We arrived at the forge, run by Mr. Gajeel. Karen had commissioned him to build a sturdier bicycle, and today we were here to see the finished product.
Karen pushed open the shop door. Inside, we found a burly stranger chatting with Mr. Gajeel.
We had seen this man before—the fierce-looking guy standing at the entrance of the Adventurers' Guild when we first visited. His expression now wasn't as terrifying, but he still looked intimidating.
We walked toward Mr. Gajeel. The moment he saw us, he called out.
"Oh, you're here! The bicycle's done. Hurry up and test it, then I can start on the next one."
"Okay."
Mr. Gajeel went to the back to fetch the bike, and at that moment, the stranger approached us.
"You two are the ones who invented this thing called a bicycle?"
His voice was… unexpectedly high—much higher than most men.
"…Yes," Karen answered hesitantly.
The man suddenly burst into laughter. Maybe it was just how his face was built, but even when laughing, his expression looked menacing.
"Pretty amazing for kids your age! I heard it's a transportation tool—hahaha!"
"Thank you."
"Big bro, you're laughing too loudly."
Just then, Mr. Gajeel came out, pushing the bicycle, complaining that the stranger was being too loud.
But what stood out was the way he addressed him—big brother.
"You're the store owner's brother?"
Karen pointed at the stranger, palm facing up, all five fingers together.
"He's my twin brother, Gajeez."
Both Karen and I stared in shock, looking back and forth between Gajeel and Gajeez, unable to find a single resemblance.
Gajeez noticed our confusion and explained.
"Strange, right? We're twins but don't look alike at all. But we really were born from the same mother."
Karen nodded, and so did I, though I couldn't help recalling the twin girls in our village who were two years younger than us.
They looked identical—same face, same hairstyle, same hair color—and no one could ever tell them apart.
We always mixed up their names. Their family had moved to the city when the girls were about four. I hoped they were living well now.
Karen took the bicycle from Gajeel and checked every part. He lifted the frame and spun the wheels—steady, without a hint of wobbling.
He crouched down to turn the pedals. The gears rotated smoothly.
Then he tested the brakes—squeezing both levers and trying to push the bike forward. It didn't move.
"Good. Now for the test ride. Let's go outside."
"Finally! I've been waiting for this!"
Gajeel's whole face lit up with excitement. I understood him completely—I had felt the same way when we built the first one.
We headed outside. Karen got on the bike, put his right foot on the pedal, pushed off with his left, and rode forward smoothly.
He circled the street several times, and the pedestrians all turned their heads, drawn by the strange contraption. Kalin eventually stopped in front of us.
"Wow~ it really does look simple."
Gajeez spoke in awe—and it was simple.
"This bicycle is amazing! No problems at all. And the seat's comfortable, it doesn't hurt."
Karen praised Gajeel's craftsmanship generously. Our own bicycle had a wooden seat—wrapped in cloth, but still painful after long rides.
"Well, Gajeel's always been good with his hands since he was a kid. But forging has always been the one thing he struggles with… yet he never wanted to give it up."
Gajeez suddenly added, speaking of Gajeel's strengths and stubborn determination.
"My suggestion… did it trouble you…?"
Kalin looked a little downhearted. He had once suggested that Gajeel open a bicycle shop, but now it seemed like Gajeel didn't want to abandon forging.
"N-No, not at all! I've been running this forge for two years, and I've barely had any customers. I've accepted it by now. I'm actually grateful for your suggestion and this opportunity. So… I've decided to open a bicycle shop."
Flustered, Gajeel quickly denied Karen's worry and confessed his own thoughts. His head slowly tilted upward to hide his expression.
Upon hearing that, Karen's mood brightened instantly.
"That's great! I still have many ideas I want to share with you."
The moment Gajeel heard that Karen had more ideas, he swung the door open energetically.
"Come on! Let's go inside and talk!"
We went back in. Karen suggested designing a bigger bicycle—our current size wasn't suitable for tall people. The wheels and frame needed to be larger.
Long-legged riders had trouble extending their legs properly. The seat could be raised, but the handlebars couldn't, forcing them to hunch over.
"Do you have enough rubber?"
Karen seemed to be done with his explanations and moved on to supplies. One tire used up a third of a bucket of rubber sap—they were running low.
"It should be enough. I collect more every morning, and I've tapped a few extra trees."
"Then I'll teach you how to ride. After that, you can teach others."
"Sounds good."
"I want to learn too!"
Both Gajeel and Gajeez soon learned how to ride—but because their legs were so long, they stuck outward as they pedaled. They looked… strange.
The bicycle, made of iron, could support even Gajeez's weight. Maybe even Guild master Wiley could ride it.
"I didn't expect it to be this hard. Can't underestimate it."
Gajeez contradicted what he'd said earlier—his opinion of the bicycle clearly changed.
Though honestly, it wasn't that difficult…
"But once you learn it, the travel time shortens a lot."
Gajeel responded, and Gajeez nodded in agreement.
"True. And it's light, convenient, and good exercise. You kids really invented something incredible."
"We only made it because we wanted to reach the city faster."
Karen explained. We didn't want to waste days walking, nor did we want to camp in the forest without bathing.
Both Karen and I would feel uncomfortable if we went even a single day without washing.
Then Gajeez asked the same question Guildmaster Wiey had asked at the Adventurers' Guild.
"You two came from far away, right?"
"Yes, near the border."
"It must be more than 100 km from here. How long did it take you?"
"Half a day. It even rained along the way."
""Half a day!? Impossible! It takes five days on foot to reach the border, and the bicycle only needs half a day!?""
Both brothers shouted the exact same sentence at the exact same time, eyes bulging. That finally convinced me they really were twins.
Karen scratched his cheek awkwardly, then suddenly changed the subject.
"…Right. Do you have paint?"
Snapped out of his shock, Gajeel answered.
"Oh—yes. Want to paint the bicycle? What colors do you want?"
"I want black."
Karen chose black—matching his hair. I replied with my own preference.
"I want white."
"Alright. Come back tomorrow. I just need to weld the second one and it'll be done."
Gajeel sprang to his feet, ready to start working again. Karen took that as our cue to leave.
"Then we'll head out first. See you tomorrow."
"See you."