The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 75 - Blessed Be Oriana’s Wallet

Tave followed Fokil into the smithy, and the moment he stepped across the threshold, it hit him. The heat.

The temperature inside was brutal, far worse than the already blazing streets outside. It wrapped around him like a thick, suffocating blanket, the kind of heat that clung to your skin and crawled into your lungs. But still, it didn’t even come close to what he’d endured in the rift a few days ago.

The forge dominated the room, an anvil at the center, tools scattered with practiced chaos, and furnaces roaring low like sleeping beasts. The air was heavy with the scent of scorched metal, burning coal, and thick, unmistakable alcohol.

Yep, Fokil was a drunk.

Tave didn’t waste a second. He approached the forging table and, with a flick of his hand, released the full carcass of the Shade-Tail Scorpinox onto the reinforced stone surface. Then he carefully placed the monster core beside it.

With a respectful bow, he stepped back. "Sir, this is a mini-boss monster we defeated during the last rift expedition," he said steadily, despite the tension. "And I would be truly honored if you’d accept my commission. To convert these materials into whatever item you believe would be best suited for them."

Tave had his own ideas. Concepts for weapons, armor. But he also knew better than to push his preferences on this dwarf. If Fokil so much as agreed to touch the materials, Tave knew the result would be nothing short of extraordinary.

Fokil said nothing. He didn’t even look at Tave.

Instead, he reached for his oversized wooden mug, took a deep, noisy swig, and slammed it back down onto the bench with a thud that echoed through the room.

That scowling, eternally annoyed expression didn’t shift an inch.

But he hadn’t said no. And that was already something.

"Are you a beast master?"

The question came out of nowhere. Fokil’s eyes didn’t leave the table, but his tone demanded an answer.

Tave took a breath, then gave a silent command through his link.

A moment later, Fang emerged from Tave’s shadow. The sleek wolf stepped into the room like a shadow given shape. It made no sound, no growl, no movement beyond what was needed. Even Fang understood instinctively not to make a wrong impression in front of this dwarf.

"No, sir," Tave replied, his voice steady but low. "I’m not a beast master. But I found this wolf in the forest near the town. After... certain events, it turned out we share the same elemental affinity."

He swallowed hard after saying it. A calculated risk.

In his current state, there was nothing he could actually show to prove his affinity. His Core was still burned out, and his Shadow Cloak sigil sealed. He was running on faith that the information would be enough.

But he had to say it.

Because Tave knew something important: the reason why Fokil had even let him step through the door in the first place.

It wasn’t the Scorpinox.

It wasn’t the Shadow Wolf.

It was the Dark element affinity.

Because Dark, despite being just one of the basic elements, was essential to something much bigger. Something Fokil was planning. Something he’d been quietly working toward for a long time. And while it might only be one small piece of the larger puzzle, it was still needed.

Fokil didn’t react. Not a twitch. Not a nod. His expression stayed as stiff and unwelcoming as ever.

But... he didn’t ask for proof.

And that was a relief beyond words.

Because if the dwarf had demanded Tave demonstrate his affinity right now?

It would’ve been over for him. Tave would’ve been thrown out.

Wait...

A sudden thought slipped into Tave’s mind.

What if Theom the original protagonist... had already met Fokil?

The possibility pressed against his chest like a weight. For a second, he found it hard to breathe. That wasn’t supposed to happen yet, right? Theo, by the flow of the original story, shouldn’t have had any reason to seek out Fokil at this point in the timeline.

After all, Theo had access. He had connections, opportunities, facilities far beyond what most people in Yunatea could dream of.

Still... if he had come to Fokil, that would mean the timeline had already bent much further than Tave had realized.

But he quickly shook the thought out of his head.

No. He couldn’t afford to keep trying to align everything with the original story. That script had already started to crumble the moment he arrived here, the moment his presence altered the balance.

The best thing he could do now... was to focus on this moment. On what was happening around him. On what was real now.

He needed to analyze everything. Prepare for anything. Because if the unexpected came, and it would. He had to be ready.

There wouldn’t be another chance.

"Are you sure you can afford the commission price?" Fokil asked.

Tave nodded without hesitation. "Yes, sir. Please set the price. I’ll do my best to meet it."

Fokil eyed him for a long beat, then let out a low grunt. "It would be thirty gold coins. At least. If only you could provide better material, I could make something worth more."

"Yes, sir. Thirty gold coins is okay." Tave stepped forward, reaching into his storage ring. With careful hands, he laid out several gleaming platinum bars onto the worktable.

"I also have these, sir," he said carefully. "I hope they can be put to good use."

The dwarf raised an eyebrow ever so slightly. He turned his gaze toward the bars, studied them, then let out a faint, thoughtful rumble.

"Well..." the dwarf said slowly, "I’d say the full price just went up. Fifty gold coins."

Tave swallowed hard. Damn.

Fifty gold coins?

If Oriana hadn’t promised. No, insisted, on covering every cost for this commission, he would’ve been forced to walk away right here and start begging for alternatives. That price was no joke.

But he smiled instead, nodding with quiet confidence. "Yes, sir. Fifty gold coins is okay."

Yes! Fifty gold coins, courtesy of Oriana!

Haha! Bless her noble soul.

Now all he could do was hope that the result would be something truly worthy of the price, and of the insane pile of materials he’d just handed over. ƒreewebɳovel.com

***

Tave stepped out of the smithy with a strange mix of giddy relief and soaring anticipation.

Fifty gold coins!

He let out a breathless laugh, running a hand through his hair. He hadn’t even paid Lily back her one gold coin yet! How the hell was he affording fifty?

Well, thank Oriana for that miracle.

Still, he could relax now. Fokil, the Master Blacksmith himself, had accepted the commission. Whatever the result would be, it was guaranteed to be exceptional. There was no need to micromanage or stress. It was better to wait and let himself be surprised.

So now...

What should he do next?

The elves of Vensalor Kingdom were expected to arrive within two days. And Tave desperately needed to break through to Gaia Guardian before they showed up. He had to. Everything... depended on it.

But if he went out to hunt now, he might miss their arrival. And he couldn’t risk that. Not after preparing this long.

Still... sitting around waiting for two days? That felt just as foolish. Wasted time was wasted power. Every second mattered now.

Maybe... the best call is to stay put today. Rest, prep. And then hunt tonight. Come back by morning.

He didn’t need sleep.

Just as he settled on that plan and turned to head home. He stopped.

Frozen in place.

His heart thudded. Hard. Heavy. A sudden rush of pressure hit his chest, tight and sharp, as if something unseen had brushed against the very core of his being.

Wait...

Was this... what he thought it was?