Chapter 50
Just being near it was enough to feel an intense heat.
Even with magical protection, she could feel the skin on her hands burning.
“This is nothing.”
Compared to what she had endured from the evil dragon, compared to what she had endured from Regan, this was bearable.
She knew full well how dangerous this would be.
She could very well die if things went wrong.
But what she hated more than the risk of her own death was the thought of the knights who had shown her goodwill dying instead.
Ariel finally grasped the hilt of the cursed sword.
The moment she did, the sword’s magic lashed out violently.
Like a wild stallion, the sword thrashed in her grip, trying to break free.
It soared high into the air, then suddenly plunged toward the ground—as if to ask, “Can you still hold on?”
“Ugh!”
Pain shot through her shoulder as if it had dislocated, but Ariel gritted her teeth and held on.
Her small frame was tossed about as the sword pulled her in every direction.
The blade trembled fiercely, and soon a pure white light began to glow from it.
It looked as if it intended to incinerate her.
“You’re not going to get your way.”
Ariel held on tighter and began injecting her own magic into it.
Using magic was like creating a delicate dish.
If you didn’t maintain the precise temperature while baking bread, it wouldn’t rise properly.
Use the wrong ingredients, and you’d end up with something inedibly hard.
Only what was needed, in the exact amount—that was the most crucial principle of using magic.
The foreign flow of her mana seemed to throw the cursed sword into confusion.
Ariel’s power flowed along the blade.
And what happens when you just keep raising the oven’s temperature endlessly while baking?
The sword’s temperature rose—past all conceivable limits.
Sparks of white light began to fly around it.
Kiing—!
A beam of light shot out from the sword, aiming for Ariel, but she deflected it with the other sword in her hand.
“It’s not as sharp as it was before.”
It couldn’t even control its own magic now.
Ariel channeled the last of her mana into the sword.
It grew hotter and hotter and hotter.
Kiiiiing—
Someone kept turning the oven’s heat higher.
To fend off the intruder, the cursed sword began radiating its energy violently.
Magic from the sword crept up the hilt and lashed out at Ariel.
It felt like her whole body was burning.
“Fine. Let’s see who wins—me or you.”
The cursed sword and Ariel.
The magic flowing from each of them clashed in a fierce battle.
But Ariel had an exceptional gift when it came to controlling mana.
Her powerful flow overwhelmed the cursed sword’s circuits.
Like a raging intruder smashing ovens, flipping tables, and tearing through the kitchen.
KIIIIING!
At last, the cursed sword let out a shrill death cry.
A burst of white light exploded from the blade.
And then—it went limp, like a machine that had run out of power.
Ariel lifted the sword in one hand.
Now, it moved as if it were just an ordinary weapon, following her every movement.
The blade, infused with the dwarves’ masterful craftsmanship, gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight.
“Woooaaaahhh!”
A thunderous cheer erupted around her.
“What in the world just happened, miss?!”
“You broke its magic circuit, didn’t you? I mean, theoretically, that’s possible, but I didn’t think it could really be done like that!”
“Just how skilled are you with magic?!”
“Please teach me too!”
The knights, too excited to care about formalities, rushed toward her.
Normally they would have kept a respectful distance due to her status, but not today.
“I was already impressed that you could go toe-to-toe with the sword at all—I’m honestly in awe. Could you teach me too, later?”
“Like you’d even understand! Miss! Teach me instead of this guy!”
As the bombardment of admiration overwhelmed her, Ariel looked around with confused eyes.
She glanced toward Swell as if asking for help, but instead, he looked at her with admiration.
“You were amazing, my lady.”
She was a little embarrassed—but the compliments didn’t feel bad.
“I’m just glad everyone’s okay.”
When Ariel smiled brightly, the knights clenched their fists in joy.
But her appearance was far from good.
Her whole body was drenched in sweat from the heat, and the sleeve of the arm holding the sword had been burned to shreds.
“To think she’d protect us to the point of ending up like that…”
“She’s still so young, yet she risked herself for us!”
“That heart! That talent! She truly deserves to lead us!”
“Loyalty! Loyalty!”
While the knights were marveling internally, Hutan dismounted from Swell’s back and approached Ariel.
“Thank you. Truly, thank you. You’re the savior of our tribe.”
His eyes shimmered with tears, perhaps recalling old memories.
“I thought we’d die like this. I thought the gods had abandoned the Black Wheel Dwarves.”
He slowly bowed.
“On behalf of my people, I thank you. We pledge loyalty to you and will recognize your house as friends of our Black Wheel Dwarven tribe.”
Ariel took his hand and smiled.
