Blacksmith vs. the System-Chapter 196

“So, you have a mana attack,” Leona asked, once we were riding the open wagon down the mountainside once more.

“I do. I hope it’s not a problem,” I replied, still playing the part. “I don’t know much. I hope it’s not against martial honor.”

“No. Having mana is just another weapon, though not one that’s very useful,” he said. “My family has learned that it’s better to rely on Vitality. Unlike mana, vitality can be replenished in every environment.”

“I thought Asterion is located at a mana-rich location?” I asked.

“True, but not every location we get called to defend has that luxury,” he answered. “The city is pretty much the exception. Almost a holiday spot,” he added.

I wanted to question him more about it, but the moment he finished that sentence, he tensed, signaling that it was not a good topic to pursue. I changed the topic. “Would it be acceptable to use that mana skill in the duel back then?” I asked.

“Acceptable, yes. Honorable, not so much,” he responded. “Especially not in a friendly duel that was there to test your skills. You have done the right thing relying on the martial might of your hammer.”

I nodded, happy that my distraction had worked. “It wasn’t like I had the option. My mana attack is too clumsy to be used against a skilled opponent. It works better against monsters. Things would have been different if I had a better skill, but…” I let out a deep sigh, putting up a show.

“Too bad. You deserve it,” he said. “Not many people can change the destiny bestowed upon them by their class as efficiently as you did.”

I expected it to be an idle comment, which was why I was surprised when he reached under his tabard, and pulled a glowing stone. A skill stone, and if the glow was any indicator, a Legendary one. “Is that…” I asked, my voice lingering.

“A recent personal acquisition of mine. It was supposed to be a gift to my cousin, but you deserve it more,” he said.

“Still, something this valuable…”

“It’s not just a gift, but also an investment,” he said. “I have no doubt that the other envoys would have a lot of other demands. Giving you the ability to resist will work to my benefit.”

I looked at him, surprised at his naivety. While what he said was technically true, that power I could also use against them. Admittedly, merely the mention that it was a personal gift he prepared meant they had stones of higher quality.

Still.

Then, he smiled. “Of course, it won’t be for free.”

“As long as it’s something I can afford with my personal funds,” I answered, still not breaking the character. Despite the situation, I decided that I liked him. I hoped that we could solve the situation in a way that didn’t turn us into enemies.

“I’ll ask you to forge me a sword,” he said. “A proper one, once your skill is developed completely,” he said.

The unintentional dig to my honor might have hurt me if it wasn’t for the state of my weapons. They were effective, but the material was not of the best quality. Also, I had used too many time-saving tricks that affected the final result. Still, even if the comment had been undeserved, getting a Legendary skill in exchange would have been more than acceptable.

And, he was just giving it to me.

[Skill Stone: Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary)]

For the rest of the way, we didn’t talk about anything of substance. Once we stepped down, he nodded. “It has been a pleasure,” he said. “The trip gave me a lot to think about.”

“For me as well, Lord Asterion,” I responded, giving a subtle, respectful bow. He departed for their temporary residence, I went back to the tent, once again pulling the skill stone, wondering whether to absorb it. But, Rosie arrived before I could do so.

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“Is that…” she asked.

“A legendary skill stone, one that supposedly has a comprehensive mana attack method,” I said. “Lord Leona found my technique too insufficient to defend his holdings.”

“Interesting move,” she replied. “Do you think he knows your ability to raise your skill rapidly? Otherwise, a new skill would reduce one’s combat capacity.”

“No, he probably assumed that I have only a poorly developed Rare skill, so a Legendary one would still be an upgrade.”

“Makes sense. You have handled yourself well for your first diplomatic crisis,” she said.

“Better than you expected?” I asked sardonically.

She chucked. “That would not be an inaccurate characterization. Still, I can’t help but wonder how you learned all that after the Cataclysm.”

“Who said I learned them after the Cataclysm,” I replied. “The process is not too different from the academic world. It just has a different veneer, especially since our opponent gives us such a simple hook to twist them. Especially one that didn’t even bother to do their homework. He wasn’t even aware of the true nature of the monster horde.”

