CH 23

[Attack on the Weirdo Blacksmith Gawain]

Thanks to Noelia’s guidance, we arrived at Gawain’s workshop without uselessly fighting the wyverns.

It is an isolated house built on a sprawling grassland.

There was a furnace for smithing, a wooden shed that seems to be a material storage room, and a main building that was also made of wood.

It’s an unreliable building for something that was built on the place where wyverns are looking for prey.

I wonder why did he operate a smithy in such a place.

…is he a person that can’t be communicated with?

I felt a little anxious about the great blacksmith who lives on such shack-like house-cum-workshop in this dangerous area.

“Frick-sama, Gawain-sama is a bit…unusual, but he’s also one of my magic masters after all, and I think he’s harmless, so don’t worry.”

Noelia’s monotonous words further exacerbate my anxiety.

And the reason I’m becoming more anxious is because Noelia’s eyes are swimming when she said that.

I wonder if it’s really okay…Ahh, I want a good sword, but I’m anxious.

“Ahh, I hope I can request him to make me a sword without any problems.”

“Well then, I’ll make a little preparation, so please wait a bit. Oh unseen air. Become a solid barrier and manifests yourself in the surroundings. Wind Barrier.”

Noelia activated Wind Barrier that’s used to protect self against arrow or flying object.

No way, is he a dangerous person that would suddenly shoot something like an arrow…?

Even though it’s said that he’s weirdo, for him to do such a thing…

I spontaneously put my hand on my sword and moved in front of Noelia.

“Frick-sama, please don’t worry. This is, for self-defense. I know the other party is harmless.”

“I see… I thought he would suddenly shoot an arrow y’know.”

“Arrow may be better. Ahh, but it doesn’t really hurt. Well then, let’s go.”

Noelia, who says something incomprehensible, knocked on the front door.

When the door was pulled vigorously, a huge figure suddenly popped out from inside.

Fast! What is this movement!

The movement of that figure was many times faster than ordinary person, and I couldn’t catch it even with my dynamic vision that doesn’t lose sight of Alfine’s sword.

“No~e~li~a~, you finally caame! Muu, what’s this barrier! I can’t touch my precious Noelia!”

The man who jumped out of the door was a burly middle-aged man with close-cropped hair.

The man was struggling against the Wind Barrier that covered Noelia.

Is this person the great blacksmith Gawain?

I glanced at Noelia to confirm if the man in front of us was the person we’re looking for.

Noelia nodded as she knew the intention of my gaze.

“Gawain-shishou, long time no see. I’m already an adult, so please refrain from excessive skinship.”

“I thought it’s been a long time since you showed up, but now you said such cold things towards your master. Just a bit is fine, right.”

“No, it’s not. Please refrain, mainly because it’ll decrease my mental strength.”

Noelia seems to be tough on her magic master Gawain.

I heard that there are many mages that Noelia became an apprentice of in order to learn various magic.

Gawain seems to be one of those mages.

His appearance looks like a stern close-cropped haired Oji-san and it would be convincing if he was said to be a blacksmith who mainly focuses on physical labor, and calling him a mage would be out of place.

“Umm… you’re Gawain-san, the blacksmith, right?”

Just in case, I asked the man who was struggling with the Wind Barrier for final confirmation.

“What’s wrong, brat? I’m definitely the blacksmith Gawain y’know.”

Gawain, who noticed my voice, turned his appraising-like gaze my way.

“Ah, the brat is…the one that was liked by the swordsmanship-idiot Lloyd…Frick, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m visiting to request you to make me a sword. Can you accept it?”

The appraising gaze from Gawain still remained, and I was feeling uncomfortable somewhere.

“Frick, if you can persuade Noelia to release her Wind Barrier and accept skinship with me, I’ll forge your sword for free. How is it? It’s a good condition right. Each sword I forge is worth not less than one million oz and they are all first rate sword.”

Gawain, who continued to appraise me, offered me the condition to make the sword.

I can see how good the quality of the sword he made by looking at Lloyd’s sword.

However, if I accept this condition, it will bring suffering to Noelia, who disliked him till she even put up a Wind Barrier, so it is an absolutely unacceptable condition.

“Noelia, let’s go back. I’ll ask the blacksmith in Youg Hannotes to make the sword.”

Noelia had a surprised face when she heard what I said.

“Eh? You want to go back? If I could stand it, he would forge the sword for free though…”

“I don’t want to get a good sword if it’s at the expense of others. Although the Frontier Count-sama might get angry, there were good swords in city too, so it’s fine.”

“Really? My sword is of distinguished quality not only in the frontier but the whole Kingdom you know. As a swordsman, don’t you want to use it?”

“Yes, but as I’ve said before, I’m not willing to sacrifice others. You can forget about the request. Well now, let’s go back, Noelia.”

When I turned around to leave, Gawain laughed out loud in the back.

When I looked back hearing that voice, Gawain nodded while laughing pleasantly.

“Wahaha! You’re also a strange man. Every swordsman will even throw everything away to get Gawain’s sword, and you said you don’t need it. You’re really an idiot. But, I love idiots and fools. My favorite Frick, accept my skinship.”

“What are you sa一一?”

“Frick-sama, please run away!”

Noelia told me to run away with a rare panicked voice.

What’s going on一一!?

Without understanding the situation, something collided with my body with tremendous force.

The object that collided with me was Gawain.

Immediately, my body is constricted with great force.

Despite struggling to escape, I was unable to shake myself from his enormous strength.

Even though I looked like this, I thought that I was stronger than other people, but I got shocked at the fact that I couldn’t get free from him.

“Gawain-shishou, you’re getting ahead of yourself. Becomes a cloud that invites sleep, and manifests in the surroundings. Sleep Cloud.”

When the cloud that came out of Noelia’s staff wrapped around me and Gawain, suddenly a drowsiness assaulted me and I couldn’t stay awake.