Corwyn's ability might look like cheating to others, but that was just how the world worked. If one considered that as cheating, then people with the power to produce water or to move sand were cheaters as well. Looking at it from that perspective, you couldn't really blame Corwyn for wanting to take advantage of his ability and save money. Teo and Hanaan would profit like this as well, so they soon reconsidered and apologized to Corwyn for their previous outrage.
Corwyn just laughed and didn't blame them for anything. Their reactions were understandable to some degree. If he could create any kind of metal in the world one day in large quantities, he would totally unbalance the market. But it wasn't as simple as that. Corwyn might be able to create ten iron swords without getting tired, but that was because it was a common, uncomplicated metal. He didn't believe that he would be able to make swords out of Sancrin-Steel en masse. However, Corwyn's goal wasn't to earn large amounts of money but to increase his own chances of survival, in addition to protecting his friends. For that, he would use any means available to him.
The expedition party continued their advance towards their next destination, a city called Tarrov. Unlike Sunahara and Konen, Tarrov had no particular attributes that made it famous or local landmarks sticking out. It was a relatively normal city like Quorin, with an Arcor well as the center and all kinds of neighborhoods located throughout the city. The city market was really normal as well, you could find many goods there, but not anything out of the ordinary.
It took them less than a week to reach Tarrov. Once the expedition party had arrived there, Rogar immediately gave out instructions.
"This will be our second to last stop before the expedition officially begins. We will stay here for four days, then get on our way to Corlina. Everyone, please use this time to get ready and to relax a bit. I need all of you in top condition when we're heading out again. The squad leaders and I will take an accommodation near the city center, so if you have further questions, you can find us there. That's all I wanted to say for now. Dismissed!"
It wasn't long after, that the expedition party split up into various groups, some searching for an accommodation themselves, while others immediately headed for the market to buy weapons and other products. Corwyn wasn't too interested in the goods available in Tarrov, and since they would be staying here for four days, there was no rush to go shopping either. Therefore, he decided to look for a place to stay first, and after briefly talking over it with his three friends, they agreed to come with him.
Finding an accommodation in a buzzing city was not always easy. They had to walk around many streets and corners until they finally found a sufficient one upstairs of a local tavern. Two rooms for two were quickly rented, and they decided to rest for a bit before they would head out again. Unfortunately, they were much more fatigued than they had thought, so they slept a good six hours straight. By the time they woke up, it was already dark outside. A trip through the city could be dangerous at this time of day, so instead the four went down the stairs to the tavern and sat down at a free table. The tavern undoubtedly had its busiest time at night, when people coming from their work sat together, drinking and laughing.
Once everyone got their beer to drink, they shared a toast and took a big gulp of beer each. Corwyn wasn't really a frequent drinker, but that didn't mean he disliked it in any way. Sometimes, the bitter taste of a beer felt good on his tongue, and it brought a satisfying relaxation to his body. After half of his mug had been drunk empty, Corwyn leaned back against the chair rest and sighing.
"It has been over two months by now since we left Quorin. Time sure flies by!"
Teo looked up from his mug of beer and affirmed Corwyn's sentence.
"Mhm, it really does, huh. I wonder how mother and father are doing right now..."
"Knowing your mother, she will just do fine, believe me. Concerning your father, I can't say for sure, but as long as he doesn't overexert his health, he should be well, too."
"I think you're right, but I kind of wish I could see them for myself. But I know that isn't going to happen anytime soon."
"It won't, huh...?"
Both of them abruptly fell silent, and reminisced about the past. Ganrik and Lyria, Teo's parents, had always been there for Corwyn ever since his father left the city with the expedition five years ago. They were both gentle and warm people, and they had cared for Corwyn just like they had for Teo. The debt he owed to them couldn't be repaid with just gratitude. When he and Teo would return from the expedition, he would bring them lots of exotic gifts from all over the continent.
But that moment still lied in the far-off future. For the time being, he ought to focus on surviving this expedition and improving his abilities in handling Arcor as well as the swords.
Hanaan watched the two of them thinking about their home for a while, smiling, until he chose to join the conversation.
"It's nice to see that Teo is so concerned about his parents. They must be great people, huh?"
"No no, they are not anything great or special, they are just... the best parents I could hope for."
Teo blushed, obviously being embarrassed over contradicting himself in his own statement. Hanaan laughed and turned to Corwyn.
"What about you, Corwyn? You're not worrying about your parents?"
Although Hanaan definitely didn't intend to do so, he immediately hit a sore spot inside Corwyn's heart. The smile he still had on his face until now was gone in an instant, and he lowered his head. Teo too stopped smiling and looked over at his friend, seemingly worried. At their reactions, it dawned on Hanaan that he had just made a question he shouldn't have asked.
