Chapter 6,

I wasn’t able to look at the surroundings properly, or think about them. But that just now was the city mayor, right? And this is the city hall. A representative rule? But this was a kingdom.

Maybe I’m thinking too much into it. I probably am. But I didn’t expect a form of a republic. Or perhaps I’m underestimating the previous civilizations?

Republic is a fairly old form of a civilization now that I think about it. I mean Rome was a republic.

But it’s rather become harder to pinpoint exactly which era this world is in.

I look around, the building is constructed quite nicely, with stone, just like the church. The architecture, to my knowledge, seems to be from a time much later than the medieval period, like maybe gothic.

But I’m no expert in architecture.

I walk to the front gate, which is opened by the guards standing outside, as if expecting me to exit, and step outside.

Soft music starts playing as soon as I do that. Some sort of remixed classical song.

I’m not used to music playing in the background of real life. But it feels to be a nice addition.

Now what should I do to progress?

Going to the capital is a must. But if I understand my class. I should get equipment first. And equipment of all types. So, getting blacksmith into my party would be good.

I open the map through the menu.

You have acquired a map of the entire town.

You saw it in the mayor’s office.

It has been saved for your use, however it can be a little outdated, thus the buildings may not be exact.

Good to know that. Though I don’t remember spotting a map in the office.

The areas I remember being to are in a lighter shade than the others, which are covered with fog. And the town has a light greyish hue, allowing me to see the areas which I haven’t been to.

The map itself is like a satellite image of sorts.

I spot an option in the corner which shows a small icon of a satellite, so I select it.

The map changes into one of a more cartoonish feel.

Nah, still not what I like.

I select it again. The map changes into a bit more real-to-life form but still contains bright colors like in the cartoonish version. Perfect.

Maybe I should look at this world with a bit more interest. Give it a chance perhaps. Since I feel like I haven’t paid it much attention.

Will definitely do that after finding a blacksmith.

I head through the streets and towards the forge. It’s different from a craftsman’s place. But if its about weapons then surely the blacksmith would be a better pick. Maybe if cloth armors or bows were what I needed then the craftsman might have been my choice.

There’s a little bit of heat I could feel radiating from that place. From the outside it doesn’t look much different than a typical shop around here, but it certainly feels like there’s more to this place in the back.

I walk into the store.

“Welcome!’” The receptionist greets me.

Something about her feels slightly off. But I’ll think more about that later. Because all the weapons on display attract my eyesight to them.

There’s battle axes, war hammers, swords, spears, daggers, throwing knives and pretty much every weapon I did or did not expect to find here. But most of them only have 1 or 2 weapons on display, with the swords hogging up most of the space. There’s a few pieces of armor on a rack but that doesn’t seem to be this blacksmith’s forte.

I pick up the best-looking sword with the most frills on it, and try to appraise it.

Dark Iron Blade (Rare)

Estimated increase in damage by 35-45 points.

Probably requires Level 4(Intermediate) sword mastery to wield properly.

You do not have the required appraising ability to identify this sword fully without using it in combat for a significant amount of time.

And I get my arrogance handed back to me as I fail to appraise it properly. But acting as if I can appraise it is something I can do.

As I’m pretending to look at the sword from all angles,

“It’s a pretty good sword, right?”

“Nope. It has a lot of areas that could be improved upon. It’s center of balance isn’t right either. The decorations are overdone and could come in the way of fighting.”

“Wow, harsh. And that was supposed to be one of Master’s best swords.”

So, it’s supposed to be good? Wait, I think I can salvage this situation.

“Maybe it’s just me being too critical and having high standards. It’s a fairly good sword actually.”

“I could see that happening. But that aside. I’m Vera. The blacksmith’s apprentice.”

I feel like I’m infinitely close to finding out what it was that felt so odd about her.

“A player.”

So, she was a player. No wonder I felt it odd a player might be working in a blacksmith’s place.

Wait, why didn’t I notice any other players roaming around in the town before? Did I just willfully ignore them? Or unintentionally ignore them? Or maybe there weren’t that many players here to begin with.

Or were they too well disguised with the NPCs? Cause in this game there is no HUD that pops up without you attacking or inspecting a creature. It sure makes it much more immersive. But also, hard to distinguish NPCs from Players.

“What are you doing here as a receptionist?”

“It’s a quest, of course. The last one required for me to finally gain the blacksmith profession!” She seemed pretty excited as she mentioned blacksmithing.

As we were talking, a slightly stout man, or wait, a dwarf? But he’s not that short. So… Half-dwarf?

“Are you talking with a customer, Vera? I wanted you to come assist me in making this new weapon design I thought of.”

Before she could say anything, I interject.

“Would it be okay if I come see the weapon’s forging too? I’m quite interested in trying out new weapons.”

The man seems to think a bit while the receptionist, Vera I think he called her, seems to glare at me as if I’m being in the way of her quest.

Oh right, I do have something that might help convince him.

I take out my bone spike and show it to him. “This is something I created. By no means is it perfect though.”

“What is that? A dagger made from a bone?” He inspects it a bit further.

