Chapter 8: Debt
Master Bron found out what happened to his boat, but since I fixed it he forgave me. I've been working extra hard to pay Rumari back. I heard the money she lent me was for her wedding and honey moon expenses and I feel terrible taking it. I'll work hard and pay her back as fast as humanly possible, for a human of my less than great skill.
In an attempt to find a quick yet legal money maker, I tried combining different weapons. Master Bron saw my poorly drawn sketch of an axe-sword, with the handle of an axe and two sword blades were the axe blades would have been. He told me not to get strange ideas because "even skilled people would hurt themselves if they try to wield something like that," which I'm sure meant that someone of my level could get herself killed with it.
I scrapped the idea of an axe-sword, but I didn't give up on the combinations. Instead I put together a spear and a drill and dumbly laughed at my own messy sketch as if I was subconsciously catching some kind of hidden irony. The pencil drawing with its crooked lines would make an artist cry.
Then I realized what the hidden irony was and I laughed again, this time at myself. Rumari's brother, Ureksa of Jade, used spears, as did Rumari. I, a craft knight lacking skill, used drills, because I can make some pretty decent engines even if I'm terrible at shaping metal with a hammer.
The art of forging still escapes me and my skill is still on apprentice level even if by now I should be an expert after all this time, but I guess I reached my limit. Instead I focus on the drills, on the engines to be specific.
Even if I knew it was a waste of materials, on a whim, I crafted the strange cross between drill and spear, the long handle of a spear, very poorly crafted and bent, crowned with a triangular spiral of messy metal that hid a good engine within.
I was so focused on my little deformed monster of a weapon that I didn't notice Master Ureksa of all people peeking over my shoulder, and I completely froze when I finally did. "You've been writing to Rumari, right?"
I nod and push a reply out my throat, "yes." I try to think of Sakuro, a platonic ex-crush to distract me from a current platonic crush.
"I'm glad you wrote to her about waiting," I honestly had no idea what Master Ureksa was talking about at the time, and it would not be until much later when I came to the realization that he was talking about Rumari's wedding to Master Tyram.
Rumari must have thought it would upset her brother if she said she lend away her wedding money and that's why she couldn't get married, so instead she was pretending to give the wedding some more thought and wait a little longer. I'm not sure if Tyram knew or not, but the thought of causing trouble for Rumari who had showed me such kindness bothered me greatly.
Truth be told, I don't care about strangers. Unlike a hero, I can see disaster and walk by nonchalantly, even if I actually had the skills to do something. I like helping my friends, the people with whom I know I can count should I ever need anything, but I do not like helping those who can't help themselves. I'm a selfish girl, but I'm generous and helpful in the eyes of my friends, the people whom I dim as reliable and able to help me if I'm ever in a jam. Even if I never ask for their help, knowing that I can makes me feel that the favor wasn't wasted.
Rumari is different; she is truly kind without exception. Razzy isn't as picky as I am making friends, and Kenon is very honorable. Cleru and Pratty, the twin craft lords of Iron are the basic living definition of heroes; they care about others asking for nothing in return and cannot overlook other people's needs. Varil... well he's a bit prideful but a good guy.
Here I am pathetically wallowing in self pity about how I'm not the nicest person in the world, and how I always have some kind of secondary interest in mind, even when I hope I never find myself in the necessity to collect; and I'm not really listening to Ureksa. I only caught the basic idea of the conversation, something along the lines of Rumari enjoying getting letters from me even if my grammar and spelling are terrible.
I think Rumari is amused figuring out what I'm trying to say and entertained when she finally does. Though my life is mostly dull, I like to retell the rare fun moments and I thought sending only the envelope with the money would be a little rude to someone to whom I owe such gratitude, so I wrapped it with a letter. My guess is that Ureksa has only seen the letters and not the money.
Everyone knows that the three of them, Ureksa, Rumari and Tyram, promised to always be together, but I think Ureksa is feeling too much like the third wheel and might be worried about being left out if Rumari and Tyram get married. I'm so lost in thought, my heart beating wildly and my head in the clouds filled with delusions that I know are delusions, that I'm not even sure for how long Ureksa has been quiet and I've been doing nothing to break the awkward silence.
"Um... I like writing to Rumari... she has interesting stories to tell..." I manage to choke out a few words in the stupidest tone of all, and I wonder why Master Ureksa is still standing there instead of just ignoring the silly girl who can't find her voice and leaving.
He merely nods to acknowledge my words as he is curiously examining the cross between drill and spear I was working on, and I wonder if he's horrified by the marred weapon. "That's never worked before," he picks up the spear-drill and tests its weight, it is relatively light, a whole lot lighter than his spear I'm sure, and I know the durability is quite low. Suddenly, I feel like an idiot for wasting materials on that spear-drill, and even more like an idiot for letting Ureksa see it.
I know of no other place besides my workshop where I could have forged this hybrid weapon that I shouldn't have forged at all, but I certainly did it at the wrong time. Wrong time, wrong weapon...
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I do not own Summon Night: A Swordcraft Story.
