I spent a day and a half gathering information. At first, I walked around the entire city and stopped by every shop that sells armor and weapons. During these visits, I tried to engage the sellers in conversation. With some, this worked; others were not so talkative, and I didn't learn much new. In Bordum, few could say anything interesting about the new blacksmith who had settled in one of the villages nearby. Yes, some had heard of him, and some even sold items forged by this blacksmith. But since the Rur area acts as a kind of magnet for those who decide to tie their life with work at the anvil, newcomers wishing to gain recognition for their craftsmanship appeared here quite regularly. Only one of the traders singled out Katashi from other young blacksmiths he had seen in his life. And even then, what he remembered about Katashi was not examples of some great craftsmanship but his unusual manner of speaking for these parts. Although he also highly rated the items made by the Japanese, but no more than that.
After finishing my rounds of the shops, I left the city and wandered around the area, trying primarily to listen in. I spent the whole day on this, but still didn't learn anything particularly important. Yes, a little less than a month ago, a young man appeared who rented a forge from a retired master in a small village called Hamna. This newcomer stood out with his Eastern appearance but was polite, didn't impose his customs on others' lives, and spent almost all the time in the forge. And all his affairs, including the purchase of necessary materials for work, were handled by a hired servant from the locals, the younger nephew of the village reeve.
In the settlement neighboring Hamna, I managed to get the local blacksmith, whom I met in the tavern and plied with a few drinks, to open up. The master, who was in his fifties, was initially not very talkative, but after the sixth mug of the frothy beverage, I managed to break through the wall of his aloofness. Suddenly, it was as if the dam broke, and he, cursing up a storm, "remembered" that, yes, a newcomer had come to him a couple of weeks ago. At first, this novice seemingly attempted to pry out his secrets with casual questions, or so the blacksmith thought. Then, after looking at the results of the local master's labors, he had the audacity to offer to employ him. Him! An experienced Steel Rank master! Some green, narrow-eyed youngster dared to propose the role of an apprentice! The slightly drunken blacksmith told me he deeply regrets just kicking this upstart out instead of giving him a piece of his mind and teaching him respect for his elders!
Another interesting conversation took place with a merchant whose caravan had camped near Bordum. He let slip that many caravaners specifically look for young blacksmiths who have arrived in the Rur area. They seek them out not out of curiosity but because it can be quite profitable. As the newcomers strive to make a name for themselves, they go all out. This means the quality of their work is often even higher than that of other blacksmiths, and they don't hike up their prices since they're not yet well-known. So, it turns out you can buy something from them significantly below market price and then sell it off somewhere else. Apparently, the same logic was followed by the merchant in whose shop I encountered the do-maru armor. And in general, being the first to establish trade relations with a newcomer is always beneficial, because, who knows, maybe one day he will grow into a recognized master of blacksmithing?
In the morning, a day and a half after reaching Bordum, I made my way to the outskirts of Hamna. It turned out to be a small village of about twenty houses. Before entering the settlement, I walked along a little river, one that could also be described as a large brook, and noticed a boy around twelve sitting on the bank fishing. The lad wasn't scared of me and didn't run away, so approaching him, I first asked how the fishing was going and then smoothly steered the conversation towards the new blacksmith who had recently appeared in the village. Naturally, the boy knew about Katashi; in such a small settlement, it's hard to escape the locals' attention. However, the youngster couldn't tell me much. According to him, Kay spent all his time in the forge and hardly ever came out. Even his groceries were bought by a manager hired by the blacksmith, not by him personally. Nonetheless, the boy had encountered Katashi several times and spoke of him as a kind, albeit somewhat introverted person who sometimes helped the locals, for instance, fixing a tool or forging a sickle, without overcharging for his work and asking only for the cost of materials. Yet, the new blacksmith didn't allow anyone to take advantage of him, firmly saying "no" if he wasn't interested in the offered work. The boy proudly boasted that the new villager had arrived on the Bronze rank but, just three days ago, had advanced to Wootz. Such rapid ascension along the coils of the Great Spiral was something extraordinary for the locals, akin to a fairy tale, and the boy seemed to feel a part of this "miracle," which was evident from the pride in his voice as he spoke of it. To his curious question about why I was so interested in Kay, I replied that I had seen a unique and beautiful armor set in a shop that impressed me, and I wanted to commission armor from the craftsman who made it. This answer completely satisfied the boy, and he became even more talkative. We chatted for almost an hour, after which the young fisherman finished up, and we headed towards the village together.
