Ghoul King's Harem
Chapter 49 49: McAlister

Stell's mouth was filled with greasy fat from the tasty meat skewers; Alex too enjoyed quite a lot; the tender meat that was just barely cooked full, a strange texture like chicken but a flavour like beef.

It was a nice small snack and cost him 4 Apocalpyse coins to buy two sets; Stells seemed to enjoy floating around with her wings; she would hang onto his body when tired or reaching her limit, then suddenly flutter away to an interesting thing she found on the market strip.

'This girl, her ass is so fat, and she keeps eating. All this extra flesh is making me so happy!' Alex watched with a smile; the girl was so strange; when it was just him, she would let her assets show, but now there were other people; she wrapped her perfect figure tightly away, sometimes looking back and pulling out her tongue at him when she noticed him looking her way.

'Hehe~ he's enthralled by this princess, making that nasty man my slave is an interesting idea!' Stella thought as she began to pick some candies, happy that Alex would pay with his coins rather than let her use hers.

But she didn't take too many, only one serving at most, and always took the cheapest option; she didn't want to be a bitch and planned to buy him something with her current coins in return.

'He always gets hurt or fights with his hands... Let's replace somewhere that makes gauntlets or a nice chest guard...'

While she was floating around the small stores with ready-made items, Alex turned away; the village was small, and she could replace him easily; the girl's nose was like a dog, probably due to being a race specialising to charming and sleeping with men.

His path moved towards the blacksmith; in the distance was the old man hammering away at the anvil with a blank face, sweat pouring down from his muscular frame; he was only a short old man, but his force was amazing, so strong that Alex couldn't get any information at all from his "Eagle Eyes" skill.

"Hmmm?"

Stella noticed that Alex began to move further away; not wanting to be alone in this strange village, she began to flutter her bat wings as she spun through the air; in the distance, many young children saw a flying woman for the first time in their lives began to watch Stells with glowing eyes, as they seemed to discuss something together.

As Alex approached the blacksmith in the grim little smithy in front of the church, he could hear the hammer pounding against the anvil even before he saw the dwarven male. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and burning metal, and the only light came from the flickering flames of the forge.

'The scent is so thick!' Alex thought, almost covering his nose, his enhanced senses feeling like hell.

The dwarven male was formidable, his muscles bulging as he worked the metal with his hammer.

His long beard was sweaty, and his eyes glinted in the firelight as he worked with incredible precision and skill; sometimes, his eyes glazed over as if lost in memory. His eyes never left the item on the anvil once when working on it.

Clang! Clang!

Alex watched in fascination as the blacksmith plunged a glowing hot piece of metal into a bucket of water with a long sigh, as if he was relaxing with the water, creating a cloud of steam that hissed and sputtered in the darkness.

The metal hissed and popped as it cooled, taking on a blackened, twisted shape.

'Why do his weapons seem sinister, as if made to kill in the most brutal and fierce ways?' Alex thought as he drew closer, almost subconsciously drawn to this dwarf's craftsmanship and focus.

Around the forge, Alex could see all manner of dark and twisted creations: swords with jagged edges, blood grooves and cruel hooks, maces with spiked heads and barbs, shields adorned with thick spikes and twisted prongs, and other gruesome imagery.

'They look damn cool, though...'

As the blacksmith worked, his hammer ringing out in the darkness, Alex felt awe and dread.

There was something primal and dangerous about the blacksmith's craft, something that spoke to the darker parts of the imagination.

Each piece was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, imbued with a sense of power and magic that made Alex's skin crawl as he was yet to be able to cast magic elemental magic.

There was a slight fear, an aversion in his very flesh. But the blacksmith's work was undeniably impressive for all its darkness and foreboding.

As he watched, the blacksmith finished his work and turned to face Alex, his eyes gleaming in the firelight. "What brings you here, ghoul?" he asked, his voice low and gruff with a strange Scottish accent before the unfriendly eyes narrowed on his body, glowing with a skill likely similar to Alex's.

"What can I do for ya?"

