Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

“Hey!”

"Sure, ask whatever you want. We've already made a contract, and I don't want any secrets."

After some time, perhaps having finished his work, Mr. Welf looked up from the fireplace.

A sudden remark—no, he hit the nail on the head—startled me so much that I rolled my eyes.

Rather than asking, I've always been curious. Every time I hear about Mr. Welf, little questions accumulate in my mind, to the point where they might slip out unintentionally. Now even he himself has realized it.

A gentle aura emanated from Mr. Welf. He wore a relaxed smile, and his eyes reflected trust... or so I thought.

I swallowed hard and decided to take a step into Mr. Welf's heart.

Why is Mr. Welf unwilling to fight the Demon Sword?

I remembered how happy he was to have me as a guest.

As long as the magic sword is forged, there will be no shortage of customers and money.

A magical weapon that can easily bring wealth and fame. Crozo's signature skill.

I asked Mr. Welf why he didn't forge the magic sword.

"Well, there are many reasons, but..."

Mr. Welf gave a wry smile and turned his gaze back to the stove.

"The biggest reason is that I hate the Demon Sword."

Then, he showed obvious aversion to the demon sword.

"To be honest, although I've said that my works don't sell, I used to have an overwhelming number of customers. ...No, actually, I still have customers now."

“Eh…”

"It's infuriatingly simple. When people see the weapons I display in the shop, as soon as they see 'Krozo's' signature, they rush into this workshop shouting, 'Fight the Demon Sword for me!'"

Mr. Welf continued speaking as he manipulated the tools at his feet, feeding air into the furnace.

"They completely disregard my work, just spouting 'magic sword, magic sword, magic sword'... Everyone else only knows those two words. Okay, I know my skills aren't quite there yet... but isn't this just too much? I get tired of it too."

Mr. Welf stared at the bright red flames, a slightly weary wrinkle appearing at the corner of his mouth.

That kind of magic sword is said to be able to burn the sea; its power is probably unparalleled in the world. What those people want is that "Krozo's Magic Sword," not Mr. Welf's creation.

None of the guests who visit here pay attention to Mr. Welf's strength... they only see the value of the "Krozzo" bloodline?

The goal is the Demon Sword.

"So, Mr. Welf... uh, well..."

"Yeah, I'm not doing it anymore. To all the guys who want the Demon Sword, I tell them: You bastards, who wants to forge weapons for you?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Before I could even bring myself to say it, Mr. Welf finished the sentence for me, and I chuckled awkwardly, but I understood what he meant.

That's a feeling of aversion towards those who refuse to appreciate one's own work. No, perhaps it's a feeling of aversion towards the "Crozzo" bloodline within oneself.

I understand. Although I understand... but...

"Is it... just because of that?"

I always felt like there was some other reason.

Is there some deeper meaning behind the words of this person who claims to hate the Demon Sword?

"..."

He didn't answer me right away.

Mr. Welf stopped looking at the stove and walked to the stand where the "Horn of the Minotaur" was placed. He took tools that looked like steel drills and a hammer in his hands and began to cut the falling props.

After nearly fifty sharp knocks, the "Horn of the Minotaur" finally broke off. Mr. Welff picked up the shorter of the two pieces and sat down again in front of the fireplace.

Do you know why the Crozzo family was able to create the Demon Sword?

Even from a distance, he could tell that the pliers were specially made. He picked up the cow horn and put it into the fully heated furnace.

I looked at Mr. Welf, who was focused on his work, and simply replied, "I don't know..."

"Crozzo was originally a man's name. His descendants adopted it as their family name. We call that man our ancestor. That was before the gods descended to earth."

The era before the gods arrived on Earth is what we call "ancient times," which are over a thousand years ago.

I was secretly surprised to learn that the origin of "Crozzo" was so ancient.