This settlement was so small that it had neither a tavern nor even the most rundown inn. As I understood, if traders turned here, they clearly did so only briefly and preferred to spend the night in Bordum, which was no more than ten kilometers away.
The young fisherman showed me where the forge was located, which, as expected, turned out to be a little away from the village due to the risk of fire, which nobody wanted to take lightly. He then ran off to attend to his own matters. There, where the forge was, just twenty steps away from it, stood an old single-story house with narrow windows covered with ox bladders. As I approached, I immediately noticed that this house was quite old but had recently undergone significant repairs. The lower logs were replaced, the roof was fixed, and the doors were changed. Knowing Katashi, I'm sure he did the repairs himself as soon as he rented the forge and this house. The forge itself was quite small, but it was built from sturdy and solid, albeit soot-blackened, logs. Its chimney, from which weak light smoke was now emerging, looked new. It was likely recently rebuilt.
As I got closer, I noticed a young man dressed in simple, cheap, but practical peasant clothes. He was drawing water with a wooden crane from a well and pouring it into a barrel nearby. Noticing me, the young man put the bucket down, wiped his hands on the hem of his simple and coarse linen shirt with sleeves barely covering the elbows, and greeted me with a broad smile, introducing himself as Oldon, the son of Andre, from Hamna.
"Raven from Seattle, a tunneller," I introduced myself in response.
"How can I assist the esteemed tunneller of the Wootz rank?" asked the young man, bowing slightly in a formal gesture.
"I'm looking for a blacksmith named Kay," I said directly, without beating around the bush. "I want to place an order with him."
Glancing at the smoke rising from the forge's chimney, Oldon spread his hands:
"Master Kay is currently busy. He's been locked up in the forge for two days and hasn't come out. He ordered not to be disturbed," the young man smiled as if apologizing. "I'm the master's assistant, not an apprentice, just an assistant. I help him around the house."
"It's not right to distract the master from his work," I replied, knowing how Katashi feels about being interrupted. "I'll wait, I'm not in a hurry."
"I'm not allowed to enter the forge until I'm called," the young man looked downcast, "but when Master Kay calls me to bring water or for something else, I'll tell him you've come."
"Good," I nodded, "then it's agreed," and I took off my backpack.
Misinterpreting my glance towards the house, Oldon nervously looked around and then said in an apologetic tone:
"I cannot invite you into the master's house. We were recently robbed, and now the master locks it up and instructs me to keep watch so that no one approaches while he is busy with his work."
"Is your village so restless?" I was surprised. Generally, theft from one's own or those who live nearby is almost unheard of in Ain.
"No!" The young man immediately waved his hands. "We have no thieves, but three days ago, an unknown caravan stopped nearby, not in the village but at the forest edge, about a half-hour walk from here, and the next day, the master noticed something was missing."
"Was much stolen?" I frowned.
"I don't know, Master Kay didn't say anything except that someone had broken into the house." Oldon stepped closer to me and whispered, "Various small items also disappeared from other houses. Shelt lost four chickens, and Tromar had a silver spoon stolen. These thefts were noticed late, and by the time they realized it, the trail of that unknown caravan had already gone cold. But Master Kay swore a lot in ways that were hard to understand, and if it weren't for work, he threatened to catch the thieves and teach them a lesson. But since he had an urgent order at that time, to avoid missing the deadline, he stayed at the forge." The youth straightened up, "Master Kay takes his work very seriously. So, if you order something from him, he will surely do everything properly and on time!"
I barely hid a smile after these words from the lad. It was evident that Katashi made a strong impression on him, and Oldon respected his master, even though they were almost the same age.
The fact that Katashi was currently busy even pleased me a bit. Probably because, despite all the time I spent thinking, I still hadn't come up with a single strategy for dealing with the future god of Labor. I still thought that cunning manipulation would work more reliably than a simple conversation, but I didn't want to go against my principles. So, with a sense of relief, I dropped off my belongings, leaning my backpack against the well's log frame, took off my cotta, and placed it on top. After that, I picked up my spear and explained to Oldon that I would train to not waste time waiting in vain.
I started with the long-familiar sequence of the Four Elements complex. I repeated these katas five times, starting at a slow and drawn-out pace, with each new round speeding up, until, during the fifth pass, the steady hum of air being split by the Striking Whisper surrounded me. By this time, I had already attracted an audience - several children from three to ten years old were watching my training from a safe distance. Such attention didn't bother me, so, pretending not to notice the village youngsters, I continued my exercise.
