Balkan De Berd was the most outstanding blacksmith in the worldview. Although he was a dwarf, he was also a believer in the blacksmith’s god Hephaestus, so he boasted outstanding skills among the dwarfs.
Besides, he’s also a supporting character among the original characters. I hovered around him, glancing at his bleached white eyes. I had been hit by a single blow and ran outside, but was about to come back. Kang, kang! Watching the lava sizzle from a distance, I quietly opened my mouth.
“Excuse me.”
“You haven’t gone yet?!”
Ahh! I fell back from range as he grabbed his staff again. At this point, you may be wondering why I’m hanging out with such a cranky dwarf, but I had a very serious business with him.
I was struck by one earlier and it flashed back to my mind, but he also makes a staff for the female lead, but if I were going to the original story, I can sneak in and ask him to make a weapon. So, I followed what Saint Lucia did in ancient times and respectfully opened my mouth.
“I have a favor to ask you. I’ll pay for it, so please just make one weapon I’ll use… Ack!”
Taak! and a light flashed on my forehead. I felt like he was controlling the power, but it hurts so much! Ah, ah, ah, ah, I was moaning and rubbing my forehead, and frightened by the second stick flying, I ran out of the forge. Oh sorry! sorry! While running, some stones hit my feet.
“How dare you ask me to make a weapon for the gods for such a human being! Get out of here!”
That guy really can’t see, right? Ah, I glanced back at the forge, rubbing my tingling forehead. Wazowski, who rushed out at once, blinked his big eyes and looked at me sadly.
…… Please don’t sympathize. Because I won’t give up like this. If I become obsessed, I will be obsessive. And I went to the blacksmith every day from the next day.
“Get out now!”
“You, you tenacious girl!”
“Are you here again?!”
After all, when I go home, there are only ghosts anyway—Abel still hasn’t shown any signs of coming back from the earth, with nothing to do. Sleipnir is busy wandering every day. So my daily routine was to go to the Balkan’s and ask him to make weapons. It’s not because I’m obsessed with it, but once I am hooked onto something, I will be persistent. On the third day like that, I naturally entered his forget as if I was going to work.
“Hey, are you here again!”
Yep. I skillfully dodged the staff he wielded. I was beaten so much, I was able to figure out the movement path ahead of time. Whoa, my perfect reflexes.
“This tenacious girl! What the hell do you want!”
“I told you. Please make me a weapon.”
“Then what do I get? Jewels, gold, silver, and treasuries are overflowing and rolling around! I don’t need anything!”
“I’ll fix those eyes.”
I said as I looked at the red thread that was wound like an eye patch around Balkan’s eyes, which I had been worried about since the first time we met. Balkan was originally a dwarf who lived in the underworld of Valhalla, but due to his outstanding skills, his sight was taken away by the power of the Dark Lord and he was captured by the Apocalypse. As expected, Balkan, shaken greatly, stopped the hammer he had been pounding and looked up at my face.
“…This is the power of the Dark Lord. It can’t be fixed.”
“I can fix it.”
Perhaps. In fact, I had never unraveled the red thread that was wrapped around with power. But it seemed possible. Strictly speaking, the female lead freed Asand, who was sealed with power, so maybe I can do it too. Instead, it will hurt as if my eyes are burning.
“Well, that’s just wishful thinking.”
Waiting for the word ‘fine’, I was looking down at Balkan, which only reached my waist, and he responded like a sigh.
“But even if you can fix it, girl, the Dark Lord won’t let you go.”
“……uh……”
“Okay. Let’s hear it. What do you want so much?”
So, should I ask the Dark Lord for permission? Of course he would refuse, but I was embarrassed by the unexpected refusal, but Balkan came up with unexpectedly positive words. I said straight away.
“A weapon! Please make a weapon. It’s what I need.”
“So what do you mean!”
I pulled out a parchment scribbled from my arms with Abel’s magic quill – which, if empowered, draws the user’s thoughts. Is it a picture? Balkan frowned and hurriedly threw the parchment into the lava fire.
Hey I drew that! Terrified, the parchment burned and turned into black paper instead of a handful of ashes. Vulcan, brushing off the ashes of the parchment, cautiously began to touch the parchment with his fingertips. I looked closely to see it, and the lines of my drawing were sprouting up on top of it, like rough braille. Right. He can’t see ahead.
“It’s like a suit. It’s a mechanical device, so it can fly in the sky and shoot beams from the palm of the hand…”
“It’s impossible without fuel.”
