Walking through the streets of Asgard at night, it was even livelier than during the day.
Cecia strolled along the street. With one silver coin and five copper coins remaining in her pocket, she planned to indulge in a satisfying feast to celebrate successfully joining the Black Iron and Earth Artisans Association.
Where should she eat?
Wandering aimlessly through the streets of another world, Cecia suddenly noticed a brightly lit place packed with an unusually heavy crowd.
Of course!
It was the beloved Adventurer's Guild tavern. As the continent's vanguard against the Abyss, this organization enjoyed preferential treatment from every nation, and thanks to its robust logistics system, it had managed to drive food prices way down.
Not only was the food here delicious and inexpensive, but they also occasionally sold goods from other countries.
Furthermore, a large number of adventurers gathered in this place, making the safety factor exceptionally high.
Cecia decided to go inside and buy something to eat.
The moment she stepped through the door, the aroma of baked apple pie and sweet ale greeted her. Townspeople and adventurers chatted with one another, while children, having cleared out the desserts, gathered around a bard, begging for a story.
The red-haired bard turned no one away, plucking the strings of his lute as he recounted tales of the Shadow of the Sun and the Abyss Church.
The bard was far too eye-catching—fiery red hair, with burn scars on his face that looked like roses tattooed onto his skin.
Gorgeous and striking.
Cecia didn't linger on him, pushing her way through the crowd to the counter to order a steak and honey water. Choosing a spot not too far from the bard, she listened to the story while enjoying her dinner.
Voices drifted smoothly into her ears.
The bard plucked his lute, and the story slowly unfurled.
“Back then, the Shadow of the Sun went by a far more widely known name: the 'False God of the Cinder Sun.' Born from the burning ashes and shadow of the sun, He was nevertheless not a true deity.”
“He was the sun's proudest creation, loved by the sun just as a bird cherishes its own feathers.”
“He walked upon the earth, often using Himself to set off the brightness of the light. He also bestowed blessings upon the people, helping them dispel evil spirits.”
“Yet above His head, the sun always loomed, and behind Him, a shadow always lingered.”
“He went to question His mother, 'Mother, why is it that even you cannot dispel my shadow?'”
The bard's music swelled, striking like sudden thunder.
“The sun remained silent and said nothing. And so, the 'False God of the Cinder Sun' spent an entire era learning to embrace His shadow. He reached out toward His shadow, and the shadow reached toward Him, intertwining with one another. At last, He became the 'Shadow of the Sun,' attaining legendary godhood.”
“Thus, the Shadow of the Sun, appearing as something murky and obscure, drew mutual attraction with the Abyss, eventually becoming consumed by Abyss Erosion...”
...
Cecia quickly finished everything on her plate. It was rare for the server to see a young lady as adorable as Cecia, so they gifted her a glass of apple cider.
At that moment, the bard began soliciting tips, and a few copper coins fell sparsely into the inverted hat placed before him.
Meanwhile, Cecia was weighing whether or not to drink this glass of apple cider. After all, alcohol was bad for one's health! Although apple cider had a very low alcohol content, what if it stunted her growth?
Right then, Cecia noticed someone staring at her. Turning her head, she saw it was the fiery red-haired bard.
Turns out he wasn't staring at her, but at the cider in her glass.
Cecia simply offered the drink to him as a gift for the storytelling. After all, knowledge of lore and books was extraordinarily precious in this world.
“Thank you, young lady. The fine drink you bestowed is more precious than gold coins.” The bard happily drank it down, looking as though he hadn't tasted alcohol in a very long time.
A single glass of cider was enough to leave him swaying on unsteady feet.
Cecia wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
She only knew it was time to leave. Well fed and thoroughly satisfied~
The bard smiled, a faint curl at the corners of his lips. A girl with golden pupils? How interesting.
Late at night, Cecia lay in bed, lost in thought.
So much had happened today.
She massaged her aching arms, but things were definitely getting better day by day.
At least she was a regular employee of the Artisans Association now rather than an apprentice. Having the ability to earn money was a good thing, after all.
It was just a bit exhausting.
Forging drained Cecia's mental power far too much.
Early the next morning, Cecia went to report for duty at the Black Iron and Earth Artisans Association.
Her first day's task was to forge five daggers, with the requirement that the quality be no lower than yesterday's finished piece, and to begin attempting enchantments.
Cecia picked up the iron hammer, swinging it with formidable wind.
【Fireball +143】
【Forging Exp +150】
【Acquired Skill: Enchantment】
【Enchantment +80】
The weekend passed quickly.
Cecia had to go to the magic academy for classes.
Early morning.
Sunlight fell upon Cecia's fair thighs, and she woke up naturally.
Kicking off the blanket, she turned and got out of bed.
Time to prepare breakfast.
No baked potatoes today. Having earned some money at the forging association, Cecia planned to improve her quality of life a bit.
She would eat roasted sweet potatoes.
With a bite of sweet potato followed by a sip of water, Cecia's cheeks puffed out fully.
The taste of roasted sweet potatoes was on par with baked potatoes. Though if there were salt, baked potatoes would probably taste better.
After breakfast, Cecia changed into the academy uniform and adjusted her appearance before the mirror.
With gray hair and gray eyes, Cecia was undoubtedly pretty. It was just that her slender wrists looked as though they could easily break, making it hard to imagine how she managed to swing a blacksmith's hammer.
Then, three loud, rhythmic knocks echoed from outside the door.
Opening the door—
Whoa!
Cecia was startled.
It was Miss Scarlett from the Roland family.
The morning sun shining on her shoulders made her look exceptionally radiant.
Because she was going to school, Miss Scarlett was also wearing the academy uniform today.
The Roland family carriage was parked in front of Cecia's house, and Scarlett smiled sweetly.
Cecia couldn't help but recall the original owner's memories. It seemed that on days when Cecia didn't go herding sheep, the two of them always went to school together like this.
Boarding the carriage, the driver nodded politely in greeting.
Leaning against the soft sofa, Cecia dazed off for a moment, then hastily sat up straight to keep herself from sinking in.
The carriage swayed, horse hooves clattering clip-clop, clip-clop.
Only Scarlett seemed very nervous.
Cecia asked curiously, “Miss Scarlett, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Scarlett shook her head hurriedly, her hands gripping her skirt tightly.
“No, it's just that an older student was very mean to me before. She kept saying things like, 'If it weren't for you nobles, my father wouldn't have died.'”
Cecia felt a bit awkward. The original owner's father had indeed been oppressed by the nobles of Asgard and died in the mine shaft, and later her mother couldn't bear the pressure and committed suicide as well.
What could a twelve-year-old girl possibly know?
Just surviving was difficult enough for her.
Rate on N.U.