An hour passed during my systematic and comprehensive warm-up. During this time, Oldon left several times to talk with the locals. Specifically, he was clearly talking about me, apparently explaining to the others that I was not dangerous and had come to their village only to meet with his master and place an order. At least, after talking with this young man, none of the locals looked at me as a potential threat. Though, no one dared to approach me with questions either. Which was understandable, as disturbing a Wootz warrior, from the perspective of ordinary peasants, most of whom will never rise above Iron, was a more dangerous endeavor than pulling a tiger by its whiskers.
After finishing the warm-up katas, I set aside the spear and began to practice gymnastic exercises that seemed long forgotten. Jumps, somersaults, flips, spins. Despite having abandoned training many years ago, my body remembered all these exercises learned through endless hours of repetition perfectly. The local kids were particularly impressed by my somersaults, performed from a short run-up. I recalled gymnastics not just for the sake of it. Clearing Bogash's Tomb clearly showed that "acrobatic etudes," considering the physical capabilities of a Wootz rank, could prove very effective. I knew this intellectually before, even applied it sometimes, but always tried to avoid it; as Ronin said in the Last Cycle, "all this acrobatics, which looks nice in movies, but in real combat leads to defeat." Thanks to past experiences, as well as reevaluating my spear technique, I concluded that acrobatics would not only be "not superfluous" but could even become the basis of my personal combat style. This contradicted much of what Ronin and Nate taught me, but apparently, I had matured to the level where I could stop following the teachers' advice to the letter.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Finishing the second stage of the warm-up with an impressive triple backflip, which elicited admiring gasps from the children, I picked up Striking Whisper again. Closing my eyes, I delved into myself and began with smooth, sweeping movements, recalling which gymnastic techniques I used during the clearing of the Tomb, focusing especially on what I applied during the Dance. In the first few minutes, my movements probably looked jerky and uncertain from the outside. But as time went on, gradually trusting my body more than mental calculations and following where Striking Whisper and intuition led me, I felt how my movements became smoother and more natural with each repetition.
Of course, this was all just the beginning, and forming a truly unique personal style was as distant as walking to the moon, but I felt I was on the right path. And like any proper beginning, I started with forming the basics. I took the katas of All Elements, already familiar to me, as the foundation and began to replace the transitions within them from the usual ones to gymnastic techniques. It seemed like a simple task - to take an already familiar exercise and simply modify it by adding acrobatic elements. However, since I wanted to achieve smoothness and naturalness rather than jerky movements, I had to spend quite a long time on it.
It took me no less than an hour and a half to work out just one sequence of transitions between the stances of Fire and Air in the same All Elements exercise. However, this process itself, not mindless repetition of the same thing but inventing something new and my own, captivated me so much that I would have been quite upset if Katashi had finished his work right then. Gradually, by practicing even the simplest movements a dozen times - from the correct positioning of the feet to the angle of body tilt - I started to get something right. The classic smooth and soft transitions between stances in the All Elements katas were replaced by much sharper but also beautiful gymnastic sequences. For myself, I compared the classic version of the exercise to a flowing river, while my new variant was more like an air whirlwind or a dance of lightning.
Of course, what I achieved today was just an initial template that needed to be polished and refined. Nonetheless, I somehow felt that I was on the right path. Perhaps it was a deceptive feeling. But the ease and naturalness with which my body responded during the performance of the updated exercise, at some point, reminded me of the same sense of flow I experienced during the Dance.
Back in Tries, I first tried to combine fencing with gymnastics, but then I stopped at the very beginning of the path, never developing the thought further. And, apparently, at that time, it was the right decision, because I wasn't ready. And only after going through this entire journey across Ain did I come closer to understanding what my personal combat style could look like. It was still not a clear image, but a very blurry one, yet I could already "see" it.
This activity captivated me so much that I lost track of time, repeatedly practicing various transitions and combinations. The sun was already beginning to set when, after probably the hundredth run-through of the updated All Elements exercise for today, I sensed the flow of someone else's attention. Attention not from the kids or the locals but as if someone, being quite close, was observing me intently. Without showing that I noticed this gaze, I approached the well and, lifting a bucket of cold water, washed my face, finally pouring the leftovers over my head. Then, I shook my hair and turned toward the source of the stranger's gaze.
On the low steps of the forge, with his arms folded on a triangular shield covered in steel, sat none other than Katashi. With his head tilted, like a large dog showing curiosity and slight wariness, he was observing me closely, and recognition was evident in his eyes.
