“I don’t know how you could even finish that much”

  Arlene sat next to Lini, watching this small child was able to finish all of her food.

  “I am a growing lady after all!”

  Quipped Lini, slurping strongly on her Bubbly Frizzy’s straw till only cold air coming out.

  “I suppose you are”

  She gave Lini a small pat before turning to her own finished meal. She clasped her hands together.

  “Thank you for the meal.”

  A quiet pray.

  Lini gave a confused look.

  “Did you really enjoy that much, Miss Arlene?”

  Arlene chuckled.

  “I suppose I did, but it’s like a custom from where I’m from… though I kinda skipped it. You’re supposed to do it before you eat.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Hmmm… it’s to be thankful for those who prepared the meal and nature. It’s like being thankful for being able to have a meal too.”

  Lini listened attentively before turning to her finished meal and did the same. She clasped her hands loudly.

  “Thank you for the meal!”

  Lini got off from her seat, followed by Arlene.

  Arlene looked to the finished trays.

  “Do we bring it with us or?”

  “Mmhmm!”

  Lini picked up her tray.

  “We have to bring this back to that counter!”

  She pointed with her lip, and then waddled with her legs held way too high for simple steps.

  Arlene picked up her tray and followed her.

  Lini placed her emptied tray on the counter at the far end, taking the empty glass off and set it next to the tray. Arlene did the same.

  They then walked to the restroom, to the sink.

  Arlene could see it was connected to two large sealed containers beneath the sink. She harboured a guess one of them was filled with cleaned water and another probably used water?

  The faucet had a rune etched to it. It was a detection spell and air flow spell.

  Lini placed her hands beneath the faucet and water came out normally.

  Arlene was a bit surprised though. She had only seen it in nobility and whatnot.

  If technology like this is widespread in normal village now, maybe the world had finally move on for more equality between people?

  She placed her palms to wash and got a whiplash. It was warm. There was a heating rune?! It’s just the right temperature.

  Pure bliss.

  They were both outside the café now. Lini stumbled to pick up her tree branch she left outside.

  “Miss Arlene, Miss Arlene,”

  She spun around, with her tree branch as steed.

  “Knight Lini want to know… why is Miss Arlene not in armour?”

  …

  “You just picked up on that?!”

  “Mmmm, you still wear a cape Miss Arlene! I just think oh cape? Miss Arlene in armour! So so so why aren’t you in armour?”

  Arlene walked with no distance in mind, Lini hopped to follow.

  “It’s just in repair, that’s all.”

  “Repair? Did Miss Arlene take a lot of damage from the demon!”

  “uh hehe, nothing like that. Just a few scratches and dent.”

  Yes, definitely.

  “Wahhh! Miss Arlene even repair that kind of damage on an armour! Miss Arlene is so meticulous!”

  “Yes of course! When you’re an adventurer or the Chosen One or maybe even a knight,”

  She looked to Lini.

  “You have to take care of your armour! They are important to protecting you after all!”

  “Then like I have to take care of this branch?!”

  Lini hopped off and pulled the branch into one arm, pointing it upward toward Arlene.

  “Uhhh I don’t know… do you like this tree branch?”

  “Mmhmm! A white robe guy gave it to me! He saw me… throwing my arms around in the air! I was mimicking a sword and he just walked up to a random tree and gave me this morning!”

  She flailed the branch around.

  “It look like a sword doesn’t it!!! Even this smaller branch growing out is like… those weird things coming out of the side where you hold the sword!”

  “Those are called handguard, Knight Lini.”

  “YEAH!!! ISN’T IT COOL!”

  “I suppose it is… so how are you going to take care of it?”

  “Mmmmm I’m thinking I want to ask my dad to sculpt it into a sword.”

  “Oh? Is your father a sculptor?”

  Lini shook her swords sideway.

  “No but he has a friend who’s like that. I’m just waiting for dad to be home to ask.”

  “Is that why you’re out here in the village?”

  “Yeah! My dad said he need to continue working on the Mound with other. He said he’s helping with the cleanup of your battle with the demon there, Miss Arlene!”

  “Oh… I-I see.”

  Lini walked with head held high, lifting the branch up and down while Arlene’s face was still.

  They didn’t know the whole truth after all. Lini probably only get told it was a demon and that was it.

  Yes… it was the story Watty decided on and Rond pushing it as a narrative.

  “I hope it’s going well.”

  Arlene said softly to her.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  A consistent clicking noise broke the atmosphere.

  “Oh!! Dad should be home by now!”

  Lini reached into her purse, a small clock with the hands on 4:00 PM.

  Wait?! 4PM?! Did we really spend that long in the café?!

  “I’m gonna go now, Miss Arlene!”

  She bowed down to her slightly.

  “Thanks for telling me about your traveling story with your party!!!”

  She then gave out an exaggerated wave to Arlene.

  Arlene smiled, waving back a small one and watched Lini ran off fast, probably with the intention to get that branch sculpted as fast as possible.

  She looked over to the sky and to the sun, it was nearing daybreak.

  She must’ve got so absorbed into retelling of her travelling days with her party members to Lini…

  There were still some times before she had to go back to the Forge.

