Chapter 54 – The Secret of His Weapon
Chapter 54
The Secret of His Weapon
Date: Day 1 of Grimleaf 1024 Aethellgard Concord Year.
Hyoren opened the door of The Agile Viper with Elise in his arms, and they stepped out of the warm, lavender-scented store and into the bustling street beyond.
As they left the store, they stood together on the busy street. Now both of them bore the look of capable adventurers. Hyoren with his fully decked brown-grey leather cuirass. And Elise with her aesthetically designed leather tunic that caught the eyes of passersby.
Elise—still locking herself to Hyoren's arm—looked up at him.
"Okay. Time to buy your weapon, Hyoren."
Hyoren looked down to see Elise. He could feel the soft warmth of her against his arm.
"Sure. But can you... release me already, Elise? It'll be hard to walk through the crowds like this."
Elise pouted but resigned herself.
"Fine. You're right..."
She huffed softly.
"Okay, let's go to the blacksmith."
She finally released his arm. She walked beside him, taking the lead as they moved through the bustling street.
"I know just the place. There are many blacksmiths in Akela, but there's only one I trust. Ironhand's Borin."
Her voice carried a note of genuine respect.
"He's a retired adventurer himself, a dwarf who knows his trade. He doesn't sell flashy, overpriced junk. He sells reliable gear that keeps you alive. He opened his shop in the Adventurer's District. Let's go."
She led them back toward the eastern side of the city. The familiar, energetic chaos of the Adventurer's District greeted them. The sounds of boisterous laughter, clanking armor, and shouted greetings filled the air.
They soon arrived at a sturdy, simple looking shop. A sign reading "Grit & Gear Arms" hung over a picture of a crossed hammer and sword. The building itself looked like it had seen its share of trouble. The stone walls were blackened in places, and the heavy wooden door was reinforced with iron bands.
The rhythmic "clang... clang... clang" of a hammer on an anvil echoed from within, a steady heartbeat of industry.
Hyoren pushed open the door, and a wave of heat washed over them.
The inside of the shop was sweltering. It smelled of coal, hot metal, and the sour tang of sweat. Racks of weapons lined the walls, and stands of metal armor filled the available space. A powerfully built dwarf with a thick, braided grey beard and a leather apron stained with soot was pounding a glowing piece of steel into shape on his massive anvil. Sparks flew with each strike.
He looked up as they entered, his dark eyes squinting through the haze.
"Elise!"
The dwarf's voice boomed through the shop, as deep and resonant as the anvil's ring. He set down his hammer and wiped his brow with a grimy forearm.
"It's been a month since your last visit! I was starting to think the forest finally claimed your pointed ears."
Elise laughed, walking closer and giving the dwarf a friendly pat on the shoulder.
"Not yet, Borin. I had a bit of trouble, but my partner here got me out of it."
She gestured to Hyoren.
"Borin, this is Hyoren. Hyoren, this is Borin, the best blacksmith in Akela."
Borin's eyes, sharp and discerning despite the shop's dim interior, scanned Hyoren from head to toe. He lingered on the scars visible on Hyoren's arms and the calculating gaze in his eyes.
"You've got the look of a man who's seen a few fights. Good."
He grunted in approval.
"What can I do for you?"
Hyoren thought for a moment.
He reached into his storage bag and drew the makeshift steel dagger. It was the one he had taken from the Goblin Warrior and used as a spear tip. A thirty-centimeter dark blade with a long crossguard. The blade had survived the attack that destroyed the shaft, the attack that had ended the Alpha Wolf.
"I want either a new spear. Or maybe create a new proper spear using this blade as the tip."
He touched the hilt.
"This steel dagger, even if I picked it from a goblin, it's become my trusty partner now."
He held it out, hilt-first, to the dwarf blacksmith.
"I used to remove the hilt and fit the tang into a shaft to create a spear. But the shaft was destroyed, leaving this naked blade."
Borin took it. He weighed it in his hand, his brow furrowing slightly.
"This is lighter than it looks..."
He tapped the blade with a calloused fingernail, listening to the sound it made.
"But it's dense. And... durable."
He held it up to the light of the forge, his eyes narrowing. The eyes of a master craftsman assessed the metal with intense scrutiny.
And then he tried to pour Aethell into the blade.
The blade glowed slightly, magic energy coating the metal like a second skin.
Everyone's eyes widened.
The gruff demeanor of Borin vanished, replaced by the sharp focus of a master artisan beholding a masterpiece. He leaned closer, his breath catching in his throat.
