He had practiced his skill in handling the doppelgangers for three weeks now.

Still he was only able to control his own body and one doppelganger although he

could receive sensory input from a total of four doppelgangers at once without getting

a headache, Mordecia theorized that his limit would be to control four doppelgangers.

He had quit his job in the kitchen because the smithy was more lucrative and there

he could use his doppel both to train his control and work faster. Although

now he had to pay for his room and the food at the inn he still made more money.

accumulating a sum of 274 gold a few silver and copper he could probably buy some land

soon or a house to live in.

It was a hot day in the smithy, he was sweating through his shirt while working,

There was an order of about 60 swords that Ralph and his apprentices had been working

on for quiet some time now and the last swords would finish today.

Evening came and an emissary of the lord came with his men and wagon to deliver the payment

and receive the swords. Once that was done he said that the lord needed someone with adequate

blacksmithing skill to accompany his soldiers on an expedition to carry equipment and repair

or replace broken swords or shields.

Ralph told him that his most skilled apprentice was Vivo. So the emissary walked up

to Vivo and asked him if he was up to the task. Vivo thought for a moment. The emissary

added that he would be adequately compensated for his work and for the salary he would

lose while not working the smithy. Vivo then accepted while thinking that this could

be an opportunity to see more of this world than just this town, well depending on

how long the expedition would last and where it went to.

They would leave in two days and he should meet up with the expedition on the morning

outside the lords residence.

That evening when working with Mordecia he told him of his decision to accompany the

lords expedition.

-Mordecia: So do you know where you're going?

-Vivo: ... No but this will be a chance for me to see the world.

-Mordecia: well it's you choice to go but as you know the lords enterprises might

not be for good.

-Vivo: I'll keep that in mind, this will be a good way to see for myself how he uses his troops-

-Mordecia: Well be careful out there since you don't know anything about where you're

going or what you're going to do. Now I assume you'll be carrying a lot of heavy things

with you so I'll teach you something.

He brought forward a small pouch and sat down.

-Mordecia: look closely what I am doing now will increase the space inside the pouch.

Creating a mana flow around the pouch which he then seemed to stretch out but without the

mana flow leaving the pouch.

-Mordecia: You can continue to stretch it like this quiet far but it will only increase

the amount of items that can be stored not their size that is determined by the size of

the container which you use it on. Also it wouldn't do you much good no mater how many

items you can store in a bag if you cannot carry their weight and that is what this

next step is for.

He then created an intricate web inside the first mana flow.

-Mordecia: This pouch can now hold about thirty times its original volume while reducing the

weight of the items carried within to one hundredth of its original weight.

Selling containers like these is one of the means I use to support my research.

The rest of the night was used to learning these new techniques, it was long and tedious

work although the theory was simple implementing it was hard, especially the weight reducing

technique since it required time and focus connecting small flows in an intricate web.

The next day he spent repairing his mace and shield saying goodby to Ralph and his apprentices

and then to further increase his ability to create items with increased space.

He could already make them with the same quality as Mordecia but it took him almost two hours.

By night he hadn't made much progress so he decided to go back to the inn and rest,

after all he had to be up early the next day.

He entered his room and was about to close the door.

-Melisa: Do you think I will let you go away without repaying your debt to me for taking

care of you.

Surprised he turned around just to see Melisa's face as she pushed him onto the bed and

closed the door.