I ran to catch up with Durman, Ruki, and Emordis. We went to eat at a tavern near the guild. The lack of vegetables on the table was obvious—meat was the centerpiece of the meal. Durman and Ruki ordered steaks with freshly baked bread, while Emordis and I had a stew of legumes with meat.
Throughout the meal, we talked about how to improve the guild's supply distribution. Durman and Ruki mentioned the problems with restocking iron and how hard it was to get quality coal. I suggested the idea of using charcoal, but according to them, it's very expensive because it requires a lot of space to produce, and the only viable location is outside the city. The problem is always the same: no one wants to live outside the walls...
Emordis changed the subject and asked Durman about the rush to forge the sword for the marquis. He told us about the "punishment" the marquis gave him for missing the meeting.
― Durman ― Anyway ―he looked at me intently, still with some skepticism― I suppose there's nothing I can do. ―
― Ruki ― What's going on? ―
― Durman ― I'll have to send a letter to the marquis informing him that Neo and Hunt will be attending his son's birthday. ―
― Ruki ― But is it okay to notify him with such short notice? ―
― Durman ― No, but this lad won over my daughter a couple of days ago, so there's not much else I can do. By the way, you'll be going with Miranda, right? ―
― Ruki ― Well… I don't know… well, ha… has she said anything? I haven't asked her yet… you know… ha. ―
― Emordis ― Be a man, Ruki. Just go ahead and pair up with my granddaughter already, don't be a coward. ―
― Durman ― Ruki, he's right. Be brave and go for it. What's the worst that could happen? ―
●― Ruki, you already have the "no." All that's left is victory… or humiliation. ―
― Ruki ― Thanks a lot, but I don't think this pep talk is really helping… ―
On the way back to the guild, we passed by Miranda's house. She lived on the second floor of a four-story building, with a small terrace full of flower pots and plants. Ruki stopped at the building's entrance, took several deep breaths, and nervously combed his hair with his hand. We watched him climb the steps with a firm stride—though we all knew he was trembling inside.
For a few minutes, we waited in silence, listening for the slightest sound that might give us a clue. From the street, Emordis murmured something like, "If he doesn't come out with a slap mark on his face, that's a good sign." I laughed, though I was also a bit tense. Finally, Ruki appeared in the doorway with a goofy smile on his face and his fist raised like he'd just won a battle. He said nothing, but his expression said it all: he'd done it. The invitation was made, and Miranda had accepted.
Once back at Durman's workshop, Ruki couldn't hide his excitement over his newfound romantic success.
― Emordis ― Neo, do you and your friend have swords? You can't go to the marquis' banquet without swords. ―
●― Well, we've got these. ―
With a subtle flick of my wrist, as if catching something invisible in the air, two swords appeared in my hands, materializing with a soft yet commanding glow. They were identical—simple, elegant, with no ornaments or filigree. Just one detail set them apart: on the hilt of one, a finely carved "H"; on the other, an "N".
The three of them fell silent, staring at the blades as if they had just witnessed something unparalleled. The air itself seemed to grow heavier, as though even reality was stunned by the moment.
― Ruki ― WHAT?! You have a pocket dimension?! ― he shouted, eyes wide as saucers, taking a step back like he'd just seen a dragon crawl out of a teapot. ― That's high-level stuff! How… when… why?!
Durman, however, didn't share the awe. He gave me a look so intense, so furious, that I felt as if I'd been thrown into an icy river in the dead of winter. His eyebrows quivered, and his jaw tightened like he was holding back a curse ready to explode.
●― Yeah, but it's nothing extraordinary. I can only store these two swords, and a bit of water and food. ―
For the next thirty minutes, the three of them became fully engrossed in a meticulous analysis of the swords, using a set of tools I had never seen before. First, Ruki pulled out a small knife with a blade black as obsidian and tried to scratch the surface of one of the blades. The knife's edge slid off without leaving a mark. Durman frowned, took the knife in his own hands, and tried again with more force, but the result was the same—nothing. The blade remained flawless.
Then, Emordis brought out a Magiston crystal the size of a fist. When he infused it with mana, a bluish light began to pulse from the crystal's core and spread to the swords as soon as it touched them. Both blades responded with a deep blue glow, as if they had come to life. Ruki jumped back in surprise and muttered something about them being "empty" and about a "harmonic reaction." Durman said nothing, but his face revealed a mix of admiration and puzzlement.
Next, they brought out two maces, reinforced with mana, and began striking the blades with full force. Each impact echoed through the workshop, and despite the blows, the swords didn't even vibrate. The tension made me step forward, alarmed, but Emordis raised a firm hand to stop me.
― Emordis ― No, you can't. Let them. ―
His eyes were locked onto the swords, as if he could see beyond the steel—as if the blades whispered ancient secrets only he could understand. The way he looked at them, with that mix of reverence and wonder, made even Ruki and Durman fall silent for a moment. It was as if he recognized in them something more than just forged metal—as if he knew, no, as if he felt that these weapons were created for a greater purpose.
