- Are you sure? asks Vrock to Roderick

- I am Completely sure. replies Roderick. I wouldn't say something like this if I wasn't.

Vrock rubs his eyes in disbelief

- And what do you suggest we do? he asks

- We need to build locations where children will be able to hide and not be discovered or move them to somewhere closer to the capital. says Roderick while leaning forward. As for the adults, we need to train them. Men and Women need to be trained. Lastly, we need to build and place traps around the village and into the village

- That's a lot of things. says Vrock. Do we even have the time to do all of that?

Roderick leans backward

- I have no idea. says Roderick. I don't even know which kingdom will our kingdom wage war with.

- I see... says Vrock. That means that we need to start making preparations as soon as possible

-... RIGHT! says Roderick with energy

- Look at this bastard. says Vrock with a smirk. Did you think that I wouldn't believe you or listen to you?

- Well... to be completely honest, I am hiding many things from you and everyone in the village. says Roderick while looking down

- Everybody in the world has something they hide from others. says Vrock while sipping tea. These secrets that they keep aren't what defines them as a person but the actions they take each and every day does. And ever since you and Yvelt came to Ragseem, everything you've done has greatly helped the villagers

- Thank you, Vrock. says Roderick with a smile full of relief. That means a lot

- You don't have to thank me. says Vrock. Thanks to the school you're wife built, my son was able to get a job in the capital. That's something I will forever be grateful for.

Roderick smiles

- So, what are going to do for the villagers training? asks Vrock in a pensive manner. I think it would be a good idea to hire a swordsman and other people who are skilled with weapons. Thanks to the money you got from the bandits groups, we should have enough money to do so.

- Or, I could train everyone. says Roderick. And we use the loot that I brought back to hire some mercenaries to help us when the war starts

- Loot? asks Vrock with a questioning tone and expression. Did you bring back other things than money?

- Weapons, food, alcohol, and a few other things, yes. answers Roderick

- We can sell the alcohol, use the weapons, and store the food in case we ever run out of food during the war. says Vrock

- Food will be really important since we won't be able to get supplies from other villages. says Roderick. Luckily, we are a village that focuses on agriculture instead of other things

- It looks like things will be quite busy from now on. says Vrock with a smile

- They definitely will but it's all for the best. says Roderick with a frown

[With the kids at school during recess]

Enzo is sitting under a tree in a meditation pose his arm crossed before his chest. Next to him is Leas who is reading a book

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

- Sometimes, I really wonder if you are truly stupid or just doing it on purpose. says Leas who is sitting next to him. You and Mom were both heading to school so she obviously would've known

- Shut up, will you? says Enzo with an angry tone. If you hadn't told on me, she wouldn't have known that I brought a bunch of wooden swords with me

- You ran throughout the village with the swords, Enzo. says Leas while keeping his eyes in his book. Everyone saw you with those swords. If it wasn't me, somebody else would have told Mom

- YOU DON'T KNOW THAT! yells Enzo as he turns around

- Yes, I do and you know it too. says Leas

Malick joins the two brothers

- So, no sword fight today? asks Malick

- My Mom took all of my wooden swords. answers Enzo with frustration

- You don't even have one left!? asks Malick in surprise

- Not even a single one. answers Enzo

Malick looks at Leas

- What are you reading? asks Malick

- Nothing that concerns you. answers Leas

Malick takes the book from Leas's hands and looks at the cover

- How to make a sword? Malick reads out loud

Leas extends his hand toward Malick

- Now that you know, give it back. Leas says calmly but with a tone containing a faint amount of anger

- Why don't you ask the village chief to show you how to make them instead of reading this book? asks Malick as he hands back the book to Leas

- I already asked him. says Leas as he takes his book back. He said that he only knows how to make farming tools. I think that he's lying and that he just doesn't want to teach me how to make swords but I could be wrong

- Where will you even go to make your swords? asks Malick. Don't you need a smithy to do that?

- I do. answers Leas as he continues to read his book

- And you do know that the only smithy in the village belongs to the village chief, right? asks Malick

- I know. answers Leas after sighing

Malick shrugs

- Well, I am sure you have some kind of plan. he says as he leaves

Enzo gets closer to Leas with sparkling eyes

- So you are going to make us real swords? asks Enzo with eyes full of excitement

- I am going to try and I am definitely not giving one to you... unless we actually really need it. says Leas as he continues to read

- Damn it... Wait. What do you mean by actually really need it? asks Enzo with questioning eyes

- It's nothing. answers Leas. I was only talking to myself

The bell rings and the students go back inside

[That Night]

Leas gets up from his bed, jumps out the window, and rushes out of their garden. He arrives in the village and heads toward the smithy. He opens the door of the smithy and heads inside

- I knew it. says Leas with a smile. The chief never locks the door of the smithy

Leas looks at the many tools on the floor and on the multiple tables.

- Time to get to work. he says as he rolls up his sleeves

[Two hours later]

Leas is hitting the sword with a hammer

{Leas}

" My hits need to be stronger! Stronger!"

As Leas was forging his sword, everything around him disappeared. The sound of his hammer hitting the steel, the sound of his heartbeat resonating throughout the smithy. He had entered a trance. Something that blacksmiths dream of entering yet mostly never do so. He was only five but his hits got stronger, more precise, and louder. Which is why when the door of the smithy opened, Leas never heard it

- WHAT THE HELL!? yells Vrock when he sees Leas making a sword

He rushes to Leas's side and puts his hand on the arm that is holding the sword

- KIDDO! yells Vrock

Vrock's eyes widen when he sees that Leas was smiling as he was hitting the sword. It was very obvious that Leas couldn't hear him and that Leas wasn't even there mentally

{Vrock}

" This kid! His experiencing Trance!? How is that possible!? He's only five!"

Leas hits the sword once more and sparks fly everywhere. Vrock raises his arm to protect his face from the sparks

- How is he even hitting the iron with so much power? mumbles Vrock

Vrock exhales with his eyes closed

{Vrock}

" Disturbing him while he is experiencing Trance could greatly harm him mentally."

Vrock sits down on a chair behind Leas

- Guess I will keep an eye on him. he mumbles

{Vrock}

" Still how is it possible for a 5-year-old to reach Trance? He's achieved the dreams of most blacksmiths in the world at only five. This kid... he's probably making a sword that will at least be considered a national treasure"

- ha... ha... ha... haha. laughs Vrock. It seems like a genius was born here

[The next day as the sun rises]

Leas opens his eyes

- Where am I? he mumbles

- In my smithy. answers Vrock

As soon as Leas hears Vrock's voice, he quickly gets up and turns around while giggling

- Hehehehehe. Leas giggles as he turns around with a smile

Vrock shakes his head

- We'll talk about this another time. For now, you should take that with you and go back home. says Vrock as he points behind Leas

Leas turns around and on the very table that he was working on yesterday lays a beautiful silver sword with a green line in the middle of it

- You know, these kinds of swords are rare. says Vrock with his eyes closed. Therefore, they are usually given a name

- A... name? says Leas as he looks at the sword with captivation. The name of this sword is... Virdis Endeleas