Cozy Isekai Craftsman, ch 23

Lucas, after more than a week since Rick's monstrous injury outside the dungeon, made his way back to Lockwood. Each day, he delved into the dungeon, desperate for any shred of evidence that could help solve the mystery. His intuition led him to a conclusion, but he needed concrete proof before he could bring the matter before his superiors.

At the entrance, David, who had aided Rick during the ordeal, welcomed Lucas. Despite a few lingering bruises, he had recovered well enough to work the gate instead of manning the watchtowers.

"Officer," David said, a glint of hope in his eyes. "Have you found anything that could help us?"

Lucas, his heart heavy with the truth, shook his head. "No, but I uncovered traces of the same monstrosity that attacked Rick. It appeared about two days ago."

David's face fell, his voice wavering. "Are you saying it's going to happen again?"

Lucas, his voice hushed so only David could hear, shrugged his shoulders. The guards weren't privy to the full story, and Lucas was determined to get all the facts straight before sharing more information.

"After tracking a transformed adventurer for half a day, we fought. And I won," Lucas explained, his words weighted with exhaustion. "But something feels off. All the incidents point to these monsters being part of the same band of adventurers."

David's face twisted in disgust. "So you took care of them, right?"

Lucas hesitated, his mind racing with unanswered questions. "I wish I could say that. But I'm starting to think there's something more to this. Each monster and adventure seems to be connected in some way. I reached out to a local adventuring guild and received a report on the group."

David leaned in, his eyes wide with anticipation. "What did they say?"

"After reviewing the report, it appears there's one more adventurer out there. Based on the body count, we know that two monsters were killed along with the adventurers they transformed. That means there's one more out there, waiting to strike," Lucas concluded.

David said, "If it fled, it doesn't appear to be an issue we should worry about."

Lucas retorted, "Perhaps, but let's maintain our watch until we are certain."

"Isn't today Joe's celebration or something?" David questioned.

Lucas beamed. "Yeah, I'm off to it now.." He departed past David, saying farewell.

The skirmish with the previous beast mirrored the initial one they battled, which pained Rick. It appeared that the explorers had ingested some form of elixir or potion that altered them, endowing them with tremendous abilities of power and swiftness, but somehow fractured their sanity.

The chipped saber dangling from Lucas's hip bore witness to the previous brawl. He ruminated on the chest situated behind his desk at the sheriff's office, how it was secured with three keys. If he unlocked it, he could wield his old weapon that would never chip.

Nevertheless, he shook his head; that was for a different time and a different Lucas. He dreaded what might emerge from him if he grasped that weapon once more.

He was now Lucas, the Sheriff of Lockwood, a placid town, and he would do everything he could to preserve its tranquility. Perhaps he could ask Joe to repair it. But Lucas reprimanded himself. Whatever Joseph was, either a mighty sorcerer, some sort of peculiar priest, or even a demigod, it was evident that he solely wanted to be left alone and abstain from using his powers for anything that could inflict harm on others.

Lucas understood that sentiment. It was one of the myriad reasons why he had embraced the badge and transplanted himself to this place.

It was his haven. He adored it here. It was hushed, serene, and the people here were exceptional.

Lucas recollected the sight of Rick essentially bending the wrong way after contending with that monster. Witnessing his friend in that condition parched Lucas's mouth. He knew a smidge about Rick's past, how he had been a paladin for the god Ezekiel. He had always surmised that Rick could summon that power at any moment and safeguard himself adeptly, but Rick's contorted body told Lucas otherwise.

As the sheriff of Lockwood, a peaceful town, he had a duty to maintain the peace.

Lucas’ badge began to buzz. Something was wrong. The badge alerted him to nearby danger.

He gazed up at the shimmering protection field, far above in the sky. Grace, the sorcerer who maintained it, had left not long ago, leaving the town vulnerable to attack.

Lucas quickened his pace as the badge buzzed louder, the danger getting closer. He arrived at Emily's shop, the blacksmith, only to find it closed. A young man in armor pounded lightly on the door, his hood concealing his face. Lucas's instincts told him that the stranger was not just any adventurer, but he couldn't be sure.

The buzzing of his badge grew louder, warning him of danger, and he knew he had to act fast. He walked up to the young man, ready to interrogate him, but something stopped him.

Lucas resolved to help the young man, but he couldn't let his guard down. He kept a firm grip on his saber and stayed alert, ready to defend the town at a moment's notice.

Lucas addressed the adventurer in front of him, "Are you part of the group that passed through here a few weeks ago?"

The man didn't respond, still looking dazed and out of it. Lucas took another step forward, his senses on high alert. He could feel danger lurking, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Lucas's heart was pounding, and he kept his weapon at the ready. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

The adventurer's eyes flickered, and for a moment, it seemed like he might say something. But then he shook his head as if trying to clear it and turned to leave.

