Phew. Thanks. Its terrifying to imagine just how long I would have been beaten if it wasnt for you.

Ah, yes.

By the way, can I order a beer? My body hurts so much. I think I would feel better if I had a drink

sure.

Irene nodded at Kuvars words.

This was great.

As if it wasnt enough to make a customer from 5 years ago buy him a meal, he even took them to additional places.

And even borrowed money.

His gambling debt was the reason, and it was also the reason he was getting hit.

Realizing that he had no money, the gambler began to trash him.

Why gamble without money?

It was something Irene couldnt understand.

Of course, he couldnt just ignore him and move on.

He was a good-natured person, and the fact that they both knew each other mattered to him.

However, the biggest reason was that he handed a note to Irene five years ago, which caused him to have a small awakening.

You dont have to be alone to stand alone.

It could be seen as the Orc writing down a few words, which seemed reasonable, but at least for Irene, the words were of great help.

In a way, the note was the reason Irene could talk so openly with his classmates.

In the past, he was a person who had trouble interacting with people.

Besides

It kept bothering me that he asked how old I was.

Irene looked at the Orc, who introduced himself as Kuvar.

Did the Orc know about the dream and the mysterious man in it?

It was when he was thinking.

You! Arent you too shameless, arent you?

Tock! Tock!

Lulu, who stayed silent till then, pounded on the table.

The pounding was from a cats body. No matter how hard the paw hit, it didnt make a threatening sound.

However, her gaze towards Kuvar was fierce.

And Lulu said again.

If you met a few years ago, then you two are practically strangers! Borrowing money, and then eating with his money! You are such a worthless Orc! You disgusting gambler!

Huh? Gambling isn't a bad thing. My little friend.

Who is your little friend! Im a pretty big cat!

Lulu jumped up from her seat and puffed out her chest.

It was bigger than before, but still, a cat is a cat. Taking a sip of his beer, Kuvar said.

You are still little.

You brat!

If Im an addict who is blinded by money and puts all of my body, mind, and soul into gambling, then thats a problem. However, that isnt the case. Because I only get happiness from worldly goods, not money but if you can have a good time with a few pennies, wouldnt that be a bonus?

What nonsense.

Irene decided to keep those thoughts to himself.

It wasnt unreasonable, but it wasnt something the Orc, who was being trashed for his lack of money, could talk about.

But shockingly, Lulu didnt say anything.

As if thinking that there was no logical objection to it, Lulu rolled her eyes.

At that moment, the Orc, who smiled brightly, put his hand on Lulus head.

This kid!

Naturally, Lulu tried to slap away Kuvars hand with her front paw.

The speed was so fast that even Irene admired Lulu.

However, her reaction changed.

Lulu, who was trying to get away, slowly put her head forward.

What is this scent! Its really good?

Flutter!

Lulu sat down, rubbing her face into the Orcs hand.

Irene was dumbfounded at the black cats behavior when Kuvar said with a deeper smile.

I put some powder from a fruit called Taiho on my hands. It only grows in the northwestern part of the continent, but cats go crazy for it.

What? Was there such a thing?

Want some?

Give it! Not a little, but a lot!

If you promise to love me from now on, Ill give it to you.

I cant say that for sure. Instead, I wont hate you!

Lets settle for that.

Kuvar nodded his head and took something out of his pocket.

The black cats eyes followed.

After confirming that the item was what she wanted, she quickly grabbed it and returned to Irenes arms.

Lulu, drunk on the scent of Taiho, spoke with a smile.

Irene that Orc, might not be a bad one

Hmm, it seems like I have become more comfortable with the picky sorcerer now I need to solve the borrowed money problem.

Huh? But, you dont have a singl

Who am I! Arent I a fortune-teller? Orc fortune tellers are braver than humans! If this Kuvar gives divination, I think Ill have more money than I can deal with.

He was shamelessly praising himself.

If Lulu heard that in a clear state of mind, she would yell, is there such a brave fortune teller who doesnt have a single penny?

However, the cat enchantress was now drunk on Taiho, and Irene showed considerable interest in Kuvars fortune-telling.

But his words couldnt be 100 percent believed

No, cant we ask to find out about a dragon or something?

Irene nodded his head.

He didnt know much about fortune tellers, but he heard a few stories.

That they could guess recent events in a persons life by just meeting them, or that they can recite a big event in someones life by just hearing their name, date of birth, and time of birth

He wouldnt have believed in such things before, but now its different.

Since he realized how amazing a sorcerer is, what a fortune teller does is easy to accept.

However

Is there a persimmon tree where you live?

no.

Ah, it must have been there before. Maybe you were too young to remember.

Definitely not.

Maybe they planted it a few days ago? Youll see it when you get home.

Me, do it for me! Guess mine too!