●― But what is it? What's going on? ―
Emordis spoke to me, his voice so deep and solemn that I instinctively took a step back. His tone wasn't one of warning, but of recognition. It was as if he was telling me without words: "What you hold in your hands is no ordinary thing—and you know it."
I stood still, unable to intervene, and watched in silence as the tests continued with a ritualistic intensity.
The tests continued. They placed the swords into a fire fueled by mana. Both Durman and Ruki channeled their mana and poured it into the forge until they reached over 200 liters. The air shimmered slightly as the mana fused with the flames, which shifted color, turning into an intense purple—burning as if it had a will of its own.
― Ruki ― Can you tell me how you made these swords? ―
― Durman ― And how did you get Feroxignis? ―
― Emordis ― What? Feroxignis? ― he whispered, stunned.
From that moment on, they bombarded me with questions—about where and how I had obtained Feroxignis. I could barely breathe between one question and the next; their excitement was so intense it felt more like an interrogation than curiosity. I had to raise my hands to get them to calm down a bit, and it was then that I decided the truth couldn't be revealed. I looked at Durman with worry in my eyes.
And I lied.I told them that Hunt, my uncle, and I had forged the swords together, and that we had found the material in an old mine near my home. I said that in our village, we had always used that kind of iron to make our tools and weapons. That it was an ancient tradition, passed down from generation to generation. I added details—how the elders guarded the secrets of the flame and the quenching process, and that the iron could only be extracted through a very laborious method.
The more I spoke, the more fascinated they became. Their eyes shone as if they were uncovering a lost relic.
A silence fell over them. Then, more questions came: how we heated it, how we shaped it… and how it was even possible that an active Feroxignis mine still existed.
After another barrage of questions, I finally asked what was so special about this iron. According to them, Feroxignis allowed the forging of steel so hard that it couldn't be broken—even by a sacred sword made of magic steel or steel imbued with mana.
We spent the rest of the workday talking about the properties of Feroxignis as we worked on the scabbard for the marquis's son's sword. The hours slipped by as if time itself had been halted by our fascination with the metal. Emordis kept sharing his knowledge of rare metals, while Durman and Ruki exchanged theories about how Feroxignis could change the future of smithing, of warfare, and perhaps even of the entire kingdom—if only it were easier to obtain. Every word from Emordis drew us deeper into the hidden history of Feroxignis. He spoke of its rarity, its power, and the legends surrounding its origin: some claimed it came from the stars, others swore it was crafted by the very emissaries of Tolmas.
By the time we finished the sword's scabbard, the sun was already setting, and the cold of night had begun to seep through the workshop's windows. As we rested, Ruki took my sword in his hands and stared at it with a mix of awe and reverence, as if he had acquired not just a weapon but a piece of the future itself. Durman, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought, buried in calculations and theories about the material, his hand never leaving the surface of the blade. "This iron," he murmured, "could change everything…" And somehow, I felt he was right.
― Ruki ― What would happen if the two swords clashed? ―
― Durman ― There's only one way to find out. ―
― Emordis ― If the legends are true… they should pass through each other as if through air. ―
Ruki took Hunt's sword, and Durman took mine. They both coated the blades with their own mana, and once in a safe stance, Durman delivered a slow strike toward Hunt's sword. In that very instant, my blade passed cleanly through Hunt's sword, emerging from the other side. Neither of the swords seemed damaged—they remained just as solid as before.
Next, we tested with normal mana-imbued swords. When my blade struck one, the cut was flawless. I think that if I had a metallographic microscope, I'd see a perfectly straight surface. (I think.)
― Durman ― I believe we're all in agreement—these swords are extraordinary. But showing them to the public would be sheer madness. ―
― Emordis ― You're right. These swords are worthy of any emissary of Tolmas. ― Emordis looked at me intently.
(I felt a chill. I think Emordis suspects something.)
Ruki said nothing—he was simply amazed by the swords.
― Ruki ― Not everyone would say this, but these swords are so plain and undecorated, they look like something made for hunters or adventurers. Or worse, like the kind of blade knights carry to die in war. ―
●― Excuse me, oh great sword designer. I think they're quite decent for the first ones I've ever made. ―
― Ruki ― Don't get me wrong—they're so well crafted they don't look special. ―
― Durman ― These swords are almost identical. Have you thought of a name for them? ― he asked, looking at the straight edge of Hunt's sword.
●― Honestly, no. They're medieval European-style swords, but they don't have a name. ―
― Emordis ― What a curious name for a type of sword. ― he said at the same time as Ruki.
