The one standing in the doorway is the last person he wants to meet that morning. In his fear, Yuuto swiftly straightened his back. His gaze moves to the doorway. There he sees it the source of his unexplained fear, his teacher just standing there menacingly. He wore an armor-like clothing, while his head was covered by a helmet with three vertical lines serving as hole for him to see. As if he was a walking furnace, quite befitting as he is a blacksmith. even while sleeping he never took his armor off. it became one of the mysteries of their town. what is he trully like under that armor.

"te-teacher good morning." he said, with his tone ever slightly going high.

he approached yuuto and nodded at alice. at the moment, he pulled a large paper and swiftly write

[Hello, young lady. can I talk with Yuuto for a moment]

apart from not changing his very ‘unique’ attire. He also doesn't talk rather write his thoughts on paper. Yuuto is curious in why his teacher doesn't want to learn hand signs as it is much easier than writing a paper. With his request, Alice moved towards that daggers section. shen sends that it must be important that she even needed not hear it.

“He-hello teacher, what do you want to talk about?” he asked, performing his best smile. Inside his mind though, he is currently panicking ‘I think he already knows about yesterday… I think I'm going to die today.’

[I need you to pack your things]

After reading what was on the paper, Yuuto paled. He felt like his stomach had been crunched and the world around broke down.

‘Is he really mad about yesterday?’ he grimaced.

he quickly bowed in front, even hitting his forehead at the table. Yuuto didn't know about that pain. He needs to ask for his teacher forgiveness or else he is truly throwing him out.

“Please forgive me!” he shouted “I’m sorry for being lost in the dungeon yesterday. Please don't throw me out, I will do anything you ask and won't complain anymore” he added.

He planned that if his teacher didn't accept his apology he would repeat again and again until he accepted it. Even though he spent all time doing it, until his teacher forgive he wont stop. unlike what he expects his teacher to write something far off.

[what are you saying] he titled his head. [I’m just giving you a chance to to see the world and learn the thing you won't if you stay in this town for all your life]

“eh?”

No, he didn't expect this kind of development, he was more expecting like ‘because you disobey me again I will kick you out’ or ‘since I don't need you any more I will kick you’ but this, the words he read from his teacher is the least that he can expect for his teacher to do.

He shakes him and regains his calm.

“To learn new things? But isn't that your rolem you're my teacher right?” he asked.

[yes, I am but things right now I couldn't teach you all the things. You need to learn the world around you. Besides, by going out of town you could learn more than what I can teach and maybe you can learn techniques that far surpassed me.]

Yuuto understood what his teacher saring, but he couldnt put his head around it. He wants him to learn things, but why say this now and abruptly at it. He can warn him early, can't it?. Though from his words, Isolation can truly just hinders his growth. By going beyond the safety of their town he could open his eyes to new possibilities. To say the least, Yuuto is actually excited about the idea.

thinkin about it, Yuuto unciosly put his hands under his chin.

His teacher pulled out another paper [if you are still worrying about it, think it like a mission from me]

seeing that he got his student’s attention, he quickly continued writing.

[You need to forge five weapons that far surpasses anything that a master blacksmith can do.]

he sweatdropped from what he read from that paper. ‘Far surpasses that anything that a blacksmith can do’ in his current abilities it will take him forever. contemplating that this task may be toward him, he looked at his teacher. then, reminiscing about the first time he witnessed his teacher making a weapon.

the dancing red-fire continuously waking from left to right, and the sound of the hammer had etched in his mind. The process of making weapons and the beauty of it that can be employed in people encroached him to become a blacksmith. stelling his mind, he accepted his teacher’s words. Well, who doesn't like challenges?

“Fine, I’ll do it” he reluctantly said, though you can see from his face that he let out a small smile.

But even accepting it, Yuuto still feels hurt as he is going to part with whom he spent all this year with. Maybe the fact that he issued a challenge to him is the way he considered the time between.

‘That is just like a teacher’ he said happily in his mind.

