Chapter 94

Weapon Crafting (1)

As I stepped out of the conference room, I organized the tasks ahead.

Finding a successor and assassinating the Archmage.

It wasn’t difficult to decide which to do first.

'First, deal with the Archmage.'

Although I had plenty of time, it wouldn’t be wise to be complacent.

I had no plan on how to handle it.

If I failed to solve it in time, my abilities might be doubted, which could be problematic.

It would be better to start looking for a successor after finishing all the miscellaneous tasks without any distractions.

'Still, it’s better to take care of the mysteries first, right?'

The two mysteries hidden in Sainthea.

It wouldn’t take long to find them, so it would be better to do it first.

It might even help in dealing with the Archmage.

So, first find the mysteries, then deal with the Archmage, and then start looking for a successor...

"......?"

I tilted my head as I noticed a figure in the distance.

Tyongi was waiting at his spot, but Seintui was standing there.

Grrr.

Tyongi was growling low, on guard against Seintui.

Seintui, maintaining a distance, was watching him with interest.

As I approached, he turned his gaze to me and spoke.

"Did your conversation with the Grand Duke go well?"

......Were you waiting for me?

There wasn’t much to talk about, so I wondered what he wanted.

I stared at him silently for a moment before asking.

"Did you know what the Grand Duke and I talked about?"

"I don’t. He just asked out of courtesy, nothing more."

Seintui shook his head and asked.

"I was waiting because I had a small question. It’s about the neutral country conference you attended last time..."

"......"

"I heard that you sided with the Earthhill Kingdom and prevented the outbreak of war."

Although I was surprised by the sudden mention of the neutral country, I nodded.

"Yes."

"Was there a personal connection that made you help Earthhill? Or was there another reason?"

"......I don’t see why I should answer that."

The main story, Teir, and various other reasons were mixed, but there was no need to explain them.

More importantly, why was Seintui suddenly interested in this?

"I wasn’t prying. I just had a small concern."

Seintui, who had been staring at me, continued.

"As I said before, I don’t want the current system of Caldric to crack. Although each Duke has their own thoughts and intentions, conflicts don’t necessarily have to lead to clashes."

"......?"

"If each takes a step back, they can coexist even if they move in different directions. Despite the many conflicts among the Dukes over the years, Caldric has remained strong, as history has shown."

I couldn’t understand the context of his words.

What was this dwarf talking about all of a sudden?

"I don’t understand what you’re trying to say."

Seintui seemed to give up on saying more.

"No, I talked too much. If you have any conflicts with other Dukes in the future, I hope you won’t resolve them in an extreme way, like how you killed the 6th Duke. You have a promise with the Grand Duke, so you’ll handle it yourself, 7th Duke..."

His gaze suddenly turned to Ashel, who was standing behind me.

"......And, descendant of the White Moon Clan, what is your name?"

I frowned at his question.

It seemed he knew about the neutral country conference and that Ashel was from the White Moon Clan.

Ashel, taken aback by the sudden question, glanced at me before answering.

"Ashel."

"Your surname?"

"......Gronhildt."

Seintui’s eyes sparkled for a moment.

He nodded and said.

"What a pleasant coincidence. Do you know the name Gabrom Gronhildt?"

......Gabrom Gronhildt?

I immediately recalled who this name belonged to.

He was mentioned in the game, one of Ashel’s distant ancestors.

The founder of the White Moon Clan’s vision, which she was currently learning incompletely.

"Of course, I know... but..."

Ashel’s voice trailed off, bewildered.

"It’s a story from hundreds of years ago. I had a small connection with your ancestor. I once lost a bet and made a sword for him."

"......!"

Ashel’s eyes widened at Seintui’s words.

I was also surprised, as I had never heard this story before.

'What is he talking about?'

The 1st Duke, Seintui, and Ashel’s ancestor, the founder of the White Moon Clan’s vision, had a connection?

This was never mentioned in the game.

But then, something clicked in my mind, and I let out a small exclamation.

'Now that I think about it, Ashel’s sword...'

In the game, when Ashel first appeared as a Black Linen Knight, she had a proper personal weapon.

A famous sword called the 'Blue Edge Sword,' which was entirely blue.

But I never knew where she got it from, as it wasn’t mentioned in the lore.

Even when she joined the player party and her companions asked, she avoided answering.

Now, it seemed that Seintui was the one who made the sword for her.

Given her connection to the Black Linen Knights and her ancestor, it made sense that he would make a weapon for her.

She had already revealed her White Moon Clan heritage while serving as a Black Linen Knight.

'Is that really it?'

Feeling the pieces fall into place, I looked back and forth between the two.

Ashel seemed at a loss for words, unsure how to react.

It was understandable, given the sudden appearance of someone with a connection to her ancestor.

