In his previous life, Leo had learned the secret of Gray Troll Hide from a Barbarian Blacksmith who had been taken prisoner.
He had said that using their special technique would double its effectiveness.
But the process was difficult, so difficult that only an experienced blacksmith could attempt it.
If even the Barbarian Blacksmith who knew the technique said as much, how much harder would it be for the kingdom’s blacksmiths?
So Leo had wrestled with the problem.
How should he refine it?
Then, one particular story came to mind.
‘I have a master who was exiled from our people twenty years ago.’
In his previous life, that blacksmith had been guaranteed a certain standard of living despite being a prisoner.
That was because his skills had been truly remarkable and useful. Later, unable to bear the pain of killing his own people with weapons he had made, he took his own life, but…….
In any case, Leo had managed to build some rapport with him and had once heard about his master.
The man had not only been an outstanding blacksmith, but also possessed such a brilliant mind that he was recognized for his learning.
‘Every winter, we fear invasions by monsters, and when our food runs out, a third of our people die. To prevent such tragedies, we must join hands with the kingdom.’
The man’s master, Jakus Regilo, had traveled around preaching those ideas.
However, the barbarians branded him a traitor and sentenced him to death.
While imprisoned and awaiting execution, he had barely managed to escape with the help of his disciples, and had ended his days here in Ril Village.
Even on the way here, Leo had wondered how a barbarian could have settled in a village of the kingdom. But when he saw the state of Ril Village upon entering, he could not help but nod in understanding.
“How do you know that greeting and my name?”
“How do you think?”
Despite young Leo’s casual speech, Jakus showed no sign of offense.
After all, he had ‘once’ been a barbarian, but had now been a citizen of the kingdom for twenty years.
He had fully embraced the culture in which those of higher status could speak down to those beneath them, no matter how young they were.
“Can’t you think of anything?”
At Leo’s answering question, Jakus fell into thought, then sighed and replied.
“Nothing at all…… The people who know that I settled here…….”
The murderous force with which he had charged at Leo eased somewhat.
The reason was the four syllables that had left Leo’s lips: Valantes.
Valantes.
It was the house the barbarians feared and hated more than any other in the kingdom.
But fear alone was not why Jakus had reined himself in.
Though he hated House Valantes, he also regarded it with a measure of goodwill.
That was because he believed his people needed their help to survive.
They were enemies now, but if the opportunity arose, he had also wanted to speak with them at least once.
After staring at Leo with anxious eyes for a long while, Jakus gave a hollow smile and spoke.
“Come to think of it…… winter is almost here. Our people must have been brutally trampled by House Valantes again. The subjugation would probably be starting around now, so I suppose one of the prisoners told you that I was here.”
Leo nodded at Jakus’s words.
Of course, it was a lie.
The war had not even begun.
He had simply found Jakus using what he had heard in his previous life.
At first, he had planned to forge a bond with him and naturally steer things toward the work he needed done.
But the reason he had chosen such a direct approach was, as expected, a matter of time.
He did not know when his father might encounter the Death Knight he had heard about several days ago.
Moreover, Minatos’s warning that even his father would have difficulty defeating the Death Knight kept circling in his mind.
Defeat meant death.
He had no time to take the long way around if he wanted to prevent his father’s death.
“Are you going to report me?”
At Jakus’s question, Leo walked to a table set up on one side of the shop and answered.
“No. Why would I?”
Reaching the table, Leo pulled out a chair, sat down, and looked at Jakus.
Then he smiled at the bewildered man.
“One of the prisoners we captured this time told me about you. He said you’re different from the ones currently leading the Tantra Tribe.”
“Ah…….”
Jakus’s eyes grew moist. A multitude of emotions swirled within them.
“He told me about the enlightenment campaign you led. It moved me. Your views were similar to mine. I don’t hate your people. If anything, I pity them. And I feel even sorrier for you, the one they exiled.”
Jakus looked at Leo in surprise.
That was because he knew Leo’s father, Magenta Valantes, well.
He was a man who had massacred the Tantra Tribe without blood or tears.
Jakus had assumed the man’s son would possess similar thoughts and sensibilities.
Yet the person before him was nothing like he had expected.
“So, are you going to do it or not? No. Even asking is ridiculous. Just do it. How long will it take? I’ll make sure you’re paid well.”
Leo removed the Leather Armor made from Gray Troll Hide that he was wearing and placed it on the table.
Jakus stared at it for a long while with a conflicted expression before slowly speaking as if he had made up his mind.
“You are the one holding the hilt anyway, are you not, Young Master?”
Even if he did the work and received no payment, he would have no grounds for complaint.
Leo could simply report him.
No, before that, Leo could even behead him with a sword.
“I may be holding the hilt, but I have no intention of swinging the sword. Nor do I intend to wear the armor you refine and use it to massacre your people.”
At Leo’s final words, Jakus’s pupils trembled faintly.
Looking into his eyes, Leo continued.
“In accordance with the laws of my house, I’ll soon take up my post as Fortress Commander of Rutoa Fortress. Once I become commander, I intend to invite the Tantra Tribe into the kingdom’s territory so we can live together.”
At Leo’s words, Jakus exhaled roughly and asked in return.
“Do you truly mean that?”
“Yes. More importantly, do you happen to know anything…… about the Death Knight? I’ve heard you’re highly learned among your people…….”
As though bewitched by Leo’s words, Jakus nodded.
“That thing recently appeared near Rutoa Fortress. Now, let’s think about this. Would it pose a greater threat to the people of our domain inside the fortress, or to the Tantra Tribe living in the forest?”
This was the first time Leo had uttered the term Tantra Tribe, and he deliberately placed extra emphasis on it.
