After wrapping up things I needed to handle at the guild, I decided to skip taking on any requests for the day.
Even mages deserved a day off once in a while.
Besides, after everything that had happened recently, my body was practically filing an official complaint.
“…Strategic recovery,” I muttered to myself with a solemn nod.
Definitely not laziness.
A tactical retreat from labor.
With that completely reasonable excuse firmly established, I left the guild hall with a clear destination in mind.
The blacksmith.
The materials I had received from my recent quest.
Selling them would earn a decent amount of Jewels, but turning them into equipment sounded far more appealing.
Money came and went, but a good weapon could save your life and, if thrown correctly, someone else’s life expectancy.
“I’ll have them forged into daggers.”
Not one or two, of course.
A proper handful.
The more the merrier.
After all, a single dagger was a weapon.
A dozen daggers?
That was a lifestyle.
More importantly, they would fit perfectly with my Rune Magic.
By engraving rune magic onto each blade beforehand, I could transform every dagger into more than just a projectile.
Some could detonate upon impact.
Others could unleash binding chains, flash bursts, or barriers the moment the runes were activated.
If I prepared the arrays carefully, I could even leave them scattered around the battlefield as hidden traps, waiting for some poor, unsuspecting fool to step exactly where I wanted.
“…Huh.”
The more I thought about it, the less it sounded like the fighting style of an honorable mage.
It sounded suspiciously like I was becoming a magical terrorist.
“…No.”
I shook my head immediately.
A tactical rune specialist.
That sounded much better.
Still, the concept reminded me of something from my previous world anime.
Ninja would attach explosive tags to kunai before hurling them, turning an ordinary throw into a deadly surprise.
Mine wasn’t all that different.
Replace paper talismans with rune arrays, chakra with Ethernano, and voilà, same recipe, different fantasy setting.
Honestly, whoever designed magic in this world had unknowingly created the perfect playground for someone who still remembered ninja tactics.
Poor future enemies.
They wouldn’t just have to worry about the dagger flying toward them.
They’d also have to worry about the six daggers they didn’t notice.
And if everything went according to plan…
The explosion behind them would merely be the punchline.
The moment I stepped into the blacksmith’s forge, a wave of scorching heat rolled over me like opening the door to an oven.
The rhythmic chorus of hammers striking glowing steel echoed throughout the workshop, each impact sending bright orange sparks dancing through the air.
The scent of burning charcoal mixed with hot iron clung to everything, while apprentices hurried back and forth carrying ingots, tools, and buckets of water.
Behind one of the larger anvils stood the master blacksmith, a broad-shouldered man with soot covering half his face.
He glanced up from the sword he was tempering and raised a thick eyebrow.
“Well now,” he rumbled.
“You’re not here to sharpen a kitchen knife, are you?”
I shook my head before placing the large leather sack onto his worktable.
“I’d like to commission a few weapons.”
“Oh?” His curiosity was piqued immediately.
Undoing the knot, I emptied the contents onto the sturdy table.
Clatter.
A mountain of monster bones spilled out, filling nearly the entire workspace.
“…”
“…”
The surrounding apprentices froze mid-step.
One of them blinked.
“…Boss?”
The blacksmith scratched his beard.
“…Should I ask?”
“Probably not.”
“Good answer.”
The old man nodded solemnly as though we had reached an unspoken agreement.
Monster materials weren’t exactly uncommon among mages.
Asking too many questions usually led to troublesome answers.
He picked up one of the bones, knocking it against the table before examining its density.
“Hmm… Strong.”
He grabbed another.
“This one’s got surprisingly little mana decay.”
Another.
“Clean cuts too…”
His eyes slowly narrowed before he looked back at me.
“How exactly did you gather all these?”
“I got them from my last quest.”
“…I’m suddenly not interested anymore.”
“A wise decision.”
He burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Fair enough, kid!”
I couldn’t help chuckling as well.
After the laughter died down, I pointed toward the pile.
“I want these forged into throwing daggers.”
“Daggers?”
“As many as the materials can make.”
The dwarf rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Not swords?”
“No.”
“Axes?”
“No.”
“Spears?”
“No.”
“…Crossbow bolts?”
“No.”
“…You’re really committed to the dagger idea.”
“They’re useful.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
He began sorting the larger bones from the smaller ones, occasionally making approving grunts.
“These’ll make fine blades.”
As he continued inspecting the materials, an idea that had been sitting in the back of my mind finally surfaced.
“Oh, actually…”
“Hm?”
I picked up the largest skull from the pile before laying it beside several long spinal bones.
“I’ve got one more request.”
The blacksmith leaned closer.
“I want these turned into a long staff.”
“With the skull mounted at the top and the spine forming the shaft.”
