The Wish to Become Strong

“That’s a rare golden color indeed.”

Kunta admired Theodore. Having lived his whole life in dark caves, looking at dull colors, his eyes were barely adjusting. Kunta chuckled, facing the shimmering Theodore.

“Kunta, do you think you have a wooden sword and armor that would suit this child?”

“Wooden sword and armor? Are you perhaps going to teach him swordsmanship yourself, Sian-nim?”

“Yes, I am planning to.”

“Hoho, that…”

Kunta, wearing a displeased expression, examined Theodore’s body with rather sharp eyes.

Theodore, feeling nervous, stood hesitantly, observing Kunta.

“Since he is about the same height as the dwarves, I think he will be able to use it right away if we make some adjustments.”

“Really?”

“Yes, you can have new ones made… but that takes some time, and the child will grow up soon anyway.”

“That’s true.”

The child grows up quickly, as Kunta said. Theodore would also grow quickly if he took his eyes off him for a bit.

Moreover, Theodore’s stay on the mountain would last until the Dane merchant group returned to the empire.

A year would pass in the blink of an eye. Upon thinking about that, Sian felt uneasy for some reason.

“Sian-nim?”

“Hmm?”

Sian, who was spacing out, was brought back to his senses by Kunta’s call.

Turning his head, Kunta was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“What will you do? If you want to repair the existing ones, I can do it today.”

“Ah, yes. Then, please do so.”

Kunta, nodding, took out thick parchment and a quill pen from his chest

. And he kept glancing at Theodore, writing something down. He was estimating the measurements for the armor to be repaired.

However, even when he measured and repaired it that way, he made it fit Theodore perfectly, which was amazing. Dwarves definitely had good instincts.

It was familiar behavior to Sian, but not to Theodore.

He kept flinching at Kunta’s gaze, which was thoroughly examining his body, and kept trying to hide behind Sian. Sian smiled and patted Theodore’s back.

“By the way, are we still short on magic stones?”

“I came here precisely for that reason, Sian-nim.”

“Hmm…”

Kunta, whose eyes were shining, clasped his hands together and spoke.

Seeing Kunta, whose attitude had changed, Sian tried to gauge how much ore he had brought this time.

Magic stones were ores that had been rumored in Outchamber from about 100 years ago. As the name suggests, magic stones contain magic. Therefore, they were much harder than other ores, and they even repelled magic.

If they were smelted to make weapons or armor, they would become even more valuable than the most precious treasures on the continent.

“Did you bring enough ore? You might suffer a loss if you try too much.”

“Of course, I know that well, Sian-nim.”

Kunta, nodding, untied the bundle he had brought and took out about five large stone-like ores from it.

“I have carefully selected the very sturdy ones.”

“Hmm, yes.”

Sian looked down at the ores with a complex and subtle expression.

In fact, magic stones were not made naturally. They were artificial stones made by Sian injecting magic into ordinary ores. The pure magic of the Black Dragon was cleaner and of better quality than other magic, so it was suitable for making magic stones.

However, not all ores could be turned into magic stones just by injecting magic into them.

If Kunta brought in high-purity, sturdy ores, Sian would inject magic into them to turn them into magic stones.

But no matter how skilled he was, the delicate ores often shattered and broke due to not withstanding the dragon’s magic.

The broken ores were ruined to the point where they couldn’t even be used as ordinary ores, so he might suffer a greater loss if he tried to make too many. Sian was wary of that.

“I don’t know how successful it will be, but I’ll make them for now, so come again next time to take them.”

“Understood, Sian-nim.”

Kunta’s eyes were still shining. He was absorbed in smelting magic stones these days and couldn’t get out of it.

Magic stones, which were difficult to make, were also not easy to smelt.

Even among the dwarves with good craftsmanship, only skilled craftsmen with top-class skills could handle them. Of course, Kunta was the best among them.

Even that blacksmith struggled to smelt the ores every time, so he seemed to have a constant sense of challenge. Sian smiled and looked down at the ores.

‘Shall I make Theodore’s equipment with this later?’

He wouldn’t be able to use them for now, since he was still young, but things would be different if he grew up a little more.

It was yet unknown whether his adventure with Yurina would be in a year, or in five years like in the original work.

Since he might meet them again even after becoming an adult, it would be good to prepare equipment of the correct size in advance.

Then, he would probably have to introduce Yurina briefly and immediately transfer to Inchamber.

Then, the time to meet wouldn’t be that long. So, wouldn’t it be good to prepare it in advance as a wedding gift…

It was at that moment that Sian was having happy thoughts to himself.