"Legend has it that the ancestor was originally an unwanted blacksmith. Of course, he couldn't forge any magic swords. However, the ancestor did lay the foundation for the prosperity of the 'Krozo' family."

After a pause.

"The progenitor risked his life to save a race that was being attacked by monsters."

"A certain race..."

"It's called 'Fairy Spirit'."

"What!" My voice fell forlornly onto the floor.

Mr. Welf didn't react to my astonished expression and calmly continued speaking.

"The rescued fairy tried everything she could to revive the progenitor who was on the verge of death. So the fairy cut off a part of her own body and gave her blood to the progenitor."

"So, so, it seems that 'Krozzo' has...?"

"That's right. We have the blood of immortals flowing in our veins."

—Fairy Spirit.

These lower-world inhabitants are also known as nymphs, spirits, elements, demons, and many other names. They are extremely rare compared to other races, making them a mysterious race.

"God's most beloved child" and "God's incarnation".

Many humans and demi-humans have different opinions about this existence, but the only thing that is clear is that the fairy spirits are the race closest to the gods.

"The progenitor who drank the blood of the immortal essence was resurrected perfectly by this truly miraculous power. Moreover, since this event, although the progenitor is human, it is said that he has been able to use magic... and has also become able to forge magic swords."

The potential abilities of the immortals far surpass those of other races.

They, along with elves, are considered representative magical races. They can ignite raging fires, summon storms, create lakes in forests, and refine gold, silver, and gems.

It could be said that some of their power is comparable to that of gods.

In other words, they are able to trigger "miracles".

"Could the 'Krozo' be a member of a hero's clan...?"

"Oh, that's not true. I heard that the progenitor was an extremely ordinary commoner, both for better and for worse."

Fairy spirits often appear in many tales, especially heroic tales—many of which my grandfather told me were not creations, but stories adapted from real events.

The fairies guide the heroes with their miraculous powers, sometimes lending a helping hand to help them accomplish their missions.

Specifically, like in Mr. Welf's story now, they would offer humans magic or grant them powerful weapons. I recall that some fairies would also transform their bodies into weapons.

The power of the immortals is inextricably linked to the great achievements of the heroes, and they have made significant contributions.

Before the gods came to the earth, their grace could be described as a proxy for "divine favor".

"Not only did the progenitor live longer as a result, but perhaps because of the power of the immortal essence, his bloodline has continued unbroken even a thousand years later in modern times. In addition, with the testimony of a god who saw everything, we are the direct descendants of the progenitor, and there should be no mistake about that."

Since the gods descended to the mortal realm, even the once unapproachable celestial spirits began to interact with other races. However, celestial spirits seem to be a fickle race, or perhaps one could say they have a weak sense of self; with the exception of a few, their interactions have consistently stalled.

Among them, goblins are the most able to integrate into our society. Generally speaking, they look like old people and can make precious metals or gems, or use their skillful hands to become an invisible pillar in our lives.

Nowadays, the blessings (ability values) bestowed by the gods are commonplace, and the benefits brought by immortals are no longer as precious as before. However, their mysterious and unpredictable identities still remain an aspiration for humans or demi-humans on various levels, which is beyond doubt.

"Although we inherited the bloodline, the power of the immortal essence was not originally manifested in the descendants of the progenitor... It was not until several generations ago, when 'Krozo' received the 'blessing' of the gods, that this power was revealed."

"...Is it a skill?"

"Yes. It's purely used to create magic swords. Many people in the family have unconditionally acquired skills with the same effect."

With the [ability value] as the trigger, the potential dormant in the "Crozo" family tree has awakened.

This is the moment when the power of the immortal spirit awakens, transcending time.

"Then, just as Xiaolizi said, 'Krozo' took the magic sword, whose power far exceeded that of the old works, and sold it to the royal family."

"That's when the family became a member of the kingdom," Mr. Welf said.