  “Guess, I’ll walk around a bit.”

  She whistled out and wandered aimlessly.

  She passed a shopping district.

  Thrift store, clothes, accessories, toys, a store selling sweets only.

  She stood among the many passerbys.

  No one was interrupting her.

  She stared at the many clothes hanging outside as a showcase. A warm coloured blouse. A dress with sunflower pattern on it. Summer hat.

  One of the clothes got her attention the most. A simple sweater, way too big. Sleeves way too long. Her mind kept winding to thoughts of how comfy that must be… rather than the stuffy armour all the time.

  Her tunic clothing was fine as it was but… imagined how loose and comfy that sweater must be.

  Oh… they were selling it pairing with a short length till your knee. It was labelled a short pant? Why not just called it a short?

  Arlene reached for her leather bag but decided against it.

  Where would she even wear it? She needed to travel a lot. This was something to wear if she was staying for more than a year.

  “Miss Chosen One?”

  A voice bellowed out startle her line of thinking.

  “Do… Would you like to purchase it? You seem to be quite attracted to it. Going as far as to rub to gauge the material I assume?”

  Arlene looked down to see her two fingers rubbing one another, the fabric in between.

  Her hand jolted away immediately and looked flustered to the voice.

  “Sorry sorry… I’m just looking.”

  Before the villager could even reply, Arlene walked off feeling embarrassed. She was able to weave through the crowd easily, sidestepping to dodge all of them till she was away from the crowd, away from the shopping district.

  She looked at her hand, the two fingers that touched the sweater.

  She could still feel it. The fabric was way too soft, and her fingers felt ticklish in contact with it.

  She muttered out, “Perhaps another lifetime…”

  She closed her eyes and head held up front.

  Her eyes opened searching past the houses and the trees.

  Daybreak drew near.

  A quick breath.

  “Let’s go retrieve my armour.”

  The sounds of bell ringing loudly as the door was pushed.

  It startled the poor clerk manning the counter. His eyes were lazily opened.

  He looked to the entrance and saw a girl in tunic clothing and a cape.

  “MA!”

  He shouted out, his head turning to the back.

  “MISS CHOSEN ONE IS HERE!”

  No answer.

  He called out again.

  “MA! SHE’S HERE FOR THE ARMOR!”

  He got up from his chair, walking to the path covered by sheet of fabric.

  “MA! MISS CHO-“

  A loud thwack coming from his shin.

  “I ‘EAR YA FOR HELIOS SAKE!”

  Ma came out, in her overall and a chisel in hand.

  “Go get the trolley and bring her the armour!”

  The clerk, massaging his affected shin whimpered out an acknowledgement and walked past the sheet.

  “So! Did’ja ‘having a good day today?”

  “I.. yes. I did. Spent time with a little girl named Lini.”

  “Lini? Ah ya meant that wee little girl acting as you in the festival play!”

  “Yes. That Lini.”

  Ma went to sit on the chair the clerk was earlier.

  “Good kid that one. Ya know she always speak of becoming an adventurer or something. Always idolize ya tales. To the point she wants to know more of ya traveling days too.”

  Ma pointed her to a chair nearby to the counter.

  Arlene strode to it and gently sat, leaning against the soft cushy chair.

  “Yes. I’ve gathered. She asked me a lot during our lunches,” she chuckled remembering back. “What a lively kid… I hope she’ll be able to achieve her dream.”

  “Hmmm… maybe. Her dada always protective of her though. ‘fraid she faces danger.”

  Arlene nodded. “That’s true… even if the world has moved on from the Dark Lord’s defeat… there are still many dangers in the world.”

  “Mm.. like what?”

  “Like va- dragon or goblins. Orcs and direwolves, other beings you know?”

  Ma nodded in a very… determined way?

  “Ya speak true, missy. Even demons still lurk around init?”

  Arlene didn’t give a reply, she simply nodded.

  The clerk ran the trolley out, its wheels dragging against the floor as the Chosen Armour and the Longsword laid on top of it.

  The chest piece, the greaves, armoured gloves and boots, and the weapon.

  Shining from the setting sun outside.

  “I had em mixed with Palladium like me told ya! Clerk did most of the work!”

  Ma gave clerk a proud look.

  Clerk gulped as he took this as a sign. He cleared his throat.

  “Yes. the damages were too dented to the point of irreversible damage. So Ma and I cut out part of the broken adamantine and replaced the part with palladium.”

  He tapped onto the chest piece as if to point out where the damaged and the changed materials were.

  “Don’t worry! The Integrity of the armour should still be in tact! I pray to your armour when it was finished and it came out ok!”

  “Where did I go wrong raising me clerk?”

  “You could say,” he raised his finger, “that your armour and sword have been reforged for the post-Dark Lord era!”

  Ma shook her head, then spoke up.

  “He’s right young missy. The armour is as sturdy as a Tyar Golem! Palladium’ll be as hard as adamantine!”

  Arlene’s expression softened at the sight. She took quiet steps toward its.

  “May I?”

  She asked as her hands hovering above her arms’ greaves.

