Atiste wasn’t exactly short on money.
He had simply lived a life of plunder for far too long, and he wanted to enjoy the lifestyle of the “wealthy.”
He had stayed in this world for 500 years and witnessed many regime changes.
Every country had different currencies.
Now that Lillian had the divine skill of manifesting silver coins out of thin air, wasn’t that just wonderful?
“System, is there a way for me to return to 500 years ago?”
[System Error… & Please re-enter command %… &*]
‘It seems there’s no way. Let me rephrase the question: Can I have Eileen interfere with events from 500 years ago?’
[Please enter the correct command %… & ( )]*
Atiste finally understood.
The System probably didn’t even know which timeline it was currently in.
He continued to watch the screen.
Lillian had successfully acquired three empty carts.
She filled one of them with silver coins and pushed it to the shop of the blacksmith where she had previously placed her order.
“Master,” Lillian called out from outside.
“1 hour has passed, and I’ve brought the money. Have you finished the ten carts?”
The Master blacksmith quickly pushed out ten large, wide, and easily movable four-wheeled carts.
Each one was brand new and made of lightweight steel.
Even Lillian could push them easily.
“Leave the money and take the carts. Forging these things is much more interesting than making weapons and armor!”
Lillian took the carts and asked the blacksmith, “What do you plan to do next?”
“I plan to take my wife and young daughter and leave this place. Although this village raised us, living here is far too stifling.”
“That Noble appeared here 10 years ago and has been pressuring us ever since.”
“He told us that if we couldn’t forge a Holy Sword, we should stop blacksmithing altogether.”
Hearing this, Lillian asked, “Did you never think of resisting?”
“Based on what you said, the blacksmiths here can forge top-tier weapons and equipment, yet you’re all willing to serve an outsider?”
“Aside from those dogs who sold their Blacksmith’s Soul, who would truly be loyal to him?” the Master blacksmith replied.
“His power is too great. Even if we can forge top-tier equipment, we, as mortals, could never defeat him.”
Lillian had a sudden idea and said, “What if I have a way to help you drive that guy away?”
The Master blacksmith shook his head.
“Little girl, I can see you’re a kind person. But even I can tell that you don’t have a shred of Mana in your body.”
“In all my decades of living, this is the first time I’ve seen a… Human like you?”
Eileen added from the side, ‘Even the carts he forged possess Mana, yet you are the only one without any, Lillian.’
Lillian naturally understood what they meant, but she didn’t care.
This was the King’s Magnanimity she had learned from her father.
“I can not only help you drive him away but also provide you with enough funds to take control of your own village!”
Lillian declared.
The Master blacksmith remained skeptical, but he still said, “I won’t question the source of your funds, nor do I want to ask who you really are.”
“But if you want to accomplish something here, you need to convince Grishka.”
“He is the blacksmith with the most backbone and prestige in this village.”
‘It’s that strange blacksmith we met earlier,’ Eileen reminded her.
‘Mhm… he is indeed a bit difficult to get along with…’ Lillian thought.
The Master blacksmith continued, “His sister, Marishka, was taken by that Human Noble because she is the most talented blacksmith of this generation and the one most likely to forge a Holy Sword!”
He spoke with great agitation, expressing a rare sense of anger.
“Marishka is not only beautiful — the young men in the village all wanted to marry her — but that shameless Human forcibly abducted her.”
“He claimed that if she couldn’t forge a Holy Sword, she would have to bear him a child capable of doing so!”
Eileen couldn’t help but click her tongue.
‘What a beast. That doesn’t fit a Villain’s aesthetic at all!’
Although only Lillian could hear Eileen’s words, she found herself in rare agreement with her on this matter.
‘If it were Master Atiste, what would he do?’
The answer was obvious.
He would surely bring destruction upon such a despicable person.
Outside the screen, Atiste watched all of this.
Not only was he unmoved, but he also felt like laughing.
[Eileen, have Lillian eliminate that so-called Noble. My intuition tells me that the raw materials for the Holy Sword are on him.]
Eileen relayed Atiste’s words to Lillian exactly as they were.
Lillian immediately became even more certain that what she was doing was right.
The Master blacksmith grew angrier as he spoke.
“My eldest son is Marishka’s lover. Since she was abducted 3 months ago, he took the only three remaining carts from our home and left the village.”
“I don’t know where he went.”
Lillian and Eileen looked at each other.
Wasn’t this a coincidence?
“He was the one who drove me here,” Lillian said.
“He’s working as a carriage driver now.”
“Is that true?” the Master blacksmith asked joyfully.
“Kind girl! Please, tell me, where did he go?”
Lillian told him the truth.
“We came from an even more desolate village.”
“There were only six houses there, and they were Dwarves, just like you.”
The Master blacksmith’s expression shifted instantly from joy to terror.
“My god, why would he go there?”
“Those six families are the most vicious Berserkers!”
Lillian didn’t respond.
She had heard legends of the Dwarf Berserkers.
Even though they were mortals, they possessed immense strength — even greater than some strength-based Awakened Ones.
If given top-tier magical equipment, they could even challenge a Transcendent.
The Master blacksmith’s heart gradually sank.
“My son must have wanted to seek revenge against that Noble…”
“He probably doesn’t even value his own life anymore.”
“Master, my name is Lillian,” she said.
“I can help you and your son. How should I address you?”
“My name is Prushka…”
“Can you really save my eldest son?”
Lillian said confidently, “No problem.”
“He is a man who has lost his soul, and I can bring him hope!”
At that moment, Lillian seemed to be “radiating” in Prushka’s eyes.
He didn’t know if it was an illusion or if this Human girl was truly glowing.
But at this moment, he truly saw hope.
Watching all of this, Atiste became even more confident in his judgment.
He was more certain than ever that Lillian was undoubtedly the most successful Art Piece he had ever created — bar none.
Eileen cast a skeptical look at Lillian.
‘How do you plan to help them? By getting beaten up?’
Lillian didn’t answer.
She simply said to Prushka, “Master, I’ll leave these ten carts with you for now.”
“I hope you can gather your fellow Dwarves in the village who are willing to resist.”
“In the meantime, I will make the necessary preparations.”
Lillian took out the sword she had retrieved from Grishka’s house and handed it to Prushka.
“This is clearly Grishka’s work. Is this… the Demon-Slaying Sword?”
“The level of completion is actually this high?”
“He actually gave it to you!”
Prushka was utterly astonished.
Lillian explained, “I took it from a scrap pile.”
“I only took it as ‘payment’ in advance because it looked sharp.”
“Grishka didn’t stop me from taking it either.”
Prushka was beginning to believe that the girl before him was likely a “Goddess” sent by the heavens to save their village.
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