Chapter 1: Dark Clouds on the Horizon

If anyone were to ask what my job was, most people I know—myself included—would answer “blacksmith.” In a bizarre turn of events, I had ended up in this world after losing my life back on Earth. In Japan, my name had been Tanya Eizo, but now I was known as Eizo Tanya, the blacksmith.

I lived in the Black Forest, which was a dangerous place; wolves, bears, and other beasts roamed freely, insofar as its reputation went. Personally, aside from one altercation with an admittedly savage bear, I rarely felt unsafe here.

My home was an unassuming cabin in the middle of the forest, which doubled as a workshop where I could practice my craft.

But I wasn’t the only one who lived out here.

“How’s this look, Eizo?”

The one who’d called out to me was a woman named Samya. She was half tiger and a member of the beastfolk, which anyone could easily see by her round, tigerlike ears and her striped hair, patterned like a tiger’s pelt. A while back, I’d found her collapsed from injuries sustained in a bear attack. I’d rescued her and she’d been living with me ever since.

Samya held in her hands a mold filled with molten steel. I’d liquefied the metal in my magical furnace, which I could light by focusing the energy around me and pushing it out of my fingertips.

How exactly, you ask? Well...somehow.

Aaanyway, once the fire was lit, the furnace could be used to heat iron ore to the right temperature so it could produce steel. It was a truly indispensable item.

The resulting steel could be poured into a square mold to make plates of metal. It goes without saying that the molten steel was incredibly hot, so it would be a major problem if it were to spill. To prevent such an accident from happening, the mold itself was deeper than it needed to be. The trick was to fill the mold just enough; the steel should be in no danger of spilling and poured so that the resulting plate of metal wasn’t too thick to work with. Samya had been asking me to check and see if she’d poured the correct amount.

I glanced at the mold. “Looks good.”

Samya seemed relieved. She set the mold aside and started to work on the next plate.

As for me, well, I wasn’t just sitting around and twiddling my thumbs while Samya did all the work. My job began once the metal plate had cooled and set. To forge an item, whether it be a sword or a door hinge, I had to reheat the metal to the perfect temperature, transfer it to the anvil, and use the hammer to shape it. I could intuit the precise temperature of a metal, and the exact points to hammer so that the sheet metal would form the shape I imagined.

Anything that was related to blacksmithing, I could do by instinct. This superpower was actually a cheat that I had received from a cat I’d rescued back on Earth...at the expense of my own life. Lucky for me, the cat had turned out to be not a cat at all, but a godlike being.

At the moment, I was in the middle of making one of Forge Eizo’s flagship products—a simple knife. Knives came in all sorts of shapes and sizes, of course, but the knife we were forging today was all-purpose and on the longer side.

There was a red-hot piece of metal on the anvil before me. I hammered it repeatedly, the sharp clang from each hit ringing throughout the workshop. Little by little, the knife started to take shape.

I suppose you could say that I had been granted my unique set of abilities precisely because I’d wanted to do work like this. After all, I’d been given a choice. When I’d been reborn into this world, I’d made a request of the being that’d sent me here: “I want to create things with my own hands and live a quiet life.”

My existence here was undeniably still hectic, but I felt no rush; I was perfectly content to fulfill my dream of a quiet life little by little. With my precious second chance, I had nothing but time.

When I was at my best (that is to say, when my cheat abilities were firing on all cylinders), it was child’s play to forge a knife so sharp it could slice through a boulder. However, I usually held my skill back on purpose, since I couldn’t possibly sell such a deadly item. Even when I wasn’t trying my hardest, the blades I made were leagues better than the average.

The third occupant of the house offered proof that my skills were the real deal.

“Boss, can you please take a look at my work?”

The woman who’d spoken to me was named Rike. She had the appearance of a young girl, but make no mistake, she was a fully grown adult and an exceptional one at that. Her short stature was the result of her dwarven genes.

“Of course,” I said in response.

“Thank you,” she replied politely.

I carefully inspected the knife that she was in the process of forging while thinking about whether my own work could be a helpful reference to her in any way. She was my apprentice, after all.

Since coming to this world, I had learned of a dwarven custom: dwarves often left their homes when they came of age in order to search for an apprenticeship at a suitable smithing workshop. After seeing the quality of the blades I had been selling in the marketplace, Rike had approached me and petitioned to learn from me. Our master—pupil relationship was also the reason she called me “Boss” instead of just Eizo.

Dwarves were more gifted blacksmiths than humans by nature, so it was a true honor to be recognized by one. The fact that Rike wanted to apprentice with me affirmed my prowess with a blacksmith’s hammer.

Rike ran a finger along the spine of the knife I was working on, spellbound by the make. “You never fail to astound me, Boss. I’ve seen what you can do when you really put your mind to it, but this knife is exceptional in its own right. I can only hope that one day I’ll reach your level.”

