Ch#50
* * *
"This one!"
"This too?"
"Yeah! This one!"
"This is just rope, though?"
"Even so, let's take it!"
Meanwhile, Tiye, who had arrived at the Armory Hall, was looking around with sparkling eyes.
Veil tilted his head but obediently picked up the random trinkets Tiye pointed to.
The large cart they'd dragged in from the entrance was already filled with dozens of assorted gear.
"Whoa!"
At that moment, Tiye, who had been walking ahead, stopped in her tracks somewhere.
The child was staring at a helmet and armor displayed in the center of the Armory Hall.
A sign stood before the gear, which looked incredibly valuable at a glance.
[Krazar's Heart.]
"Krazaru's Heart......?"
Tiye looked at the sign, then shifted her gaze to the description below.
[This legendary gear was crafted using the core of the ancient monster Krazar.
It reacts to the wearer's body and will, changing in size and form, and neutralizes all attacks until its durability is exhausted.]
Her lips parted in awe.
An armor and helmet that changes size to fit the wearer.
And it could block all attacks!
But the description didn't end there.
[The ancient monster Krazar was discovered 35 years ago in a large Mana Stone that emerged on the outskirts of the Populosa Armory district.
Its core was recovered through the subjugation by 'Valentis Luminen' and brought to life as gear by the artisan 'Berugon Gregor.']
Tiye swallowed hard.
"Large Mana Stone......"
All the Mana Stones Tiye had subjugated so far had been medium-sized ones.
Even to Tiye, medium Mana Stones were no easy conquest.
But to conquer a large one...
Tiye looked around, then trotted over to Veil and whispered,
"Veil oppa. Who's Valentis Luminen?"
Veil's expression turned troubled at the name of the Luminen family head coming from the child's mouth.
Valentis Luminen.
He was someone the Agabert members had once suspected as Tiye's real father.
But he couldn't just blurt that out to Tiye.
Veil cleared his throat and rolled his eyes before answering.
"A Holy Knight."
"Holy Knight?! Like my dad?"
"Yeah."
The child's green eyes began to sparkle.
"Then he's super strong? He conquered a large Mana Stone, so he's super strong, right?"
"Well, yeah."
Valentis Luminen had led the Holy Knight Order from the front lines for nearly 30 years already.
Not content with that, he'd raised his sons to be powerful Holy Knights like himself.
Veil nodded toward the '35 years ago' on the sign and continued.
"Valentis Luminen conquered Krazar's Mana Stone when he was around twenty, I think. An unbelievable feat for a young Holy Knight with no experience."
"Twenty......!"
A large Mana Stone was far bigger and more powerful than a medium one.
That was why only a handful of large Mana Stones had ever emerged in the world.
'And he conquered one at twenty.'
Even more astonishing was that he'd donated the monster core from the spoils to the Armory district.
'He's really, really cool.'
Was this what the flower deer siblings meant by 'hip'?
Tiye felt her heart pounding as she looked up at 'Krazar's Heart.'
The armor fit perfectly on the metal mannequin.
A faint red aura shimmering around it captured Tiye's gaze and wouldn't let go.
"Super expensive......?"
Veil burst out laughing.
"Of course it's expensive. But more than that, I doubt it's even for sale."
Tiye's eyes dropped to the bottom of the sign.
The bold words [Not for Sale] stood out.
The child's lips pursed slightly.
"......Too bad. If it was for sale, Tiye would wear it."
"You? The armor?"
"Yeah. It says right here. Tiye can wear it too."
The child's finger pointed to the phrase 'reacts to the wearer's body and will, changing in size and form.'
Then Tiye let out a deep sigh.
"It's so pretty, wanna have it......"
Tiye couldn't tear her eyes away from Krazar's armor, as if enchanted.
It felt even stronger than when she'd first seen the Ice Princess Rosa dress at the neighborhood big mart.
Like some instinctive pull.
But Tiye wasn't a child who threw tantrums.
"If they sell it later, gotta come back......"
Tiye fiddled with her gem-filled backpack absentmindedly.
"Save up even more money then......"
She glanced back at the armor several more times, forcing her reluctant feet to move away from Krazar's Heart.
"Ahem!"
Someone blocked Tiye's path.
Lifting her head, Tiye's eyes widened in surprise.
Right in front of her stood a swarm of soot-covered men.
* * *
Olek, one of Berugon's prized apprentices, steeled himself.
'Don't panic. If you lose the momentum, it's over.'
Standing before him was the infamous necromancer of late, the 'Necrolord.'
Platinum hair roughly braided back.
Wide, startled eyes.
Chubby cheeks that looked just like a small, cute child's,
'But don't fall for the appearance! It's a trick!'
The blacksmiths of the Armory district, Olek included, already knew.
Who was hiding inside that innocent exterior.
There were rumors the Necrolord's true form was three times the size of an average person.Not to mention covered in shaggy fur head to toe—enough to make anyone wet themselves and flee at the sight.
'Focus, focus.'
Above all, Olek had to drive this Necrolord out of the Armory Hall without incident.
Though whether they'd leave quietly was doubtful.
"You're the Agabert Unit Leader?"
As he asked to set a heavy mood, the Necrolord's lips parted.
She glanced back at her comrades, then nodded warily.
"Yeah. But why?"
Olek cleared his throat and looked around.
He could see the other Agabert members, who had been browsing weapons nearby, heading their way.
He exchanged glances with his fellows.
'Avoid a brawl if possible. That's the best play.'
Just a few days ago, something like this had happened.
Whenever mercenary groups came for repairs or purchases, Berugon ordered them banished without fail.
Of course, the weapons they brought weren't in great shape.
Chipped and torn blades testified to how they'd been used.
'But still......'
How could they fight brutal monster battles while babying their weapons?
Recalling the tedious situation repeating for months, Olek's face hardened again.
'Chase them out! If you can't, you're all stripped of apprentice status!'
For some reason, Berugon always ordered the customers driven away.
'We won't leave! We came because our weapons broke and needed new ones—why kick us out for no reason? We're your customers! What kind of nonsense is this?!'
The mercenaries always refused to budge...
In the end, Olek and the blacksmiths had to wrestle them out every time—figuratively speaking.
Needless to say, subduing strong, burly mercenaries was no easy task.
Last time, he'd even sprained his wrist, delaying forging for days.
'The Necrolord will take even more effort than those guys......'
A deep shadow fell over Olek's face.
But he couldn't ignore Berugon's orders.
It had only been 10 years since he'd begged and finally started learning the craft.
He couldn't lose his prized apprentice spot now.
Olek steeled himself and shouted at the Necrolord.
"Leave now! Put down everything in the cart!"
The Necrolord's eyes widened.
Olek swallowed hard, waiting for her reaction.
Would she comply? Show displeasure?
Demand magic right away, deeming him easy prey?
And if a brawl broke out, how to handle this monster of a new mercenary group...
"Why?"
But the voice that followed was surprisingly polite and reasonable.
Olek halted his thoughts, staring tensely at the Necrolord.
Then she continued.
"Why do we have to leave? We weren't noisy. We didn't do anything wrong......?"
With a face that looked utterly wronged.
