Lily was sprawled out on an anvil, snoring away as she sported a rather unhealthy-looking beer gut. The room smelled so strongly of alcohol, that he was convinced he'd cause an explosion if he created a flame. And that was taking into consideration the window being open from his last visit.

A few hours had passed since he was down here, and it looked like it was enough time for Vanessa to sober up.

She drank water straight out of a barrel kept in a corner of the room before walking back to the Tibaut.

“Hey Tibaut, could you burn all our booze? This is getting a bit overbo-” She brought a hand to her mouth and looked around, then to Tibaut with dread.

Tibaut sprang to grab a bucket but Vanessa was in no mood to wait and jumped to the (fortunately) unlit forge to empty her stomach contents.

“(I guess it's better than waking up to vomit on your face.) I- deep inhale and exhale I'll make you a strap or sheathe or whatever but don't count on it being good. Leather work isn't my strong suit.”

“That's fine, I'll take what I can get. It's not like this is going to be my main weapon.”

He held the blade up and took a nice look at it.

“You're not gonna use that knife Tibby, given how big of a bastard its old user was, you deserve something proper.”

“Woah, it's fine Vanessa, like I said it's just gonna be a side piece.”

“Shut up nerd, I'm giving you a proper knife.” She pulled a chunk of metal out of her pocket and showed it to him. “And you have your friend, that little blue devil to thank.”

“Chill out Vanessa, I can attest that this is a pretty good knife. Also, wait a second did Yuri give you that?”

“Well, he asked if I could fix it and I said no. It looks like he forgot this piece of merchandise before he went wherever.”

“Fix?” He took a closer look at it but no matter the angle he looked at it from it just looked like a piece of metal.

“He had a shortsword but that Bishop you guys were talking about melted and even vapourized some of it. It's a pretty nice alloy so I went through the extra effort of remelting and purifying.”

“How nice compared to this?” He asked as he held up Ezekiel’s knife.

“It can do what that knife does better, plus cut things better, retain its edge longer, hell as long as you're gentle with it, you can even use your mana with it and heat up the blade, maybe even shoot some flames from it.”

He looked at the blade and then turned his gaze to the metal.

“(I guess this will have to stay a memento.) If you put it like that then that just sounds like the better deal.”

“I know right, hehehe, I can't lie, I've been looking for an excuse to use this stuff.” She said with a giddy laugh.

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“Then look no further.” A voice answered.

It didn't come from the stairway or even inside the basement. The pair looked around until they saw Elizabeth crouching down by the other side of the basement window.

----------------------------------------

Elizabeth quickly made her way downstairs, looking somewhat worn out.

“You're back,” Tibaut said.

“Thankfully, the guards from the capital do not need my help with their investigations today.” She immediately turned around to Vanessa and lifted the woman by her cheeks.

“OW OW OW OW OW OW OW!”

“And you! I wondered where that piece of metal was. To think, you were not only a lazy wastrel but a thief as well!” She sounded more annoyed than pissed off.

Vanessa tried to kick at her but her kicks were no more than drops of rain hitting the wall that was Elizabeth.

She dropped Vanessa on her behind and took the piece of metal out of her hand.

“To think you'd use a piece of material so valuable on nothing more than a whim.”

“(I guess the Saint wants it back.) Well, I'll settle for just the strap, Vanessa.” Tibaut stated.

“Right, and I will be holding onto this until he returns.” She grabbed Tibaut’s shoulder and immediately led him back to the stairway. “Now run alon-”

She noticed the knife in his hand.

“Sigh Why do you have that Tibaut? I was wondering where it was.”

Before any misunderstandings took place he explained where he got it.

“...(I'm sure there's some valuable information the guards from the capital could glean from this weapon. But… I'll respect her choice to leave that weapon with him. Besides, they have more than enough gathered to seriously search for him.)” She looked around the room for something and walked in silence.

“Come on, it wouldn't hurt to have it around.”

“No, I have no qualms but even I would hesitate to keep a weapon of that man.” She took up a blade placed on a tall wall mount and walked towards him. “But it is a good knife I'll give you that, so take care of it.”

(“What is she-”)

She grabbed his hair and reduced it to shoulder length with a single slash. She threw the hair into the fuel section of the forge.

She patted him on the back before gently nudging him to the stairs. And he walked out without issue, not looking for an argument or worse with the sword in her hand.

“I see that look in your eyes, Liz.” Vanessa said.

She had a smirk on her face as she watched Tibaut go up the stairs before pulling the metal out to take a better look at it. She looked entranced with it, like a child receiving the doll they begged for. It was almost startling how joyful she was.

“I have no idea what you're talking about Vanessa. I told you two I'd hold on to it and that's exactly what I shall do. But I'm sure the Saint wouldn't if it took on a different form. After all, if he wants it, he'll have to get it reforged, regardless.” She said with a childlike smile.

“Liz, I can't believe you of all people-”

“Shut it, you little miscreant, I'll give you some slack for the period Tibaut was unconscious, but you've done nothing but drown in liquor with your friend over there.” She looked around the shop for something else to scrutinise. And her eyes landed on a large object with a tarp over it. “And don't get me started on that mana forge you claimed was of great importance. Yet no matter how many times I give you money to get it repaired it's still broken.”

(“I hate when she gets like this.”) There was nothing she could do except take the verbal whipping.

“However, you are a friend of mine, so… I'll have no problem looking the other way if you make a sword out of this by tomorrow.”

Vanessa looked conflicted but showed no hesitation in taking the metal out of her hands.

“Hypocrite.”

“I'm no such thing Vanessa, now make your guild leader a weapon.”

“I'll make it for some…”

“....”

“...”