Chương 171

An hour passed quickly. Rudra wandered the busy port town, bought a few bags of cheap spices, and then walked back down the cobblestone alley to the smithy. The heavy clanging of the hammer had stopped. Rudra stepped into the shop. Alex was standing behind the wooden counter, wiping soot off his face with a rag. He looked up and smiled warmly. His brilliant silver eyes caught the light from the forge.

"You're right on time, Sir Rudra," Alex said, his soft voice carrying over the crackle of the fire. He slid a small, heavy leather roll across the counter. Rudra unrolled it. Inside sat a tiny set of custom tools. There were thin iron tongs, a miniature crucible, a scraping knife, and a tiny shaping hammer. Rudra picked up the tongs. They were made of basic iron, but the craftsmanship was excellent. The joints were smooth, and the metal felt perfectly balanced in his hands.

"This is great work, Alex," Rudra nodded.

"I did my best," Alex smiled shyly.

"Will they hold up to your alchemy?"

"Let's find out," Rudra said. He reached over his shoulder and pulled Extortion off his back. The heavy, dark metal staff thudded against the floorboards. Faint, dying sparks of blue lightning crackled along the shaft. Before Rudra could even reach for his tools, a shadow detached itself from the ceiling rafters. Someone dropped directly between Rudra and the counter. The wooden floorboards creaked. It was a woman wearing dark leather armor.

She had a long curved blade drawn, and the sharp steel was pointed directly at Rudra's throat.

"Take your hands off that highly destructive weapon, human," the woman snarled. Rudra didn't flinch. He didn't even raise his staff to block. He just looked at her.

"Seris, no!" Alex yelled in a complete panic, waving his hands frantically.

"Stop! Put the sword away! He's just a paying customer!" Seris glared at Rudra.

"He pulled out a dangerous weapon in your shop, Alex. I am your knight. I am sworn to protect you."

"I was just going to fix it," Rudra said, his voice completely calm. He didn't activate any combat skills. He didn't leak any killing intent. But his [One Who Became a Legend] title was always active in the background. The title effect made anyone who looked at him naturally acknowledge his presence and standing. Not to mention his Charm and Dignity stats which were both over 3000 giving him the presence of Royalty. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Seris felt it.

She stared into Rudra's red eyes. She tried to keep her blade steady, but her arms started to shake. The hostility in her chest simply fizzled out. It was impossible to view him as a cheap thug or a random threat. Her instincts forced her to acknowledge him as someone worthy of respect. Confused and breathing heavily, Seris slowly lowered her sword.

"I... I apologize," Seris gritted her teeth, looking incredibly frustrated by her own reaction.

"I misjudged the situation."

"It's fine," Rudra shrugged.

"You're just doing your job. Nice drop from the ceiling, by the way. Very quiet." Alex rushed around the counter and bowed deeply to Rudra.

"I am so, so sorry, Sir Rudra," Alex said, looking genuinely distressed.

"Seris is just overly protective. Please forgive her."

"Like I said, it's fine," Rudra smiled. He pulled a small mana crystal out of his inventory and placed it in the tiny crucible.

"Alchemist's Repair," Rudra said quietly. His hands glowed with a faint purple light. The mana crystal melted into a glowing blue liquid. Rudra picked up the iron tongs. He dipped the tip into the liquid mana and gently traced it along the deep cracks in Extortion. The alchemy worked instantly. The cracked metal melted together and sealed shut, looking brand new. [Durability has been restored.] [Current Durability: 1, 200 / 1, 200]"Perfect," Rudra grinned, tossing the tools back into the leather roll.

He pulled up a wooden stool and sat down near the forge.

"So, Alex. These tools are amazing. You folded this iron so well it almost feels like steel. You're incredibly talented. Why are you hiding in a tiny shop on a random island?" Alex's polite smile vanished. The blacksmith looked down at his calloused hands. His shoulders slumped. The bright silver eyes dulled with a deep, heavy sadness.

"Because I'm a failure," Alex said quietly.

"Alex, don't say that," Seris snapped, her voice softening.

"It's the truth," Alex sighed, leaning against the counter. He looked at Rudra.

"I can work with iron. I can work with copper and bronze. But that's it. Whenever I try to forge advanced minerals... whenever I touch mithril, or adamantium... my hands shake. The mana in the metal violently rejects me. The weapons shatter before they even take shape." Alex rubbed his eyes.

"I'll never be a great blacksmith if I can't even forge a simple mithril sword." Rudra stared at him for a second. Then, Rudra started to laugh. It wasn't a mean laugh, but it echoed loudly in the quiet shop. Seris glared at him, her hand drifting back to her sword. Alex looked up, looking deeply hurt.

"You guys have this all backward," Rudra smiled, resting his chin on his hand. He looked at Alex.

"You think you're a failure because you can't use advanced minerals. You're trying to be a normal Legendary blacksmith."

"A normal legend?" Alex asked, confused by the term that a legend can even be normal.

"Yeah," Rudra nodded.

"Normal legends rely on legendary feats. A Legendary Blacksmith uses adamantium and bloodstones to forge a sword. A Legendary Cook uses high-tier monster meat and rare spices. They make legendary feats by creating legendary items by bringing out the maximum potential of legendary ingredients to build their legend status." Rudra leaned forward, his red eyes completely serious as he remembered the distinction made by the Scribe Elder.

"But a Saint does not rely on legendary power," Rudra said softly.

"A Saint masters the true essence of the craft. A Saint looks at themselves. If you truly understand the essence of blacksmithing, you do not need legendary metals to create a legendary item. You can take basic iron and create a legendary item." Alex stopped breathing.

"A Saint?"