"I can keep the old pseudo cores in stasis for you." Salaark replied. "If my Featherlings find a way to use Strife’s same enchantment for your Blade Weapon, you won’t need more ingredients.

"Yet if they don’t, there is no way to preserve that kind of energy without its original vessel, and I’ll have to let them dissipate. I’m sorry."

"It’s way more than I could ask for." Faluel gave the Overlord a deep bow. "What’s our next move?"

"We go back to the Mansion. Ral included." Lith said. "Feel free to join us, Grandma."

The tower Warped back to Lutia with a new passenger, and the Verhens welcomed Lith’s return and Salaark’s arrival with deep sighs of relief. Lith was powerful, but the Guardian would respond to anyone so much as upsetting the baby with an extinction-level event.

"Okay." Lith said after returning to the Forge and donning the Ears of Menadion. "Start by conjuring your favorite spells, Faluel. We’ll start from there."

The procedure turned out to be slightly different from the one Lith and Solus had used for the Sage Staff. They cast the spells right after Faluel, sometimes finding them wanting or jarring.

When that happened, they had to switch a few runes until the spell flowed best and its rhythm matched Faluel’s mana flow when she used her own version of the spell.

"Here. Wear this." Solus handed the Hydra what looked like a thick black bag.

"Why?" Faluel studied the cloth, noticing that it possessed a powerful cloaking enchantment.

"We don’t want to share our Forgemastering techniques with you." Solus replied. "That thing will keep you from studying our cloaking runes during the preparatory phase. It will cover you down to the shoulders, so that no extra head can slip out by ’accident’."

"And the cloaking spell of the bag will block Life Vision. Thank you for your trust." Faluel clicked her tongue, her voice oozing sarcasm.

"You are welcome." Lith replied.

Faluel put the bag on her head after Lith and Solus were done Bonding, and kept it on until they applied the seven rune patterns.

"The preparatory phase is done, but we still need your presence." Lith said. "I have an idea of how to weave the different enchantments into the power core, but without you, I have no way to check if it works.

"Based on what we’ve learned from crafting Solus’ Sage Staff, it will also require more fine-tuning by checking the power core’s mana flow with your own when you cast spells with both true magic and body casting.

"Unless all three match to perfection, we’ll fail to craft a Blade Weapon for you. Feel free to stay with us for lunch. Everyone will be happy to see you again."

"With pleasure." Faluel nodded.

She received a warm welcome from the Verhens and a tight embrace from Elina. Lith’s mother would never thank Faluel enough for rescuing Surin, nor had she forgiven herself for losing the baby girl during the attack.

"I hope you are hungry, because I prepared a feast." Salaark said, and she was being literal.

There was plenty of food for everyone, enough to sate the Divine and Emperor Beasts at the table. To make the meal even more enjoyable, every dish was beyond delicious.

"My mom is the best cook in the world!" Shargein licked his plate clean.

"Thank you, sweetie." Salaark lifted the over three meters (10’) tall Wyrmling as if he weighed no more than Raldarak, peppering his face with kisses. "Mommy practiced hard for you."

’And the best part is that I didn’t spend a dime on this.’ Lith felt his wallet as swollen as his stomach.

They were about to move on to the dessert when someone knocked on the main door.

"Is anyone expecting guests?" Lith asked, obtaining only noes in reply.

The magical beasts around the Mansion were silent, and none of the magical formations had been triggered, so Lith had to check with the Watchtower. A thorough scan of the area gave him a surprising yet harmless result.

"Nalrond, come with me please." A Warp Steps brought the two men to their destination, and a turn of the handle opened the enchanted locks of the door.

"I’m sorry to bother you. I hope you like these." Salman the Rezar stood on the doorstep with an uncomfortable expression on his face and a few bags from which wafted the sweet smell of Vexal’s fresh pastries.

"Salman." Lith took the bags with a polite nod and invited the Rezar in, but he didn’t move. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I don’t want to intrude or waste more of your time." He sighed, wringing his hands. "I’ve come here to apologize for my cowardice."

"Your what now?" Lith furrowed his brows in confusion.

"I was there the day of the attack." Salman raised his eyes and met Lith’s gaze. "Vexal’s bakery is next door to Zekell’s workshop, yet I stood by the window and did nothing. I know you must be angry with me, but-"

"Not at all." Nalrond cut him short. "Those people were much stronger than you, Salman, and they were Awakened. With your green cores and no equipment, there was nothing you could have done."

"Nalrond is right." Lith nodded. "Exposing your presence would have only made you a target. Once they were defeated, rumors of the appearance of a Rezar would have spread, and you would have been forced to leave Lutia.

"I’m not angry with you, Salman. Nobody is. You did the best thing for everyone. If you stepped in, there would have been one more person to rescue, and even more magical beasts would have died."

"You are not entirely correct." The Rezar clenched his hands, and scales appeared all over his skin. "I am angry with myself. I’m tired of hiding like a rat whenever something happens and putting everyone in danger because of my secret.

"That’s why I came here. I know it’s shameless of me, Nalrond, but can you please teach me how to become like you?"

"An Awakened?" The Agni asked.

"I wouldn’t dare ask you that much." Salman shook his head. "Just tell me how to tear down the wall between my life forces. If I can’t become an Agni, I’d rather become a human or a Rezar. I don’t want to be one of the werepeople anymore."

"I’d rather have a second Agni to take the heat for being the only one of my species off my back." Nalrond pondered. "Also, I’m sorry, but my method involves Awakening. You’d be my disciple for 100 years and have to obey me. Are you okay with that?"

"I don’t think I’ll live that long, but sure." Salman nodded. "I just want to stop being afraid, Nalrond. I don’t care if you don’t teach me anything new about magic. As long as I can have a normal life, I’m okay with anything."

"We’ll continue this conversation on a later date, then." The Agni nodded. "I have your contact rune, and we were having lunch."

"I’ll be going." Salman turned around and walked out of the Mansion’s arrays before Warping back near Lutia.

*** 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The pastries and the news about Salman were welcomed with great enthusiasm. They gave the kids something sweet to eat and the women something to gossip about.