“Kunta, you son of a b***h! I told you not to spread those dirty ores on the reception room floor!”

Kali, who had brought snacks, shouted at Kunta. Then, after carefully placing the cookies on the table so that they wouldn’t be scattered, she stomped her feet and approached.

“Ugh, the noisy one is here.”

“Can’t you get rid of them right away?”

Kunta, shrugging his shoulders as if annoyed, was met with Kali raising her voice. To Sian’s eyes, Kunta looked like a cat hissing.

“Theo, let’s eat the cookies.”

“Yes? But…”

Theodore, not knowing what to do, looked at the two people raising their voices. However, Sian, who was accustomed to seeing Kali and Kunta fighting like this on a daily basis, led Theodore without any hesitation.

“They will fight like that and go away on their own, so you don’t have to worry about them.”

“Uh…”

The bad relationship between the elves and dwarves was a long-standing history.

It would be a very embarrassing thing for Theodore, who didn’t know about it. Sian was also troubled in the middle because the two people fought so much when he first transmigrated.

But now, he was accustomed to it to the point that he could drink tea without caring about the two fighting.

Theodore would probably accept it as commonplace soon. Sian sat Theodore down on a chair in the reception room and smiled.

***

“One! Two! Three!”

A voice that had not yet gone through puberty resonated slightly around the open space.

A wooden sword sliced through the air with an unwavering, firm shout.

The sound of the wind, coming out every time the wooden sword was swung, was quite sharp.

“……”

To think he would be this good. Sian was constantly surprised even while teaching Theodore himself.

Although he had only taught the basics so far, wouldn’t they say that the promising trees were recognized from their sprouts?

Theodore’s growth rate was dazzling.

He was definitely the male protagonist of the novel. Wouldn’t he be a genius that only appeared once in a hundred years?

Or a thousand years? It was hard to guess, but he thought it would be around that level.

“Huff… huff…”

“Theo, you can rest a bit now.”

“Yes, Master.”

Theodore put down his wooden sword and came running, as Sian had told him to.

Sian, who was holding a towel and waiting, carefully wiped the sweat dripping from Theodore’s face.

“Are you tired?”

“Yes, I’m okay.”

Theodore answered in a spirited tone. Sian looked down at Theodore with an appreciative look.

Theodore, who was still young, was at the age when his body was growing and his muscles were forming.

So, he wasn’t purposely doing the swordsmanship training too hard.

Nevertheless, Theodore, who was full of enthusiasm, always swung his sword more than he was instructed.

“Don’t overdo it, and tell me if you’re tired.”

“I’m really okay!”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

Was he still being careful? Sian recalled the scene of Theodore when he first started the basic history lessons. Theodore, who had been timid and asked if it was okay for him not to grow well.

At that time, it was certain that Theodore seemed to be paying attention to many things.

But the current Theodore was just spirited. Rather, he seemed to have found joy in learning swordsmanship.

His expression was bright and refreshing. Sian asked Theodore with a smile.

“Do you like swordsmanship, Theo?”

“Swordsmanship?”

“Yes. Do you like moving your body so much?”

“Um…”

Theodore blinked his eyes at Sian’s smiling question.

Sian, who had expected him to nod brightly, looked down at Theodore with a puzzled expression.

“I don’t know.”

“What?”

He doesn’t know? Then why was he working so hard in swordsmanship training?

Unable to understand, Sian tilted his head. Then Theodore said in a cheerful tone.

“I just want to get stronger quickly.”

“Want to get… stronger?”

It could be just a child’s whim, but it didn’t seem so simple to Sian.

Even if it was still a sapling, it was what the male protagonist who would become the emperor would say.

Was he perhaps unconsciously wanting to follow the original work?

It wasn’t even the master who was overworking him, was it that the world itself was ordering him to work his body?

Sian’s mind became complex in an instant.

“Yes, so when I become an adult, I want to become a Transcendental being.”

“……!”

A Transcendental being? Sian looked at cheerful Theodore with surprise.

At that moment, a chilling energy was felt from somewhere. Feeling a chill down his neck, Sian forced a smile and asked.

“Whe… where did you hear such words?”

It was something Sian had never said before.

But how did Theodore know? Did he hear it from the imperial palace? Sian asked, feeling anxious for no reason.

“Well, that’s…”

Theodore hesitated, looking at Sian’s suddenly changed eyes.

Then, he reluctantly opened his mouth again.