"By Gravok's beard…"
He whispered, his voice filled with awe. He gently ran a calloused thumb along the flat of the blade, his touch almost reverent.
"This isn't steel."
Hyoren and Elise exchanged confused glances. Hyoren tilted his head slightly.
"It's not? I just assumed it was some lightweight dark steel."
Borin rolled his eyes. Exasperated.
"Steel?"
Borin let out a short, sharp laugh that was devoid of any humor.
"Lad, this is mithril alloy."
The name was familiar to Hyoren. Fantasy metal. The one that conducted magic easily.
Elise beside him nodded in understanding. She was familiar with the metal too. And now the pieces clicked into place. She had always wondered how the blade had survived the attack that killed the Alpha. Normal iron or even poorly made steel would shatter.
"It's not true mithril, but mithril alloyed with steel to create a balance between steel's durability and mithril's magical conductivity."
Borin continued, his voice a hushed, excited murmur.
"Look at the way it doesn't reflect the light. How it easily conducts Aethell to create a magic coating? This is masterwork quality."
He shook his head slowly.
"A goblin definitely didn't forge this."
He looked up at Hyoren, his eyes burning with a new, intense curiosity.
"This was likely looted. From an adventurer, or a merchant. Who knows. But the forging..."
He turned the blade again, examining the patterns in the metal.
"This is the work of a dwarven master smith of Khor'Menduun. A century old, at least."
He tested the edge with his thumb, feeling the sharpness that had survived countless battles.
"It's held an edge through who-knows-how-many battles. This isn't just a ‘steel dagger’, lad. This is a legacy."
Borin placed the blade carefully on the table. He faced Hyoren.
He raised one thick finger.
"Now. What do you want to do with this? I'll give you two options. I will polish it and make a new hilt for it. Creating a dagger. That's easy. You can get it back tomorrow at the latest."
He raised another finger.
"Or… You said you used this as a makeshift spear before, right? Then I can create a shaft for it. Creating a proper spear. This requires a more arduous process. So it will take me about five days."
Borin lowered his arms and waited for Hyoren's answer.
Hyoren looked at Elise. He was asking for guidance. But Elise only nodded at him, leaving the decision to him.
"It's your weapon, Hyoren. You know best what you need."
Hyoren nodded. Decided. He turned to face Borin.
"I want it as a spear, Borin. Polish and sharpen it. Then create a shaft for me. The length of the spear should be exactly two meters from the tip to the butt end."
He paused, thinking about his experience with Alpha.
"I want the shaft to be made from durable material. I don't want it to splinter again."
He tapped his chin.
"And I want you to keep the crossguard as is. Create a spear with a wide crossguard, like a Yari. Something I'm already used to."
Borin noted all of his requests on a piece of paper.
"Request noted. With this, the cost will be 600,000 Kres. I'll use the hardest Ironwood I can find to create the shaft."
He looked up.
"Anything else you want?"
Hyoren looked around the shop.
"I don't want to be unarmed. Can you provide me a simple spear and a dagger as a side-arm, or for skinning game?"
Borin nodded. He went to a rack along the wall and selected a spear that seemed similar to Hyoren's description. Then he retrieved a small fifteen-centimeter dagger.
He placed the dagger on the table and handed the spear to Hyoren.
"This is my basic Iron Spear. The length is around two meters."
Hyoren took the spear. He weighed it in his hands, feeling the balance. He did a practice swing and thrust, testing the reach and handling. Satisfied, he nodded.
"This is good. I like the balance. And the length is perfect. How much?"
"No need to pay for that. I'm lending it to you until your Mithril Alloy spear is ready. Just bring it back in one piece later."
Borin crossed his arms.
"The steel dagger is 200,000 Kres, though."
Hyoren nodded.
"You're so kind. Thank you, Borin."
Elise also stepped forward.
"You're always like this, Borin. When you find an amusing adventurer, you don't even seek profit."
Borin laughed, a deep, belly-shaking sound.
"Hahahahahaha! Because I used to be an adventurer myself! I love when real, skilled newbies appear. It makes me want to root for them. Hahahaha!"
Elise and Hyoren chuckled.
Borin crossed his hand.
“Anything else you need lad? Or Elise?”
Elise then remembered her stock of arrows was depleted.
“Borin, give me 30 steel tip arrows. And I prefer the arrow to be fin stabilized instead of fletching. The fletching one is not durable.”
Borin nodded.
“Okay wait a bit. ”
He went back with stacks of arrows. The steel-tip looked sharp. The fin stabilizers gleamed.