“I have faith in you.”

“Thank you, Boss!” Rike replied with a firm nod.

Since all my skills were cheats, I couldn’t properly teach her—all I could do was let her observe and steal whatever techniques she could from me. I wished I could do more for her, but as I’d told her, I had no doubt that Rike would become a master blacksmith even without my help.

The three of us, Samya, Rike, and I, eked out a blacksmith’s living together in the middle of the forest. We were largely self-sufficient, but there were still necessities that we had no choice but to purchase, which meant that we had to make money. We earned our keep by selling the knives, swords, and other items that we’d forged.

We now had a retail partner named Camilo, a capable man who used to travel around as a peddler. Recently, he’d opened a shop in the nearby city, and he was our invaluable ally. We visited him roughly once a week to drop off the goods we’d made and to purchase anything we were lacking. This partnership made it possible for the three of us to live comfortably day-to-day.

And today was a city day! In other words, we would soon be meeting with Camilo.

The morning had dawned gray and gloomy with heavy clouds blanketing the sky. Though the Black Forest had never been a place anyone would call bright, it was noticeably dimmer than usual beneath the shadows of the trees. Nevertheless, we piled up the knives and other goods in our cart and set off into the forest, pulling our cargo behind us.

We kept to a slow and steady pace because we needed to be on watch for packs of wolves and for tree deer, a species of deer that become a menace when angered. The beasts of the forest usually left us alone, but we wanted to make sure to avoid any unnecessary confrontations, whether with animals or other humans.

Crossing through the forest, we emerged onto the road leading into the city. At this point, the road was more of a downtrodden path, with the Black Forest on one side and open plains on the other. The weather hadn’t improved during our trek; normally, the contrast between the clear, blue skies and the lush, grassy plains made for a scenic view, but today, the blue had been completely leeched from the sky. Somber, dark-gray clouds spoiled the beauty of the landscape.

This road was occasionally patrolled by the city’s soldiers, though that didn’t mean it was perfectly safe. From the stories I’d heard, bandits roamed these parts as well, so we couldn’t let our guards down. We’d never been attacked thus far, but that was all the more reason to be careful. Misfortune tended to strike immediately once you got cocky.

We trudged along the road at a comfortable pace while remaining vigilant, and soon we could see the shadowy haze of the city walls off in the distance. When the city had first been built, the walls had marked the settlement’s boundary, but over time, the city had grown and spilled past those walls. Now, there was a fence (if you could call a wall taller than your average adult a fence) built around the entire area, and these outer walls demarcated the true border of the city.

The entrance to the city was a gate in the fence, where a man stood watch, keeping an eye on anyone entering. The guard on duty today was one we’d met several times before, and we all said our hellos. Since he already knew us, he was content to wave us through, providing that we didn’t do anything blatantly suspicious in front of him.

The first time I’d come to the city, I’d met a guard named Marius. He was often on duty when I visited. He had also been my very first customer. Unfortunately, we hadn’t seen him recently—he had gone to the capital and was yet to return, or so we’d heard from one of his fellow guards. That conversation had taken place a while ago, so perhaps it was time for me to ask Camilo if he knew anything. As a merchant, he was sure to be a hub of information and gossip, so I was hoping he’d heard something about Marius through the grapevine.

Camilo’s store was large and spacious. When we arrived, we took our cart around back, where the shop’s storage was located. We then sought out Camilo to start our usual negotiations.

Our discussions were always short and sweet. Camilo would confirm the types and quantities of the goods we’d brought, and we would tell him what we wanted to purchase for the day. The head clerk would check our inventory, then leave the room, directing the staff to load our cart with the goods we’d requested. At this point, our visit was a fixed routine.

Once we’d finished talking business and the head clerk had left to take care of the details, Camilo and I would usually spend some time chatting about recent news, along with any topic that came to mind. Both of us were now comfortable enough around each other to be open and frank. Today, I had a pressing question that I needed to ask no matter what, so I switched gears in the middle of our conversation.

“By the way, Camilo, have you heard any news about the capital as of late?”

“Why are you asking?”

“One of the guards that I’m friends with left for the capital a while back, but he hasn’t returned yet,” I explained. “It’s unusual for a city guard to be dispatched to the capital, no? And if he were visiting family, the trip wouldn’t have lasted so long... He bought a knife and sword from me and has helped me out over and over again, so I’m worried about him.”

Camilo paused and said, “Let me think...” The room sank into a deep, brooding silence. It was clear that he knew something, though I didn’t know how much. Of course, staying informed was natural for someone in his trade.

At last, Camilo opened his mouth to speak. “Something fishy is going down in the capital. His Majesty the King isn’t involved, but one of the noble families just a step down from royalty is knee-deep in it. I think your guard is likely related in some way. I can’t tell you any more than that, though, for your own good.”

