Shulim walked into the forging room. The first thing she saw was an enormous furnace bubbling with boiling magma—likely molten ore.
“Is that you? The person recommended by that elf?”
Zargin Kalagon spoke up.
Shulim looked over at him.
He was an extraordinarily stocky dwarf with a thick brown beard, long hair, and relatively small eyes that glinted with a sharp, piercing gaze.
Most importantly, Shulim recognized him. He was the very dwarf who had been shouting obscenities in front of the forge that day.
“Yes, Master Zargin. My name is Shulim Hayeral. My sword is broken, and Miss Ilus sent me here.”
“Oh~, Hayeral, is it? A noble...”
Just as Ilus had said, the Hayeral name was hardly obscure in Langard. The dwarf before her clearly recognized it.
“Hand over that elf's recommendation letter so I can see it.”
“Alright, here it is.”
Shulim handed over the casually folded piece of paper.
Looking at the paper, the corners of Zargin's mouth twitched noticeably.
He unfolded the note and read its contents.
“...”
Zargin stared at the letter in silence for quite some time, during which Shulim could clearly see a succession of conflicted expressions flitting across his face.
“Sigh... This really is written by that elf, alright.”
Zargin returned the letter to Shulim.
“Bring out that damaged mithril sword of yours.”
“Sure, right here.”
Shulim handed the mithril sword to Zargin, inwardly curious about what Ilus could have written to make the dwarf make such a face.
Then, she unfolded the letter and glanced at the contents.
There was only a single line written inside...
“【This child's mithril sword is broken, repair it for her (＾▽＾)】”
Shulim: “...”
“A mithril sword, huh? It's been a long time since I touched a toy like this...”
Zargin muttered to himself as he examined the mithril sword.
Noticing Shulim staring at the letter, he added, “Don't bother looking. Even without a signature, that's definitely her handwriting.”
“...Um, Master Zargin, are you on good terms with Miss Ilus?” Shulim asked as she tucked the letter away.
Zargin paused his movements, raised his head, and looked at Shulim with a complex expression.
“Have you ever seen a dwarf and an elf who are on good terms?”
“...”
Zargin lowered his head to continue inspecting the weapon, adding, “I've got no choice, seeing as I owe that woman a colossal favor.”
“A favor?”
“Yeah, that's right—a life-saving favor... So when it comes to her requests, I really don't have the standing to turn her down.”
So that was how it was. No wonder Zargin had accepted it despite Ilus writing such a casual note.
Clang!
Zargin picked up a small iron hammer and tapped against the mithril sword, then looked up at Shulim once more.
“Girl named Shulim, you're not very old, but your strength isn't half bad. Still, don't go fighting in such a reckless, forceful way in the future. Even if a mithril sword is sturdy, it can't withstand clashing head-on with power nearing B-Class.”
“...”
Well, Shulim wasn't surprised at all.
Though she couldn't say why, she felt a vibe from Zargin similar to the one Ilus possessed. Since Ilus could easily see through her strength, it was no surprise that the dwarf before her could as well.
“Alright, I know how to fix it. Just come back tomorrow to pick it up. I'll repair it today.”
Finished with his inspection, Zargin stood up and placed the mithril sword onto the forging anvil.
“Tomorrow already? But Master Zargin, aren't you crafting something very important?”
Clang—!
Zargin slammed his hammer down hard onto the mithril sword, and the blade shattered into pieces...
Yet Zargin's expression remained calm and indifferent, as if this were completely standard procedure.
“Ah, you mean that thing? Don't worry about it. I can just craft it tomorrow instead!”
Shulim: “...”
Zargin swept the shattered mithril sword into a mold, placed it into the furnace, and shut the furnace door.
He then glanced back at Shulim.
“What, are you heading to a dungeon today? If so, I can lend you a sword from my shop for the time being.”
“No, I haven't been to a dungeon before,” Shulim replied.
“I see. In that case, I won't lend you one. But with your level, you're already capable of checking them out. It'll be of no small help in raising your strength.”
“Thank you for the advice, I'll go take a look...”
...
After bidding farewell to Zargin, Shulim returned straight to the academy.
Today was Sabbath, so there were no classes at the academy. Her roommate, Mico, didn't seem to be in the dorm either, as there was no sign of her. Thus, Shulim ate dinner alone and then went to the Great Library to read.
Delving into Magic Formations required a vast accumulation of knowledge, and the Great Library of Manacos held an immense collection of books, making it an excellent place to study the subject. Shulim spent most of her free time at the academy right here.
A few hours later, after the sky had turned completely dark, Shulim checked the time and returned to her dormitory.
“She's still not back...?”
Mico had still not returned to the dormitory. Shulim didn't overthink it; after washing up, she went straight to sleep.
The next day.
After finishing her classes, Shulim visited Ilus's potion shop once again.
...
“Eh~? Shulim, you're planning to go to a dungeon?”
“Yes. Although people at the academy usually start entering dungeons for training in their second year, my strength is sufficient, so I'd like to go early.”
“True... With your strength, the dungeons around Langard are more than manageable. But have you decided which dungeons to go to?”
There were five dungeons near Langard in total, none of which were overly difficult—C-Class strength was generally enough to handle them. However, just as Ilus said, visiting all five would be far too tedious. Normally, adventurers frequented one or two primary dungeons.
“I haven't decided yet. Do you have any recommendations, Ilus?”
Shulim wasn't very familiar with the situation in Langard and didn't plan to act recklessly. It was better to ask someone who had lived in Langard for years first.
“Speaking of which, you haven't been in Langard for very long, Shulim. In that case, I'd recommend the Echo Labyrinth and the Glimmer Dungeon.”
“The Echo Labyrinth and the Glimmer Dungeon? Is there anything special about those two?”
“They are special indeed—quite special, in fact! They're extremely popular among mages.”
“Shulim, you know about Chantless Casting and Simultaneous Casting, right?”
“Of course I do.” Shulim nodded.
These were two techniques she had yet to master.
Supposedly, all truly top-tier mages possessed both skills.
“The two dungeons I just mentioned can actually help mages master those two techniques.”
“Really?!”
Shulim's eyes lit up.
Rate on N.U.