“I told you I’d help, didn’t I?”
Later…
The moment Ariel brought the dwarves to House Clasta, the entire household fell into chaos.
Dwarves were known to avoid humans and, if encountered, to be prickly and uncooperative.
To think that she had convinced them and brought them here!
Countless gold coins had been exchanged for weapons made by dwarves.
They were practically walking gold mines.
The administrators squealed in joy, already imagining the profits from selling the dwarves’ weapons.
And naturally, the house’s military power would grow immensely too.
A whole annex on the estate was assigned to the dwarves.
For now, their priority was recovering their health.
In the meantime, plans were underway to build the forge of their dreams.
“Write down anything you need,” Ariel said.
The dwarves’ eyes sparkled.
“Really? Then first, we need a 100-year-old birch tree! You can’t get proper heat in the forge without it!”
“Prepare the best soil, too! No, not from the east—get it from the southern mountains! What? It’s twice the price? Who cares!”
“Then I need top-quality iron from the Benas region! It’s essential for making proper blades!”
After pouring all their materials into the cursed sword, the dwarves had lived in poverty for a long time.
Now that they were promised unlimited support, their suppressed craftsmanship erupted.
Even while eating gruel in bed, they listed off materials with fervor—bringing tears to the eyes of the administrators in charge of the budget.
“Ugh… the money…”
“The budget is melting like snow…”
“It’s a good thing we were able to sell Vectol powder thanks to the young miss. Otherwise, this year’s budget would have been a disaster.”
Ariel’s aide, Orwell, looked over the growing list and made a vow.
“My lady, I’ll work them like mad until they pay back ten times what we spent.”
From that day on, Orwell and the administrators gave special attention to the dwarves’ health—intent on getting them working again as soon as possible.
Ariel stood before Duke Clasta with her arms folded.
She gave an awkward smile, prompting the Duke to smile back unconsciously before quickly putting on a stern face again.
“You don’t get a pass just because you’re cute, you know.”
“……”
She hadn’t even done anything yet.
“I told you not to do dangerous things. And you grabbed a beam-shooting sword by yourself?”
“But if I hadn’t, people might’ve gotten seriously hurt.”
“I still want you to be safe. I was so shocked when I heard what happened.”
The Duke sighed and retrieved some medicine.
Then he sat on the sofa and patted his lap.
Ariel walked over and sat on his knee. Gently, he applied ointment to her burned palm.
Seeing the scar left behind broke his heart.
“But because I got a little hurt, I was able to bring the dwarves back safely. So that’s a win.”
Maybe it was the long years of abuse.
His daughter sometimes acted like her body didn’t matter at all.
Most noble children would’ve run away first to avoid injury.
“What made her like this… so desperate to protect others…”
It hadn’t been that long since he’d vowed to protect her—yet here she was, hurt again.
Ariel’s red eyes glanced at him, watching his face anxiously.
She looked like she was worried she’d done something wrong again.
“This is the father speaking, but…”
The Duke closed the medicine jar and brightened his tone.
“Well done. I sent you to fight monsters, and you came back with gold.”
When he ruffled her blue hair, Ariel beamed.
“Thanks to you, I’m getting praised nonstop these days. Everyone’s asking me where I found someone like you.”
“Really?”
“Really. The knights are calling you a genius, and the administrators are all stunned. They say they’re lucky to have you here.”
With Ariel in his arms, the Duke headed toward the dining room.
A grand feast awaited.
“Wow…”
Ariel gasped, and the Duke tugged at her cheek with a smile.
“I was wondering what would make my daughter happiest, and then I remembered that chef from the capital—the one from the restaurant you loved.”
A chef dressed in white gave Ariel a respectful bow.
She remembered him—she’d gone back to that restaurant three times because the food was so good.
“I brought him here,” the Duke said proudly.
Ariel ate with glee.
The Duke barely touched his own food, focusing instead on helping her eat.
Using a magic-infused knife, he neatly split open a hard crab shell.
It was an impressive move—the knights would’ve given a standing ovation.
He placed the meat in front of her.
“Is it good?”
When Ariel nodded enthusiastically, a pleased smile spread across the Duke’s face.
It had cost a fortune to close down the chef’s successful restaurant and bring him here.
But seeing her this happy, none of it felt like a waste.
“Try this too.”
He pushed a fried chicken dish toward her.
The moment she bit in, a burst of juicy, savory flavor filled her mouth. The crispy, golden batter was perfection.
As Ariel enjoyed the meal with a blissful expression—
Suddenly, a sharp pain flared up inside her mouth.
“Ah!”