“Or maybe it’s the falcon wings that look like a bag and become wings.”
“Do you think it will work!”
“…a web shooter…”
“Be reborn as a spider monster!”
No, weren’t you supposed to make all kinds of weapons beyond imagination! So, I drew all of the hero weapons I picked up, but I was rejected when asking for explanations. Then Balkan finally made a positive sign.
“I can try this. Our ancestors made this.”
“…can you make Mjölnir?”
What he was pointing to was Mjölnir, the hammer that Thor used. I drew it just for fun. I looked at Balkan with my mouth wide open. It’s weird that you can’t make an Iron Man suit, but you can make a Mjölnir? I put on a shaky expression on my face, and the quick-witted-Balkan’s sixth sense was so good-I almost got hit with a staff. Of course, I avoided it.
“Why are you begging me like that without knowing what I want? You’re like a pathetic girl. Please choose from here.”
It is an honor that no one can see it, and Balkan held out a long parchment to me. If you open it up, you will find all sorts of strange weapons. Oh oh, it didn’t come out properly in the book, but looking at the list, I was even more curious.
▷ A goddess’ belt that can seduce anyone.
▷ Mistletoe staff that can heal others.
▷ Iron gloves that make you stronger
▷ A bow of white hair.
▷ A magic shield that deflects anything.
Of course, ‘staff that can heal others’ was very enviable, but I had no choice but to swallow my saliva because it was originally supposed to be the weapon of Saintess Lucia. If so.
“Please make this. A magic shield that deflects anything.”
It reminds me of Captain America. Tok, pointing at the shield, Balkan makes a mysterious expression.
“Shield?”
“Yes. By the way.”
Heh heh, what a funny human being. Balkan murmured, rubbing his chin with a shabby beard strangely. He seems to be full of joy, as if it were the first time in three days. Why, what did I say wrong? Bewildered, I looked down at the dwarf, chuckled as if he was having fun, and asked the question again.
“You’re less greedy than you look. Not the belt of temptation or the metal gloves of power? Do you want a shield?”
…… That’s what I liked the most. Really. To be honest, having Mjölnir didn’t make me feel like I would be able to wield a six pack like Thor. I know that no matter how strong a weapon, it takes several years of training to use it properly. It’s actually better to defend properly if you have one body rather than a strong weapon. Of course. Without knowing my deep meaning, Balkan asked again.
“You won’t regret it?”
“I really want this.”
“Well, good.”
Suddenly, Balkan said he would make a weapon for me. So when I asked if I needed anything, he asked for a jewel or something. I brought one of the jewels I brought from the temple. Then Balkan was satisfied and began to work. Yes, jewelry is the best.
It’s been a rewarding week of satisfying trading until the production of the new weapon. There was nothing to do while the weapons were being made, so I still went in and out of the forge to watch the shield making process, and I lived like an employee at the forge.
*
It has been almost a week since Abel has not returned. I heard that the concept of time on earth is different here, but I didn’t know it would take this long. Fortunately, the red thread on my wrist didn’t change much, but it was around this time that I became impatient and worried because I couldn’t see him.
“Hey, Grandpa!”
Even that day, I was playing with the stones at the blacksmith, when I heard a loud roar. Then all of a sudden, bang! With a sound, the entire forge door was smashed, and a red-hot motorcycle rushed in.
“My motorcycle is broken, please fix it quickly. It’s urgent.”
I was stunned and blankly staring at the appearance of a new style of culture that did not fit the times, but I was startled to see the person riding on it.
“How long has it been since you fixed it, now you break it down again, you bastard!”
“Fucking bastards came in… Ah, I don’t know, I’m annoyed! Please fix it quickly.”
“Wait, there is an order in work, so I should finish what I am making first.”
“Oh, do mine first!”
A man who sits casually on the work table while shouting nervously. Jagged yellow hair like it used a whole bottle of mousse. A piercing of lightning bolt pierced on a red leather jacket that covered the bare body. Then there’s the grotesque looking motorcycle with huge wheels and blinking eyes. The protagonist of the bizarre description brushed off his frizzy hair and raised his yellow eyebrows when he first spotted me.
“What is this girl?”
…… I am no one. I am not here. I quickly hugged Wazowski and squeezed quietly in the corner, but I couldn’t fool the Demigod’s sensitive senses.
“Hey, can’t you hear me? Grandpa! There is a human sitting here!”
“Didn’t you hear the rumors? This is the saintess carried by the reaper. Don’t touch her needlessly and sit quietly.”