Lucas hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should pursue the man. But the buzzing in his badge grew stronger, and he knew he had to investigate the danger that was still lurking.

The young adventurer held a black crystal in his hand.

The final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place, but now the sheriff had to act fast to protect the citizens of Lockwood.

Lucas lunged forward to snatch the black crystal out of the man's hand, but it was too late. The man had already swallowed it, and the transformation was happening right before him.

Limb by limb, the man's body twisted and contorted until he was replaced by the same two monsters that Lucas had fought over the past week. The monster sniffed the air, its beady eyes resting on somewhere far in the distance, toward the middle of the village. In a deep, menacing voice, it spoke. "I found you. You and your failed products will pay for making a mockery of me."

With a loud roar, the monster leapt into the air and ran southward

Lucas chased after him, his saber at the ready.

–

July first was the day that Joe had been waiting for, and he could hardly contain his excitement. He had spent the past week planning and preparing for this event, and now, with the big day finally here, he was eager to share his creation with the world.

The Rusty Nail had closed down for three hours to accommodate Joe's plans, and his friends seemed to be buzzing with anticipation. Caroline, Rick, and their three kids - John, Bryan, and Niamh - had arrived early, eager to see what Joe had in store. Ava and her sister Emily would also be in attendance. Apparently, Ava had even given Emily her summer present early, just for this occasion.

As they made their way outside, Joe couldn't help but grin at their excitement. They had asked if it was a picnic, but Joe had assured them that it was something different - something special that he had been working on for weeks.

And as they settled in to enjoy the feast that Joe had prepared, laughter and chatter filled the air. It was a beautiful day, and everyone was in high spirits, enjoying the delicious food and each other's company. For Joe, it was a moment of pure joy - a reminder of why he loved bringing people together and sharing his creations with the world.

Emily had shown up in the enchanted pastel blue dress, and Joe felt his jaw hang open slightly. She looked very similar to Ava, and it was odd seeing her outside of her normal blacksmith clothing.

Joe knew they were twins, but having only ever seen Emily in her smithing attire, it had been difficult for him to see their similarities. Now, they looked even more different, both with their own unique beauty.

Emily didn’t wear any makeup, but she didn’t need it. Her muscles created a sharp silhouette that contrasted her plump and soft dress, making her stand out more in Joe’s eyes. When she showed up at the door with Ava, who wore a deep red dress, almost the color of crimson, Joe felt gobsmacked at seeing the two beautiful women.

"Wow, you guys look great," he said. They both gave each other a knowing look and said, "Thanks a bunch. Do we go in the back?"

Joe nodded. "Yep. Meet you out there. We still have to wait for Lucas."

Emily said, "Actually, Lucas told me to tell you that he's going to be running a little bit late. He had to deal with a work thing."

Joe said, "Oh, okay. Well, hopefully he makes it in time. We've only got three hours for this."

Ava asked, "Is it really going to take three hours for your little announcement? It seems like a long time."

Joe gave her a flat look. "There will be an unveiling of food as well."

Emily looked intrigued, and said, "I'm actually pretty excited about that. The kids told me they got to try your new invention, but wouldn’t spill the beans. The fact that they liked it so much they could actually keep a secret from me tells me that I must be pretty good."

Joe grinned and said, "It will blow your mind."

Ava shook her head. She said, "I don't really like that turn of phrase. I'm going to stick with cool."

Joe chuckled, ushered them in, and followed them to the backyard.

His closest friends, gathered in the backyard, were already chattering away. Joe's eyes scanned the room, taking in the familiar faces, the warm hugs, and the teasing glances. His gaze landed on Emily and Thomas, who were deep in conversation. He had given the smith the locket holding her grandfather, hoping to give them a chance to catch up after a long week apart.

As he moved around the yard, his eyes fell on Rick, who looked much better than he had a week ago. The cast on his arm had become a canvas for well-wishes and crude jokes, and Rick was proudly showing it off to anyone who would look. Joe couldn't help but grin at the sight.

He had invited everyone over for a reason, and he couldn't wait to reveal his big surprise. But for now, he was content to bask in the joy of having his friends gathered together in one place. Caroline, who had been eyeing the crude messages on Rick's cast disapprovingly, couldn't help but get caught up in the infectious energy of the room.

Rick yelled, "Come on, Mr. Drama Queen!" He hooked a thumb to a large silhouette. In the middle of the yard, there was an incredibly huge blanket rolled over it. The kids had tried to peek under it a couple of times, but Carolina had slapped them away.

Joe said, "That thing comes last. But for now, let me unveil to you my grill."

He didn't hide the grill, and it was pretty clear what it was.

