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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Peptobismol]
[Proofreader – Demon God]
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The griffin slowly made its descent, landing gracefully. The runway carved from the glacier shimmered faintly in a pale white hue. Ronan, the first to step off, thudded his feet on the ground.
“Wow, it’s really ice.”
Even stepping on it himself, he couldn’t believe it. He wondered how they had come up with such a crazy idea. After patting the griffin’s head, he reached out to Adeshan.
“Come on, get down.”
“Th-Thanks…”Adeshan, hesitating, took Ronan’s hand. It was a small kind gesture that was common even before, but now it felt different. Ronan, seeing her with her head down, asked with concern.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“N-No, it’s nothing.”
Adeshan replied, avoiding eye contact and lowering her head further. She felt happy and embarrassed, yet also a little shy. Unlike her, who still felt like her face was about to burst, Ronan’s attitude remained as casual as ever. After what he had just done.
‘He’s definitely had a lot of relationships other than me.’
Even though she knew she couldn’t help it, she felt a little resentful. While she had never even had a crush, let alone a relationship. Of course, Ronan was going through his own struggles.
‘Oh man, this is serious.’
Once he started to become conscious of it, she began to look beautiful. Despite pretending to be indifferent, after their kiss, he remained in this state. In a way, it was more serious for Ronan, who had never felt the emotion of love for another person even in his two lifetimes.
He wanted to confirm the touch of each other’s lips or even check their texture, but it couldn’t be done. He had to focus his attention elsewhere. Taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, he looked around.
“By the way, where do we go in?”
There was no entrance visible on the vast ice plain. However, judging by the rhythmic sound of hammering coming from below, there was undoubtedly a forge inside. Raising her head, Adeshan spoke.
“Let’s take a look around. It might take a while…”
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Ronan nodded. They needed to find the entrance quickly to prevent the griffin from freezing. Suddenly, a loud, gruff voice sounded from behind the two.
“What’s this, visitors?”
“Huh?”
For some reason, the voice sounded familiar. Both Ronan and Adeshan turned almost simultaneously. Standing about twenty steps away, a man a head taller both of them was dressed in a sleeveless shirt.
“Who are you…?”
“Wow, what luck to stumble upon this place while sailing the seas.”
As if in awe, the large man muttered to himself. He held a large bucket in each hand. It seemed more like he had stumbled upon them while working rather than coming to greet them. He spoke:
“It’s cold here. Let me guide you to the entrance.”
His kind demeanor contrasted with his rugged appearance. The large man was about to turn away. Ronan, who had been scrutinizing him closely, raised an eyebrow.
“Wait a minute, aren’t you Dydican?”
“How do you know that name…”
Staring intently at Ronan, the large man dropped the buckets. Thud! A transparent liquid, the purpose of which was unclear, spilled out with a gurgle. The large man’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.
“Oh my goodness, Ronan?”
“That’s right.”
It became clearer as he looked at the man, who was staring at him incredulously. The man’s identity was Dydican, the werewolf blacksmith from Gran Cappadocia. He was the eccentric inventor who created a machine that could turn a moment into eternity.
“How long has it been? I heard rumors that you completed your mission and returned.”
“It’s been a little over two years. You’ve grown a nice beard.”
“Haha, suits me, doesn’t it? And who’s this lady with you after such a long time?”
“Umm, hello…”
Adeshan, who had been standing quietly, bowed her waist and greeted him. Dydican, whom they had seen after a long time, was in a human form.
With his beard grown ruggedly, his naturally intimidating appearance seemed somewhat softened. It was truly a strange reunion. Ronan gave his arm a friendly pat.
“Anyway, why are you here? What about Gran Cappadocia and Lord Dolon?”
“Dolon said it would be a good experience. He sent me to learn for about two or three years and then come back. The sense of time is like that of the long-living races.”
Dydican shook his head in disbelief. But judging by the smile on his lips, he didn’t seem to have any complaints. He picked up the buckets and turned around.
“Anyway, follow me. I’ll take you to our master.”
“Master?”
“Yeah. The blacksmith who teaches me here, the master’s skills are truly remarkable. Entrust me with the reins.”
“Oh, alright.”
Ronan agreed, and Dydican, now holding the griffin’s reins, set off. The two followed him.