Silence.
The apprentices slowly looked toward the skull.
Then toward me.
Then back at the skull.
“…”
“…Kid.”
“Yeah?”
“…That’s horrifying.”
“It is?”
“It absolutely is.”
I tilted my head.
“I thought it’d look cool.”
The old dwarf stared at me for several long seconds before sighing.
“…You mages have strange tastes.”
“I’m taking that as a compliment.”
He rubbed the back of his neck before picking up the skull again.
“Hmm…”
He turned it over several times, tapping it with a small hammer while muttering to himself.
“…It’ll be tricky.”
“I figured.”
“The spine won’t naturally hold together. I’ll have to reinforce the inside with enchanted steel, bind the vertebrae so they don’t separate, then stabilize the mana flow throughout the entire structure.”
He paused.
“…Honestly, I kinda want to try.”
His eyes sparkled with the unmistakable excitement of a craftsman who had just been handed an unusual challenge.
One apprentice whispered to another.
“Boss has that look again.”
“The ‘I’m about to spend three sleepless nights inventing something unnecessary’ look?”
“Yep.”
The master blacksmith grinned.
“I’ve forged swords, halberds, war hammers, and even a frying pan enchanted to never burn food.”
“…That exists?”
“It does now.”
“…”
“But I’ve never made a bone staff with skull before.”
He cracked his knuckles enthusiastically.
“Leave it to me.”
I smiled.
“If you’re willing, then I’m looking forward to seeing the result.”
“I’ll make it worthy of being displayed.”
That alone was enough to convince me.
Even if I never used it in battle, having something this unique sitting in my room sounded pretty appealing.
Once the discussion about the designs was finished, I brushed the bone dust from my hands.
“So… how much is all this going to cost?”
The dwarf pulled out a notepad and began scribbling calculations, mumbling under his breath.
“Bones supplied by the client…”
“Minimal purification needed…”
“No mining costs…”
“Labor…”
“Mana reinforcement…”
He nodded to himself before looking up.
“The daggers are simple enough. Three days, maybe less if nothing goes wrong.”
“That’s quick.”
“They’re small. Most of the work is shaping and polishing.”
He then tapped the drawing of the bone staff.
“This monster, however…”
“I had a feeling.”
“…will take at least one to two weeks.”
“That long?”
He snorted.
“Kid, you’re asking me to turn a spine into a straight staff while making sure it doesn’t snap in half the first time you swing it. Then you want the skull mounted on top without looking like someone glued it there.”
“…Fair point.”
“This thing borders on art more than weapon crafting.”
“I don’t mind waiting.”
I still had my current long staff, and this commission was more of a collector’s piece than something I urgently needed for battle.
If anything, waiting only made me more curious to see the finished product.
The blacksmith finally flipped the notebook around for me to read.
“Each dagger will cost fifteen hundred jewels.”
That was cheaper than I expected.
“And the staff?”
He scratched his beard.
“two hundred thousand.”
“…”
“Normally it’d cost much more,” he quickly added.
“You’re providing every material yourself. You’re only paying for craftsmanship, reinforcement, and labor.”
Honestly, considering the complexity of what I had requested, it sounded like a bargain.
I wasn’t exactly struggling for money after my recent adventures anyway.
“Sounds fair.”
The blacksmith nodded.
“I’ll need half as a deposit.”
Without another word, I reached into my magic pouch and counted out the required amount before placing the neatly stacked jewels onto the counter.
Clink.
The old dwarf swept the coins into a lockbox with a satisfied grin.
“We’ll start today.”
“I’ll pay the remaining half when everything’s finished.”
“Deal.”
We shook hands, sealing the commission with a firm grip.
As I left the forge, the ringing of hammers resumed behind me, accompanied by the excited voices of the apprentices already arguing over how they were going to mount a monster’s skull onto a staff.
“…You know,” one of them muttered.
“What?”
“I still think this is the weirdest order we’ve ever received.”
The master blacksmith only laughed.
“Maybe.”
He lifted the massive skull onto his workbench with a grin that rivaled a child opening a birthday present.
“But it’ll definitely be the most memorable.”
After leaving the blacksmith behind, I didn’t have anywhere in particular to be.
No quests.
No training schedule.
No urgent errands.
For once, I was completely free.
“…I guess I’ll just wander around.”
With my hands tucked behind my head, I let my feet decide where to go as I strolled through Magnolia’s lively streets.
The air buzzed with laughter, merchants shouting over one another, children chasing each other through the crowd, and the rhythmic clanging of distant hammers from the smithy district.
It was…
nice.
No monsters trying to kill me.
No strict training.
Just an ordinary day.
“…Maybe this is what a vacation feels like.”
