章 131: Swordsmanship Practice (1)
Thanks to Arson, the enhancements went well.
The [Eldain Academy Uniform] has been strengthened by a whopping +15 strength, and the rest of the items have also been successfully upgraded.
I'm especially pleased to report that I've managed to upgrade the [Archmage???'s Superior Orb], an item I stole from Eleanor's vault, to rank 10.
I liked the look on Eleanor's face, so even though I knew I had a good chance of success, I purposely faked it and cried out....
The reaction is immediate.
"How the hell do you... reinforce such an expensive thing without hesitation, even if you didn't buy it with your own money...."
"I like it."
Both your reaction and the success of the reinforcement, to be exact.
I swallowed and smirked inwardly.
'This is my punishment for trying to read my mind every day.'
"...."
"You gave it to me anyway, so it's my business what I do with it."
I said confidently.
It didn't really matter, because the chances of it breaking were slim to say the least. I'd only risked it because I was confident I'd benefit from it....
In Eleanor's eyes, I would have just looked like a crazy gambling addict.
...In fact, if the odds weren't so high, I wouldn't have made the gamble either.
When it comes to reinforcement, I have a bit of a passive side.
'The world of reinforcement is a cold, hard place… a hellhole where even a one or two percent chance of failure turns into a fireworks display. If you make it to the tenth round, it's almost a perfect result.'
The power of the 10th grade enhanced [Archmage???'s Supreme Grade Orb] was definitely incredible.
Not only has the effectiveness of my low to mid-tier magic increased dramatically, but my [Dark Sphere] is now as effective as the next higher-tier magic, [Death Thorns].
Getting more out of less mana is not as easy as it sounds.
'After all, enhancements come with risks, but they're enhancements because they can do so much good. Cancer, indeed.'[sic]
Zitri and Arson were equally shocked, especially Arson, who was practically jumping for joy as he held up his hammer.
"My, my, I can't believe I'm making +10 and +15 buff artifacts with this hammer… I can't believe it...."
His primal dwarven lust was on full display. Zitri looked at me and whispered in my ear.
"You're not going to go to the gambling house, are you?"
"Probably not."
What the hell, we have to go to the gambling house in the main story sooner or later.
I looked at her as I said that, and for some reason, Zitri seemed startled by the comment.
I think she was afraid I would get a taste for gambling.
However, I was stubborn.
"The enhancement worked."
"Have you not heard the story of 'beginner's luck'? Gambling in your sleep is a surefire way to ruin, and word has it that it always ends badly."
"That's what you said when I brought in the drunken Elena, but she wasn't a disgrace."
Zitri looked genuinely fed up, but then she clenched her small fists in determination and began to lecture me on the dangers of gambling.
"I don't know anything else, but it's really not as good as gambling… … eub!"
"Shut up."
I pinched Zitri's mouth to stretch it, then turned back to Arson to talk about something constructive.
I don't pay any attention to the fact that he's still reeling from the afterglow.
First, the uninvited guest at his side.
"Eleanor."
"What's going on?"
"I'd like to talk to Arson about artifact crafting, but I need you to leave me alone, or are you going to buy my artifact crafting formula?"
"If I buy it, will you sell it to me?"
"Of course not."
"…Tch."
I felt a strange pleasure at the rare display of emotion.
Clicking her tongue, she must have smelled the profit.
First off,
Of course, I have no intention of selling Eleanor my recipe. She's not on good terms with me yet anyway, and she's more of an enemy than anything else.
Of course, like Talia and the others, I don't know what will happen to her later, but at least for now.
'In the first place, Eleanor is a tougher opponent because she can't be fooled by [Acting Genius].'
It has been said for a long time that the enemy is close by.
'Plus, I don't think she's at the point where she trusts me yet.'
'And yet you're still interested in Sean, which I don't understand. Especially with such an important artifact....'
Needless to say, I haven't worn the pendant Eleanor gave me yet.
