Volume 3 Chapter 14 Reconciliation
Making amends to his father.
Hearing that uneasy line, I reflexively asked back,
"Did something happen between Fran and your father?"
After I finished speaking, I realized too late and put my hand over my mouth, saying "Ah." I had asked without thinking, but it was quite rude.
So, as I was about to apologize, Fran, seeing my panic, spoke up in a flustered way.
"S-Sorry. I said making amends, but it's not that serious. I just want to 'make up' with Dad..."
"Make up?"
"Well, when we 'parted ways,' I left with some regrets."
Fran slightly lowered her long-lashed eyelids, sadness seeping through.
This time, I decided to be careful and ask without being rude.
"...If it's not too rude, can I ask what happened with your father?"
"Yeah, it's totally fine. To put it simply, it turned into a 'fighting separation' with Dad."
Fran began to speak, looking distant as if recalling the past.
"Dad has always dreamed of forging the Legendary Sword, and before I knew it, I had the same dream too. We promised that one day we would make a weapon worthy of being called the 'Legendary Sword'."
Fran glanced down at her right hand, weakly clenching it.
"But I never improved my blacksmithing skills since I was little. At one point, I felt so ashamed of my lack of progress that I almost gave up."
"You were thinking of quitting blacksmithing?"
"Yeah. At that time, Dad did his best to comfort me so I wouldn't give up on my dream. He said he was still an unknown blacksmith too, but if I kept working hard, I could achieve my dream someday. So he said we should keep trying together. But I ended up being sulky and treating Dad coldly..."
"..."
Hearing Fran's sad voice made us feel helpless too.
No matter how many weapons he forged, Fran could only make shabby ones.
It's understandable that I would feel frustrated with myself and want to quit being a Blacksmith.
The gentle Fran was so affected by his own shortcomings that he ended up being cold to his father, who was trying to comfort him.
"For someone like me, my dad was trying to make a comforting 'item.' Even if no one recognizes it, if I keep working hard, I can someday forge a weapon like that. To make that weapon, my dad went to great lengths to gather materials deep in the forest..."
Fran told me that was when his father passed away.
His father was trying to prove that even if he wasn't recognized by others, dreams can come true if you keep putting in the effort.
He wanted to show that even a struggling Blacksmith like himself could create something extraordinary, hoping to inspire his son, who was on the verge of giving up on his dreams.
But because of that, he ended up facing monster attacks, leading to a sort of bitter separation.
"That's why I want to make a Legendary Sword to reconcile with my dad. I want to prove that what he said wasn't wrong and apologize for being cold to him back then..."
"...I see."
Knowing the reason why Fran aims to be a top-tier Blacksmith, I felt a deep understanding.
At the same time, I remembered what Brue had said in the industrial district of Hyamars.
'I don't know if you want to be a Blacksmith for your dead father, but you're just wasting materials by forging. In the end, you're just like your useless father who died with unfulfilled ambitions.'
So, he must have known about Fran's situation.
Using that as an excuse, Brue tried to blame Fran's mistakes and kick him out.
Now that I understood Fran's circumstances better, I felt even more motivated for the Auction and said to him,.
"Then it's even more important for Fran to become stronger, right?"
"Eh?"
"To create the Legendary Sword with his own hands, Fran needs to have the strength to forge the Divine Artifact. If the Divine Revelation of the Divine Artifact works the same way as it does for humans, it will likely become harder to grow over time, which means he will have to fight even stronger monsters."
"So, you mean I should get stronger?"
"Yep."
Fran's Divine Artifact holds immense potential.
If he can perfect it, it could very well become a weapon worthy of being called the Legendary Sword.
But to create it with his own hands, he will need strength──strength to face strong monsters.
"Then, I might end up relying a lot on Roezé."
"Same here. I want you to make a great weapon for Rose and Cosmos. I'll help you as much as I can..."
Just as I was about to make that closing statement, I sensed an ominous presence from the bushes nearby.
"──!"
I instinctively grabbed Fran's body.
Surprised by his incredibly delicate frame, I kicked the ground and jumped back.
In that instant, a "black shadow" leaped out in front of us.
A large black-furred ram with long horns──Demon Sheep.
Thanks to using one of the support magic spells, detection magic, I was able to notice its approach just in time.
As the enemy revealed itself, Rose and Cosmos also tensed up and got ready.
I set Fran down, who was trembling, and placed my hand on his small back to encourage him.
"You don't have to be scared. I'll do my best to help you."
So that Fran can win at the Auction.
So that he can become a Blacksmith capable of making the Legendary Sword.
So that he can reconcile with his father, whom he had a falling out with.
I will do everything in my power as a Nurturer to raise Fran, the Divine Artifact craftsman, into a capable individual.
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