[Arius POV]
"WHO'S CAUSING A COMMOTION SO EARLY IN THE DAY!!!"
Just as Sister Stella and Big Brother Jaque started arguing again, we hear a deafening shout from one of the rooms near us. It was so loud that even the sounds of many people working with metal seems quiet in comparison. While all the workers flinched the moment the shout was heard, they quickly returned to work pretending that they didn't hear it, with their faces a little paler than before.
Following the shout, I hear many things falling on the ground and footsteps. Very loud and heavy footsteps. So loud and heavy that I felt the vibrations of the steps going up my body. As the footsteps drew closer, I see a door fling open and a giant hand gripping the door frame. A giant head popped out its entire body squeezed out.
It was a giant! I was stunned silly. Standing over 3 meters tall, wearing a giant blue robe that barely covered his muscular body. Its big orange eyes glare down at us with rage.
"WELL IF IT ISN'T CRYBABY JAQUE, WHO TOOK AN EXTRA DAY ON HIS VACATION TRIP!"
"Master Doherty, we got into an accident on the way."
Hearing Big Brother Jaque talking back to him, the giant walks closer and picks up Big Brother Jaque by his shirt before locking eyes with him.
"IS THAT YOUR EXCUSE?!"
After responding, the giant continues to glare at Big Brother Jaque as he starts to let off an unknown aura that caused my legs to become jelly. Falling to the ground with Lorraine by my side, my body shivering and covered in sweat, I look up not knowing what's going to happen. Why was Big Brother Jaque still ginning, does he want to anger the giant even more?!
"Really Master Doherty, are you having fun bullying children with your Gigantification?"
"YOU..."
For a few more moments, the giant continued to stare at Big Brother Jaque, narrowing his eyes.
"TSK"
"Hahahaha!"
Suddenly, the unknown aura stopped and the giant began to shrink. Soon the giant was only around 2 meters tall when he stopped shrinking. Letting go of Big Brother Jaque's vest, he turns around while gesturing for us to follow him.
"Well got some explaining to do lil crybaby, especially about that dead arm."
"Hahaha..."
"W-what just happened?"
"That's my master, Lorraine. Master Doherty, he's a half-giant. While he looks rough on the outside, once you get to know him, he'll be like a friendly and reliable friend to have."
With Lorraine and I helping each other up, we quickly follow Mr Doherty with Sister Stella joining us, probably wanting to know what happened to Big Brother Jaque too. We all make our way into a large room with two long sofas and a coffee desk in between. I was in awe as I saw that hung on the walls were dozens of weapons, bows, knives, swords, gauntlets, hammers and many many more. Just looking at all these weapons left in the open brought tingles down my spine.
Other than the weapons on the walls, another thing in the room caught my eye. There was a large box in the far corner of the room that was completely locked shut with many layers of chains. I wonder what's inside there. Must be some delicious food, Sister Arielle would store her cookies in something similar to stop us from getting to them. Those cookies were sooo good!
Mr Doherty quickly took a seat on one of the sofas and the four of us all sat on the other sofa. Don't ask why, just felt like it. After everyone got comfortable, Master Doherty gestured for Big Brother Jaque to begin speaking and he began recounting the ambush during the travel.
...
It took over an hour for the entire situation to be explained because we had to explain our personal perspectives during the times when others weren't there or were knocked out. It didn't help that Sister Stella was gasping at every major event. By the end of it, I was somehow moved onto Sister Stella's lap and was now playing the role of a stuffed animal and pile of tissues.
While Sister Stella was coping, Mr Doherty didn't seem to react much to all the information. He always had this somewhat displeased frown on his face. Finally, after a few more minutes of silence, he leans back into the sofa and lets out a deep breath.
"Haaaaa, crybaby, show me the magic spell on your arm."
"Yeah it's right here"
Hearing Master Doherty's question, Big Brother Jaque quickly takes off his vest to give him a better look at the magic ring, which now seemed to be flickering.
"HMMM, alright! Time is running out. Let's head to the cathedral."
In a low and commanding voice, the half-giant gets up and heads for the door. Surprised but mostly confused, we all slowly get up and follow behind the huge figure of the half-giant.
You'd think that with such a large body that Mr Doherty would move pretty slow but you'd be wrong, by the time we got out of the room, he had already left the workshop. He must've really been in a hurry.
By the time we caught up with Mr Doherty, we already ran about half a kilometre and were all slightly out of breath.
"Master...ha, ha... Doherty, why are we in such a hurry?...ha...ha..."
"You've lost your edge crybaby. Despite being a 4-star Copper Adventurer, you're already huffing and puffing even though you've only run for this little bit. It seems whoever cast the spell stopped transmitting their mana so some of the poison is seeping into you. If we waste any more time, you won't be running to the cathedral, you'll be carried there!"
"'WHAT!"'
Hearing the news, we all collectively increase our speed and Big Brother Jaque was once again being held by Mr Doherty.
...
