Naomi is in Denial
2038 Words
| Blakend Kingdom, Axuuhh Continent |
“So why did you visit the Kingdom, Sir Azeed?” Gardon headed to his work station, “surely not just to visit me here, right?” he asked him.
Azeed and Mina followed him to his workstation which is just on the side of his blacksmith. Or at this time, his house.
“There’s a reason why I didn’t visit you for many months, it’s because I have been complacent with my own blacksmith. I know I shouldn’t have done that when I know that you are my first blacksmith since you know my preferences for weapons, armors, and others more,” Azeed said, answering Gardon’s question.
“I’m kind of jealous about that. For a blacksmith to make you very complacent, it will take me a lot of effort to make you satisfied with just weapons and armors forged, Azeed. Who is this blacksmith anyway?” Gardon said, asking him.
“Oh, who she is was the reason why I got complacent. Because she’s a friend of mine, she doesn’t want much payment on the things she creates since she just loves forging and making a lot of weapons and armors that. Because I have a lot of access to materials, she is not hesitant to forge for me. Her name is Gazelle Dwargen,” Azeed explained, telling Gardon her name.
“I have never heard of that name before, at least in the smithing community.” Gardon continues his forging, “so why are you bringing her up? What’s her connection to you visiting Kingdom again?” he asked him.
Azeed looked around his Blacksmith for a second.
“Is this also his house where he sleeps?” Mina called Azeed in the Mind Gate.
“This was just his blacksmith before. I don’t know what happened to him. Why he’s staying in his blacksmith.” Azeed said, answering Mina’s question.
“I want you to partner up with her? Collaborate with her? Because I can see you’re having a hard time here,” Azeed said, offering Gardon.
*clang*
Gardon stopped his hammer bashing after he heard what Azeed offered him.
“Sir Azeed, I’ve waited long for you to tell me that.” Gardon started crying, “I have to sell my house just to continue my forging, waiting for you here. No one is now believing that I’m your smith and barely anyone is buying my services. Thank you for returning, Sir Azeed,” Gardon said, facing Azeed as he kneels to him in tears—thanking him.
“This old man has struggled for sure, while I and the Grinn Corp Members are just lazing in the Blakend Kingdom, knowing that we can easily deal with any issues we face, how f*****g wrong I am.”
“Please, stand up, I’m sorry I arrived after a year, Gardon, better late than never, right?” Azeed said.
“Right.” Gardon stood up and wiped his tears and snorted, “so how will this collaboration happen, Sir Azeed? Will I just receive things from you again or..?” He asked him.
“I will go to the kingdom castle first and connect the Blakend Kingdom to this Kingdom. We’ll then bring you with us to check her blacksmith because you definitely have something that Gazelle is incapable of, which is your expertise as a forger, crafter, and experience, of course, Gazelle just started forging for me for 8 months or probably lower,” Azeed explained, answering Gardon’s question.
“7 and 9 months,” Mina said.
“Right, so what do you say? Do you accept?” Azeed said, asking Gardon.
“Of course! Though if you’re planning on making my blacksmith, I wished for my blacksmith—here, to just be upgraded since this blacksmith has been with me ever since I was born, it is why one of the reasons why I became a blacksmith and it’s the reason why I sold my house instead of this,” Gardon said, requesting Azeed.
“That’s not a problem, how about you follow us to the castle? We will offer this partnership to the King,” Azeed said, inviting him to go with them to the castle.
“Sure, let me wipe my face’s sweats first.” Gardon then went to his table and grabbed a towel, he also changed his shirt.
They then left Gardon’s house and then headed to the Kingdom’s castle. To do the partnership ceremony.
“Sir Azeed! It’s been a year since I’ve seen you! Ms. Mina,” King Damian said, greeting them in the castle.
“Your highness, it’s been a while, I’m sorry I just dipped and moved in the Blakend Kingdom, I didn’t forget about you, I did but I eventually remembered again,” Azeed said.
“I’m very sorry about Azeed, he may be forgetful but he’s not vain, he cares about this Kingdom a lot,” Mina said.
“Oahh, she calls him just by his name now, are they already married? I did miss a lot of things, Gardon is also here.” King Demian noticed.
“Gardon, so you are correct that you are—or were, Azeed’s blacksmith. I thought you were just bluffing, I’m sorry for all the times that I denied your requests and even times that I ignored you.” King Demian bowed his head in front of Gardon.
“He does have something to lose if he accepts all of my requests.”
“It’s okay, it's already done,” Gardon said.
“What a mature response. As expected, he is old but he’s experienced enough to know how to deal with something like this.” Azeed is impressed by Gardon’s response to King Demian’s apology.
“King Demian, I have requests,” Azeed said.
“Request away, Sir Azeed, anything! What can I help you with?” King Demian said confidently.
“First off, accept this partnership, the national union of Kingdom and the Blakend Kingdom, and I want you to give Gardon’s house back, the one he sold, I will pay for it,” Azeed said, requesting him.
