Lucy looked at Lenny with confusion.

The reaction had come out of nowhere.

Just moments ago, the two of them had been speaking normally, yet the moment she smiled at him, he suddenly turned his face away as though he had seen something frightening.

"What happened to you?"

Lucy asked.

She leaned slightly closer.

Unfortunately for Lenny, that only made things worse.

"Nothing! I’m fine!"

Lenny replied so quickly that his voice almost cracked.

His hands waved nervously in front of him.

Ahhh...

Miss Lucy is so beautiful.

The scream echoed only inside his mind.

She’s always so mature when she talks.

I didn’t even know she could rant that much until she started complaining about Ezra.

Lenny secretly exhaled.

Then his thoughts suddenly froze.

Wait...

His eyes widened slightly.

His mind immediately replayed everything that had happened throughout the day.

The snacks.

The shopping.

The Park.

The sightseeing and the conversations.

The fact that it had only been the two of them.

Did we just go on a date?

The thought struck him like lightning.

He cautiously glanced at Lucy from the corner of his eye.

I mean...

It was only the two of us and Ezra wasn’t around.

We explored the city together.

That counts, right?

A silly grin appeared inside his mind.

His mood immediately improved.

"Lenny."

Lucy’s finger lightly tapped his forehead.

The sudden touch instantly pulled him back to reality.

"Ahhh!"

Lenny jumped up from the bench.

The movement was so sudden that several nearby pedestrians turned to look at him.

A strange silence immediately followed.

Lenny could practically feel the eyes of strangers staring at him.

Some looked confused.

Some looked concerned.

Others simply looked entertained.

"What is wrong, Lenny?"

Lucy asked.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

"Did I do something wrong?"

The concern in her voice was genuine.

"No... no."

Lenny hurriedly waved both hands again.

His face became even redder.

"It’s my fault. You didn’t do anything wrong."

He quickly sat back down.

Unfortunately...

That only made the situation more awkward.

Fortunately for him, another voice arrived at the perfect moment.

"I’m done, guys."

Ezra’s voice came from behind them.

Lucy immediately turned around.

A smile appeared on her face.

"Were you able to get everything done?"

She stood up as she spoke.

"Yes."

Ezra replied in his usual calm tone.

Lenny stared.

When did he get here?

He hadn’t noticed Ezra approaching at all.

Before Lenny could think further, Ezra held out a small paper bag.

"Here."

Lenny blinked.

"For me? Thank you."

He accepted it curiously.

"For you and your master."

Ezra replied.

Then he immediately turned and started walking toward the Steam Carriage waiting nearby.

Lenny opened the bag.

Inside was a neatly packaged cake.

The scent alone made his eyes brighten.

"He should’ve only bought it for me."

Lenny muttered quietly, his shoulders slumping slightly.

Lucy immediately called out.

"Let’s go, Lenny."

"I’m coming."

He stood up and hurried after the two.

Soon, the Steam Carriage carried them away from the busy central districts and back toward Ezra’s mansion.

By the time they arrived home, the atmosphere between Lenny and Rogers hadn’t improved.

The moment Lenny stepped inside...

He immediately ran upstairs with the paper bag.

His footsteps echoed through the hallway before disappearing entirely.

A door closed shortly afterward.

Rogers remained seated in the living room.

The old blacksmith let out a long sigh before leaning back into the couch.

Ezra simply walked toward his room.

As usual, he looked completely unaffected by the situation, while Lucy headed toward the kitchen, since dinner wouldn’t prepare itself.

A few hours passed.

The scent of food gradually spread through the mansion.

Eventually, everyone gathered around the dining table.

The meal itself was simple.

Nothing extravagant.

Yet the moment Lenny took a bite...

His eyes lit up.

"Every time I eat your cooking, Miss Lucy, I can never get used to how amazing it tastes."

He smiled brightly.

Lucy laughed softly.

"Thank you."

Then her gaze shifted toward Ezra.

He had almost finished eating.

"Master, the post has already reached six million views."

She looked down at her Starlix.

