Upon reaching the surface and meeting Duke Bastian, Baron Giovanni tried to explain to him what was happening. However, after receiving Baldwin's message and the baron's slip up, he refused to listen to a single word from him.
Duke Bastian dispatched his knights underground along with Markus and Baldwin. There, they found the old underground city that had been hidden underneath the town of Windebenen for all this time.
We met up with Markus and their forces. Together, we captured the remaining criminals and freed all the people who had been held captive as slaves. We all walked back up the stairs and returned to the surface. Upon stepping outside, we were welcomed by the duke and his knights.
"Everyone, you're back. It's good to see you all safe and sound," said Duke Bastian.
"We're all done here. It's over now," said Markus.
Duke Bastian's knights arrested the baron and the criminals, putting them in handcuffs. They freed all the women and girls from their chains, and they began to shed tears. Not from fear, but from joy and relief.
"Thank you...! Thank you, all of you!"
The small girls all came up to me with smiles on their faces.
"Thank you, Onee-san!"
"You saved us! Thank you!"
"Hm. It was nothing."
I met their gazes with my own. For some reason, I could see them looking at me with admiration and respect in their eyes. I didn't understand why, but perhaps it was because of what I did to save them.
When morning came, Duke Bastian and his knights were ready to depart. For the women and girls who we freed, they were offered food and a place to live by the people of Windebenen, and they graciously accepted their kindness.
Duke Bastian walked over to us. He was a middle-aged man with short wine red hair and red eyes. He wore a red and black uniform with steel armor covering his chest and shoulders. From my eyes, Duke Bastian looked like a powerful and charismatic man with integrity. His presence brought hope and a sense of security to everyone in Windebenen. He was a true noble.
He dropped down from his horse and bowed. "I'm grateful to you all, truly. If it wasn't for your combined efforts, we wouldn't have known such a thing like this was happening, and this situation would've never been resolved. I can't thank you enough."
"There's no need to thank us, Bastian-sama," said Markus. "We only did what we did out of the good of our hearts and what we thought was right. It's what anybody would do." We all nodded in agreement.
Duke Bastian smiled. "I see."
"Are you sure you don't want to stay for a little while longer?"
"No," he replied. "Baron Giovanni, as well as everyone else we arrested, will need to be held for trial before the king and queen. It's best for us to leave as soon as possible."
"I see. Well, Windebenen will welcome you back anytime."
"Until then."
Markus and Duke Bastian shook hands with each other. The duke rode back on his horse and left Windebenen along with his knights. The people cheered for him and said their goodbyes as he walked away. Unlike the baron, they were more open and happy with the duke around.
Hitze let out a yawn. "Man...I'm beat..." he said. "I can't wait to go to my room at the tavern and take a nap."
"Ha ha ha ha! Of course you'd be tired! You took this mission at night!" Markus said with a smile on his face. "But first, before you go, I want to give you all a reward."
"A reward?" they repeated.
"Henry-san. I have monitored your party's progress and I know how hard you've all worked. Aside from taking down the baron and the criminals underneath Windebenen, you've taken many difficult quests from the guild and completed them all with such effort and haste. For what you've done, you and your party will be promoted from steel to silver."
"Really?!!"
"W-Wait, Guild Master, are you serious?" Henry asked, astounded, his voice stuttering.
"Yes. However, I will say this. If you do something rude again in the guild with other adventurers, or even guests, you will be demoted back to steel."
"Yes sir! We promise not to cause any trouble again!" they all shouted quickly and simultaneously, bowing to Markus.
"Hm. Now, for you twins."
"Are we going to be promoted as well?!" Hitze asked, excitedly.
"No, you're not." Hitze's smile instantly faded away. "Unlike steel and silver, I can't easily give you a free promotion. You'll have to work hard and take an exam in order to be gold-ranked adventurers."
"If it's not a promotion, what are you going to give us?" Feuer asked.
"When you told me your story about your family, I couldn't help but wonder what ways I could do to help. After some thought, the guild and I have decided that we will help pay off your family's debt."