Caroline frowned and said, "That's it? That's your big reveal?"

Joe laughed. He said, "No. I have a couple of things to show you guys next to the grill."

As he gazed at the new contraption, Joe's heart swelled with pride. It had taken him a whole week of careful planning and tinkering to put it together, but now it was ready to be unveiled. With a deep breath, he lifted the top cover, revealing the smoky interior of the machine.

Inside, he had stashed a treasure trove of meat - succulent and savory, with a tantalizing aroma that wafted through the air. He could barely contain his excitement as he lugged out a table from inside the mansion, his muscles straining under the weight.

As he carefully removed the meat from the container, a cloud of fragrant smoke enveloped him. It was intoxicating, almost dizzying in its potency. He placed the steaming hot cuts on a plate, his mouth watering at the sight of the thick, sticky sauce that coated them.

This was no ordinary meat - it was the culmination of a month's worth of painstaking experimentation, a quest for the perfect dry rub. And now, as he surveyed the fruits of his labor, Joe knew that this was the perfect day to share it with his friends.

Rick's mouth dropped open. He said hungrily, "What is that?"

The kids leaned forward, and Caroline seemed interested as well.

"This," he said, "is a dry-rubbed, smoked rack of ribs. Normally, you just cook it, or you could grill it, but I decided to make what I call a smoker from my original home. It took quite a bit of finagling. But this is one of the things I want to show you guys."

Caroline walked over to inspect the smoker. She lifted the cover and said, "It's not hot," shaking her head.

"It's a low-heat smoker," he said. "As long as the smoke is in there, it infuses the taste of smoke into the meat."

Caroline blinked at him. "Couldn't you just transfer the taste of smoke into the meat?"

Joe rolled his eyes and said, "You can't do everything by magic. And the real magic is in making it, which is just as much fun."

Rick piped up. "I agree. Some things are better made by hand."

Joe said, "Alright, everybody grab a plate. Feel free to have some. Let me know what you think."

They all lined up, excited. Joe had made other food as well, including mashed potatoes and gravy and some soup of his own concoction. Everybody was eating, sitting at their own tables, enjoying their conversation. Joe enjoyed the moment.

Caroline asked, “You're not gonna grab any for yourself?"

Joe said, "I will, but guests are first." He served himself some food and sat down next to Emily and Ava, right between them.

Apparently, they had left the last seat open just for him. And there was an empty chair that could be pulled up to the table, but they reserved that for Lucas. Ava was busy talking to her grandfather, and Joe took the opportunity to ask Emily in a quiet voice, "Hey, I'd like to talk to you for some advice on making armor. But first, I need your permission to make it."

Emily raised an eyebrow, eating her food with her fingers.

She got some on the corner of her lips. Joe made a gesture, and she wiped it off with one of the napkins he had placed there earlier. She took a sip of the summer beer, which Caroline had brought over, and a small cog in a wheelbarrow for the occasion.

Emily said, "I knew you'd come to me at some point after seeing Rick get beat up like that.”

“Am I that easy to read?” Joe asked, embarrassed.

Emily nodded. "That's why everybody trusts you. But I thought you said you don't want to make weapons for genocide."

"I don't," Joe replied. "But I thought I could make something to protect at least the guards, maybe even just Rick."

"You were the one who told me that's a slippery slope a few times," Emily reminded him. "You start withRick, and then another guard wants one, or another guard gets injured. Or do you make another friend who could potentially get hurt and then you feel responsible for not giving them some enchanted weapon? By then, you’re just making armor for everybody."

Joe sighed. "I know, I know what I'm asking."

Emily placed a hand on his arm. "I know you know. And if there's anybody who understands, it’s me. When I opened my smithy and forge, I wanted to make the best items I could for people to protect themselves, not weapons that kill. But if you fill your head with that kind of stuff, you could go crazy."

Joe relented. "I know. But again, I'm just asking. What do you think?"

Emily immediately replied, as if she had this conversation prepared. "Don't make armor, make clothes close to a blank."

"I don't think that's your purview, right?" Joe asked. "That has to be approved by the town’s textile merchants."

That really shook her head. "I've already talked it over with them. You have permission to solidify and enhance the clothes that the guards wear. Of course, that cloth can’t circulate outside of Lockwood and cannot be sold for profit.  If you make it strong enough and potent enough, they won't need to wear their armor, which is heavy and cumbersome. And it's tiring to wear that all day.”

Joe said, "You'd be willing to threaten your business like that? Don’t you fix the guards’ armors all the time?"

Emily laughed. "It's not going to threaten my business. Most of my money comes from repairing fences or tools. Despite this incident, the guards in the town don't get into that much trouble anyway to the point where I have to repair it. So, no, you're barely even putting a dent into my armor. Pardon the pun."

