A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Hulim Heyerar as she looked at Irus’s grin.

  "Um, I think I already explained what happened in detail just now......"

  "Hehe~! Is that so~!"

  Irus’s smile widened even more.

  "Actually~, out of curiosity, I went to check out the scene afterward——"

  "!!?"

  Hulim instantly realized what that ominous feeling had been about.

  "Water magic, wind magic, ice magic, fire magic, earth magic, lightning magic......"

  With every type of magic Irus listed, Hulim felt like her head was being struck by a hammer.

  "......Dark magic, and if I’m not mistaken, that was the legendary natural magic!

  "Plus, from the traces of the battle at the scene, it’s obvious you used non-elemental status magic too, isn’t it? Considering how fierce that fight must’ve been, yet you didn’t have a single scratch on you—could it be that you even used light-elemental healing magic~?"

  "......"

  "C’mon~, Hulim, tell me the truth. Can one person really use magic of every single attribute~?"

  "Fine...... I admit it, I didn’t handle that incident alone...... I had help from others."

  Stare——

  Irus fixed her with a look that said she was trying her hardest not to laugh at Hulim’s clumsy lie.

  "......Enough, Irus! You’re teasing me again, aren’t you? You figured it out a long time ago, didn’t you? You could still detect the magic traces even after all that time—you must’ve noticed that all of them came from the same person too!"

  "Hahaha~! Sorry, sorry! The way you were spouting nonsense with a straight face was just too funny~!"

  Irus burst into hearty laughter.

  Hulim felt a flicker of irritation, but more than that, she felt a pressing sense of urgency.

  "Alright, alright~! Hulim, you don’t have to be so on guard. I won’t do anything to you. Though I’ll admit, I was absolutely shocked when I realized what had happened that day. I never thought someone with a naturally occurring affinity for all magical attributes actually existed in this world!"

  "But then I thought about it more carefully, and it’s not really that surprising, is it? After all, if you were born with it, that means it’s possible. For this world, an all-attribute affinity isn’t impossible—it’s just extremely rare. So rare, in fact, that you’re the only one who’s ever been recorded with it. That’s why people used to think it was impossible."

  "Besides, you have a really amazing master, don’t you?"

  "......"

  Hulim nodded silently.

  "It seems like they’ve already left...... But even so, since someone that incredible already knows your secret and has been guiding you, there’s no room for anyone else to meddle. I’m sure you already have your own goals in mind."

  "Irus...... You’re amazing. You’re the most perceptive person I’ve ever met, besides my master. It feels like nothing can get past you."

  Hulim said sincerely.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  "Huh? Well, I’ll take that as a compliment, then......"

  "Speaking of which, Hulim, have you decided where you’re going to get your mithril sword repaired?"

  Hulim shook her head.

  "Not yet. Is there any particular place I should go to?"

  "No real rules or anything~. But if you haven’t made up your mind, I do have a shop to recommend."

  "A shop recommended by Irus? What kind of place is it?"

  "Hmm——, the blacksmithy isn’t far from here. Just go back down the street you came from, and when you reach the intersection, you’ll see it—it’s called Charkin’s Blacksmithy!"

  Hulim racked her brain, trying to recall the location based on Irus’s description.

  Wait a minute—she felt like she’d heard of this blacksmithy before......

  "Oh right, let me write you a letter of recommendation. That dwarf is a stubborn old coot. You might not even be able to get an appointment with him to repair your stuff."

  An appointment to get something repaired at a blacksmithy? Back in Mentor Town, you’d just walk in, tell the blacksmith what you needed fixed, leave your item there, and pick it up when it was done.

  This really was the capital, huh? Everything was so different from the countryside.

  Hulim couldn’t help but feel impressed, even if she didn’t fully understand why it was such a big deal.

  Just then, Irus finished writing the letter of recommendation in a flurry of pen strokes, folded it casually, and handed it to Hulim.

  "Give this to the dwarf named Charkin Karagon. Once he sees it, he’ll agree to repair your mithril sword. Don’t worry about him kicking you out."

  He’d kick me out? Were all the blacksmiths in the capital this temperamental......

  With Irus’s letter of recommendation in hand, Hulim didn’t linger at the potion shop any longer. She picked up her damaged mithril sword and headed straight for the recommended blacksmithy.

  ......

  "So this really is the place......"

  The sign hanging above the blacksmithy’s entrance confirmed that this was her destination. Moreover, it had been a cart parked in front of this very shop that had blocked her path earlier, leading her to take a different route—and that was how she’d met Irus in the first place......

  "Excuse me, is Mr. Charkin Karagon here?"

  Hulim stepped inside and called out.

  Clang! Clang! Clang......

  Inside the blacksmithy, several apprentice-looking figures were practicing their forging skills—some were dwarves, others humans.

  At the sound of Hulim’s voice, the apprentices all paused their work and looked up at her.

  Then they promptly went back to hammering away at their metal, completely ignoring her.

  Only one of them bothered to reply, his tone indifferent:

  "What do you want with the master?"

  "If you’re here for forging work, you might as well leave. The master isn’t taking any jobs right now."

  So he really would turn people away...... And she hadn’t even gotten to meet Charkin Karagon yet.

  Hulim pulled out the letter of recommendation Irus had given her.

  Might as well give it a shot.

  "Um, I have a letter of recommendation—from the owner of the potion shop nearby, Ms. Irus."

  Clang——!

  All the hammering sounds in the blacksmithy came to an abrupt halt.

  Every single person looked up at Hulim again, their eyes wide with surprise this time.

  It was the same apprentice who’d spoken earlier who asked, his voice now sharp with curiosity:

  "Did you say...... who this recommendation is from?"

  "From the elven owner of the potion shop—Ms. Irus Verdant Star Feyl."

  Clatter!

  The apprentice dropped his tools, grabbed a grimy, soot-stained rag nearby, and wiped the sweat from his face.

  "Follow me."

  That was quite the turnaround...... Irus’s letter of recommendation really worked wonders.

  Hulim followed the apprentice toward the back of the blacksmithy. As soon as they left the front forging hall, the sound of hammering resumed behind them, as if nothing had happened.

  Before long, they arrived at the door of the forge at the very back of the shop.

  Without even bothering to knock, the apprentice roughly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

  "You fool! Aren’t you supposed to be practicing your forging?! What are you doing barging in here!"

  Before Hulim could follow him in, she heard a furious shout from inside.

  "Master, there’s someone here to see you."

  "Huh?! Have you lost your mind from breathing in too much furnace smoke? Didn’t I tell you I’m working on something extremely important right now? I told you to turn everyone away!"

  "She said she was sent by Ms. Irus."

  "I don’t care who sent her! Not even if the emperor himself sent her—tell her to get out and—"

  "......Did you just say who sent her?"

  "Ms. Irus."

  "......Let her in."

  The apprentice opened the door wider and gestured for Hulim to enter.