When we finally started going around, we decided to separate into a few groups then meet up at 8 PM at the park beside our motel.
It seems that we separated into only two groups, mostly because of me as I wasn’t interested in the clubs, arcades, or some random shopping districts. I wanted initially to go alone, but then Alice followed because she thought it was too dangerous to go alone, Marina following suit because of Alice, while Mira did so as well because she didn’t know anyone else in the other group. Simon wanted to follow as well but after I glared once at him, he decided to go with the other girls that almost wanted to kill me for wanting to separate. Fatty, of course, decided to go with Simon’s group as it appeared the safest and had the most easy-going girls.
“I still don’t get it why you didn’t wish to go with Simon’s group?”
“We’re friends, right? Aren’t we supposed to have fun together?”
Alice smiled playfully as I strolled down the roads with a grumpy expression on my face.
To be honest, my main plan was to search around through the trash for more iron and other pieces of metal, but even I wasn’t that insensible to do so while having 3 girls by my side.
Seeing my troubled face, Marina started talking, lightly nudging me with her elbow.
“Aw~ come on, big guy. Don’t tell me that you’re not glad to be escorted by three beautiful ladies? Don’t be shy~.”
“Ah. Yes. Very shy, much glad…”
“W-what a weak reaction…”
I massaged my head then saw a shop of antiquities, thinking that it would be a good idea to go there to at least watch a few new forms of molded metal.
“Hey, I’ll go there. Meanwhile you three go and do whatever. When you’re done you’ll either find me there or on the bench near the shop.
“E~h? An antiquities shop? What do you want to buy?”
“You don’t need to mind that. Now go.”
I went towards the antiquities shop and to my desperation, the one who actually followed was Mira, the little annoying scaredy-cat.
“I-I also… like antiquities…”
“… Do as you like.”
Even now I still can’t search the trash, damn it…
I said nothing more and just went on my way, Mira following me behind. After I entered I saw how there were antiquities even on the walls, placed on shelves all over the place.
“T-this is crazy…”
From the renaissance era, Baroc era, the Victorian creations, all the way to the antique Greek and Roman era, to even the medieval crafts from the Byzantine Empire who were known for their mechanical craftsmanship, then to antique China, from India, and some more oriental pieces of art made of metal. All sorts of models and forms of metal were all over the place. I watched the beautifully molded metal that has been created through forging and reforming, rather than through smiting and hammering.
Such minute details… just what did they use back then? Was it the same way sculptors use the chisel and hammer? Doing so when the metal it’s still red should work wonders, but to have the eye to see such details when it burns red… Just wow…
I continued to look at musical boxes, beautiful mechanical birds inside artistic bird-cages, then at some crazy zoomorphic creatures made out of forged metal, each looking more alive than the other. As I continued on, I saw then pocket-clocks, wrist-clocks, necklaces, earrings, rings, medallions, bracelets, decorative daggers and knives, and so on such accessories, each with different kinds of embroideries made out of such forged metal.
The way they bent the metal to create flowery motives or other such similar embroideries it’s quite outstanding… Should I do something like this as well in the near future? I wonder… Maybe it would raise the value of a collection sword if I add such embroideries…
Although it wasn’t something I would be passionate about, someone who works with fire and metal all day long like me would still appreciate the beautiful and delicate forms. I then looked to see what the brat was doing and then I saw Mira at the counter, wishing to buy something.
“You decided on something?”
I came closer and the object on the counter that she wanted to buy was a little medallion of a flower made out of forged bronze that had a semi-precious blue stone in the middle. It didn’t seem much at first glance, but once you looked closer you couldn’t help wondering about how the minute details were made so accurately. I looked then at Mira and asked again,
“How come you want this?”
“It’s… pretty?”
“… And the reason you like antiquities is…?”
“Because the old style it’s pretty.”
“Understood.”
My suspicions of her being some kind of craftswoman in disguise crumbled instantly as I understood that she liked antiquities just out of a hobby. After looking some more, we left the shop and Mira called Marina on the phone to ask where they were at the moment.
“At a bar?”
I asked baffled after she told me just as surprised.
“I-It seems that they met some guys from other groups and invited them there… W-what should we do?”
“Go after them, obviously. I need to at least return you to them.”
“W-what? Are you not going to take us back to the motel?”
“Why? Aren’t there other guys already?”
“Y-yes, but… I have a bad feeling about them…”
She fidgeted while feeling a bit insecure about all this. I glanced at her then smiled devilishly,
“Amusing you say that after already knowing that I’m actually the most dangerous from them all. After all, aren’t gangsters and other such thugs after my tail~? Boo~!”
