Tina's Workshop Story: The Blacksmith Girl with Sake and War Hammer - The Demon Hag of the Hammer Sound Inn and the Three Would-Be Apprentices

The forge fire blazed painfully bright against her hungover head. Damn it all, it's way too noisy for this early in the morning... As the morning sun crept into the eastern district of Chromgard, Tina—owner of the smithy "Hammer Tone Pavilion"—pressed her throbbing temples and lit the forge. For this dwarf, smithing and drinking were the twin wheels of life. She'd just overdone it last night, apparently. Standing a mere 138 centimeters—about the height of a human child—she possessed a generous chest and muscular arms forged through years of smithing and adventuring. Her short orange hair was tied back carelessly, and she narrowed her small, four-white eyes to peer into the forge. The black cloth wrapped around her head was stained with soot, and her upper body was clad in nothing but a leather belt—a highly exposed style. Her dark green open-crotch chaps revealed a black *fundoshi* beneath. The workshop, built to match her stature, seemed tidy at a glance, yet bottles and jars of liquor were perpetually scattered about. A sudden noise came from the corner of the workshop. "Nnng... pwahhh." She looked over to find Ganzo, a former copper-rank adventurer, helping himself to last night's leftover booze. A human in his mid-fifties, he was a potbellied man past his prime. Sweat beaded on his balding head as he lounged about as if he owned the place. You bastard, that's my rum! Tina snatched up her war hammer, Donnergram, which leaned nearby, and gave Ganzo a light tap on the back of the head. The fact that she could call an eighteen-kilogram blow "light" spoke volumes about her monstrous strength. Ganzo let out an exaggerated yelp. B-Boss! I was just joking! I only meant to have one last cup! That "last cup" turned into about ten! Get your ass back to your own shop! After chasing Ganzo out, Tina let out a heavy sigh. Hammer Tone Pavilion was a smithy, yes, but it had also become a hangout for former adventurers. They all called her "Boss" and looked up to her. But the truth was, her willingness to look after them meant they often took advantage of her. She picked up her hammer again. The weight that should have felt familiar in her hands seemed a little heavier today. ...Back in the day, this was nothing. Her muttering was swallowed by the forge fire. She was born in this city. The Ortgal Mountains run north to south through the center of the Velgrant continent. At their eastern foot lies the mining city of Chromgard, population twelve thousand. Forty percent dwarf, fifty percent human, ten percent other races. This district, nicknamed "Hammer Tone Street," was packed with smiths just like her. Once, Tina had made a name for herself as a gold-rank adventurer in the Adventurers' Mutual Aid League, "Vandor." As a dwarven heavy warrior, she'd completed countless quests. During the "Crimson Mist Calamity" roughly forty years ago, she'd fought on the front lines as a gold-rank. But she retired fifteen years ago and took over this smithy her old man had left behind. Vandor was a massive organization with branches across the continent, boasting forty thousand registered adventurers. Among its six-tier ranking system—stone, copper, iron, silver, gold, platinum—only about thirty active gold-rank adventurers existed. She had come close to that pinnacle. But now, her hiatus had been far too long. Well, that's all ancient history. Just as she pulled herself together and placed an iron ingot into the forge, the bell at the shop entrance rang. Three young people stood there, backlit by the late-morning light. At the front was a boy with brown, curly hair and gentle, drooping dark-brown eyes—Leon. He stood a lanky 172 centimeters, but his shoulders were stiff with tension. Peeking out beside him was a girl with red hair tied in a side-tail, Leena. Her greenish eyes, harboring a challenging light, darted around the workshop. At 160 centimeters, she was slender, her features still holding a hint of childishness. Hanging back slightly was a girl with a short, pale-blue haircut and intelligent, light-blue eyes, Milia. Her 162-centimeter frame was willowy, and she carried an air of constant analysis about her. So you're the rumored Demon Midget! Those were Leena's first words. In the next instant, Leon frantically covered her mouth. Y-You idiot! That's so rude! Calm down, Leon. Let's assess the situation first. Milia stepped forward and gave Tina a slight bow. We were referred here by the Vandor Chromgard branch as a consultation point for weapon selection. My name is Milia. This is Leon, and this rude one here is Leena. Who're you calling rude?! Tina set down her hammer, placed her hands on her hips, and looked the three of them over. Huh. So Vandor's sending me newbies these days, is it? Well, you three have "freshly minted adventurer" written all over your faces. Y-Yes! We just got promoted to copper rank three days ago... Hey, Leon, say it with some pride! We passed the exam fair and square, didn't we?! But we've only done one quest so far... Tina couldn't help but laugh. *Ah, that's how it was,* she thought. When she'd first become an adventurer, she'd been just as reckless, failing constantly. There had been a senpai who guided her back then. She turned down the forge fire and faced the three of them. All right, I'll take a look. First, you—Leon, was it? Pick up that shield over there and take a stance. With a tense expression, Leon picked up a wooden practice medium shield that was leaning against the wall. The