That day, Broken received news from the knights that someone was waiting for him in the garden.
Who could it be? he wondered.
Clearing up his work, he hurried out of the blacksmith workshop and headed to the garden. There, he saw a woman sitting on a long iron bench, dressed in a white gown with a straw hat and carrying a wooden basket.
“Ivana?” Broken thought, puzzled. How could Ivana get into the castle grounds, with all the tight security?
He quickened his pace, and soon Ivana noticed him coming. She stood up and waved enthusiastically. She had a cheerful smile when he reached her.
“Good morning, Broken… Are you surprised to see me here?” she said with a giggle.
“Good morning…” he paused for a moment. “How did you get access to this area, Ivana?”
Ivana chuckled softly, covering her mouth with her hand. “Yesterday, Sir Lionell came to see me and told me I had been granted permission to deliver food to you once a day.”
“Really? Sir Lionell?”
Ivana nodded. “Maybe it’s because of your good reputation and the value of your skills to the palace. They must have trusted you enough to let me in, too.”
Broken fell silent for a moment, recalling his conversation with Princess Alora the previous day. Could it be that she granted Ivana permission after hearing about his daily meals from her?
Previously, Ivana would leave the food she brought with the guards, who would then deliver it to Broken. This arrangement was due to Knight Lionell mentioning Broken’s name to the guards stationed near the gate by the blacksmith workshop. But today, Ivana had come directly into the castle grounds.
Broken smiled and nodded. “I’m happy to see you here,” he said.
They then sat down on the iron bench, and Ivana quickly opened the wooden basket. The aroma of the food wafted out instantly.
“Roast meat?” Broken exclaimed, suddenly feeling hungrier and eager to dig in.
Ivana giggled. “Booba and Freya helped me hunt in the forest, so I was able to gather enough quality ingredients for this dish,” she said enthusiastically. “They love my cooking and always finish it, as do some members of the Ass Guild. So I keep cooking for them.”
Broken chuckled softly. “Hearing you mention Booba and Freya helping you hunt sounds funny, while I’m sure you wouldn’t get a scratch even if you went alone.”
He paused for a moment, noticing the puzzled look on Ivana’s face. “But of course, they love your cooking. A chef with your skills should be paid handsomely if working in the palace, yet you give your meals away for free?”
Ivana shook her head. “No, Broken… I don’t give it away for free…”
“Then?”
“Booba rents me a nice place to live… And Mr. Goldrich often provides high-quality ingredients. He only takes a small portion of what I cook. They really are good people,” she said with enthusiasm.
While Broken smiled and nodded slowly, he couldn’t help but think that it was Ivana herself who was too kind to everyone. She seemed to have no ill will towards anyone. At least the people around her right now were trustworthy. He hoped that no one would ever try to take advantage of her kindness.
“So, what have you been up to these past few weeks?” he inquired.
Ivana began taking the food out of her wooden basket, preparing it for Broken as she spoke. “I’ve been hunting monsters with Freya and Booba. They are very friendly and kind to me.”
“Why does it sound like they’re using you to level up?” he said jokingly.
Ivana laughed lightly at his comment. “Not quite,” she replied with a smile. “They often ask me to stay behind in case they can’t handle the monsters they come across. Plus, Booba is really friendly, even though he never seems to stop talking.”
Broken eagerly devoured the roast meat she had brought, savoring the flavor. “I really like your cooking, Ivana,” he said with a smile.
Ivana returned the smile warmly and nodded slowly. “I’ll bring you food every day,” she offered, pausing for a moment in thought. “Is there any specific dish you’d like? I just got some new and delicious recipes from Mr. Goldrich, and I’d love to make them for you one by one.”
“Thanks,” he said softly. “While I won’t be able to join you in hunting for a while, I’ll pay you for the food you make for me.”
But Ivana shook her head and chuckled. “You don’t need to worry. Freya and Booba helped me gather the ingredients for this dish. We’re doing this to support you, okay? I just want to do this small thing to repay your kindness,” she explained.
He smiled faintly at her words. “You must never think of yourself as small, alright? You’re an extraordinary individual. You’re incredibly talented in everything you do, and you’re kind to everyone.”
“Uhm…” she said, looking a bit puzzled before laughing softly. “I’m happy to hear such praise from you. You can also say some very sweet things sometimes,” she said with a chuckle.
The curious blacksmiths inside the smithy peeked out from their windows quietly, their eyes wide with surprise and curiosity as they watched Broken and Ivana together. They saw the two of them sitting close, occasionally exchanging warm smiles and gentle laughter.
“He sure is quite the playboy!” one of them remarked.
“Yeah, I suppose so… Do you think he used his blacksmithing talents to attract the ladies?” another asked.
“I would say so,” the first replied. “With the craftsmanship and luck he has, he can definitely attract women with those skills.”
“I’ll have to work harder so that I can also get the attention of a woman as beautiful as her,” a third chimed in.
“Yeah, why not? Is it possible that he worked hard with the intention of drawing the attention
of women?”
“He’s really quite inspiring,” the second noted.
“Now he is my number one idol and role model,” the first added.
[Name: Broken]
[Level: 107]
[Class: Unique – Super Novice | Unique – Royal Blacksmith]
[Health: 2,680 | Mana: 3,108]
[Strength: 525 | Agility: 304 | Intelligence: 274 | Constitution: 218 | Stamina: 220]
[Charisma: 100 | Luck: 35 | Dexterity: 50 | Survival: 30 | Perception: 20]
[Available Stat Points: 250]
[Weight: 1,983/3,150]
While enjoying the food Ivana had brought, Broken took a moment to check his overall stats, something he hadn’t updated in a while. He noticed that his level had increased since he last won the competition. However, he felt that his progress had slowed down, even though it had been three weeks since the competition ended.
Curious, Broken decided to spend all of his available stat points. He thought carefully about the best allocation he needed. After a moment of contemplation, he took a deep breath, realizing he truly needed a high Intelligence stat to cover the Mana deficit from using his high-tier skills with his Legendary weapons. Additionally, a higher Intelligence would boost his Magic Damage, which was essential since the Wavebreaker Spear dealt Water Elemental
Magic Damage.
He then decided to balance his stats in a way that would ensure the final damage output he
desired.
[Health: 3,080 | Mana: 4,188]
[Strength: 565 | Agility: 344 | Intelligence: 364 | Constitution: 258 | Stamina: 260]
[Charisma: 100 | Luck: 35 | Dexterity: 50 | Survival: 30 | Perception: 20]
Broken was quite satisfied with the end result. Although his Constitution and Stamina values
still lagged behind, at least his mana pool had increased dramatically.
Next, seeing his updated stats, he remembered that he wanted to test his improved combat
abilities against monsters. What if he spent some time hunting?
With renewed enthusiasm, he reached out and grabbed Ivana’s hand, momentarily surprising her. “Ivana, let’s go hunt,” he said.
