Khazak, sets out with his uncle towards the Forest. Though they exchange a few words along the way, they don't talk much. When they arrive and sit on the log that Khazak rested with Roran, the conversation begins.
"Uncle, you usually forge swords much faster than this one. Why did this sword take so much longer?"
"Well, as you know, melting the metal was very difficult. Not to mention forging it was even harder, and that's because the metal itself was special."
"Yes, I understand that the metal was special, but what was so special about it? After all, the swords you make are already quite durable, so I don't think the issue was the toughness."
"You're right, but don't forget this: while it's true that the swords I make don't break, that's under the use of people like you. In our village, people usually don't break their swords because they're used for hunting and they don't have the strength to break them. However, in wars, the soldiers' brute strength and the impact of the sword hitting armor rather than flesh means that the metal needs to be extremely durable. That's why you can't make these types of swords with ordinary metals."
"So, it seems I've been overestimating your swords in my mind, Uncle."
"You little... Anyway, yes, my swords aren't particularly suitable for large scaled battles, but I can definitely say that this sword we've made is. Additionally, the sword's main feature isn't just its durability. The metal you see has a unique property—it can absorb mana. I'm not entirely sure what this mana does, but I believe it's something similar to the energy used by mages"
"Mana, huh... I think Uncle Reagon mentioned mana to us before, but he's an old soldier. How do you know so much about it? Aren't you just a village blacksmith?"
"Haha, so you noticed, huh? Yes, I'm a village blacksmith and I grew up here, but my father, Roger, was a palace blacksmith, and I lived the palace life until I was 17, my child."
"Palace life?! You never told us about that, Uncle... By the way, what happened that stopped you at 17?"
"I met a girl named Amanda, and I fell head over heels for her. However, she was a village girl and I was from the palace. My father was against our love, so with the impulsiveness of youth, I fled here to this village and married her. "
"She died... She died while giving birth to Roran... Roran is the last thing I have from Amanda..."
Uncle Ronny's voice grew choked with emotion, and his eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry, Uncle. I shouldn't have delved into such a deep topic."
"No, my child, it was time for you to learn this from me. Don't apologize."
Khazak and Uncle Ronny continued to sit on the log for a while. During this time, strange particles began to form on the stone in the middle of the pond. The energy gathered there had become intensely concentrated, with orange sparks and blue particles swirling into a spiral, creating a legendary scene. The wind began to blow strongly, and the trees started rustling. A magnificent energy was forming in the center of the pond. For a few seconds, Uncle Ronny and Khazak couldn't take their eyes off the scenary. Uncle Ronny's vision momentarily darkened, and he remembered old memories; his face turned horrifyingly pale. Khazak still couldn't take his eyes off the scene, and then Uncle Ronny screamed.
"KHAZAK!!"
Khazak couldn't react, and Uncle Ronny jumped onto him, covering him with his own body. Khazak couldn't make sense of what was happening; his eyes were only focused on the magnificent scene. The sky suddenly darkened, and rain began to fall. Uncle Ronny pressed Khazak tightly with his body and was trembling all over. Then, an orange beam of light fell into the center of the pond. It was as if time had slowed down for Khazak; his embracing uncle, the water splashing from the pond, the firefly-like sparks in the pitch-black evening, and the small blue glowing particles that seemed to be trying to brighten the surroundings... Khazak's eyes were shining. Then the light beam merged with the pond and vanished and everything suddenly stopped. A high-pitched sound followed and an explosion occurred. That heavenly corner was erased, leaving behind only a hellish landscape. Khazak and Uncle Ronny were thrown back 4-5 meters, and Khazak lost consciousness.
*RORAN' POV*
After wandering around the village for a bit, Roran enters his house, only to find that mice have started to roam around. After chasing them away, he realizes that no one else is home and heads to his room. He lies down on his bed, feeling both sad and angry and thinks about Lucie. He then begins to watch the sudden downpour and the forest outside. Feeling a sense of unease although he initially thinks it's because of Lucie and Dukhe, he soon realizes that the cause is something else. He then sees an orange beam of light descending into the forest. A shiver runs through his body from the tip of his hair to his toes, and he starts running. He can't make sense of why, but he runs toward the forest, drenched in the torrential rain. His body seems to be moving on its own. Then he hears an explosion. He stumbles and falls, but quickly gets up, though he has twisted his ankle. With all his remaining strength, he continues to limp slowly toward the forest.
*KHAZAK' POV*
After the explosion, Khazak regains his senses but is paralyzed with fear. When he sees the aftermath he finds himself in the middle of a hellish scene. The once peacefully rustling trees are now destroyed, burned, and reduced to ashes. Screams of countless creatures echo around him, and the reflection of the burning fire has turned the waterfall a blood-red color.
Then Khazak notices his uncle in his arms and quickly lays him down on the ground.He begins to shake his uncle but there was no response. Overcome with emotion, he starts to cry, his throat tightly constricted, unable to utter a single word. He wants to scream but can only sob. Then, a tear falls from his eye onto his uncle's face, and his uncle awakens.
"Kid... You're not hurt, are you?"
Khazak slowly shakes his head.
"Good... at least my previous actions weren't in vain. Listen, my child, I don't have much to leave to you. The people in the village will likely decide that all my belongings should go to Roran. However, I've raised you since you were little, and I see you as my own son. Listen, my child, do you remember the sword we made? That sword is yours. It's made from a very powerful metal... Take that sword. It's my LEGACY to you..."