One-Eyed Monster

The scruffy uncle’s excessive enthusiasm made Igor feel puzzled. He thought to himself, could this guy just be an apprentice blacksmith? The moment he heard about forging something, the scruffy uncle got excited, which Igor found hard to understand.

”Are you the master blacksmith?” Igor tentatively asked.

”Master blacksmith?” The scruffy uncle seemed to find the title a bit distant, as if it stirred up memories he hadn’t revisited in a long time.

”Aren’t you?” Igor reminded the scruffy uncle, who had yet to answer the question.

”Oh ho ho haha, look at me, almost forgot you were there. I haven’t heard the term ’master blacksmith’ for so long that it feels a bit strange to me.”

”Huh?” Igor was bewildered by the exchange, finding it all jumbled up and nonsensical.

”Oh, I forgot to mention, I used to work as a blacksmith at a shop in Luona’s capital. Later, because of offending someone—well, for various reasons, I was assigned here to this, uh, peaceful and tranquil place to be a blacksmith...”

”Alright, alright, I get it.” Igor wasn’t interested in a long story; he just wanted to forge the mask and then find Kadi. ”So, master, can you help me forge something?”

”Of course!” The scruffy uncle’s eyes sparkled, as if he’d been longing to forge something for a long time.

”Um, how can I trust you?” Igor scratched his head, not wanting to be played by a blacksmith shop apprentice.

”Oh ho ho haha, tell you what, if you’re unsatisfied with what I forge, I won’t charge you. How about that?” The scruffy uncle said with a determined look, indicating he had great confidence.

”Alright, if you can’t meet my requirements, I won’t pay!” Igor was quite satisfied with this condition.

”Alright, alright, oh ho ho haha, so, what exactly do you want to forge, a weapon, or a magic staff?” The scruffy uncle was obviously excited, thinking the young man before him seemed extraordinary and surely wanted to forge something like a weapon.

”Uh... let me think, what I need to forge should be...” Igor hesitated, feeling he couldn’t say it was a mask. No matter what, he had to safeguard Kadi, so he had to pretend he needed to forge something. But what would be appropriate? Igor was momentarily troubled.

”What’s wrong? Is it complicated? Can you tell me a bit about it first?” The scruffy uncle rubbed his hands, unable to hide his excitement.

”Uh, I think what I need is a helmet!” Igor finally came up with a suitable term.

”A helmet? Young man, are you joining the army?” The scruffy uncle asked, then recalled that the king’s army no longer needed to bring their own armor, as they were provided by the Alchemy Workshop and other organizations with armor rich in Spirit Power. Only mercenaries would forge their own armor, so he looked at Igor and asked, ”Are you a mercenary?”

”Uh, no, I’m just making a helmet...” Igor didn’t expect the blacksmith to have such a vivid imagination.

”Not a mercenary, so why are you making a helmet, just for self-defense?”

Igor stammered and didn’t know how to respond.

”Forget it, forget it, I’m just a blacksmith; I shouldn’t meddle in so much.” The scruffy uncle seemed to recall some past events, sighing as he spoke.

”So... will you still help me make it?”

”Forge it? My hands are itching to! You must know, in this place, we don’t forge more than one thing in half a month. I’ve been here almost a year, without forging a decent weapon. It’s all horseshoes, shovels, and ordinary things. Sigh...” Thinking about it, the scruffy uncle couldn’t stop sighing, evidently full of skills but unable to use them, feeling utterly stifled.

Igor breathed a sigh of relief at this point, convinced that the uncle must be an experienced blacksmith; otherwise, he wouldn’t complain like this. He was gradually starting to believe the uncle had come from Luona.

”It’s this thing, master can you check if it’s very complicated.” Igor pulled out a piece of parchment, something Perkins and the others had helped draft together.

”Tsk, this isn’t a helmet!” The scruffy uncle took one look and exposed Igor’s earlier lie.

”Ah, ahem, is it?” Igor feigned composure.

”Look at this part of your drawing, these two iron strips are so fine, clearly meant for a mask hoop, aren’t you trying to make a mask hoop?” The scruffy uncle stared at Igor, his initial excitement waning significantly.

”Uh... haha, the master indeed sees everything!” Igor awkwardly chuckled.

”You young folks, always into these flashy things, why not think about forging a weapon or a magic staff? If you’re going to be an adventurer with class, you need some equipment!” The scruffy uncle lamented.

”Um, master, can you help me forge this mask hoop then...” Igor cautiously asked.

”Sure, while this isn’t as thrilling as a weapon, it’s still a delicate craft...”

”Thank you, master, thank you, master!” Igor quickly expressed his gratitude.

”Why are you making this mask, to escape something, or just for fun?”

Igor suddenly sensed that although the scruffy uncle looked rough around the edges, he was actually very astute, quickly seeing through Igor’s intentions.

”Well, haha, this...” Igor still didn’t want to disclose too much as Kadi’s identity couldn’t just be exposed.

”Seeing you look like that, you must have your reasons. I won’t make it hard for you. Let me choose some good materials.”

Igor watched as the master searched through a pile of rusty scrap metal, the clattering sounds nonstop.

”Found it. Look here, this piece of unfinished Red Iron is just lying around, what a waste! I’ll use it to make you a mask hoop.”

”Thank you, master.” Igor didn’t know what else to say now but to keep thanking the master. Initially, he thought about how to conceal the mask-making affair, but now it seemed completely unnecessary as the master saw right through it, and the more he tried to hide, the more he exposed.

”Oh, by the way, from your drawing, it seems like it’s something A Rang, from near the Imperial Capital’s Yonder Travel Academy, drew?”

”Huh?” Hearing the master’s words, Igor was astonished; the scruffy uncle actually knew A Rang!