Joe chuckled. "That's a good pun. But thank you. I mean it."

Emily went back to eating her food, but her eyes were still locked on Joe. He thought about the possibilities and how he could enhance armors, make clothing armor for the guards, especially Rick. He was his friend, and he hated the idea of Rick not being able to come home to see his children and the look on their faces if Joe ever had to tell them that their father was gone, and that Joe could have prevented that from happening.

Emily snapped her fingers, bringing him back to reality. "Don't go down that road, Joe. I've gone down that road. It's not a good road. It makes you cynical and ornery."

Joe felt himself grin. "I know somebody like that."

Emily's eyebrows knitted together, but she held a smile. "Don't make me grab my hammer."

"I never expected you to wear a dress," he said.

Emily gave him a knowing look, glancing at Ava occasionally who was still talking to their grandfather. She said, "Don't act like an idiot. Pastel colors are the hardest to come by, and my sister sure as Quinn’s grace doesn’t make enough money to afford a dress of this color. And this is the softest fabric I've ever felt in my life. On top of that, the material feels sturdier than any fabric my hands have ever touched."

Joe was about to explain to her about the tear resistant property, but kept it to himself. Hopefully, she wouldn't ever have to find out about it, and she would treat the dress as if it were delicate.

But, the stain property might be useful to know. Joe said, "Here, try putting the sauce on the dress."

Emily looked at him as if he was crazy, but then she seemed to remember who she was talking to. He said, "Okay, but if it doesn't come off, even with your magical abilities, I'm going to beat you into the ground. It's my first day wearing this dress and I love it."

Joe laughed. "Okay, just try it."

Emily picked up a dab of rib sauce from outside the rib and tried smearing it on the sleeve of her dress. She blinked in surprise. She tried it again and again, but nothing happened. The sauce just slid off. She held up her finger. All of the sauce was still there.

She said, "Well, that's a new one for me."

Joe beamed. "Incredibly stain-resistant. I don't think it's water-resistant, but it's definitely stain-resistant. So, I wanted to make sure that if you ever want to wear that dress again, you'd be able to. You wear it very well."

Emily gave him a steady look, one of concern. "You need to be careful how you talk to women, Joe," she said.

Joe said defensively. "I'm not trying to flirt with you or anything like that. Sorry if I'm coming across as weird."

Emily rolled her eyes. She said, “You're always weird, Joe. But no, you're not being creepy, if that's what you're saying. I appreciate your kind words. I don't know if you know this, but blacksmiths rarely get compliments on their looks. So, it's nice to get it every once in a while."

Joe took that to heart.

He got up after finishing his food to reveal to them the ice cream that he had paid for, including the new flavors. Joe's heart swelled with excitement as he prepared to unveil the sweet surprise he had in store for his guests. With a grin, he rose from the table, eager to share the delicious ice cream he had paid for - complete with an array of exciting new flavors.

But before he could lift the blanket that concealed his treats, a deafening explosion rocked the room. A section of the wall crumbled away, sending rubble flying in all directions.

The group scrambled to their feet, panic seizing them as they stared in disbelief at the figure that had tumbled through the newly-made opening. It was a sight straight out of a superhero comic - the figure hit the ground, sprang back up, flipped mid-air, and landed gracefully on his feet.

Tension filled the air as Rick, always quick to protect his family, positioned himself between the mysterious newcomer and his loved ones. Joe, too, stood ready to defend his friends, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to make sense of the chaos unfolding before him.

Thomas yelled out, "Who dares invade my home?"

The air was thick with tension as the dust began to settle, revealing the figure that had burst through the wall. Joe's heart raced as he recognized the incredibly acrobatic figure as Lucas, the sheriff. Though he seemed tired and a bit worse for wear, his saber glinted in the sunlight, a stark reminder of the danger that lurked just beyond their safe haven. It looked cracked in the middle.

Lucas's eyes were fixed on the gaping hole in the wall, and Joe followed his gaze, watching in awe as a colossal figure emerged from the shadows. He was easily eight feet tall, towering over the group like a giant among ants. His pants hung in tatters, and his muscular frame was so massive that he had to crouch to fit through the opening.

Joe's mind raced as he tried to make sense of what was happening. The man's fingers seemed to sharpen into deadly claws, and Joe couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear at the sight.

Even as his heart pounded with anxiety, Joe knew he had to stay strong. He stood his ground, ready to defend his friends no matter what might come their way.

The monstrous man’s grin sent shivers down Joe's spine. Blood dripped from between his teeth, and his eyes were filled with a sickening hunger.

And then, without warning, he lunged forward, pointing a clawed finger straight at Lucas.

"Time to die," he growled, his voice filled with a sinister edge that sent a chill through Joe's body.