"Ave, Kay!" Catching the Japanese man's gaze, I smiled broadly and saluted the blacksmith. "Just as I thought, it was no coincidence when, in a town to the east of here, one of the shops offered to sell me a Japanese do-maru armor forged by a talented blacksmith named Kay."
With this lengthy introduction, I immediately laid out the starting points for the conversation and subtly made it clear that I was specifically looking for him and had not ended up in this village by chance.
"And ave to you, Raven..." The way he pronounced my name seemed to carry hidden aggression, which was entirely unclear to me since I hadn't managed to do anything bad to him in this Cycle yet. "Judging by the fact that you're not wearing the armor, the do-maru I made didn't suit you." His lips pressed into a thin line.
"Firstly, they were asking too much for it." I smiled even more openly, as if not noticing the blacksmith's inexplicable negativity towards me.
"And secondly?" Katashi pressed when I didn't continue.
"Secondly," I spread my arms, shrugging my shoulders, "I prefer functionality over external beauty. That do-maru was beautiful, but it didn't meet my requirements."
"So you have some specific requirements for armor?" This time, it seemed, a hint of curiosity was added to his hidden irritation.
"Exactly," I nodded. "I have my own requirements and wishes, and the trouble is that local blacksmiths cannot fulfill them adequately. That's why I was pleased when I learned there's someone from Earth on Ain who is knowledgeable in blacksmithing."
"So you want me to realize your wishes in metal?"
"I know what I need. I know such things were made on Earth, but since I'm unfamiliar with the technology and production details, I'm afraid I can't explain to the local blacksmiths how to make what I need." I lifted my backpack and placed it in front of me for Kay to closely examine. "I struggled a lot with this backpack before getting what I wanted. So, I understand that manufacturing something as technologically complex as armor likely won't be possible for me. I just don't know all the nuances of tempering, welding, even the proper fittings I can't specify."
Throughout my explanation, Kay carefully examined the backpack at my feet. For the first time since our meeting, his expression softened, recognizing as a professional how much more convenient this backpack was than those used by the locals.
"It somewhat reminds me of the hiking backpack I had... back there..." The Japanese man gestured vaguely behind him. "It's made a bit differently from what I remember, but evidently, you've been using it for more than a day, and it hasn't fallen apart yet..." Looking up at me, he asked, "Is it convenient?"
"Compared to what I had before, it's night and day." I nodded, inwardly pleased that I managed to pique his interest even slightly. "Spent almost a full day with a tailor adjusting and remaking the patterns, using three times more material than needed. And that's working with fabric and leather, not metal." I sighed heavily, almost without pretense.
"What about your gambeson?" The Japanese finally noticed the uniqueness of my under-armor. "I've never seen one like it. Where do they make these?"
"Nowhere," I shrugged, "I had to order parts from different craftsmen and then have it all assembled by yet another one."
"Also according to your design?" Katashi skeptically snorted.
"Alas... I had to take it upon myself and spend my own time and effort." I might have overplayed the depth of my sigh at this point, but Kay didn't seem to notice, more occupied with examining the under-armor.
"And what's the purpose of this strip of multi-layered thick boiled leather along the spine?"
"It's obvious you didn't have a motorcycle on Earth," I smirked, "otherwise you wouldn't have asked. It's a standard element of motorcycle protection, and, as you rightly noted, it's for additional spine protection."
"I get why motorcyclists need it," the Japanese calmly remarked, as if not noticing my mocking tone, "it can save their back in a fall on asphalt, but why do you need it?"
"Falling is almost the same as getting hit. And this multi-layered insert effectively absorbs blows from heavy or bludgeoning weapons. Or, when some monster kicks you in the chest so hard that you're thrown back against a rock or onto a stone floor, you'll be thanking that insert more than once. The same goes for these inserts," I turned to the blacksmith, showing my back, "the thick leather protects the kidneys and liver from impact. If you look closely, beneath these inserts, there are fabric paddings made from sturdy canvas. Chainmail can protect well against cuts or chops, but it hardly absorbs blunt force. Moreover, in this world, the main adversaries are not humans but monsters, who often strike with paws, ram, or simply hit with massive fists, often literally made of stone."
