He thought about the trip that had brought him here. From his death as the Warhammer Saint to his reincarnation and refusal to make weapons.

From his small workshop in Ferndale to this moment, when he won one of the continent's most prestigious competitions. This was the result of every choice, every challenge, and every person he had met.

[You really did it... you crazy son of a bitch! Even in this second life, you're still going to be a Legend!]

Greg was surprised to see the system's message again after a long time, but he tried to ignore it.

[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: The Growing Legend from Zero!]

"What the fuck is this achievement supposed to mean...?" Greg said in his mind.

"Are you thinking deep thoughts?" Marina came out to the balcony with two glasses of wine. She gave him one, and he gratefully accepted it.

Greg said, "I'm just thinking about last year at this time, all I wanted to do was make farming tools and stay hidden back then, but... now I'm here with all of you, and I'm really winning things just to be remembered even more."

Marina said, "You're not just winning things."

"You're making people think differently because the Mentor's Hammer is going to change the way apprenticeships work all over the continent."

"Master Edgard was already talking about hiring people to make copies for the big smithing guilds."

Greg said, "That's scary."

Marina replied, "No, no, no! It's kind of amazing actually." She leaned against him, and the warmth felt good and familiar. "Do you know what the best part of today was?"

"The win was fantastic, but that wasn't the best part. The best part was witnessing our family come together! Everyone was helping one another and giving their all. That's what truly matters!"

"When did you get so smart?" Greg was made fun of.

"I've always been smart. You just don't pay attention." She nudged him with her elbow. "About your strange meeting with Hilda, then."

"Marina—"

She cut him off and said, "Just to clarify, I'm not jealous, but... maybe a little."

"Well, mostly I'm just curious. She seemed really nice, and she mentioned needing to discuss something important with you. It sounds serious."

Greg said, "She wants to meet at the west gate after the ceremony. She made it obvious that it was private."

"Then you should go without us," Marina said with authority. "You should comply with their requests if they have saved your life, and then you can ask for a favor."

"Just be careful, okay? And if she does anything wrong, I'll teach her a lesson."

Greg said, "Noted," and he couldn't help but laugh.

They stood together in comfortable silence for a while longer, but then Marina yawned and said she was going to sleep. Greg stayed on the balcony for a little while longer, finishing his wine and looking at the city lights.

He must have fallen asleep while leaning against the railing because the next thing he knew, someone was gently shaking his shoulder. Greg opened his eyes and saw Hilda standing there, looking a little sorry.

"I'm sorry to wake you up," she said softly. "But you did say you would meet me after the ceremony. I thought I'd save you the trip to the west gate."

Greg stood up straight and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, that's right. Sorry, it was a long day..."

"That makes sense. You won a big competition here." Hilda's smile was real. "By the way, congratulations. I saw the judging, and that hammer is truly a masterpiece!"

"Thanks." Greg looked back at the workshop, where he could hear snoring from more than one person. "You said you wanted to talk about something important?"

"I do." Hilda's face got serious. "But not here. Can you go with me?"

"It might take you twenty minutes to walk there, and someone wants to see you."

Greg hesitated because of the way she spoke. "Someone wants to see me...? Who?"

"A buyer," Hilda said slowly. "I've been holding onto a specific type of ore for almost three years now. It's very rare, and I've been waiting for the right buyer for a long time."

"Someone who would know how to use it right and see its worth."

"And why does this buyer want to meet me?"

"I suggested that you meet with this buyer after reviewing your work." Hilda looked him straight in the eye. "This ore, Greg, is one of a kind."

"It could be dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. But someone like you, who makes things with a purpose and a philosophy, who turned sabotage into a lesson. Person can use it."

Greg thought about this. Months of dealing with unexpected events had sharpened his instincts, telling him not to be afraid. Hilda seemed real, and she had saved his life. This felt more like an opportunity than a threat, if anything.

"Okay," he finally said. "Let me write Marina a note so she doesn't worry."

"Smart man," Hilda said.

Greg quickly wrote a note saying where he had gone and with whom. He left it where Marina would find it when she woke up. Then he went outside with Hilda to the night streets of Meridian.

Most of the people who had come to the festival had gone home or to their favorite bars by now. Hilda took him down several side streets, moving with the confidence of someone who knew the city well.

"You've been mining around Meridian for years?" Greg asked while they were walking.

"Five years now," Hilda said. "I found my first good vein about three months in."

"I've been working on my reputation since then. But I found the ore I want to show you in my second year."

"It's the deepest hole I've ever dug. There was this old cave with shapes I'd never seen before, and right in the middle, it was stuck in the wall like it had been waiting."

"What kind of ore?" Greg was genuinely interested now.

Hilda smiled in a strange way. "You'll see, but I will say this once."

"Over the past three years, dozens of blacksmiths, enchanters, and artificers have looked at it. They all knew how powerful it was."

"Most of them wanted to buy it right away. But they all didn't get it... well... not really. They saw a tool that could make strong things. They didn't realize how much work it would be."

They went down a narrow alley that led to a small courtyard. In the middle was a wagon with a thick canvas cover. Someone stood next to it, wearing a cloak and hood even though it was a warm night.

"Is this the buyer?" Greg asked in a low voice.

Hilda said, "Yeah. They've come a long way to get here. Partly because of the festival, but mostly because I told them about you."

"What?! You told them about me?!" Greg felt betrayed hearing that.

"It's fine. You should feel proud to be known across continents because of your idealism, you know?"

"Still... it could've ruined my perfect peaceful life."

As they got closer, the cloaked figure turned, and Greg's breath caught. Their movements and the shape of their shoulders were recognizable to him.

"Greg Greyson," the figure said, and the voice confirmed what Greg had already thought. "The Blacksmith who refused to make Weapons."

"The redeemed Warhammer Saint."

"The Festival of Blacksmith Creation's winner."

"You've become quite well-known."

"And who are you?" Greg asked, but he was starting to think he already knew.

The person reached up and pulled their hood back, showing features that made many things suddenly clear. Greg stared, trying to figure out what this meant and why this person would come to him through Hilda.

The figure said simply, "We need to talk about the ore, about the future, and about purpose."

"Greg Greyson, whether you like it or not, you've started something that's bigger than you think. And there are powerful people who are starting to pay attention."

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