Alex could feel a strange sense of rejection; although he greeted him, there was no welcome in those eyes. He felt only rejection and distrust, something Alex only felt when he was younger; the memories caused him to stumble mentally, standing on the spot.

"I...."

While he was stunned, a cute succubus began to flutter around the blacksmith, her cute wings flapping rapidly as she touched the strange shields, maces and swords, she winced in pain with a soft cry, "ouchie, mmmnph." The girl seemed to have cut her finger on one of the sharp spikes on a huge mace that made her eyes gleam with a strange light.

"Oi! Little missy, don't touch the merchandise!"

Alex noticed although the dwarf spoke roughly to Stella, his eyes were more gentle, not the eyes of a man looking at a woman, but something different.

His strange accent seemed to amuse Stella as she floated as if swimming through the air, her little ass swaying as she flew around the dwarf, who began to hammer the item once again.

"Hey, gramps, what are you hammering?"

The dwarf's face twitched at her bell-like voice.

"Is it a sword? Hmmmm, why is it bent so funny? Gramps, are your eyes okay? Do you need a rest?"

"Quite it, lassie! I am busy; go play with your boyfriend!" His voice is almost tired as he closes his glazed eyes, hammering away again.

"What're ya makin'" Stella copied his voice as she seemed to have made him angry, throwing his hammer down, tossing the strange sword in the water, before his face stopped the moment that Stella gave him a playful smile, like a naughty little girl.

"Ah.... Mirelda....!?"

The blacksmith's mind suddenly flashed back to his past, in an exquisite blacksmith, black tiled floor, moonstone walls and a huge furnace with a drawn male hammering an anvil; while a girl with leather armour and a longsword on her back leaned over his shoulder, like the younger dwarf, she was shorter than normal and irritated the dwarf.

"Miranda, do you have to go fight?" The middle-aged dwarf spoke, his voice less gruff, but it was the blacksmith who was with Stella; he used to be quite handsome, as the young girl puffed out her chest, speaking in the same tone as her father.

"Of course! Dad' who will fight if we dinnae fight?

The old man's mind flashes back, the same red hair but completely different; his daughter was as flat as a beansprout, yet he felt something in his heart; this girl reminded him of his lost daughter that day. Had he not resisted and forged her a better sword, would she have died from a broken weapon?

'Mirelda, is this fate? Are you sending me a message... This girl, I will help her for you! Please forgive your stupid father; he could not see the light...'

Alex noticed the change in the dwarf's eyes; he gave a strange smile, like someone practising a smile as if they hadn't done so in a long time, before his eyes moved towards Alex; the two shared a slight conversation as Stella blushed and began to playfully hit the old mans arm as he laughed with a hearty bellow.

'What are they talking about?' Alex thought, his nodachi now in his arms, wanting to see if it could be upgraded.

Stella noticed this and began to make shapes with her hands.

"You see, gramps, his sword is super big, like waaaah and heavy than oooooh! But it's all damaged and messy; he fights like a wild beast but looks cool! Don't let him know I said this... He might get too cocky! Stupid Alexander.... fufu!"

The dwarf's name was Daneel, one of the many people who lost their world to this game of the gods; nobody knows who started it or which god is the true mastermind; they only knew that the woman who announced it was that bitch from earlier.

Thus everyone hated her.

"Lassie, did you want to make something to help him? Do you love him? Or is he special? What about yourself?"

"ehehe~ I don't know, but being around him makes me feel good. He is a little annoying and perverted and stupid! But when he fights, he's like a shining star, illuminating the darkness and opening a path that guides me forward! He's like my guiding star; he still found value in me when I was alone, disfigured and worthless! Shhhhh! Don't say anything.... he, he is too selfish!"

Her whisper was barely enough for the dwarf to hear, but he placed a small barrier to mask the sound; living over two hundred years can do many things.

'This wee lassie doesn't even realise how much her eyes sparkle when she speaks about him, whether insults or compliments. Let's help her; his sword is interesting too.' Ack, he's such a handsome boy but looks like a thug that would mug his grandmother... Never mind, let the young birds figure things out in time.

