After finishing lunch, Ur hoisted the two doors onto his shoulders and left the small courtyard.
Oh, right.
Happy didn't follow along.
Because the fish Granny Isse kept at home were practically all the size of ordinary "fish kings." For Ur, that kind of portion was nothing special, but for Happy, one fish alone was probably enough to last three full meals, if not more.
On top of that, with Happy's innate gluttony, even when Ur was leaving, and Happy's belly was already bulging sky-high, he still couldn't stop stuffing food into his mouth with his little paws.
Thus, one of the three stalkers, Happy… was officially out of the game.
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Although the gold inside the two doors had already been refined out, the remaining material still weighed close to a thousand jin*. Even with Ur's current physical strength, carrying them made him feel a bit strained.
Fortunately, horses in this world were powerful. Otherwise, there was no guarantee the carriage could even haul those two doors.
Ur rode the carriage, still woozy and half-dazed, headed toward the center of Magnolia Town. Behind him, Erza and Natsu hurriedly followed.
Magnolia itself was a magic city with a long history.
Within the city were countless magic-related businesses, including all kinds of magic equipment, and, of course, blacksmith shops that specialized in forging such equipment.
The carriage finally stopped in front of a blacksmith shop called Dingley's Forge.
That's right.
Ur had come here today for one purpose: to reforge his weapon.
The raw materials for that weapon were none other than those two massive black doors!
Back then, those doors had taken a direct hit from Gildarts without suffering the slightest damage. Although much of that was due to the special enchantments on the doors, the fact that the material could withstand such enchantments already proved how extraordinary it was.
And with doors this large, even if a lot of material was lost during refinement, the amount left over would still be more than considerable.
This forge, Dingley's, was recommended to Ur by guild members as the best-reviewed blacksmith shop in the area. Sure, the prices were a little higher, just a tiny bit, but for Ur, who was currently flush with cash.
Money was not a problem.
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Carrying two massive black doors made Ur an instant spectacle. Just from their size alone, anyone could tell they were incredibly heavy, and someone capable of carrying them was clearly no ordinary person.
So the moment Ur stepped through the doors of the forge, someone came forward to greet him.
"Young man, what can we do for you?" the worker asked.
"I'd like to have a weapon forged. Is your master here?" Ur replied.
He set the two black doors down with a dull thud. The floor trembled slightly, making several apprentices' hearts jump as their faces turned pale.
Though these blacksmith apprentices were also mages, their strength was obviously nowhere near Ur's.
After Ur spoke, one apprentice hurriedly said, "H-he's here! Please wait a moment, sir. I'll go get our master right away!"
With that, the apprentice bolted toward the back courtyard as if he'd just seen a ghost.
Seeing this, Ur rubbed his chin in confusion.
"Am I really that scary?"
The apprentice returned quickly, and this time, he was accompanied by a burly, white-haired old man.
"So you're the one who's strong like a monster?" the old man said after giving Ur a curious look, blurting out the remark without warning.
Ur: "..."
Why did that sound like an insult?
Ur glanced at the apprentice who had gone to fetch the old man. Their eyes met, and the apprentice immediately turned away, looking awkward and embarrassed.
"Ahem… yes, Master Dingley. I'm here to ask you to help forge a weapon," Ur said helplessly, deciding to temporarily accept that description.
As he spoke, he handed over the fragments of his cheap sword and continued, "I'd like you to repair this long blade, and also use the materials from those doors to upgrade it."
He then briefly mentioned a few requirements for the new weapon, such as slightly lengthening the blade.
After that, he lifted the two massive doors again and set them down in front of Master Dingley with another heavy thud.
Once more, the apprentices turned pale at the sheer weight. Master Dingley, however, showed no such reaction. Instead, he glanced at the black doors with interest and said, "Well now, young man, you're quite strong. These things must weigh close to a thousand jin…"
"…Hmm?"
Compared to his apprentices, Master Dingley was far more experienced. Ur's strength alone wasn't enough to shock him.
But halfway through his sentence, his gaze suddenly locked onto the two black doors, as if he'd noticed something unusual. He let out a soft sound of surprise.
"These are…?"
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TN: A thousand jin is equivalent to 500 kg or 1,102.3 pounds.
Next Chapter: Does a Weapon Have a Soul?
Next Next Chapter: Who Are You, Really?
Next Next Next Chapter: An Unsolvable Proposition
