Capítulo 21: Rare Find
"Hey, Leo! Will you dissect that monster already? I am hungry"
Alan shouted from the back, regrouping with the band of adventurers.
Arsh who was following just behind looked at them with contempt. He was mostly irritated by them.
'This fucker is going to get us killed'
They were shouting in the middle of the most dangerous place on the planet, like it was nothing big.
"I have found a jackpot! Arsh! come, take a look at this"
Leo, who was near the corpse of the three-headed monster exclaimed in an excited voice. His voice rang throughout the whole cave. Arsh facepalmed himself, looking at the mess in front of him.
'I am surrounded by a bunch of fools'
Arsh sighed, cursing at the excited Leo inwardly. He was not in for a good ride if it wasn't something worthwhile. But, first Arsh had to clear out a more pressing matter.
"...Can you keep it down? I can hear you just fine, even if you don't shout"
Arsh's eyes gleamed with annoyance, as he glared at the excited guy in front of him. Leo stumbled on his word, he shut his mouth instantly, the moment their eyes met.
Arsh let out another sigh, making his way toward the corpse of the millennium. Trying to look for the cause of all this commotion.
'Gah! It stinks'
Arsh looked at the barren corpse of the three-headed monster on the ground. Which wasn't even a complete corpse, to begin with. Due to Alan's last fire spell, its body was eradicated from the face of the planet. Leaving the only body parts of the monster that Alan decapitated, before incinerating it to dust.
"So? What were you so excited about? So much so, that you are shouting your lungs out, in this middle of nowhere"
Arsh scowled at him. Some of his bitter feelings leaked out of him. He just had several close calls in life-and-death situations. And the guy responsible for the whole mess was just creating more problems.
"Forget about that for now! Just take a look at this thing."
Leo lowered his tone a bit, but his excitement didn't die down. Even after hearing Arsh's harsh sardonic comments, he didn't flinch.
"It is an Armane ore. A pure one at that"
Leo narrated excitedly, pointing towards the rock on the ground. Arsh already had noticed the unusual rock on the ground, which looked nothing out of the norm, contributing to the structure of every wall in the cave.
The pure white stone with gray patches passes through it. A stone capable of reflecting lights.
In particular, it was the main reason for illuminating the whole cave. Reflecting the light created by the fire, completely inside the cave. The cave was quite large, and so was the white rock itself.
A large cave for a monstrous three-headed Millenium made up of rare ore. Who reigns over this part of the forest, for god knows how many years?
'Well, it kind of makes sense. A grand residence for a grand beast'
"Ore? What is this armane ore?"
Arsh asked him in puzzlement. He was now more confused than angry, by the sudden excitement of Leo. Over a normal-looking heavy rock.
But, the way others peered into it hearing the name of the rock, suggested otherwise. Even the ever-aloof Alan was showing keen interest in the rock. Which pretty much confirmed it for him. It was not a normal rock by any standard.
"What? You don't know about armane ore? This ore is the main reason, the churches send people from other continents here. It is one of the best conductors of magic essence."
Arsh was hit with crucial information all of sudden. His eyes went wide looking at the beautiful rock in front of him. He would never have guessed, it was that precious.
"....Is it used in weapons?"
Arsh asked, tracing his fingers over the valuable ore.
"Of course, it is. The armane ore has a will of its own. The weapon will choose its wielder itself. You can't even try to wield it if you are not chosen by the weapon. And if you tried nonetheless. Then the ore is already capable enough of dealing soul damage of the highest degree"
Arsh looked hungrily at the ore lying on the ground. He wanted it already. It was something so valuable, that even the churches would die for it.
"The weapon will bind itself to the wielder's life. Only usable by that one single person, going as far as to die with the wielder. You can even call this ore, one of the most precious things in this world."
Leo went quiet, squatting near the rock on the ground. His hands twitched with excitement, just by touching the pure white ore.