Hitze and Feuer's eyes widened, surprised by Markus' reward. "Guild Master..."
"You two kids have worked hard. You deserve something good in return."
The twins both smiled with small tears in their eyes and bowed to Markus. "Thank you, Guild Master!" they said simultaneously.
"Oh, by the way, someone else wanted to give you something as well."
"Hm?"
Markus pointed to Blacksmith and everyone turned their attention to him. Blacksmith pulls out a large heavy leather bag and opens it in front of us. From the bag, he takes out and reveals a battle axe and sword—both well crafted and having high quality features.
"I've been working on making these the past few days after meeting you two. Hope you enjoy my gift."
"N-No way!"
Hitze grabbed the sword and Feuer grabbed the battle axe. They held them tight in their hands and took a look at them from all angles. The twins were astonished and amazed by their beauty.
"This feels different," Hitze said, lifting the sword. "It's not made from steel or carbon steel, is it?"
"No," Blacksmith replied. "The sword and battle axe that you two have are both forged from adamantine steel."
"Adamantine steel?!!" they all exclaimed.
I've been with Blacksmith for some time, and I knew adamantine steel was a common thing he used in making weapons and tools. On the other hand, to the outside world, it was very rare. This is probably the first time they're seeing such a prized and precious metal.
"I expected something amazing from you, Blacksmith-san, but not as amazing as this," Markus said, impressed.
"Aside from adamantine steel, I forged them using some of my other valuable materials," Blacksmith explained. "The handles are made from ironwood, so they'll be balanced and sturdy. I placed a phoenix ruby into each of your weapons since you two often use fire magic, and carved some runes to give them a magical property."
"..."
"There's more." Blacksmith reaches back into the bag and pulls out two sets of red-brown scaled armor. "I thought the armor you're wearing didn't seem right for you. So, I made some armor that would be best for Dual Ignis using some wyvern scales."
"Wyvern scales?!!" they all exclaimed, much louder.
Blacksmith went over to them and gave them the armor. As they held it in their hands, Hitze and Feuer stared at it in awe.
"B-Blacksmith-san, this is...incredible," Hitze said, his voice stuttering. "This is way out of our league. Is it really okay for us to have this?"
Blacksmith nodded. "When we first met, I noticed how kind and brave you and Feuer were. You two were willing to take on quests no one accepted, and you prioritized other people's situations over your own. These gifts are befitting of your efforts."
Water began to form in Hitze's eyes, and tears ran down his face. "Ha ha ha ha..." he laughed as he wiped away his tears. "I never thought I'd get something like this from anyone. Honestly, this is quite the gift. Thank you, Blacksmith-san."
"No problem." Blacksmith turned to Feuer and saw her face having a light red blush. "Feuer-san, are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah..." she stuttered and fidgeted. "T-Thank you, Blacksmith-san. The battle axe and armor you gave me and my brother are perfect..."
"Ugh! I can't believe they got much better gifts than us!" Henry exclaimed, frustrated and clasping his head [https://img.wattpad.com/d25f9cd7e436acc2a548d1592c1128c29a76db7c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4465496f636574475f414f7157413d3d2d313438303633333733322e313766643738333965653732643663653534383032323334333639362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"Ugh! I can't believe they got much better gifts than us!" Henry exclaimed, frustrated and clasping his head.
"It's not fair..." Noah complained with a frown on his face.
"I'm honestly a little jealous..." Carl muttered.
"If that's the case, I'll gladly demote you three back to steel," said Markus.
"Nevermind! We're fine with our promotion!" the three of them shouted quickly and simultaneously.
Markus smiled. "Now, for you two," he said with his gaze at me and Blacksmith. "I'd love to give you a gift as well, but I honestly don't know what to give you."
"It's fine. We don't need anything," Blacksmith declined.
"Hm," I agreed.
"If you say so, I won't object to it." Markus let out a sigh. "Now then, since this is all over now, let's have a feast to celebrate your victory!"