It took longer than expected to walk because of the vastness of the area. The night sea, bathed in the aurora lights, was beautiful. The sound of waves crashing under the colorful lights was still audible.
Upon reaching one end of the glacier, they found a downhill path made of stone. From here, they could occasionally encounter people who looked like blacksmiths or laborers. As they chatted and caught up on missed stories, Dydican suddenly exclaimed in surprise.
“Wait, was it you who rescued us?! And was it you who killed Jaeger?”
“Someone else killed Jaeger, not me. He was pathetic, but his end was grand.”
“I can’t believe it. Come to think of it, I heard that it was two humans who saved us, but I never thought it’d be you guys…”
Dydican stuttered his words. The blacksmiths kidnapped by Jaeger’s subordinates accounted for about thirty percent of the total.
The remaining people of Aurora Skar had staged a siege for about a month, with the door firmly locked. However, the forge continued to operate even during this time, as they knew no one could penetrate this fortress of ice. Dydican exclaimed with some excitement.
“If that’s true, you guys are heroes. I’m not sure how to express my gratitude.”
“Gratitude is unnecessary, just make me some good equipment.”
“No problem. I’ll handle that well, so don’t worry. Oh, here, please take care of this.”
Suddenly, Dydican handed the griffin’s reins to a young man they encountered at a crossroads. The young man skillfully accepted the reins. He looked at the griffin’s back and spoke.
“Don’t worry about the griffin. Our stables are as well insulated as our lodgings.”
“That’s what you say now, but it better not end up becoming a frozen chicken later.”
“Haha, depending on the constitution, some people sweat even when they sleep in short sleeves. Well, we’re here now.”
After walking for a while, Dydican finally stopped. The stone door embedded in the ice was high and wide enough for giants to enter without bowing their heads.
As the stone door opened, a fairly long corridor appeared. The sound of hammering grew louder with each step. As they stepped out of the corridor, the true appearance of Aurora Skar unfolded before them.
“So, welcome to Aurora Skar, the world’s only mobile forge.”
Dydican said with an enthusiastic voice. The mouths of the two dropped open. Adeshan, who had been quiet all along, exclaimed in admiration.
“Wow…”
“Amazing.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Peptobismol]
[Proofreader – Demon God]
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Ronan also nodded in acknowledgment. The vast space was comparable to the grand banquet hall of the Imperial Palace, although not as glamorous, it had its own rugged charm.
Most of the elements comprising the interior—floor, walls, ceiling, pillars—were made of bluish ice. It was essentially a battleship carved from ice. People bustled around, chatting loudly.
“Hey, bring me some condensed water!”
“We need to feed the light before this aurora ends. Hurry!”
“What happened to the weapons commissioned by the black man?”
Although warmer than outside, it was still incredibly cold, so they were still wearing thick fur coats. It seemed just as busy as Gran Cappadocia, but if there was a difference, it was that there was an abundance of energy even at night, and words not heard in conventional forges were occasionally spoken. Ronan raised an eyebrow.
“What’s condensing water?”
“It’s a liquid applied to metal and equipment to facilitate the absorption of aurora energy. Remember what I spilled earlier? ‘Feeding light’ refers to moving the equipment outside and applying condensing water?. It’s a general term for the act.”
“Aha… I see”
Ronan’s eyebrows furrowed. Despite the kind explanation, he still couldn’t understand what was being said. Dydican, who was guiding the two people, suddenly rolled up his hands and shouted.
“Hey, where’s Katan?”
“Katan?”
Perhaps because he was a giant, his voice was certainly loud. One of the workers who had been chatting turned his head to answer.
“In the third workshop. Are these two guests?”
“Yeah. But they’re not just ordinary guests, they’re the heroes who saved Aurora Skar. It’s thanks to these two that our fellow brothers kidnapped by Jaeger were released.”
“What?”
The workers all turned their attention. They seemed curious, but Dydican ignored them and continued walking.
“It would be better to talk after the commission. They’re all chatterboxes.”
“That might be better.”
Ronan nodded. Crossing the square, they arrived at a room after passing several stairs and corridors. A large sign saying “Third Workshop” was attached to the wall.