"I express my condolences for the tragedy that befell your clan."

Seintui said.

"I heard that you fought and lost to Sainthea in Earthhill."

"......Yes."

"However, what I see now is different from what I heard. You seem to have reached a level where you can match Sainthea, at least to some extent. Was it due to overconfidence, or have you made a significant improvement in such a short time?"

He muttered, genuinely puzzled.

Ashel’s expression changed subtly.

Seintui had just admitted that her level was almost on par with Sainthea’s.

'Now, she’s almost on par.'

I knew this well, as I could see her level.

Currently, Ashel was level 90, and Sainthea was level 91, so Seintui’s assessment was accurate.

Before the trial in the ruins, the difference was overwhelming, which is why she lost so decisively.

I glanced at Ashel and then spoke to Seintui.

"1st Duke."

"......?"

"Can you make a sword for her?"

Ashel was surprised and turned to look at me, and Seintui’s eyes showed a strange glint.

At the last emergency assembly, Seintui had said that if I needed any equipment, I should come to him.

Since I didn’t need any equipment, I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a proper weapon for Ashel.

Seintui nodded.

"I was thinking the same. Thanks to you, I got some good materials last time, so I’ll make armor as well. However..."

"......?"

"Can you come to the 1st Duke’s territory right now?"

"......Right now? Does it take so little time to make equipment?"

"No, I didn’t mean it would be finished immediately. I need to see her in person to make the right equipment."

He looked at Ashel as he said this.

I glanced at her and replied.

"Sure, let’s go."

Since he was going to make something serious, a short visit to the 1st Duke’s territory wasn’t a problem.

"Mr. Ron......"

Ashel called out, flustered.

I ignored her, climbed onto Tyongi’s back, and said.

"Hurry up, Ashel. We’re going to the 1st Duke’s territory."

***

The dwarves, known for their exceptional craftsmanship, were famous as the race of blacksmiths.

And the pinnacle of this craft in the current era was Seintui, Agor.

A Duke of Caldric and the undisputed best blacksmith on the continent.

The opportunity to have him personally craft equipment was invaluable.

'This is my first time seeing the 1st Duke’s castle.'

We quickly flew to the 1st Duke’s territory.

I followed Seintui through the castle gates, looking around.

This was the first time I saw the 1st Duke’s castle in person, not in the game.

When I passed through the 1st Duke’s territory to find the mysteries, I didn’t visit the capital.

Notably, there was a massive structure behind the main castle, more like a giant chimney than a tower.

I knew from the game that this was the forge.

As we approached the forge, the sound of hammering grew louder, and the heat became more intense.

Inside, all the workers were dwarves, who continued their work with minimal acknowledgment of Seintui’s presence.

This was a stark contrast to the tyrannical atmosphere in the 6th Duke’s territory.

Seintui ignored them and continued into the forge.

We soon arrived at a spacious area, and Seintui told Ashel.

"Show me your sword skills."

Ashel looked at me for permission.

I nodded and stepped back.

Swish.

She drew her sword, took a deep breath, and began to swing.

Numerous sword strikes cut through the air, creating a fierce whistling sound.

I watched with my arms crossed.

I wasn’t knowledgeable about swords, so I couldn’t assess the technical improvements.

However, her strikes were clearly faster and stronger than when she fought Sainthea, even without using her racial traits.

"......"

After watching Ashel’s swordplay for a while, Seintui spoke.

"Wait a moment."

He disappeared and returned with several swords of varying sizes and shapes.

"Try your sword skills with these."

Ashel, though puzzled, complied and demonstrated her skills with the new swords.

To me, it didn’t seem much different.

But Seintui watched intently, as if he saw something significant.

"Enough. Stop now."

After the last sword, Seintui led us to another place.

Outside the forge, we went to the basement of the main castle.

In the deepest part of the basement, we found a large warehouse filled with glowing minerals.

I naturally looked for the blue gems first, as Ashel’s Blue Edge Sword in the game was blue.

But Seintui stopped in front of a purple mineral.

"Infuse this stone with your magic."

Ashel placed her hand on the stone and infused it with magic.

The purple stone glowed brightly.

Seintui, watching carefully, nodded in satisfaction.

"It’s more suitable than I thought. Let’s check some others."

Was he choosing materials for the weapon?

I asked, not understanding what was happening.

"What are you doing?"

"I’m checking which materials are suitable for the weapon. It’s not just about high magic conductivity; the compatibility with the user’s magic is also important."

I nodded, not really understanding.

Seintui took Ashel around, infusing various minerals with magic, while I followed, feeling a bit bored.

Then, as we approached the inner part of the warehouse,

"......?"

I narrowed my eyes, sensing a foreboding aura.