"A feast?" Hitze fist pumps. "Alright! That sounds amazing!"
"Hey, didn't you say you were tired not too long ago?" Feuer asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Yeah, but we're going to celebrate! It'd be wrong to miss it, right?"
"I suppose so."
"Now that I think about it, I am kind of hungry," Henry said, placing his hand over his stomach.
"Hm," the other two agreed.
"We would love to join, but we were planning on leaving Windebenen after this was all over."
"Come on..." said Markus. "You two should at least stay for the feast before you leave. It wouldn't be as fun without you there!"
"Well..."
Blacksmith awkwardly stared at them. Hitze and Feuer nodded, insisting him to come. Henry, Carl, and Noah smiled and put their thumbs up.
"Blacksmith-sama," I said. "It'd be rude to refuse, right?"
Blacksmith sighed. "Yeah..." he replied. "Alright. Just for this feast."
*****
By night time, the Adventurer's Guild was fully packed. Many adventurers sat at the tables while guild members moved around and passed out mugs full of drinks to them. At one of those tables, I sat down with Blacksmith and everyone else.
"There's a lot of people here," I said, noticing the large crowd.
"There is," Blacksmith agreed. "It is a feast after all. They're here to celebrate what we did to the baron and Klaus."'
Just then, a hand touched Blacksmith by his shoulder. "It's nice to see you again, Blacksmith-san."
"Oh, Felsen."
Felsen had brown hair and hazel eyes. He wore a black apron over leather clothes, and he had goggles over his forehead and gloves over his hands. One peculiar thing I noticed about him was that he looked quite different than everyone else.
"Felsen?" I repeated.
"Hm? Who's this?" he asked, turning his gaze towards me.
"Ah, you two haven't met. This is Celeste, a friend of mine from overseas. Celeste, this is Felsen, the guild's blacksmith."
"Overseas eh? We don't really get many of them around here in Windebenen. It's nice to meet you, Celeste-san!" he greeted me.
"Hm. It's nice to meet you two, Felsen-san," I greeted him back. "Felsen-san, if you don't mind me asking, why do you look different compared to everyone here?"
"Ah, that's because I'm a dwarf," he replied.
"A dwarf?"
Aside from humans, there were other various races living alongside us. There were elves, half-elves, lizardmen, and dwarves. From what I read in Blacksmith's books, it was very rare to find any of them in human towns or cities. However, there Felsen stood in front of me.
"How's your work?" Blacksmith asked Felsen.
"Great!" he said with pride and joy. "All the weapons and tools I'm making now are better crafted! I can't thank you enough for teaching me a few things!"
"Of course." Blacksmith tried to give off a smile, but it faded away.
"Hey, where's Hitze and Feuer?" Noah asked.
"I believe they left to go change," Blacksmith replied.
"Change?"
Suddenly, the entire guild started gasping in awe. Wondering what it was, we all turned to see what was happening. There, at the stairs of the guild, we saw the twins.
Instead of the leather clothes and steel armor they had on before, it was the armor Blacksmith gave them. The red-brown wyvern scales and dark-red steel shimmered in beauty. Their weapons glistened and caught the attention of all the adventurers.
While everyone's eyes were on the twins, Hitze and Feuer came over to our table and sat down.
"You really had to put it on to brag about it to everyone else, huh?" Henry said, giving off a smile.
"No no, it's not like that!" Hitze said, waving his hands and denying it. "We had the armor, so we thought this would be the perfect time to put it on and try them, that's all."
"So you are bragging about it."
Feuer awkwardly looks at herself. "I haven't worn anything like this before. Does it even look good on me?" she said.
"Yeah, it looks perfect on you," Blacksmith said, complimenting her.
"E-Ehe...I-I see," she said, flustered and having a light red blush on her face. "Well, if you say so, I guess it's fine then..."
"Ha ha ha ha!" Hitze laughed and placed his arm around his sister. "I've never seen my sister like this before! She's finally growing up!"
Feuer turned her gaze towards her brother and glared at him. "Hm..."
