The blacksmith's heart was racing. He grabbed his chest as he tried to endure the sudden pain. He didn't know what was happening to the world around him. He was too engrossed in the signs of fear his body was giving. He slowly breathed to ease the pain and calm himself. He tried to focus on the sound of the singing birds and feel the soft breeze hitting his face. When he was finally brought back to his senses by the heat of the morning sun, he slowly opened his eyes as they adjusted to the light.
—I'm okay…
He stretched his arms and legs as he lay on the floor. He felt the grass caressing his body with each movement of the stretch. That's when the man realized,
—I fell asleep outside.
He quickly sat up and saw the lake in front of him. He touched his body thinking something was done to it, but there was no sign indicating such a thing. His body was completely intact.
He recalled the interaction he had with the woman last night. To William, she was an odd person to begin with and seemed out of place in the forest. He was sure the eccentric woman had done something to him.
—She must've used magic on me.
His body was completely useless in the face of her adversity, although he never got the chance to see her face. She didn't permit him to see her, it was a complete black fog. When he defied her to look, he suffered the consequences.
—I hit myself face-first on the ground because of her! I also had that dream…
The moment the man went into slumber, he found himself in a world of chaos. As he followed the path of the corpses, he found himself at the cause of the madness.
—Before I knew it, I woke up. Seriously, what a nightmare. I have goosebumps just thinking about it… was that dream her doing as well?
The man was not a religious person, but at that moment he felt like praying to the divine hero or the dragon of resurrection. However, he wasn't knowledgeable enough to know which of the two to pray for in that situation.
—Maybe I'll ask her about religion when I get the chance.
"You're finally awake. I must say, you sure took a long time to wake up, sir." A man had approached the blacksmith and covered him from the sunlight. William was slowly able to see the figure of the person standing in front of him.
—Did he watch over me while I slept?
The blacksmith sighed, "I was exposed to the wild like a rookie. I have to thank you for keeping an eye on me."
"There is no need for formalities. I only did it because I would like to have a word with you."
The blacksmith stood up, "I see, so it's like that."
William was used to people reaching out to him for weapon requests. He was impressed that this time someone had come inside the forest to search for him. Then again, Nicolas did the same when he followed him. Although it was up to him to decide if he would take the offer or not, he could at least hear him out by keeping an eye on him.
The man bowed, "Sir Jaeger, I would like to get straight to the point of why I am here."
The blacksmith raised his hand at the man, "Hold on a minute."
William's brain doesn't react as quickly as it used to in the morning. He used to get up easily. Just as he opened his eyes, so did his brain. Years have passed and he's already twenty-five years old. At this age, the body starts to act differently, more slowly than it used to.
—To be asked for a request this early in the morning is dangerous. I might get into a situation I don't want to be in. Especially with the determined look this guy is giving me, he seems ready to drag me into some unwanted mess.
Before we continue, you should at least give me your name.
The man bowed, "My apologies. My name is Sebastian. I'm a butler of the Reinsfield Family."
"The Reinsfield family… Aren't they those nobles that practically own Aoba?"
"They provide donations to the town, so they do have a word about what happens in it, but they don't own it. I work in the main house."
"Really? Then, why are you in such clothing?"
Being part of the staff of a main household means wearing presentable clothing to not filth the family's reputation and to let others know the position one holds. To see someone like Sebastian walking around the town wearing what he wore at that moment would make one question what kind of people the Reinsfield family are.
Sebastian twitched at William's comment. It's not like he wanted to wear the clothing, but the little lady of the house ordered him to do so. Right as he was about to leave, she got ahold of Sebastian and dragged him to the dressing room. She grabbed camouflage clothes and told him, "If you're going on an adventure you need to represent the part of being an adventurer." Sebastian couldn't refuse her after seeing her warm smile.
The butler never lost his posture, he wore those clothes with great pride, but he could only relive the moment with tears rolling down his eyes.
"I would like to leave that confidential."
"Are you okay?!" William could only imagine what situations the butler would go through in that mansion. The blacksmith scratched his cheek, "Never mind. It was my fault for intruding on someone else's business." He extended his hand to properly greet the butler, "Everyone has their own skeletons in the closet."
Sebastian looked at William rather pleased, "Compared to what I heard, you're a good man."
William looked at Sebastian confused. "Who's saying bad things about me?!"
"It's nothing, Sir Jaeger, just a slip of the tongue."
—Like hell it is…
The blacksmith sighed, "William: Please call me William. Being called Sir Jaeger makes me feel old."
Sebastian nodded, "Very well, Mr. Jaeger it shall be."
"How is that any better? It didn't change anything!"
Even though Sebastian was a butler, one could clearly tell he was not a good example of that. He knows no boundaries and likes to tease people very frequently.
"Now tell me, why is it that you're here?"
The butler's eyes shifted to look behind the blacksmith, "Before that, I must deal with the third party listening to us."
The blacksmith was confused about what the butler had said, but before he could even question it, he saw him throw three shuriken from his sleeve. It passed very close to William's face, leaving him in shock. He heard all three of the shuriken hit a nearby tree. A scream followed soon after.
