Chapter 60: Chapter 60

I finally let my gaze wander around the room as I waited for Oeyne to get ready.

Just a glance was enough to detect that the place was a modified warehouse, but had gone through a severe renovation. Apart from her living quarters, her workshop was an open-plan space. A huge forge, clearly expensive, stood in the middle of the room, bubbling with magic even in its inactive state. It was old enough to show the signs of age, managing to survive past the standard expiration date for an ordinary magical item through maintenance. It paid to be owned by a blacksmith expert. Interestingly, the forge was clearly transported here recently, and the rest of the renovations weren't that old. Her move couldn't be any earlier than a year, and I was willing to bet for six months.

The rest of the workshop paled compared to the forge, but that didn't mean that they were of low quality. She had some alchemy tools on a corner, which was useful in processing magical reagents collected from the monsters. It was possible to process them without any equipment like I had been doing, of course, but not only it was much costlier in terms of mana consumption, but also it was quite wasteful. Other than that, a number of tools were spread around the room, giving it a messy feeling. Too messy for an expert, unless she was used to working together with assistants and apprentices to handle those things.

It made a certain kind of sense with Aviada's offhand comments about the argument between Oeyne and the craftsmen guilds. She was clearly an accomplished blacksmith, the half-completed weapons resting on the table were exquisite enough to prove that fact. I didn't know whether she was always living at Silver Spires, or moved here after her fight with the Guilds, but whichever was the case, I doubted that it was something simple if the Guilds were exerting enough pressure to actually prevent her from finding an apprentice to help her.

It also gave me an opportunity to gain her favor.

I could see a bookcase filled with books, and a soft probe made sure that there was no magical protection. Since half of the objects were warded in the workshop, I guessed that they weren't very valuable from her perspective. I walked to the shelf, and pulled a book, only to see it was the notes of a previous apprentice, focusing on basic techniques and procedures. As I read, I couldn't help but quirk my eyebrow. Whomever the apprentice was, they had excellent notetaking capabilities, not only recording their lessons but also comparing them with more common techniques, followed by a detailed breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages. I read it, because while the library had quite a number of books about blacksmithing, they were much more focused on theory. The guide in front of me was giving me a lot of interesting insights.

Of course, since they were personal notes, the writer neglected to explain the simpler points, sometimes just abbreviating things into single letters. Most people would have been helpless against it, but it was different for me. With my Wisdom allowing me to fill the blanks and my Intelligence helping to connect the dots, I had gained a lot of insights about being a blacksmith just by reading. I wouldn't be forging my own sword anytime soon, but it was definitely a benefit.

When I heard her bathroom door open, I put the book back and moved to my seat. Instead, I pulled a valuable piece of material from my bag, and started processing it by applying my Arcana abilities, fashioning it into a keystone for a medium-powered defensive ward. It wasn't the full range of my abilities, but it was still a task that would challenge usual people that managed to attain Arcana Master skill. Not everyone had almost forty points of Charisma to power their spells.

A minute later, the bedroom door opened, and revealed Oeyne, wearing a pair of long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. Her hair was collected to a simple ponytail, and a pair of combat boots competed for the ensemble. However, despite the simple and boring description, her clothing was anything but. Her pants were made of leather, and certainly too tight to be comfortable working in a workshop unless it was enchanted. It wrapped tight around her body, displaying her beautiful legs in full display.

Her shirt was made of thick linen, and was much looser, though it still strategically tightened enough to display her hourglass figure. More interestingly, a huge gap in the middle traveled down, creating an aggressive cleavage, deep enough to reveal the continuing absence of a bra. I made no attempt to hide my gaze as I examined her figure, pausing on her cleavage for a couple of seconds before finding her face.

Even if I had failed to understand her aim earlier, her smile, supported by her enchanting gait, told the whole story. She was teasing me, and if I was reading correctly, with no intention of actually carrying me to her bed. So, she either wanted to take revenge for the massage session in kind, or she wanted to unbalance me before our negotiation. Maybe, both of them were her aim together.

Whichever was the case, I was more than happy to contend against her in her chosen battleground.

Supporting my earlier detection, she plopped herself next to me without saying anything, close enough for our arms to rub together, which was certainly not proper. She smiled at me seductively, and while it was tempting to play the simpering fool, she seemed like a gal who would enjoy pushing my buttons. It might have been an option under different circumstances, but with the pressure from the necromancers and their mysterious allies, I didn't have the time to play the lovesick teenager for a couple of weeks.

I met with her seductive smile with a confident one of my own, making her smile freeze for a moment before it widened a bit. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she said, with just a little bit of gasp that sent a tingling across my body. For a supposed blacksmith with a wild look, she was surprisingly adept at the game of seduction. Her willingness to show skin enhanced her game to the next level.

"Please. I'm the one that came early and disrupted your rest. I should be the one apologizing," I said, not keeping myself from catching another glimpse of her impressive cleavage since she was kind enough to lean forward. I raised my hand, and showed the mostly-processed reagent in my hand. "It's not like I was wasting my time," I said.