It doesn't change the fact that I need to be wary of her if I don't want my identity to be discovered. If I get distracted by my immediate interests and wear the pendant, it could be a terrible disaster.
'I don't know about the others, but I'd never turn Eleanor into an enemy. Though it's still too early to get too close.'
The only unit in the Inner Lunatic that doesn't belong to one faction or the other, but to the most favorable faction I can think of at the last minute.
That would be Eleanor and the Capitalists of Rivalin she leads.
'She'll eliminate me immediately if it's not to her advantage. So there'll be hell to pay if you think I'm an easy ally.'
Indeed.
Even if she's a unit I'm used to seeing in games, it's a hundred times better to be wary first.
"I'm gonna go, then. …Someone's been giving me a really bad look."
"Go ahead! I suppose... may I call you Eleanor-nim?"
Zitri said in a cheerful voice to Eleanor as she lifted her head. Her response, however, was sour.
"Did you say ... Zitri? Don't bother, you don't have to put on that act in front of me, I can see right through someone who's trying to fool anyone anyway, and that's me."
Zitri's cheerful greeting is followed by a cold response.
Hagiya, with her [Acting Genius] trait, Zitri's current behavior wouldn't sit well with her.
If only she could take advantage of the situation.
As someone who can read other people's minds, it's likely that Zitri's performance caught her off guard.
An enemy performing an act on you?
That would not be something Eleanor de Rivalin would tolerate.
Zitri looks at me, a little puzzled.
Then Eleanor, getting into her carriage, rode away.
I loosen up a bit, realizing that one of the currents has finally passed. No matter how nonchalant she is, she remains Eleanor.
The Fox of Gold is terrifying.
I must not ease up even a little.
... However, it's okay to be a little more excited right now.
"Now, let's get back to making artifacts, shall we?"
Finally, I decided to explain to Arson about the armor I needed to make in earnest. He snorted and summoned his willpower.
"This Arson… I'm going to make a masterpiece out of these luxurious components, so sit tight!"
"Very well."
Arson seemed satisfied with the arrangements.
This is how dwarves should be. Fiery and angry, but always ready to pounce on the opportunity to forge the finest weaponry.
This is how I view the dwarves of the Inner Lunatic.
"Arson. I have one more request."
"Of course, since it's the guest who's allowed me to work with this material, I'll give in to anything, hahahaha!"
To the delighted Arson, I held out a weapon.
It was a sword given to me by Nox's father, Theo von Reinhafer, and a sword that even I, a retired Inner Lunatic, had never seen before. It was a Stormbringer.
"This is the sword my father gave me. It's a very unusual sword, absorbing the user's magic and releasing it in a powerful blast. It can't be said to be very efficient, but… I'd like to know more about it."
"Hmm… Do you mind if I take a look at it...?"
"Of course. Here you go."
I tossed the Stormbringer over to Arson.
He took the Stormbringer and examined it carefully, then his expression suddenly hardened. His face twitched in disbelief, his facial muscles quivering.
"No way…! This is a sword forged from the scales of the White Dragon, the ruler of the Heavens, which is said to have been utilized long ago...! It's an incredibly rare material that few dwarves have ever seen, and it's said to have been completely lost in the distant past, never to be found again, so how is it that a sword made from it is still...."
'This sword must be even more amazing than I thought.'
I had hunted countless beasts in the Inner Lunatic, but I had never heard of the White Dragon. It's a sword shrouded in mystery.
As soon as I had made that judgment, Arson shared a few more facts with me.
"This thing... seems to have been made by our distant ancestors. I don't know who made such a fine item, but the traces of it are evident."
"I see."
This was not surprising news.
Given the difficulty of the material, I had assumed that no one but a dwarf could have made this sword.
But what he said next was enough to surprise me.
"There is one scary thing, however, and that is that a sword made of this material has been in a battle so great that it has lost all of its teeth."
"...."
I could feel the goosebumps rising.