“It has a quite good center of balance for throwing. Made of one solid piece, this making it much less likely to break. Its almost too good to be made by a novice. Are you a craftsman? A craftsman seeing the new weapon would be good. Yeah, come along into the forge, perhaps you can figure out how to make the joints right.”

Once he seemed a little interested, he started talking quite fast. But at least it ended with him allowing me in there. Using a new weapon would have its own disadvantages, like there being no established techniques for it, but I feel the enemy would be even more unexperienced with it than me, giving me a slight advantage.

He excitedly walks back through the door behind the counter. I could see the dim glow of a fire in there.

“Hey, why looking so gloomy, Vera?”

“It’s my last quest to finally getting the profession. Could you like not try to be in the way?”

She said that with such snobbery. Oh my. We have a mean girl here.

“I’m not being in the way, you know. I did actually make that bone spike myself. Which I realize now that he took it with him.”

“You made a weapon already?! How is that possible? I was sure I got to blacksmithing the earliest as soon as I finished that town quest to get rid of those animals in the graveyard.”

Yeah, not like I’m going to tell you that this guy here spent a good hour or two just to chip that bone down and to prove the system wrong even though it wasn’t wrong.

“What are you guys waiting for? Come here! I’m about to begin forging!” A voice comes from behind the door that half-dwarf went through.

We walk inside the forge area and Vera, seeming already knowing what she has to do, starts working on the bellows.

The blacksmith shows me a diagram on some piece of paper. The blueprint of what he’s making I suppose. But I don’t really understand what it exactly is. Not because I can’t read blueprints. But because I can’t read medieval blueprints.

Standardization is great in the modern world.

“Which material would you suggest I use for the joints? They need to be flexible. It could be Cloudlace or Mithril?”

Cloudlace sounds like some form of cloth, while mithril is a metal. Yes, let’s go with Cloudlace, it sounds cool too.

“Cloudlace.”

“Yeah, I was thinking so too. The weapon might become a bit less user friendly but it’ll be much more flexible.”

He starts putting in small metal pieces into the furnace to melt them a bit then takes them out and flattens them, then curving them by hammering them on the anvil. Quite dexterous indeed. Vera also seems to know what she’s doing as she helps him from time to time, while maintaining the furnace temperature.

Soon, the shape of the weapon seems a bit clearer, it’s made of small metal cylinders. Then as soon as he’s done making them, he takes out a rope like material from somewhere to link those pieces together with equally skilled craftsmanship.

It feels as if just a moment passed but perhaps it took a few hours, can’t be sure. But the weapon is now before me.

It’s a whip like thing, made of small metal pieces instead of leather, blood-red metal pieces linked together to each other using a dark cloth, the handle is fully metal too. Wonder how comfortable that would be to use.

Its hilt(?) has certain detailing on the ends too. When did he get time to do that? Did he prepare that beforehand?

He hands the weapon over to me.

Linked Mithril Sword (Crafted)

This sword can be named.

A new conceptual sword forged by the blacksmith Fidulir. It has certain unique properties because of the unusual materials chosen to make it with.

Increases damage by 2-35 points.

Probably requires Intermediate Special Weapons Mastery to use.

Other details are currently unable to be seen by you.

That is the largest variation I’ve yet seen on a weapon.

But something about it just speaks to me… I want it.

I hand it back to him so that he could take a better look at it, then I lead the way outside, back to the store part of the building.

“So, Vera, you wanted to go to the capital too, right?”

She seemed a little surprised at me bringing that up, but the half-dwarf quickly speaks up too.

“Yeah, it’ll be a great thing for you to visit the capital, Vera. You’re now a fully-fledged blacksmith apprentice. Going there would get you some much needed experience.”

“Yes but…” She starts speaking, but I interject.

“Great. Then we could go together.” The blacksmith nods, as if agreeing with me. Now time to bring that up,

“I was also thinking that new weapon is something I’d really want to use.”

He thinks for a bit, “mm, sure you can have it since you helped create it.” I did?

“The pride of creating a new weapon is what I really wanted. Do tell me how using it went.” He says as he hands it over to me.

I’ll feel bad for taking something from him for nothing, or maybe I won’t, not really sure.

But still, I take out the only thing left in my inventory, the spear, and give it to him.

He looks at it for a bit then exclaims, “A marine stone! I have some great uses for this.”

Good, now I won’t feel as bad taking the weapon. Not like I’d have much use for that marine stone or whatever it is.

I put the linked-sword in my inventory.

“Did you create that spear too?” Vera speaks up.

“Not really, I borrowed it from a fishman.”

“A fishman? Where did you find that? To my knowledge there isn’t a lake or such place anywhere close to walking distance.”

“I just found one wandering around. Anyways, we should start heading out now if we want to make it to the capital in time.”

The blacksmith speaks up from admiring that stone on top of that spear, “I’d recommend going along with those merchant caravans. They go to the capital and back quite often.”

“Yeah, we can go along as adventurers and guards or something.” I say as I start walking towards the exit. Can’t wait to try out this new weapon.

Oh right, wait. I access the sword through the menu,

You need a blacksmith to name a weapon.

I quickly go back to the half-dwarf and give him the linked sword. “Could you give it a name?”

“Sure, but what name would you like?”

I already have an idea.

“How about… Valentine.”