You? Hmm. I feel this right away. You seem to be very fond of raw salmon.

Isnt that what every cat likes?

Thats because you, the cat, know that, but I, the Orc, didn't know that information. Even so, I managed to get it right.

Kuvars reasoning was a mess.

Throwing in words that might seem highly probable and trying to make a reason around it.

And if thats refuted, he made another excuse.

And with that, their trust was blown away.

Irene, that Orc

Lulu, who was close to Irenes ears, voiced her thoughts. However, it wasnt quiet. It could be heard from the other side too. Kuvar scratched the back of his head.

This. Today isnt my day. Well, there are days when Im not in good shape.

This is enough.

Irene answered appropriately.

He was a little disappointed. But it wasnt a bad feeling.

It was fine if he wasnt a fortune teller.

He had already gained a lot from the note 5 years ago, so it was safe to say that the money he lent was enough for it.

No, considering Lulus favorite Taiho, he received a lot more in return.

However, Kuvar didnt give up.

Huhu, this friend. You dont believe that Im a true fortune-teller.

No, uhm, that

Irene tried to say something.

If he was upfront, he would have responded right away, but Irene wasnt talented in that area.

He thought about how the situation could be handled, but he couldnt think of anything.

Of course, Kuvar wasnt upset. He just pointed it out.

Because of the change in the air, Irene took the Orcs following words seriously.

The burden on your heart is bigger than anything I have seen before.

Yes?

It used to be well hidden, but its out in the open now. With a hard and heavy iron stake in your chest, it must have been hard.

It isnt something that you have placed on yourself. Someone completely unrelated is doing that.

What? Arent you a bluffer? What is with this

Hmm, to be honest. Im not very good at fortune-telling. But now, Im looking into Irene Pareira, not with fortune-telling but with animism. Well, even though my spirit skills arent at the level where I would show off still, they aren't so messy that I cant recognize a strong and unnatural taboo.

Kuvar smiled brightly at Irenes stiff expression.

Lulus expression was also stiff.

Although she wasn't involved in it, she could guess what Kuvar meant.

The man in the dreams.

His life, where he wielded his sword, was nothing but the life of a lump of metal.

The same went for his swordsmanship.

Even the mans motives werent known. All that was known was a moving steel giant.

A strong presence.

Crudeness and weight that cannot be controlled by ones own will.

Kuvars metaphor was very appropriate.

Irene looked at Kuvar without realizing it.

Sssh!

The Orc opened a pouch and poured its contents on the table.

Not something special like Taiho, just soil.

However, what happened next was weird.

Some of the scattered soil gathered together and turned into hard metal.

Orc spiritualists believe that the world is made up of five elements. Hard metal is born from earth

Sss

As Kuvar swung his hand, water droplets began to form on the metal.

Eventually, the water which formed was soaked into the pile of soil, and a tree the size of two fingers grew.

Water appears attracted to it, and the tree grows with the energy of water. And the tree

Tak!

Wheeing!

Kuvar snapped his fingers, and sparks rose from the tree.

The flame which was burning with the firewood went out, but it didnt completely disappear.

Pointing to the ashes, Kuvar said.

A fire is lit, and the flame that was exhausted will eventually return into the earth. The world is constantly maintained by the cycle of the five elements.

.

Its the same with life. Just as earth nourishes metal, metal gives water, water nourishes trees, trees gives fire, and fire nourishes earth. The five elements are the source of life that maintain harmony through balance and coexistence. Huh.

so, does my current state mean that my balance and harmony of energy is broken?

You understand quite quickly. As I said before, it's too heavy and crude.

Then, how do we get rid of the iron stake?

It cannot be removed. Didnt I say that balance is important. However, the force is too strong, so in this case, its necessary to suppress the energy by borrowing the opposite elements energy. This isnt some win-win, you need the element of fire. And that could be a good opportunity.

Thu!

As Kuvar waved his hand, metal rose again from the soil.

Although smaller, it was undoubtedly an iron stake.

It was dull and clunky. It didnt look like it couldnt be easily handled.

However, when fire came, the situation changed.

Shhh.

The shape of the iron stake changed due to the heat.

The fat lower part changed into the shape of a handle, and the upper part boasted a sleek and sophisticated look.

It was as if a fairytale swordsman took out a sword, a really beautiful one, enough to make anyone happy.

Kuvar handed the small sword to Irene, who was watching it with a blank expression.

This was an iron stake considered as a burden, but now it was smelted beautifully through such a hot flame like this, it can be reborn as a great sword anyone wants to wield.

How do I make a flame hot enough to melt an iron stake into a sword?

Irene asked.

This was no light matter.

Kuvar, when talking about fortune-telling and animism, was completely different.

There was a sense of seriousness in his eyes.

And the answer was very simple.