That night, the smell of Lylia's cooking filled the workshop. She had made a big meal that included roast chicken, fresh bread, and a stew that tasted like comfort food. People were excited to eat because they had been eating bad food for too long.

Felix said, "Ahhhhh~ It felt like I tasted heaven... this... IS... DELICIOUS," while chewing on some chicken. "I love you, Lylia. Will you marry me?"

"No," Lylia said, not looking up from her food.

"Nooooooo..." Felix said that while stuffing his mouth full of stew.

Hammy, who had been exploring the kitchen, jumped over to see what was cooking. The slime landed on Lylia's shoulder and chirped with interest after it smelled good.

Lylia blinked at Greg and then at the thing. "Did you bring some slime home?"

"Yes."

"Of course you did." She reached up and pet Hammy softly, and right away he started to make happy chirping sounds. "What do you call it?"

Marina said, "That's Hammy. Short for hammer, because it has a hammer in it."

"That's so cute," Lylia said, and Hammy seemed to like the praise.

After dinner, when everyone was relaxed and full, Lylia cleared her throat and took out a letter that looked like it came from the kingdom.

"I need to tell you all something," she said, and her face got serious. "The reason they called me back to Aethermoor."

Everyone leaned in and paid close attention to her. "What? What happened?!"

Lylia said, "The war is over. Peace has finally been reached after fifteen years of fighting between Aethermoor and the Northern Coalition. Two weeks ago, a treaty was signed."

"That's great news!" Seraphine said.

Lylia said, "It is. But when there is peace, there is celebration, and when there is celebration, there is politics."

"The Royal Knight Order is putting together a festival to celebrate the peace treaty. A Festival of Creation, where craftsmen and artists from both kingdoms will show off their work."

She showed the letter. "This is an invitation. They want me to be a representative from the western territories because I'm one of the ex-Royal Knight Order, and they also want me to bring guests."

"Guests?" Greg asked.

"Wait... I think I know where this is going."

"Yup, you know it. They said your name," Lylia said, looking at Greg. "People are talking about the famous blacksmith who won't make weapons but will make SSS-ranked household items. The Knight Commander would like to see you."

Greg thought everyone was looking at him. "I fucking knew it..."

"Yes, you," Lylia said. "They're calling it the Festival of Blacksmith Creation. Smiths from all over the continent will be competing to show off their best work, and of course, being invited is a huge honor."

"And there's more," Lylia said. "The festival doesn't only take place in Aethermoor. It's taking place in a neutral area between the eastern and western kingdoms."

"There is a city called Meridian that was built to show how peaceful things are now. It is exactly in the middle of Aethermoor in the east and Valdris territories in the west."

"How far is that from here?" Marina wanted to know.

Lylia said, "It will take about two weeks to get there with our carriage because of how fast it is."

"And also the festival lasts a week, so we'd be gone for at least a month."

"One month?" Elwen said in a soft voice. "That is a long time."

"Yes, it is," Lylia said. "That's why I'm not making anyone come. You have the choice. But I would like the company, and I think it would be good for Greg to see more of the world outside of Ferndale."

Greg looked around at the family he had found. Marina was looking at him with an expression of encouragement. Bork was excited about the idea of traveling and seeing new places.

Felix was so excited that he was almost vibrating. Seraphine looked like she was thinking about the pros and cons of going on such a trip.

Elwen seemed nervous but interested. Mira and Donetta clasped hands, demonstrating their readiness to back any decision.

Hammy, who was sitting on Greg's shoulder, chirped softly as if it had something to say about the situation. "Alright, alright... I guess having a trip together will be nice."

"When do we have to go?" Greg asked.

Lylia said, "Three weeks because the festival starts in six weeks. We would need time to get ready and go."

Marina said, "That's not a lot of time."

"No, it's not," Lylia said. "But chances like this don't come up very often. Greg, the Knight Commander asked for you by name."

"They want to find out what kind of person makes legendary items but won't make weapons. In some circles, you've become a bit of a legend."

Greg said, "A legend of chaos."

Lylia gently corrected, "A legend of peace. Your philosophy has spread, whether you meant it to or not. People talk about the blacksmith who makes bonds instead of weapons. That message makes sense in a world that has finally found peace after years of war."

Greg looked down at his hands, the same hands that had almost killed Elias and made both good and bad things happen. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a symbol for someone."

Marina took his hand and said, "You don't have to be a symbol. You only need to be yourself. That's all."

"And you won't be by yourself," Lylia said. "Anyone who decides to come will be there for you. This is about showing the world what peace can do if it is given a chance."

Greg thought about the blacksmith who had died in the cave. He had spent his whole life trying to make something perfect by himself.

He thought about the knowledge that had been passed down from generation to generation through teaching and sharing. He also thought about the family he had made in Ferndale and the people who had been there for him through everything.

"Can we take Hammy?" he asked.

Lylia blinked at the question and then smiled. "I don't see why not. Having a slime friend might actually be helpful because many cultures think they bring good luck."

Hammy chirped with excitement and jumped on Greg's shoulder, clearly pleased with the plan.

Greg said, "Then I'm in. But I want to be clear that I'm not trying to win anything."

"I'm just going to show what I believe in, and I also want to have fun."

"That's all anyone can ask for," Lylia said, looking relieved and thankful.

"Who else wants to join?" Marina asked, looking around the table.

"I'm going for sure!" Felix said yes right away. "Let's go on a road trip with lots of adventure! New places! I also want to see what other blacksmiths make. Maybe I'll learn something!"

Bork said, "I'll come. Someone has to keep Boss and Felix from getting into trouble. Furthermore, I want to find out if eastern dwarves make better beer than western dwarves."

"I should come for research," Seraphine said. "A festival of craftsmen from different kingdoms is a great chance to compare and contrast."

Elwen said quietly, "I'll go wherever Master Greg goes. If he'll take me."

"Of course," Greg said with a smile.

"We'll go too!" Mira and Donetta echoed the same sentiment, and Hammy agreed while perched on Greg's shoulder.

Everyone turned to Marina, who was crying but smiling. "Like I'd let you go on a month-long trip without me. Furthermore, someone needs to make sure you don't accidentally cause diplomatic problems with your strange things."

"I don't mean to cause diplomatic problems," Greg said.

"No, you do it by accident, which is somehow worse."

Lylia looked at all of them with a warm smile on her face. "Then it's set. The Brotherhood of Peace is going to the Blacksmith Creation Festival. In three weeks, we leave."

"To new adventures!" Bork lifted his mug.

"To new adventures," everyone said, clinking their cups together.

Hammy jumped up and down on the table, chirping in approval. Greg couldn't help but smile, even though he was nervous about what was to come. No matter what happened at this festival, he would at least be with his family.

And maybe, he could figure out how to become the legend that people thought he was without ruining everything in the process. But knowing his luck, he would probably make another banned item before they even got out of Ferndale.

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