The excitement in her voice was obvious.

"Really?!"

Lenny nearly rose from his chair.

"That’s incredible!"

His eyes sparkled.

"I can’t believe I personally know someone who’s basically a superstar now."

The pride in his voice made Lucy chuckle.

"Speaking of views..."

Lenny suddenly looked at her.

"How many followers does Ezra have now?"

He rested his chin on his hand.

"With that many views and likes, people should already be following him."

"Let me check."

Lucy immediately opened Ezra’s profile.

A few moments later...

Her eyes widened.

"Oh."

She blinked.

"Wow...The last time I checked, Master’s followers were only me and Lady Vera."

She looked up from the screen.

"Now it’s over sixty thousand."

"That’s amazing!"

Lenny looked genuinely impressed.

"I heard that usually only models, broadcasting groups, and theater companies gain followers that quickly because of the type of content they post on Linsta."

Lucy spoke while keeping her eyes fixed on the screen of her Starlix.

Her fingers moved across the display as she continued scrolling through Ezra’s profile.

The numbers kept increasing.

Every refresh seemed to bring in more followers, more likes, and more comments.

The popularity of the Phantom Rolls was still growing.

"Inventors use it too."

Ezra finally spoke.

He had already finished eating and placed his utensils neatly beside his plate.

His voice remained as plain as ever.

"They use it to share their creations throughout Britannia."

"Like you did."

Lenny immediately pointed the spoon in his hand toward Ezra.

A look of admiration could be seen on his face.

Then, as if all the energy had suddenly left his body, he let out a long sigh and dropped his forehead onto the dining table.

"Ahhh..."

The dramatic movement made Lucy glance at him.

"I wish I had my own Starlix or another model of a phone."

His voice sounded full of regret.

"Then I could start posting things on the Skynet too."

Lenny turned his head slightly.

His eyes drifted toward the old blacksmith seated nearby.

Rogers had remained strangely quiet throughout the meal.

For someone whose voice could normally be heard from one side of the mansion to the other, the silence felt unnatural.

"Maybe I’d become popular too."

Lenny sighed again.

This time he deliberately looked at Rogers, hoping for some kind of reaction.

Perhaps an argument.

Perhaps a complaint.

Perhaps a lecture.

Anything.

Yet Rogers ignored him completely.

The old blacksmith simply continued staring at the food on his plate.

The atmosphere immediately became awkward.

Lenny clicked his tongue inwardly.

Then he quickly finished the remaining food on his plate.

He grabbed the cup of water beside him and emptied it in a single gulp.

After that, he stood up.

Without saying another word, he carried his plate to the kitchen.

A few moments later, his footsteps echoed through the hallway.

Then...

Bang.

The sound of a bedroom door closing followed shortly afterward.

Silence returned to the dining room.

Ezra was about to stand up as well.

Then Rogers finally spoke.

"I’ll be leaving tomorrow."

His voice was lower than usual.

His gaze remained fixed on the food left on his plate.

The expression on his face looked grim.

Lucy blinked.

"By yourself?"

She looked at him curiously.

"Of course not!"

Rogers immediately snorted, his loud voice finally returning.

"I’m leaving with that brat."

Lucy rested her cheek against her palm.

Her elbow remained on the dining table as she studied him.

"Ehnnn..."

A teasing smile appeared on her face.

"I thought you were going to leave him here out of anger."

She tilted her head slightly.

"But honestly, Mr. Rogers, it doesn’t even look like you’re angry."

"Of course, I’m angry!"

Rogers immediately folded his arms.

His beard trembled slightly as he huffed.

"That brat actually shouted at me!"

The old blacksmith looked genuinely offended.

Lucy narrowed her eyes.

Ezra did the same.

Neither of them looked convinced.

The dining room became strangely quiet.

Finally...

"At least..."

Ezra spoke.

His expression remained completely blank.

"You and your disciple should settle your argument before leaving."

Rogers immediately looked toward him.

The old blacksmith’s eyes softened slightly.

"Ezra-boy..."

His voice carried unexpected emotion.

