After the dance with Sophie, I asked her for money to level myself up. Sadly, she seemed to used all of the money to prepare for her trip. I made my way to the forge. There Master was forging a blade. I sat down somewhere she can see me and opened my follower menu. I was randomly going through Talents when I saw the third forge. When I first saw it I thought about a blacksmith follower but I didn't made it a reality. I should have done it way before. Sigh 'Followers have so much potential use that I can't even see something obvious.
I started thinking about what the blacksmith follower will need. They certainly needed my blacksmithing skills for one. What else? Maybe something that make forging easier maybe faster too. I quickly took a look at the Talent's that aline with my wishes. While doing that I heard Emerald's voice.
"Ash."
I looked up. "Hello master. How are you?"
"Fine. Did you need me for something?" I nodded. "What is it?"
"I intend to make Aiko try her weapon. We are already sure of ammunition but weapon itself needs to be tested. I was wondering if you want to come?"
"Did you told about this to her? She was waiting for this for quiet some time now."
I shook my head. "I didn't. I want to find a place to test it first. So I will go and take a look. Maybe we can try it on one of the abandoned warehouses."
She nodded. "Well. You first need to wait for Aiko. Unless you know a way to locate them." I shook my head. "Then, how about you forge something? You didn't forge anything for some time."
I nodded. "I intend to forge a weapon but I have something else in mind." Emerald gestured me to go on. "I told you about the bonuses my skills give." She nodded. "I was wondering what happens when I reforge a sword. Will it get better or worse? So I will reforge the swords I made. For the beginning I will reforge a sword once, then twice. When Sophie comes we will see if the bonuses will stack."
She looked at me unmoving for a while her mouth was hanging open. After a while she took a deep breath. "They can stack?" I shrugged. "If they can, then you can make swords with unseen quality."
"Yes but its a long shot. There is another thing I intend to do."
"What?" She paused for a moment. "You intent to make another one of them."
I nodded the pointed at the forges. "There are three forges and two for us. So I intend to make another girl with a blacksmithing focus."
She nodded to herself. "What do you intent to make her do?"
"Guns and ammunition."
"Are you sure? Those are very dangerous weapons. Are you sure you want to sell them to people?"
"No. Not people. I intent to sell them to this Kingdom and the other Kingdom's that far away here. Like this, I believe we can make a lot of money."
"You and money.." sigh "Its a good idea. I think we can make it. But the Kingdoms we sell those guns will surely try to produce guns themselves. Do you have any way to prevent that?"
I shook my head. "Nothing concrete I think if we make them hard to forge and mold, then we can prevent them, for a longer time at least. When they managed to copy them, we will start to sell better ones, if necessary cheaper to keep the business. Of course, assuming we can."
"It all depends on your follower." I nodded. "You can give them abilities right?"
"Yes, but I can only give them abilities regarding their looks. I can't give them any other kind."
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She nodded and sighed. "Then you need money for this girl but Sophie has all our money."
"Yes. I don't intend to make an expensive follower. If she only has nimble fingers and patience they should suffice. You don't have any other ideas, do you?”
Emerald shook her head. “Then how much do you need?”
“Three millions.”
“All this for a cheap follower. You must intend to give her some powerful abilities.”
I shook my head. “No. Most of the money will go to giving her my skills.”
“You can do it too. Of course you can.” sigh “Then that's good. I will return to my work. Do you want to say anything else?”
“No. I will now start forging. Call for me when the girls comes back. I have things to say to them.” She nodded and returned to forge. I found two of the swords I made and put them near forge. I took out their handles and put them to the side. I knew the worth of these swords. Both of them were 750.000 Beli. When Sophie comes we would see the limits of reforging. I started heating the blade and started hitting it with the hammer to change it shape back to an ingot. Or as close as it can be. After hitting a few times Focus activated. I didn't do much in the way of reforging. I only heated and reshape them until they looked at least a bit better. I finished with the first one quick enough, at least it felt that way. Then I started reforging the other blade. When its done I reforged it again.
When I was finished with reforging, I turned around and saw Sophie looking at the sword I first reforged. Leaving her to do her job I started merging the handle to the sword I reforged just now. As soon as I was done, Sophie took the sword from me, and started to inspect it. After a while she shook her head and looked at me. I looked at her questioningly. “It doesn't work. After the first, I mean. But still its a great improvement. These were worth 750.000 Beli right?” I nodded. “This one.” She pointed to the sword I first reforged. “Worth 1.125.000 Beli. The other one worth 1.140.000 Beli. These numbers might not be the best it could have been. But that is still an improvement. And if we consider the time it takes for you to reforge them, its great.”