Soon after I received the sword, I didn't have much time to ponder its first owner.
I was immediately involved in conquering the Chasers and had other things on my mind.
Furthermore, I don't have any information about the first patriarch.
'I'll have to take this opportunity to do a little research, but this sword... seems a bit fishy.'
I swallow hard, my saliva gently sliding down my throat.{TN:???}
"Thanks for checking it out, though."
I thank him moderately, retrieving the sword.
There was certainly a harvest.
From what Arson has told me, I realize that the sword is more capable than I thought.
The materials used to make it, and the fact that it was the sword of the first Patriarch of House Reinhafer.
There are still many unanswered questions as to why Theo would give it to me, but at least I'm getting closer to a clue.
'Perhaps the reason it has the ability to absorb magic is derived from its material.'
With that thought in mind, I bookmared The White Dragon and the First Patriarch.
I decided to do some more research on Theo von Reinhafer and Nox.
Oh, and the mysterious lavender-eyed angel.
* * *
"Well, it is a pleasure to introduce myself 'again'. I am Vernon, the instructor who will be teaching you the art of swordsmanship from now on, and I, for one, will be showing you what hell is all about, so stay tuned."
The next day. A new class at the academy finally began in earnest.
The Academy's cadets, who had been somewhat subdued before, were suddenly energized.
Vernon's shiny, expansive forehead shone, illuminating the cadets. A solar system in every sense of the word.
Vernon's glowing forehead shines, illuminating the cadets.
Vernon took a light step forward.
"This is the Imperial Sword of Arkheim, the foundation of the Arkheim Empire that I am about to teach you. It's a great way to build your foundation, as it allows you to be agile, fast, and precise in your attacks."
First up, two sword-wielding bad guys, step forward.
The bad guys.
One of Vernon's habits began to take over again.
Naturally, he was referring to me and Paracelsus. It was the two of us. We were the two most handsome of the sword-wielders.
Vernon then called out to the others.
"Caught! You, too, come forward quickly. You're the only ones with any semblance of humanity in this bunch."
"Uh… yeah… ...."
The call to Talia was complete.
Three specialized knight units lined up in front of her.
Paracelsus, a genius unit that drives storms among the commoners.
Talia, the most talented of the three, though overshadowed by the brilliance of Chel von Steiner among the nobility.
Then there's Reinhafer.
Nox von Reinhafer, one of the three great bastards of the Dark House, a genius who is now firmly in the driver's seat.
All three men stare at Vernon in unison.
His gaze flickers between Paracelsus and me.
Then, with a scowl, he says.
"You bastards are… voluptuous." {Their hair}
"What?"
Talia retorts, but he clears his throat, straightens, and poises himself for attack.
This is going to be interesting.
I thought nonchalantly and drew my sword across from him.
"So, I assume you all already know what the story is going to be about?"
Vernon smirked.
"All at once. You learn best by getting hit."
Taas!
The three of us stood there, unperturbed.
Having already fought for our lives several times, this was not a difficult task. The movements we made toward Vernon in unison were so coordinated that you could almost say they were prearranged.
For a moment, the instructors were now our enemy.
Vernon knew he was dealing with a cadet, but he tried to remain as calm and tense as possible.
No wonder.
These were elite units he was dealing with.
They were destined to become one of the absolute powers of the Inner Lunatic.
Bang!
chaeaeng!
Mine and Vernon's swords clashed first.
Sparks fly, and the blade bursts with an improbable amount of piercing power. My foot drags on the floor, drawing two solid lines.
A hot sensation rises from beneath my feet. I don't panic at all. Instead, my heart is pounding like crazy.
'Relative to Theo.'
This is nothing compared to Nox's father.
Compared to that overwhelming momentum. About this much will do.
With that thought, I slowly energize my sword, readying it to release toward Instructor Vernon.
'He'll be pretty hard pressed to stop it this time.'
I smirk at the thought.
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