McAlister walked towards Alex, his face moody but bright eyes filled with passion caused Alex to recover; no longer facing that gaze that caused him to move to this city in the first place, seeing the man who treated Stella so well reminded Alex of his past, being a sick boy in his early years.

His mother worked hard to fix his strange ailment until she was exhausted.

'A fate that makes normal people feel disgusted by you...' That is what my mother said; she used to buy all sorts of strange items to fix it, make me drink weird potions... I used to be extremely frail before turning 6... Mother, people have started to like me, even because of strange methods... Amy liked me before that... so thank you... I will repay those efforts.'

"Oi, laddie? Are ye there?" McAlister waved his hand in front of Alex's face before giving him a quick jab to the stomach, causing Alex to crouch in pain; this man's strength was beyond that 30 of those Ghasts!

"Ah, sorry... I was thinking."

Alex felt a little nervous speaking to this old man, almost feeling like he was back in school before the old man shook his head and held out his arms; at first, Alex was confused before the old man's irritated voice sounded.

"Yer Sword' I'll help upgrade it for you."

McAlister began to examine the sword, his face showing a grimace at the almost ruined blade, his eyes looking at Alex like a bastard before tapping the length, smelling the guard; it was a strange sight before he began to cress the sword, like checking each inch of the huge nodachi; not a moment did he struggle to handle the weapon.

"Oooooh! What an interesting sword! Laddie! Let me help ye fix it! I can help you make this a wonderful weapon! At least bronze for now, but for later? Even Dominator class isn't out of the question! This sword was crafted with such a deep love.... a powerful affection to protect the owner, hmm? Oi laddie, is this the sword's name?"

His finger slid across the engraving for "Eien."

"Ah, yes, it means Eien, something close to the word eternity..." Alex felt overwhelmed, only wanting to improve his sword, not replace such an enthusiastic blacksmith who began to carry away his sword, looking through the back of his blacksmith, throwing different chunks of ore and leather around, then turning back to face Alex.

"Tha wee lassie said you have some moon steel ore and wyvern leather?"

"I just got some. Yes. Is it needed?"

McAlister smiled before dashing over towards Alex; nobody would believe this man was so old and could move fast just for a sword! His hands once again extended towards Alex like a beggar with shining eyes.

"Laddie, those items and 50 AC, and I'll reforge yer sword to bronze! I swear on my daughter's memory!"

With a sigh Alex, he shrugged, his eyes closing as he took the items out of the inventory, he was a little worried it was a scam and he might lose them, but he decided to give the benefit of the doubt; he wondered how to use coins or take them out.

But the moment he thought, 'I need 50 coins...' they popped out, a large coin with 50 printed on both sides, with a strange woman engraved on both sides with a triumphant face.

"Oh good lad, good lad! Take that lassie on a date around the city, maybe to the church, to get the best jobs! It will take around 5 hours! Some are limited to each world's occupants, first come, first serve! Oh, and don't worry about the sword. I'll make it one. You can swing around like a crazed barbarian without any grace and without damaging the blade! Haha."

"Thanks!" Alex was truly happy, this gift from Sarah, she would surely kill him if it were all battered and half destroyed.

McAlister began to mutter to himself as he turned away. "Oh, should I go for a double grip, maybe add a smaller guard? Ooooh, the blade needs a blood groove and some serrated edges.... hmmm.... the handle needs to be more comfortable."

Alex was about to turn to replace Stella, who vanished at some point before the dwarf turned back; suddenly, Alex felt an aura that almost made him kneel on the ground, like a tonne of weight was pushed onto his body, blood oozing from his nose, wondering what he did to McAlister now.

"Laddie, ye best look after that wee lassie! Protect her properly and treat yer wife well, aye?"

'Wife? Stella?'

"Tell me, why do you help me so much? A simple sword in your store is 200 coins, yet you are offering me such a huge upgrade for such a big thing! It's way too convenient!" Alex's voice wasn't too high but filled with doubt.

McAlister just turned his head, looking towards the small park where several children were playing; Stella was taking them for laps around the small park, letting them touch and stroke her wings as she smiled with a wonderful glow.

"Cause the wee lassie begged me to upgrade yer sword."