Tatsuki," said with a cunning look, "I'm telling you that I can fix it without any complications, so why the hell do you want to waste riches on scrolls when I'm willing to teach you a purification spell?" He grinned. "Isn't that just playing stupid?"
The members of the clan looked at Tatsuki as if he were feeding them lies.
The chief's eyes widened, glimmering with shock and happiness. She said, "You... boy, you can use purification spells?"
Proudly, Tatsuki spoke, "Hmph, do you know who you're talking to?"
The chief was overjoyed beyond words, immediately beginning to sing Tatsuki's praises with humble words. Meanwhile, Tatsuki strangely struck a proud posture, gazing towards the sky as he spoke.
Tatsuki said, "Obviously, I can't."
The chief fell to the ground as if someone had taken away a toy from a child. Bao Chi turned towards Tatsuki with an expression of distress and asked, "Brother, but just a moment ago, you said you'd teach us the spell. Was that a lie?"
Confused, Tatsuki replied, "So what's that gotta do with using it?"
Bao Chi, still perplexed, questioned, "Then how will you teach us, brother, if you can't use it yourself?"
Tatsuki, making a plain face, responded, "Bao, you are still too naive. A man either speaks upon fact or belief. Do I look like a man who would speak upon belief without any specific reason?"
Bao Chi said, "Forgive me, brother. I shouldn't doubt you, but what you speak of doesn't make any sense in such dire times. I can't help but be suspicious."
Tatsuki playfully hit Bao Chi's head with a little force and said, "No worries, I forgive you. Hee hee. Well, now it's time. Those of you who have the attribute of Water come forward.
The chief said with an expression of sadness, "Of all the people of our clan who are supporting the gravely ill, I'm afraid that I'm the only one available right now. But I'm a gold-level magical mage. Would I be able to use it?"
Tatsuki reassured her, saying, "Any magical mage can use it, and since it's just a level 1 spell, you would be fine to use it as long as you have the water attribute."
Suddenly, realization struck Tatsuki as he grasped the meaning behind what the chief said. His eyes widened, and with an expression of shock, he asked, "Hold on, wait a moment. Something isn't right. Since when can a dwarf species have a magical mage among them and be able to use spells?"
The chief chuckled, her face showing a hint of mischief, as she replied, "Well, let's just say that this dwarf can..."
All present members of the clan shouted, "Chief, don't call yourself a dwarf. He's only mocking you."
Tatsuki, appearing genuinely confused, asked, "Why would I mock her?"
A youngster chimed in, "Don't play dumb. You've been calling her a dwarf ever since you came. It's clear you're mocking her appearance."
Tatsuki defended himself, saying, "Yeah, so what? Dwarfs are powerful, talented, and respected beings, aren't they? Most of the highest-quality materials can only be properly utilized by them. All sorts of weapons with attributes are mostly made by them. They are true masters of their craft, and being tiny is part of their adorable character. Isn't it?"
Every member of the clan bowed their heads in shame since they had no response to what Tatsuki said. The chief stared up at Tatsuki's face, grasping his pure expression.
Tatsuki turned toward the chief, sat down, patted her head with a big, goofy smile, and spoke, "Grandma, I do have faith in your full health. You must be a pretty strong person, and I respect that. So, I swear I would never mock you by calling you a dwarf just because you look a little weak now."
The members of the clan were now even more ashamed due to their unfounded accusations. To them, it was clear that Tatsuki didn't even understand why they had been stopping him. The chief seemed to be keeping herself from exploding, lost in her thoughts.
The chief reflected, "My whole life, as a child, people bullied me for my short stature. Even when I grew up to become a lady, those remarks never stopped. When I had the power, I found them and slaughtered them all, which earned me the title of 'vindictive gory.' It suited me, as I was out for revenge for a petty reason, as people may think. But it never mattered to me. Only I know how the child me felt, how the lady inside me felt being mocked solely for my stature. But when I look at this child, he bears no sign of mockery. All that I see is pure innocence. Never in my life has someone supported me for this shortcoming, yet this boy shows respect to me.
The action of Tatsuki brought tears to the chief's eyes, and with a wrinkly smile on her face, the chief spoke, "Boy, this might come as sudden and out of nowhere, but would you do me the honor of being my grandson? I have no other family to call besides these people of my clan. Since I have spent all my youth hunting my prey, I did experience the taste of love, but it was all for nothing. So, if it's okay with you, would you be willing to be my family?"
