Reborn as an Extra Chapter 529: A Meeting Arranged By Fate. Part-1.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
A young dwarven child navigated the deserted paths of his small village, heading toward the distant forest.
As he crossed the final street, an elderly shopkeeper spotted the boy. The youth was skipping and trotting, a look of pure excitement lighting up his face.
"Oh, is our little Kifrid heading out to practice his swordsmanship again? Which great enemy do you plan to take down today?"
Upon hearing the shopkeeper, Kifrid pouted. He attempted to shout with an intimidating roar, but his voice remained as precious as his appearance.
"Don’t tease me, old man! One day, I’ll be the strongest of them all! I am Kifrid, the ’Invincible Warrior’!"
While making his declaration, Kifrid thrust his wooden toy sword toward the heavens, a look of immense pride crossing his face.
The young boy's words brought an amused smile to the old shopkeeper's lips.
"Haha, well then, is our little ’invincible warrior’ stopping by for some candy today, or not?"
The moment 'candy' was mentioned, Kifrid’s eyes sparkled with light. He nearly abandoned his strict warrior’s code of conduct on the spot.
"Eh... b-but mom told me that eating too many sweets will stunt my growth, and then I won't be a powerful warrior..."
The old man grinned at the boy's logic and continued to poke fun at him.
"You are already quite short; you won’t get any shorter than this, pfffftt..."
Irritated by the old man's teasing, Kifrid puffed out his cheeks and stomped his foot against the dirt.
"Hmph! Just you wait! I’ll be the tallest person in this town one day! Hmph!"
With that final word, Kifrid hoisted his wooden sword over his shoulder and marched toward his regular training grounds near the woods.
There was plenty of daylight remaining, and his routine usually involved practicing until the evening grew late.
Kifrid reached the training site—a place where several partially chopped logs served as targets for the local children—with a lingering look of indignation.
"Hmph! Someday I’ll prove to everyone that I’m not just some helpless little kid!"
As he arrived at his usual spot, he noticed that a stranger was already there, seated upon a tree stump.
Kifrid didn't recognize him; the man was exceptionally tall and far thinner than any adult the boy had ever encountered.
He wore peculiar clothing and held a flute in his hands.
Kifrid knew what the instrument was, having seen adults play them before, but the most striking feature of the man was his pitch-black hair and pupils.
His dark tresses fluttered in the evening wind as he played a soft melody on the flute.
While the song wasn't particularly complex, Kifrid found himself unable to look away from the mysterious figure.
Having never seen a human, he had no idea what kind of strange being stood before him.
Driven by pure curiosity, he approached the stranger without fear, as the flute’s melody exerted a powerful pull on him.
For some reason, a strange type of energy seemed to ripple outward every time the bizarre man played a note.
Sensing Kifrid’s arrival, the stranger finally ceased his playing. He opened his eyes to observe the small child who had appeared beside him.
"You? Who are you? I’ve never seen you around here... and what brings you to our training grounds?"
Kifrid was a brave boy; with a sword in his hand, he felt invincible. He believed he could even face down dragons as long as his weapon was with him.
"I didn't expect to find anyone wandering near the forest this evening... To stumble upon a random child while passing through a town... I suppose this is what they call fate?"
The stranger whispered to himself before answering Kifrid's inquiry.
"Hmm, I am Rio, a humble ’travelling bard.’ I play music for my own enjoyment and travel across the lands..."
"I was passing through and found this pleasant spot to rest, so I couldn't resist stopping for a moment... And who might you be, little one? Why are you so close to the woods by yourself?"
"The sun will be down in an hour or so; you really should be heading home. Your mother will be worried about your safety..."
Hearing Rio’s concern, Kifrid pointed his sword toward the sky and announced with unwavering determination:
"My name is Kifrid Gale!"
"I am here to train! One day, I will be the most powerful person in the Dwarf nation! I want to be the greatest swordsman in the world!"
The sheer weight behind the child's declaration was so profound that Rio’s pupils shook slightly, and his instincts flared wildly.
‘This kid... his talent is terrifying...’
While Rio was lost in shock, Kifrid tilted his head in confusion and asked another question.
"I’ve been wanting to ask... why does it feel like there is some strange energy... Hmm... what is that... it's like something is wrapping around your whole body..."
"When you played that flute... it was spreading everywhere... how odd... It’s hard for me to explain..."
A look of bewilderment crossed Kifrid’s adorable face. He tapped his forehead with a tiny finger, struggling to find the right words to describe what he was seeing.
"You!? You can actually perceive the presence of my ’Sword Intent’!?"
Rio nearly leapt from the stump in pure disbelief, his jaw practically hitting the ground at the child's observation.
Even elite S-rankers struggled to detect Rio’s Sword Intent unless he chose to reveal it.
For a child who hadn't even undergone awakening to notice the Sword Intent surrounding his body meant the boy was anything but ordinary.
"It’s called ’sword intent’? What was its sword instant?"
Kifrid fumbled over the pronunciation. He was startled by Rio's sudden outburst, not expecting such a shocked reaction.
He had only mentioned it because he thought Rio was being plagued by some strange energy.
"Uh... I just thought having all that weird energy around you might be a burden, so I said something. Don't be mad, though; I won't tell anyone that you're being bothered by it..."
"Uh... pinky promise!"
Just as Rio was beginning to process his shock, Kifrid delivered another blow to his common sense!
"What do you mean by ’burden’? Why do you think it is burdening me?"
Rio was truly baffled as to why Kifrid would use such a comparison for his Sword Intent.
In response, Kifrid tapped his forehead a few more times, searching for the right analogy.
"Hmm, it’s like... uh, when you cover your toy golem in clay to keep it from getting damaged... but then the clay ends up jamming the golem’s joints from the inside..."
At Kifrid’s explanation, Rio felt as though a bolt of lightning had struck his mind. A sudden wave of enlightenment washed over him, a sensation that defied description!
‘This!? Why did I never realize something like that!?’