The Rising of the Scythe Hero

"So, you're my new apprentice?" the broad-shouldered man in his late thirties asked, giving me a grumpy once-over.

While Remus was busy studying the current coliseum situation and figuring out the most profitable strategy for participating, I was sent to train with a blacksmith — no point wasting time.

"That's right," I nodded with a slight half-smile.

"...I could say a lot, but it's better if I just see what you can do. Do you know anything at all?"

"I don't think so. But to be sure, I'll need to actually start doing something."

I decided to completely ignore his condescending tone. And that clearly pissed him off — I could see it all over his face and feel it in the fluctuations of his life energy, which I was getting better at sensing and reading.

"What does that even mean?" His look grew even more disdainful — if that was possible. "You either know how to do something, or you don't. There's no in-between."

"My case is a bit different."

"Hah," the blacksmith smirked. "Alright then — let's test that."

A few minutes later, all the necessary tools and a metal ingot were laid out on the table in front of me. The blacksmith tossed in a mocking, expectant stare as a bonus.

"Think you can handle this on your own, or do I need to walk you through it step by step?" The sarcasm in his voice could've sharpened a blade. What was this guy's problem?

"Step by step," I said. If I had to, I could match even Night in deadpan calm — though unlike her, I wouldn't last long, which might mean Zeltoble could soon end up with one less blacksmith.

The mocking look on his face twitched again when I didn't give the reaction he was clearly fishing for.

"Hah. Alright, listen up…"

And that's more or less how my training began. First, the blacksmith made me heat a piece of metal to a specific temperature. And from that moment on — things started getting interesting.

"Alright, pull it out."

I completely ignored him.

"You fall asleep or what? That's enough! Pull it out already."

[Skill Activated: Blacksmithing (Lv. 3)]

"Too early."

"What?!"

"Too early," I repeated calmly.

Something inside me just knew it. Just a bit more… a little longer, and...

It felt like a jolt of electricity shot through my arm, and I instinctively yanked it back, pulling the ingot out of the forge.

"Happy now? Those few seconds were totally worth it."

"Just do what you're being paid for, alright?" I think my smile twitched a little. "What's next?"

A vein popped on the blacksmith's forehead, but I didn't care. If he didn't start doing what he was paid to do, losing money would be the least of his problems.

Still, the training went on. And pretty much every single stage followed the same pattern. The blacksmith would explain things one way — and I'd do them my way. Different hammer angles, precisely measured force, all that stuff.

When it came to shaping the metal into a blade, it was like something inside was guiding me. Some kind of instinctual timer ringing in my head the moment the metal hit just the right temperature — either cooling down or heating up. I could even guess the current temp just by looking at it.

And when it came to sanding and polishing — there was no point even talking about it. I didn't really need the skill there, though it definitely made things easier.

All in all, the whole process took around six hours. Somewhere around the halfway point, the annoying blacksmith finally went quiet and stopped testing my patience. Smart move.

"I don't believe this," he muttered, staring at what I'd made. "This is a joke, right? Someone seriously thought this would be funny?"

The whole time, he was turning over in his hands the most basic version of a European longsword I had made. Just... the simplest thing possible. No etching, no engravings, no fancy stuff at all. Just a sharp, long piece of metal with a handle.

"Think whatever you want. Just do your job."

Since then, he hadn't said a word that wasn't strictly about the work. I kept forging while the blacksmith explained the theory behind it all. Types of steel, methods of working with them, which kind to use for which blade, special steels suited for specific tasks, tricks and little nuances from personal experience...

In other words, he was finally doing what he was supposed to. His tips helped me push my Blacksmithing skill up to level 5 and also gave me a much deeper understanding of the forging process and what it's actually about.

You know, it reminded me of when I once tried getting into 3D modeling or programming back in my old life. The system in this world was basically holding my hand, giving me the right skills. Just like watching tutorials and copying what the creator does step by step. And yeah — I actually made something.

But the moment you stray from those exact steps, you're lost. All because you don't have the basic understanding or a solid foundation.

That's exactly how I felt now. By combining the system's help with real-world experience, knowledge, and advice from an actual blacksmithing master, I was progressing at a ridiculous pace. And thanks to my improved memory — much better than in my previous life — I was picking up metal theory, its properties, and forging techniques like a sponge. I even remembered which methods to use in which situations.

Eventually, I snapped out of it when Wyndia and Night walked into the workshop. It was the half-human girl who told me that, apparently, four days had passed. Four days in which I hadn't slept or eaten.

The blacksmith was still just as silent. Unlike me, he actually needed food and rest, so whenever he had to, he'd simply end the lecture and leave me to keep working.