I considered Camilo’s information. “Thanks for telling me. And I’m sorry as well—I hope I’m not getting you into any trouble.”

“Don’t worry about it. Just try not to stick your head into anything dangerous, okay?”

“Yeah, no problem, I understand,” I reassured him. “Anyway, should I compensate you for the info, or can I consider it complimentary?”

“Hey! You’re more bloodthirsty than a merchant when it comes to business.”

Camilo and I shared a laugh at that. In the back of my mind, I fervently wished that we’d both be able to steer clear of the mess brewing in the capital.

Once Camilo and I had finished our chat about recent events, Samya, Rike, and I left the shop. Outside, the roof of clouds that’d been hanging over our heads all morning had broken up in places, so the sun streamed down through the cracks.

As a mere blacksmith, there was nothing I could do for Marius, and Camilo had already supplied us with everything we needed to buy, so our business in the city was complete. Eventually, I wanted to buy some seeds to plant, but that could wait until we’d finished preparing the garden plot.

It was now time for us to head home, so we went to fetch our cart.

It had been two weeks since our last trip into the city, so I thought Camilo might’ve prepared us with two weeks worth of ore and charcoal. However, there was only one week’s supply. I was honestly happy to be wrong—I’d told him last time that we’d be taking one week off from blacksmithing, and it looked like he’d taken our vacation into account. His attention to detail was surely one of the reasons why he’d become such a successful merchant.

We said our farewells to the guard as we exited the city fence. It was the same one from this morning, which, now that I thought about it, shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, we hadn’t been at Camilo’s for very long.

We could make our way home in our sleep at this point, but we nonetheless remained watchful and on our toes. The grassy plains extended as far as the eye could see, and the gentle breeze was a blessed relief for my body, which was flushed from the strain of pulling the cart along. Before I knew it, the cooling wind had lulled me into a state of relaxation. Come on, Eizo. You know better than that!

“It’s hard to stay alert when the breeze feels so good, isn’t it?” I said to Rike and Samya.

Rike seemed to agree. “Yes. But as long as we’re not in any danger, it’s the perfect weather for an outing!”

“I can tell how relaxed you are, Eizo,” Samya said, smiling.

It’s a beautiful day. Anyone would agree.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t exactly pull up on the side of the road and lay out a picnic for lunch. The most we could do was let the sunshine buoy our moods as we walked back home.

So we continued down the road, spirits high. We were almost at the crossroads into the forest when Samya came to a dead stop. Her rounded tiger ears were swiveling this way and that, indicating that she’d sensed something.

“Robbers?” I asked her, my voice tense.

“Not sure,” she replied. “But I can hear sounds of a battle. Something’s going on just ahead...” She glanced at us with indecision in her eyes, torn as to whether she should investigate.

“Samya, can you run ahead and check it out? If someone’s being attacked by wolves or bandits, we can help them. Rike and I will be there as fast as we can. If things are too dangerous, come back to us right away.”

“Got it.” Samya nodded sharply before turning forward and breaking into a sprint. Despite her speed, her footsteps barely made any sound, as expected of a tiger-type beastfolk.

I turned to Rike. “All right then, let’s go.”

“Okay!”

The two of us pulled our cargo along with all our strength, doing our best to catch up with Samya as soon as possible. The cart shook and bounced around, but it didn’t overbalance or overturn. Thank god we’re still on the city road. The going would’ve been much slower if we’d been in the forest or on an unmaintained trail.

I trusted that our materials were all secured tightly to the cart and we plowed ahead at full speed. It felt like we’d been running forever, even though only a handful of minutes had actually passed. Soon, I heard the skirmish that Samya’s sharp ears had picked up earlier. I could tell that there were several people involved.

Nothing to do now but dive right in.

“Rike, let’s leave the cart here. Follow me.”

“All right.”

“Once we reach the battle, wait along the side. Don’t join the fray,” I told her.

“I understand!”

Rike had learned some self-defense during her travels, but this situation looked like it was going to be more than her skills could handle. She was, of course, carrying one of my custom knives, but it didn’t matter how sharp a weapon was if the wielder couldn’t land a hit. I just wanted to make sure that Rike was safe.

The two of us pulled the cart toward the side of the road, then plunged forward.

The battle unfolded before our eyes: Three men were facing off against Samya and another young woman. Samya had nocked an arrow on her bow. The woman was wielding a longsword, but her movements were sluggish, so I figured that she must be injured.

I drew my shortsword. “Stop right there, you bastards!!!” I hollered as I ran.

The men glanced at me. “Take care of him,” one of them ordered.

