued with the energy of the Fire Spirit.

“Done! You crazy little eccentric! Not bad at all! You’ve actually got talent!”
“Does it look decent?”

Mudu bounced up and down on his short legs, waving his arms excitedly.

“Decent?! It’s miles better than what most journeyman smiths can turn out!”

The fire spirit played a part, certainly, but this was pure, unadulterated talent at work!

“Really?”
“Yes! So you have every right to be—”
“Now, teach me how to make a sickle.”

Lion’s flat, matter-of-fact request left even the veteran blacksmith completely speechless. How could a body that looked barely capable of standing generate such monstrous tenacity?

“Hahaha! Your drive is completely insane! Fine! You crazy eccentric… no, you absolute madman! I’ll teach you everything!”

Throwing his head back, Mudu let out a hearty laugh. Together, the two of them hammered out sickles until deep into the night.

The following morning arrived bright and clear.

“Thank you for everything, Mudu.”
“Don’t mention it. It was nothing.”

Having forged a strange, unexpected bond of friendship, Lion and Mudu shared a firm handshake. With the hoe and sickle now safely in hand, it was time to head back up into the mountains.

‘For Grandpa’s love!’

…Though, naturally, Lion still remained completely oblivious to the actual truth behind it all.