Feuer karate chopped him on the head. "Ow...!" Hitze groaned in pain, clutching his head.
"Don't make jokes like that," she said in an intimidating voice.
"S-Sorry..." he apologized.
Markus appeared and stood in the center of the guild. Tapping his mug, he gathers everyone's attention.
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"Everyone, thank you all for coming," he said out loud. "As you all know, we are gathered here today to celebrate these heroes who helped protect our town of Windebenen." Markus extended his arm and guided everyone's gaze towards us. "To challenge a corrupt noble, to defeat hundreds of enemies, and to save the lives of the innocent is no small feat! It is an act of bravery, courage, and hope! Something every adventurer should strive to do! So, fellow adventurers, let us raise a toast to them! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their mugs up together and chugged. As they drank in celebration of today, I stared at the mug in front of me.
"What's wrong? Are you not going to drink?" Henry asked.
"No," I said. "I'm not really hungry or thirsty at the moment."
"Really? That's too bad..."
What I said was nothing more than a lie to cover up my identity as a puppet. I had the sense to taste, but I can't really eat or drink anything like a human does. So, as they celebrated, all I could do was watch.
"Ahhh..." Felsen exhaled, finishing his mug and slamming it on the table. "So, Blacksmith-san. I heard you're leaving Windebenen. Where to?"
"Erzbergwerk," Blacksmith replied, taking a sip from his mug.
"Erzbergwerk huh? That's the perfect place to visit for people like us." Blacksmith nodded in agreement.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, curious.
"Erzbergwerk is a large trade town known for their mines and rare ores, as well as their blacksmithing," Felsen explained. "The weapons and tools they sell there are very valuable, and the mines are often explored by people in search of rare ores. Anything you find there is free for you to keep. Some say if you dig deep enough, you might find metals like mithril or adamantine, or even orichalcum."
"Really?!!" Henry and the others exclaimed, shocked to hear this.
"Oh yes. You didn't know?"
"Of course not!" said Henry. "If we did, we'd be there right now!"
"Ha ha ha ha! Well, even if you did go, they probably won't allow you into the mines."
"Why not? Didn't you say people were allowed in the mines?"
"They are, but only certain people," he explained. "Blacksmiths, for example, are an exception. They are the ones who make the weapons and tools after all. They can access the mines whenever they're in search of metals to use. As for adventurers or other guests, they only allow them in if they're tagging along with a blacksmith as a bodyguard or assistant."
"Bodyguards huh? What kind of monsters are there?" Carl asked, interested to know more.
"The usual common monsters like goblins, ogres, and mountain trolls. But..." Felsen came in closer to everyone. "They say they have an elder earth dragon there."
"A-An elder earth dragon?!!" they exclaimed.
"W-Wait, isn't an elder dragon powerful and dangerous? What is it doing there? Why has no one taken it out?" Henry asked, concerned.
"That's because the earth dragon is helping them out. Earth dragons eat up the soil and minerals from the earth. By doing so, they produce ores and metals. The dragon doesn't have any use for them, so it just leaves it in the cave, but the people of Erzbergwerk want it. The dragon doesn't like to be bothered. So, people leave it alone, and everything the dragon creates is free for them to have."
"Ahhh..." Hitze exhaled. "Man, that really hits the spot! Another!"
"Another over here as well!" Henry and his friends shouted.
"Here you go." Rayne pours them their drinks refilling their mugs. "Blacksmith-san, would you like yours refilled as well?"
"Sure, but give me cider." Rayne nodded and poured him his cider.
"Cider?! You're just drinking juice?!" Henry exclaimed.
"Come on, Blacksmith-san. Have some fun," Hitze said, placing his hand over his shoulder. "It's just a few drinks. Have some with us!"
"I'm fine with just the cider. I don't like it when I'm drunk," Blacksmith said, taking a sip from his mug.
"No, that won't do!" Hitze raised his hand. "Excuse me! Give us a beer for my friend here!"
A guild member came and placed a mug of liquor on the table. "Here you go!"