One man peeled off from the group and lunged at me. I closed the distance between us and slashed at him with a broad overhead swing. He then tried to parry my sword with his own, but I’d put all my strength into my attack. He did manage to stop the downward motion of my sword but was unable to fully repel it. I took advantage of his momentary shock and diverted momentum into a follow-up attack, right into the man’s torso.

He reacted too slowly. My sword sank deep into his body, and he coughed up a mixture of foamy blood.

I ripped my sword out of his abdomen and immediately turned my blade, business end first, toward the remaining two assailants. I didn’t even spare a moment to check on whether my victim had collapsed or not.

If these men were going to run, they’d better do it. It was the smart choice—we outnumbered them now.

“Shit,” one of them spat, but neither moved to retreat.

They split up instead, one sent to deal with me, and one battling Samya and the mysterious woman. The men probably thought they’d be able to get off scot-free if they managed to dispose of me. They were obviously hedging their bets on Samya (overlooking her tiger genes) and the mystery woman being easy targets.

As my opponent hurtled toward me, I drew my knife. I was now wielding the shortsword in one hand and the knife in the other. My opponent didn’t seem to notice, and he came at me with a side swing. A breath before his blade sliced into me, I intercepted the blow with my knife.

Well, “intercept” might’ve been something of an understatement. My knife actually sliced clean through his sword, even though I had done nothing but block. His body was left wide open from the failed attack, and I thrust my sword through his chest, just like I had with the first man.

And then there was one.

Hearing the thud of his comrade’s body falling to the ground, the final man tried to run, but before he could, Samya skewered him with an arrow. A single arrow normally wouldn’t be enough to stop a man, but she was using my custom arrowheads.

The last of the three foes fell down into the dirt, dead.

My senses were all on high alert. I took a moment to scan our surroundings, but it seemed as if we were now alone—it would’ve been a pain if there’d been any more stragglers. I breathed out a sigh of relief before calling Rike over, and then we joined up with Samya and the woman we’d saved.

“Are you injured?” I asked Samya.

“No, neither of us was hurt badly.”

“Good,” I said with genuine relief. I turned to face the woman.

We’d rescued her without thinking, but she might’ve actually been the one in the wrong. I couldn’t totally rule out the possibility that she’d committed a crime and the men I’d killed were actually law enforcement.

The men that I’d...killed.

This was the first time I’d used one of my swords for its intended purpose—to shed blood. Needless to say, I’d never killed anyone in my previous life.

I’d assumed that it would be harder for me to cut down a man in cold blood, but helped along by my cheat abilities, I’d managed it without a second thought. A dark and heavy weight had taken up residence in my heart...but I didn’t regret my actions and I wasn’t panicking.

How bizarre. The idea of someone using my blades to maim... I usually found the notion utterly repulsive, so it was strange that I could now be so blasé.

“What’s wrong, Eizo? You’re not hurt, are you?” Samya was looking at me with an expression of deep anxiety.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” I reassured her, but I could only manage a stiff smile. “Thanks for worrying about me.” I then turned and directed my attention to the elephant in the room. “Now as for you, my lady...”

The woman’s hair—shining and blond—was unadorned, and she was dressed like any other traveler; however, I’d failed to notice mid-combat that she had a breastplate and shin guards since they’d been partially obscured by her cloak. In a sense, she wore the minimum amount of armor she could without attracting attention to herself. Her breastplate could be almost entirely hidden if she clasped her cloak shut.

“Would you kindly tell us who you are and why those men were attacking you?”

The woman didn’t respond.

Not ready to give up, I tried another tactic. “Even without you saying anything, it’s obvious that there were...circumstances, let’s say, and I’m sure they’re hard to explain. However, we just killed three men, and if the guard questions us, we’re gonna need a reason. So, think of your answer as a favor. Can you please tell us how all of this happened?”

She stared steadily into my eyes. I couldn’t help but notice that her own eyes were a stunning blue. I hadn’t met a lot of people in this world, but I was positive that, with her refined features, she would be considered a beauty by just about anyone.

For some reason, she looked familiar. Does she perhaps resemble a western actress I’d seen in a movie back on Earth?

At last, she decided to speak. “First, I’d like to offer my thanks. My name is Diana Eimoor. I live in the capital, but for various reasons, it has been decided that I should stay elsewhere for a short while. I had been traveling to my temporary residence, but then those men attacked me. I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if you all had not come along.”

I noticed that she had a last name—her family must’ve been the source of the mess that Camilo had alluded to.

I shot a meaningful look at Samya, who could usually detect when a person was lying by their scent. Samya shook her head slightly, confirming that the young woman was telling the truth.

“I understand your situation,” I said, then gestured to the dead men lying nearby. “Now what should we do with them?”

It would take a little while to hide the bodies, and we might get discovered by an ill-timed patrol. On the other hand, if we were to alert the authorities of the situation ourselves, we’d have to wait for them to arrive.

