The Master of Uradan - Chapter 141

“Rohan! What a surprise!” Delia, seeing his friend back from the Barren Lands, quickly got up to hug him. He stopped half a meter away though, as he glanced with critical eyes the clothes of the young warrior.

A strange robe wrapped his body, which was probably supposed to be gray at some point with countless scratches on it, as well as so much dirt on it he believed Rohan had been buried alive not long ago.

*cough*

“Is it a habit you have to always look like a beggar? Or do you love living inside a forest that much? Anyway, come sit down!” Delia stepped back and sat down on his sofa, signaling Rohan to sit down in front of him.

Rohan couldn’t help but smile when he saw this man with his golden clothes reflecting all the light and his big smile.

The man who had helped him at the entrance of the city was one of the men working for Delia. He wasn’t expecting to cross the path with Rohan, but since he had easily recognized him, he had guided him until the mansion of the viscount Noir.

“It’s quite a long time ago since you left the city, I’m sure there are a lot of things you want to know! You’re lucky to see me here since I came back two days ago from a trip, great isn’t it? This trip I made was toward the north to sell…”

Rohan’s smile faded away almost instantly. He was happy to see this man once again, but he hadn’t missed his talkative manner. While Rohan was wondering if Delia didn’t have any other friends and this was the reason he talked to him too much, the excited man suddenly changed the subject.

“Since you only came back today, you probably don’t know about it, so let me be direct.” His jovial tone became serious. “You are searched by everyone, Rohan. And you are far from being safe here.”

“Why that? Plus there’s only a rank 5 Beginner Warrior here, I doubt he can do anything.” Rohan didn’t hide his strength in front of Delia, there wasn’t any reason to do so anyway.

Delia waved his hand. “That was before, now there’s an Intermediate Warrior stationed here in case you come back. He is named…”

Before Delia could continue to talk about the whole warrior’s family, Rohan cut him and directly asked another question.

“Why am I being searched? I heard that Prasthana is also looking for me.” He really couldn’t understand. There was maybe a reason to catch him after the war for punishing all the nobles from participating, but it was now a couple of years ago and he was pretty much a nobody.

“You remember Jared?” Instead of answering, Delia asked him another question.

“No. Who?”

“The damn wizard you killed! Can’t you at least remember his name?” Delia rolled his eyes, this young man really had a problem. “His teacher isn’t happy about it, and since you killed one of his apprentices along with Matthew, you are both to be arrested at sight. You know Matthew right?”

He could only look suspiciously at Rohan. Maybe it was already a miracle that he could remember his own name.

Only then Rohan widened his eyes of disbelief. The name indeed seemed to be a lingering memory, and it also reminded him that it was because of his own words that Matthew was suspected to have killed Jared with him.

“How is Matthew? He is still working for the daughter of a viscount, he can’t be under arrest this easily, right?” This man had left a great impression on him. He was fighting like a demon, discarding all injuries to kill his opponents, while acting like a cute puppy in front of his mistress.

Although Rohan didn’t have the best conscience in the world, he didn’t want someone he knew to pay for him.

“Well, he wasn’t arrested. But the situation has exploded a bit. He had abducted Elia some months ago, and since then, no one knows where they are. Curiously, the viscount Macker doesn’t seem to care that much that his daughter had been kidnapped. He only sends a few teams here and there, but that was to be expected. If you want my opinion, I’m sure they are happy with the situation.”

He made a slight pause to take a sip from his cup of tea, before continuing.

“For the kingdom Prasthana however, I have no idea.” He leaned comfortably on the sofa. “After the warrants with your name and characteristic had been made public, this kingdom had suddenly jumped on the occasion to say they had been searching for you for a long time already and that if the kingdom of Daksina catches you, they have to send you to them.”

“Why does it give me the impression of being a rare wine that all the rich noblemen want to have?” Rohan dejectedly spoke.

“Hahaha!” Delia loudly laughed for a full minute. “You are spot on! The two kingdoms have since then been fighting each other. The wizard of the court of Daksina and the head warrior of the kingdom of Prasthana had almost fought each other at some point. The situation is far worse than what you can think.”

Rohan and Delia continued to speak about what happened while Rohan was away, and several hours later, the young warrior finally decided to left the mansion to head toward Horim’s shop.

The moment he had said to Delia that he was going to see his master Horim, he had shown a strange expression without telling him anything. Before leaving the place, Rohan eagerly accepted Delia’s offer to take a bath and change of clothes.

It was the first bath with hot water he had taken for a few months now, and Rohan felt his body completely relax. He sighed with pleasure, and without being able to control it, he fell asleep.

A few hours later, he was inside a shaking carriage with new clothes. It was the darker he could find among the colorful ones Delia owned. Now at least, his unclean appearance of a beggar changed to a handsome young man.

With no time, the carriage reached the tight street where the shop was and the moment it stopped, Rohan lightly jumped off from the cabin.

It reminded him of the first time Delia had guided him here, to work for a blacksmith to win some pocket money while hiding for a bit. Unfortunately, his coins were all lost in Uradan, and the situation was far from being resolved.

He opened the door, and after entering the shop, Rohan immediately felt that something was missing.

He glanced around. The racks were full of different kinds of weapons. Rohan shook his head as he thought it was nothing and walked toward the door at the rear. He abruptly stopped.

His eyes were locked in front of him, in between the two closed doors. There was supposed to be a sword here, the more refined one of the whole shop. Rohan didn’t know what this sword represented for Horim, but he knew it was important.

But now, this magnificent sword wasn’t here anymore.

His heart leaped in his chest as he felt that something was wrong. He immediately rushed forward and swung open the left door. His heart throbbed faster when his ears didn’t pick up the constant clangs of the hammer normally hitting the metal.

He descended the stairs plunged in darkness and in no time, he passed through the last door. Rohan stood there in a daze.

There was no light and everything was dark. The large room was cold, proof that the fire hadn’t been lit for a long time. The smell of dust and iron filled the air. It was unknown how much time Rohan stood there, but suddenly, he burst out laughing.

This old mad man had finally decided it was time to go. Rohan didn’t know his past, nor did he know why he had left, but he reckoned the reason was easy to guess.

In essence, Horim was like him. They both had a similar goal, and his master had taken the decision he was going to do it.

Rohan felt he was missing his master, but he believed he would meet him again. He had no talent in smithing, but he would never forget this master blacksmith who was kind enough, even though he was quite eccentric, to have taken the time to teach him.

With nothing to do, Rohan headed to the forge and lit the fire inside the furnace.. He was going to forge another piece of scrap metal.