"Welcome to my lovely forge", greeted a large woman, wiping her hands clean. She appeared to have been repairing armor, her clothes and skin marked with grime and sweat. Even so, her vivid red hair stood out unmistakably, convincing Cale that she was the very same blacksmith he had known in his other life.

"Good evening", Cale greeted her and pulled down his hood.

He was in his usual blond-haired form, only his clothes were different today. Cale had deliberately dressed in almost black armor that was not available in Sylve.

"How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for a good sword."

"Well, you've come to the right place, sir", the strange woman with muscular upper arms replied politely and led him deeper into her shop.

A moment later, his eyes fell on dozens of swords neatly arranged along the wall, each one honed to a razor edge. He spotted short swords, curved and serrated blades, a sword that tapered into an axe, a standard longsword, and even a broad two-handed sword of the type Ben had favored. Yet the weapon he sought was nowhere to be seen. In his past life, he had stumbled upon it by sheer chance, the blacksmith having put the Kama sword on display only that very evening.

"Forgive me for asking, but do you also have swords that are able to withstand mana influence?"

"Dear sir, all of these swords are capable of doing so, even if they may seem inconspicuous."

"Would I be allowed to test this?"

"Of course", the woman said proudly, gesturing with her hand that Cale was welcome to help himself.

Since Cale had known his goal from the start, his real intention was to provoke the woman into discussing Kama swords. Without a word, he reached for the heaviest blade, catching the woman's skeptical gaze. Yet when he effortlessly lifted the massive silver weapon in one hand, her expression shifted abruptly.

Raising the tip toward the ceiling, Cale began channeling an immense surge of pure mana into the blade. Within mere seconds, hairline cracks spiderwebbed across the metal. With a horrified cry, the woman snatched the sword from his grasp and inspected her prized work. It had failed to withstand Cale's mana, leaving her with a poor impression of her unexpected guest.

"Forgive me for asking, but are you a swordmaster?"

"That is correct", Cale confirmed calmly.

"Then I believe you might be interested in my second collection", the woman said politely, setting the heavy two-handed sword on the table beside her before opening a door. Without a word, Cale followed her into the adjoining room, where roughly fifty swords were displayed - each of noticeably higher quality than the standard soldiers' blades. An impressive sight, Cale thought. He immediately understood why she had not shown him these weapons at first, yet his sought-after Kama sword was still nowhere to be found.

"Fine swords, every one of them - you don't come across a selection like this every day. That said, I still can't find what I'm looking for. Do you have any others options? My last sword broke within six months, despite my precise control, and I'd prefer to avoid that happening again."

The blacksmith looked at him suspiciously. If Cale hadn't deliberately released a large amount of mana, which the woman could certainly sense and assess, she probably wouldn't have hesitated so much. She was well aware that the swordmaster in front of her knew enough about his craft to be able to assess that even her second selection was not to his liking. Thoughtfully, she held her hand over her mouth as she spoke.

"I would offer to forge one for you, but even my abilities are limited. I cannot guarantee with certainty that it will withstand your RM."

"Then I suppose I'll have to keep searching", Cale said carefully, letting a hint of disappointment show. He had placed all his hopes on this gambit - and the blacksmith took the bait at once.

"Please wait a moment", she announced, stepping out of the room and disappearing behind her forge up the stairs. About a minute later, she reappeared holding a dark sword wrapped in a cloth, so that it was not recognizable as a Kama sword. But Cale's eyes widened, and he deliberately put on a satisfied smile.

"That looks more than promising."

"You can tell right away, can't you?", the blacksmith replied amusedly, before suddenly becoming serious. "The sword... isn't actually for sale."

"It's not?", Cale echoed, his voice tinged with surprise.

"Well, it's not really mine, but the owner passed away. I think it'd be a shame to let such a wonderful weapon gather dust in my chambers", the stranger explained with a sad look on her face, standing in front of Cale so he could get a good look at the blade.

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"Would I be allowed to test it?", Cale announced his intention.

Although he didn't know the history of this sword, it didn't really matter to him. In the past, he had only received it because the blacksmith had fallen in love with his sword skills - which he hoped would happen again now.

With a nod, the red-haired woman held out the Kama sword, and Cale carefully took it in his hand. Nostalgia spread across his face as he held the sword by the hilt and held it up to the light of the fire. He stared at it thoughtfully for a few moments before he began to release large amounts of mana. The broad blacksmith watched intently as he filled the weapon with his mana and put on a satisfied grin before elegantly performing a few movements. First, he circled his wrist before swinging the black sword past his body to the left and right, and finally performing a quick backward spin while swinging the weapon vigorously. It sounded as if Cale was cutting through the wind with it.

"An incredible weapon", he said, impressed, straightening up and turning to the blacksmith, who couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Would you be able to show me a little more?", she asked a moment later, and Cale knew at once that he had already won.

