"I know he's going to spit rubbish the moment I undo the spell," Lucy said with a disappointed look on her face.
Alfie and the smith were locked in a tug-of-war over the wooden sword.
"I'll be the one to forge my sword!" Alfie insisted.
"I'm the only one qualified to forge the Rock of the Forest!" the smith snapped back.
The two kept arguing and yanking the weapon back and forth.
"Hey mister," Lucy turned to the equipment shop owner, "why is the smith so obsessed with the Rock of the Forest?"
"the equipment shop owner exhales"
It's been one of his dreams for years," the man replied. "He once swore he'd forge a powerful weapon from that tree. He tried countless times to cut from it, but failed. Eventually, he gave up and moved on. This... this is a rare Chance he thought he'd never get again."
"Hmm, I see."
"Alfie, that's enough," Lucy called out. "Let go of the sword and let the man do his job."
"It's my job too, Master. I trained under Papa—I'm sure I can do it myself," Alfie replied.
"You trained as a smith at your age?" the smith asked, his hands loosening on the blade. "Who's your father? Where are you from?"
"Hmm… I don't think you know him. We're from a faraway kingdom," Alfie answered, stepping back cautiously.
"Tell me, boy. What's your father's name?"
"His name is Falco."
"Which kingdom?"
"The Kingdom of Guhan."
"Hmmmm... Never heard of it. But if he taught you this, he must be doing something right. Still, it's hard to believe that a woman was able to cut wood from the Rock of the Forest," the smith said, nodding at Lucy.
"Actually, the kid made the sword, not me," Lucy corrected him.
"Don't joke like that, ma'am. There's no way a skinny kid like him did that!" The smith burst out laughing.
"You shouldn't mock him," Lucy said. "He made that sword. If you doubt him, let him forge it. See for yourself."
"No, no, no—I'm not mocking. It's just... hard to believe."
Alfie walked over to the smith's tool rack, picked up a massive hammer, and raised it like it weighed nothing. With his other hand, he put the wooden sword back into the furnace.
The smith's eyes nearly popped from his head. "Impossible! That hammer weighs over two thousand pounds of Renshi! How can a kid lift it?!"
"Don't be mad, old man. I had no idea," Alfie said, returning the hammer.
"Why touch the hammer if you weren't going to use it, you fool?!" Rebekah shouted.
"I just wanted to check it out first," Alfie shrugged.
"I believe you now," the smith muttered. "You really cut that sword yourself. Fine. You can forge it—but don't think I'll let you ruin it."
"What do you mean by that, old man?"
"I mean I'll guide you through it. You're not messing this up."
"Fine. I understand," Alfie nodded.
The smith stepped forward and turned the sword in the furnace using thick gloves, checking the heat levels.
"Hey Master," Rebekah whispered, "how come the wooden sword isn't burning to ash?"
"It's not called the Rock of the Forest for nothing," Lucy replied. "That wood absorbs energy from the entire forest to strengthen itself. It has a magnetic-like field that draws energy in. That same energy killed the tree. It couldn't escape the fallen body, and now it's unbreakable—not even weak Renshical objects can damage it. The kingdom's citizens think it's just a tough tree, but the higher-ups probably know the truth and keep quiet."
"Wow... You're really smart, Master. You figured all that out already," Rebekah said in amazement.
"All my years haven't been in vain," Lucy replied with a proud smirk.
The smith pulled the sword from the furnace. Its color had changed—now a deep black.
"Don't you think it's burnt?" Alfie asked.
"Shut up and forge, kid. You threw it in without knowing if it's going to burn or not. Now use your 'skills' and start forging. Begin with the body—hit it from the middle toward the edge. I'll tell you when to stop."
"Okay, old man."
Alfie grabbed the hammer again. His first strike made the surface gleam smoothly like polished steel. He continued hammering from top to bottom, then from bottom to the edge, over and over. The first side of the sword began to transform—its surface now as refined as a forged metal blade. Alfie turned the sword over and prepared to do the same on the other side.