Beyond M-Eclipse: Easy Mode LIVE

———Karra———

<1: 40 pm>

“Alright class. We’re starting a little early today.” Rico said with a noticeable lack of passion. Guess we’re not getting treated as a punching bag today. “No need to be alarmed, we’re not really doing anything today. In fact, it’s my treat.”

“What are you getting at?” Kenni asked.

“I’m thinking about bringing you somewhere a bit more fun than here. Today every class is supposed to be testing their strength and magic and such. No need to beat around the bush, all of you already passed. We didn’t set the bar too high.” She explained. So it’s another free class because of that. Usually she just lets us beat each other up until the class is over, right? What’s different this time? “...Don't have any questions? Fine then, guess we can cut to the chase.”

*Shine*

Suddenly a magical circle appeared on the ground. It doesn’t seem to be active at the moment, so stepping on it won’t activate whatever mechanism it has.

“Alright, get in.” Rico said before the magical circle glow brightly. “Or rather, don’t.”

*Flash* *Zoom*

All of us were swallowed by the light and ended up pulled in by the spell. There was barely any warning at all until we were forcibly transported to… Some sort of underground workshop?

This place has an archaic feel to it. Brick walls, warm lights, a lot of fireplace. It doesn’t even look like this place has any electricity just due to its aesthetic.

It’s very spacious with multiple sections to it. Where we’re at looked kinda empty with only a few tables with random items scattered across it.

“Sure take your sweet time. With how you describe it, it seems way more pressing than it had any right to be.” A voice I never heard rang out in the forge. A blonde woman with a tall leather hat.

“Hey. I think it’s important to make sure you get all that through your thick skull. Freaking basement dweller.” Rico said with a snide remark. “When was the last time you interacted with a human anyway? Talking with people online doesn’t count.”

“Shut it. If you want this place for a field trip, then whatever.” She said while shaking her head before turning around to look at us. “Welcome, the students of the Grand States Knight Institute."

“It’s just Grand SK. Don’t say the long version.” Rico interjected.

“Whatever. Why even bring them here?” Her pleasant tone and expression doesn’t last long as she shifts her focus back to Rico.

“Give them a different place to hang around in, for one. Look, you got plenty of space in this workshop of yours to accommodate like a hundred people minimum, don’t start complaining now.” Rico answered. From what she said, this massive open room is only one of many. “Don’t worry, we won’t go into that incubation room of yours.”

“It would be better if you don’t talk about it at all.” The pointy-eared woman said. Is she an elf or… “Alright. Whatever. I guess you can look around in this one room. Just try not to touch anything.”

“Also, make sure they get their new weapons before two and a half in the afternoon.” Rico added. Wait, is this why we’re here?

“Weapons?” Qyunda is the one to pick up on that particularly important sentence.

“Yep. Just ask her what kind of weapons you want, and she can make it in a flash. In case you haven’t noticed it, she’s a blacksmith. Actually, perhaps that can be excused, she doesn’t really look like one, does she?” Rico said while the blacksmith is scratching her head and adjusting that tall leather hat of hers. “Just write it down or something, be specific if you want to.”

The others started talking among themselves with that topic now in their minds. Do I need to replace my stuff? I don’t have it on me right now.

“Can’t you leave us alone? Or are you just going to try to scrutinize me the whole time?” The blacksmith asked.

“…Nah. I’ll just wait in the corner while you take them places.” She said before placing down a chair and sitting near the wall. “Just introduce yourself and all that. Give them a tour and keep them entertained.”

“Right…” The blacksmith muttered. “Alright, all of you, let’s get moving away from that freak for a while.”

Everyone followed her without saying anything. No one is quite sure of what to say, except maybe Kenni who is waiting for something more interesting to happen before saying something out of pocket.

“So. Did she even tell you why you’re all here?” She asked after we move towards a more open area with a lot of gadgets lying around.

“...Aside from what she said just now, not really.” Malk answered for the rest of us. “So. Weapons?”

“Yeah. As she said. I’m supposed to get commissions from you lot for new weapons. No need to introduce yourselves, she already filled me in.” She elaborated further. She doesn’t look very comfortable talking to us. “You can just call me Eci.”

“I’m just gonna go look around and touch stuff. I don’t really want anything. You guys have fun with her.” Kenni said before she abruptly tried to walk away. No way she doesn’t have some weird intention in mind.

“Stay.” Eci said before casually walking up to her and grabbing her by the collar. Those giant gauntlets of hers look like it’ll crush someone’s head if she moved it around even slightly. Same with her pair of metal boots.

“Hey! What’s the big idea!?” Kenni protested as she helplessly struggled. As expected, this person is certainly not normal.

“I can’t have you of all people roaming around in my workshop.” She said. Looks like she realizes the infamy Kenni has at the moment. Unlike the public at large she probably has a network of people to refer to, so she already knows what Kenni is capable of, or rather, willing to do. “Just wait in the back and don’t move.”

She lightly pushed Kenni towards us, almost losing her balance and fall on her face.