“Sir Azeed! I don’t really need it anymore.” Gardon was surprised that Azeed requested King Demian that.
“It’s fine, I can give it back, you don’t have to pay, Sir Azeed since I’ve wronged Gardon. Audit, can you have that setup?” King Demian said, telling his accountant.
“I’m surprised he can just give it to Gardon. So it will not be detrimental for him to just give it to Gardon?” Azeed is surprised about this.
“I don’t know what to say,” Gardon said, surprised about this.
“The national union is fine, I just don’t know how to solidify our bond—us and the Blakend Kingdom,” King Demian said.
“That will not be a problem since I plan to make a teleporting pod from her to the Blakend Kingdom, just like what we did in the Ogestic Kingdom,” Azeed said.
“A teleporting pod?! And you put this on the Ogestic Kingdom to the Blakend Kingdom first too,” King Demian asked, surprised to hear about it.
“I also know it takes ages to build this, I’m guessing it’s just easy for Sir Azeed.”
“I’m sorry about this, even I thought we can’t make something like this, and the Ogestic Kingdom is Blakend Kingdom’s sibling kingdom, the ruler of Blakend and Ogestic are siblings, anyway. Where will we do this national union ceremony?” Azeed said, apologizing and then asking King Demian.
“Let’s go to the throne room to prepare the ceremony, it’s quick to do it, at least for us since I don’t have a council unlike most kingdoms, I just have a secretary,” King Demian said, heading to the throne room.
They then went to the throne room of the Kingdom’s castle to commence the national union ceremony.
“With the Kingdom of “Axis” judges and Ms. Mina witnessing this ceremony, Blakend Kingdom is now Kingdom’s partner, connecting all of our routes to them and the rest of the Blakend Kingdom’s partners,” King Demian declared.
After the ceremony, they left the Kingdom’s castle.
“Mina, can you teleport Gardon to the Blakend Kingdom? I still have business with Naomi in the Guild,” Azeed said to Mina.
“Is he teleporting back there once he’s done?” Mina guessed.
“Okay, be careful, Azeed,” Mina said.
“I will, I’ll see you two later,” Azeed said, he then headed to the Guild.
They then separate ways. Mina teleported back to the Blakend Kingdom with Gardon so that he can check out Gazelle’s blacksmith, Azeed already informed Gazelle about him early on, even before they left the Blakend Kingdom.
Azeed went to the Guild’s building.
“Sir Azeed! It’s been almost a year since we’ve seen you,” the Guild accountant greeted him, ecstatic to see him again.
“It’s been a year. I wonder what happened to my guild registration for not being here for a year,” Azeed said, questioning his registration in the guild.
“Oh, it expired after 3 months of inactivity,” the Guild accountant said, telling him about his registration’s expiry.
“Well, that’s fine, can I pay a visit to Naomi? I need to ask some questions to her,” Azeed said, asking her.
“You can just go upstairs, she’s currently on her break,” the Guild accountant said.
“Thank you,” Azeed said, thanking her.
He then headed upstairs to meet with her.
“There are still the guards that I summoned here for her,”
“Do you still remember me? I’m sorry if I forgot about you,” Azeed asked, apologizing to them.
“Master, we will never forget about you and you don’t need to apologize to us because you are our Master,” one of the guards—their leader, said.
“Is that so?” Azeed asked
“I do feel guilty for just forgetting them.”
Azeed then headed to Naomi’s office.
*knock*
“Come in,” Naomi said after hearing the door knock.
“I wonder who it is?”
“Naomi,” Azeed called, entering her office.
“Well, well, well, look who returned.” Naomi is amazed to see Azeed again.
“I thought he has abandoned us here and headed to the Blakend Kingdom, what does he need now?”
“I didn’t expect to forget about this place after getting so relaxed in the Blakend Kingdom, though not everything is relaxing there since I’ve caught a lot more attention than I anticipated. I guess you’re right in a sense,” Azeed said, sitting down on one of Naomi’s chairs.
“I did warn you. Itomi did too, she said that to me, so how’s that working on you?” Naomi said, asking him as she is smirking at him with confidence.
“I didn’t really expect me building a small business will attract too much attention. That is my fault for not heeding calls and warnings, though thanks to that, I met more otherworlders, two of them are my friends, Vermilion Sarion and Forcivan Dragonia,” Azeed said, answering her question.
“I know about Vermilion Sarion since she’s the most pacifist lady, at least that’s what I’ve heard before.”
“Forcivan Dragonia?!” Naomi was in denial, “the Hero of the Past is not your friend, you who’s from a different world and from different times. He’s not even from your world, how can you claim he’s your friend?” She asked her.
“Simple, he gave me a secret of this world and that was the pivoting point that I needed to ask you about it,” Azeed said.
“Secret of this world? What do you mean?” Naomi asked.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t correct that, Secrets of these Realms,” Azeed said.
Naomi is starting to get intrigued by what Azeed is saying to her, she either doesn’t know or she’s still in denial of what Azeed is saying.
- Writer