For a moment, he seemed touched.

"So, you’re worried about this old man and his disciple?"

He rubbed beneath his eye dramatically. As if wiping away tears that didn’t exist.

"No."

Ezra answered instantly.

The reply came so quickly that Rogers froze.

The old blacksmith stared at him.

Lucy immediately looked away.

She already knew where this was going.

"I don’t want my house to become the place that ruined the relationship between a master and his disciple."

Ezra calmly continued.

His expression never changed.

He simply just stared at Rogers.

"That’s a bad omen."

The room fell silent for a little while.

"Wha... What?"

Rogers looked completely caught off guard.

The emotional scene he imagined shattered instantly.

Lucy bit the inside of her cheek.

She was trying very hard not to laugh.

"It’s that brat’s fault."

Rogers grumbled.

"What does he mean by saying I don’t understand him?"

The old blacksmith frowned.

"He’s not even fourteen yet and he acts as though he already understands the entire world."

His voice carried both annoyance and helplessness.

Lucy listened quietly, then she spoke.

"But why don’t you want him to see other parts of Britannia or at least move around where he can interact with other people?"

Her tone remained gentle.

"Keeping him locked inside the workshop won’t help him develop social skills."

She folded her hands neatly together.

"And aren’t those important for someone you’re training to become one of the Main Family’s future blacksmiths?"

The question lingered in the air.

The old blacksmith lowered his gaze, his hand slowly tightened around the spoon he was holding.

The grip became stronger.

His knuckles gradually turned pale, then he finally spoke.

"Because I’m scared."

The words came out quietly.

The loud and energetic Rogers seemed to disappear for a moment.

"Scared?"

Lucy tilted her head, confusion appearing on her face, while Ezra remained silent with his gaze resting on Rogers.

The old blacksmith looked down at his hand, then he slowly reached into his pocket.

After a few moments, he pulled out a small silver locket.

The locket itself wasn’t particularly special.

There were no jewels embedded into it.

No expensive engravings.

Only a revolver design wrapped around the upper and lower edges. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Yet the moment it appeared...

Something changed in Rogers’ expression.

His fingers gently rubbed against its surface.

A trace of longing appeared within his eyes.

A trace of pain.

The type that came from memories that never truly faded.

"I don’t want Lenny to end up becoming like me."

His voice became low.

Almost fragile.

Lucy immediately stopped smiling, even Ezra quietly observed him.

The two of them could clearly see it.

The sadness hidden behind Rogers’ eyes.

The regret.

The longing.

The emotions he had kept buried beneath his loud personality for years.

The old blacksmith continued staring at the locket.

As though it contained something far more precious than silver.

"You know..."

Rogers slowly opened the locket.

The small click of the metal lock sounded unusually clear within the quiet dining room.

Inside was a photograph.

A much younger Rogers stood beside a beautiful woman.

The two were smiling.

Not the polite smile people showed for formal pictures.

It was the smile of two people who genuinely enjoyed being around each other.

The younger Rogers looked completely different from the loud old blacksmith sitting before them now.

His shoulders were straighter.

His face carried ambition.

His eyes were bright.

A young man who still believed he could conquer the world with nothing but his own hands.

Rogers stared at the picture.

A soft smile appeared on his face.

The kind of smile that only appeared when someone looked at a memory they never wanted to forget.

"The reason I started walking the path of blacksmithing..."

His thumb gently rubbed against the picture.

"...was because I wanted to create weapons for my wife."

The room became quiet.

Lucy unconsciously sat up straighter.

The old blacksmith’s voice no longer carried its usual loudness.

Instead, it sounded distant.

As though part of him had already returned to the past.

"Your wife was a member of the Ashenlocke Family?"

Ezra asked.

There was genuine curiosity in his voice.

It wasn’t often that Ezra showed interest in another person’s past.

The change was so noticeable that Lucy couldn’t help glancing at him briefly.

Master is actually curious...

The thought flashed through her mind.

"No."

Rogers shook his head lightly.

A faint smile remained on his face.

"She was from the Baywick House."