hefty weight made his feet wobble slightly. Tina circled Leon silently, observing him from every angle. Your center of gravity's leaning too far right. You're unconsciously bracing to run away. Eh, ah, yes... But, well, not bad. A cautious personality suits a shield-bearer. Plus, you've got good observation skills. You've been tracking my gaze properly this whole time. A one-handed sword and medium shield combination would suit you. Next, she had Leena do some target practice. Flustered, Leena missed two shots in a row. But Tina watched her posture intently the moment the arrows went wide. Whoa there, you're rushing too much. But your reaction after missing is fast. Your reflexes are impressive. Use a lightweight short bow. Even if you miss, you'll recover quickly. Guess having no chest makes it easier to draw a bow... Leena muttered under her breath. Leon hurriedly tried to cover for her, but Tina burst into loud laughter. Don't be stupid! You can draw a bow just fine with a big chest! Look at me! Tina thumped her own ample chest with a *boom*. Leena stared blankly for a moment, then burst out laughing. Y-You're right... that's amazing, Master. Finally, it was Milia's turn. Tina took a small ore stone from her workbench—used for measuring mana conductivity—and handed it to Milia. You've got good-quality mana. But you're the type who gets stuck in your own head. Something happen at the magic academy? Milia's shoulders twitched. ...Yes. At the academy, my theories were rejected as heresy. But I want to prove them in real combat. That my ideas aren't wrong. I see. Then before you spin theories, learn with your body first. Try using this staff. What Tina handed her was a simply made mage's staff. No flashy decorations, no special runes carved into it. But the moment she held it, Milia's eyes flew wide open. ...The mana flows through it so easily. Forget the theory. Feel it. Tina looked over the three of them. Each one was gazing at the weapon in their hands as if it were a treasure. At that moment, Leon bowed deeply. Miss Tina! Please, make us your apprentices! Leena and Milia bowed as well, right after him. I have a sick little sister. I want to get stronger so I can earn money for her treatment. Strong enough to protect someone. I want the strength to protect someone. I want to prove my theories. But more than that, I want to become a mage who's actually useful in real combat. Old memories stirred in Tina's chest. The faces of comrades she couldn't protect during the Crimson Mist Calamity. Back then, she'd been too inexperienced, unable to do anything. (*Maybe... I can become someone who protects others again.*) She stood before the three of them and folded her arms. Fine. But prepare yourselves. I'm lazy, short-tempered, and I love my booze. It's gonna be tough. Yes! Thank you! Master! In that instant, Leena suddenly bolted. All right! Then here's the first lesson! Master, let's go bust some heads! Leena shot out like a bullet and crashed head-on into a passing cart. The load of straw collapsed, and Leena went tumbling, covered head to toe in it. Leena! We should have started with situational awareness, it seems. Seeing Leena sit up with straw still on her head, Tina clutched her stomach laughing. Ahahaha! You—first learn to protect yourself! Today's training is over. Starting tomorrow, I'm drilling you hard! Leon frantically brushed the straw off Leena's head, while Milia sighed in exasperation. Leena looked down, embarrassed, and murmured in a small voice. ...Thank you, Master. At dusk, as the four of them discussed the next day's training plan out front, the street beyond suddenly grew noisy. A bad feeling hit Tina, and she looked over. A crowd had gathered in front of the notice board. She could hear angry shouts and anxious voices. "Hey, did you see that?" "They're calling it a distilled liquor ban!" "All spirits above twenty-five percent are completely banned? Are they insane?!" Tina silently pushed through the crowd and made her way to the notice board. Her short stature meant people naturally parted to let her through. There, an official proclamation bearing the signature of Magistrate Feldrich had been posted. *"The production, sale, and possession of distilled spirits (alcohol content of twenty-five percent or higher) within the municipal boundaries of Chromgard is hereby prohibited. Violators shall be subject to a fine of fifty gold coins or thirty days' detention. Fermented beverages (beer, wine) are exempt from this article."* The tankard in Tina's hand shattered into pieces. Rum seeped into the cobblestones. This wasn't just harassment aimed at drink-lovers. This was a discriminatory ordinance that denied the very foundation of her people's—the dwarves'—culture. Dwarves revered distilled spirits above all else, even holding a saying: "One who refuses drink is one who closes their heart." And now, they were trying to trample their culture underfoot with the power of money. All emotion drained from her eyes. Leon, Leena, and Milia froze at the sight of their master's anger—an expression they'd never seen before. ...You three. Go home for today. Leaving only those words behind, Tina disappeared into the back of the workshop without even extinguishing the forge fire. The three could say nothing. All they could do was watch their master's back as she left. The setting sun dyed Hammer Tone Street a deep crimson.

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Episode 1

Name: Tina's Workshop Story: The Blacksmith Girl with Sake and War Hammer
Author: Novelia

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