"Come on, drink up!" the boys insisted.
Blacksmith, being forced by them, awkwardly drank the beer along with them. They chugged and chugged, eventually finishing it all in just a short time.
"Another!"
I tilted my head. "Will they be alright?"
"Ahhh..." Feuer exhaled after taking a sip from her mug. "Alriighyt~? They awre going to driink muhg after muhg until tohmorrow morning~...! Thatz how men alwayz awre~!"
I turned to her and saw how drunk she was. Feuer's face was completely red and her speech was slurred. I took a glance at her mug and saw how little she drank from it.
Was Feuer-san perhaps sensitive to alcohol? I thought to myself.
Feuer hiccuped, then took another sip from her mug. "Heyy~, Celeste~..." she said softly. "I've benn meening to askk. Awre you and Blacksmith rery just frends~???"
"Yeah, we are," I said, assuring her.
"Ehhh~...rery~...? You two seam offten clwose aall thee tiyme..." she said, looking me straight in the eyes, crossing her legs and her fingers fidgeting.
For some reason, I felt as if Feuer was a little mad at Blacksmith and my relationship. Her words and the way she phrases it almost gives off a sense of...jealousy.
"Blacksmith-sama and I are just friends. Truly," I assured her again. "Why do you want to know anyways, Feuer-san?"
"E-Eh? I-I-Itz nothwing...!"
I watched as Feuer quickly grabbed her mug and chugged it down. "Feuer-san, for your own good, I think you should stop drinking."
The feast would go on for hours as Blacksmith and everyone else drank and ate to the fullest. Although it was good, I worried it wouldn't end well.
*****
When tomorrow morning came, Blacksmith and I said our goodbyes to the others and left the guild. Noticing how drunk Blacksmith was, Rayne handed me a few remedy potions to use. Apparently, these potions help with hangovers and other ailments.
"Here you go, Blacksmith-sama."
I handed him a potion. Blacksmith opened the potion and drank it all until there was not a single drop left in the bottle. In an instant, he recovered and returned back to his normal self.
"Are you feeling better, Blacksmith-sama?" I asked.
Blacksmith let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah...I still have a mild headache, but I'm fine." Blacksmith placed his hand over his head. "This is why I hate parties and feasts like this..."
"Still, you had fun, didn't you?"
"Yeah...I suppose so..." he replied weakly.
I helped carry Blacksmith and the two of us walked through the streets, making our way to the entrance. As we walked, we passed by the people of Windebenen. They were familiar with us after having stayed here in Windebenen for a while. Many of them gave a gentle smile and waved at us, and I returned them by waving back.
Around the corner, there was a middle-aged man with long brown hair and a beard, standing in front of a small crowd of people who were sitting down. There were a few adults and many children, listening to him as he spoke. He appeared to be a storyteller.
"Now then," the storyteller said, "for my next story, let me tell you all about how the Eisernes-Kreuz Kingdom came to be. I will talk about the people and the civil war between them, as well as the legendary Divine Weapon that helped bring them together."
Upon hearing about the Divine Weapon, the two of us stopped and turned towards the storyteller.
"A Divine Weapon...?" Blacksmith repeated.
"Should we go sit down and listen?" I asked.
"Yeah."
Blacksmith and I found an empty small table in the back that fit just the two of us. We sat down and watched the storyteller as he began telling his story.
Long ago, there was a small village built from stone and wood, alone and isolated in the middle of the plains away from other settlements. It had only a few houses where a few families resided, and a small plot of land where they had a farm and few cattle. Their village was poor and scarce.
In charge of watching over everyone were two brothers—sons of the previous chief who passed away. The elder brother, who was strong and tough, had a powerful voice and an unbreakable will. The younger brother, who was kind and smart, was compassionate and always understood the needs and wants of everyone. Although the two brothers were different in many ways, they both cared very much about the village.
Due to the hardships they faced and the lifestyle of their village, the brothers had a vision of changing and building their home into a better place—one where they all could live in peace and happiness without any worry.
