Cardin had high expectations before these things happened to him. He even believed that the glittering old man would give him a good second chance. He expected the Fairy King to transform him into a rich and handsome prince.
If he couldn't make him human, he could at least turn him into a formidable dragon. Or at least a powerful phoenix.
But this? A broken and rusty sword?!
That damn Fairy King should've let him rest in peace forever!
"Hey! We're not yet done! Get your glittery wings back here! Fairy King, you little—"
Cardin was still yelling into the air... Well, as much as a sword could yell... When someone suddenly grabbed him.
Then that person squeaked like a mouse. After that, they quickly threw him back on the ground and knelt in front of him. That person was shaking so hard the grass around him trembled.
"P-Please don't eat me!" the young man cried. "I-I don't taste good! I swear! I'm mostly bones with a metal flavor on top!"
Cardin was silent for three seconds.
"...Why..." he slowly said. "...would a sword... eat you?"
The boy froze. Then he lifted his head and whispered.
"W-Well... S-Swords can have... Uhh... Magic teeth...?"
"I don't have a teeth!"
"A-Are you sure?!"
"Yes! Now pick me up again!"
"Huh?!"
"Now!"
Although panicking, Rowan quickly picked up the broken but talking sword.
"But what if—"
"I am not an eating sword."
"B-But..."
"I. Am. Not. A. Carnivorous. Sword!!!"
The young man blinked. Then blinked again. Then he dropped him again.
Clank.
"Argh! Why do you keep dropping me?!" Cardin yelled this time.
"I-I'm sorry! Sorry! I-I panicked! Your voice jumped out of nowhere!" Rowan explained in a stuttering voice.
"You bent me! I felt that!"
"But you're already broken and dented..." Rowan whispered.
"What did you say?!"
"N-Nothing! I'll pick you up now! So please don't stab my ghost later!"
Rowan gulped and scooped the broken sword up a second time and holding him like a stick of dynamite.
Cardin tried not to take offense from that. They just literally met for a few minutes but Cardin felt like his imaginary forehead was already throbbing in stress. Soon, he let out a sigh.
"So what's your name, kid?"
"R-Rowan!" the young lad squeaked once again. "I am an apprentice blacksmith! My father is a really good blacksmith! He once made five knives in one night! I also made one knife before! Well... Half a knife only because I dropped it in the fire but—"
"I didn't ask." Cardin flatly said. "Although I appreciate it."
Rowan shut his mouth instantly. He looked like a scolded puppy. Soon, Cardin cleared his non-existent throat.
"You can call me Cardin."
Rowan swallowed.
"N-Nice to meet you... Uhh... Mr. Talking Sword..."
Cardin groaned.
"Don't call me that."
"O-Okay... Mr. Cardin the Talking Sword—"
"That's worse!"
Rowan flinched so hard he almost dropped Cardin again.
Almost.
"Don't even think about it!"
"I-I wasn't! Really! My fingers just get sweaty when I'm scared!"
"You've been scared since the second you saw me!"
"That's because swords aren't supposed to talk!"
"And humans aren't supposed to scream at grass! But here we are!"
"I do not... Fine! Okay! Maybe I do... Well, sometimes..."
Cardin let out a loud sigh.
"You're so stressful to talk to, kid."
Rowan stared at him again with confusion in his eyes.
"So... What are you? A cursed sword? A ghost in a blade? A-A monster in disguise?" Rowan asked.
"A former human. But that damn Fairy King turned me into this!"
Rowan's face crumpled.
He tried.
He really tried.
But then..."
"Pffft... Hehehehe... Hahahahaha! A fairy turned you into... that? Hahaha—"
And the sword hit the ground again.
Clank.
"Rowan!!!"
"I-I'm sorry... I-It just slipped..."
"No! You slipped!"
"Yes! Well, at least in my brain!"
Rowan picked him up for the third time. But this time, he carefully held Cardin as if he was trying not to anger a wild beast.
For a moment, Rowan studied him in his hands.
"...You're really damaged." Rowan murmured. "Your blade is cracked and dented. Your handle is chipped so much..."