“Here Elise. All this is 30,000 Kres.”
Elise nodded. Satisfied with quality and quantity. She handed her card to Borin, and he quickly processed the transaction using the magic tool on his counter.
"830,000 Kres payment confirmed."
Borin then slapped Hyoren's shoulder with a heavy hand.
"Come back in five days to get your spear, lad!"
Hyoren sheathed his new steel dagger on his belt. He placed the borrowed spear into his storage bag. He didn't need a spear in town. A side-arm was enough as a self-defense weapon.
He and Elise waved to Borin.
"Thanks, Borin!"
Both said their thanks at the same time. They turned around, pushed open the heavy door, and left the sweltering heat of Grit & Gear Arms behind.
***
The afternoon air greeted them, cool and refreshing against their skin after the sweltering heat inside the store. The dual suns had already begun their descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of amber and gold. Soon the magic lamps would replace them as the city's source of light.
They walked a short distance and found a small bench near a pocket park. The bench was tucked beneath the shade of a flowering tree, and they decided to sit down side by side.
Hyoren turned to Elise.
"We did all the shopping. That was tiring but fun."
Elise giggled. Her silver hair swayed with the motion, the green ribbon catching the fading light.
"That's right. It's been years since I spent over 7 million Kres in a single day."
Hyoren looked up at the sky, reflecting.
"I thought having 8.3 million Kres meant we'd be settled for life, but now we're back to under 1 million Kres."
Elise looked at Hyoren. Smiled warmly.
"Adventurer equipment is costly, Hyoren. It's our lifeline. We can't be stingy."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"But you're right. Our party funds are starting to dwindle. Maybe we should start working?"
Hyoren nodded.
"My proper spear still needs more time to be ready, so we can't do serious work though."
Elise's ears twitched. She tapped her chin, thinking.
"Let's look for quests that are easy. And only one or two days away from the city."
She paused, a small smile playing on her lips.
"Far away from the Forest of No Return. Fufu."
Hyoren nodded.
"That's a good idea. I don't want to go near the Green Grassland or the Forest of No Return for a while."
Elise chuckled. She stood from the bench, stretching her arms above her head. Then she offered her hand to Hyoren. He took it and rose to his feet.
Elise started walking.
"Let's go to the Adventurer's Guild then... quickly. Before the evening crowd settles in."
Hyoren followed her closely.
"Lead the way, Elise."
Both of them walked through the crowded streets of the Adventurer's District. The afternoon traffic was still light, and they moved at a comfortable pace.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the Adventurer's Guild. The three-story dark wood and stone building loomed before them, still as imposing as ever.
Hyoren pushed the heavy wooden door open, and they stepped inside.
The atmosphere within was still quiet and solemn. The evening crowd had not yet arrived, and the great hall felt almost peaceful.
Hyoren scanned the surroundings. A few adventurers scattered, discussing over quest paper.
Elise led them toward one of the walls, away from the counter. A large cork board was posted with quest papers and announcements.
"Let's pick a good quest, Hyoren. We don't really need to pick the most profitable quest. As long as it's easy and pays well, let's take it."
Hyoren nodded.
"Okay, Elise. Let's see."
They began browsing the quest board. Papers of various sizes and colors were pinned in haphazard clusters, each one representing a job waiting to be claimed.
Elise examined a few of them closely.
"Request to guard a merchant caravan to Harvengald... skip."
She shook her head.
"Another guarding quest. Skip."
Hyoren's eyes caught on one particular poster. He pointed it out to Elise.
"How about this one, Elise? This looks easy and can be cleared within a day."
She glanced at it. Her brows furrowed immediately.
"Hyoren. Please say you're joking."
Hyoren tilted his head, confused.
"Huh? I thought it was easy. Only killing Poison Rats in the sewer. It pays 800,000 Kres and gives 5 contribution points!"
Elise shook her head. Her silver hair and green ribbon swayed with the motion.
"First of all, Poison Rats are level 6 monsters. They're not hard if you face them alone, but they swarm in the sewers."
She held up a finger.
"They're also dangerous. Even one scratch from their claws might poison you. We'd either need a priest who can cast detoxify magic, or we'd burn through antidote potions, rendering the payment meaningless."
She put both hands on her hips, assuming a teaching posture.
"Then, you didn't read the requirements? It says it needs a minimum four-person party. Where do you think we can get two more members within a few hours?"
Elise pinched the bridge of her nose.
"And I hate sewers. They're smelly."