With both of their voices and leadership, they united everyone together and slowly expanded their village, turning it into a large town. This large town would be named Stahlkreuz-the capital of the kingdom today.
It was a great achievement made by the two brothers. However, it would be soon after Stahlkreuz was created that there would be a problem between them.
The elder brother had the idea to invade and conquer other towns into submission and merge them with Stahlkreuz. By doing so, they could have more territory, more resources, and more power to protect their home and their people from their enemies.
The younger brother wished the same, but not the way his elder brother wanted. He had a vision of forging an alliance with other settlements by having peaceful negotiations and trade treaties without having to resort to violence. This way, they can have less enemies, more allies, and more cooperation.
The two brothers argued over their ideals. In doing so, Stahlkreuz was divided into two factions—one supporting the elder brother's wish to conquer, and the other backing the younger brother's wish for peace.
Although they argued, they were still family. They had hopes that the other would surrender and accept their approach. However, the more they disagreed, they began to realize that they could never convince each other.
Thus, the civil war began. The brothers who once brought their people together were now fighting against one another. Blood spilled on the battlefield, and the bonds they created were shattered.
Unlike the younger brother, the elder brother had an advantage. He had more numbers and strength in his arsenal. Because of this, he managed to push him and his followers up to the north to the mountains.
Upon arriving there, rather than meeting his younger brother and his forces, the elder brother and his followers faced a mysterious warrior. The warrior didn't look as threatening, having only ragged leather clothes and a cloak covering his face. However, it wasn't the warrior that brought fear to the elder brother, but the glorious weapon he wielded in his hands.
It was a Divine Weapon. The Lance of Everlasting Frost. Emanating around the lance was a cold and frosty mist, almost impossible to touch. Yet, the warrior seemed unfazed holding it in his hand. The ground surrounding the warrior was nearly frozen in ice, and everyone could see their own breath in the air. Whoever they were, they were not to be trifled with.
Using the lance, the warrior struck the ground and instantly froze the mountains in dark blue ice and snow, creating a wall separating the two brothers from each other. Having no way to get to the other side, the wall of ice brought an end to the civil war between the brothers.
The elder brother was unhappy with the result. But now, without his younger brother to worry about, he could focus on his dream to expand Stahlkreuz in his image.
He and his followers ventured across the lands, invading settlements one by one. Some surrendered to their might, and others fought until their last breath. Years would pass and Stahlkreuz expanded from a town to a large kingdom. The elder brother became king, and his kingdom would be recognized and respected by other growing nations. The elder brother's dream had finally come true.
His people were happy, living peaceful and fruitful lives. He had his own family, having a wife and two children. However, beyond his palace, there were those who were discontent due to his actions in becoming a king.
As he sat down on his throne, he looked back and wondered if he could've done it better. If he could've made peace instead of war, just as his younger brother wanted. It has been years since they last saw each other. As he lived his ideal life, the more he wanted to find him and make amends.
By the time his son grew into an adult, he and the elder brother went up north. They ventured for miles before reaching the mountains where they faced the wall of ice.
It was strong and tough. None of their tools could break the cold dark blue ice, and no fire could melt it away. They tried climbing it, only for a few of them to fall to their deaths. It all seemed impossible, but the elder brother refused to give up.
Through struggle and many failures, day after day, they eventually carved a pathway around the mountains and reached the other side.
The land was wide and vast, stretching out for miles. The air was cool, and the plains were a peaceful and calming sight, almost untouched. However, as they ventured further ahead, they found a small but lively town.
The elder brother looked back and noticed how exhausted his men and his son were. He decided that they should stop and take a rest at the town before continuing their search. The guards noticed their large numbers and were suspicious of them at first, but the elder brother assured them they came in peace.
They entered inside and took a glance around the town. It wasn't as advanced as their kingdom, but it was because of how simple it was that made it welcoming. There was more freedom, and many of the people were satisfied.
The elder brother wondered who made a town such as this. Everything was well constructed and designed perfectly. It was exactly the way his younger brother would've made it. Then, there in the heart of the town, he saw the person he had been looking for all this time.