"I believe I've heard that scream before."
"Shall we take a look at our eavesdropper?"
The pair walked up to the tree and what they found was a young man with blond hair and emerald eyes. He was dangling from the tree kicking and screaming, demanding to be put down.
"Let me go! How dare you put an amazing person like me in such a state. Show me some respect!"
The butler released an electric current from his hand towards the shuriken. All three of them flew out towards him and landed back inside his sleeve. The young man was about to hit the ground when the butler caught him without skipping a beat.
"Do you perhaps know of this child who is speaking nonsense?" he said, lifting the young man by the collar with one hand.
"Nonsense?!" he retorted.
William silently looked the other way while scratching one of his cheeks. Of course, he knew who this person was, it was Nicolas, but he didn't want to admit it with all the ruckus he was causing.
The blacksmith sighed, "That's my apprentice Nicolas."
"Apprentice you say…"
The butler examined the apprentice thoroughly. From first glance, he didn't see any outstanding characteristics in him. Although there was something inside him that the butler felt very faintly. The young man was irritated at the butler for invading his personal space while being examined, "You better believe it four-eyes!"
One of the butler's eyebrows twitched, "What did you call me?"
"That's what you get for calling me a child! I'll have you know I'm of drinking age."
—You pick the most interesting moments to say it.
"So you say, but you haven't had any alcoholic drinks."
William was impressed by the butler's perception, while Nicolas looked dumbfounded.
"How can you tell?"
"You can see it in his eyes, that pure innocence, it has not left him. Because of that, my conclusion is he hasn't had any yet."
"It's not like I don't want to. I just haven't gotten the occasion to do it."
A smile creeped on Sebastian's face which made Nicolas and even William feel shivers down their spines, "Let's go grab a beer then."
"Ugh." The young man twitched at Sebastian's idea.
Sebastian looked at William, which made him twitch as well. "That way, we can continue our conversation."
William knew there was no escaping the butler.
The blacksmith sighed, "Alright, let's go."
***
"Well?"
A glass full of beer was in front of the young man, Nicolas. He intently inspected the liquid inside, "Hmmm."
The butler raised an eyebrow, "What is it? You said you would drink alcohol if you had the occasion for it."
As soon as the apprentice heard the word "occasion", he took no delay and sharply responded to Sebastian, "Exactly! Since there's no occasion for a drink. I guess it was a waste."
He tried to stand up and leave, but "What nonsense are you babbling about, little boy?"
Sebastian, with one hand, grabbed the apprentice's shoulder and sat him back on the seat.
"I'm not a boy!" he said, irritated.
The butler got closer to the apprentice and raised his index finger, "Listen here, a "real man" doesn't need an occasion to drink. He simply does."
"I still fail to see how alcohol makes you a man."
"Why don't you have a taste and see for yourself?"
The apprentice inspected the glass once more. He was hesitating to take the first sip.
"Time is ticking—"
"—I'm going at my own pace!"
—He's giving him a hard time.
The blacksmith watched the apprentice getting teased by the butler. As they both continued, William looked around the bar. It was the usual one.
—I wonder if Lucy is finally around, although it is still very early.
One of the waitresses recognized the blacksmith when serving him his beer.
"Mr. Jaeger? Nice to see you this morning. Just so you know, Lucy isn't back yet. Neither is Marla. She said to mention you she wouldn't be coming for the next few days."
"Wait, even Marla?"
There seemed to be something happening between the two young women. William worried about them. He wondered how he would be able to reach them. His thoughts were put to a stop as soon as he realized that Sebastian and Nicolas had stopped their banter. After overhearing the blacksmith, they both looked at him curiously.
"Who might Lucy and Marla be? I wonder." He rested his chin on the palm of his hand with a smirk on his face.
"I would like to know too, master. I know who Marla is, but who's Lucy?"
Both men wondered what woman would make William Jaeger ask for her in the first place. The blacksmith, on the other hand, did not like them pressing to know his private matters, "Don't call me master! And you—" William pointed at Sebastian, "—Aren't you acting a little too familiar with me? It doesn't fit your character as a butler."
"My apologies, but seeing a person with such a title asking for a woman from the bar is something you don't see every day."
"What are you talking about? She's just like everybody else. Besides, the noble title is not mine, it's my family's."
Nicolas spit the beer once he got a taste of it. Both the butler and the blacksmith looked at the coughing Nicolas, astonished that he actually drank from the glass, and then they continued with their conversation.
The apprentice cried out, "None of you are going to acknowledge me for finally drinking!?"
William was getting annoyed by Sebastian's familiarity, "Listen, would you cut it with the teasing?"
"What are you talking about? I thought we were starting to get along."
"I wonder..." he said sarcastically, and drank from his glass of beer.
Sebastian takes a sip of his beer and clears his throat, "Very well. Then I might as well get to the point about why I'm here speaking to you, Mr. Jaeger."
The blacksmith's eyes narrowed, "You already dragged me here. What is this about?"
"You see, I have a request."