― Ruki ― These swords need a name. Every blade of this level has one. ―
― Durman ― Yeah, the name sounds strange. But what do you think about calling them twin blades, and that's that. ― he said, locking eyes with me, as if the name were final and unchangeable.
Since it was already night, Durman told me to clean up while he went to talk to the people in charge of closing the guild. On the way home, he gave me a huge scolding for pulling the swords out of nowhere in front of Ruki and Emordis. He said it was a reckless act, that I shouldn't have done it, and that it most likely made Emordis suspicious. That I couldn't be so irresponsible. He also asked me how I'd really gotten that special metal—that the story about the village mine was fake and that I had to tell him the truth…
At home, Dalia and Astrid were waiting with the table already set. The moment we stepped through the door, Astrid wouldn't even let us peek into the dining room and sent us off to bathe.
I went with Durman to a room on the ground floor of the house, where the floor was made of stone. In the center was a basin filled with hot water.
― Durman ― What's wrong? Are you embarrassed to be naked in front of another man or what? ―
●― That doesn't bother me. What I can't stand anymore is bathing in a basin. ―
― Durman ― And how do you plan to bathe, then? I'm not filling up the tub just so the little princess can wash up. ―
●― Watch this. ―
I opened a portal to the subdimension, took out one of the bathing stones from the workshop, and dropped it into the hot water basin.
― Durman ― What is this, and what's it for? ― he asked, staring at the carved crystal inside the basin.
I tossed him a bar of floral-scented soap.
●― Get ready. ―
The water in the basin rose into a column and started falling like a shower.
― Durman ― Hey! Stop that! Don't you see we're getting wet?
●― Bathing means getting wet. ―
― Durman ― … ― He clicked his tongue without saying anything else, rubbed the soap in his hands, and a floral scent filled the room. ― This stuff smells nice… but it's for women, not men.
●― Shut up and scrub yourself. Smelling good is for everyone—man or woman. ―
After the shower, I returned the crystal to the subdimension and pulled out the dryer. I placed it upside down above the basin.
●― Don't freak out—this crystal blows warm air. It'll dry us off fast. ―
Durman stood under it, enjoying the hot air. As I changed into my spare clothes, Astrid walked in.
― Astrid ― Why are you taking so long…? ―
The warm breeze from the crystal carried the floral scent toward Astrid. She seemed mesmerized. She went straight to Durman, completely ignoring me.
― Astrid ― Come on, darling, dinner's ready… ― she said, hugging him from behind.
Durman turned to me and gave me a thumbs-up gesture. (ಠ_ಠ 👍)
I slipped out quietly so I wouldn't disturb them, only to bump into Dalia at the door.
― Dalia ― Wow, you smell really good ― she said, shamelessly sniffing me.
― Joan ― Sorry to interrupt, but the food's going to go cold if we wait any longer. ―
The four of us quickly straightened up and headed to the dining room without saying much.
In the dining room, the table looked amazing. For dinner, we had an attempt at mashed potatoes, some nicely cooked steaks, and a salad with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and grated carrots.
During dinner, we talked about how mashed potatoes are made. What they had made was good, but they couldn't get it quite like the one Hunt and I made the other day. Theirs was more like mashed potatoes with water and salt.
After dinner, I went to the room with Dalia. As we were getting settled in, the question came up.
― ¿Dalia ― So… you and me, what are we? I mean, are we a couple or…? ―
●― I don't really know either, but… I'd like to build a family with you. ―
― Dalia ― Okay… ¬― She stared out the window for a second. ― Would you mind if we stayed living at my parents' place? ―
●― I've lived as much with my parents as I have without them. In the end, the place doesn't matter as much as who you're with. But if you'd like… wouldn't it be nice to have something just for us? ―
― Dalia ― I don't want to leave them. It's weird. I mean, we could move out on our own. ―
●― Well, if you want to try it, I'm fine with that. I've got no problem being the son-in-law who lives with the in-laws. ―
I started rubbing her back after she lay down on top of me.
●― Actually, my mom was the one who moved into our house—or rather, into my grandparents' house. My dad was the eldest, so he stayed in his parents' home. My aunt moved in with her husband, and my uncle with his wife. So, in my family, that whole "moving into someone else's house" thing isn't all that unusual. Of course, then there are my mom's siblings, who all moved out—except for my aunt. But whatever. ―
― Dalia ― What if I told you I want to leave the city and go to the capital? ―
●― Dalia… I don't know. For now, your uncle took me in as an apprentice, and I'd like to learn as much as I can from him. ―
― Dalia ― It's just that I want to go back to the capital. I want to see it again, I want to see the sea… you know? ―
●― Well, if it's just to visit, we can go. Hunt and I will probably make a lot of money soon, and I'll make sure you never lack anything. That, I can promise you. ―
― Dalia ― ......… ―
While Dalia was talking, Hunt sent me a message on the chat.
(#■― Bro, u busy?#)