He wanted Jakus to know that he respected the Tantra Tribe.
And Leo’s intention worked.
Jakus even felt grateful to Leo for calling them the Tantra Tribe rather than barbarians.
“Naturally, those of us living in the forest…….”
“The reason I’m trying to refine and wear this armor is to eliminate that thing. Why do you think I’m going this far? We could simply wait inside the fortress until the Death Knight massacres the Tantra Tribe.”
“Ah…….”
Jakus already appeared completely captivated by Leo’s eloquence.
“It’s because I intend to embrace your people.”
At Leo’s words, Jakus once again let out an exclamation of ‘Ah…….’
“Not to kill your people…….”
“I’ll do it.”
Jakus cut Leo off, his expression resolute as though he had reached a decision.
“I will refine that armor for you. And I will not accept payment.”
“Why? Do I look like I don’t have money?”
“No. This is for the sake of the Tantra Tribe, is it not? You need not pay me.”
At Jakus’s words, Leo smiled and nodded.
“Don’t go back on your word later.”
***
Once he had made his decision, Jakus immediately explained the secret of Gray Troll Hide.
Gray Trolls possessed tremendous toughness and regenerative power.
All of it originated from the power of their hides, but the moment a Gray Troll lost its life, the hide’s power also came to an end.
The hide’s structure, interwoven like a dense spiderweb, shriveled and fused together the instant it lost its life, becoming no different from the hide of an ordinary beast.
‘The Leather Armor must be completely unraveled into very, very fine threads, and then woven back into the hide’s original pattern. It must also be imbued with magic to breathe life force into it.’
Though the work sounded as if it would take over a year just from hearing about it, Jakus confidently claimed he could complete it in three days.
When Leo subtly probed him for the reason, Jakus explained that as well.
‘I am a warrior who received the Blessing of Sight.’
The ‘mysterious power’ was the reason Leo had wanted to bring the Tantra Tribe to his side in this life.
Only the chosen among the Tantra Tribe inherited a portion of the power of the god they worshiped, the ‘Forest God’.
And among those powers, Jakus had received the Blessing of Sight.
As its name suggested, it granted him vision far superior to that of ordinary people.
That was also why Jakus had been able to become such a skilled blacksmith.
He could see the grain of steel more clearly, and he perceived a sword’s alignment and sharpness differently from ordinary blacksmiths.
And that was not all.
‘Ril Village’s security may be lax, but Jakus’s Blessing of Sight must also have helped him hide here.’
His enhanced vision had always saved him whenever danger approached.
As Jakus explained his ability, he said this:
‘Tearing the Gray Troll Hide into uniform, tiny, tiny strips and joining them together again…… is no different from joining thick ropes for me.’
Then he added one more thing.
‘But that is only if we can obtain the materials.’
As soon as Leo heard that, he took the list of required materials and left the house.
‘Blood from five different kinds of monsters. Rambir, an herb used to fuse the blood together. Immaculately clean natural water to mix with the blood and soak the leather armor in…….’
Some of the materials could be bought, while others could not.
In particular, blood from five different kinds of monsters was difficult to find in a rural village like this.
It seemed as though it should be the easiest thing to obtain, yet it proved difficult.
That left only one way to get it.
He would hunt the monsters himself.
It would have taken anyone else several days to obtain the materials.
But as Leo left the house, he told Jakus to finish preparing for the work because he would be back soon.
“Minatos.”
The moment he stepped outside, Leo called for Minatos.
-Yes, Leo! Did you call me?
‘It’s time to work.’
-Yes, all right. Who should I roast and boil? Or should I drown them?
Leo nodded at Minatos’s words.
‘That’s right, but the target is different.’
-The target is different?
‘It’s not a person.’
-Then a monster?
‘Yes. That’s right.’
-Yahoo! Smashing monsters’ heads is my favorite thing to do! It relieves my stress!
Leo smiled as he watched Minatos shout in excitement.
‘Let’s go. Every moment counts.’
-Yes! Let’s do that! But, Leo.
‘What?’
-Why is this village so frightening?
‘You were scarier when you said smashing monsters’ heads relieved your stress. You know that, right?’
After replying to Minatos, Leo surveyed the village.
During the day, people had at least been out and about, making it a little less frightening. But now that night had fallen, the streets held nothing but dead leaves whirling through the eerie night wind.
‘It’s a little frightening. But it’s less frightening with you here, Minatos.’
At Leo’s words, Minatos opened their eyes wide and raised both fists into a fighting stance.
-Of course! I, Minatos, will punish anyone who tries to hurt you, Leo! Hah! Hah!
The punches they threw carried so little destructive power that they could not have killed a single bug.
Of course, that would be a different story if magic of the five elements flew from those fists.
And so, Leo and Minatos left Ril Village and entered a nearby mountain.
Not long afterward, the monsters’ roars echoed through the mountain.
***
Meanwhile.
After Leo left, Jakus returned to the workshop and picked up the hammer he had been using.
‘Even for a Young Master of House Valantes, it will take at least three full days to gather all those materials. Heh heh.’
Obtaining five different kinds of monster blood would take the most time in particular.
Leo had ordered him to begin preparing for the work immediately, but Jakus intended to leisurely finish what he had already been doing.
Jakus continued hammering for quite some time.
He devoted every last bit of his attention to the hammering, concentrating as though imbuing the weapon with a soul.
Had about two hours passed?
CREEEAK! THUD!
At the sound of the workshop’s iron door opening, Jakus set down his hammer and slowly turned his gaze.
“A-already……?”
Standing there was Leo, smiling and looking far cleaner than he had when he left the house.
“What are you doing? You didn’t get things ready? I brought all the materials.”