I Got Reincarnated as a Blacksmith in a Ruined Kingdom, but Why Is the Princess My Assistant?!

The last thing I remember before dying... was a vending machine.

Not a demon lord. Not a meteor. Not a tragic car accident while saving a kitten.

Nope. Just a vending machine. Bright red. Shiny. New. Sitting outside my university dorm with a smug glow and a 50% OFF MELON SODA sticker.

I bent down to grab my can.

And then—BAM.The thing toppled forward and flattened me like a pancake in a business suit.

Instant death.Zero dignity.

To be fair, I did rock it a little to get my drink unstuck. I just didn’t expect it to commit full murder.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in the middle of a silver forest.The air smelled like lightning and old books. Mushrooms were glowing. The sky was... sideways?

And then it happened:

 [Reincarnation Complete.][Welcome to the Kingdom of Eltaria.][Class: Blacksmith (Unique)][Skill Gained: Forge Anything][Warning: This kingdom is currently rated “Uninhabitable.” Proceed with caution.]


That’s when I knew: I’d been isekai’d.Not as a hero.Not as a king.Not even as a slime.

I’d been reincarnated... as a blacksmith.

With no weapons. No guide. And no idea where I was.

Then she showed up.

Silver braid. Rusted armor. Royal tiara slightly crooked on her head.

She pointed a sword at me.

“You there!” she barked. “You just forged a weapon out of scrap using bare hands, didn’t you?”

“Uh. Yeah?” I blinked.
“Perfect,” she said, eyes gleaming. “You’re hired.”
“Hired for what?”
“To help me rebuild my ruined kingdom, obviously.”
And that was my introduction to Aria, Crown Princess of Eltaria.
From that moment on, I, Hiroshi Sakurai—a former shut-in who died chasing a cheap soda—was officially stuck rebuilding a broken kingdom with a battle-crazy princess as my self-declared assistant.

No big deal, right?

…Right?