บท 63: In Search Of Answers

As usual, the bear acts as the guide. The hammer is wondering about where we are going.

"This bear can attest that this guardian is cool. No need to worry!"

Didn't she threaten him a little while ago?

I might be misremembering.

"This hammer is not worried, just curious. I can't wait to meet a guardian!"

[Technically you have already met the dwarf.]

"He was one?! Seriously?! But he is so short!"

[Dude, you are a literal hammer. You are smaller than any creature here.]

"Who cares! It is all about being angular and talented!"

"What's the point of being angular?"

Thus starts a whole discussion about the benefits of …being a hammer. The bear seems to think that there are a few upsides to it, mainly to be able to stay still easily. Yes, thanks to the inability to move. Also to be able to fade in the background. No one would suspect a tool after all.

At some point, I do tell him that it's impossible to hide well if one cannot hide in itself. It would just be called playing mute. I see him shiver. He's probably thinking about how much of a horrible existence it would be. Totally for the wrong reasons. Well at least according to common sense.

Only upside to a hammer? Spending all day nailing hot …. haha You know, forging. At some point, the bear offers to teach him what he learned from me. He respectfully asks me for my permission too. But, of course, the hammer declines.

Then it's vice-versa. The bear refusing to learn forging. You'd expect them to get tired of it right away…. Nope. They just keep adding reasons as to why their discipline is the best. Going back and forth.

Honestly, I am proud of my bullshiting talent, but these guys are definitively promising. Eventually, we reach the spider's territory. For some reason, the bear seems hesitant to go in. Then he calls out to her in advance!

"Guardian, this bear is here!"

[I'm sure she'll sense us, don't worry. Let's just go in.]

He stops trembling and follows beside me. Like right next to me. He reminds me of a kid worried to go alone in a new place. Kinda cute. How am I finding a giant bear cute? Well, it kind of is like a big plushie. A talking one to boot! One that can rip you in half in a heartbeat. The last detail is irrelevant.

We finally reach that sweet house. Honestly, I want one like that. It has real furniture! Not like my sham of a house that only has a throne. Well, also fake furniture made with magic. I could call myself the king of the destitute.

*Kock Knock*

[Hey, are you there? Something big happened.]

Then again when I'm saying it like this it doesn't sound urgent. Everything is dealt with already. I just want answers. I wonder how long we'll have to …

"BOO!!!"

There she comes. I had a hunch she was gonna do that.

"AHHHHHH Don't cook this bear!!!!"

"HAHAHA How much of scaredy bear are you to …"

As soon as the hammer starts talking… The spider retreats as fast as spiderly possible, using all these long shiny legs of hers to run away.

Then she glares at the tool. In her hand, she starts gathering a fireball. What?! Why?! That fireball seems stronger than the dragon fire! It is more condensed for sure. What the hell?! Hell no! I am not putting out another forest fire today!

[What are you doing?! We just came to visit!]

She shudders, then she regains her composure.

"That…what is that?!"

[Oh? My new hammer. I enchanted it so it can help me forge a weapon.]

Now that I think about it this may be a bit mean. I gave sentience to a tool …only for it to craft another tool. Quite similar to that robot that only exists to pass the butter. Will my hammer go into depression too?

"I will be the best blacksmith of all time! My name will resound across the land, people will all know …"

Nope, he's fine.

[Dude that's enough I think.]

"My super cool introduction!!!"

[You can do it later when I'm not listening. Got more pressing matters.]

Also, why did she react so strongly to a simple hammer?

She extinguishes the spell.

[Were you aware that a dragon attacked us?]

"Oh, that? Just an overgrown lizard, no? You guys dealt with it properly, right?"

Is there an established procedure for that kind of shit?

[We baited it to Yggdrasil.]

"Yes, good job."

[How are you so calm? How often does this usually happen?]

"Not sure, not that often. But there is always one that comes to die from time to time."

[Can we expect anything dangerous other than that?]

"There really isn't a way to tell. Historically it is mostly dragons that rampage. The others tend to behave."

[The others?]

"Well, this forest is one that is quite popular with travelers."

[Wait you guys do tourism?!]

"No, we kill most. Drive a few away. Some stay here and join our ranks."

[How is it still popular with travelers if you guys kill them?!]

"Well, it's not the same ones. Some will try their luck and die. Then people from the same place halt their exploration for a while. Until they eventually forget about the danger."

[Don't they have written records telling people not to come here?]

"There are some, but there are always a few dumbasses that ignore it."

True. Even back on earth, there was a lot of that stuff. You would look at a product like gasoline and it would say no to drink it. For a reason, for a good reason. Some things you'd expect everyone to know about, but apparently the label was necessary.

I guess it can't be helped if there a few intruders from time to time. Even a modern world has non-documented immigrants. Of course, a place like this would too. Especially if there are no easily defined borders.

For instance, where is the line where they intrude upon the forest exactly? Is it the forest, or even the area surrounding it? I don't know. This might become complicated. Still, I'm kinda expecting to learn about this world.

After seeing the animals here, and the magic…

This world seems amazing!