The spacious area, carved from the glacier, was as wide as putting together several ordinary forges. The first thing that caught their eyes was the ice furnace and the blue flames flickering inside.
“These flames are produced by special ore as fuel. They’re much hotter than regular flames.”
Even though there was considerable heat, it was surprising that the ice didn’t melt. Around the furnace, about six blacksmiths were each working on their own tasks.
Some were hammering, while others were tempering newly forged blades by plunging them into the ice. Dydican approached a woman standing with her arms crossed, gazing at the furnace.
“Master.”
Dydican called out, but there was no response. She wore wide pants and a daring outfit that covered only her chest.
However, she didn’t particularly exude sensuality, perhaps due to her short, closely cropped hair and impressively thick forearms, reminiscent of a man’s. Her muscular back was adorned with a tattoo of a dragon.
‘That’s amazing.’
Even without weapons, she seemed capable of handling ten men at once. Seeing her demeanor, Ronan understood why Dydican was being respectful despite his usual arrogance. Dydican cleared his throat nervously.
“Um, Master. I’ve brought guests.”
“Dydican, is it? Guests, you say?”
“Yes. They’ve come to find the most skilled blacksmith in Aurora Skar. They are also the benefactors who got rid of Jaeger’s soldiers.””
“What?”
The woman finally turned around, revealing a set of well-defined abs. Her features, in contrast to her wild physique, were rather beautiful. Dydican gestured toward the woman as he spoke.
“Ronan, this is my master, Katan. She’s the best blacksmith in Aurora Skar.”
“I won’t deny it. But how could such younglings save us?”
“Well, you see…”
The woman called Katan coolly acknowledged herself as the best blacksmith. Dydican briefly explained the truth of the events he had heard from Ronan. She, who alternated her gaze between Ronan and Adeshan, let out a small sigh.
“Hah, it seems to be true. To have such energy at such a young age… Please forgive me for calling you youngsters based on appearances alone.”
“It’s okay. You apologized quickly, and I’m used to such treatment.”
“Thank you. As Dydican mentioned, my name is Katan. I sincerely thank you for rescuing our fellow comrades.”
Katan extended her hand for a handshake. Ronan, without much thought, shook her hand, feeling somewhat startled. It felt like touching tree bark rather than a person’s hand, due to the stubborn calluses and scars.
‘There was a reason for her confidence.’
Ronan chuckled softly. With just one handshake, he could somewhat gauge Katan’s level. She was undoubtedly an incredibly skilled blacksmith. She spoke again.
“Well, now tell me what you’ve come for. Seeing as you came at such a time, it doesn’t seem like an ordinary matter.”
“It’s not particularly urgent… but let’s start with this.”
Ronan, who was rummaging through his pouch, suddenly handed her an elegant envelope. It was a letter of recommendation written by the elders of the Festival of Swords. Katan whistled as she read the recommendation letter.
“Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a recommendation letter like this. It’s the first time I’ve seen the old bastards of Heiran give such high praise.”
“What does it say?”
“It’s a sight to behold. I’m sure you’ll feel flattered when you read it, so read it on days when you feel your self-esteem is low.”
Katan chuckled. It seemed to be filled with heartfelt gratitude. After returning the recommendation letter, she spoke.
“I really need to work hard on this. It’s about time the black man arrives, so let’s start as soon as he leaves.”
“The black man?”
“Yeah. There’s a guest who always comes around this time. I saw earlier that the weapons he commissioned seemed to be finally completed, so let’s start by handing those over.”
Ronan raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term. He was about to say something when a palpably ominous and intense aura flashed behind him.
“What the hell?”
Every hair on his body stood on end. An oppressive feeling that could never be felt in daily life weighed down on his shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
“Ronan? What’s wrong?”
Adeshan and Katan raised their eyebrows. The blacksmiths continued their work as if nothing had happened. Ronan, having caught his breath, spoke up.
“…Are you two not feeling anything?”
“Hmm…? What do you mean?”
It seemed that everyone else except him didn’t feel anything. While it was understandable for Katan, it was strange that the sensitive Adeshan didn’t feel anything either. At that moment, a strange voice came from behind Ronan.
【Hey, is what I commissioned ready yet?】
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Peptobismol]
[Proofreader – Demon God]
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