Anagin Chronicles

Chapter 075. Forge (2)

“The forge is on the 5th floor.”

Sanchonius explained as they headed down.

For reference, their current position was between the 8th and 7th floors, and they had already been walking for quite some time.

Because Chiron Tower was so enormous, even just going down to the next floor took a fair amount of time.

Still, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Since they had been walking for a while, they naturally ended up listening to Sanchonius’s “Special Lecture on Chiron Tower.”

“On the 5th floor forge, there are dwarves, the race of blacksmiths, as well as human blacksmiths who have received their teachings.”

“Then that forge must be huge too, right?”

When Anagin asked, guessing based on the immense scale of Chiron Tower, Sanchonius looked delighted.

“Yes! That’s right! You’ve got it exactly. Befitting Chiron Tower, the forge on the 5th floor is also enormous. Countless artisans train themselves day and night, creating innumerable works. Of course, not many people actually end up obtaining those treasures.”

Sanchonius was explaining a bit excessively. Still, as the saying goes, you can’t spit at a smiling face—he was enjoying himself so much that it was hard to stop him.

“The blacksmiths on the 5th floor are quite famous for their skill, so even other countries place orders with them. Of course, as a forge belonging to Chiron Tower, they don’t pursue profit alone. When external barbarians or monsters appear, they even donate weapons.”

However, if he didn’t stop him now, it felt like he’d end up hearing about the forge’s origins too, which Anagin didn’t particularly want to know. So Anagin tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. Hmm, what would be good.......

“Why is it on the 5th floor?”

“Huh?”

“I mean, why the 5th floor. After coming all the way down from the top, I started wondering.”

“Ah.... That’s because only disciples from the 5th floor onward can use the forge.”

5th-floor disciples? Anagin recalled the numbers embedded on the disciples’ chests. Were those used to distinguish floors?

“From the 5th floor onward, disciples can place custom orders for weapon crafting at the forge.”

“What about below the 5th floor?”

“They can’t place custom orders; they can only use mass-produced items made by the forge.”

“Wow, that’s pretty discriminatory.”

“No, not at all!”

Sanchonius, whose affection for Chiron Tower was exceptional, looked startled and immediately denied it. In a place that nurtured countless heroes, there couldn’t be discrimination.

“From the 1st to the 4th floor, there’s no need to commission weapons in the first place. Besides, a blade that’s too sharp is actually poison when its owner lacks the skill to handle it.”

It sounded like an excuse, but it was a fairly convincing line of reasoning. A weapon one couldn’t control was more likely to injure its owner than the enemy.

And although Anagin had called it discriminatory, honestly, it might be more problematic if just anyone could place orders.

“Then, can the brothers and sisters of the New Argonaut Expedition Team use it?”

Pais asked casually, tapping Sanchonius, who was walking in front.

“Of course. They are all 5th-floor disciples. All the arms they used were magic weapons commissioned from the forge.”

“Huh? They didn’t look like magic weapons, though?”

“A magic weapon doesn’t necessarily have flashy effects like shooting fire or lightning. In Lady Irida’s bow and arrows, for example, there are auxiliary enchantments that allow them to receive the blessing of wind more easily. As for the others, their weapons are inscribed with basic magic that lets them maintain sharpness longer and become more durable.”

Oh, that was interesting. Anagin felt intrigued.

Pais looked unconvinced, but Anagin, who had used the Beast Cleaver, could somewhat relate.

The Beast Cleaver also didn’t have any visible effects, but whenever he cut down beasts, the blade seemed to bite better.

‘Of course, it might just be my imagination.’

“And actually, it’s better to start magic weapons with such modest functions.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve only heard it in passing, so I don’t know the details, but apparently even objects have their own rank.”

“Like practitioners?”

“Yes! Weapons are the same. The deeper the experience gained through use, the higher the weapon’s rank becomes. And once the rank is high enough, you can engrave and reinforce it with stronger magic.”

Anagin looked at Sphinx. Sphinx nodded.

“That’s why people aiming for higher realms first receive magic weapons with modest enchantments, so they can grow together with them.”

At the romantic explanation, Pais’s eyes sparkled. A weapon that grows together with its owner—wasn’t that cool?

As he spoke, Pais pulled out his sling and asked Sanchonius whether it could be reinforced.

It was a sling Anagin had remade by unraveling the Infinite-Length Magic Rope.

“Of course it’s possible. An old item might look unimpressive at first glance, but in fact, that means it has depth. It will make excellent material.”

At Sanchonius’s exemplary answer, Pais was delighted.

“Then, Sancho, do you have a weapon like that too? A magic weapon?”

“Ah.... No, I don’t.”

“You’re not a 5th-floor disciple yet?”

“I’m not a disciple of the Tower; I’m an attendant. An attendant who supports the practitioners' training in Chiron Tower. So I can’t use the forge.”

Pais made a face that clearly said he didn’t understand.

During their time together, it was obvious that Sanchonius had worked harder than anyone else (second only to Sphinx).

With an interspatial space, carrying luggage was one thing, but setting up tents, preparing meals, and arranging sleeping quarters—Sanchonius had handled all of that.

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t fought either. Although the New Argonaut Expedition Team was the main fighting force, Sanchonius had helped them in battle and had also taken care of treating the wounded afterward.

And someone like that couldn’t use the forge? Even to the child Pais, it felt unfair.

As if he had read Pais’s thoughts, Sanchonius changed the topic this time.

“Ah, Chiron Tower doesn’t just have a forge. There’s also a clothing workshop, a stable, a tavern, and even a snack shop. I’ll introduce them to you later.”

