Episode 2

It smells nice.

It feels soft.

…What is it?

“Ah, Faik… wake up. If you sleep here you’ll catch a cold.”

When I opened my eyes to that familiar voice, a woman was there.

When our eyes met, she gave a modest smile.

“…Huh?”

I looked around. The first thing I saw was the clock in the workshop. It was past 9 a.m.

And the room was an Enchantment workshop attached to the blacksmith division.

Maybe because I was staying overnight for work, I had fallen asleep without noticing.

My awareness slowly returned, and I suddenly looked at the woman.

She tilted her head so her chestnut hair swayed and peered at me. Caught in her large eyes, I quickly straightened my spine.

She was… the daughter of the neighboring country’s duke!

“I-I’m so sorry! I’m in such a state…!”

I hadn’t even washed yesterday.

The woman who smiled and told me not to worry about my state was Lady Alicia.

She was the neighboring country’s ducal daughter and the third-born; because her parents ordered that she marry a blacksmith, she often visited this blacksmith division.

Apparently Lady Alicia’s family originally came from blacksmiths. So they make sure that some talented blacksmith blood is mixed into their children.

That said, Lady Alicia is a noble of the neighboring country.

She only comes to this court for the occasional ball or social event, maybe once a month or less.

“Don’t worry about it. But… Faik. Your cheek is injured, did you know?”

“Huh? Ah… n-no, it’s nothing!”

It was probably because Morgan hit me yesterday. When I reached toward the spot Lady Alicia pointed out, it throbbed. It had probably become a bruise.

I didn’t want only Lady Alicia to find out that I was being bullied in this blacksmith division.

It’s because I… like Lady Alicia. I don’t want her to see me in such a pitiful state.

I don’t mind if she laughs at my pathetic pride. Still, I couldn’t show this weakness to Lady Alicia alone.

“Is that so? Did you maybe bump it against something?”

“Y-yeah… ahaha.”

I sat to hide my cheek, then gripped the knight sword again.

Lady Alicia stared quietly at the room.

“The weapons placed in this room… are they in the middle of Enchantment now?”

“Ah, well, yes.”

“Um… by yourself?”

I flinched.

Lady Alicia tilted her head in puzzlement.

“This amount… it’s tough for one person. A-are you doing all of them…?”

When Lady Alicia visited, the other blacksmith division members were usually there too.

However, it seemed the blacksmith division people hadn’t expected her visit today, and I found myself caught in a situation where they’d shoved the work onto me.

“W-well, that’s right. I’m the lowest-ranking, after all.”

“…I see. Being a blacksmith is tough. But amazing. To be able to deal with this amount. As expected of a court blacksmith.”

“I’m not that amazing.”

“It’s amazing. There’s so many. Clearing them all by yourself… you’re talented, aren’t you?”

Talented… that’s not true.

Because everyone keeps calling me useless…

No good. I’m no good.

I had decided to be a strong man in front of Lady Alicia.

Faced with Lady Alicia’s softly smiling face, I finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Faik? Wha-what’s wrong!?”

“Huh?”

The moment I realized there was something warm running down my cheek.

I couldn’t hold my tears back.