The first to rush to the collapsed blacksmith was the one-eyed monster. Bound in my Silveit, the creature darted forward and placed a hand on the old man’s chest.

“Kid, I’ll examine the Gatekeeper’s body. I’ll be using magic, is that alright?”

“Go ahead.”

When I answered, the boy widened his single eye and focused it on the blacksmith. The moment he did, his head whipped toward me with a start.

“This is bad! Kid, can you use healing magic?”

“Yeah, I can.”

“As expected of you! I’ll tell you exactly where to focus your spell.”

He pointed at the center-left part of the blacksmith’s chest.

“His heart?”

“His main artery’s clogged up tight.”

“…Got it.”

The moment he said it, an image of the human heart from an old anatomy book I’d seen as a child flashed in my mind—the shape of the aorta, clear as day.

“Drop some of your Silveit into the spot I show you. I’ll guide you from here.”

“…Alright.”

Normally, trusting a monster’s instructions would be insane, but this situation was anything but normal.

“Move it a bit more to the right… That’s it, keep it steady, steady… but hurry it up!”

“Which is it—steady or hurry?”

“Both!”

Although his directions were erratic, I lowered the Silveit into the spot he indicated. If the monster were planning something nefarious—like forcing me to rupture an artery—I could undo the damage quickly. Still, I needed to act.

“That’s it, right there. Now break up the blockage.”

“Okay.”

I used Silveit, forming it into a fine point, and shattered the obstruction. As the flow resumed, I felt a rush through the thread of magic—a faint, but sure, signal of success.

“Alright, alright. As long as this old guy stays calm and rests, he’ll wake up. Once he’s stable, let his apprentice take care of him. For now, we’ll focus on the task at hand.”

“Apprentice?”

I tilted my head. The monster tilted his in return.

“Yeah, someone’s gotta take over the Gatekeeper’s duties someday, right?”

I glanced back toward my father, who stood behind me. If anyone knew the blacksmith’s circumstances, it would be him.

“The old man doesn’t have an apprentice.”

“What?”

“As far as I know, he’s never taken one. He’s not the type to do that.”

“No apprentice? None? None at all?!”

The monster stood and shouted in disbelief. His single eye darted back to the unconscious blacksmith.

“Then who the hell is gonna replace him? The Gatekeeper’s job can’t wait! Only kids can handle the magic of the Gatekeeper. You have to train them young, or they’ll never last! And that’s if they’re lucky enough to have the right aptitude!”

“Aptitude?”

“The Gatekeeper has to resonate with the Immortal Realm. It’s not something just anyone can do—it has to be a kid who’s known real despair.”

“…Oh, so that’s why…”

That’s why the old man demanded we leave Nina behind.

“I figured something was up when I woke up and found no apprentice around, but this? This is a first.”

The monster sighed and pressed his hand to his forehead—or at least, where a human forehead would be. The motion was awkward since his single, massive eye took up most of the space.

“Ahh, what do we do now? The boss’ll have my head for this. No, wait! Akane! That lady’s still alive, right?”

“You mean Akane from Kamiyazuki? Yeah, I’ve met her.”

“If Akane’s around, we can call her for help. She could summon an exorcist who’s fit for the job. This isn’t hard—just find someone under ten or anyone exposed to Immortal Realm magic before they were ten.”

The monster’s single eye gleamed with enthusiasm. He really seemed to think he’d found the perfect solution.

Even so, I couldn’t ignore one nagging thought.

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“…Couldn’t I go instead?”

“You?” The boy cocked his head. “Kid, I just said the enemy’s a fifth-tier Fiend, Grade Hei. That’s as good as marching to your death. Akane could find someone more qualified.”

At that, Nina, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke up.

“If anyone’s qualified, it’s Itsuki.”

“Kid here?”

“Itsuki’s already defeated three sixth-tier Queens!”

“Que…?”

Nina’s voice brimmed with pride as she puffed out her chest. The monster, however, only looked more confused. My father stepped in.

“‘Sixth-tier Queens’ refers to Grade Otsu.”

“Otsu-tier…?”

The monster froze for a moment, then turned his massive eye on me.

“What?! Really?!”

His shock was palpable as he dashed toward me.

“Uh, yeah… See for yourself.”

A little overwhelmed by his energy, I held up my necklace strung with relics.

“No way… Relics. Haven’t seen these in ages. So you’re the real deal, huh? And at your age? I’ve never heard of anything like this. But it’s not a lie, is it? Incredible…”

The boy muttered to himself, alternating between disbelief and awe. Then, he seemed to catch on to something.

“If you’re that strong, kid, why are you here? Why not somewhere better suited for your talents? You should be treated like a hero.”

He rattled off questions, answering some himself before I could respond.

“Oh, I get it. You’re here to get a sword, right?”

“…Something like that.”

“Ah! That makes sense! So when I woke up and saw you, that’s why!”

“What’s why?”

“I’m a guide! I was born to lead someone like you to the Immortal Realm. My awakening wasn’t random—it was fate, kid!”

The monster stomped the ground dramatically, pointing at me with conviction.

“With you, kid, we’ve got this in the bag. Let’s get to the Immortal Realm. Uh, but… you don’t have a sword yet?”

“Nope.”

“Not even started?”

“The blacksmith refused to forge one.”

Hearing that, the boy scrunched his brow.

“Smithing’s sacred. Maybe the old man was worried forging a blade would mess up the balance. But still, no exorcist goes in without a weapon. If we restore balance, maybe he’ll change his mind.”

“He’s still unconscious.”

“Don’t worry! Once we restore balance, the Gatekeeper will bounce back, good as new. Then I’ll knock some sense into him!”

I wasn’t sure if I should believe that, but if the sword came as a bonus for restoring balance, I’d take it.

“Alright, kid. Let’s head to the Immortal Realm.”

“How do we get there?”

“The barrier’s weak here. One of the paths between the mortal world and the Immortal Realm is right in this spot.”

“…Where exactly?”

The boy grinned and pointed to the old, weathered well where the earlier monster had emerged.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep