"Oh~ A mithril ore?! Is this true?"
The man's voice was a bit loud as it attracted the attention of the craftsmen working behind.
"Y-yes… This should be mithril ore, take a look." Vincent said as he placed the ore on the desk.
He was not worried about being robbed since Rem is beside him and he has the Zemin Clan helping him as well. This identity should be more than enough to deter them from swindling him.
The man behind the desk took a small magnifying glass to check every detail of the ore. At this time, two craftsmen were already behind him marveling at the sight.
It wasn't every day that they could see a mithril ore after all. Even if they had the chance to see them, most of them are already made into a weapon.
"This is the real deal… Incredible. This is also my first time seeing its raw form. Young sir, what do you want us to make out of it? Although our shop is here in a small town, Master Pascal is someone who could forge any kind of metals..."
"Master Pascal?"
"Yes… Our Master is from Link City, the capital of our kingdom. He previously owned a small shop there but decided to live here peacefully with his family. You can trust him!" The man said filled with confidence.
"That sounds promising… I hope that he can help me. Alright, is it possible to make a sword out of it?" Vincent asked.
In the end, after deliberating it, he still decided to request a sword. After all, using metallic armor doesn't suit his battle style. What he needed is light leather armor that wouldn't burden his movement.
"There's no problem with a sword… We could make a bit over 30 inches long with this amount… However, don't you have some decent Beast Cores with you? This is a mithril ore after all."
Vincent stared at the man confused by his swords. The other two behind immediately realized his ignorance about it so they immediately explained.
"The Beast Core can help create a strong sword. I'm sure that you don't want a simple sharp sword with this special material, right?"
"That's correct… With this ore, you have to aim for the best, Master Pascal isn't just a blacksmith but a Magic Craftsman as well. If you give him a decent beast core like from Brute Horned Beetle or Ethereal Panther, you'll get a better sword from it… How about it?"
The two explained calmly.
"Oh… I didn't know that they were that useful. I don't have a Beast Core with me right now. Do you know where I can get one?"
With his question, they informed him of a shop owned by the town chief that is buying and selling Beast Cores.
After that, they completed the agreement for the commission. Vincent had to tell them the weight, size, and design of the sword that he wanted. It took almost half an hour as he was planning to make this weapon ascend to the highest rank, it can't look too lame or too extravagant.
"Very well, just pay us a deposit of 90 mana crystals and you can pay the rest once the weapon is done. It will take us two weeks to forge this. Once you obtained a Core just give it to us within that time frame. Here's the token…"
The man at the counter said as he handed him the token with a number six and the crest of the workshop.
"It will really take that long, huh…"
"Yes… If you want a cheaply made sword, we can probably make one within a day or less. But this is mithril with intrinsic design and beast core to be imbued in it… It takes a lot of time."
"Very well, I'll just return here then." Vincent accepted that he can't immediately take the sword.
"Right, I would like you to meet Master Pascal too but he's currently forging something and we can't disturb him. You can probably hear the sound of a hammer right now. Anyway, he should be finished in an hour and will start working on your sword. Do you like to wait for him?"
"Er… No, I'll look for a Beast Core for now."
"I understand… By the way, just in case you have the chance, a Magic Beast Core is also a possible replacement."
"Got it… I'll look around." Vincent replied but of course, he has no hope of finding a Magic Beast Core in this small town.
Magic Beast are creatures that have attained intelligence and could wield various abilities or Mana Arts. The White Tiger that they have lost is also a creature that has a chance of becoming a Magic Beast after growing up.
'Right… I forgot to ask them what happened to the White Tiger.' Vincent then looked at Rem and asked her about it.
"The White Tiger is currently together with the Celestial Beast at the Celestial Mountain, it's probably planning to raise it and take its core once it had matured."
Vincent frowned after hearing that. It sounds quite cruel for that small white tiger.
"About the Celestial Armor and Weapon that the two of you found, is it located at the Celestial Mountain?"
"You're right, Vincent. That mountain is big. It's probably the tallest and largest mountain on the continent and it's shrouded by a chaotic mass of energy so it's difficult to enter and leave that place as you please. Finding the Celestial Beast there is also very challenging even for the two of us."
"Oh~ We should check it some other time…" Vincent replied as he curiously imagined the Celestial Mountain.
As the two were walking around to find the Beast Core seller, they met someone from the Zemin Clan looking around the small town as well.
Vincent then had an idea.
"Let's meet with Lady Yulia for now." He said as he led Rem to the other inn.
The whole inn this time was booked by the Zemin Clan. Aside from the owner and a few staff working at the establishment, everyone is from the large clan.
"Sir Vincent! You're here. Lady Yulia is waiting for your arrival…" Severin immediately found Vincent and gestured for him to go upstairs.
After knocking on the door of Yulia's room, he heard her angelic voice again allowing him to enter.
Vincent wasn't surprised to find a few people inside the room.
It was Lesley who seemed to be blushing right now, Romain, who looks annoyed somehow, and Yulia who has her white veil covering her face.
'Lesley already knows, huh…'
Vincent helplessly smiled as he doesn't know how to handle this pressure. Although Lesley is only 15 years old, this young maiden is truly attractive.
Previously, Lesley was wearing a black robe and her hair was covering a part of her face. There was also dirt all over her body due to the intensity of the battle against the barbarians. This is why he didn't manage to properly observe her.
However, after she has cleaned herself and worn comfortable clothes, Vincent can finally appreciate her appearance.
She has dark straight hair that goes to her shoulders with silver ribbons on the side. She also has lightly tanned skin with grey eyes…
'Grey eyes…' Vincent needed a double look to confirm that she has grey eyes indeed. This is quite rare after all. Even the other members of the Zemin Clan don't have similar eyes.
'Is that a Mystic Eye I'm unaware of?' Vincent mused as he faked a cough and looked at Lady Yulia again.
"I heard that you were looking for me…" He said.
"Yes… Show her the medallion." Yulia replied as she didn't have to point to Lesley to tell him that she was the one who needed to see the item.
"Of course…" Vincent then pulled out Medallion he prepared before entering.
Lesley took the medallion and confirmed the carvings on it, the winged serpent coiling around a mountain.
This is the emblem of the Zemin Clan and based on the intricate pattern on its borders, it is definitely something that only the patriarch could use.
"So it's true…" Lesley whispered after checking the item.
"However, I want to hear it from you. Tell me what was the promise made by our parents." Lesley said with determination.
Vincent didn't mind it as he repeated the words he mentioned to Yulia and the other elders of the clan.
Lesley listened calmly as she stared at the medallion in her hands.
"Haa~ A prenatal engagement, huh…"
Lesley closed her eyes as if she had given up. Perhaps, if Vincent didn't rescue her at that critical time yesterday, she would be refusing this as soon as she heard it. She might even vomit at that point. However, considering his previous actions, she's hesitating.
"Ehem… In any case, this is something that our parents have decided. First, I have to pay respect to the patriarch since I also want to know the full details of the promise."
Vincent said as he looked outside. He felt something ominous shrouding the small town and it was Yulia who immediately reacted.
"This town is under attack! We need to leave!"