He pulled a pouch of a bag and put it in front of Yuuto. He opened the bag and found several coins inside of it and even a gold coin. He didn't even bother to count and swiftly looked at his teacher, still standing in front of him.

‘Is this the reason he was not here yesterday?’ he asked in his mind.

[That maybe not enough to cover your travel expenses and food, but I think as soon you became adventurer you will gain money]

He looked straight at his teacher ‘he really thought about me, huh’ a small smile crept in his face. Though he found something rather weird from what he wrote, especially from the last part, he just shrugged it off though as he is too happy about what he received.

“But are you sure that this money is sort of...large?”

[think of it as an investment for you to become an adv blacksmith]

He felt happy as his teacher put great trust in him. After writing what he wants to say to him, he moves to the back door. Yuuto without even asking his teacher to understand what he is going to do, he is probably going to his bed.

Seeing that the peculiar man that Yuuto called his "teacher" left, she walked back to Yuuto.

"So what did your teacher say to you? "

"apparently I need to create a masterpiece weapons that far surpasses what any master Smiths can do"

"eh?!" her Jaws dropped, shocked at what she heard right. Before she can regain his calm. Yuuto drop another bombshell "and I need to explore this continent"

She could only remain, agaped from what this person said to her. 'Create a masterpiece weapons' and 'explore the continent' are challenges that are somewhat out of the league of Yuuto. Alice without even asking could see him as just a person that is not capable of exploring this continent, even in the dungeon he lost already and what about this continent. Create a masterpiece weapon, she couldn't see Yuuto as someone who could, yes he could probably make weapons that are good but as masterpieces. No, she has a hard time believing it, but Yuuto's face is not suitable for being a blacksmith. He is probably much more compatible in being an adventurer. Alice just sighs at his thoughts.

"I don't know what to say… " she murmured.

"yeah… "

"Do you still need help in choosing daggers? " he asked.

"Yeah," she replied. Though her face shows different emotions. Her thoughts are still with the fact that this person that she saved and probably the same age as her is going to explore this continent. No matter what she said to herself that he can do it, Alice cannot accept it. She felt at her heart that Yuuto would do reckless things that could endanger his own life. Alice wouldn't want that to happen, and with him being in her grapes to help she would keep him safe.

"Do you want me to accompany you? "

"Alice…" he stopped for a moment "are you sure about what you are saying? "

"Do you doubt me? "

He shook his head "No, but how long are you going to accompany me?" Being with someone who had experience in travelling will greatly help and with her being an adventurer Yuuto could surely elearn from her. But how long will she stay with him?

"Hmmm… Since you are going to explore this continent I think when until we reach the holy kingdom"

"Thank you, for a person as dependable and beautiful as you. I think I'm feeling pretty lucky in meeting you" he smiled at him.

"don't worry about it" she waved her hands "I think you still need to help me to find daggers"

They both proceeded to look for more quality daggers.

'What are you doing? Why are you feeling like this? ' she scolded herself. Even with her outward bold declaration, Alice is in truth very nervous. This is her first time to invite someone. Apart from it, her heart skipped upon hearing what Yuuto had said to her. She always hears compliments directed at her that she almost gives up on hearing them. But Yuuto had a different aura to him when he said those words, that Alice felt something different.

It was early morning, the day where Yuuto and Alice are scheduled to depart the town. He is waiting at the fountain, the place of their rendezvous being in the center of the town people are able to meet there easily.

'I think I arrived at here early'

Just after waiting for a few minutes Alice arrives.

Alice was wearing her neutral clothes, similar to what he saw yesterday except this time there is a dagger dangling in her waist and a maroon overcoat. On the other hand Yuuto wore simple grayish clothes with sleeves, pants, boots, and a shortsword. Additionally in his back is a large bag and a small rectangular one in his waist, probably for potions.

"Let's go," Yuuto said.

With both of them together, they began their journey out of the gates. That is the new day for Yuuto.