We walked through the stone corridors, making our way toward the workshop. The officer led us through a maze of worn walls, where the sound of clanging metal and whirring tools grew louder. At the end of the path, we reached a large, bustling workshop filled with people who looked like blacksmiths out of a fantasy world. Some wore goggles over their eyes, many donned thick aprons, and all had tired expressions as they worked tirelessly.

The officer led us to the heart of the workshop, where the head blacksmith stood out from the crowd. Typically, people would imagine the top blacksmith as a stout dwarf, a classic figure. But no, this was an elf. A handsome one on top of that. He had long, golden hair tied back in a ponytail, with pointed ears that stood out proudly. Unlike the other smiths, he didn’t wear the standard goggles. Instead, he had a pair of intricate lenses made from glass infused with mana, glowing faintly as he examined his work.

“Um, Mr. Elloiand? These two are here to see you,” the officer said, his voice careful, as if he were tiptoeing around the elf's temperament.

Mr. Elloiand, the elf blacksmith, finally looked up from his work. His eyes met mine and Arion's with a dull, almost disinterested gaze. After a brief, unimpressed glance, he returned to his task without even acknowledging our presence properly.

"Leave," he said flatly, his focus already back on the project in front of him.

"Yes, Mr. Elloiand," the officer replied immediately, not even attempting to protest. It was clear from his tone that this sort of dismissal was routine when dealing with the elf.

“Hold it.” I said, stepping right in front of the elf. “I am here to make a request.”

The nearby blacksmiths paused their work, casting surprised glances in my direction. Some whispered among themselves, but I ignored them, keeping my eyes locked on Elloiand. In the tutorial, his name was clearly stated, Enoda Elloiand, one of the top-tier blacksmiths in the game.

He was an SSR-ranked blacksmith, placed early on to guide players in learning how to craft any weapon or equipment imaginable. It had always felt like a waste that he died so early in the game, but now that I was here, I had no intention of letting that happen.

In the game, he never had this kind of cold personality. He just crafted whatever I needed. But things were different in reality. His attitude might be off-putting, but that didn’t mean I was about to give up. If he could craft the powerful gear I remembered, then he was essential. I just had to figure out how to get through to him.

Finally, Enoda looked up again, this time with clear annoyance on his face. "What?"

In most situations, a blacksmith addressing royalty and high-ranking officers with such disrespect would lead to serious consequences. It could even be considered a punishable offense. But none of that seemed to matter to him. He was one of the most powerful craftsmen in the universe, someone who operated above the usual rules of decorum.

And frankly, I needed him. However, Arion was fuming with rage at the disrespect Enoda was giving to me, and I needed him to calm down. After calming Arion down. I said, “I need you to craft armors that have resistance high enough to block mind control.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Enoda paused, his hands still busy as he continued crafting without looking up. "A device to detect mind control and five pieces of armor that block it, huh?" he said, his voice flat. "How much?"

I blinked. "Pardon?"

"I said, how much resistance do you want on the armor?" he clarified, sounding almost irritated. "Are we talking about basic mind control from some low-tier monsters, or something more serious? Like artifacts? Or... are we dealing with something bigger?"

I hadn’t expected him to take my request so seriously. Contrary to his behavior and expression, he seemed eager to help. I guessed it must be his personality. I glanced at Arion, who was still visibly angry but staying quiet. "High enough to block a powerful succubus," I replied.

Enoda finally looked up from his work, his gaze sharp and calculating. "A succubus, you say?" He let out a slow whistle. "That’s not an easy task. Mind control from a succubus digs deep. It’s not just a spell, it’s a manipulation of your very thoughts. Crafting armor to resist that? It’s going to cost you. We’ll need rare materials, time, and precision. You sure you can handle that?"

I nodded, though internally I was feeling the weight of his words. "How long will it take?"

"Depends on what you bring me. I’ll need cores, strong ones. We’re talking S cores or better if you want the armor to stand up to a succubus. Without those, you’ll just get something that might delay the mind control. But it won’t stop it." He shrugged, indifferent as always.

This was going to be more difficult than I hoped.

“What about the reactors?” I asked, hoping to find another way in.

Enoda’s hands paused for a moment as he considered my question. "Reactors, huh?" he muttered, a faint smirk forming at the edge of his mouth. "If you’re looking for an alternative route, I’ll be needing S-level reactors at a minimum. Anything less, and we’re not talking full mind control immunity, just a delay."

I frowned. "S or more... So you’re saying even with reactors, the standard won’t be enough?"

He nodded, still indifferent. "Correct. You need power, real power, to forge what you're asking for. Whether it’s cores or reactors, the level has to be high. S cores, S reactors, or even better if you can find them. Otherwise, the equipment won’t hold up. Succubi plays with minds like puppets on strings. You want something to cut those strings for good."

It was a difficult task, and gathering that many high-tier resources wouldn’t be easy. But it was necessary. The problem was that I didn’t have a clear way to obtain them. I could attempt to hunt goblins and hope for a lucky drop, but the likelihood of finding S-rank or higher cores and reactors was slim. Most drops would probably be N or R-rank at best.

“Arion, do you have a possible way to obtain those cores and reactors?” I asked, hoping for a breakthrough. After all, Arion was the main character and he might have something useful.

Arion looked conflicted before speaking up. “Perhaps we could search the luggage we brought, my lord.”

I blinked at his response. “Do we have luggage?”

“Yes, my lord,” Arion confirmed. “His Majesty allowed us to carry luggage to aid in our mission and even provided us with some cores and reactors.”

“Then why don’t we check it right away?” I exclaimed, joyfully realizing I might have a way to get what we needed.

“My lord,” Arion said, looking surprised by my excitement, “don’t you remember?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled.

There was a brief silence before Arion spoke again. “Because most of the cores and reactors were S or SR… you sold them for alcohol.”