CHAPTER 90: BLACKSMITH SHOP [2]

"Damn, I feel like my lifespan has been halved..." Matt muttered, releasing his grip on his stomach.

"And who came up with that ridiculous idea in the first place?"

Matt chuckled lightly, his gaze drifting to Kai. "Yeah, sorry about that. I couldn’t come up with anything better."

Reozaki cleared his throat. "You two are pathetic. This proves your muscles are underdeveloped. Now give me five hundred pushups."

Matt and Kai looked at him, then they all chuckled, before their expression turned dark.

As if sharing the same thoughts, they all muttered simultaneously. "I’m never having Professor Simba’s class again."

Kai glanced at the two, then moved a step forward. "Well, see you guys later," he said, waving his hand.

Matt grabbed him by the collar from behind. "Hey, where do you think you’re going?"

"Hmm..." Kai tilted his head slightly.

Matt frowned. "You’re heading to the blacksmith, aren’t you?"

Reozaki raised a brow. "The blacksmith?"

Kai had originally intended to take Matt along, but since he wasn’t sure Professor Simba wouldn’t notice their absence, he had to leave one person behind.

And it wasn’t as though he intended to make Matt miss the opportunity to enhance the efficiency of Bland Vales.

Still, he had to go alone, at least today.

"Yes, I’m going to the blacksmith, but I’m not even sure I’ll find him." He continued with the most convincing expression he could muster. "To be completely honest, I’m not even sure the man is in this city."

Matt stared at Kai, unflinching, and Kai could tell from his expression that his friend didn’t believe a single word he said.

He sighed. "Okay, I might know where he is..." He paused for a moment, then continued. "But that doesn’t mean all three of us should leave the inn."

Matt turned to Reozaki, who wore a detached expression. "Three? Reozaki never said he wanted to go."

’Dumbass.’ Kai thought.

Kai couldn’t exactly blame Matt for assuming Reozaki didn’t want to tag along.

He always wore that serious expression. But as the person who created his character, Kai knew better.

An extrovert who sulks when left out, the shy kid hiding behind an air of indifference.

Still, that wasn’t Kai’s concern, not unless Matt kept insisting on tagging along.

’One thing is dragging Matt, but dragging a tsundere guy who needs a spokesperson is another issue entirely.’

Kai rubbed his temples. ’Whatever,’ he mused, giving up entirely on shaking the two off.

"We have to move quickly," he pointed out.

Matt smirked broadly. "See, you’re actually soft Kai."

"Hey, no touching," Kai fidgeted slightly, trying to shrug Matt’s hand off.

"Don’t make it sound like I’m doing something inappropriate." As Matt continued trying to place his arm on Kai, Reozaki, who was leaning against the wall, spoke up.

"I never said I wanted to come," he said, clicking his tongue.

Matt and Kai both turned to him with deadpan expressions, thinking the same thing. ’He’s like a girl denying her feelings.’

Reozaki sighed. "Since you two clearly need me, it would be rude not to go."

Matt nodded. "Then let’s go before Professor Simba starts searching for us."

***

The group left the inn rather easily. After that, they made their way through the crowded markets and streets.

Bustling merchants and flying carriages made the street feel bizarre to every single one of them, not just Kai.

After about thirty minutes of travel, they finally reached the street where the blacksmith was supposed to be, but Kai’s unease only intensified the longer they remained outside.

Perhaps it was due to his past experiences with teachers in his previous life... Maybe it was PTSD, or something of that nature, but aside from Neko-sensei, he still found it stressful and draining to go against instructors.

The three of them were dressed in cloaks that concealed their combat suits.

The reason they wore them was in case of a surprise attack. No matter how strong they were, they were still inexperienced cadets who knew little to nothing about actual warfare and combat.

Kai led the group while Matt and Reozaki stayed close to him as they passed through an alley that reeked of filth.

Beggars lined the path like merchants selling wares; some were drinking from a water source that Kai could barely identify by its color.

It wasn’t a condition meant for human life.

Matt had been grinding his teeth since they entered that particular street, but there was nothing Kai could say to him. Nor could he speak about the unfairness of society, since the royal family couldn’t exactly be everywhere at once.

He shook off both the thoughts, and Matt’s reaction, then moved from the narrow alleyway into another. This one, in particular, had no visible exit and instead ended in a large wall.

Reozaki stepped closer to Kai as soon as they came to a stop in front of the alley. "So, did you get us lost?"

Kai glanced at him, then back at the wall. "No, we’re in the right place."

The problem was, Kai had completely forgotten the entrance passcode.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to recollect his memories.

Seeing no point in wasting time, he called up his system and began searching through the Chapters of his novel.

Reozaki and Matt — who was still irritated, stood there staring at him. They knew he was using his system window, but didn’t know the reason why.

Matt’s gaze narrowed. ’What exactly is Kai doing with his stats? How did he even know his way around here to begin with?’

Matt had been doing his best not to be suspicious of his friend.

But maybe it was because he knew Kai too well, or because his mind was currently unstable.

Still... For the first time in a while, he began using his brain at full capacity.

The first time he’d had doubts was after Kai fought with him, when Cordelia had been kidnapped.

At that time, Matt had realized their relationship wasn’t just friendship, because unlike him, many nobles never spoke with commoners.

However, after only a week of meeting Cordelia, he and she had become best friends.

None of it made sense to him.

And combined with the fight where Kai had crashed out at him for a girl he’d known for exactly the same amount of time, it remained beyond his understanding.

At first, he’d thought it might be love at first sight. But after observing the relationship between the two, he quickly realized they weren’t in that sort of relationship.

Not only that, but Kai knew everything about Deerheart’s attack, even more than Princess Frieren, who was a seer, and it didn’t just add up to him.

Kai was like a best friend to him, so he had tried not to pry into his intentions...

But, it was also precisely because of that friendship that he wanted to understand.

Matt moved his hand to ask Kai a question, but almost immediately, a voice rang out.

"Hey! Who the hell is trespassing on my property?!"