The Great Sage Who Did not Remain in Legend - 46.2

Slash!

With a lightning-fast strike, the log didn’t move or fall—it simply slid down diagonally, cleanly cut.

“Rock… When did you become this skilled?”

His father was beyond shocked, feeling as though he was dreaming.

“Dad, I’m sorry for everything. I never understood your feelings… It might not be enough just to apologize, but…”

“Rock, you…”

As his father approached, reaching out to touch Rock’s shoulder, Rock, remembering what Vanessa said, began speaking honestly about everything he’d been holding in.

“You really wanted to become a blacksmith this badly?”

“I thought you wanted a son, not a daughter. So I thought you didn’t need me…”

“What kind of nonsense is that, you foolish girl…”

Rock clung to his father, crying. His mother cried too.

“Old man, who do you want to forge a sword for with magic steel?”

“You really are an annoying guy, aren’t you? You know the answer.”

“Alright then, let’s do it.”

“Yeah, hurry up and help.”

His father began working without even closing the workshop door, which he usually did.

“Come on, Rock, he said you can come in.”

“A-Are you sure it’s okay?”

“Get in here, quick.”

“Yeah.”

Everyone entered the workshop, and the door was closed.

“Mergin, hurry up and raise the temperature.”

“What about the core steel? Depending on the material, it’s not good to heat it too much, right? Well, magic steel should be fine without core steel.”

“No, I’ll use this. Stop when I tell you to.”

“Got it.”

Mergin raised the temperature to what he thought was the right level after seeing the material his father had. His father, without giving any instructions, placed the material into the furnace.

Bang Bang Bang

He hit the material and returned it to the furnace, repeating the process and forging the core steel. Next came the magic steel’s outer layer. Mergin steadily raised the furnace temperature.

“It’s so hot… Even from this distance, the heat is reaching all the way here.”

It was the first time Rock had seen his father working as a blacksmith.

Bang Bang

Rock stared intently, burning the sight of his father’s blacksmithing into his memory. Occasionally, sparks flew from the metal, and the thought of those sparks getting into his eyes sent a chill down his spine.

“Is this what Dad was worried about?”

“You would’ve come close to watch, even if you were warned. And when Dad’s working, he gets so focused that he’s unaware of what’s happening around him. It’s really dangerous.”

As Rock watched his father work seriously, his younger brother, Rock, watched Mergin instead.

“What the heck… He just met Dad today, and they’re already in sync…”

Their father never let anyone else manage the furnace’s temperature. He always did it himself, making constant adjustments. He had never taught Rock how to do it.

Their father continued hammering the magic steel as if he had lost track of time. Then, at a certain point, Mergin stopped blowing air into the furnace.

“Why’d you stop?”