The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain! - Chapter 100

Chapter 100: 03/18- Selene
The dim torchlight flickered against the damp dungeon walls, casting jagged shadows as the group paused in a slightly more open chamber. Aeliana exhaled, rolling the stiffness from her shoulders before glancing down at her blade. It was in poor shape—far worse than it should have been after only one battle.

“Let me see that,” a smooth, confident voice interrupted.

Aeliana turned to find a tall, lean woman with sharp silver eyes stepping toward her. Selene, as she recalled—one of the Ironveil Company’s specialists. The woman moved with an easy grace, her dark leathers and reinforced tunic marking her as someone who understood both speed and durability in combat. A series of throwing knives were strapped to her belt, alongside a pair of curved short swords that gleamed even in the low light.

Selene held out a hand expectantly. “I can take a look at your weapon. Considering you’re now acquainted with our leader, I might even offer a discount.” A small smirk tugged at her lips. “Might.”

Kael snorted, crossing his arms. “So you’re saying it won’t be free?”

Selene gave him an unimpressed look. “Fixing garbage takes time and resources. If I was just sharpening it, sure, I could do it for a friendly gesture. But judging by the wear, those weapons need serious reforging.” She turned back to Aeliana. “Hand it over.”

Aeliana hesitated briefly before passing the sword to Selene. The blade specialist took it in both hands, turning it this way and that, running her fingers along the dulled edges and testing the weight.

Selene let out a low whistle. “Damn. Whoever sold you this really scammed you.”

Aeliana groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

Kael handed over his sword as well, his expression unreadable. Selene inspected his weapon with the same methodical precision, clicking her tongue as she traced the tiny chips along the steel. “Both of these were sold to you as enchanted weapons, right?”

Aeliana nodded. “Supposedly high-tier steel reinforced with enchanted ore.”

Selene let out a short, sharp laugh. “Yeah, no. If there was any enchanted ore in here, it was barely a trace. And the steel itself? Inferior quality. This isn’t even properly tempered.” She shook her head. “No wonder they degraded so fast. The enchantment burned out because there wasn’t enough material to sustain it.”

Kael scowled. “Then the blacksmith lied outright.”

“Pretty much,” Selene confirmed. “Whoever forged these knew they wouldn’t last long in real combat. They probably sell these to travelers and low-ranking adventurers who don’t know any better.” She tossed the sword back to Kael, who caught it with a grim expression.

Aeliana sighed. “So, what can be done?”

Selene tilted her head. “Depends on what you want. I could reforge them properly, but that means stripping them down and reforging the core with real enchanted ore. That’s expensive. Alternatively, I could reinforce the existing structure, but it wouldn’t be as effective as a full reforging.”

Kael’s jaw tightened. “How expensive?”

Selene tapped a finger against her chin, considering. “For friends of our leader? Let’s say half the usual cost. I’d charge five hundred gold per blade for a full reforging.”

Aeliana winced. “That’s… steep.”

Selene shrugged. “Quality work isn’t cheap. But if you plan on fighting things stronger than goblins, you need weapons that won’t fail you. Up to you.”

Kael exchanged a glance with Aeliana. They both knew they couldn’t afford to fight at a disadvantage, especially not if they continued encountering monsters like the one they had just faced.

Kael sighed. “Fine. But we expect top-tier results.”

Selene grinned. “Naturally.” She sheathed her own short sword and flexed her fingers. “I can start once we’re out of this dungeon. Until then, you’ll have to make do.”

Aeliana exhaled, feeling slightly relieved that at least a solution was in place. She wasn’t thrilled about the expense, but if it meant having reliable weapons in the future, it was worth it.

Garrik smirked. “See? Told you it helps to know the right people.”

Selene gave him an amused glance. “And I suppose you want a finder’s fee?”

Garrik held a hand to his chest, feigning offense. “Me? Never. Just a humble warrior ensuring his companions aren’t fighting with broken blades.”

Selene rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, she turned back to Aeliana. “Until then, I’d advise against too much direct contact in battle. Your blade might not hold up under another heavy impact.”

Aeliana nodded, gripping the sword’s worn hilt with determination. “Noted.”

Kael sheathed his weapon with a frown. “Let’s finish clearing this dungeon first. We’ll deal with the blacksmith after.”

Selene grinned, clearly enjoying the prospect of confrontation. “Looking forward to it.”