The elder brother called out to his younger brother. Hearing a voice he never thought he would hear again, the younger brother turned to look at him. The two brothers stood face-to-face. No words came out from either of the brothers, and everyone around stared at them, wondering what was happening.
The younger brother greets him and asks how he came here. He tells him about how they made it around the mountains and arrived here in town. Puzzled, the younger brother asks why.
The elder brother kneeled down before him. After many years, he was now a king. He achieved his goal and created a place for his people. However, he now sees the errors in his ways.
He sincerely apologizes for everything he's done. Power and control was not the right decision. Had he done it peacefully as he told him to, perhaps the kingdom he built would've been more unified. He understands what they've done to each other, but he asks to put aside their differences and come together to build the kingdom they've always wanted.
The younger brother tells him to stand up. He placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. Although they did not see eye to eye, they were brothers. And as brothers, they should be there for one another when they make mistakes.
"The two brothers, now reunited, returned home and rebuilt the kingdom together, giving birth to the Eisernes-Kreuz Kingdom," the storyteller said, finishing the story.
Everyone around stood up and applauded him, having tears and smiles on their faces. The storyteller bowed to the audience and thanked them all for coming to listen.
After everyone walked away and left, Blacksmith and I stood up and went over to the storyteller.
"Ah, hello there," he greeted us. "What can I do for you two?"
"Can you tell me where you got that story from?" Blacksmith asked.
"The story? Well, it's from a history book. You can find it anywhere in the Eisernes-Kreuz Kingdom," he replied.
"Which book?" The storyteller reaches into his bags and pulls out a copy of it. "Do you mind if I have a look at it?"
The storyteller hands it to him and Blacksmith places it on a table. He flips page through page until he reaches the part where the Divine Weapon was told.
"The Lance of Everlasting Frost..." he muttered the Divine Weapon's name.
"Curious about the Divine Weapon?" the storyteller asked.
"That was one thing," Blacksmith replied. "Is there anything in this book that talks more about this warrior? Or perhaps the mountains?"
"Ah, there is." The storyteller flips through the book and points to a page. "Here."
Blacksmith read it carefully, and I took a look as well. According to the book, the mysterious warrior who wielded the Lance of Everlasting Frost was last seen in the mountains. There's no record of the warrior nor the Divine Weapon beyond that.
"The mountains..." Blacksmith muttered to himself. "That must be it..."
"Hm?"
Blacksmith closes the book and hands it back to him. "Thank you for allowing me to borrow it. Here, for your trouble."
Blacksmith reaches into his pouch and hands him a few coins. Blacksmith turned away to leave, and I bowed to the storyteller before following behind him.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"The altar in the mountains," he replied. "I have a feeling this is all connected."
*****
We ventured deep down in the caves, returning to the altar. The last time we were here, we cleared the area of all of the everfrost ice. The ice had returned and it was frozen once again.
"Celeste, do you mind?"
"Hm."
Using my hands, I shattered all the ice in front of us and made a clear pathway towards the altar. Blacksmith walked over to it and ran his fingers through the runes in the center of the altar.
"With the runes carved on the key combined with the ones here in this altar, it'll unlock," he said.
"Should we look for this key then?"
"No," he replied. "The story we heard was more than a hundred years ago. If we assume this altar was made around the same time, the original key is more than likely lost."
"So, what can we do?"
"I can make a replica of the key. However, I'll need some time to figure out which runes are compatible with the runes at this altar."
Blacksmith reached into his magic pouch and pulled out the small house.
"I'm going to set it up outside and work in the Forge. Since you have a good memory, can I trust you to memorize the runes and size of the key here on this altar?"
"Hm."
In a large open area, Blacksmith placed down the house and enlarged it. The two of us entered the house and went downstairs into the Forge. There, Blacksmith laid out a large piece of parchment paper onto the table and laid it flat.
"Draw the runes here."
"Hm."