It scared me how calm I was, but now wasn’t the time to analyze that.

As I waffled, the woman—Diana—made a suggestion. “Let’s hide them.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I suppose they weren’t your average robbers.”

“I’m sure,” she said firmly. “Those men were after me. I don’t want the person who sent them to know that they failed their mission...at least, for as long as possible.”

“In the meantime, you’ll move into your temporary residence?”

“Yes.”

She was being chased, though that didn’t necessarily mean that she was the “good guy” in this scenario...but what the hell. I’m already on board the ship, so let’s see where the winds take us.

“We can hide them in the forest,” I said. “Rike, would you mind pulling the cart over here?”

“I understand.” She went to follow my order.

It wasn’t that I wanted to load them onto the cart; rather, my plan was to drag them into the trees before Rike returned. We could make it look like wolves had killed the men because luckily, we’d made it out of the battle without getting blood on ourselves.

Next, I turned to Samya. “Can you help me out?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks.”

“No need to thank me,” she said. “Of course I’ll help.”

We each grabbed a set of arms and started to drag the corpses toward the tree line. Pulling with all my strength, the process didn’t take long. We left the bodies just within the outer border of the trees, but the edge of the forest was still the forest. The bodies were hidden from plain view if soldiers came to patrol, and the wolves would come sniffing for fresh meat before the day was out.

We finished right on time as Rike arrived with the cart.

“Diana, the three of us will be heading home now, but before we part ways, will you tell us where you’re going?” I asked. “Who knows, we may be of service to you in the future.”

Diana looked visibly torn.

I’d saved her life, but we were still more or less strangers. I wouldn’t blame her for being reluctant to spill her story to some random old geezer.

Yet, contrary to expectation, Diana eventually responded. “I’ll be staying with an acquaintance of my elder brother, but he lives in a rather remote place.”

A man after my own heart!

“He took up residence in this area not long ago.”

The similarities just keep piling up. I wonder what kind of person he is...

“He’s a blacksmith with overwhelming skills.”

Uhhh...what did she just say?!

“He forged my brother’s cherished knife and his sword. My brother said that once he handles the current state of affairs, he’ll visit this blacksmith for a tune-up.”

A man who owns a knife and a sword of my design. Someone with hair as blonde as Diana’s, with her same distinguished features. I knew exactly one person who matched that description, but surely, it couldn’t be...

“Um... Diana, your brother wouldn’t happen to be a guard in the city down the main road, would he?” I asked tentatively. “A guard by the name of Marius?”

“Yes...that’s right,” Diana said with a dazed expression. “My brother is Marius Albert Eimoor, but how did you know that?”

It all...makes sense now...

“Diana,” I started.

“Yes.”

“I think the acquaintance your brother told you about is...me.”

“Excuse me?!”

She looked suspicious. In her mind, it was too much of a coincidence that her rescuer had turned out to be the man she’d been looking for. If I were in her shoes, the likelihood of me accepting that information with a laugh and a “Golly gee, thanks for telling me!” was null.

But alas, here we were.

“The three of us live within the Black Forest,” I explained. “Our cabin is quite a trek into the woods, so it’s likely the best shelter for you in these circumstances.”

“My brother told me I should first talk to a merchant named Camilo if I wanted to find the blacksmith.”

“That eliminates any remaining doubt then. Camilo is my sole retail partner and the one person who knows where I live.”

Actually, there was one other person who knew where I lived: Helen, the mercenary who’d visited my workshop to request a commission. It would be an entirely different kind of problem if Helen had leaked my location, but that seemed very out of character for her. Regardless, I didn’t want to complicate the situation with any unnecessary information, so I kept Helen’s existence mum.

Diana stared fixedly at me, and said, “Can you please tell me your name?”

In the whirlwind of events, I’d completely forgotten to introduce myself.

“Of course. My name is Eizo,” I said, choosing to keep my family name, Tanya, a secret for now. “The woman with the tiger features is Samya, and the dwarf is Rike.”

Both Samya and Rike gave their greetings.

“Eizo...” Diana repeated. I couldn’t tell from her expression whether she recognized the name or not.

“In any case, you’ve bought yourself some time from your pursuers, since those three are out of the way. Why not come and stay with us, at least for a day?”

I didn’t want us dawdling in the forest for much longer. If a patrol came by, it’d be hard to explain away our actions, not to mention that it would be a major headache. The fallout would be unfathomable if they discovered that we’d killed the men.

“All right, I’ll go along with your proposal,” Diana acquiesced at last. “Please pardon my intrusion for today.”

“Good. Let’s get going then. Samya, if you could watch our backs, then Rike and I will pull the cart. Diana, can I count on you to keep watch with Samya?”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure,” Diana said, directing the second half of her statement at Samya.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Samya responded.