With their weapons temporarily assessed and a plan in place, they turned their attention back to the dungeon. There were still enemies lurking ahead, and while their blades might be flawed, they weren’t about to back down now.

Selene hadn’t always been a wandering blade specialist. Once, her world had been the comforting heat of the forge, the rhythmic clang of hammer against steel, and the scent of burning coals mixed with metal shavings. She had spent her childhood in her father’s blacksmith shop, watching the forge flames dance as he shaped raw steel into weapons, armor, and tools for adventurers, knights, and merchants alike.

Her father, Gregor, had been a master smith, known for his meticulous craftsmanship. He had never been the wealthiest of blacksmiths, nor did he care much for fame, but his weapons were solid, reliable, and built to last. He had always told Selene that a good weapon wasn’t just about sharpness or enchantments—it was about balance, endurance, and understanding the hands that would wield it.

Selene had learned by watching him, then by practicing under his strict eye. By the time she was seventeen, she could forge a sword nearly as well as he could, and by nineteen, she was running the shop alongside him, taking commissions from local fighters and adventurers who had come to trust the family name.

But things changed when Gregor fell ill.

It had started as a persistent cough—something he brushed off as irritation from the forge’s smoke. But as the months passed, the cough deepened, his strength faded, and soon, he could barely lift a hammer. The once mighty blacksmith who had trained knights and adventurers alike was reduced to a frail man who could no longer stand for more than an hour without gasping for breath.

Selene had done everything she could. She took over the forge entirely, working long hours from dawn to dusk, pushing herself beyond exhaustion to keep the shop running. But no matter how many weapons she crafted, how many commissions she filled, it was never enough. The cost of medicine and healers was staggering.

One evening, after barely managing to scrape together enough coin for another round of potions, Selene sat in the dimly lit forge, her arms aching, her mind racing. She needed another source of income—one that would actually make a difference.

That was when she met Dorian.

The leader of Ironveil Company had come into the forge that night, a broad-shouldered warrior with a confident stance and a smirk that spoke of endless battlefield experience. He had come for a new weapon—a custom commission—but after seeing Selene work, he had made an unexpected offer.

“Ever consider putting those skills to real use?” he had asked, leaning against the workbench as she sharpened a blade. “You know, outside of the forge?”

Selene had frowned. “This is real use.”

Dorian chuckled. “I don’t doubt it. But there’s a difference between making weapons and wielding them.” He picked up a completed sword from the rack, testing its weight. “You’ve got the hands of a smith, but I can tell you’ve got the instincts of a fighter too.”

Selene had scoffed, setting down her hammer. “I don’t have time for mercenary work.”

Dorian had tilted his head. “Even if it paid enough to cover your father’s treatment?”

That had made her pause.

She hated the idea of leaving her father alone, even temporarily, but the truth was, the forge wasn’t going to be enough. And no matter how much she worked, it wouldn’t bring Gregor’s strength back.

“Ironveil pays well,” Dorian continued. “We get contracts from nobles, guilds, and even the occasional royal envoy. Dangerous work, sure, but the reward is real.” He had looked her straight in the eyes then, his expression turning serious. “If you’re willing to fight, you won’t have to scrape by anymore.”

Selene had spent the night thinking it over. When dawn came, she made her decision.

She joined Ironveil on a trial basis at first, taking smaller assignments that kept her close to home. At first, she was just a weapons consultant, helping them maintain their gear between fights. But it didn’t take long before she was drawn into battle herself. The first time she had been forced to use a blade against an actual opponent, adrenaline had flooded her veins, and she had realized something—she wasn’t just good at making weapons. She was good at using them.

The more she fought, the more she honed her technique, blending her deep understanding of steel with practical combat experience. She learned the weaknesses in enemy weapons just by glancing at them, could tell when a sword was about to break by the way it vibrated on impact. It gave her an edge—one that Ironveil quickly came to rely on.

Within a year, she had become one of their top specialists, earning enough coin to ensure her father got the best treatment possible. She still visited the forge whenever she could, still crafted weapons when time allowed, but now, she had something more—a reputation, a purpose beyond just surviving.

Dorian had been right.

Selene had never imagined herself as a mercenary, but now, standing beside Aeliana and Kael in a dark dungeon, inspecting their faulty weapons, she knew she had made the right choice.

With a grin, she tossed a small whetstone to Kael. “For now, make do with that. But once we get out of here, I’ll show you what real craftsmanship looks like.”