Yeah, he tried interrupting me a couple of times — but quickly realized it was a waste of effort. He was pretty sharp, I'll give him that.

"So… did something happen?" I asked Wyndia while gently patting Night on the head. I hadn't seen her in four whole days, after all. And yeah, I didn't exactly feel those days, but still.

"Well… I was worried!" Wyndia puffed up and turned away. "Sure, you said you'd be busy, but still… Four days! Four days alone with… her!" She pointed a tiny finger toward Night.

At first, I didn't get it. Then I looked at Night, who was staring at Wyndia with her usual deadpan expression… then back at Wyndia…

I think I was starting to get the picture.

"Ooooh…" There wasn't really much else I could say.

I tried to imagine what it must've been like for a teenage girl to be stuck alone with someone like Night — whose communication skills barely outmatch a log. In a completely unfamiliar city. Where she didn't know a single other soul. Trapped within four walls. Living under the same roof with a shady merchant, no less. And I was the one who left them in Pelge's house — on his recommendation, no less. At the time, it seemed better to leave them alone with a shady Pelge than alone in a shady tavern.

And there were servants — a lot of servants — the kind of people a dragon's ward definitely wasn't used to. All I had to do was remember her reaction to the mansion itself. She was clearly uncomfortable being surrounded by that many strangers at once.

Yeah… not my brightest move.

"Sorry, Wyndia. I didn't think I'd be gone that long." I walked over, crouched down, and gave her a gentle pat on the head — earning a surprised look in return. "And you did great coming here. I honestly might've sat here until the next wave hit. Smart girl."

"I… um…" She clearly wasn't expecting praise. Her eyes shimmered a little with moisture. "B-baka...."

She was still just a kid, after all. A kid who, not long ago, had lost the only person who'd ever been like family to her. I really should try to be a bit more careful with her…

"Alright, let's go." After taking one more look at her flustered little face, I stood up and headed for the exit, tugging Night along by the edge of my sleeve.

"W-where to?"

"No clue. But I seriously need to get some air." I shot a meaningful glance at my clothes, which were partially singed and starting to smell.

Funny thing — I barely even sweat. That said a lot about how deep I'd gotten into the blacksmithing process. Something told me I could've stayed in that state for a whole month… but the way I'd have looked by the end of it? Yeah, no thanks.

And just like that, the three of us set out on a kind of improvised stroll.

Come to think of it, I hadn't actually seen Zeltoble yet — I dove straight into business the moment we arrived.

So yeah, probably a good idea to get a feel for the place.

I didn't have a clear goal, but the first thing that came to mind was checking out the local market. Supposedly, it wasn't too far from the forge I'd been holed up in.

"Whoa."

The moment we stepped into the city center, Wyndia darted ahead in excitement — and almost got swept away by the wave of people. I had to grab her by the collar to keep her from disappearing into the crowd.

"S-sorry…"

Yeah. Gotta keep both eyes on her at all times…

The first thing that hit me was the sheer variety of goods this mercenary city had to offer. All sorts of materials, gear, exotic items — you name it.

I picked up whatever little things I hadn't managed to find during my travels so far. Later, all of it would be fed to the Scythe — in exchange for new stat boosts.

The gear, though, was kind of underwhelming. After checking out a few weapon shops, I realized most of their stuff didn't come close to Elhart's quality. At least, not the stuff on display. Custom orders? Totally different story.

As for random trinkets and junk… not even worth mentioning. Let's just say the center of a big city is paradise for a tourist looking to burn through their savings.

We wandered around until I suddenly heard a long, drawn-out growl — and froze. So did my companions.

Neither of them gave any indication that anything was off.

I glanced sideways at Wyndia. She was staring straight ahead with stoic determination, not a flicker of change on her face.

Well — except for the part where her face was slowly turning redder and redder the longer I looked at her…

"Why didn't you say you were hungry?"

"…That's… a v-very complicated question," she said, putting on a serious face.

"Yeah, no kidding." After a short pause, I added, "Don't be shy about asking for stuff. If it's a no-go or I don't agree, I'll just say so — no need for drama or anything. But otherwise… let's just say I tend to get super focused and forget about little things like food."

"How is that a little thing? How can a person even live without food?"

"Well… I guess they can't."

Wyndia gave me a look that could drill holes, but didn't say anything else.

We ended up in a random tavern we picked on the spot. The number of people inside was definitely a bit uncomfortable (and not just for me), but there wasn't much we could do about that. Less popular places were too far from the city center, and I didn't feel like trekking all the way out there just for a meal.

