THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Let go of me!"

"There is no need to do this. Roxcia is right."

"What?!!"

Everyone actually turns towards me and even Roxcia looks confused.

"Why do you look confused?"

"I-I am not."

"Anyway, I must admit you were right to do this. If you guys truly are untouchable flowers, then it is only normal that I should see your guardians before acting. Plus, you gave me a chance to make Rebecca bite her tongue in anger. And that's the best I could have asked for."

Roxcia turns dark when she hears that. She closes her eyes and her aura is released so powerfully Lanuvel and the others are thrown away.

"You…I will say this only once. If anything ever happens to the Saintess because of you. I swear, on my name and on my mother's name…" She creates a lightning ball then opens her eyes and looks straight at my face. Her eyes shining coldly. "I will become your worst nightmare as you die."

"Oh…" I walk to her and stand right in front of her, some sparkles of her lightning ball even touch me. "Let's hope I won't then. Fufufu." I extend my hand to her but she stops her aura and walks away.

"I will make sure to have a really nice talk with her later."

"There is no need to, Farner. You guys are sisters. Dividing yourselves would only make you weaker."

"But…"

"As I said, she was right. You guys don't deserve to be with normal people."

"What are you saying?!" Farner comes to me with a worried and angry look but I grab her hand and grasp it tightly.

"That's why, I will prove to her, as well as all those who doubt it, that I am worthy enough to protect you. To protect those who I hold dear."

I take a glance at Lanuvel and seeing her relieved face indicates me she understood what I meant. I will protect you as well, at least until the day I tell you the truth.

***

"Where are going? The school is this way."

We left the church for the school all together. Though the heroes stayed behind at the church. From what already happened, I guess Farner is going to be punished. Though I must admit, I am surprised.

"I have something to check, go ahead."

I should go and check on my armor and weapons' crafting. I also want to use the core I have left. I don't know how she did but Rebecca knew that I had at least one core left from the Longinus prince. After my trial, she had me hand it over before leaving the church. She also told me that when we defeated that Longinus, it left three other cores as it died.

"They have four cores just for them now, huh…" I hope they will use it to strengthen Farner and the others. It could only be beneficial for all of us.

I enter the smithy and as soon as Sophia sees me, she practically jumps from the counter, ignoring the customer who is right in front of her.

"Would you look at this!" She comes and grabs my head then squeezes it on her chest.

"Hm…" What is that overflow of joy?! I know that we haven't seen each other for a while but we weren't that close for her to do this.

"So this is what you were coming for…"

I hear Lanuvel's voice behind me while Sophia is shaking around with my head in her chest.

"Hnrh…" And here comes another misunderstanding.

"Oh, sorry." She finally releases me then fixes her clothes and looks at Lanuvel with a serene look, like an immaculate saint who doesn't know the meaning of sin. "What can I do for you today?"

"Nothing. I am with him." Lanuvel approaches me and takes my arm. She then squeezes it on her chest as well and looks at Sophia full of seriousness. "And that's in all possible meanings you could think of."

"Oh dear, you two are an item. Congratulations!" She advances to me again and without a care for lanuvel's reaction, grabs my hand. "It seems you have found something precious. Make sure to protect it. Because sometimes, it's only when-"

"Excuse me!! I am still waiting here!!" The customer who has been looking at us ever since we entered like the plague finally burst. It's true he got completely ignored the moment entered.

"You won't be served today, sir. Please do come by tomorrow."

"What?!!"

"Oh my, have you turned deaf?"

"How dare…." He turns red and cursed words almost leave his mouth but then he swallows them at the last moment. "I will come back tomorrow."

He leaves, not forgetting to drill through me with his intense stare. I am not a fault here, man. Don't look at me like that. After he leaves, Sophia goes back to the counter and I follow her, with Lanuvel glued to my arm.

"So, I suppose you came to inquire about the order you placed, right?"

"Yes, that and something else."

"Something else? What is it? Please, don't tell me you want the design of your armor to be changed. I spent some much time designing it that it is still not ready. So you better not-"

"Don't worry. I told you I trusted you for the design, I won't be dissatisfied, no matter what you did."

"Oh dear, you trust me that much?! I am honored!" She smiles brightly, revealing her white teeth.

"You are an expert after all. Anyway, I actually wanted to know if you could incorporate something on either the armor or one of the raizens."

"Yeah, of course. What is it?"

"This." I bring the core out and place it on the table.

"I…"

"I?" Sophia's face has turned pale. Her hands are slightly trembling as well.

"Impossible…There is no way…" She knows what it is. No, of course she would, she is working at a smithy so she must have seen cores before.

***

Like I thought, Sophia knew about cores. But she never saw one like this. She brought it inside the smithy and hasn't come out for at least five minutes now.

"You sure she didn't steal it?"

"I don't think so, Lanuvel."

"You looked really happy when she was squeezing you…"

"You know I didn't."

"Liar."

"You ought to trust me more, you know."

"Not when you let every girl take advantage of you."

"Okay, fine. I won't let her do that next time."

"You better!"

Sigh…You really have an awful temper, Lanuvel.

"By the way…"

"Yeah?"

"That core. Was it from…"

"Yeah. I didn't give them all to the church."

"You really are a sneaky one, fufu. No wonder Roxcia doesn't like you much."

"Nothing I can do about it."

"Oh, don't worry. It will pass her. She is just being overprotective."

No, I think she straight-up hates me. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Guys, come."

Sophia comes and calls us inside. When we follow her, we found the apprentices and smith inside working on a lot of armors and weapons.

"Sorry, we have been a bit overloaded with work recently."

"It's nothing. But who ordered so many pieces of equipment?"

"The eternal army and Syldavie's army as well."

"The next war is coming after all."

Lanuvel makes a comment that intrigues me.

"War?"

"Yes, the war against the Longinus."

"I see." That's why Dilt did that. What timing, really. Oh, well, it is even better this way.

While we are walking through the mess of armors and weapons and people walking, I spot somebody I haven't seen in a while and something next to him that is absolutely incredible.

"Hey-"

"Shsss." Sophia places her finger on my mouth before I can greet Anriette's uncle.

"He is focusing right now. It would be better to not disturb him."

Focusing. He isn't doing anything from what I can see, though. We all observe him in silence then suddenly, he takes an iron bar the length of a raizen next to him, places it in the furnace in front of him and after it turns orange, brings it out and starts striking with such rhythm it sounds like a song to my ears.

"Be grateful, you are witnessing the talent of a master smith." Sophia smiles with a smug face while looking at us. Putting that aside, I must admit that I am flabbergasted. To hear such melody as somebody is striking metal, such harmony. I am impressed, Frank. I am truly impressed. You could almost dance to the song he is making with his hammer.

It is such a harmonious song it would captivate you if you aren't careful. In fact, Lanuvel's head has been moving up and down in the same rhythm as the song for the past few seconds. After two minutes, Frank stops and puts the metal bar in a rectangular jar full of oil. The surface of the oil burns as it enters in contact with the bar but thankfully, Frank has big leather gloves on so there are no risks for his hands.

He pulls out the bar and there it appears, still rough but already beautiful, a blade with a unique shape I have difficulty describing it.

"Your weapon is almost ready, it seems."