“A saintess? That human girl?”
Oh my ears. Every time he speaks, it rattles like thunder. It was portrayed like that in the original, but hearing it in real life is amazing. I covered my ears and looked fed-up.
Laytan. He is the God Jupiter’s illegitimate son, and as you can see, he was kicked out of the upper floors for doing such a stupid thing. He came to Apocalypse to take revenge, and in the original story, he tried to make a mess of Luce, but was punished by the god his father Jupiter and died.
He was so stupid that he couldn’t even fit into Lucia’s male interests, and he seemed to have anger control disorder as well, so even the leader, the Dark Lord, couldn’t control him and left him alone. So I pretended not to know the crazy dog in front of me, and I was petting Wazowski, avoiding his gaze. But Laytan didn’t let me go.
“Hey, hey, human.”
“……me?”
“Yeah. Is there anyone else besides you?”
Look at him doing that to me, who is obviously a first-timer. At first, he swung his finger at me and gave me a command.
“Hey. How did Valhalla come up on the subject of human beings? It’s strange that you weren’t eaten. Is this what the reaper brought?”
…… Really, this man. I saw Laytan raising his little finger with a shuddering look. It wasn’t like that when I read it in writing, but it’s really crazy. Even though he’s Jupiter’s son, he seems to know very well why he was kicked out. What’s the point even if you’re handsome? The rest of the elements are all assholes. At the same time, I covered my eyes and moaned at the thought of someone – a handsome idiot – but Laytan continued to argue for nothing.
“Hey, hey, why don’t you answer me. What are you to the god of death?”
“……”
“Uh-huh, you’re not answering me?”
“……”
“Are you ignoring me?! Do you know who I am? Son of Ju…Fuck, hey! Where are you going!”
I fled to Balkan’s studio, ignoring Laytan, who dared to babble at me and muttering words that would only come out of a drama. “Balkan!” Just when my patience was over, Balkan was holding a huge shield the size of his own body. Wow! Without realizing it, I stopped and admired it. Balkan lightly wiped off the water and held out the shield to me.
“It’s amazing that you’re noticing it. Alright, we’re done.”
The shield, decorated in detail with a golden frame on a silver body, was very beautiful. It’s also quite thick, so I thought it would be heavy, but it’s very light as if I had a tray on my arm.
“If you say Sigea, it turns into a bracelet, and if you say Aegis, it turns into a shield.”
“……Wow!”
As soon as I mumbled, the shield that responded to the proverb turned into a jewel the size of a fingernail, and the part he put on my arm turned into a bracelet. Really great, great Balkan! Balkan shrugged his shoulders as I clapped and admired it.
“Balkan! Awesome the best!”
“Yes! Another nonsense…”
“Why would you make a weapon for something like that? Hey, I’m not done talking, how dare you!”
Such a friendly atmosphere was short-lived. Laytan, who quickly followed me, appeared in the studio with a wrinkled brow.
“Why, I got it for a fair price. Thank you, Balkan!”
I cheered for him and ran out of the forge. However, something chilled my spine, and when I turned around, it was vroom vroom! Laytan was riding on a motorcycle that had apparently broken down.
“Hey, you stand there. Aren’t you going to stop?”
Come at me! No, what did I say! Originally, he was just arguing with the female lead, trying to kill her, and she thought he was a strange guy, but I didn’t know it would be like that at first. What the heck I can’t stop running, Bang from there! Bang! He threw lightning over and over again, and I blocked it with my shield.
“Ahh!”
“Let’s see this. Huh?”
But my shield couldn’t even stop the hand that came close and grabbed my shoulder. The power of God was in his hands. Right. He was also a demigod. Laytan, who was two heads taller than me, grinned as he raised his hand, his bright yellow lightning flashing.
“You’re a little girl who doesn’t respect God, so I’ll fix that habit! Are you even ignoring me, you human subject?”
No, why are you doing this to me! If you’re going to get angry, go somewhere else and do it, Waah. I closed my eyes tightly from the flashing lightning that approached my nose without thinking back and forth.
“Kyaak!”
Then, pugh! The shoulder that had been grabbed was freed along with the sound. The tingling sensation like static electricity in front of my nose disappeared.
What? When I opened my eyes, Laytan flew away and grabbed his nose, and a familiar back was standing in front of me. He snarled as he raised his black wings menacingly and raised his scythe.
“Fuck, why are you touching someone else’s stuff?”
It was Abel whom I saw after almost a week.