"It is every blacksmith's dream. To forge a weapon out of armane ore"
Arsh looked at the ore more keenly this time. Keeping its value in his mind. But, the stone still looked no different from before. Just a large rock with grey lines on it.
'....Guess, I am not cut out to be a blacksmith'
"So? how are you planning on taking it back?"
Arsh asked Leo, too tired to argue with the excited blacksmith on his own. However invaluable the ore was, dragging something as massive as a Millenium itself through the most dangerous place, was not a good idea.
"It is too large. I don't think, even with all of us working together, we can move it back to the town. We have to leave it behind"
Arsh responded calmly, seeing the size of the rock. The adventurers were making disappointed faces at him. But, they didn't rebut, knowing it was the only logical conclusion.
But, surprisingly, even Leo didn't say anything in reply. Which was too odd for his personality. The others looked at him worried, that he might have gone in shock.
Suddenly, Leo lifted his head to look at the group. A beaming smile on his face. The happiest Arsh had ever seen him.
"Oh! You don't have to worry about it. My ability may not be useful in fighting, but in a situation like this, It might be the best attribute to have"
Leo put his hand on the giant rock, which was as large as a house. He chanted a spell quietly to himself. He suddenly smirked at the group staring at him in anticipation.
SWAY
Leo lifted the massive rock with a single hand easily, with no sign of any strain on his body. The massive rock should at least weigh dozens of tons. Everybody except for Alan, looked at him agape in astonishment.
"My attribute is mass manipulation. I can change the mass of any kind of body I touch. Even though the surrounding will treat it the same, the mass will only be changed for me, depending on the situation"
Leo explained happily, a beaming smile on his face. He looked so happy like he could die at any moment, just from the excitement alone.
".....It is my first time seeing it. This ore is very expensive on the mainland. Even with an ore of the same size as your palm, you can even buy an estate"
Ethan responded, looking at the other adventurers.
"I have seen many weapons of Armane, though. They are in a class of their own."
Alan joined in the conversation suddenly, and every other person went quiet. Alan sighed, looking at the whole cave made up of the same invaluable ore.
"Fate is a very strange thing. It is very valuable. To the point, that the churches can even commit genocide, to get their hands on this cave"
They looked at Alan in horror, taking a step back together. Alan sighed, suddenly radiating a menacing aura around him.
"Leo, My friend. I need a little bit of help from you"
Alan moved toward Leo, looking directly into his trembling eyes. He licked his lips, pointing at the invaluable ore on the ground.
"Don't be so afraid of me. I just want a weapon made out of that ore. I will even pay you a hefty amount if you want. Just forge me a sword"
Leo trembled, a tremor running around his whole body. He tried to say something to him but ended up with only a little mumbling.
Arsh looked at the sight in front of him, annoyed to the last extent. He can't ever put his fingers as to why Alan acts this way.
"Bastard! At least let him speak."
Arsh called out to him in a calm voice. Followed by making a silly face out of nowhere.
"Ohh! Sorry teacher. My tongue just slipped"
Alan scowled at him, taking a few steps away from Leo. Arsh tiredly nodded at the trembling Leo, to finish what he was trying to say.
".....sorry. I can't."
"? Can't hear you?"
"I-I can't make you a weapon out of it. It is impossible. However skilled I might be. I can't handle an armane ore. You have to find a master dwarf for it"
Alan clicked his tongue. An expression of complete irritation on his face, listening to Leo's remark.
"Even though I was at the top of my class. I was never rewarded with a weapon made of Armane"
Alan responded, standing next to Leo. His face was wearing a deep frown. Everyone looked at Alan, confused by his statement.
Leo wore a confused expression looking at him. Going out of his way to ask him in a somewhat fearful and trembling voice.
"W-hat? What class are you talking about?"
Alan put his hand over Leo's shoulder, his frown replaced by a sinister smile. Leo's whole body shivered in his hold, after hearing the answer.
"Oh! you don't have to worry about that, mate"
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