"Stop judging my appearance!" Cardin snapped.
"No, no! I-I wasn't judging! Who am I to do that, right? It's just... Uhmm..."
Rowan paused while thinking hard. Then he mumbled something in a soft voice.
"I can fix you... Maybe."
Cardin paused for a second.
"...What?"
"If you want, I can fix you. I mean... I'm still learning! But I can try! I don't like seeing weapons in bad shape..."
Cardin became quiet for a moment. He was seriously considering his offer. Although this one was a scaredy cat, Cardin could tell he had good intentions. Rowan kept thinking he was a monster or a cursed item but he still offered to fix him.
Cardin couldn't decide whether he was genuinely a good-hearted young man or just simply stupid. Or maybe both.
"...Then make me good-looking sword." Cardin finally said.
Rowan's eyes widened in surprise.
"H-Huh? Really?"
"Make. Me. Handsome."
"O-Oh! Uhmm... Yes! I mean, yes. I will try my best to do that... If I can't, then maybe my father could help us!"
"Hah... Fine. Then let's go."
Rowan nodded his head and started walking home while still holding Cardin like he was a bomb.
Cardin noticed the forest path was quiet. Well, except for Rowan who kept talking in every two steps.
"Cardin... What if your real owner appears?"
"...What owner?"
"Well... Swords were meant to be used, right? I assumed you had an owner because you had so many cracks and dents."
"Ugh! Are you stupid or what? I told you earlier that I was a human before I became a sword!"
"I mean, just in case! But what if they do?"
Cardin loudly sighed and gave up.
"They won't." Cardin replied.
"But what if they are a huge monster..."
"Rowan."
"...with big teeth..."
"Rowan?"
"...and they suddenly jump out..."
"Rowan!"
"...and attack us..."
"Listen to me, you fu—"
Rowan shut up.
"Look. If something attacks us, I will help you stab it."
Rowan stared at him.
"But I don't like stabbing!"
"Do you like dying?"
"N-No!"
"Then pick one."
Rowan whimpered while holding him.
"This is too stressful..."
"You're too stressful!"
After several more steps, Rowan asked him again what was bothering him for a while now.
"Cardin?" Rowan called.
"What now?"
"Are you telling the truth? That you were human before?" Rowan slowly asked.
"Yes." Rowan flatly replied.
"But you're so calm! If I turned into a fork, I'd scream for ten days straight, you know."
"That sounds like a 'you' problem to me."
"H-Hey!"
Cardin snorted.
"Kid, I've lived long. I've seen a lot of weird things. Very weird things. Being a sword is not even on my top ten list."
Rowan looked betrayed.
"Top ten? But how is this situation not in that top ten list?!"
"Oh, kid. Trust me. There are worse."
"Tell me one."
Cardin did not hesitate to tell him one.
"One of my colleagues before turned into a worm once."
Rowan stopped walking and looked at the sword in his arms.
"Huh? But how..."
"He was cursed after reading a black book he bought in a sketchy shop."
"Oh no..."
"Oh, yes. Then he fell into a pile of real worms."
"Oh NO!"
"Then we couldn't tell which one he was."
Rowan's legs wobbled by just imagining it.
"S-Stop..."
"It took us a whole month to find him and break his curse, you know?"
"Stop!"
"Hah... That poor guy. We almost fed him to the messenger birds once."
Rowan shrieked. And then he dropped him.
Again.
Clank!
"Rowan, you dimwit! Why do you keep throwing me?!"
"But that story was horrible! Why would you tell me that?!"
"You asked for it!"
"But not for something that could give me nightmares at night!"
Rowan snatched him up again and hugging him like a terrified squirrel. Then he heard the sword took a very long sigh.
"Kid, listen to me carefully. If you drop me one more time, I am stabbing you out of spite!"
"But you don't have arms!"
"I'll find a way! I'll grow an arm if I have to!"
And so, the cowardly blacksmith apprentice was now carrying the grumpiest sword in the world all the way home.
Where things were definitely going to get even more chaotic.