Chapter 134 When it Rains, it Pours (8)

I was at the village’s only blacksmith and heard someone hammering steel at a regular rhythm, and I had placed my ultimate weapon here.

“Is it done?”

“Oh, Merln, is it you?”

I opened the door, and the blacksmith who knew me by my voice was a middle-aged man. He was a middle-aged man and not an old man, which was an important factor.

“Yours is in the right. Get it yourself.”

“Yes.”

I watched the blacksmith hammer steel without looking at me, as he was busy with the overflowing work. It was actually rare for a village like this one to have such a blacksmith, as one who could hand steel was valued everywhere. Even if this country was not in war, lords did not easily give up on blacksmiths, as they may pose to weaponize people for a riot.

However, while this world had many bad lords, the one here was a rare exception, and he allowed retired technicians to return to their homelands. Thanks to that, the retired used their skills for their village, and this was a rare grace for this village, as our environment was harsh.

“Let’s see, is this it?”

I watched the blacksmith’s actions for a moment and took my secret weapon from a corner to look over it.

“Wow.”

“Your tools are unique, which makes them interesting to handle.”

I heard the blacksmith’s indifferent voice, but I knew that he was surprised underneath. I had been extremely surprised to find out that this world did not have ho-mi, one of Korea’s best farming tools. As the small tool enabled its user to dig, it had gained international fame, level the ground, removes weeds, and harvest potatoes. It was a multi-purpose tool, simple and suppliable while easy to use. It would enable us to work faster, and the best part was that my cute daughter will be able to use it easily and safely!

“Your quality is perfect as promised.”

“Yes, hard and not sharp. I worked harder since you told me it was for a girl.”

“Thank you.”

“You do not need to thank me, as this is my job.”

The blacksmith going back to his steel increased my trust in him, as he really was an artisan!

“How much is it?”

“Ten silver coins.”

The price impressed me again, as ten silver coins may be a slight burden to the ordinary people, it was affordable and cheap when the price was for steel tools.

While the steel was reused from old tools or miscellaneous items, most blacksmiths were considered artisans, and considering his effort, ten silvers were cheap for having him make some customized farming tools!

“Use well.”

The blacksmith had not looked back once after I came in, and he did not even confirm the coins before sending me away. Well, no one who wanted to live here for long would go against him, but still.

“Here it is.”

I placed the bag with the coins on the floor and shouldered the bag with the tools. While it was quite heavy, I trained for decades and could manage this weight.

‘Oh?’

However, I felt something was wrong after a few steps after coming out of the blacksmith.

‘What is this? Did I count wrong?’

The number of farming tools I had was the same since the two of us would farm again, so the weight would be the same..

‘It seems heavier.’

I placed the bag on the ground, confirmed the tools, and found that the number and size were the same. The bag’s weight was the same as usual, and that meant..!

I wanted to say it was not true, but there was only one option remaining. While I had been lazy during winter, I had trained! I grabbed my arm muscles, and while they had been hard as steel before, they were a bit soft now.

‘What about my abdomen?!’

While my stomach was still not sticking out, my six-pack had disappeared. How can I think this weight heavy even if I had been a bit lazy?

‘It can’t be true!’

I lifted the bag with all my strength, and while I could manage to take it home, it would take much effort. That was the difference between my state last year and this year, which meant I had become weak.

One’s body becoming weak was critical for a swordsman, especially those who used high-class skills. Winning by power and strength was for low-class fights, and fights between experts required experience and skills. While the former may seem to suffer more from a weakened body, it was actually the latter who had a bigger problem. Those who fought by power and strength meant that their actions became weaker, but it meant they could not do what they once could do for the latter. Most people who fought by skill used counter moves by using the opponent’s strength against them, but when that calculation fails, they may be the ones hurt. Death will come then to the skilled swordsmen when their body limits what they once could do.

“I don’t want to die.”

I could not die like this when I had such a cute daughter. The village seemed peaceful, but when there was the previous Holy Sword, a dragon, and a strange cat with my daughter possibly being a heroine candidate, I could not ignore the possibilities.

The answer to how to survive was actually simple.

#8 Other stories: A daughter’s story

I felt like time had stopped, and while I had dropped my wooden cup in shock, I did not even notice it.

“What do you mean, Daddy?”

While I raised my unbelieving eyes to Daddy, the fact he had said that there will be no fried chicken from today did not change.

What happened? I had been asking him to fry the chicken he had brought with him, but he cut me off by saying he would not fry it.

I could not understand this, because Daddy also liked chicken. Who does not like chicken? Everyone I knew did, and why was he doing this?

“It’s fattening.”

“What?”

“Chicken makes me fat.”

What did he mean by that?

“You don’t need to think that!”

A little weight would not hurt.

“One cannot live a long life when fat.”

“I can trade my life to eat fried chicken!”

The future me would agree and would want me to live happily eating chicken instead of living ten more years. Actually, the future me would die in regret thinking that I did not give up chicken to live a life like this.

“That’s not a good thought.”

“Daddy, it’s not true! What is important for a person in life?!”

“Health.”

“Yes, that’s important..but one needs food, clothes, and a house! That means food is more important than health!”

It was perfect logic using common sense. I hoped this would stop Daddy from forbidding chicken.

“We will have meals with a healthy diet.”

Daddy broke my logic with one sentence.

“We will have healthier food, and that means we will have both health and food!”

“This is wrong..”

I could only roll my feet at Daddy’s words since taste and fat went together. We would not be able to have chicken anymore.

‘Unnie, help!’

I sent a desperate gaze to Unnie, and she approached Daddy.

‘Go!’

I cheered her on since she would be able to do what I could not!

“Hey, how about chicken?”

“No.”

“All right!”

My belief broke in an instant!

“Unnie!”

“Sorry, it cannot be helped.”

“You’re too fast giving up!”

“He won’t bend when he’s like that. It’s easier to give up!”

“No, no..”

I could not give up chicken like this.

“Unnie, we have to talk sense into Daddy since he’s wrong!”

“He’s saying all the right things in essence.”

“Are you betraying me?!”

It looked like my sister would not help, and had she been bought by Daddy? Was he taking revenge for me nagging him to marry again? He had told me that revenge using other methods than power could be more damaging at times. Was he doing it to me?

“I can’t lose like this!”

If I gave in now, Daddy would be able to hold fried chicken hostage all the time! A loss meant all losses, and I would bend to my father’s attack.

“If Daddy will do that!”

“Mommy?”

I hugged Coco and found the willpower not to give in to Daddy, if only for Coco! The war between Daddy and me was on!

#9 Other Stories: A cat’s story

A strange silence filled the room, as breakfast was too quiet.

“Oh, it’s all grass!”

Except for the one weird person.

“Isn’t this too much? Can’t you put it to make soup? Hey, what do you think, little sis?”

“....”

“Little sis?”

“....”

“Do you want to be hit?”

“Unnie! I’m stating my dissatisfaction to Daddy through silence! Don’t interrupt me!”

“Oh, you did?”

The silver-haired girl turned her gaze away at my benefactor’s words to me.

“Then, I’ll play with this cat!”

“Meowww!”

I don’t know what you’re doing but do it fast, or I’ll die first!