He put on a feigned look of amazement before complying with her request and beginning the sword dance he had learned in Frignez. Like an iron wind, he held the sword firmly in his hand and, as if in a trance, began to follow the flow of his memories. He stepped elegantly across the wooden arch and performed dozens of skillful turns and poses, illuminated only by the fire. When he finished after a little over a minute, the blacksmith stood speechless before him. It was exactly as Cale had experienced in his past.

"I really like this sword. Forgive me for asking, but are you really not going to sell it?"

"Are you aware of what kind of sword this is?", she asked defiantly, pointing to the weapon with her hand. Cale automatically opened his palm and looked at the small engraved flower on the sword's hilt, as he looked back at the woman with feigned surprise.

"It's a Kama sword?"

"That's right, it's a sword from the Golden Hand of Linus Kama."

"Unbelievable", he commented in between, but the woman did not end her story with that statement and began to move toward the fire.

"Linus Kama had bequeathed this sword to his close friend Yosie Cuvelier, who had died during the war in Tsuke. I had found it purely by chance."

"How do you know so much about the sword's history? Linus Kama forged thousands of such swords, if I'm not mistaken?"

He lowered the sword to the ground with its tip pointing down while he followed the woman with his eyes. He knew that the negotiations about the price would now begin, but he couldn't resist asking the question.

However, when the red-haired woman did not answer and merely stared into the fire, a face he had not thought about in a long time was reflected before his eyes. No matter how he looked at it, the blacksmith had similar characteristics to Basil Kama. She was relatively tall, had reddish hair, and a muscular body. On top of that, she was skilled in blacksmithing and owned a Kama sword. If Cale didn't know better, then...

"...are you a primal human?"

With a surprised turn, the woman turned around impressively and suddenly turned pale. She couldn't utter a word as she stared at the swordmaster with wide eyes. Cale noticed that she was getting nervous and put an end to the awkward situation.

"I see - so that's how you know. You must be older than you appear", Cale said calmly, wearing his most reassuring smile so as not to unsettle the woman further. "Don't worry. I'm good at keeping secrets."

"How did you figure out that I'm a primal human?"

"I like to read, and ever since I heard that there was supposed to be a Kama in the Death Region of Winstest, my interest has drifted in that direction."

"A Kama lives in Winstest?", the woman repeated, confused.

"According to rumors, yes. His name should be Basil Kama."

"Are you sure?!", the woman burst out, her voice trembling with excitement as she rushed to his side. Grabbing Cale's arms with both hands, she stared into his eyes, almost breathless. "Are you absolutely certain?!"

"Rumors are rumors, but that's what I've heard."

The red-haired woman stared at him wordlessly, as if checking to see if he was lying. Of course, Cale knew that Basil lived there and also that he hadn't left that spot in over 50 years. Even though his statement was a few years too early, he didn't see any great danger in bringing two primal humans together. Except that Theo's future might change as a result. But he didn't care much about that. Judging by her expression, she knew Basil, or at least knew who he was.

"May I ask your name, Sir?", the blacksmith inquired after a moment, releasing her hold so Cale could ease the tension he hadn't realized had built in his muscles. Her grip had been remarkably strong - not surprising, given that she was a primal human. Their physical prowess far exceeded that of ordinary humans, which was why they were so often deemed dangerous.

"My name is Zod Adenia. May I inquire as to yours?"

"Leana Ford. Sir Adenia, I am deeply indebted to you!"

"Are you?", Cale replied, now visibly confused.

"Indeed. You can keep the sword, I'm giving it to you."

"Pardon?", Cale exclaimed in shock, looking at the woman, who was smiling contentedly.

"The information you gave me is worth more to me than you can imagine."

"But they're just... rumors."

"That's enough for me. You seem like a reasonable person, and I think my secret and the Kama sword are in good hands with you", she explained, reaching for the sword sheath, which was still wrapped in cloth. Stunned by his good fortune, he took the sheath, stared at the weapon for a moment, and then put it in his protective case.

"Are you really sure? Giving away a Kama sword just like that..."

"Absolutely, Sir Adenia."

Cale did not allow himself to ask any more questions. Without a word, he fastened the black weapon to his belt and looked up with satisfaction at the woman, who had also taken an unexpected turn in the story for him. The coincidence from his sixth life had struck again. He had come into possession of an incredibly rare and powerful weapon without having to sacrifice a single gold coin. With this unexpected bonus, he could now begin the finishing touches on his house and fulfill his dream of a full bookshelf. Fengari would get her sweets, and at the end of the evening, everyone would be happy.

He looked one last time at the blacksmith in front of him, who had no idea what she had done for him today. The woman who was also a primal human and was hiding in Bellator.

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