After a short moment, Corwyn looked up again, a light smile back on his face, but it was a bitter smile.
"My mother died shortly after my birth. I don't have any memory of her, except the image of her grave. It was my father who brought me up, but he too vanished from my life five years ago, when he joined the previous expedition. Ever since then, I have been living alone, being taken care of by Teo's parents."
While he said all that, Corwyn moved one of his hands up to his chest, holding the horseshoe, the amulet he received from his father on his day of departure. Even though he knew that it was just a piece of metal, wearing it gave Corwyn the confidence to continue in believing that his father would return to him one day.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know..."
Hanaan tried to apologize, but Corwyn quickly shook his head.
"No, it's not your fault, after all, you really didn't know. It's just... thinking about the past always makes the wish inside me only stronger, the wish that he will come back eventually."
"Back then, when we first met each other and talked, you mentioned that you joined the expedition because you were looking for someone. That someone is your father, isn't he?"
"Yeah!"
Corwyn nodded in confirmation.
"The last bit of information regarding the fate of the previous expedition party was that they had retreated into the ancient ruins deep down in the southern jungle. If I want to find my father, I have to reach that place, no matter what it takes."
Although he was a little down just a minute ago, new-found determination filled Corwyn's eyes. Hanaan gave him an approving nod while grinning.
"That's the spirit! And of course, Dalios and I are going to support you, no worries about that."
"Thank you very much!"
Corwyn bowed slightly before the both of them. Teo meanwhile let his gaze wander over to Hanaan.
"By the way, what about you Hanaan? Is there anyone who you want to come back to?"
At Teo's question, Hanaan rubbed his chin for a moment, apparently thinking about it seriously. However, his answer had no trace of seriousness at all.
"Hmm, maybe the well-built waitress at the "Flame Tongue" in Caraga? Or the more compact but funny soldier with the blond hair? Or maybe...? No, don't really want to go to her again!"
Teo, as well as Corwyn, fell into a stupified state as Hanaan continued to list one woman after another. There didn't seem to be an end any time soon, so Teo hastily interjected once he had recovered.
"No no no, I don't want to know about all the women you had, Hanaan. I want to know if there is someone special you feel like returning to!"
"Hahaha, you're right, sorry for messing with you."
Hanaan couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight of Teo panicking. It took him a while to calm down, but eventually, he began answering Teo's question seriously. His bright smile from earlier turned into a self-mocking one.
"You know, there isn't really someone I have to return to. I am an orphan, so I never got to know my parents. Ever since I was little, I had to give my all into trying to survive. Stealing, fighting, dealing, I did it all. When you live on the streets, there is no one who will protect you, the only one you can rely on is yourself. I accepted every job that was offered to me, did any dirty work that was required of me, except murder, and sometimes even participated in deadly battles in the colosseum just to earn money."
He briefly paused his story to drink several big gulps of beer, letting out a satisfied sigh after his mug was empty. Hanaan quickly called for the waitress and ordered a second one before he continued.
"Once I was old enough, I hired myself out as a mercenary, protecting merchants on their routes or supporting soldiers during hunts. Either way, I established a stable income and trained my fighting skills even further, to the point that I became one of the most popular sellswords. But eventually, that life became boring, so I was craving for something that could pick my interest. An expedition like this one sounded like a big thrill, so I ended up volunteering to join, and here we are!"
In the meantime, his second mug of beer had arrived, and once again, he drank a mouthful of it immediately.
Corwyn thought deeply about what he had just heard. He had always believed that there was more to Hanaan than the naked eye could see, but reality was much crueler than what he had imagined. The man sitting opposite to him grew up in an environment that basically said: Eat or be eaten. Hanaan had survived through countless hard times, but still showed a hearty smile every time Corwyn conversed with him. He couldn't even begin to grasp how that combination came to be.
"I know exactly what you're thinking right now, Corwyn. You're probably asking yourself, how I can always be so cheerful and positive, even though I lived through all that. Am I right?"
Corwyn didn't even have the time to be shocked. So he just nodded his head. Hanaan leaned himself back a little.
"It's true that I saw and did many awful things in the past. For some time, I even wondered if there was a purpose in my life at all. But eventually, I arrived at an answer."
And once again, a cheeky grin showed on his face as he said:
"Although all those things happened, there were also times like right now, when I was sitting with people in a tavern drinking. Or when I really got enjoyment out of a fight. It was at times like these, when I noticed that in the end, everyone just strives for their next happiness, no matter how far it is away. So I kept on believing, that I would eventually find my purpose, my next happiness. It won't help me to think about my past or the present awful things in this world. Life is meant to be enjoyed! Otherwise, what are we living for?"