She crossed her arms.
"The pay might be good. The quest might look easy. But no."
Hyoren's mouth formed an O shape. Surprise washed over his face.
"I see. It was my mistake for not seeing the requirements. Sorry, Elise."
Elise chuckled, her earlier exasperation fading.
"Don't worry. This is your first time picking a quest. It's understandable that you still can't get it right."
She puffed her chest proudly.
"That's why I'm here, right? As your mentor and teacher!"
Hyoren smiled.
"Thanks... I don't know what I would do without you, Elise. It seems I can't live without you anymore."
That statement caught Elise completely off guard. Red streaks of embarrassment began to creep from her neck up to her ears. She quickly turned around to hide her face.
"W-wah... wahhh. Don't say such embarrassing lines with a straight face, Hyoren!"
She fanned her face with her hand, trying to reduce the heat rising in her cheeks.
Hyoren tilted his head. He didn't understand why Elise was so flustered.
Elise coughed, composing herself.
"Okay, focus, Hyoren. Focus. Let's continue looking for quests!"
She said it with a higher pitch than usual.
Hyoren nodded. He didn't know what had come over Elise, but he decided to focus on the task in front of them. Picking their quest.
He looked along the board.
"Quest to scout the Forest of No Return... nope. Another quest to scout... and another one?"
He blinked.
"There are so many quests to scout that forest. And all issued by Baron Akela himself."
Elise, who had been looking at the same section, furrowed her brows. Her embarrassment from before had already receded. Only a faint hint of red on her pointed ears remained.
"They took my report seriously, Hyoren. It seems Baron Akela doesn't want to repeat the war from eight years ago."
Her voice was grave.
"So he truly wants to be prepared."
Hyoren nodded.
"That's understandable. No one wants to repeat the same tragedy, right?"
They continued browsing the quest board in silence for a while. After several minutes, Elise finally made a decision. She pointed at two posters on the board.
"Okay. Let's take these two quests."
Hyoren looked at the first one.
Quest : Gather 200 bundle of Whisper-Grass and Moon-Flower.
Reward: 300,000 Kres and 5 Contributions Points.
Issuer: Oria of the Korian
Requirement: Iron-rank or above
He then looked at the other one.
Quest : Scout Stonewell Village which got wiped out six months ago. Determine if re-population is possible.
Reward : 300,000 Kres and 5 Contributions Points.
Issuer : Baron Akela
Requirement: Iron-rank or above
Hyoren nodded.
"The first quest seems good. 200 bundles seems like plenty. But gathering herbs should be easy."
He paused.
"The second one. Scouting an abandoned village, huh? How far is it, Elise?"
Elise took the two posters from the quest board, claiming them. She looked at the first quest for a bit longer, seeming to think about something. Then she turned to Hyoren.
"Yes. I know where to gather that many herbs easily. We can gather them in the Whispering Forest, one day's journey west from Akela."
Elise faced Hyoren fully.
"It's a peaceful forest. It's only populated by weak monsters like Horned Rabbits and Mossback Squirrels."
A soft smile crossed her face.
"And deep inside, there's a spring pond teeming with magic, so herbs grow plentifully around it."
She smiled.
"I love going there just to relax. The pond is beautiful."
Hyoren nodded.
"Relaxing and sightseeing seems like a good idea, Elise. I would love to wander through a forest that won't try to kill me from every direction."
Elise giggled.
"Fufu. That's right. And this Stonewell Village is in the same direction as the forest. Two days from Akela. So if we take both, it will take us three days at most before we go back to Akela."
She tapped the posters against her palm.
"Let's go to the counter to accept these quests."
Hyoren turned around and scanned the counter. It seemed Ina was not there today. Only a handful of young girls, mostly newbie clerks, were operating the counters.
Elise's eyebrows furrowed.
"That thieving cat isn't here today, huh..." she sighed.
"Well. Let's go to Sherly's counter for now, Hyoren."
Hyoren nodded and followed Elise to the counter.
They arrived at the young clerk's station. Elise placed the quest papers on the counter. Sherly looked up.
"Good afternoon, Sherly. Can you process these two quests for us? We want to accept them."
Sherly smiled professionally, though a hint of nervousness flickered in her eyes.
"Good afternoon. Let me properly introduce myself. I'm Sherly Fenninton."
She bowed slightly.
"You two are Elise and Hyoren, right? Senior Ina told me a lot about you two, especially you, Elise."
Sherly's smile shifted to something warmer.
"You want to do those quests? Okay, please give me your cards."
