Episode 5

“I’m very sorry. I’d like to quit my job…”

“Ah!? You—what the hell are you saying like that!?”

It was Monday, and I immediately told Morgan, the head of the blacksmith division, but unsurprisingly—or exactly as I had expected—I was yelled at.

They don’t expect someone to quit on the spot, so I was only starting by expressing my intention to resign, but it already seemed like it would be difficult from there.

Morgan’s shouting drew reactions from the other blacksmiths in the blacksmith division.

Everyone gathered around Morgan. Perhaps because his comrades had come, Morgan grew even bolder in his manner.

“You ingrate—have you forgotten all the favors you’ve been shown until now!? Huh!?”

“That’s right! Who do you think has been taking care of a commoner like you!?”

“When you knew nothing of courtly manners, we taught you over and over, didn’t we!?”

“What do you think you’ll do if you quit here!? An incompetent like you won’t be able to survive out there!”

The stream of insults gave me a headache. It’s true they had taught me a lot, but that alone didn’t provide a reason to be satisfied or convinced by my current job.

My body trembled. If I took back my words and returned to my old life, at least I wouldn’t have to argue with them.

I scolded myself for trying to choose that route, and with a resolute attitude I glared back at Morgan.

…I’d been worn down, living here for nearly a year, but after talking with Alicia yesterday my fighting spirit had returned.

I glared at them with determination and replied.

“So please, let me quit. I can’t keep up with this work here anymore.”

Sure enough, meeting my glare, Morgan furrowed his brow.

He probably hadn’t expected me to talk back.

“What do you intend to do after leaving us? Have you already decided where you’ll be employed?”

“…Yes.”

I certainly had no intention of telling him where that job would be.

I couldn’t possibly say, “I’ve become Lady Alicia’s fiancé,” after all.

Morgan and the others’ faces turned sour at my words.

Then a corner of Morgan’s mouth curled into a grin.

“Show me your blacksmith qualification.”

“…Yes. What is it?”

I took out the blacksmith qualification that had been in my left chest pocket and handed it to Morgan.

It happened in the next moment. Morgan passed that card-like qualification to a man nearby.

Then the man grabbed a small hammer hanging at his waist and brought it down hard on my qualification.

A malicious cracking sound rang out. Morgan’s grin twisted, and the fruits of my efforts fluttered down in pieces before my eyes.

“With this, you have lost your blacksmith qualification. Now then…where exactly do you plan to get employed?”

Matching Morgan, his cronies lifted the corners of their mouths in smugness.

“Let me tell you, you can’t get it reissued either. After all, the management of blacksmith qualifications is under our jurisdiction.”

…Yeah, I know that all too well.

In other words, with this I could no longer do any blacksmithing anywhere in this country.

Morgan peered at my face with a mocking smile.

“If you want your blacksmith qualification back, you’ll stay here and keep working. Do a year more of menial tasks and we’ll bring in a new person and invite you to join the other side.”

They just want to prepare blacksmiths to be used like slaves.

To be blunt, it would probably be anyone. That’s precisely how I was able to become a royal court blacksmith.

Maybe if I worked hard for a year, I could go over to their side like they said.

…If that’s the case, all the more I didn’t want to stay here.

I didn’t want to be like them, threatening and using those in weaker positions.

“I’m no longer a blacksmith… so I’ll be taking my leave.”

I said that proudly.