The forge roared to life as if a barrel of oil had been poured into it, burning with a flame that was far brighter than usual and tinged with a deep, electric blue. The heat was so intense that even Ishtar had to take a step back.
When Andor returned with the water bucket, he froze at the sight.
"What in the world is this?" Andor asked, narrowing his eyes at the forge. "How fast did you pump that bellows, son? The coals... The coals are burning like the fires of hell!"
Ishtar wiped his sweaty forehead and tried to look innocent.
"I think the wind direction is on our side today, Dad. The airflow must be really good."
Andor cast a suspicious glance, but he didn't want to waste this tremendous heat. He immediately thrust the steel into the fire.
However, there was something Ishtar didn't know; the fire he had ignited using his [Divine Disciple] talent and Atiro manipulation was no ordinary fire. The steel forged in this flame was about to become far more than a normal sword.
Andor pulled out an object wrapped in cloth.
"Dad, what is that thing wrapped in cloth?" Ishtar asked.
Andor smiled and lifted the cloth covering the item. Ishtar couldn't believe his eyes.
It was Black Iron, for God's sake!
"D-Dad, where did you find this?"
"I helped a tribe during my travels long ago. In return for my kindness, they gifted this to me. With this fire, we can forge the Fourth Legendary Sword."
Ishtar's jaw dropped. Black Iron was an incredibly rare element in the Empire. There were only three swords in existence forged from Black Iron, and they were considered the most powerful weapons in history. These swords, once wielded by great heroes, were currently guarded by the three great noble families.
And now, they could create the fourth. This was a massive opportunity! If they succeeded, they would become renowned blacksmiths across the Empire.
"Come on, quick! Let's start hammering the iron, son. We have a lot of work to do!"
Startled by his father's excited voice, Ishtar shouted, "Okay, Dad!"
Ishtar and Andor began to hammer the iron. Clang! Clang! With every strike, the excitement in their hearts grew.
Hours passed. It was now six in the evening. They were still struggling with the iron, but its shape simply refused to change.
Ishtar and Andor were sweating like waterfalls, exhausted by both the scorching heat and the relentless hammering since morning. Suddenly, Andor's face fell. He threw his hammer aside and collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.
"I guess it won't work... Look at us, we've been trying since morning and haven't made any progress. I guess... we are not yet skilled enough to forge this iron."
Seeing his father's despair, a look of determination appeared on Ishtar's face. He crouched down and placed a hand on his father's broad shoulders.
"No, Dad! We can't give up yet. We haven't done our best. You are not a man who gives up so easily."
Hearing his son's words, a flame reignited in Andor's heart. "I'm sorry... Come on, let's keep hammering."
Ishtar and Andor resumed hammering the iron with renewed vigor. Suddenly, the words of the boy from his dream echoed in Ishtar's mind:
"Do you think casting magic isn't a craft?"
Blacksmithing was a craft, after all. What would happen if he combined blacksmithing with magic? Ishtar liked this idea and decided to try it. He began to recall what he had learned in his dream last night.
[Divine Disciple Talent Activated]
First, Ishtar felt the "Atiro" particles in the fire. Slowly, he smashed the carbon particles against each other.
BOOM!
The color of the fire turned a deep, mystical blue. Seeing this fire, the ambition in Andor's heart grew even stronger.
I did it, Ishtar thought.
Now it was the iron's turn. Ishtar imagined changing the nature of the particles within the metal.
Yes! The iron softened like chewing gum!
Andor and Ishtar began to hammer the metal, and after a while, they finally managed to shape the sword. Andor was astounded; he had never seen a sword blade like this in his life. If it looked like this before it was even finished, God only knew what it would look like when it was done!
It was nine o'clock at night. Finally, they finished the sword. Ishtar and Andor collapsed on the floor in front of their creation.
Ishtar shouted at the top of his lungs: "It's finally done!"
Andor smiled, his voice filled with relief. "Yes, Ishtar. We did it."
Ishtar and Andor fist-bumped. They had created a truly magnificent masterpiece. After the sword was forged and shaped, its color had changed; it had transformed from black to a brilliant Emerald Green. It shone like a jewel.
Andor went to his safe and took out a scabbard he had prepared long ago for the day he would make this sword. The scabbard was pure white, a perfect contrast to the emerald green of the blade. He took the sword and slid it into the scabbard. Indeed, the scabbard fit the sword perfectly.