Using a pen and my memory, I accurately drew the runes, as well as their positions and size. Then, Blacksmith pulled out a book with different runes across the pages. He flipped through the book, testing out different runes. After some time, he eventually figured out which runes were needed.
Now, for the key. Blacksmith went up to his stockpile and grabbed a few steel ingots. He places them together and heats it up in the furnace until it is bright and hot. He moves it over to his anvil and using his hammer, he pounded it into shape until it was spherical.
He quenches the sphere in basilisk oil. Once it was cooled down, he used a chisel imbued with magic and carved the runes.
"Finished," he said, holding the spherical key in his hand.
The two of us returned back to the altar. Blacksmith pulled out the spherical key from his pouch and carefully inserted it into the center of the altar. It was a perfect fit. Upon placing it, the runes immediately activated and the cave started to shake.
"What's happening?" I asked, looking around us.
"Something's opening up," he replied.
Behind the altar, the wall of everfrost ice shattered into pieces, revealing two metal doors carved with magic runes. The doors glowed for a brief moment, then opened themselves. Inside, we saw a lance made of dark blue ice struck in the ground. Holding the lance was a mummified frozen corpse of a man-the warrior from the story.
Holding the lance was a mummified frozen corpse of a man-the warrior from the story [https://img.wattpad.com/9b99d60b890a317df5c5c744cc9074aebc79949c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f566162594a7255546e42596361513d3d2d313438303633333733322e313766643738343835383236363166383733333031373537373430362e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
"The Lance of Everlasting Frost..." Blacksmith muttered.
Blacksmith and I took a step inside. The entire room was completely covered in everfrost ice. It was colder than outside, much to the point Blacksmith's flesh and skin began to freeze.
"Will you be alright?" I asked, concerned.
"Yeah..." His body glowed in a purple aura, and the ice forming around him melted away.
I examined the room. "There doesn't seem to be any traps."
"There's not," he agreed.
Blacksmith and I went around to face the corpse of the mysterious warrior. He was dead. His corpse was frozen, preserving him and slowing the decaying process. His flesh and eyes were rotten, but most of his body and bones were well. Over his neck, he had on a silver necklace with a strange symbol on it.
Blacksmith grabbed it and examined it closely. I leaned in closer to him and examined it as well. It was a normal necklace at first glance, but turning it to its other side, we found an inscription. It was the name of the warrior.
"Viktor Belytsvetok..." I said the name out loud. "Blacksmith-sama, do you have an idea who this is?"
"Belytsvetok..." he repeated. "I've heard of that name before. This warrior...whoever he was, he was a part of a royal family. One outside the Eisernes-Kreuz Kingdom. The Zamerzsheyemore Empire."
The Zamerzsheyemore Empire was a nation to the west of the Northern Continent. It was much larger and more powerful than the Eisernes-Kreuz Kingdom and the other nations here on this continent.
Blacksmith took a closer look at the corpse. Just beneath his chest, he found an open bloody frozen wound in his abdomen.
"This was his dying place..." Blacksmith muttered. "He took this Divine Weapon and sealed himself along with it away from the world."
"What should we do with it?" I asked.
"We'll take it away from here and seal it in the Vault. If we left it and anyone else found this place, they may take it and use it for their selfish reasons. Celeste, do you mind pulling it out?"
"Hm."
"Be careful," he warned me.
I gently placed my hands around the staff of the lance and it glowed in a bright blue light. At the same time, I felt a warm feeling coming from inside me—similar to when I wielded Excalibur. I mustered my strength and pulled the lance out from the ground, releasing it from the corpse's grasp.
I swung the lance, unleashing a powerful breeze. "It feels...powerful. More powerful than Excalibur," I said.
"Of course it is. It froze these mountains in everfrost after all."
"Hm. How about him?" I asked, pointing to the corpse.
Blacksmith stared at him for a moment. "...We'll take him. We'll be traveling for a while, so we'll visit the Zamerzsheyemore Empire on our journey. The royal family there may want a proper burial for him."
"Hm."