The wind had turned colder, but the furnace remained blazing hot.
Tetsu no Sosuke's gaze was utterly focused as he carefully extracted a piece of iron from the molten depths. Throughout the process, he held his breath, refusing to inhale any of the escaping fumes.
The Poison Refinement Method!
Iron forged using this technique could be infused with toxins according to the user's will. However, during the forging process, one had to be wary of the burning gases, as they too contained traces of poison.
Though not lethal, these toxins could produce various adverse effects depending on their composition.
Therefore, Sosuke meticulously monitored the weather, wind direction, and gas dispersion patterns during the Poison Refinement process. By allowing the fumes to be carried away by the wind, the already non-lethal toxins posed no threat.
Due to these restrictive conditions, Sosuke spent several days laboring over this piece of iron.
"It should be done now," he muttered, gazing at the iron on the anvil. Next came the cooling process, which would fix the toxin content within the metal.
How exactly did this work?
God only knows!
Just as Sosuke had no idea why Nichirin Blades forged using the Bloodforging Method granted Kanae enhanced stamina.
Many things remained unverified.
Bu Sosuke believed he would unravel these mysteries in the future.
The first step toward understanding would be the Nichirin Blade he was about to forge for the Love Pillar.
According to her specifications, the blade primarily needed enhanced weight, making the Bloodforging Method the most suitable approach.
Yet the thought of that impossibly strong woman pretending to be delicate left Sosuke utterly speechless.
After sealing off one side of the smithy to prevent toxic fumes from drifting into the Butterfly mansion, Sosuke turned and left his courtyard.
Holding a tray with a freshly brewed cup of medicine.
Shinobu opened the door, her eyes filled with anticipation. Instead, she was met with Sosuke's face.
In an instant, she turned her head away, muttering a small, defiant "Tch."
Sosuke chuckled softly as he entered the room. "How are you feeling today?"
"Spare me your false concern!" Shinobu scoffed. "No matter how kind you pretend to be, I will never condone your ambitions."
He pushed open a window to let in some fresh air, then turned back. "The weather is starting to cool down. We need to keep the room warm. So, let's air it out for just half an hour, okay?"
He sat beside her and picked up the medicine from the tray. After checking the temperature, he handed it to Shinobu.
She reluctantly took the cup and drank the medicine, her resentment palpable.
Her injury had suddenly increased the pressure on Butterfly mansion. Many patients needed treatment, and she had been their primary caregiver. Now, bedridden, she watched as the few young girls under her care struggled to keep up.
Thus, the task of delivering her medicine had fallen to Sosuke, the man she loathed most.
If she had her way, Shinobu would never have accepted anything from him. But now... she gritted her teeth.
'I need to drink the medicine, recover quickly, and escape this predicament.'
Otherwise, she would always be at someone else's mercy.
Like... well, not exactly like, but she had stubbornly gulped down the medicine in one go, her entire face contorting from the bitter taste.
There it was—the Pug!
Sosuke suppressed a laugh, worried that if he dared to chuckle, the girl would attack him even with her still-healing wounds.
After cleaning up the cup, Sosuke ruffled Shinobu's hair.
At this point, Shinobu no longer had the strength to dodge.
She glared at him with murderous intent. Tetsu no Sosuke's name was no exaggeration; his skin was probably thicker than iron, completely impervious to her glare. "Rest well," he said, as if speaking to a child.
This condescending tone only fueled Shinobu's fury!
Alas, her anger had nowhere to go. After tidying up his belongings, Sosuke left the room.
He left with only one parting remark: "I'll come back in half an hour to close the window for you."
"I don't need you to!"
The door slammed shut, leaving Shinobu uncertain whether he had even heard her.
As Sosuke stepped out of the room, he let out a sigh of relief when he saw the person standing across from him.
"You're finally back," he said, looking at Kanae. "If you hadn't returned soon, I was seriously considering going to find you myself."
Kanae's face showed traces of fatigue. She glanced at Sosuke, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, before her gaze shifted to the door behind him. "How is she?"
"Recovering well," Sosuke replied. "Aoi said the wound is healing decently. She should be able to get up and move around in a few days."
After speaking, he stepped closer to Kanae, frowning as he examined her face.
"What's wrong?"
She instinctively touched her cheek. "Is there something dirty on my face?"
Sosuke sighed. "Even if you're anxious, you need to take care of yourself. The look on your face tells me you're the one who needs rest."
"I want to check on her first," Kanae said.
Sosuke paused. "Her condition is stable. Go wash your face first—the exhaustion is written all over it. If she saw you like this, it would only worry her more."
Kanae nodded and murmured, "Thank you."
"Why are you being so formal with me?" Sosuke chuckled, remembering Shinobu's words. "I'm a man with ambitions, you know."
Kanae seemed to recall the same thing, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Shinobu was just teasing."
"Not this time," Sosuke shook his head. "Go wash your face, check on her, and then get some proper rest."
"Okay."
After washing his face with Kanae, Sosuke arrived at Shinobu's door but didn't enter. He sensed that his presence would make the atmosphere awkward, so he sat down outside with his arms crossed, waiting.
He could still hear Shinobu's complaints: He's so mean! He touched my head! He opens and closes my windows every day without asking! and so on.
Sosuke chuckled as he listened, and the commotion continued inside.
It wasn't until Shinobu finally fell asleep from exhaustion that Kanae emerged.
She glanced at Sosuke, who was sitting on the ground, her tired eyes softening with tenderness.
"Thank you for taking care of her these past few days," she said, taking his hand and pulling him to his feet.
Sosuke smiled. "It was my pleasure. You should get some rest."
"I can't sleep anymore," Kanae shook her head. "Would you walk with me?"
____
P.S. You know what—scratch the Power Stone goal. Here three chapters.