Having decided on a course of action, we started for home as a party of four. We had veered off the main road, so we needed to backtrack in order to rejoin the trail into the forest. This ate up a quarter of an hour.

Once we’d been trekking a whole hour, I called for a break. “Let’s take a short rest. What do you all think?”

“Fine by me,” said Samya.

“Yes, Boss,” Rike chimed in with her usual politeness.

“I would like that as well,” Diana agreed.

With the three of them on the same page, we gathered around, set down our belongings for the moment, and took a water break. I shared some of mine with Diana.

After I’d quenched my thirst, I waved Samya over, wanting her to join me away from the other two. “Can you c’mere a sec?”

She trotted over without delay. “What’s up?”

“Do you sense any signs that we’re being followed?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “Nothing stands out to me, but I wanted to check with you.”

She sniffed at the air, her nose twitching. “Hmm... I don’t smell anything. I don’t sense anyone either besides the four of us.”

“That’s a relief.”

I’d been worried about what to do if we were being tailed from afar. After all, we were a large group, and Rike and I had our hands full with pulling the cart. We’d be hard to miss, but that said, visibility was pretty low, so it wouldn’t be easy to follow us through this forest. I guess I was overthinking, but I preferred that to the alternative.

Once we’d rejoined the road, we kept on high alert all the way back to the cabin. All and all, the journey took us one and a half times longer than usual, but we eventually made it home.

I turned to our guest. “Diana, sorry to make you wait, but we have to take care of the cargo first.”

“Please don’t mind me. In fact, can I do anything to help out?”

I hesitated before answering. She was a guest, but if she was going to be living here, it wouldn’t hurt to have her help out with small chores. “He who does not work, neither shall he eat,” or so it’s said. The smithing work would be another story though.

“I’ll take you up on your kind offer,” I said. “Come on. I’ll show you where everything goes.”

“All right.”

The four of us worked together to offload the ore and charcoal and bring it all into the workshop. We stored the salt and daily necessities in the living space. I wanted to yield the guest room—formerly known as the study—to Diana, so I had Samya and Rike move their belongings out of my bedroom and into their own rooms, making space for everyone to move in.

“The house will be a tad crowded with all of us, but I hope you’ll find it cozy,” I said to Diana.

She didn’t look put off by the space. If anything, she seemed impressed. “I never knew there was such a charming cabin in the Black Forest.”

“I just moved in recently, like your brother said. Anyway, it looks like Rike and Samya are moving things around, so let’s get you settled in.”

“Sure.”

Now that we were hosting a high-class woman, I was doubly grateful we’d put more effort into making the guest bed.

“We haven’t been expecting many visitors, so I apologize for the room’s sparsity. We’re a simple household, so this is already luxurious for us. I hope you’ll understand.”

Diana’s response was kind. “Please, don’t trouble yourself on my account. This is more than enough for me.”

“Make yourself comfortable—we’ve all had a long day. You can leave your cloak here and dust off from your travels. I’ll have Samya and Rike bring you hot water later to rinse off.”

“Thank you. That would be much appreciated.”

I gave her a wave and left the room.

What now? I needed to find out more about Diana’s circumstances, but I had a feeling that asking would mark a point of no return.

It was obvious from her mannerisms that she was a lady through and through, and yet she was courteous to even a lowly blacksmith like yours truly. Was it because she’d heard about me from her brother, Marius?

And she’d treated Samya with kindness too!

I decided to leave the serious conversation for later. It was time for dinner.

But before that, I took off my traveling gear and heated enough water for the four of us. We all wiped ourselves down in our respective rooms before gathering in the living space to eat.

The menu today was cured boar ribs and lentil (or lentil-equivalent) soup, paired with flatbread and wine. It was extravagant for Samya, Rike, and me, but was it good enough for Diana?

“This is all we have to offer you. I hope it’s to your tastes,” I said to her.

I thought she might be reluctant to eat, but she took a bite without any hesitation. Seeing her willingness to try my cooking made me more anxious to hear her review.

“How...is it?”

“It’s delicious!” Her blue eyes sparkled with pleasure.

The rest of us jumped at her exclamation, a detail which didn’t escape her, and she shrunk in on herself. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean...”

“Don’t apologize,” I said. “I’m glad you like it. We were all just worried that we wouldn’t meet the expectations of a proper lady.”

“Please, there’s no need to stand on ceremony.”

“Anyway, enjoying delicious food is one of the great pleasures of life. A bad meal can ruin the entire day,” I said earnestly in spite of myself. When I’d been overwhelmed by work in my previous life, a good meal had never failed to cheer me up.

I suddenly remembered an older woman that had run an eatery I’d frequently visited in Japan. One of the few regrets I had from my old life was that I’d never be able to see her again.

