My Ultimate Blacksmith System
Chapter 41: Shae’lyria

Chapter 41: Shae’lyria

So that’s his game. He thinks that by dangling something I really want in front of me, I’ll become his obedient dog. He’s right; I do want power, but not if I have to bend over for it.

"What would I have to do for this power?" I asked.

A creepy smile spread across his rather ugly face.

"Nothing much. I only want you to kill my enemies along with yours."

His enemies? The only enemies a god can have are other gods.

"You expect me to fight other gods?"

"I expect you to protect yourself. Whoever is after me is also after you," he shot back. "Don’t worry; if you continue developing yourself and crafting weapons, you’ll be fine. But there’s something else I want to give you."

He limped over to me, dragging one foot that looked unwilling to move. His hands were blackened, probably from years of crafting. He then pulled out a knife fastened to his belt and proceeded to create a slit in the palm of his hand.

"This will be my gift to you," he said, raising his arm so the blood from his wound poured over my head, soaking me.

[DING]

[YOU HAVE RECEIVED LEGENDARY ATTRIBUTE: CRAFT BLOOD]

[DESCRIPTION: The essence of Hephaestus’s immortal craft flows through your veins. You have been bestowed with the skill and knowledge to create powerful weapons without the use of your system. You now possess the instincts of a master blacksmith.]

"Your system is powerful and all, but it’s limited to crafting supreme-grade weapons," he said. "To use this attribute to its fullest, you’ll need specialized tools. The hammer, the anvil, and the pair of tongs are all specially crafted for you."

"Thank you. This really means—"

"Save it," he cut me off before I could express my feigned gratitude. "We both know you don’t have a grateful bone in your body."

[CONGRATULATIONS! THE HAMMER, ANVIL, AND TONGS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY REGISTERED.]

"Now that I’ve said everything I wanted to say, I suppose it’s time for you to go back to where you were heading."

"Will you open a gate?" I asked, to which he replied,

"No need; it’s not like your real body is here."

Before I had the chance to ask what he meant, my vision blurred, and a strange sensation enveloped me. For a moment, my vision went black, but then...

"Welcome, heroes," a voice said, speaking with authority. When my vision finally cleared, I realized I was standing in a crowd of my classmates.

We were surrounded by men dressed as knights in golden armor.

"It’s a pleasure to be in your presence, King Cornelius, umm... er... I mean your grace," the next voice that spoke sounded like my homeroom teacher.

"Hahaha, be at ease, madam. You and your class of heroes are welcomed guests."

The knights surrounding us were on their knees, their swords draped across their legs. The supposed king was sitting on a throne quite a distance away from where we were standing. The king wasn’t very imposing; he had a short stature, a handsome face, and golden hair.

On his head was a golden crown that reflected the light seeping through the elegantly carved holes in the wall. The king was flanked on both sides by elegantly groomed men and women, whom I assumed were nobles.

"Thank you, your grace. It’s an honor to be in your presence."

The school had actually briefed us a little about this world and its leaders, instructing us on how to speak to royalty and how to greet them. They provided us with bits of information about important figures we must respect.

"Forgive my bluntness," the king said in a voice that was devoid of his earlier enthusiasm. "You should have been here already. The labyrinth season started a month ago."

This world had a special season when labyrinths would pop up out of nowhere, and without heroes to close them, the monsters would break out and attack the people. This season usually lasted for about five months.

"I’m sorry for the delay," Ms. Cole said. "We’ve been lacking in heroes lately."

Immediately after she said this, the nobles in the crowd began chattering.

"Hmph, well, some of your people are already here. They said they were undergoing a, uh... daimonsy... some kind of test, they said." he said sounding a little frustrated.

The school had sent some of its officials here to conduct diagnostic tests on the labyrinths to see if it was safe enough for us students to enter.

"Well, anyway," the king continued, "we’ve already made preparations for your arrival. I hope it’s to your liking. You’re welcome to stay in the castle until you’re ready to embark on your journey."

"But not before taking care of the labyrinth outside our gates," he added. "Our knights have been keeping an eye on it; so far, there haven’t been any breaches."

"We’ll make sure to do so, your majesty," Ms. Cole said.

She was acting much more polite than usual, which was understandable given that she was standing in front of a king.

"Also, we’re hosting a feast later in honor of your arrival. I hope that all of you will be present."

"Yes, your majesty. I’m sure my students will love that. We will all be in attendance."

"Splendid! I hope to see you all this evening."

The king then called a group of servants who ushered us to the heroes’ quarters. Surprisingly, each of us had our own room. The room didn’t have much—just a bed and a table elegantly decorated with fruits.

It also had a balcony where I could get a view of the city. Looking at the architecture, it surely lived up to its classification as a medieval fantasy world. The buildings appeared to be primarily made of limestone, but they were beautiful.

The view itself was stunning as I watched the sunset paint the sky. Just as I was about to unpack my bag, I heard a knock at my door. I opened it to see two girls standing outside, their heads bowed. They were twins, slightly older than me—18 or maybe 17?

"My Lord?"

When I didn’t address them, one of them spoke up.

"Who are you?" I finally asked.

"My Lord, our names are Tyrah and Tierra. We are your handmaidens. Ask of us whatever you need."

My handmaidens?

"Who sent you here?"

They looked at each other, confused, before answering.

"Your grace did. He sent handmaidens to all of the heroes. He said we must tend to you and keep you company in case you get bored."

More pawns, I suppose.

I ushered them inside my room. A lot had happened today that I needed to reflect on, so I sat on my bed, examining the tools Hephaestus had given me. The twins stood against the wall.

I hadn’t gotten around to questioning them yet. It felt a bit awkward having people in the room with me, but since they were quiet and tried to take up as little space as possible, I didn’t mind.

"Umm, my Lord," the one named Tyrah spoke. Since they’d gotten here, she had done most of the talking. "It’s almost time for the feast. I suggest you get ready now."

Oh, I almost forgot. Well, I guess it’s time I look like I belong at a royal feast.

"Thank you for reminding me," I said, but she wasn’t done speaking.

"Would you like us to wash you?"

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