The blacksmith's head was clouded with many questions about the woman from the previous night and now he worried about the other two young women from the bar. He also wondered about the status of a certain merchant. He didn't have time to work on any weapon request with all that was happening around him. The butler's sudden appearance had delayed him from getting any answers.
Although, he felt like there was a connection between him and the woman from last night. He proceeded to test the waters, "Did she order you to keep me company?"
The butler's eyes widened. A little smirk formed on his face, "I suppose there was no avoiding you figuring it out."
The blacksmith's theory was correct, "It was suspicious of you to find me in the middle of the Lost Forest so easily. Now, I see why."
The blacksmith felt like he was being played. The woman puts him to sleep, leaving him vulnerable in the forest, and the butler watches over him as a means of getting compensation for his good deed. It was a good tactic, but William easily saw through their plan.
"It was not on her orders, but I supposed I had to watch over you considering we need your assistance. I do say, I wasn't aware that you already knew about her. It will make my job easier."
"She gave me a good sleep. Now tell me, what could you want from me?"
—To go through all this just to give me a request, it must be something great.
"Hm? Well, sleeping problems aside, Mr. Jaeger, my master took an interest in your family name. The Jaeger name will forever be known for generations for their magnificent work on weapons that contributed to the battles fought for our kingdom."
—Yes, yes, I've heard of this many times.
"Let's cut to what's really important, why did your master take a liking to my family? I know for certain that it wasn't just history."
Sebastian smiled at William, "Oh, but it is. Specifically, the battle against the dark witch."
The blacksmith's eyebrows furrowed. He had mixed feelings towards the dark witch considering the dream he had. Regardless, he was still curious, "What about it?"
"Your great grandfather, Ludas Jaeger, made a powerful sword. I believe the name was Pagida Spathi."
The blacksmith tried to recall if there were any records of the event or word of such a sword in his grandfather's private studies, but he couldn't seem to recall any. "Pagida Spathi... It was a sword used against the dark witch?"
"Correct, after defeating the dark witch, they stored it deep in a temple. A temple that was never to be seen again."
"Wait a minute, I've heard of such a temple. The place is called the Temple of Oram."
The butler nodded, "Once the battle against the dark witch had culminated, the sword was stored deep in the temple."
"I've heard that the temple was made over two hundred years ago. It's more like an urban legend. What of it now?"
"My master sent me to have a look at the temple. I eventually found it, but I couldn't get in."
"Wait, it actually exists?!"
The butler nodded, "It does. From the information I could gather, no one was able to get inside. It appears to have some sort of blood recognition spell."
"If I were to guess. It can only enter the ones involved with the sword. I assume you need my blood... Am I mistaken?"
"No, you're right on the mark."
"I see, this is where I come into play."
"Apparently, Ludas Jaeger made a special request when creating the sword. He wanted it placed on the temple and asked the doors to be used with a blood recognition spell."
"This is crazy. How come there's no documentation about it?"
"Who's to say? Well, I suppose you do know where this is going."
—I do…
This was no ordinary weapon request. In fact, it was the complete opposite. It was to join the butler on his quest to open the temple's door, but there was one factor the blacksmith had yet to mention.
"Mr. Jaeger, I need you to come with me—"
The blacksmith raised his hand at Sebastian, "Slow down, who's to say that it will work with my blood. Sure, I do have my family blood, but it's not pure."
The butler's eyebrows furrowed, "Pure? You are a descendent of the bloodline, are you not?"
"Yes, I am. It's just complicated to explain…"
The butler continued, "Listen, all I need is for you to accompany me to the entrance. If it opens, you will need to join me to the end. Don't worry about safety, I'll be protecting you throughout our journey. If it doesn't work, you can continue on with your life and I will find another way to get inside."
"So, you won't give up even if it were to fail?"
"I will not. Even if I have to blow up the place, I will get that sword."
"Geez, isn't that going a bit too overboard?" the man scratched the back of his head, "Why are you looking for the sword in the first place?"
"I suppose it is necessary for you to know..." The butler took a deep breath for the next words he was about to give to the blacksmith, "The sword holds knowledge."
"What do you mean?"
"When the dark witch was slayed by the hero with your great grandfather's weapon, a map was forged onto the sword. It is said that it holds the location of her library of knowledge."
The blacksmith's eyes widened, "It makes no sense. Why would the dark witch even do that in her final moments?"
"Who's to say? That is the information I was able to gather. I need the map to get to her library. That is why I'm here telling you all of this. I'll ask again… will you take on my request?"
The blacksmith was speechless. He never expected to be in such a position regarding his family matters. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to reject it. Anything that involved his family never brought him anything good, but he had never heard of such events. He was curious to know what that was all about. He needed time to process his thoughts, "I'll... need to think about it."
The butler nodded understandingly, "Very well, I will give you a week." He stands up and leaves money on the counter for the drinks, "Good day, Mr. Jaeger. We'll meet again for your decision." then he bowed and left.
Suddenly, William's life got a bit troublesome or maybe even more than that. He looked at his reflection from the beer inside the glass. Should he take on the butler's offer?
To his right he saw Nicolas passed out on the floor. The boy couldn't hold his liquor. He picked him up and headed back home.
—What did I get myself into?