Chapter 98: Plans

Stella heaved a long sigh of relief after she managed to leave the place without being forced to display her sword arts…

"The captain seems to be a reasonable person… How lucky…" Stella muttered as she entered her room. Her uncle was still hammering something in the smithy so she just briefly showed herself to inform him about her arrival.

Anyway, she had realized that if the Knight Captain was either Ulysses or the beautiful female knight, Misha, she would have to spar someone and might get hurt again…

"Collecting ingredients doesn't seem to be that profitable unless I do it in large quantities…" 

Stella said while counting the money she earned. Selling steel swords and weapons would still earn her a lot more money but swords aren't disposable things. 

It would take some time before they can be replaced especially if they are being maintained properly. 

The previous request of the noble to acquire a huge number of Gleam Swords does not happen that often.

'I wonder what's the purpose of using those many enchanted weapons…'

"Ahh… Nevermind that… Master, I'm going to eat first… Would you like to join me?"

Stella politely asked the sword. She doesn't know whether her master wanted to be left alone here or not.

Also, she felt that she couldn't just grab the sword and bring it everywhere without his permission… Even if it is a sword, it has sentience and it is her master…

"Alright, bring me along so I can watch you eat..." Reiji answered. Stella scratched her head after hearing that.

"Ahh, I have something to tell you…"

Reiji suddenly said as he remembered something... He has been thinking about it for a while now.

"Is it about the previous Knight's action? Did it inconvenience you in any way?"

Stella worriedly asked. She never thought of asking about her master's condition after being examined by a Unique-Rank Arcana since she fully trusts him. But since her master was talking like this…

"No, no… It's not about that… There was no problem hiding my presence as expected…" 

'Though I didn't think that it was something to do with being blessed by the sword deity, it was good to know…' Reiji added in his mind.

"Ahh… I see. I'm sorry… I'll listen, Master."

"Mhmm… I actually need four common-rank Arcana and a rare-rank Arcana… Do you have an idea on how can I get them as soon as possible?"

Reiji asked although he wasn't expecting an immediate solution. Being together with her for a few weeks made him aware of Stella's capabilities… However, Reiji thought that if he involved Stella in his mission, things might be easier. 

He still believes that two heads are better than one… 

"That many Arcana?" Stella asked in surprise before being silent for a moment. It seems that she was thinking of possible ways…

"That's right…"

"Are you just going to borrow them?"

"Ahh… No. Sorry, I wasn't clear. All of those will be sacrificed---Or perhaps consumed? I mean, they will be destroyed." Reiji said as he tries to explain his situation to Stella. 

'Did I just sound like a Cursed Arcana?' Reiji mused…

"I see, so you need those to get even stronger, Master?" Stella asked in excitement… 

"Well, you can say it like that…"

"Alright… I'll work hard to get them… Hmmm… The first option I could think of would be buying those Arcana. However, they're expensive. It might take a lot of time to do so…"

The wooden sword lifted its tsuka like it was nodding its head in agreement.* 

Reiji remembered the price of those ownerless Arcana… The lowest price that they saw was 15,000 gold and it was just a Common-Rank… As for the Rare rank, it has a range price of 25,000 to 30,000 based on his observation. 

He can only imagine the prices of the ranks higher than those two.

"What's the second option?"

"We defeated the two leaders of the cult and the village chief was still grateful for our actions. Although it was difficult to get the evil weapons as they are ominous, I would like to try and use his connection to get one…"

Stella explained to her master. The evil weapons that they looted from the leaders of the cult were actually common-rank Arcana. The surprising thing about them was that all of those Arcana had a similar form, a staff. 

It was a very intriguing subject but the high-ranking Arcanists just regarded it as proof that they are truly an Evil Cult.

"I see… We can do that…" Even though Reiji realized that those staves were Arcana, he was unable to sacrifice them to the deity since he was unsure about the disturbance it will make… 

Will it just disappear? Will the Sword Deity burn the weapon if he sacrificed it? Reiji felt that it wasn't a good idea to sacrifice those Arcana in front of many people. 

He wanted to do it secretly if possible but the weapons are now being sealed within the Arcanist Association together with the other eight "evil weapons" or Arcana that they collected from the other leaders. 

He even heard that they are planning to seal or destroy them completely to avoid the bad luck that follows those weapons. 

Reiji didn't think that it was bad for them to be this careful or become firm believers of superstitions, but he was still hoping that they would let go of those innocent Arcana.

'There is no bad Arcana, only bad wielders!' is what he thought. 

"It will be good if you can ask for his help… Right! Maybe tell them that you're the one that will destroy them instead!"

"Oh… That's a good idea…" Stella said as she tries to think about the words she'll say to the chief.

Anyway, the ownerless Arcana of those dead Arcanists from the village was also not an option since they were passed over to their sons or daughters. Although they were still young, once they had summoned an Arcana, they will inherit these Arcana left behind by their parents.

In case they failed to summon, that was the only time that they'll consider selling it for money… and that would take years to happen.

"Right, do you have a third option?"

"Ahh… I'm thinking of traveling to other cities and towns and find an opportunity… After all, even if we get a Common-rank here, a Rare-rank might still be impossible. Unless we take the one that Ulysses was using… Should we trying stealing, master…"

"Mhmm… That's not good… It's also difficult…"

"How about killing him and taking all of his weapons…"

"What?"

"I'm just kidding, master…"

"Sigh~ Let's do this as peacefully as possible. However, if an Arcanist truly offended us…"

"I understand, Master…" Stella nodded as if she understood what he was saying. 

Reiji doesn't know what's in her mind but it should be fine…

After chatting with her Master, Stella went downstairs to invite her uncle to eat dinner. The two were always busy in the past few days and only by eating at the same time, they could spend their time together.

It was also time to ask her uncle about the protective gears…

However, before that, Stella was surprised about their dinner.

"Oh~ We have fish for today? Is it from Kargen?"

"That's right. Their merchants arrived to sell their stuff this afternoon… It's been a while since we had one so I bought it…"

Her uncle Hemil said with a smile. 

'Kargen? What's that?' Reiji asked Stella after hearing a new word.

'Ohh… It's a village not too far from here… About six hours of travel using a horse…'

'Not too far, huh… I see… It seems that they are trading fish?'

'You're right, master… They come here once or twice a month to make a trade… They are close to a river and they made many fish ponds there! I've been there once to send an ordered weapon…'

'Oh… Fish farming, huh… Anyway, go ahead and ask your uncle about those gears...'

'Ah… That's right…'

Stella then excitedly asked her Uncle about the gears that he made… 

Then, after learning that they are still collecting dust in his storage, she asked him to have it… 

She even offered him to purchase it with her money even though she knows that he wouldn't take her money. 

No, because she knows that he won't take her money, she offered to give all her saved gold coins just to get those gears.

"Sigh~ Those gears are my…" 

It was a bit difficult for him to part with his precious creations… However, the one that will use them was his niece, the female swordsman who also saved him and the other villagers. He didn't have any reason to decline but still felt heavy for him.

Although he only made them with his excess but precious materials in his works, he poured everything into it and made it as close as possible to his ideal enchanted equipment. 

At most, he wanted it to display in his weapon store in the future once he made it into the city… That's right, his dream was to have his shop in a safe and large city!

"Haa~ Alright… You don't have to pay me… Just take care of them.'

"Yes! Thank you, Uncle! I will treasure them!"

"That's good… Go ahead and eat now!" Hemil said as he smiled wryly at the excited Stella.