A few minutes later, we arrive in front of a large stone building with many coloured glass windows on it. It reminded me of home except that it was a lot taller and fancier than the orphanage. Walking inside, we are greeted by a large open room with a decorated path leading toward an altar where a nun was praying to a large statue. Hearing us enter, the nun turns around before getting up to greet us with a peaceful smile.
"If it isn't Master Doherty, did you train one of your apprentices too roughly again?"
"Not now Maria. This time it's actually somewhat serious."
"Hmm, I see."
Quickly laying Big Brother Jaque, who was already unconscious, in an open space near the altar. Mr Doherty then takes Big Brother Jaques' sword and holds it in his hand.
"Maria, you'll just need to heal him after I'm done!"
"Understood!"
Gripping the sword in his right hand and conjuring a fireball in his left, Mr Doherty places the blade in the fireball. Now with a red flaming blade in hand, Mr Doherty brings it down on the magic ring on Big Brother's arm. This all happened so fast that all I could do was close my eyes.
Crack!
SLSHHHH!
Booom!
"KAHHHHH!!"
With my body frozen and my surroundings black from closing my eyes, all I heard was a crack of something breaking, a slice, a rumble from the ground that pushed me on my bum and Stella's scream beside me.
...
...
...
Moments pass as all I hear are the sobs of Lorraine and Stella, I slowly open my eyes hoping that what I think happened didn't happen. With my eyes now opened, I look to see Lorraine and Stella crying while holding each other. I tried to see what happened to Big Brother Jaque but Mr Doherty's large figure blocked me.
Slowly crawling around him to get a peak of Big Brother Jaque, I finally see what happened to him. His black arm separated from his body with only a stream of blood and the crumbled stones connected them together.
Seeing Brother Jaque, seeing the blood, seeing the arm, I feel dizzy, my surroundings spinning. I pass out.
...
...
...
"...Hey..."
"Hey!"
"HEY!"
'HA...ha...ha'
Snapping awake to the sound of someone screaming in my eye, I was once again laying on my back, looking at a familiar ceiling.
"Duargeinhelm?"
"Yep, that's where we are, Lil Arius!"
Hearing someone speak, I quickly jump to my feet and turn to where the voice originated from. I see a woman in her prime wearing a red dress with brown eyes and hair.
"Who are you?!"
"I don't know, guess?"
"Wait that voice...Dakria?"
"Ding ding ding, we got a winner. Nice to meet cha in person lil Arius."
"Dakria, why are we in Duargeinhelm, where did the monolith go?"
"There's no monolith visible because there were no ores to absorb such as Mythril so those facilities are closed. As for why you're here, do you not remember? You fainted!"
Dakria pulls up a screen showing an image of the last scene I saw, Big Brother Jaque laying on the ground with his arm cut off. Seeing the scene again, my vision blurred as tears began running down my face.
"Dakria *Sniff* Dakria, tell me what to do? What did I do wrong? I got stronger but I still can't help. WAAAAAA"
"Now, now. Lil Arius, you need to learn that while strength is important, it can't solve every problem. All it can do is forcibly prevent all problems. This situation now is not your fault."
Hearing the struggle that I had, Dakria came over and leaned down to give me a hug before reassuring me that it wasn't my fault. I started crying even more, holding Dakria tight not wanting to let go of my only support at the moment. At that moment, the word inside me was why?
...
After many more minutes of tears and snot, I raise my head to face Dakria, wanting to ask one more question.
"Can I fix this?"
"...Yes, you can."
(Author note: If I was really mean, I would end the chapter right here. But I won't)
"..."
"Become an Iron-ranked Creator and you'll be able to create a prosthetic arm that works as well as his old arm."
"Really, again with being a creator. Dakria, please please. This time explain what being a creator is."
Seeing my pleading, Dakria takes a deep breath and begins speaking.
"Maybe you're ready to learn now. So in the most basic terms, a creator is someone adept in all three creation professions: craftsman, alchemist and engraver. So to become an iron-ranked Creator, you need to be an iron-ranked craftsman, alchemist and engraver. But that's just the beginning, mentally a creator..."
"So that's how you become a creator, it doesn't seem too difficult. I can definitely do it!"
With my questions finally answered, I quickly jumped and ran around in excitement, thinking about how I will make a new arm for Big Brother Jaque!
[Dakria POV]
'Seeing him running around like a monkey, I don't know what to think anymore..."
"Seems that it's still too early for him to understand. *sigh* It would be so much easier if you were still here, Father Erlium. While he's not the smartest tool in the shed, I believe that he can fulfill your prophecy. He'll become that creator you spoke of. I know it. He has the heart to do so."
...
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Dakria's Fun Fact: Why did Doherty heat up the blade, he didn't do it to cauterize the wound because Sister Maria was there to heal the wound. The reason is that he needed to. What he used was a Craftsmen's flame, a special flame used specifically by craftsmen. It has the special property of nullifying magic engravings and enchantments, mostly used only to reforge already engraved items. The magic ring on Jaque's arm was an enchantment and without the flame, they wouldn't be able to cut through it and remove all the poisoned flesh. As for how such a low-ranked flame could break through a high-level adventurer's enchantment, I'll tell you, guys, next time. ;)