Andor and Ishtar had created the 4th Legendary Sword in a single night.
But it was getting late; Nera must be worried about her husband and son.
Andor slowly extended the white-scabbarded sword, housing the emerald green gem within, toward Ishtar.
"Take this, Ishtar," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "This sword is yours."
Ishtar's eyes went wide with shock. He pulled his hands back and took a step away, looking terrified as if the sword might burn his hands.
"W-what? No, Dad! Are you crazy?" Ishtar stammered. His eyes were still fixed on the magnificent artifact in his father's hand. "This... This is the Fourth Legendary Sword! It was forged from the rarest metal in history, it holds magic inside it. I... I can't accept this. You deserve this, or we should present it to the Emperor. A kid like me can't carry such power!"
Andor shook his head and took a decisive step toward his son. He forcibly pressed the sword against Ishtar's chest, making his son hold it.
"Listen to me," Andor said, his voice stern yet filled with affection. "If I gave this sword to any noble in the Empire, or even the Emperor himself, my heart wouldn't be at ease. They would use this sword only for power and show. But you..."
Andor put a hand on his son's shoulder and looked into his eyes.
"I know your dream, Ishtar. I know what you think about when you look at the sky at night. You don't want to grow old in a blacksmith shop, standing by the fire and anvil. You want to be a Wandering Knight, to travel the world, to help the oppressed."
Ishtar swallowed hard. He hadn't guessed his father knew his dream so clearly. He lowered his head.
"But Dad, this sword is too valuable..."
"That is exactly why I am entrusting it to you," Andor said with a voice full of trust. "The world outside is cruel, son. If you are going to walk that path, you need a companion that will protect you from all kinds of danger, one that will never let you down. It was your perseverance and that unique talent inside you that shaped this sword. Its true owner is you. I can only entrust this sword to my son, a piece of my own flesh and blood."
Ishtar felt the weight of his father's words. To refuse now would be an insult to the great trust his father placed in him. With trembling hands, he grasped the hilt of the sword. The hilt fit into his hand perfectly, as if it had been created just for him. In that moment, he felt a strange, warm bond with the sword.
Andor smiled. "A wandering knight can't set off without a weapon, right?"
Ishtar wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at his father with pride.
"Thank you, Dad... I will protect it with my life."
After closing the shop, Ishtar and Andor began walking home. Ishtar had wrapped the sword in bandages because it attracted too much attention. Both were in high spirits today; they had achieved something great, after all. But they were also exhausted. They had been swinging hammers all day without stopping.
The moon shone brighter than usual tonight. The streets of Atlonda smelled, as always, of a mix of the sea and roses.
Andor looked thoughtfully at the sea horizon. How had that blue flame appeared? Even more surprising was how the iron, which refused to soften, had suddenly become as pliable as gum. Andor thought it might be a miracle from the gods, so he silently thanked the Five Gods.
Ishtar, on the other hand, was incredibly happy. He had a sword, and he had gained a new skill. He decided to call this skill "Magic Blacksmithing."
Suddenly, the status window opened.
[Congratulations! Side Skill Window Unlocked.]
A description appeared:
"Unlike the Talent Window, this window records learnable skills. The Talent Window contains talents given to you at birth which cannot be changed."
Ishtar was over the moon to see this on top of everything else. "Status Window," he said, checking his stats.
╔════════════════════════════════════╗
║ STATUS WINDOW ║
╚════════════════════════════════════╝
Name: Ishtar Ven Trangd
Species: Human (Awakened by Sky Blood)
Class: Undetermined
Title: Witness of the Apocalypse, Mage (New), Magic Blacksmith (New)
Level: 1
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 10
Agility: 9
Endurance: 15
Intelligence: 12
[TALENTS] (Innate)
Sky Eye (Passive): Allows the user to see the auras of magical items and living beings.
??? (Locked): Insufficient level.
Divine Disciple (Passive): Increases the learning speed of any skill in the world by 50x.
[SIDE SKILLS] (Learned)
Magic Blacksmithing
Magecraft
Ishtar's stats had increased dramatically; especially his endurance... It was probably due to forging the sword all day.
Ishtar decided to train his body starting tomorrow; if he was going to be a knight, he needed to have a strong physique.