"Hmm," she murmured as she turned her attention to it, her eyes widening slightly as she took a note of my expertise. I wasn't a dedicated alchemist, but that didn't mean my work was something to be dismissed. It was certainly far above what she could manage with her skills. "Impressive work," she admitted. "It's not easy to process the tooth of a golden lion without a complete set of equipment, even for a dedicated apprentice."

"I do my best," I said with a soft smirk. "I'm glad that it's good enough not to be an eyesore to a true master of the craft like yourself," I added, and she smiled, though she wasn't impressed by it. As an expert blacksmith, she must be used to compliments and people playing nicely while trying to commission a sword.

"So, what are you going to use it for, as an offensive node for a larger ward, or something more interesting?"

"Certainly something more interesting," I answered. "The tooth is useless in defense, but it has strong attack quality. By using seven of them, I can establish an attack ward. It will be a one-time effect, but it will certainly be impressive."

"It should be, if it's going to consume seven golden lion teeth," she suggested. "It's a bit on the costly side, of course," she added.

She delivered the latter part of it without any fluctuation in her tone, perfectly flatly, which would have convinced a lot of people that it was just an offhand comment. Not me. I easily recognized it as a good attempt to assess my net worth. She was more sly than my first impression suggested, though it made me even more excited about the prospect. "It's just golden lion teeth," I said dismissively. "They are at most uncommon."

She nodded at my answer, but her smile widened at my dismissive attitude. If she was as terrible in gambling as Aviada suggested, it wasn't surprising for her to get excited about my potential wealth, especially with the guilds blacklisting her.

"I'm not familiar with the carving method," she said. "Is this a way to connect with the nearest node?"

"Actually, no," I answered. "Through that carving, I'm planning to connect it to the other six teeth directly, establishing a tighter formation. That way, it can explode spectacularly."

"As long as you can keep it until the last moment," she countered, her eyes tightening. She wasn't a magical expert, but as I expected, she had good instincts about ward establishment. In the higher levels, it probably shared many fundamental concepts with blacksmithing. So, I didn't dumb down my explanation too much as I explained to her how I was planning to stabilize the attack formation by relying on neutralizing the pressure by using the other teeth. It took ten minutes, and she listened in rapt attention, though she continuously touched my arm and shoulder, playing it as a distraction.

"I wasn't expecting a warrior student to have such a deep attainment in the magical theory," Oeyne commented after I had finished my explanation.

"I saw myself more of a mage than a warrior," I answered. "It's a bit shameful, but I have to admit I first picked the sword as a part of a childish rebellion against my family, but after realizing the potential of versatility, I continued to develop it," I said. "A stronger selection of activities is certainly useful."

"A commendable approach," she said passionately. It personally resonated with her, but it was too early to easily ascertain whether it was a candid emotion, or she was just using the opportunity to subtly make fun of the guilds without being committed to the idea herself. It was a mystery for another day. "And I'm guessing you're here to get something better than the garbage you have on your waist."

"Exactly," I answered. "Since I'm going to do something unusual, I better do it with a true masterpiece in my hands."

"A good approach," she said. "It's a pity you're going to be disappointed though," she added, making a show of looking sad.

She clearly had something in mind, and while I could guess where she was driving at, I decided to play oblivious. "That's a pity," I said with a sigh. "I was hoping to wield a sword shaped by your masterful hands."

She sighed loudly. "It's not that I don't want to help, but I'm currently in the midst of a small dispute with the guilds, and I don't have a helper to assist me. I can still make something strong by myself, but it won't be something that deserved to be called a masterpiece." I waited a bit, making a show of looking disappointed, wordlessly inviting her to breach the subject.

[+2 Subterfuge]

A smile appeared on her face, like she had just an idea. "Actually, you are not bad when it comes to preparing reagents. You waste quite a bit, but the final quality is more than satisfactory. As long as you're willing to help me, we should be able to create something I would be proud of."

"That's a tempting offer," I said. "I accept." It was quicker than I would have normally liked. Despite her attempts to conceal it, she was clearly enthusiastic about having me as temporary help. I had no doubt that helping her while she was being blacklisted by the guilds had some dangerous consequences. I could have used those potential consequences to extract several concessions from her, but at the cost of revealing my true nature, which would have made her cautious. Also, I didn't want to join a craftsmen guild, and even if I changed my mind, I could easily apply to a position through brand new identity.

It was for the best if she thought I could be manipulated by a flash of tits and promises of a better weapon. They were currencies I was more than happy to deal with as well, though the cost itself was going to be much higher. "Do you have any preferences?" she said.

"Actually, I do," I said as I raised my steel sword, letting my Arcana energy to flow freely, giving the otherwise mundane sword a dangerous feeling.

[-57 Mana]

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"Interesting," she murmured as she watched the magic flow. "But ultimately, very wasteful."