I tried to scare her by going closer with a sharp glare, but rather than feel threatened, Mira chuckled amused, and surprised me with a pat to my head, saying through giggles,
“Rather than scary, you’re amusing. And I know you won’t lay a finger on us with bad intentions. Leon isn’t that kind of person, right?”
“… Tell me again what the bar is called. We don’t have all the time.”
I frowned at her comment then tried to just keep my distance.
Why does she trust me so suddenly? The same happened with Alice as well after she got to chat with me a few times. Damn weird feminine intuition…
After I learned of their location, I quickly rushed inside, and there I saw a group of boys and girls together with Alice and Marina, sitting at a table and having fun together.
What. So they were actually buddies? And here I panicked for nothing.
I pushed Mira to go and sit near Marina while I went to the bar and asked for something to drink.
“What should it be?”
“… Give me a glass of red wine, whatever you have, but not too sweet.”
“Right away sir.”
I was already 18 unlike most of my classmates, so I was able to command alcoholic drinks without a problem, especially because of my rough face. Adding the fact that I wasn’t wearing my uniform but some casual clothes, nobody could tell I was a high-schooler.
Because of my uncle, I also started drinking wine. Not as much as him because I simply can’t handle it, but enough to say that at least once a month I get to drink a glass.
As I waited at the counter, Alice appeared beside me and with a frown she rebuked me,
“Wine? I wish you won’t take after your uncle.”
“As if my liver can hold that. I barely drink one glass in a month, is not like I’ll suddenly become an alcoholic.”
“I wish so. Besides, aren’t you underage?”
“You might be, but not me. I’m 18 for a while now, girly. I can drink without a problem.”
“Hmph! I’ll also take a sip.”
“Sure.”
She pouted and I smiled calmly. After a bit, the barman came and offered me the drink,
“There you go, young Goibniu.”
“Yeah, thanks-… Excuse me, what?”
“Govin- what?”
The barman passed me the cup and before I could take a sip, the way he called me resounded again in my head, making me stare baffled at him. Alice was also confused and looked at the old man. I looked again at the barman then asked surprised,
“Don’t tell me… you’re also a crafter from the [Crafting Corner]?”
[Crafting Corner] was the name of the website where every crafter of antique to medieval and even modern era would use to sell their products. However, I never met this man or anyone from the website as I never truly had the desire to meet other people.
The barman grinned widely and shook his head, then started searching through his phone,
“I’m not a crafter, but I do know the community that runs the website and they know each and every crafter that uses the website.”
“Oh? And what about that name? Is something that Leon it’s called by the community?”
Alice showed she’s interested and asked while staring with big eyes of surprise, taking sips from my glass now and then. The old man smiled amused and nodded his head,
“Indeed. He is known for being the youngest blacksmith and crafter of the website that has more than 500 craftsmen registered all over Europe. He has received the nickname of Young Goibniu after receiving in only a year of crafting a rating of 4.5/5 stars.”
“Wait, what do you-“
“What is a Goibniu?”
I felt like things moved too fast so I wished to interrupt him, only to have Alice stop me with her question. Seeing her so interested, the barman answered accordingly with a rather prideful expression,
“Not what but who? Goibniu it’s a Celtic blacksmith god. The community decided to give him the nickname of Young Goibniu after his uncle won the nickname of Hephaestus because of his great skills, the name of the Greek Crafting god, and also the God named Vulcan. It was thanks to his skills and also to his volcanic temper.”
“A-amazing… I didn’t know that alcoholic old man was actually such an amazing person.”
“Me neither, and I never heard of this nickname system? Rather, a god’s name? Isn’t it… a bit too much?”
I asked troubled and the man grinned widely with a knowing smile,
“You would’ve known if you came at the community’s meeting that happens every 2 years. One happened already this year and you weren’t present, were you?”
“Ugh…”
“Ah, here it is. This is also a reason why everyone decided to give you the name of a blacksmithing god.”
He then showed me and Alice a picture, leaving Alice to stare in a daze with a blush and her mouth open, while I was completely baffled.
