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Chapter 29: Gideon

"Norman!" Ryn called for the second time. 'What is he doing!'

"NORMAN!" Ryn called again, this time louder, not understanding why Norman was out of it, just staring at the cookies.

"Ah yes!" The loud calling of his name finally brought his attention back.

"Hm! Do you maybe want some?" Ryn asked, pointing at the cookies on the table.

"Ha! No, i am good"

"You were looking at it for so long, so i thought maybe you wanted them"

"Hahah, no it wasn't the cookies" Norman laughed it off.

"What was it then, that you were so out of it?" Gideon Came back asking.

"Nothing, Mister Gideon."

"You should be thankful to him or else I would've sent you to the field" Gideon said pointing his head towards Ryn's direction. Since he was carrying something in his hands.

'Does that mean I am not going there!'

Norman was well acquainted with Gideon's method for maintaining discipline among the village hunters and guards.

Any man who was tardy collecting his crafted weapons would find himself assisting the farmers in their fields.

It was no true punishment, but rather a reminder of responsibility and respect.

The blacksmiths spent long hours at their forge, ensuring each blade and helm was of the highest quality.

By sending those few who were late to help with the harvest, Gideon hoped to reinforce the effort that went into arming the village's protectors.

More than a chore to be endured, the farmers welcomed extra hands.

And for the guards and hunters, a day in the sunlight worked to reinforce the lesson.

Their tools were crafted through diligent work, and deserved to be claimed promptly.

By season's end, none were foolish enough to keep a blacksmith from his forge for long.

While strict, Gideon's policy helped foster an atmosphere of cooperation throughout the village.

"Thanks Ryn" Norman attured before turning towards what Gideon was carrying in his hands, then he glanced beyond the direction where Gideon came from.

There laid a door in that direction, to the left of the center door which was the door that led towards the furnace and where Gideon did his work.

On the left door was a storage room where he stored most pre-ordered weapons and some unique weapons.

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There was also another door on the right side of the center door which looked heavily locked and protected.

So far all Norman saw aligned with what his father told him prior, and this was his first time being this deep inside Gideons workshop past the normal shop.

His surprise grew as he observed the close bond between Ryn and Gideon.

Not only were they casually seated together, leisurely sipping tea in this exclusive enclave reserved for the village's most esteemed individuals, but Ryn was also actively advocating for Norma. The depth of their connection left him astounded.

"What are you waiting for, open it?" Gideon told him, putting the wrapped up weapon on top of the table.

Norman was not expecting things to turn out this way in all honesty.

He knew what it meant to receive the weapon he requested to be made for him in such manners.

It was no longer a typical or normal weapon, where he would just choose from the ones displayed in the shop or the "not up to par" bulk that Gideon tossed to a side.

since that's where the aspiring hunters get their most weapons from in Talia.

Norman walked up to the table propelled in a symphony of conflicting emotions, each footfall landed solidly, like the gait of one wanting to hurry yet he held himself in check, excitement lending an anxious edge to his pace.

Arriving at the table he stroked his hand on the cloth covering the weapon, finally revealing what was under it.

A long weapon with a single edged side, a midsection of what appeared to be wood and black leather strapped on the other end.

"Woah!" Even though he didn't know what exactly kind of spear it was, Norman knew it wasn't anything like the ordinary spears. It was just different.

"Can I, Mister Gideon?"

"Of course, it is yours after all."

"This is amazing.'' It was a little bit heavier than the normal spears he had so far, and it was strangely shorter.

"This spear is a bit shorter, mister gideon."

"Sigh"

"B..but, it is okay, I can handle it well. See?" Norman Swang the weapon and took a proper posture, showcasing his skills and trying not to upset Gideon.

"It is not a spear boy." Gideon sighed again.

"Huh! It is not?" Norman observed the weapon again taking a good look this time and that's when he saw it.

"I guess you see it now."

'What is this!? It has a hole at the end of the blade. Hm, this side as well'

Norman noticed a strange hole at the end of the blade at the curved side where it joined the leathered part and another one at the end the side where he thought was the grip handle.

"That you're holding is not a spear. It is a polearm."

"What about this hole then Mister Gideon?"

"That's the other use I was about to tell you. Remember how conflicted you were about what main weapon to choose, back then before you asked me to make a weapon for you?"

Norman was having difficulty on what weapon to stick with as his main weapon goin on, since he was now required to have one apart from the common spear.

"Yes I do remember."

"So I made something…" Gideon glanced towards Ryn's side, who has been quietly observing all this time while sipping his tea. Then Gideon continued,

"... special. Combination between the two weapons."

"Really!! Is that even possible?" Norman was truly surprised.

"Nothing is impossible for the descendents of the White Hand." Gideon proudly expressed.

"The descendent of…" Norman murmured, trying to remember where he heard that before.

"Ehem! Anyway this weapon is a pole arm and a bow combined." Gideon attured, picking up something from the cloth wraps on the table and heading towards norman, then continued,

"You see this hole, this is where you attach the string to it then you bend it like this and you attach the other end. There you go" Gideon showcased how to turn the polearm into an edged bow.

"Woah, this is really amazing. Is the middle part wood by any chance?"

"It is, without that ingredient it wouldn't have bent like that. It was a gift from your father, don't forget to thank him."

"I will do that, and thank you too mister Gideon, for making such an amazing weapon for me."

"Take caution when transforming it into a bow and don't fret about the middle part; it straightens itself upon releasing the strings. However, due to the curved bladed edge, it is now better suited for use as a polearm rather than a traditional straight-edged spear."

"I will keep that in mind mister Gideon."

Norman left the workshop in a hurry, To go back home and foil some little cheeky ones plans and he also felt he was an uninvited guest to Gideon and Ryn's tea time.

Now that it was just the two of them, Gideon glanced towards Ryn, who was apparently in deep thought.

"What do you think?"

"Hm, about what? Ryn glanced around, confirming it was just the two of them now.

"The weapon. Implementing your theory wasn't as easy as I thought, but I can make a better one. Though it would need better materials as well."

"So it's possible, hm."

Ryn came to Gideon's workshop not only because Dastarn had sent him to invite Gideon for lunch. But also he wanted to ascertain something.

"It's possible, but again the ingredients. That one I used some of the things Tarvel brought me to make a weapon for his son."

"So what kind of ingredients do you need?"

"Do you want me to make a weapon for you?" Gideon's eyes glimmered above the cup he was holding.

"And what if I do?" Ryn noticed the change in Gideon's eyes that were gleaming with greediness now.

'So what i heard was true ha!?'