Hyoren and Elise nodded. They placed their Guild Cards on the counter. Sherly took them.
"Okay, please wait a bit."
Sherly processed their quest in quick, practiced motions. Even as a newbie, she had already learned her trade well. She stamped both quest papers, indicating that someone had already claimed the quest. Then she used the magic tools on the counter to register the quest on their cards, officiating the acceptance.
She smiled and handed back the guild cards.
"Now that's done, you two. Please check your cards."
Hyoren looked at his card. A new line had appeared:
Quest: Scouting Stonewell Village; Gathering Whisper-Grass and Moon-Flower.
He looked at Elise. She nodded in confirmation.
***
Elise put the guild card back into her pocket. Then she turned to Sherly.
"Thank you, Sherly. You worked flawlessly."
Sherly fidgeted, clearly nervous. She hadn't expected to receive a compliment.
"Umm. I'm still learning. But Senior Ina's teaching is easy to follow. She's really patient and meticulous."
She smiled shyly.
"Every new clerk is grateful for her."
Hyoren thought about that. That predator Ina, the one who kept flirting with him, seemed to work well as a senior clerk. But then, Elise had said she was an earnest and hard worker. Her only bad trait was that man-eating tendency. He shook his head internally. There was no perfect person in the end.
Elise looked at Sherly.
"Speaking of Ina. Where is that thieving cat? I don't see her..."
She glanced around.
"Every time I see her in the guild, she's always flirting with male adventurers. But now she's gone."
Her voice, despite the harshness of her words, was not laced with malice.
Sherly was surprised for a moment. But as she also knew Ina's habit, she smiled wryly.
"Senior Ina is out with the Guild Master. They went to Baron Akela's Castle for a meeting with the Baron."
She lowered her voice to a hushed tone.
"I think it's about consolidating resources to prepare for the looming war with the Goblin King."
Elise nodded.
"I see. That's a shame. But actually, maybe that's good."
She glanced at Hyoren.
"I don't want to see her flirting with Hyoren again."
Elise smiled.
"Okay, Sherly. Thanks for your time. Give my words to Ina when she's back."
Sherly bowed.
"Will do, Elise. And good luck on the quest."
Elise and Hyoren waved at her. Then they turned and walked toward the door.
But before they could even take their third step, Sherly's panicked voice rang out across the guild hall.
"Elise! Hyoren! Please wait!"
Every head in the guild hall turned toward her.
Sherly shrank under the sudden attention. Her face flushed crimson, and she looked like she wanted to disappear into the floorboards.
Elise and Hyoren stopped mid-stride. They turned around and approached the counter again.
Sherly's face was beet red. She fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, her earlier professionalism crumbling into embarrassment.
Elise and Hyoren exchanged glances. Then Elise leaned forward, her voice gentle.
"Is there something wrong, Sherly?"
Sherly bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry. There were notes about your quest. And I forgot to tell you two."
Hyoren tilted his head.
"Notes?"
Sherly nodded, still flustered.
"Yeah... sometimes quest issuers will leave notes for the guild. Sometimes it's about extra reward if the adventurer meets certain criteria. Or some small limitation. We don't write it on the poster because it would take up too much space."
She swallowed.
"Instead, when an adventurer is going to accept the quest, we, the clerk are supposed to tell them."
Hyoren nodded slowly, understanding.
Elise's expression shifted. A flicker of something passed across her face. Worry.
"I see. I almost forgot that rule exists."
She straightened.
"So what are the notes, Sherly?"
Sherly quickly shuffled through the documents in front of her. Papers rustled as she searched for the relevant information. Her fingers trembled slightly as she found what she was looking for.
"The notes are simple. Just promises of extra rewards and small conditions."
Sherly looked up, relieved to have found the information.
"Adventurers who accept the herb gathering quest will get extra monetary reward if they turn in more herbs than required."
She paused.
"But they need to deliver all herbs themselves to the issuer. Oria of the Korian."
Elise's eyebrows furrowed. The pleasant expression she had maintained vanished, replaced by visible annoyance. Her jaw tightened.
Hyoren, oblivious to the undercurrent, nodded.
"Oh. That's easy then, Sherly. Delivering herbs is a small matter. And we already took the quest anyway."
He glanced at Elise.
"We can't really cancel without penalty, right?"
Sherly nodded, grateful that at least one of them wasn't upset.
"That's right. I'm glad you understand."
She bowed again.
"But still. I apologize for my oversight."
She bowed deeper this time, nearly folding herself in half.