Just as Sanchonius intended, Pais’s attention was immediately diverted.

When Kori, his older sister, asked if that was really okay, Sanchonius reassured her, saying that they were guests, so it was fine.

Well, since they had indeed been invited by Chiron, guests were guests, I suppose?

After that, whenever they passed a place that stood out, Sanchonius would give another entertaining explanation, continuing to talk about Chiron Tower. That was how they eventually arrived at the forge on the 5th floor.

“Oh, it’s just as you said.”

Just as Sanchonius had said, the forge was enormous, and it was crowded with people.

And then.......

“Yeah, get lost.”

It wasn’t easy. In many ways.

* * *

Chiron Tower’s 5th-Floor Forge was located in a secluded corner of the tower like an ordinary forge, but its overwhelming scale rendered that fact meaningless.

Within the vast space, anvils, workbenches, water troughs, and other tools were systematically arranged, while iron chains hanging from the ceiling moved furnaces filled with molten metal.

A forge dyed deep crimson by the molten metal held in its furnaces.

Beneath that red forge, dozens of blacksmiths exhaled breaths as hot as the molten iron itself, each fully absorbed in their own work.

A caster lowering the hanging furnace to make iron.

An assistant groaning as he hauled that iron away.

A blacksmith pounding red-hot steel—clang-! clang-!—with hammer blows.

Yet among them all, the one who stood out the most was a dwarf engraving letters into a finished piece, using a hammer and a peculiarly shaped chisel.

“That gentleman is Mr. Grumbal.”

Sanchonius pointed at a dwarf.

The dwarf was as small as a child, but his shoulders and legs were broad and solid like pillars, and his skin looked as if it were carved from stone.

His forehead was wide, his eyes large, his nose low and solid, and his beard was tangled and twisted like olive tree roots, hardened with iron dust and soot.

An appearance extraordinary in many ways. Perhaps because of that, he looked particularly ill-tempered and eccentric.

“Mr. Anagin. Before I introduce you to Mr. Grumbal, there is one thing I must say. If possible, please think just a bit more before you speak. He.... Mr. Grumbal has the stubbornness and pride characteristic of a great artisan, so his personality is, how should I put it.......”

“Fucking awful?”

“......Please be careful with exactly that kind of wording.”

Without affirming or denying it, Sanchonius warned him once more to keep it in mind.

Having more or less gotten the answer, Anagin nodded.

“That’s not hard. Don’t worry.”

“.......”

Sanchonius couldn’t bring himself to reply, maintaining a stiff smile. Being told not to worry only made him worry more.

Out of consideration for Sanchonius, Sphinx also gave another warning.

“Brother, if it gets hard to hold back, don’t forget that you’re the one asking for a favor. Artisans who can repair magical tools aren’t easy to come by.”

Anagin grumbled indignantly.

“Just what kind of image do I have that everyone is acting this way...... But, if I tell him I’m here as a guest, won't he do it? Like the guest of Mr. Chiron”.

Sphinx covered her face with both hands, unsure what to say, while Sanchonius desperately explained.

“Mr. Grumbal is someone even Lord Chiron treats with respect, so he can’t just order him around like that. He may ask politely for help, but if Mr. Grumbal refuses, we can’t force him.”

“Oh? Mutual respect?”

“Yes, yes!”

Worried that he might not have understood, Sanchonius nodded vigorously.

Anagin roughly grasped Chiron’s intent. He could arrange a meeting, but the request itself was up to them.

Nodding in understanding, Anagin followed Sanchonius, who approached Grumbal with rough thoughts and anxious eyes.

“Good day. Mr. Grumbal. It has been a while since we last met.”

“Hm? Sancho? A while? Where’ve you been?”

Grumbal replied while barely turning his head. Judging by his tone, he didn’t even seem to know that Sanchonius had left to accompany the New Argonaut Expedition Team.

As if he had expected this, Sanchonius responded smoothly.

“Yes, you don't need to worry about that”.

“I won't. More importantly, why are you here?”

“Ah, I have people I’d like to introduce to you. They are guests of Lord Chiron.”

“Guests?”

Grumbal turned his head just a little more, then went right back to focusing on his work.

Watching Grumbal continue in silence, Sanchonius spoke.

“They have a request they would like to make. That is—”

“Yeah, get lost.”

Before Sanchonius could even finish his sentence, Grumbal rejected him outright. It was obvious what the request would be.

If someone came looking for a blacksmith, it was either to have something made or to have something repaired.

Unfortunately, Grumbal had no intention of accepting either.

“Ah.......”

Faced with a firmness beyond expectations, Sanchonius couldn’t say anything more and looked to Anagin.

After a brief moment of thought, Anagin took a single step forward.

At that sight, Sanchonius and Sphinx—no, even Kori and Pais—were horrified. They feared Anagin might throw a punch.

But thankfully, Anagin chose the civilized method: conversation.

“May I ask why it can’t be done?”

And he even used polite speech! He was the one asking a favor, and the other party was an elder, so he showed courtesy!

However, Grumbal tested Anagin.

“Why the hell should I explain that to you? Don’t get in the way and piss off!”

“If you don’t say anything, I can interfere even more.”

“What? Are you insane? What, you gonna hit me or something?”

“No? I’m not some barbarian. I’ll just watch from a distance. Until you tell me.”

“You crazy bastard! Do whatever you want!”

Anagin did exactly that.

After leading the group out of the forge and leaving them in Sanchonius’s care, he watched Grumbal with eyes wide open, without sleeping or eating.

Continuously.

Continuously.

Continuously.

Continuously.

Continuously.

“This lunatic bastard.”

Until Grumbal finally started to care.