“Alright, that takes care of it.”
After being busy for half a day, Nino subconsciously clapped her hands. She had finally used magic to reinforce the teleportation markers she had left near the barrier of the Arden Forest.
“Sister Alice, Sister Sophia, keep these two teleportation scrolls safe.”
‘Sigh, Nino is actually very reliable when she stops her chuunibyou act and talks like a normal person. It is a pity she has such a big mouth.’
“One of these is an ultra-long-range teleportation scroll set to my home in the northern snowfields. The other leads to the main operational headquarters of the Pope Resistance. If you two ever run into danger, do not hesitate to use them!”
“Well, this is where we part ways. I believe we will meet again in the near future. Maybe after we defeat the Pope, we can spend every day together just like we used to!”
Nino walked up to Alice with a look of reluctance, taking her hands before giving her a tight hug.
“Sister Alice used to dote on me the most. Ugh… I really do not want to leave you.” Nino’s eyes welled up with tears. Their time together had been far too short, and they still had so much to say to each other.
“It is okay, Nino.” To respond to the girl, Alice opened her arms and hugged her back warmly. “A brief parting is for a better reunion tomorrow. Please believe me, okay?”
Nino lowered her head, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and then revealed a smile. It was like a ray of light peeking through the clouds after a rainstorm.
“Mhm, pinky promise — Sister Alice, I will head back to the northern snowfields first.”
When Nino showed her soft, affectionate side to Alice, she could truly stay happy for a long time just from one sentence of Alice’s. She had once been jealous of how close Sophia and Alice were, even letting down all her guards for Alice’s sake.
“Tch — Nino, did you just forget about me like that?? Sister Sophia is so heartbroken 0.0.” Sophia covered her eyes with her hands, letting out “boo-hoo” sounds. Her tone was steady and loud, lacking any of the actual sobbing that comes with real crying.
“You meanie, Sister Sophia, you are faking it! I… I did not forget about you! I was just about to say goodbye! Although, thinking that I will finally be far away from a nuisance like you feels pretty good, too.”
Heh, maybe she really did dislike Sophia a bit. Her attitude toward her was cold and sharp-tongued, showing her “tsun” side.
To be honest, Nino was still sulking because Sophia had almost cut her down earlier —
“Alright, alright — your feelings reached me. It is getting late, so you should head back to Norse Town to stay for one night first. Do not be in too much of a rush.” Having her acting called out, Sophia promptly bid Nino farewell.
“Goodbye! Sister Alice! Sister Sophia!” Nino waved at Alice as she prepared to leave, but halfway through, she turned back to make an inexplicable face at Sophia.
‘Tch, this tsundere brat!’
Sophia saw the face Nino made and shook her head helplessly.
Afterward, the witch sisters returned to their small wooden cabin. After putting away their supplies and clothes, they hurried over to check on Anne’s condition.
Three days had passed, and Anne still had not woken up…
The little red dragon was still snoring away, a snot bubble on her nose growing and shrinking rhythmically.
“Sister Anne…” Alice showed a worried expression. “Sophia, did Nino not tell you before to go to Sunderland Town to find the dwarf craftsman? I am sorry, but it looks like you will have to go alone. I need to spend more time studying the magic books and take care of Anne while I am at it.”
Sophia expressed her understanding. Although she had been unconscious before, after hearing Alice’s explanation, the memory fragments from before the transmigration had begun to resurface.
“Sister Anne has had it so hard… Besides, we really do need someone to stay behind and watch the house. Oh, right, Alice — while I am out, do not let the house get messy. Remember to be diligent with the chores every day! And remember to water and fertilize my potted plants!”
The professional pride of a domestic expert! She was not to be trifled with.
“Fine — I really wonder if you are actually my sister. I have felt for a long time that you are more like my nagging mother,” Alice grumbled.
Sophia gave a “kind” smile and then began to vigorously knead Alice’s face. “Alice, care to repeat that? Give it a — try?”
“Ny face is about to be squished to pieces, stop it…” Alice’s face was being kneaded like playdough, making her speech slurred.
“If Alice does not apologize, I will not stop the punishment!”
“I was wlong, but I will do it again next time…”
***
Sophia prepared a large amount of gold coins because that was what Nino had advised. On one hand, crafting weapons was expensive, and on the other, dwarves were notoriously greedy.
After walking for most of the day, she reached Norse Town and then headed north into Sunderland Town. In this life, Sophia’s physical attributes were extraordinary, so she did not feel tired. If she had brought along that physical weakling currently at home reading books, they probably would have had to rest in Norse Town for one night.