"The armpits are also additionally reinforced," Katashi noted as he stood up and took a step forward. He was still holding his shield in one hand, and his right hand rested on his belt, ready to draw a heavy war hammer[1] whose handle hung along his hip at any moment. "The waist area is reinforced too... The side inserts are presumably some kind of stiffening ribs," he mumbled more to himself than to me. "Interesting... Very..." When the Japanese man looked up at me, there was something like a hint of respect in his gaze for the first time. "I've never worked with gambesons, nor did I consider how functional they could be. The only thing I cared about was ensuring the underarmor wasn't too heavy and, of course, that it didn't chafe or hinder movement. By the way, how much does it weigh? About fourteen kilograms?"
"Less. Thanks to the fabric's unevenness and the number of canvas layers, I managed to keep the weight within eight and a half kilograms."
"Still too much for me; anything over four or five significantly affects endurance," the Japanese man grimaced unhappily.
"The gambesons of foot knights could weigh up to a dozen kilograms," I shrugged, "and somehow, people managed with that. Plus, we shouldn't forget our bonuses and rank progression. As for me, right now, I don't feel the weight of my gambeson at all. I've trained in it for several hours and didn't even break a sweat."
"Interesting," Katashi stepped back, giving me a scrutinizing look. "So, you really do know what you want, and your desires are backed by an understanding of what is possible and what isn't. And you're not one of those Earthlings who come to me demanding something like Terminator armor," he meant Warhammer 40k armor, "or armor from some movie or game." The Japanese man's face was outwardly calm, but I noticed a slight gleam of disdain in his eyes when he mentioned those requests.
"Exactly, I know precisely what I need. Because I have enough experience and skills to clearly define my requirements and wishes."
"Yes, I remember how you handled the spear during the second group trial," Katashi nodded. "Even then, I realized you knew which end of a weapon to hold. Moreover, it seemed to me you prefer your own path, not the well-trodden road."
Saying this, Katashi bent down, picked up a stone about the size of two fists, placed it on his palm, his lips twitched, and at that very moment, the stone in his hand cracked dryly and crumbled into pieces, leaving only fine sand in the blacksmith's palm. I immediately recognized the characteristic crack of the breaking stone and the movement of the Japanese man's lips.
"The girl, Lan Lin, during one of the short breaks, came up to me to examine my forearm and told me about the skill you chose at Stela before the second group trial, and also mimicked the drawing you tried to carve on your palm." To confirm his words, the Rune of Des manifested on his palm. "Although it took me almost a month and a half to understand and reproduce it, it seems it was worth it."
"So, you learned the rune just by copying the sign I used, not by finding a Living Rune?" I asked with genuine surprise.
"Learned is not the right word, more like struggled." The Japanese man smiled coldly. "And I didn't want to cut myself, so I had to take lessons..." He trailed off, as if he decided he had said too much.
"Lessons in Illusion Magic," I finished for him, and just as he had done, I manifested the Rune of Destruction on my palm. "Apparently, the saying that smart people under the same conditions often come to the same solutions is quite accurate."
As I was saying this, my mind was in turmoil because I had just witnessed what I considered impossible. In the Last Cycle, Katashi became interested in Runes only after reaching the Legendary Coil, already after meeting the dwarves. And yes, he made rapid progress in the understanding of Rune magic, quickly becoming one of the best among Earthlings in this field. But then, no one was surprised; after all, the best craftsman and blacksmith was quickly learning Runes - what's so unusual about that? But now, I had witnessed what was generally considered unachievable. If Kay wasn't lying, and he disliked lying as he considered it a sign of a weak spirit, then did he Understand a Rune just by observing its use by another person?!! And even though it took him a month and a half to grasp it, still, it was considered unattainable, even in theory! But, as it happens with Shards, the concept of "impossible" for them seems to be much more blurred and not as definitive as for everyone else. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he had "from the start" five Talent Stars in Rune Magic. In the Last Cycle, he didn't mention this, but then again, I never asked, knowing how the Japanese man felt about those who intruded into his personal space.
"Yes," Katashi agreed with me, "surprisingly, Illusion Magic turned out to be quite useful, especially helpful in work. And the Runes are unparalleled." Three unfamiliar symbols appeared on his palm. "I don't know how I would work without them now."
Thinking this was the best moment, I decided to "take the bull by the horns":
"So, will you take on the task of forging my desires into metal? The expenses, of course, will be on me, and I think we can agree on a fitting compensation for your labor."
Katashi didn't answer immediately. He stood for almost a minute, leaning on his shield, then suddenly shook his head and said, as if cutting off:
"I must refuse."
[1] Translator's note: in fact, it's still the same type of weapon, a "klevets" or "horseman's pick," as the one he picked from the Arsenal in the first interlude at the beginning of the story.