“Have you ever had a bad meal in your life?” Samya teased.

“Of course!” I exclaimed. “Countless times. What kind of life do you think I’ve had?”

“You sure?” she replied cheekily. “I just assumed you were too picky for that.”

“Not me. Let me tell you about the time when...” I began to tell stories of some places I’d eaten back on Earth, though I made sure to tweak the details so as not to reveal my secret.

We grew quite rowdy while discussing the worst foods we’d eaten in our lives. Even Diana told us a story about the time she’d tried a “delicacy” made with a mystery meat, which had ended up being utterly disgusting.

Alas, all good things had to come to an end, and I’d made up my mind during the meal—I had to press Diana for the details of her circumstances.

“Now that we’ve all eaten our fill, Diana, can you please tell us the rest of the story? Why were you chased out of the capital?”

Diana hesitated briefly. “All right... I suppose I can’t hide it any longer.”

She began her tale.

⌗⌗⌗

Diana (and Marius) were part of the Eimoor countship whose domain included the city that we frequented. The family was blessed with four children: three sons and the sole daughter, Diana. The eldest son was Leon and the second, Karel. Marius was the youngest of the three. Naturally, Leon was the successor of the countship.

The story began one month prior. Count Eimoor and Leon had led a mission to hunt down a pack of magical beasts that’d been rampaging near the country’s border. They took only their private guards with them since the beasts were predicted to be small fry. Such a mission would not normally require the presence of Leon, let alone the count. However, Count Eimoor was set to retire soon, and before passing on his title and all of its responsibilities, he wanted to show his son how to run a mission firsthand.

So, the head and the successor of the Eimoor family had headed to battle without mobilizing the country’s soldiers, and when they’d arrived, they’d found that their intel had been completely off the mark. Both the count and Leon had died on the battlefield, and their forces had been decimated. A lucky few were able to flee with their lives, and they returned with tales of the monsters that had wrecked everything in sight.

Upon receiving the devastating news, Marius had rushed back home. However, when he’d investigated the incident, he’d uncovered a few discrepancies in the story. First and foremost, the corpses he’d examined, including those of his father and brother, hadn’t been marred with the claw and teeth marks that usually accompanied attacks by wild animals. Had there been any beasts in the battle at all? Could it be that even the initial report had been falsified?

If the entire incident had been a ruse all along, the prime suspect was, of course, Karel, but there was no proof. And Karel wasn’t talking either. After all, as long as he stayed away from the investigation and didn’t incriminate himself, the countship would soon fall into his lap.

But that was when a boulder smashed straight through Karel’s carefully laid plans. The records revealed that it was not Karel who would inherit the estate in the event of Leon’s death, but Marius—Karel had been born to a mistress, whereas Marius was the son of the count’s legitimate wife. Upon Marius’s birth, the order of inheritance had been changed.

And yet, Karel’s mother had died while giving birth to him, and the lady of the house, Count Eimoor’s wife, had been moved by those tragic circumstances to take in Karel under her care. She’d raised him as one of her own, no different from his half brothers.

Having been denied what he’d considered his birthright, Karel had cursed Marius and decided that he had no choice but to eliminate his half brother. That was easier said than done, since Marius lived away from the capital; the city where Marius worked as a guard was a half day’s journey away by horse-drawn carriage. Because of this distance, it was difficult, if not impossible, to keep a tight grip around the nitty-gritty details of any schemes. Karel would make the occasional attempt on Marius’s life, but the deadlock had yet to be resolved.

This was the state of the capital intrigue at the present time. However, the stalemate couldn’t continue for much longer. The head of the family had to be decided upon soon, lest the title be held in forfeit. Either Karel or Marius would have to make a move, and they would have to do it soon.

The reason Diana had been entangled in the inheritance battle was because she, too, was a legitimate child of Count Eimoor. If she were to marry the son of another noble family, it wasn’t unthinkable that she could inherit the estate instead. Karel had no intention of leaving the matter of inheritance to chance, and he’d planned to take her out while he could. To protect her life, Marius had sent her to me while he took care of Karel, one way or another. However, Karel had seen through Marius’s plans and arranged for some men to intercept Diana during her journey, which was when we’d come to her aid.

“You haven’t had it easy,” I said, mulling over everything that she’d told me.

It now seemed like Diana would be staying with us for more than one or two weeks, which was no skin off my back, but would she be able to rough it here for so long?

More importantly, Diana is part of the nobility! I knew she was from an affluent family, but actual nobility? And Marius is set to succeed the countship?!

This explained why Marius’s instincts were so much sharper than your average guard, and also how he knew the inner workings of the city within the walls.