The commercial environment of Sunderland Town could not compare to Norse Town, but the natural scenery and culture were more inclined toward a pastoral countryside. A quiet river flowed through the town, its waters shimmering with silver light under the sun.
Beside the river, under a large pagoda tree, stood a well-equipped blacksmith shop. Various forging materials were scattered about. Though it looked messy, everything was placed in logical positions for easy access.
A dwarf sat under the tree, his copper pipe emitting pale purple smoke. A large jug of strong liquor sat on the table in front of him.
His appearance matched Nino’s description exactly. This should be the person.
“Excuse me, are you Master Black·Bronzebeard? I was sent by Lady Rachel to learn weapon and armor forging from you.” Sophia spoke very politely. After all, the first step in closing the distance between strangers was leaving a good impression.
“It does not matter to me whether you use a disguise or not. Whether this old man is easy to talk to depends on you.”
Huh?
Wait, what? Are all dwarves this temperamental?
“If you want to learn forging from me, come, win against me first.” The dwarf master was not polite at all upon their first meeting. In her memory, the dwarf race was indeed a martial one that worshipped strength.
However, wanting to fight the moment they met felt like a bit much. Sophia did not think she had offended him.
“Has Lady Felicitala’s child fallen this low? Little girl, let me make this clear: I am not targeting you. It is our dwarven custom. Before becoming an apprentice, you either earn your master’s recognition at the drinking table or defeat them with martial force. Can you understand that?”
No, I cannot! The dwarf master suddenly pulled out a massive broadax from somewhere. It was terrifying.
“Come, this place is not suitable for combat. Let us go elsewhere.”
They arrived at a small open clearing in the woods. It was quiet and would not attract attention.
Before Sophia could even get ready, the dwarf’s ax swung directly toward her face.
That was close! Luckily, her reflexes were fast! She dodged to the side and looked at the deeply dented ground behind her. This dwarf master was playing for keeps!
No, I have to find a way to change the situation.
Action replaced thought as Sophia boosted her speed to the limit. Like a bolt of lightning, she used a flicker-step to slash at Black.
Black easily neutralized her attack. Surprise was written all over Sophia’s face, but she had to turn serious again to meet his incoming giant ax.
The weight of Black’s heavy strike was parried by Sophia using her longsword and shortsword together, but the massive force made the webbing between her thumb and forefinger ache. Her hands were trembling.
“You do not even know the most basic combat techniques; you just charge in blindly. Have you ever considered if your backline members would really be willing to fight by your side?”
…
The dwarf master’s unintentional words pierced Sophia’s heart. Perhaps she really was too reckless. In terms of combat, she had always been a hindrance to Alice.
Maybe Alice hated her but just found it difficult to say it out loud…
Since coming to this world, it felt like she had done nothing but drag Alice down…
“Do not daze off in the middle of a fight! If you faced a real enemy who wanted your life, would you leave such an opening?!!”
Black lunged toward Sophia. Before she could think further, a powerful heavy strike combined with a kick sent Sophia flying.
Sophia bit her lip and stood up with difficulty. She could not just give up like this. Had she not decided to protect Alice?
“Hmm… You can still stand up? Not bad. I will give you 30 out of 100 points for now, though you are full of openings.”
“Stop joking, old man… I am about to be beaten to death by you…” Sophia forced a smile. During the fight, she caught a glimpse of Black’s level and was terrified.
[Status Window]
Name: Black·Bronzebeard
Level: 80
Class: Berserker
HP: 32,580/32,580
MP: 9,235/9,235
Attributes:
Strength: 9,325
Constitution: 9,748
Agility: 8,152
Intelligence: 2,465
Spirit: 1,128
Luck: 500
Personal Talent:
[Bloodshed: The lower the HP, the higher the physical damage dealt and the more HP is recovered.]
Skills:
[Blood Slay: Can be used when the enemy’s HP is below 35%. Damage is significantly increased, with a small chance to instantly kill the target.]
[Warstorm Domain: A large-scale area-of-effect continuous damage skill. Immune to control effects during the skill’s duration. Maximum targets: 100.]
???
This was truly a total stomp. How was she supposed to play this?
Black blew through his beard and said solemnly, “Little girl, change your tone now and call me Master.”
“I forgot to tell you, little girl. Back when I was young, I was someone who fought to a standstill against that Elven Valkyrie, Fiona·Ksaelim.”