"That's because steel is a terrible medium to conduct magic, and it corrodes too easily," I answered. "If we use something more malleable like alchemical silver with several reagents added to keep the magic from radiating uselessly, it should be much more effective."

She frowned. "Still, isn't it strictly inferior to a traditional magical sword? While it would be cheaper, it would still be impressively expensive. On the added side, you won't waste any mana while using it."

I said nothing as I raised my sword, repeating the trick once again, but this time, adding some fire nature to my Arcana trick. It wasn't a full elemental spell —which wasn't an ability I wanted to reveal her— but it was still impressive. Best of all, it was possible to do through Arcana. She watched the trick with interest, and just to drive my point, I quickly cycled through multiple elements, using lightning, water, and wind in quick succession. It barely lasted more than five seconds, but the rapid change turned the steel sword into useless molten slag.

"That was rather interesting, and certainly hard to replicate in a magical sword," she commented. "I can see why you want that. Follow me."

With that, she stood up and walked toward the forge, and I followed her a step behind. Her earlier measured gait was replaced by a determined walk, too focused on what I had shown to remember her seduction game. I was a bit bummed at the temporary loss of my entertainment. Thankfully, even without her intentional seduction attempts, her ass looked great in her tight leather pants. When she reached the forge, she grabbed a leather work apron from a drawer and put it on, which unfortunately concealed her beautiful cleavage.

"About the payment," she suddenly added, realizing that in her excitement to work on a new theory, she had forgotten to talk about such an important topic. I nodded, waiting for her to continue, leveraging her impatience. "I want to receive two times the material that has been used consumed in the process of forging your items," she said.

It was certainly a steep price, one that she used as an aggressive negotiation opener, so, my answer surprised her quite a bit. "Sure," I said casually. "It's not a big deal."

Her eyes widened, her thoughts reflected on her face. She was clearly cursing herself for being impatient. It was easy to read her emotions. If she was as open when gambling, her losing streak wasn't simply bad luck. "Okay," she murmured, unable to hide the sense of defeat. After all, she couldn't raise the price above what she had offered after I accepted, not without destroying the goodwill between us, at least. "You already managed to surprise me once when it came to using magical reagents. Do you want to try again?"

"Why not," I said as I dug into my bag, and started pulling some select items. They weren't the most expensive materials I owned, but they certainly weren't the cheapest as well. Still, since I was planning for another hunting trip tonight —this time hopefully without stumbling on another wild conspiracy— I wasn't conservative dipping in my savings. Most were already gone, either to my own wards, or the escape tunnel I had set up for the necromancer base.

"Interesting," she murmured as she looked at the materials that spread out over the table—and two piles with the same materials placed in front of Oeyne. Her pouty lips parted in excitement as she reached for the piles that were was going to be her payment, followed by a sigh. However, her happiness was a bit exaggerated considering her position and potential wealth. I couldn't help but feel like it had something to do with her gambling problem, maybe she owed the others some money. Then, she spoke, forcing me to focus on the present. "It's an impressive ward, but I think I'm unable to connect some of the details. Why don't you explain it to me."

I did so, and after some time, she interrupted. "It looks like a good idea, but it wouldn't work on a forged item," she offered. I needed in understanding. It was my first time working on metal, and there bound to be surprised.

"How about now?" I asked, and she countered once more, which started a rather interesting discussion. My visit was turning even more interesting than I first assumed.

We have talked for half an hour, discussing various theories until we finally agreed on a set of features. The implementation of the ideas was solely her responsibility, of course. Embedding magical abilities during the forging process was much different than enchanting them afterward, or using wards to replicate the effects. My contribution was already well-above what was expected.

"I'll alert the girl once the dagger is ready, but it might take a few days," she said after the discussion, not even offering me to watch the process. Understandable considering her secret techniques, but still a pity. She didn't even ask for my help to process the reagents, as we tried to keep the requirements for the dagger considerably low, since it was still an experimental product, with no great material requirements.

"Any chance for a rush order," I said, only to receive a deadpan look from her. I chuckled. Her response was understandable, as even the simplest magical item normally took weeks to forge, and she was going to forge an experimental one in a few days. It was enough of a miracle as it was.

"See you in three days, then," I sighed as I left the room, but not before feeling a playful slap on my bottom.

I couldn't wait to respond to that in kind.

—

[Level: 24 Experience: 279400 / 300000

Strength: 28 Charisma: 38

Precision: 21 Perception: 27

Agility: 25 Manipulation: 30

Speed: 23 Intelligence: 30

Endurance: 22 Wisdom: 33

HP: 2856 / 2856 Mana: 3792 / 3792 ]

SKILLS

Master Melee [100/100]

Master Tantric [100/100]

Master Biomancy [100/100]

Master Elemental [100/100]

Expert Arcana [75/75]

Expert Subterfuge [54/75]

Basic Speech [25/25]

PERKS

Mana Regeneration

Skill Share

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