This sudden conversation sent murmurs among all the clan members. Some were shocked, and some were purely against it.
Meanwhile, Tatsuki made an expression of disappointment, and the chief stepped back with a clear expression of sadness on her face as she spoke, "Oh, pay no attention to my nonsense, child. I'm simply getting old and going senile to suggest something like an oathed relationship like this, so I completely under—"
Tatsuki interrupted her, saying, "Why would you say something like that, Grandma? Must there be an oath to bind us together? Did I not already become your grandson the moment I called you my grandma?"
Tatsuki looked almost ready to cry, to which the chief was swift to take action, comforting Tatsuki. The chief spoke in a very childish tone, "Oh no, what have I done? I shouldn't have asked that. Will my grandson forgive his dwarfy granny?"
Tatsuki turned his back on the chief and filled the air in his mouth, making his cheeks look like little air balloons. Then he spoke, "No, I won't. I'm angry... though I like the nickname 'Dwarfy Granny.' I'll call you that from now on, but I'm still not talking to you."
The chief giggled a bit and walked to the front of Tatsuki, saying, "If the grandson won't talk to me, then how will he teach his Dwarfy Granny the spell?"
Tatsuki touched the chief's forehead with two fingers and spoke, "Spell transfer," which came as a huge surprise to the chief.
The chief was surprised, and as she found words in her throat, she asked, "Grandson, you have this long-lost ability, but how? Where did you get this?"
Ignoring her, Tatsuki spoke with a bit of an angry tone, "I have given you two spells. The first is a purification spell used for cleaning the environment, and the second is a recovery spell. Use it to recover the amount of mana coal you lost using the spell. That should get you back to half of your original magibank capacity. Then, purify the water, and when everyone is back to full health, teach some of them the purification spell. Now, I'm leaving. Bye, Dwarfy Granny."
Saying so, Tatsuki quickly left the spot, shouting, "Don't push yourself too hard, and don't go to the Smithy anymore. It's not good for your health at this age." Then he called for Bao, saying, "Let's go, and I'm still not talking to Granny."
Bao Chi bid his farewell to all the present members of the clan, saying, "I must go with Mas... no, no, no," and nodded his head sideways, "Brother Tatsuki."
Bao Chi left, following Tatsuki's lead. The youngsters turned toward the chief and asked, "Chief, if you wanted him to be your grandson, then why didn't you make him take the oath?"
The chief responded, "You idiotic children, it requires you to offer half of the blood inside your body to complete this ritual. What kind of grandma asks her grandson to do something so cruel? My grandson might be a bit insolent, but he's still my family, isn't he?" She chuckled and hummed, then left for a deeper part of the forest to utilize the spells she had learned.
Tatsuki and Bao Chi had left the forest, but a confused Bao Chi asked Tatsuki, "Brother, why are we going in the opposite direction from where we came?"
Tatsuki said, "Because we are going to the Mountain of Avacasta. I have just found a family, and I'm not going to lose it."
Bao said in confusion, "Brother, I don't understand what you mean."
Tatsuki explained, "It will become more clear once we reach our destination."
After a few days of running, they finally reached the bottom of the mountain.
Tatsuki started running around the mountain, appearing to search for something, and suddenly he stopped near two diamond-shaped rocks whose ends were buried vertically in the snow. Seeing them, Tatsuki ordered Bao Chi.
Tatsuki instructed, "Bao, you turn the right rock clockwise, and I'll turn the left one anti-clockwise."
Bao was quick to act, and as both of them started to move the rocks clockwise and anti-clockwise slowly, a secret passage began to open. Once the rocks had completely rotated, Tatsuki spoke.
Tatsuki said, "Bao, we have to hurry. The door will be closed in mere seconds, and then we'll have to reopen them."
Bao expressed his concern, "But, brother, it's all dark in there. How will we..."
Tatsuki assured him, "Do not worry about that. Just on the count of three, leave the rocks and rush inside."
Bao said, "Yes, brother, I trust you."
Tatsuki and Bao counted, "One, two, and three!"
Tatsuki and Bao rushed toward the entrance and managed to get inside the cave before the passage's entrance closed down.