  “Oh allow me!”

  The clerk’s attention quickly dawned on those armours, attempting to lift them up for her. Failing.

  His face showed enormous strain from trying.

  “Ya dumb clerk! Go off! Shoo! Go to the back and tend to the other thing!”

  He wouldn’t budge until Ma hit him in the shin again. Sending him off.

  “Sorry about that, young lass. Go on.”

  Arlene took the time to fit all those on. First the greaves for both arms and legs. Then her breastplate. Her shoulder guards.

  It felt… lighter.

  “Fit ya like a glove! Looks better than when ya came in.”

  Arlene moved her arms left and right, then her body the same. Everything felt lighter.

  “One question for ya tho, just a curiosity.”

  “What is it?”

  “Aren’t da chosen one usually wear armour with materials like milthrils? It better sync with magic aint it not?”

  Arlene still twirled around to test her armour further, before sitting down.

  “Yes. From history, Chosen One would wear Mithril armour rather than adamantine. It better suited our uhh unique magical ability to be one with the armour.”

  “Then why is lass wearing adamantine?”

  Arlene gave a small knock to her chestplate. A soft yet strong thunk let out.

  “It’s sturdy… I prefer it more than being magically attuned with the armour.”

  “That aint just it.”

  “It’s not… I guess the other reason was I didn’t want to rely on magic as much… I kept thinking what if I was in a battle where I can’t use my magic or if I did, it would backfire?”

  Arlene gave another knock.

  “So when the time came… for me to depart on my journey with other to defeat the Dark Lord. I asked for a sturdiest armour instead,” she chuckled. “I remember my mentor and everyone else at that palace gave a confused look though… My other party member, Eilifr, explained the reason why.”

  She grasped her hand in the air, above her chest.

  “Thankfully they accepted it. That young girl, Eilifr… we didn’t talk that much at that point yet she understood my request immediately…”

  Ma studied her expression before her own brightened up.

  “Well that’s a good line of thinking, good on ya, Chosen One.”

  She got off her seat, choosing to move behind the counter instead.

  “A sturdy armour for a sturdy soul like yours. Nothing more reliable than the resilience of steel.”

  Arlene could feel the pride of a blacksmith emanating from her.

  The clerk finally came back out, carrying a long object cloaked in cloth.

  “By the way, young missy. Do ya know a robe guy?”

  “Robe guy?” confused Arlene. Though she could probably have harboured a guess. “Do you have any other… descriptors?”

  “Wore a white robe with gold trimmed along the upper area.”

  Clerk added, “He scared the living hell out of me when he spoke. I didn’t even know how he got in without the doorbell clanking.”

  Watty… what did you do this time?

  “Uhh yes. I do know him. He’s my travelling companion. Why?”

  Clerk walked up to her, down on his one knee.

  “Then I will bestow upon you this great mission, please deliver this item to the mysterious figure. I could feel my entire soul being judged from how he stared at me.”

  “That was ya fault for sleeping on the job, ya dumb clerk!”

  Arlene reached for the long object, unveiling from the cloths.

  It was a staff. Long, elegant and an eagle motif at the top. It was his.

  Ma pointed to a spot on the staff with a chisel.

  “That guy came and asked us to repair tis part here!” Twank. “It was barely anyway! I don ‘ly know why he came for it. It was a little grazed that’s all.”

  “That wasn’t all Ma!” added the clerk as he moved and began tracing his fingers. “Those grazes looked like it resembling a hand holding on to it.”

  “Bah! This staff is as light as ya was when you were a wee little toddler! Of course it would get such wear down from simply holding!”

  Arlene gently tracing the back of her ring finger over the supposed graze part.

  He did hold on to it pretty tightly when Rond came to us before… before the Mound happened.

  “Thank you” said Arlene bowing down slightly. “I’ll return this to its owner.”

  She grabbed onto the staff and tightened it just behind her cape.

  “Umm... how much do I owe for the repair?”

  “For the armours and the swords, it’ll be this much!”

  The clerk showed her the receipt.

  “What about the staff?”

  “That robe guy already paid, missy! No worries!”

  He had money?

  No matter, Arlene took out her leather bag and paid the sum for repair. That leather bag returned to her waist lighter than usual.

  “Again, Thank you kindly for the repair.”

  “No mention of it missy! Clerk did most of the work and I can guarantee ya, it’ll be more sturdy than adamantine!”

  Arlene gave Ma a nod and Clerk a thankful smile before turning around, leaving the forge.

  The bell rang and the door closed. Arlene back in the village.

  The day had just ended. The night would arrive soon.

  Arlene took her step. Every steps were a breeze now. Her mind cleared.

  She took her time getting back to the tavern, to room 019. To Wattyson.

  Playing with her longsword, she didn’t have to exert as much energy as before to swing. Would need to do a quick test with herself so she could understand her new reforged longsword.

  Nevertheless, the night village was as bustling yet uneventful. People were leaving from works, restaurants and homes were filled with noises and laughter.

  Everyone went about their days.

  She whispered a soft note to herself.

  “Thank you Tamare, for this last day.”