The comforting aroma of food suddenly drifted through the air.
My stomach immediately responded.
Growl…
“…Traitor.”
I looked down at my own stomach with narrowed eyes.
“I literally had breakfast not that long ago.”
Growl.
“…I see how it is.”
The stomach had spoken.
As someone wise probably never said…
Never argue with your stomach.
“…Fine. You win.”
I surrendered with a sigh before following the irresistible scent toward a small stall tucked between two shops.
A cheerful woman behind the counter greeted me the moment I stepped inside.
“Hello! Looking for anything in particular, young man?”
I glanced over the neatly arranged shelves, my eyes widening.
There were skewers, Chicken, beef and pork, even vegetable decorated with sauce glaze.
“…One of each?”
The woman blinked.
“…One of each?”
“…”
“…”
“…Actually, make that two of each.”
She burst into laughter.
“Now that’s the appetite of a growing boy!”
A few minutes later, I walked out carrying a paper bag almost as large as my torso.
“…Maybe I got a little carried away.”
I took a bite from one of the chicken skewers.
The Juicy chicken thigh meat cracked beneath my teeth before rich, juicy gravy and seasoned meat filled my mouth.
“…”
“…”
“…Worth every jewel.”
I nodded solemnly as though I had reached enlightenment.
Who needed profound life lessons when Meat skewers existed?
With my snack in hand, I continued wandering through Magnolia like an aimless tourist.
Every few streets seemed to offer something new.
One vendor sold grilled river fish seasoned with fragrant herbs over charcoal.
Another specialized in colorful fruit skewers coated in sweet syrup.
There were steaming bowls of creamy mushroom stew served with thick slices of toasted bread, sizzling sausages fresh from the grill, honey-glazed roasted nuts, fluffy pancakes drizzled with berry syrup, and frozen fruit desserts perfect for the warm afternoon.
“…So this is where my money is going.”
Not on magical books.
Not on weapons.
Not even on potions.
Food.
Absolutely food.
I drifted from restaurant to restaurant, ordering only their signature dish before moving on to the next place.
Every owner proudly claimed theirs was “the best in Magnolia,” and naturally, each insisted I try their specialty.
“You’ve never had our beef stew?”
“You should try the seafood pasta!”
“No, no, the roast chicken is today’s masterpiece!”
“Oh! Don’t leave without tasting dessert!”
“…At this rate, I’m going to become famous as the kid who eats through the entire shopping district.”
The thought alone almost made me laugh.
By the time the sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon, I’d sampled enough dishes to write an entire guidebook.
If someone asked me where to find the best bakery, I had an answer.
Best grilled fish?
Easy.
Best desserts?
Several, actually.
Best place to ruin your wallet?…
Far too many.
I stretched my arms above my head as I continued strolling through the lively streets, watching people come and go with relaxed smiles.
Sometimes, it was easy to forget that this world was filled with dangerous mages, terrifying monsters, and countless mysteries waiting beyond the horizon.
Today wasn’t about becoming stronger.
Today wasn’t about chasing power.
Today was simply about living.
And strangely enough…
I found myself enjoying that just as much.
The rest of the afternoon slipped away just like that.
Before I realized it, the orange glow of the setting sun had begun painting the rooftops in warm shades of amber, while the bustling marketplace slowly settled into the calmer rhythm of evening.
“…Already?” I looked up at the sky, blinking in surprise.
“Guess I really did waste the whole day.”
Not that I regretted it.
After everything that had happened over the past week the quests, the unexpected encounters, and the ridiculous amount of running around I figured I had earned a lazy day for once.
Stretching my arms above my head, I let out a satisfied yawn.
“Well… time to head home.”
Today wasn’t just any ordinary day.
It was the day Father and Mother were finally returning from the capital.
The thought alone was enough to make my heart race with anticipation.
It had only been a week since they left, yet the manor had felt strangely empty without them.
The familiar halls were quieter, meals were less lively, and even the servants seemed more reserved in their absence.
I hadn’t realized how much I relied on their presence until they were gone.
A smile crept onto my face as I imagined their reactions.
There was so much I wanted to tell them.
By the time I reached the manor, I found myself glancing toward the front gate every few minutes, listening for the distant rumble of carriage wheels.
Waiting had never been one of my strengths, but today, every passing second felt unbearably slow.
For once, I wasn’t waiting because I had to.
I was waiting because I genuinely missed them.
.
.
.
.
<Hey!
New Author here!
i just want to tell anyone who is reading this, thank you for taking a little time for reading my creation, this is just a little hobby for me.
hope you enjoy it and any comment, suggestion and opinion don’t be shy to tell me.
just be kind as much as possible that’s it thank you and i hope you have a nice day!>