In less than thirty seconds, Alfie had transformed the wooden blade into a brand-new black sword, its surface smooth and polished.
The blacksmith stood frozen, his mouth hanging open. Lucy, Rebekah, and the shopkeeper were equally stunned, each struggling to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
"H-How did you do that, kiddo?" the blacksmith stammered, his eyes wide with amazement. "That was incredible. Your father must be a very skilled blacksmith."
"Thanks, old man," Alfie replied casually, dropping the enormous hammer onto the floor with a loud clang.
"Master," Rebekah whispered, leaning closer to Lucy. "How is Alfie getting this strong? I noticed something was different about him when we fought in the forest."
Lucy smirked. "Want to hear something interesting? Have you ever heard of Force Energy, Rebekah?"
"Force Energy?" Rebekah blinked. "Nope. Never heard of it."
"Let me make it simple for you. Every Shinra who possesses Renshi also has Force Energy. It's the physical power drawn from Renshi itself. When someone awakens their Renshi, their muscles and bones become stronger in proportion to their Renshi level. The more they cultivate it, the greater their physical strength becomes."
"Whoa... That's actually pretty crazy," Rebekah murmured. "But if that's true, how is Alfie still so strong when you've sealed his Renshi?"
"Because his body had already adapted when he first awakened it. His muscles and bones became stronger before I sealed his Renshi. He simply never realised how much physical power he possessed."
Lucy paused, then smirked.
"If he'd understood his own strength back then, he probably could've taken down that Alpha Darkside Spirit himself."
Rebekah's eyes widened as everything began to make sense.
"So he relied too much on Renshi during that fight..."
"Exactly," Lucy replied with a nod. "He was still inexperienced."
Meanwhile, the blacksmith had finally recovered from his initial shock. His expression had changed from disbelief to genuine admiration as he approached Alfie.
"Hey, kid. I'd love to meet your father someday. There's something else I'd like to ask you."
He leaned forward, barely able to contain his excitement.
"Let me take you in as my apprentice. You've got incredible talent, and I'd hate to see it go to waste."
"Huh?" Alfie stared at him, completely caught off guard.
Lucy's expression changed instantly. She stepped forward, her eyes blazing.
"What did you just say, old man?"
"I said I want to make this kid my apprentice," the blacksmith repeated firmly. "Someone with his talent deserves proper training."
Lucy immediately wrapped an arm around Alfie and pulled him close.
"Forget it, Grandpa. He's already mine, and nobody's taking him away from me."
She began dragging Alfie toward the exit.
"We've wasted enough time here. Let's go, Alfie. Rebekah, come on."
But before they could get away, the blacksmith grabbed Alfie's other arm.
"I told you I'm taking him in. I'm not giving up that easily."
In an instant, the two were pulling Alfie in opposite directions, turning him into the unwilling rope in their ridiculous tug-of-war.
Rebekah watched them with an exasperated sigh.
"This is ridiculous..." she muttered. "After all the trouble Alfie causes, I still can't bring myself to hate him. Somehow, it just makes me like him even more..."
"Let go of me," Alfie shouted, struggling between them. "I can't become your student, chubby old man. My father already entrusted me to my master."
The blacksmith suddenly stopped pulling.
Lucy seized the opportunity and gave one final tug, pulling Alfie firmly to her side.
"I... I see," the blacksmith said quietly, finally releasing his grip. "If your father entrusted you to her, then I suppose I've already lost."
His expression softened.
"I respect that. You're a lucky boy, and your master is lucky to have you."
He turned away and walked back toward his corner of the forge, picking up his hammer along the way.
Alfie quickly hurried after him and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, sir, for letting me use your furnace and hammer."
The blacksmith smiled warmly and helped him straighten up.
"Don't mention it, kid. One smith helping another. That's all there is to it."
He gave Alfie a firm pat on the shoulder before turning his attention to Lucy and Rebekah.
"Whatever journey you're on, make sure you cross the borders of Eminence and Sunflower as soon as possible. The land between them is dangerous. There are no rules and no real safety out there. Rogue Shinras roam the area, especially after sundown."
His expression grew serious.
"If you're planning to travel tonight, I'd strongly advise you to wait until morning."
"Thank you for the warning," Lucy replied, stepping forward with a grateful nod.
She reached into her storage ring, took out ten gold coins, and offered them to the blacksmith.
"This is for the sword."
The blacksmith stared at the coins before immediately pushing them back toward her.
"No, no. I can't accept this much. My original price would've been five gold coins. Besides, I didn't even forge the blade myself. Keep your money."
Lucy blinked in surprise.
"Wait a minute. I thought the price was ten gold coins. That's what that guy told me."
She pointed toward the equipment shop owner.
The blacksmith's expression darkened as he turned toward the man.
"You swindler. You actually lied to her?"
The shopkeeper lowered his head, avoiding the blacksmith's furious gaze.
"I was just trying to make more money. Don't judge me."
"You don't make a living by robbing people," the blacksmith snapped. "You have no idea what burdens other people are carrying. For all you know, you're taking the very last coin someone has."
The shopkeeper had no answer. With his head lowered in shame, he turned and walked back toward his store.
Lucy chuckled softly before placing five gold coins into the blacksmith's hand.
"Take it anyway. Not for the sword, but for giving up on Alfie."
The blacksmith glanced down at the coins, then broke into a wide grin.