In a village, where many farmers were placing some seeds into the ground as well as some plants as an elderly man with a long white beard in a white kimono and a straw hat stops and looks around. "Ignacia Village." He said before sighing in relief, not tired from walking, presumably from a long distance. "I hope they have what I came for." He soon resumed walking into the village as a clanging noise was heard.
In a shop, a mallet lands on some extremely hot metal before it raises up, revealing to belong to a young man with brown hair. He had black gloves and goggles on. As well as a brown apron over a white long sleeve shirt, red pants and black boots. His clothes were drenched in sweat as he slams the mallet on the metal again, revealing that he is making a sword as a middle aged man, wearing a grey shirt, blue jeans and black boots as well as a green apron looked on. "To forge the perfect weapon, you need the right metal and plenty of heat." The young man said to himself before putting the metal into a big tub of water, with steam coming out before bringing it out, revealing a perfectly sharp blade. "Cool it off and, there you go." The young man grabs a gold and black handle before splitting it open and puts the bottom end of the blade in between the split open parts of the handle before sealing it and wraps some black cloth around the handle before tying it tight and looks at the now complete wakizashi. "A complete sword." He soon wipes sweat off his forehead before swinging the sword around a bit and places it on a nearby weapon rack while removing his goggles.
"Interesting craftsmanship, Kai." The man said as he came up to him. "Your father would be proud."
"Thank you, Mr. Debitum." Kai soon swings the newly-made sword around. "I still wonder if I'll ever become a full-fledged blacksmith, maybe even better than my dad."
"I told you before to call me James. Anyway, that's what I wondered when your father was teaching me. I still remember what he taught me when I was your age: 'No matter how much fire you have, experience isn't something you learn overnight'." Pretty soon, the old man comes in, holding a walking stick. "Kai."
"May I help you?" Kai came up to the old man.
"Just a little look around." The old man said, browsing around the shop, seeing katanas, wakizashis, tantos, spears, kamas and samurai armour. He briefly holds the recently made sword before putting it back and turned around to Kai, clicking his tongue. "All tools for a samurai, but nothing for a ninja?"
"Ninja?" He laughs a little. "I'm afraid you're a long way from finding a ninja in these parts, old man. So, what are you interested in instead? Some armour, some kamas?"
"Not really, I thought I'd find something special here. Have a nice evening, both of you." The old man soon leaves.
"Don't you think that was a little harsh what you said to him?" James asked.
"Maybe." Kai replied, before checking a nearby clock and removed his apron, goggles and gloves. "Well, I'm going home."
"Okay, see you tomorrow." James took the gloves, goggles and apron. "Oh, by the way, Mr. Stein's sword has just been completed. Could you deliver it to him?"
"Of course." James hands Kai a package and he takes it.
Kai started to walk away with the package. "And tell your sister that I said 'Hello'."
Kai walked along the village, hands in his pocket as he was still drenched in his own sweat, rubbing his hair while passing by a woman and her child. "Hi, Kai." She said.
"Hey, Mrs Johnstone." Kai replied as he kept walking along, waving to a couple of kids, who wave back. "Be back home before dinner time, you two." He turned to them.
"We will, Kai." The kids reply.
As Kai turned back, a young man, wearing a black cloak and hood bumps into him, making him drop the package and stop. "Oh, sorry about that." The cloaked man said as he picked up the package and held it for Kai to take it before soon walking away.
"Must be another passerby." He soon shrugged his shoulders before he resumes walking.
Kai immediately stopped as he quickly turned to see a statue of a middle aged man at the edge of the path. The writing on it reads 'In honour of Raymond Asher, Ignacia's best blacksmith. Presumed dead following his and his wife, Maya's disappearance.'
"I'll be better than you one day, dad. I promise you that, if you were here today." He soon kept going until he came up to a nearby hut and knocked on the door.
The door opened, revealing a young man. "Ah, Kai, is that my sword?" He asked.
"Yep, it is." Kai hands Mr. Stein the package. He opens it and sighs, in happiness.
"Do pass my compliments on to James, Kai."
"I shall." He soon resumed walking until he sees a young man moving away from another hut, head down. "Clive, I hope you're not flirting with Nya again."
"I promise, I'm not." Clive said as he passed by, head immediately held high and hands raised. "I may be the village's sheriff, but I'm not much of a ladies' man."
Kai soon heads inside the hut. "More like a pervert."
Inside the hut, a young woman, wearing a red yukata is cooking some rice as Kai comes in, relieved. "Hey, Kai." She said. "I'm making our favourite."
"Good, Nya." Kai replied as he removed his boots. "I'm gonna have a bath and then we'll eat."
"Okay." Kai heads down the hallway. "By the way, when are you ever gonna let me work at the blacksmith shop?"
"I just don't think it's the right thing for you. Besides, experience isn't something you learn overnight."
"Okay, then." Nya soon looks at a photo of a young couple as well as a young Kai and an infant Nya.
In the bathroom, the bathtub is being filled with hot water as Kai, naked looks in the mirror, splashing some cold water on his face and suddenly, he sees the old man from today. He quickly turned, only to see he is not there before looking back at the mirror to see the reflection gone. "Such a stressful day." He said before turning to the bathtub, turns the faucet off, gets in and lies back, sighing as he did so. "Who is that old man? And why is he in my head?"
Outside, the cloaked figure is watching the hut from a tree before the old man appears underneath it. He immediately turned, only to see the cloaked figure was gone. "Are you sure he's ready?" Someone called out as the old man saw it was James.
"He has no idea what he is capable of, Mr. Debitum." The old man replied as he got out a kettle, filled with tea and two cups from his beard and pours some tea in the cups, handing one to James before they both drink them. "Ah, HumiliTea."