Prices were… well, what you'd expect — but still within the limits of what I could afford. So, in a display of my greatness and boundless generosity as a Hero, I let the girls order whatever they wanted.

Wyndia, of course, got all flustered and tried to decline, but in the end, she didn't cause too much trouble. And the one who, as always, caused no trouble at all was...

"Mmm…" Night hummed, staring at the menu. "I don't care what I eat. I'll have the same as Master."

"Predictable."

Nodding to myself, I ordered for the two of us.

"Hey! Why'd you make me order for myself?!" Wyndia protested — and, honestly, she had a point.

But as we all know, there's no such thing as justice in this world.

"You don't get that luxury," I said with a grin.

Looking shocked and offended, the girl huffed and turned away.

Contrary to my expectations, we actually managed to eat in relative peace — no one decided it was their duty to mess with the "new guy." And no, I was not disappointed that another classic isekai cliché had been shattered!

The only thing worth noting was a drinking contest that broke out nearby.

To my surprise, the winner was a beastkin girl whose animal features were limited to partially blackened hands and feet — not enough for me to tell her exact species. She outdrank a whole mob of huge guys and didn't even look tipsy.

For a moment, I even wondered if she might be a Star Hero — someone chosen by a Star Weapon, which is basically a weaker version of a Sacred Weapon. If I remember right, there were six or seven of them in this world. They had their own upgrade systems and quirks…

But that's not really the point right now.

She probably wasn't one of the Starborn. Though, I guess I can't completely rule it out either.

By the time we were done eating, it was already getting dark outside. That didn't bother me or Night much, but the youngest and weakest among us was clearly starting to get tired. Then again… can we really call her the youngest? Night barely turned a month old...

Mentally, they were about the same level, leaning slightly toward the more mature side, but I'd still give the edge to Night. Well, except for a few things where Wyndia actually seemed older — but that's where Night's non-human nature comes into play.

As we were slowly making our way toward the Pelge estate — whose hospitality I fully intended to take advantage of — my gaze caught on a place that didn't particularly stand out...

"Hmmm…" I murmured thoughtfully, eyeing the sign. "Alright, let's check it out." And with that, I strode ahead...

...

"W-why did it end up like this?!" Wyndia blurted nervously, sitting across from me with only her chin above the water.

Turned out, the sign I saw had just two words on it: Hot Springs.

Poor Wyndia, even though she glanced at the sign too, didn't stand a chance — the poor thing just didn't have the reading skills for it. So she walked in, completely clueless. And once I'd paid for all three of us, it was too late to back out.

"Why are there only shared baths here?! That's just dumb!"

"Oh, were you hoping for a private one?" I smirked.

The place had six baths, four of which were already taken. Wyndia wouldn't have agreed to a private one anyway — she wouldn't let me spend extra money on something like that. But the shared bath, after a bit of grumbling, she finally accepted.

"Just relax. Stop thinking about nonsense and let your body rest. Then you'll see it was worth it." With that, I followed my own advice, closed my eyes, and let myself fully unwind, breathing out a blissful sigh.

Soaking in hot spring water really is a perfect way to forget everything for a while and just rest.

"I'll try, but… but why is she clinging to you again, Master Nott?!"

Even with my eyes closed, I could clearly feel Wyndia pointing at Night, who was pressed up right against me, shoulder to shoulder.

"I must always stay close to my Master," came her completely emotionless reply.

Wyndia puffed in frustration again, but I could feel her body gradually relaxing, her breathing slowing down. About a minute later, I heard a long, quiet sigh of contentment.

"...You know, Master Nott," came her soft voice from across the bath. I didn't react. "I'm really glad I came with you. That you took me along." After a brief pause, she added, holding her breath, "If it weren't for you… I might be wearing this mark for a very different reason right now." Her eyes dropped to her chest, where the slave seal was clearly visible. "I… I'm glad things turned out this way."

Thinking about it, she really hasn't been with us that long. And even with her slightly wild temper, it's obvious that sometimes she still feels awkward around new people.

Wyndia smiled, gazing somewhere past me.

But I... never opened my eyes or looked at her, because... I had nothing to say.

For her, this might be a turning point in her life — but for me, it was nothing more than a selfish whim. A whim I'm willing to take responsibility for, sure, but that doesn't change what it is.

Ahead of us lay waves of battle, arenas, mercenary work, deadly monsters known as this world's Guardians, conspiracies...

And I would dive into all of it headfirst, no matter what. Because I want to. Because I want to experience everything this world has to offer.

And nothing will stand in my way.

No one.