“Am I really that suspicious?” Kenni asked as she looked at us with an exaggerated expression that was pleading for sympathy.

None of us said anything as she got annoyed by the lack of response.

“Alright, before we do any tour, if any of you figure out what you want, I’ll write it down. Just keep that in mind.” Eci said as she pulled out a form and a pen. No one is saying anything, clearly still not sure of what to say in response. “...Doesn't seem like any of you have a clue yet. Nevermind then. Follow me. I’ll try some more basic forging just in case all of you will get some idea.”

Everyone then followed her to a giant table with a large anvil nearby. Should we even be near here if this is where she’s going to work her magic?

“You’re an elf, right?” Gregori asked as we all gathered around the table, waiting to see what she’s going to do.

“Basically. Yeah.” She casually said. Her ears definitely give it away, though it’s not as pointy as many depictions would lead many to believe. “Had none of you ever seen one in person before?”

No one gave an answer, making it clear that elf sightings are surprisingly rare.

“Guess they’re all still in hiding. Whatever. Not my problem if they’re out and about or not.” She said.

There seems to be more than a few implications there, but it’s not like we haven’t already suspected a few things about that race already.

Doesn’t look like she’s willing to divulge more on that topic, and her tone and attitude already make it clear that she’s not really a people person.

“Now then. Give me something to work with here… Hey, you.” She suddenly called someone else. “Hey, horsegirl, are you listening?”

“M-Me?” I didn’t expect myself to be called all of a sudden.

“What other horsegirl is there? Did you bring your knife here?” Huh? Why is she asking about that?

“Yeah? But why?” It’s in my wallet alongside all the other stuff I could cram through the hole.

“It’s been a long while since I sent it to you, I want to check on it.” Sent to… Hold on. Huh? “What’s the hold up?”

“W-Wait, I’ll get it out right now…” She’s the one who made it for me!? “Here.”

“Hmm… Yep. Still a piece of crap. Guess no one tampered with it during the time it was in your possession.” She said while putting it down on the table. The others looked at me in just about as much shock as I do. How the hell am I supposed to know that we’re gonna actually discover the person who actually created that magic knife? “Ugh. I was playing around last time so the quality was bad, I don’t remember it being this… Nevermind. I’m just gonna make some adjustments to it. You want any specific changes?”

“Uhh… Just make it a bit longer, I guess?” I don’t even have any plan in mind.

“Right. Right…” She muttered before focusing her attention to the knife that she considered so low quality. She then suddenly pulled out a hammer from nowhere. It just looks kinda like an ordinary hammer, almost cartoonish in its simplistic shape.

*Clang* *Sizz* *Clang* *Sizz*

She swung the hammer down on it with fire igniting from each strike. She casually works on it without any safety equipment. Is that even doing anything? It just looks like she’s trying to disfigure it, but perhaps that’s just me not being sure what sort of mystical operation is being used here.

“...This isn’t gonna work. Material quality is too low.” She said before putting the hammer away.

She summoned a small block of metal and pebbles of crystal.

*Shine* *Crackle* *Spark*

Suddenly the two items and the knife are floating in the air above a magic circle that appeared on the table. Is she performing some sort of alchemy?

*Sizz* *Steam* *Clang* *Sizz* *Clang* *Sizz*

Once it’s over and the two ingredients were subsumed into the knife, making it look dent and bloated, she continued working on it with her hammer.

“Hey, don’t go anywhere.” Qyunda said as she grabbed Kenni by her collar. She’s trying to sneak away again.

“Y-You snitch!” Kenni protested while Eci is still focused on her work.

“...Alright, all done.” Eci said before handing me the knife… It really does look about the same outside of a slightly longer blade. “I added a sword mode to it. Try activating it.”

“Okay?” I said before I try to feel for its function…

*Sizz* *Shine*

“Whoa!” The fire spews out of the blade condensed and forms into something akin to a laser weapon, extending the range of the weapon a few times over.

“Dang, that’s cool.” Jeff commented. Too bad for him, he doesn’t use any weapons anyway.

“That’s one commission down…” Eci muttered as she looked at the rest of our class. “We can continue with that in a bit. Let’s get moving.”

All of us then followed her, looking at things like what looks like a giant pit of molten metal and the walls adorned with armors and weapons. I can’t really tell what each section is used for, or if there’s any difference.

“Say, don’t you need a new katana or something?” She suddenly asked ‘Jass’ as the group kept walking.

“...No?” A confused reply came through. Pretty sure that was simply an act.

“I see. I assume that the rat in the back doesn't need anything either? Last I heard, you have a soul-bound weapon already. That certainly shouldn’t be improved by anyone other than yourself.” …Emmie has a what?

“I wasn’t planning on asking for assistance regardless.” Emmie replied. Hold on, isn’t that thing kinda important and very special? Is no one gonna bring that up?

I guess I’ll have to forget about that for now. Let’s just take a look at all the impressive weapons and armors on display.

This is going to be quite an eventful hour, even if it’s likely gonna pass by in a flash…