“We lucked out with Asterion,” she admitted. “But, we need to be careful. The others won’t be that easy.”

“That, I have no doubts about. The fact that they slowed down enough to observe the state of the Asterion party is enough to show they know more. They wouldn’t have been spending time observing us if they didn’t believe us to be a threat.”

Rosie nodded. “At least they had loose lips. They pretty much admitted that the mission was just a way to send Leona away from the city. Apparently, he wasn’t very popular.”

“Any reason?”

“I’m confident they don’t know either. Even the two guards are unaware of it. Apparently, Roland and Evan had been assigned to him merely three months ago, and the rest of the guards were just along for the trip.”

“There is something weird with Leona. He was getting shocked by some of the things he shouldn’t be surprised by.”

Rosie frowned. “Really?”

“Something on your mind?”

She sighed. “He’s not the only one that acts like that. Back when I visited Tristelion, I had noticed the city lord, as well as some of the stronger guild leaders, acted that way. It’s like they had never actually walked through a modern city.”

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“Do you know why?”

“No. With my status as an outsider, I didn’t dare to poke around. My best guess is that Horizon wasn’t the only one that knew about the arrival of the System, but some of the groups that knew it lived in remote locations, preparing for the Cataclysm.”

“That way, they adapt to a world that’s ruled by personal might rather than technology much faster, giving them all the advantage they need to take over the most critical resources. A solid theory,” I said. Unfortunately, as interesting as it was, we didn’t have the luxury of spending more time on it. “So, who’s our next visitor, and what’s the status of the others?” I asked.

“Representatives of Drakka suddenly picked up speed while the Tristelion party has stopped completely. And, so did the fifth group we had failed to identify. Moreover, based on their speed, Vessalia probably would arrive at the same time.”

“Coincidence?” I followed.

“Certainly not. Probably a reaction to Asterion staying. They want to make a point. That might turn into a boon if we leverage it correctly.”

“That’s not the only potential benefit we’re looking at,” I responded. “Offer them a favorable trade deal with them for the metal, they seem to be receptive to it. Meanwhile, I’ll do my best to dig some information from Leona. He is too careless with his tongue. Maybe we can get something about Horizon.”

“Maybe,” she said.

“Should we call Harold?”

“No,” she said. “Drakka doesn’t do ceremonies, and Vessaria wouldn’t be impressed by anyone that couldn’t use mana.”

“Alright,” I said. “And, how far could I push them back if they try to pressure me.”

“Hard to say, but I would say they might require a firmer hand than Asterion. Particularly Vessalia.”

“What’s the risk of getting invaded if we push our luck too much?”

“From Drakka, very likely. From Vessalia, not very much, as they are dedicated isolationists, and they would likely not bother to make a move, particularly for a mana dead zone.”

“It’ll be tricky, then,” I said, thinking of ways to counter a combined stance. “The alliance between them, it’s merely one of convenience, right?” I asked.

“Most likely,” she answered. “At least, they shouldn’t be pushing for annexation like Asterion did. I will go and check if there’s anything out of order.”

“Do you think we have at least an hour?”

“You want to absorb the skill?”

“Just in case,” I replied. “The fact that they chose to cooperate is not good news. I’m confident that I could push the skill above a hundred in less than an hour…”

“You want to make it look like Asterion has a far stronger investment in us than it seems.”

“If it comes to a fight, yes,” I said. “Making them have second thoughts is a solid strategy.”

“True,” she said. “I’ll buy you an hour, but make sure to check the entrance for the note about the meeting time.”

I nodded, and the moment she left, I pulled the skill stone again.

[Skill Stone: Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary)]

“Now, all I need is to resist the pain,” I said as I absorbed the skill, expecting a horrible stress headache. But, that didn’t happen. Instead, the skill was absorbed like a whisper, and the notification appeared.

[Blade of Bulwark (Epic) 300 -> Blade of Radiant Flame (Legendary) 78]

For the first time, an external skill didn’t reset to the beginning.

“Well, that’s new.”