In summary, the first-generation Crozo obtained the power of the celestial essence, enabling him to forge demonic swords even before receiving "divine grace." The Crozo family is known as the demonic sword-forging family... The reason why those who inherit this bloodline can forge demonic swords is because they possess the blood of the celestial essence within them.

Crozzo's prosperity was based on a quality called bloodline.

"It's said that after they achieved fame and fortune, they did whatever they wanted. The magic swords their family made made the country invincible in war, and praise and royal honors poured in. They enjoyed fine wine and delicacies every day, and continued to indulge in decadence... The blacksmith put on an aristocratic air, I really don't know what they're thinking."

As he spoke in what sounded like self-deprecation, Mr. Welf stared intently at the blazing fire in the stove.

The conversation ended there.

For a long time, the only sound coming from the studio was the burning of flames.

"...'Krozo' has become arrogant. They have forgotten the existence of the bloodline within them, believing that the power of the Demon Sword is their own power... Driven by greed, they have recklessly continued to mass-produce Demon Swords."

—So it was cursed.

Mr. Welf said it so clearly.

"The royal family to which 'Crozo' is loyal... The kingdom was tyrannical in the war, burning down the elves' villages, thus incurring their resentment..."

"I've heard about this."

"They incurred not only the resentment of the elves, but also the hatred of the fairies who shared their blood with the progenitors."

"!"

"Fairies love to settle in lush, green lands. The power of the Demon Sword has changed the landscape, dried up lakes, and burned forests... Just as the elves lost their villages, the fairies were forced to leave their homes."

Miss Ryu once told me that Crozo and the elf had a past conflict.

It was as if they had repaid kindness with enmity; the things that the fairies cherished were also taken away by "Crozo's Demon Sword".

"The elves direct their anger at the kingdom. The fairies, on the other hand, direct their anger at the demon sword and 'Krozo'."

"..."

"During a war, all the magic swords used on the battlefield shattered without warning. They turned to ashes before they were even used. Needless to say, the kingdom's army, which had always relied on the magic swords, was routed in that war."

"Was that caused by the fairies?"

"It must be. Around the same time, the 'Krozo' family could no longer make the Demon Sword. The entire family was cursed by the fairies."

So this is what being cursed means...?

Without realizing it, my shoulders tensed up.

"After the kingdom, the family suffered defeat after defeat, and the crippled 'Krozo' was forced to take responsibility for the losses. He was stripped of his status and became what is known as a fallen noble. By the time I was born, the family had completely fallen into decline."

Falling from heaven to hell. If you want to call it retribution, you could say so...

That's strange... but wait a minute...?

"Um, 'Krozo' can no longer forge magic swords, right? But you said you can forge magic swords, that's...?"

"Yes. I can build them. I don't know why."

I don't know if the curse has expired, or if the fairies have calmed down, or if it's just that Mr. Welf is a special case.

Although the reason is unclear, it seems that Mr. Welf is currently the only person in the entire family who can make "Krozo's Magic Sword".

But Mr. Welf said he ignored the Crozzo family's objections and left his native homeland... While wandering aimlessly, he was taken in by the goddess Hephaestus.

"Although it was for the sake of revitalizing the family, I am still very grateful to my father and the others for teaching me forging techniques. Because of them, I was able to experience the joy of making weapons with my own hands."

I felt as if the temperature had risen a notch. The sense of time had become ambiguous. I watched as Mr. Welf took the fallen prop out of the furnace and placed it on the anvil.

The "Horns of the Minotaur" remain in their original form, dyed red, as if they might melt at any moment.

"I don't actually dislike being an assistant in a dilapidated workshop full of coal dust, sitting next to my dad or other old men."

I heard him whisper that he still remembered the feel of the iron when they first had him forge it.

There was a hint of melancholy in his voice.

"However... once my father and the others found out I had a talent, they forced me to make a magic sword, saying it was to reclaim the wealth and glory of 'Krozo'."

Mr. Welf, holding the hammer, took a breath.