“I think I now understand the full picture of what’s happening in the capital, along with yours and Marius’s circumstances. There are no issues with you staying here, but how do you feel about it, Diana?” Since I knew how important her family really was, maybe I should be bowing and scraping, but it was too little, too late for that.

“How I feel?” Diana parroted, not understanding the question.

“Well...you know, won’t it be problematic for a person of your standing to be associated with a humble blacksmith like me? Never mind that there are two other women here. If rumors should spread that you were staying with me, wouldn’t you be ousted from the noble class?”

“You needn’t worry about that, Eizo. My brother said he would take care of it,” Diana reassured me.

“Then there’s the matter of duration. You’re likely going to be here for the foreseeable future, not just one or two weeks. Are you okay with that?”

“Of course. It hasn’t been long since we met, but I already know how kind Samya and Rike are. And how kind you are. I have no worries in that regard.”

“Hmmm...” Fine by her, fine by me. “Lastly, do you have anything to verify that Marius wanted you to seek shelter with me, specifically?”

“There should be no mistake. Now that I’ve come here in person, I firmly agree with his assessment. There’s no better place for me to hide away.”

“Yes, but I’d like to verify, just in case.” On my end, I was happy to take her in, but if it turned out that she was meant to go elsewhere, I’d be no better than a kidnapper as far as society at large was concerned. “Anything will do, just some physical proof...” I murmured.

“Oh, now that you mention it, I do have a letter I was supposed to give to Camilo.”

“The details will be written in the letter?”

“Most likely.”

I was still hesitant. “I can’t just read someone else’s letter.”

“The letter is about me, and I give my permission,” she insisted. “I’ll bring it over.” She stood up and disappeared into the guest room.

I wonder... Could it be that she actually enjoys our company? Upon seeing her persistence, a feeling of delight sparked within me.

Diana brought out the letter and handed it over. The envelope was sealed with wax, but there was no crest imprinted on it, perhaps as a way to divert attention.

This world doesn’t have any laws about opening other people’s mail, right?

I sliced open the envelope with my knife.

Master Camilo,

I have faith that you’ve kept abreast of the news from the capital and have grasped the complexities at hand.

The body of the letter detailed the trouble Marius and Diana were mired in, exactly as Diana had described to me. The conclusion laid bare Marius’s request.

I entrust my sister, Diana, to you. Please help introduce her to the blacksmith who forged my sword. I know not his place of address, but only that he lives in a remote location which would make a suitable shelter for my sister. Since you are in a partnership with him, would you please take care of my sister until he visits your shop?

Marius had written a few lines of closing salutations as well, but I’d read what I needed to. “That cinches it. Marius intended for you to come to us. We’ve just taken a shortcut to get to where we are.”

The three women nodded in agreement.

There was another benefit to the fact that Diana had ended up coming straight here instead of stopping at Camilo’s as planned: it would help throw off any pursuers. By the time anyone noticed the disappearance of the thugs we’d taken out, the evidence would already have vanished into the wind.

“Diana, you are welcome here as long as you need,” I stated. “Please take care to stay within the clearing around the cabin. If you wish to venture into the forest, take either me or Samya with you, otherwise you may be targeted by wolves.”

“I promise,” she said.

“I understand that there may be matters you wouldn’t want to discuss with a man. In such a case, please do lean on Samya and Rike for help.”

“I don’t mean to impose, but thank you for the warm welcome.” Diana turned to Samya and Rike, then bowed.

“We’re all friends here!” Samya said with a smile. “Come to us anytime.”

“If you don’t mind, there’s something that’s bothering me,” I said, shifting gears. My next question was going to be rude, but I had to know. “Diana, why are you speaking so politely to us? I’m not saying it’s wrong, but you’re part of the upper class. You don’t need to be so reserved.”

“You’re my saviors,” Diana said simply.

“We’ll be living together for some time. Personally, I would be grateful if you could speak more casually. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to catch you off guard or anything like that. It would simply be more comfortable for all of us, I imagine.”

“I understand... I mean... Okay. I’ll try.”

“Thank you.”

“But...” She hesitated.

“What is it?” I pressed.

“I don’t want to be a burden either. Can I help out around the house?”

I took a second to consider. She was our guest, after all, and it wasn’t likely that another private commission would drop by, so we would be working on our usual smithing schedule. I guess I could think of it as rent.

“All right, you can help out with the smithing,” I finally agreed.

“Are you sure?”

“Only with basic tasks.”

“Thanks!” She seemed overflowing with enthusiasm.

I guess we would need to write her into our slow lives for now, though harboring a petite fugitive was unlikely to make for a slow anything.

“That settles it. Now let’s get some rest. We all deserve it after the day we’ve had.”

“Sounds good,” Diana responded.

“’Kay,” Samya said.

And finally, Rike. “Agreed.”

The three of them chimed their acquiescence, putting an end to our long, adventure-filled day.