God's Dynasty

At the end of the alleyway, there was a building with a picture of a fire breathing dragon.

"Dragon's Breath?"

Even during business hours, the door was signed closed. After knocking on the door a few times, Ryan just opened the door.

"A guest?!"

Inside of the forge it was cold, none of the forges were on at all. The place wasn't clean and dust covered the entire entrance.

As Ryan entered, a man with a towel on his back raised his head.

His reddish cheeks, hazy eyes.

The drunken owner.

"Uh… why are you here at this time of night?"

"I am here to buy a sword."

Ryan held his urge to punch the drunken in front of him but everytime the man spoke it made him really annoyed.

Trying to distract himself, he began browsing the items on display.

They were certainly better than the swords from the other stores, but none of them were to his liking.

"I am looking for a sword Aurora users can use."

"Why?"

"Because I am a user myself."

"You..?!"

Ryan sighed, although he has experienced a lot of issues due to his age it does get unto his nerves.

He then picked up a metal rod and bent it.

"Hey, any strong man can bend that!"

Hearing the blacksmith's point, Ryan then picked up the stick again before bending it back to its original position.

The blacksmith grumbled.

"Can't you just release some Aurora?"

"… It hasn't been long since I awoken, can't release it yet."

After throwing the metal rod to the ground, Ryan changed the topic.

"So, no swords for Aurora users?"

"Well… my father made so many swords for Aurora user clients during his lifetime. What kind of sword are you looking for?"

"A one handed sword."

The scabbard was made of high quality leather, giving it a luxurious feel.

"17 silver coins."

"Very expensive."

When Ryan pulled the sword out of the sheathe, he could tell that this was a good sword.

High quality steel was used in this sword and it was very balanced. This showed that the blacksmith's skills were very good, but the sword itself wasn't any special compared to other really good ordinary swords.

"It's too ordinary."

"Well, it's a sword that suits an ordinary man."

It was not difficult to understand the implications of those words, the blacksmith believed Ryan was just a normal ordinary swordsman.

"Really is a waste to give real swords to a kid who can't even fight from the looks of it.

Looking into those eyes, Ryan felt a strange feeling.

After awhile, Ryan threw the silver coins on the counter before turning around.

"Next time I'm here I expect a better sword."

Ryan then turned around, however a few minutes after he had left the blacksmith suddenly realized something.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU FORGOT TO PAY FOR THE BENT METAL ROD!"

**

5 days after visiting the Dragon's Breath smithy. Ryan stayed at the Flaming Horse Inn and devoted himself to swordsmanship training and Aurora training.

His growth was slow, but as time went by his Aurora had increased several times and he was now familar with the sword technique.

Thanks to that, he was finally able to add Aurora into the swordsmanship while he practiced.

Putting Aurora only on specific swings and movements are very inefficent and aganist an average Aurora user who would be able to fight with their Aurora consistently, it was nothing.

On the first floor of the Flaming Horse, Ryan always ate here after training.

The food here was cheap and good, of course it was good in the sense that it was edible and that was the only thing that mattered to Ryan.

Seeing Ryan savouring the watered-down wine after finishing his meal, the innkeeper looked at Ryan with curious eyes.

"You are very dilligent, its relaly strange…"

"Hm?"

"Well, mercenaries usualy would buy all the money they earn into alcohol and whores while you are here training at the back of the inn swinging your sword everyday."

"Gotta get stronger to earn a bigger pay."

Ryan who responded coldly then returned to drinking his watered down wine while the innkeeper shook his head.

"Funny. My son went out years ago saying he was going to become a mercenary, and there has been no news from him for several years. I allowed him to become a mercenary, in hope he would become something akin to you, training and becoming stronger."

"If you wanted to learn how to fight or use a sword, joining a dojo would have helped. Being a mercenary is no joke."

"…"

"What?"

Ryan looked at the pondering innkeeper, awaiting his question.

"What is your goal? do you wish to beocme a swordmaster? What is the goal when you achieve this power you are striving for because I know for sure it isn't for watered down wine and terrible food."

"Why you asking that question?"

"Because you are already an Aurora user. If you become a swordmaster, I want to tell all the guests in the future that a kid came to my inn and became a swordmaster hahaha!"

Averting the gaze of the chuckling innkeeper, Ryan thought about the question seriously.

It was a question he had thought about back when he was a kid years ago.

Of course, he knew his mission is to defend mankind aganist the Devils as an apostle of War.

But even before that, he wished to become a swordmaster because his father was so proud of having such a person in his ansctry and Ryan believed to honor his father who died of illness when he was a kid he had to become a swordmaster.

After being in deep thought, Ryan gave his answer.

"I want to be the one who decide how I want to live my life. In this world, where death and misery is on every corner, if you don't have the strength you would have to live for another person, and I am tired of living like that."

From a young age, he who was tortured, taught to kill and fight in battlefields, Ryan had never made choices that were truly his own.

But if he became stronger, he would not be forced by those wished harm upon him.

"Hoo… even swordmaster's aren't invinicble. How can you decide your fate if there is always someone stronger than you."

"Swordmaster among Swordmasters."

"What?"

"If I become stronger than any swordmaster, wouldn't I decide my fate?"

Listening to Ryan's bizzare response, the innkeeper looked at him with a smile.

Ryan had reminded him of his kid, who always talked about his dream to become the strongest.

'Kids… they dream of the most delusional things yet there is always the question of what if…'