I nodded to that. Then I looked at Sophie. “Did Emerald told you about my other idea?” She nodded. “Do you think it will work like I thought?”
She shook her head. “Normally, its not that easy to sell guns, but I believe I can make it work, don't worry.” I nodded. “I can't wait to see my new sister. Others feel the same too.” I smiled at that.
“Where are the others?”
“Bedroom, talking about things.”
I nodded. “I need you to tell them to come downstairs. I have things to tell you all.” She nodded and took of. I followed her until I was in front of a bedroom at the first level. After a while they have showed themselves on the entrance. They stayed side by side seemingly curious about what I am going to say. When all is present I started. “I will start by saying that I want you all.” They looked confused. “It seems some of you mistake my kindness with inattention. There will be no more kindness.” I pointed at the bedroom. “I will stay here at night. If anyone wants to do it with me they can come here. You can talk about who will get in when or you can come together, I don't mind. Is that understood?” They nodded together, seemingly in thought. After a while they started to look each other. I didn't stayed to see what they will do, instead I went inside and closed the door.
After I closed the door I felt excited, like I was going to do it first time. That wasn't true but feeling was there all the same. I sat then and looked at the screens that came up after forging.
Skill Blacksmithing Leveled Up By 1
Skill Sword Reforging Leveled Up By 1
It was a good improvement considering I gained them in a day. Then I started meditating on Sword Reforging to cap it. Before I gotten to quench the blade I felt a pressure on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up. It was sadly Cassie. She smiled at me. “They won't come. Only I came. So will we do it?”
“Why aren't they coming?”
“They didn't like the way you told those things. They will wait until you apologize them. At least that's what they told me. You should forget about them. I am here after all, right?”
“Is that all? Okay.” I stood up and headed towards the door. I expected Cassie to stop me but she didn't. I opened the door and as soon as I did some water hit, and drenched me. I looked around, unable to understand what's going on. There was the girls looking at me and smiling. “What's going on? I thought you wanted an apology.”
“No. That would be too kind.” Said Sora the sado.
“Then, what else do you want from me?”
“We want you to get rid of Katelin.”
“I was already thinking about it, but I don't know how to do that.”
“We can catch and give her to marines.” Pointed Mary.
I shook my head. “On what account. We know she worked for rebellion but she has neither a crime on her name, nor a bounty. So even if we catch her, we will end up as criminals.”
She smirked. “Maybe, but not if I can make her admit doing everything.”
I shook my head again. “You are assuming your power works on her. I don't it will though, since she seemed as powerful as Emerald. And we don't have to catch her. I just stop showing up in the alley and she would go her way.”
Mary folded her arms as with the others. “You don't want her to be imprisoned.”
“I.. don't I guess.” They looked at me angrily. I raised my hands “You see in this week I got to know her inside-out so I don't think she is a bad person.”
“You just say that because she did it with you.”
“No. That's not it. I promise.”
“Are you sure?” I nodded. “Well then. You can keep her.” 'Say again?'
“What?” They parted and I saw Katelin. She was just staring at me. “Katelin. I see you found my home. Its good to see you here.”
She smiled. “You could have been surprised a little at least.” I shrugged. She came a few step closer. “Where is your mother? You said you had a sick mother. I want to see her.”
I shook my head. “You can't. She is not here.”
“Hm. Where is she then? Some other Kingdom?”
“She is in one of the parallel universes, I mean, theoretically.”
Girls looked confused. “Alternate what? What are you talking about.” Katelin said while getting closer.
“Its just.. Fine. I don't have a sick mother. I lied to you sorry.”
She nodded. “Well done. It seems like you always know what to say anyway. Tell me, what was it with kindness?”
“Its just you now.” gulp “I wanted to say, they were wrong about me not wanting them.”
“We already knew you wanted us.” Others nodded.
“What? But Sophie said.. Sophie! Did you lie to me?” She just smirked. “Why?”
“She just wanted to get away but she failed when you push her further.”
“So you actually don't want to be with me. That's okay. I can deal with it.” I said and made my way inside. There, Cassie was waiting for me, naked. I held her hand and pushed her to the bed. She parted her legs but I corrected her body and hugged her willing myself to sleep and just like that I slept.”
“I woke