"Clang!"

"Clang!"

echoed the sound of heavy iron striking, reverberating through the air. The flames in the blacksmith's shop burned brightly, casting a warm glow on Baldwin's face, which was slightly flushed from the intense heat. He worked bare-chested, his rippling bronze muscles , bald head and jagged scars moving rhythmically with each blow of the hammer.

The red-hot iron began to bend and twist as Baldwin manipulated it, gradually forming the shape of a standard iron sword. Across from him stood a young boy, no more than seven years old, carefully wielding iron tongs to place the glowing sword into a nearby stone pool. As the fiery metal met the cool water, thick plumes of steam billowed upwards.

Baldwin wiped the sweat from his face and body with a dirty towel and turned to the boy. "bright, son, I'll be quenching my thirst at the tavern on the east side of the street. When I return, that sword better be polished, or be careful of your ass."

"I understand, Father," replied Bright, not daring to look up from his work. He deftly picked up the sword blank, tossing it onto the stone with a shower of sparks as Baldwin left the shop.

"Drinking is fine, but don't get into any fights like last time. It's not just the fine we had to pay, but you also received twenty lashes," cautioned Baldwin as he prepared to head to the tavern.

Baldwin's face turned even redder, resembling an old cat with exploded fur, as he muttered, "You little rascal."

"It wasn't me that night," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The room fell silent as I continued, "I know it might have looked like I was the one causing trouble, but it was actually someone else who provoked me."

I took a deep breath before explaining further, "Harold insulted your great-grandfather, citizen Nar. Our ancestors, who followed the great city builder Eldrid , faced countless trials and perils, including the hunt of the ice devil. But they emerged victorious and established the thriving sadona city-state, which was considered the promised land of the graceful goddess."

then Baldwin said loudly : "listen son we are not ordinary freedman, we must maintain the honor and always remember that we are the descendent of a citizen"

"Maintaining the honor of our ancestors is crucial, but we must also consider our current wallet situation," I said, my tone measured. "We need to control our anger and channel our energy towards regaining our citizenship."

I continued, "For instance, instead of hitting this useless sword blank, let me focus on reading and learning more. That could be a more productive use of our time and effort."

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Bright's response was calm and composed, reflecting his understanding of our situation.

With strength that belied his small stature, Bright lifted the hammer, almost half his height, and started beating the sword blank with a steady rhythm, producing a resounding "clang-dangling" sound. With each strike, the surface of the sword blank became smoother and more refined.

Baldwil's mouth fell open slightly as he watched his son work, at a loss for words. Eventually, he let out a deep sigh and turned to leave the room, muttering to himself, "I see."

Despite the silence that had fallen in the room, Bright continued his work with a sense of purpose and determination, Bright's hands moved skillfully as he sharpened the sword blank, but his mind was elsewhere, drifting back to three years ago.

He had been reincarnated from the earth, passing through to this world and finding himself in a daze as he was drawn into his mother's womb. It wasn't until he was seven years old that he began to recall fragments of his previous life.

He remembered the high-rise buildings, the constant stream of vehicles, and the technology that had once been a part of his life. But now, all of it was gone, out of reach and unattainable.

As he continued to work on the sword blank, Bright couldn't help but wonder what else he had lost in this new life, and what he could do to make the most of the time he had been given.

Despite being just a child, Bright was able to speak the local language fluently, a skill that marked him as a serious resident rather than a member of the black households.

Over the course of three years, he had listened to Baldwil's bragging and myths recounted by his mother, as well as every bard's singing performance, until he finally came to understand the world around him.

He had learned that there were gods in this world, residing in the invisible and untouchable mountain of Kaya. sadona , his city-state, was the promised land of the goddess of grace in the southern part of the Crystal Cove Peninsula, with its king being the son of the goddess of grace and the founder of the city, Eldrid .

Bright believed that if there were gods, then there must be extraordinary beings as well. He paid close attention to his surroundings, and noticed that the nobles of the city-states were far superior in strength, speed, bounce, and reaction ability than ordinary people, including the soldiers of the city-state. This realization only fueled his curiosity further.

Beyond the safety of the city walls lay a wilderness where monsters roamed, possessing all sorts of extraordinary abilities.

In his quest to learn more, Bright would often ask others how to become like the nobles. The answer he received was always the same: nobles were the blood of gods, born far beyond the reach of ordinary people. They were the rulers of humanity, designated by the gods themselves, and mortals could never aspire to become one of them.

Bright couldn't help but feel disappointed in a world where transcendent beings were certain to exist, but he, as a mere mortal, was doomed to remain so.

Despite this, Bright remained optimistic. As someone in a low position and with few connections, his access to information was severely limited. He knew that the only way to gain more knowledge and opportunities was to climb the ranks of the city-state and enter the middle and upper echelons of society.

Bright began to entertain the idea that even if he couldn't become a noble, it might still be possible to study their extraordinary secrets by capturing wandering monsters and even drawing blood from the nobles themselves.

As he continued to ponder his future, Bright's goal became clearer: to become a citizen of the upper-middle class in the city-state.