The picture was of me while I was hammering a large blade for a two-handed sword. The whole blade was burning red and ridiculously huge flames and sparks were coming out from it just as I was smashing it with the largest hammer I had on me. My stare was sharp and burning while my eyes reflected the light of the fire through the wet strands of hairs. A ferocious smile was on my face, mostly because sparks and flames were hitting my body but I didn’t care as I was just too drunk on hammering the iron. My naked top was filled with tense muscles because of the pain while my skin and hair were lustering from the sweat, a lot of sweat also dripping down my body. It was rather dark outside and the only things that were used as a light source were the burning fire of the furnace and the bright-red blade, together with the outdoors neon from behind me that didn’t appear in the picture. All in all, the picture appeared rather epic and fantasy-like, showing a more masculine appearance of mine than I could ever make, leaving me completely baffled at how surreal it was.
“T-this is… me?”
I asked as I simply couldn’t believe I could ever appear so… crazy.
Wait. I do remember when I made this blade as it was quite a challenge, the metal being of poor quality, filled with gaps and such releasing a lot of flames after every hammering. Quite a few of my burnt scars were made because of this bastard. Even so, I don’t remember about pictures being taken of-… Wait. I don’t remember a thing about that day except me crafting all day long at this bastard then simply collapse, end up falling asleep outside near the furnace.
Observing the confusion in my face, the man smiled then explained knowingly,
“I suppose you don’t remember but that day at a late hour, your uncle has been visited by one of the website’s photographs, visiting to take more photos of a blacksmith’s products. When he saw you, he couldn’t help but take more pictures of you in the heat of the moment.”
“I-I see…”
“He said that he took your pictures for over an hour and had a hard time deciding which one to use for his collection for blacksmiths.”
“Wait, an hour?!”
I exclaimed baffled and started to worry about my senses of perception,
I-I should seriously be more aware of my surroundings when I work next time… Damn…
Alice continued to stare in a daze until the man took his phone back, waking her up from her daze.
“W-wait! S-sir! Please send me that picture as well!”
Alice suddenly exclaimed and took our her phone in a hurry, her eyes sparkling excited,
“Hm? But of course! Hohoho~! Young Goibniu, I see you already made a fan.”
“What crap are you-“
“For sure!”
I wanted to dismiss his joke but Alice suddenly approved with a lively answer,
“I also saw Leon working and I was completely dazed while he did so! I didn’t even know when 3 hours passed.”
“Hohoho~! Young man, you’re quite amazing aren’t you? Now the nickname of a blacksmithing god fits you even better.”
“Please, stop this madness…”
I couldn’t help getting red from embarrassment while the two talked. After he finally sent her the picture, I was even more embarrassed when Alice set that picture as her wallpaper, trying to stop her but to no avail. Then the barman looked at me and in the end invited me to come to the next meeting as it could help me learn more about crafting and blacksmithing.
“Well, you already have your uncle to teach you all you need, but maybe a few different ideas could help you here and there. The meeting will happen not this summer, but the next one, so no need to stress until then.”
“I-… I will see about it… Thanks.”
After I drank what remained of my wine thanks to Alice sipping away most of it, we greeted the barman goodbyes and quickly got back to the park as we decided beforehand.
“To think we would meet with someone that knows you. I knew you were amazing, but this is on a whole other level! To actually get the name of a God.”
“Don’t get too excited… They’re just adults who like to play around, no need to think too much about such titles and so other things.”
Alice looked excited at the picture she got while I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed each time I saw the picture. I mean, I looked awesome, not gonna lie… However, I couldn’t help but think it was just too awesome for me.
“What happened? Alice, why are you so happy?”
“Mira, come look! Isn’t Leon amazing?”
“Woah? Wait! Don’t let everyone look at that picture!”
As we waited for the others, Mira got closer and looked at the picture Alice showed to her, her eyes and little mouth opening surprised. Alice then answered me amused after seeing her reaction and said,
“Oh come on~, aren’t you glad? You look just so cool in this picture, it would be a shame… if… too many people saw it………….”
Mira then started staring at me with a blush and seeing this, Alice couldn’t help but feel like she did a great mistake showing this to another girl.
“Leon…”
“Yeah?”
“You’re so cool…”
“Hah?”
Mira called out to me in a barely audible voice then whispered to me with a deep blush, making me unable to hear, turning her way confused,
“Can you repeat that? I didn’t hear. You said I’m sold out?”
However, before Mira could repeat herself, Marina suddenly appeared behind Mira, surprising her with a hug.
“Hee~y! What are you guys talking about?”
“Great timing, Marina!”
“Eh?”
Alice was overjoyed by her intrusion and Marina simply tilted her head confused, changing the subject as the others already appeared. Alice then came closer to me and whispered slowly,
“You know…? I think we better keep this picture a secret from others… Just in case.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Unaware of why she suddenly changed her thoughts, I didn’t really care either as I was more than happy for leaving that picture a secret.
