Several hours passed with the old man sitting at the table, waiting for the molten iron in the mold to solidify, while Ethan gazed at the swords and weapons hanging on the wall with fascination and curiosity. The old man suddenly rose from his chair and headed toward the mold to find that the iron had hardened, taking the shape of the mold. He put on his gloves and slowly extracted it from the sand, then closed the metal table.
The old man carried the iron rod and headed toward one of the boxes, opening it. The box contained a large collection of leather and bandages. The old man reached into the box and pulled out a small piece of leather, then returned to the rod. He gripped it and turned it upside down, beginning to wrap it with the piece of leather very carefully. After finishing, he went to the furnace and placed the iron piece in it for a full minute, then quickly removed it and headed to the metal table.
He grabbed a hammer that was lying on the ground, raised it high in the air, and in an instant brought it down on the rod with force, continuing to do this repeatedly for some time until it began to flatten somewhat. Then he went back to the furnace and repeated the same process until it began to take the shape of an iron sword. When he finished, the old man called Ethan and placed the sword on the wooden table. Ethan approached the old man, waiting to see what he wanted from him.
The old man grabbed the tongs and gave them to Ethan, saying, "Well, it's time to extract what you made." Ethan took the tongs, feelings of excitement and nervousness spreading through his body. He headed to the furnace and assumed the position the old man had taught him. He calmly inserted the tongs into the furnace and grasped the container. He took a deep breath and continued pulling the container from the furnace with complete focus and caution while sweat poured profusely from his body.
He looked at the molten iron with admiration and excitement and began slowly directing the container toward the metal mold, only to find it was closed. Ethan looked at the old man with a tired and tense face. The old man realized he had closed the mold and quickly rushed to it, opening it. The boy took a deep breath and poured the molten iron into the mold calmly and carefully.
The molten metal began to slowly take the shape of the mold while its glow reflected in Ethan's fascinated eyes. The mold filled with the molten metal, and Ethan placed the container on the ground and threw the tongs to the floor, while sweat streamed profusely from his body as he breathed with difficulty due to the heat and exhaustion. The old man noticed his fatigue.
He approached him slowly, reached into one of his pockets, and pulled out five coins marked with "10 Anro." He took Ethan's hand and gave them to him with a slight smile on his face, "Take this money and buy something to drink or eat, as you need to maintain your strength." Ethan looked at the coins, then directed his gaze toward the old man with surprise.
The old man turned toward the mold, then to Ethan, and said with a light laugh, "Don't worry, when it's ready, I'll give it to you." Ethan nodded yes with a big smile on his face, then rushed out of the place. After his departure, the old man remained staring at the exit with a small smile and feelings of happiness and nostalgia spreading throughout his body as he said to himself, "When was the last time I enjoyed someone's company this way?"
Ethan left the place to feel the cold air touch his skin, sensing a feeling of refreshment and relief. Ethan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air in his lungs and the attractive scent of flowers in his nose. Ethan opened his eyes and directed his gaze toward the money the old man had given him with puzzled looks, wondering what these things were for.
He remained frozen for some time, lost in his thoughts, until suddenly he remembered that time when he went to eat mushroom soup with Joseph. He remembered that Joseph had given the stall owner two coins like the ones he had. Curious features appeared on his face, and he rushed quickly toward the stall.
Passing between the huts and shops, with passersby looking at him strangely, wondering why this boy was running in the middle of the markets. Ethan reached the same stall he had visited last time with Joseph, finding the stall owner sitting with his hand on his cheek, waiting for any customers to earn his daily bread.
Ethan headed to one of the chairs at the stall with curious looks dominating his face. The stall owner noticed Ethan's presence, and a huge smile appeared on his face as he said in a joyful tone, "Oh, it's you, boy! It's been a long time, where have you been hiding?" Ethan extended his hand toward him and placed all five coins on the table. The stall owner looked at him with surprise and said in a puzzled tone, "Do you want five bowls?" Ethan nodded his head in agreement.
The stall owner took the money and headed to his kitchen. He opened a giant pot full of mushroom soup, grabbed a giant spoon, and inserted it into the pot to pour it into the five bowls. After finishing, he grabbed all the bowls with both hands and placed them in front of Ethan.
Ethan grabbed the first bowl and began drinking it eagerly. The soup was hot, but he didn't care. He drank from it quickly while feeling relief after all this exhausting work. With every moment that passed as he sipped this soup, he felt his body gradually regaining its strength.
He finished the first bowl, took a deep breath, and immediately began sipping the second bowl. The stall owner kept looking at him with surprise, saying to himself, "What's wrong with him? He looks as if he hasn't eaten for days." While thinking, he noticed that Ethan had already finished the second bowl. Ethan placed his hand on his full stomach. He was satisfied, but the delight and distinctive taste of the soup made him continue eating despite that.
He began sipping the third bowl with feelings of satisfaction and happiness spreading through his body with every sip he took. After finishing, he felt as if his stomach would burst from fullness; he could no longer complete the other two bowls. He closed his eyes, feeling unparalleled comfort and happiness while patting his full stomach.
The stall owner looked at him and said with surprise, "Won't you finish the other two bowls?" Ethan opened his eyes and directed his gaze toward the two bowls, wishing inside that he could finish them. He looked at the stall owner and shook his head in refusal. The stall owner looked at him with disappointment and took a deep breath.
He extended his arm to take the bowls and return them, but after a few seconds, he began to hear some people calling Ethan's name. The stall owner and Ethan looked toward the source of the sound to find Nicholas and Jesse heading toward them.
(The End)