His gaze never left the photograph.

For a few moments, he simply stared at it.

As though afraid that looking away would cause the image to disappear.

"All my life, I struggled to improve my smithing skills."

His voice carried a hint of nostalgia.

"I pushed myself every single day. I wanted to become the greatest blacksmith in all of Britannia."

His eyes slowly unfocused.

The dining room disappeared from his vision.

The memories returned.

A younger version of himself.

Standing beneath the evening sky.

A halberd resting against a stone wall nearby.

A young woman standing before him.

Laughing.

Teasing him.

Challenging him.

Back then, he had proudly sworn an oath to her.

Just like a knight of Avalon.

He had promised her.

Promised that one day he would forge the finest halberd in Britannia.

A weapon worthy of her talent.

A weapon worthy of a Steel Alchemist like her.

Because she specialized in the halberd.

Because she loved using it.

And because he wanted every weapon, she carried into battle to be something created by his own hands.

"I wanted to be the one who made every weapon she would ever use."

A small chuckle escaped his lips.

The sound carried warmth.

But also, sadness.

"People laughed at me back then."

His fingers tightened around the locket.

"They kept asking why an Alchemist would use weapons made by an ordinary blacksmith."

He lifted his head slightly and looked at Ezra and Lucy.

A faint grin appeared on his face.

"But you know..."

His eyes softened.

"She never cared about any of that."

The grin widened slightly.

"Actually..."

He shook his head.

"She was far more competitive than I was."

That memory seemed to amuse him.

For a brief moment, the sadness in his eyes lessened.

The old blacksmith almost looked young again.

"I was known as a genius blacksmith."

A trace of pride entered his voice.

Growing up, he had heard those words countless times.

Genius.

Prodigy.

Monster.

Many people had called him different names.

"My family wasn’t important."

He leaned back slightly.

"We were a lowline family. My parents worked as miners under one of the Ashenlocke mining industries."

His gaze drifted toward the ceiling.

"I grew up around ore, around furnaces and around metal. While other children played outside, I spent most of my time learning smithing."

A smile appeared on his face.

The proud smile of a craftsman.

"I had talent."

The statement wasn’t arrogance.

It was simply a fact.

"My creations eventually became better than even some Alchemy weapons."

Lucy blinked slightly.

Even she knew how absurd that achievement was.

Alchemy weapons weren’t ordinary equipment.

Yet Rogers had managed to create things that could rival them through craftsmanship alone.

"That was what brought us together."

His voice softened again.

"You could say I entered smithing because of her."

A quiet laugh escaped him.

"Well...Partially because of her."

He rubbed the side of his nose.

"I wanted an excuse to get close to her."

The admission sounded almost embarrassing.

"Her family managed the mining industry where my parents worked."

"So, every time I improved my craft..."

His smile widened.

"I had another excuse to meet her."

Lucy couldn’t stop herself from smiling.

For the first time since Rogers started speaking, she could clearly picture the young man he used to be.

Not a famous blacksmith.

Not a loud old man.

Just a young boy trying to impress the girl he liked.

Rogers slowly closed the locket.

Click.

The sound echoed softly.

The smile on his face remained, but now it carried pain.

Deep pain.

The kind that had settled into his heart years ago and never truly left.

"Everything I achieved..."

His thumb gently rubbed the surface of the closed locket.

"...was for her."

The room became silent again.

Even the atmosphere felt heavier.

Rogers lowered his gaze, then he quietly continued.

"And she left me during the Second War against The Servient Union."

The old blacksmith rubbed the locket again.

Slowly and carefully.

As though afraid of damaging it, then he suddenly asked a question.

"Do you know what happens to a person when they lose their legs?"

His voice sounded calm.

Too calm.

The question lingered in the air.

Several seconds passed.

Then he answered it himself.

"They lose the ability to walk."

Rogers stared at the locket.

His eyes reflected neither anger nor grief.

Only acceptance.

The acceptance of someone who had lived with a wound for so long that it had become part of him.

And somehow...

That made his words feel even heavier.