As we stepped off the train and headed toward our destination, I naturally found myself walking alongside Lucy.

Of course, given her personality, it was rare for her to start a conversation on her own.

Surprisingly, our chat was flowing pretty well. I had gotten used to initiating discussions with silent companions like Siel.

After sharing some small talk, I casually threw out a question.

“Why did you join the Empire’s Knights?”

It was just a light topic to break the ice, but for some reason, Lucy’s expression darkened the moment she heard it. The usually diligent girl fell silent for the first time.

I wondered if I had stumbled onto a sensitive subject.

If it was hard for her to answer, she didn’t need to, and that was what I intended to say at that moment.

“…It was because I admired someone,” she said thoughtfully, furrowing her brow.

She continued, “There was someone who saved me when I was on the brink of death. I wanted to become a knight to help others, just like that person.”

It sounded like a heartwarming story, yet her face seemed a bit pale.

I couldn’t ask her why that was.

I simply couldn’t.

“…It’s the Hero. The one with the same name as you, who saved me in the past.”

Upon hearing that, I was at a loss for words.

Up until now, no one had known about the previous Hero.

Ruby, Siel, Lien—no matter whom I asked, I got no answers. There weren’t any traces of that hero in books or records.

And here it was, dropping into my lap from this girl out of nowhere.

“…Why on earth did I forget such an important fact?” Lucy mumbled in shock.

After that, I asked Lucy multiple questions about the previous Hero.

Her story was straightforward.

A man with black hair saved her as a child from a burning mansion during an attack.

Seeing his shining sword, young Lucy realized that the man was the legendary Hero.

As for what happened after, and why everyone forgot about the Hero, she had no clues.

But this was still a major discovery.

At least I knew the previous Hero existed.

It seemed to be based on my character, especially since “Ian” was a nickname I often used. The black hair was likely the basic setting when not customized.

Since neither Lucy nor Valierre’s family appeared in the previous work, the plot seemed to have strayed a bit.

But at least the very existence of the Hero was confirmed.

‘That means someone forcibly erased the memories of the Hero from this world.’

How the original plot twisted, who the cause of this anomaly was, and why they wiped people’s memories—all that evidence was still lacking.

But I could clearly identify the most suspicious culprits.

‘What on earth did those Empire bastards do?’

Whenever a chaotic situation arose, assuming the Empire was behind it had a high chance of being true.

They were undoubtedly behind this as well.

My face naturally twisted in displeasure.

Lucy, with her strong and sharp memories, had only just begun to regain her recollection of the Hero.

That meant someone had performed mind manipulation even on someone strong like her.

Considering that manipulating human minds usually required high-level magic that only archmages could use…

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how powerful the entity capable of such mass-scale manipulation would have to be.

It felt overwhelmingly hopeless.

Naturally, I felt dizzy with all these thoughts…

But I sighed and shook off my worries.

‘In the end, my duties remain unchanged.’

The more truths are revealed, the clearer it becomes that my future adversaries won’t be pushovers.

However, I certainly didn’t plan to just sit back and take it.

I had to do whatever I could to prepare.

I’d spend my time building up strength and gear up for the impending doom that awaited me.

And that was always something I had done.

As I mulled over all this, I suddenly started to hear a peculiar noise.

The sound of hammers striking metal.

The din of clashing steel created a massive racket.

The vibrant atmosphere and exotic scenery captured my attention.

This was the Blacksmith’s Street.

Our destination was right in front of us.

*

We strolled between the lined blacksmiths.

Though the earlier shock still lingered a bit, it was undeniably a unique experience to walk this bustling street.

Even when I played the previous game, I often came here to stock up on equipment.

‘Some things have changed, and some have remained the same.’

After over a decade, I noticed some shops had closed, while others had merely changed ownership yet still operated.

I couldn’t linger around forever.

Deciding to clear my mind, I set out to check on the blacksmiths I used in the previous game.

However, what caught my eye wasn’t the blacksmiths, but Lucy.

She seemed to be gazing intently at one particular blacksmith.

“Did you find something you like?”

I asked her. Before she could respond, a dwarf approached us.

“You won’t know just by looking! Come closer and check it out!”

The dwarf encouraged us, showcasing his sales skills with remarkable finesse.

After a moment of consideration, I decided to play along.

‘Well, I do need something like this.’

With the Black Fangs under my temporary protection, and the growing suspicion that the Empire and the final boss were somehow linked…

Equipping those guys with weapons and armor could be a decent investment.

Giving my kids some quality gear as a gift might not be a bad idea either.

With those thoughts in mind, I began to examine the dwarf’s wares.

The displayed swords and armors all had a flashy air about them.

The prices were steep, but that’s just how dwarven gear tends to be.

I casually picked up a sword.

“Is it alright if I swing this around?”

I casually asked just in case.

“Of course! How would you know if it suits you without trying it?”

The dwarf boldly proclaimed.

He certainly seemed confident in his skills.

I gave the sword a cautious swing—making sure not to replicate the previous incident at the training ground.

And then… my expression clouded with confusion.

‘What the hell is this?’

Though I wasn’t exactly a sword expert, I could tell there was something off about this blade.

The balance was completely off.

It felt like it wouldn’t cut through butter if I tried.

But that wasn’t all.

Despite the claim that it was crafted from the rare ore Oricalchum, it was too heavy.

It was supposed to be lighter and sturdier than other metals, as stated in the game…

I felt something was off and promptly returned the sword.

Something just felt wrong.

However, as I quickly exited the blacksmith, the dwarf grabbed my sleeve.

“What the heck are you doing? How did you mishandle this precious sword!”

He pointed at a scratch that magically appeared the moment I returned it.

The whole situation felt odd, and the dwarf wore a grin that he couldn’t hide, despite his outrage.

At that moment, it became clear to me what was going on.

‘No wonder things felt off.’

They had clearly lured us in for this specific purpose.

At that moment, I was about to frown and confront the dwarf about his shenanigans.

“Don’t worry, my lord. I’ve understood your intentions. Please leave this to me.”

Lucy suddenly stepped in front of me.

She knew what I was thinking.

That she would resolve this issue.

I pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.

‘It wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn more about Lucy in this process.’

Even with the Geass, her track record made me a tad anxious about her abilities.

I was curious to see how she would counter the dwarf’s nonsense.

Once I nodded, Lucy walked over to the blacksmith and declared.

“You were the one who said I could swing the sword to test it out.”

Wasn’t it you who allowed me to try it out?

I couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed.

I didn’t expect her to be so astute, what with her being a powerhouse and all.

I looked on, interested in what her next persuasion tactic would be.

Then Lucy said something that completely caught me off guard…

“So I’ll also give it a swing.”

It was such an unexpected statement.

Lucy picked a suitable sword and took a deep breath, getting into perfect form.

…That was when I realized what was about to happen. But it was too late to stop her.

“Three techniques, Dance of the Chaotic Bloom (난무)!”

Her sword drew a beautifully flowing trajectory.

All the items on display, the forge, and various equipment—everything was sliced apart.

-BOOM!

A thunderous crash echoed.

The shattered blacksmith collapsed in an instant.

Naturally, everyone, myself included, was left speechless.

Not a word was spoken as everyone realized she had effortlessly silenced any objections.

If I were to put it plainly, it was a perfect form of ‘persuasion.’

…Though it’s a bit problematic considering the physical aspect.