The walk to the blacksmith was much longer than needed since Aenon's guide was taking her job a bit too seriously. She pointed out every little detail she could think of, from the many unique products available in the Pinespire city market, to the family trees of the owners. The girl seemed to know everything. And from the furtive glances they were receiving, it appeared that most people knew the rambunctious woman. Mira had a spring to her step and had even begun humming softly to herself at times. She caught herself frequently but fell back to her old habits just as often.

"And there is the city herbalist. A charming old woman who always gives me the best…," she droned on.

Aenon tuned her out after catching the important bits. He was more focused on the townsfolk. Everywhere they passed, he could feel the stares bore into his back. With herculean effort he quashed the discomfort he was feeling, trying his level best not to just fade away into the shadows. Lucky for him, the loud commentary attracted just as much attention, taking some of the load off his shoulders. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when they finally reached their destination.

"And this is the blacksmith shop, Lord Fenrast. Let me go in and announce your arrival," she said with a bow.

"That won't be necessary," Aenon said while stepping in to the store. The intense pressure of all the unwanted stares disappeared in an instant, making him relax for a bit. But the feeling returned just as quickly as whispers broke out and everyone's heads turned towards him. There was a long line of people who were here for various reasons, but they all parted to give him room to pass.

"Lord Fenrast. I was not aware of your upcoming visit," a soft and formal voice spoke loudly as a young woman with dark hair and hazel eyes walked up in a hurry. Mira stepped up from behind Aenon to intercept the shop attendant.

"Yes, this was not planned, Kelly. Lord Fenrast needs some equipment fixed," Mira spoke on his behalf. "Lord Fenrast, this is my friend, Kelly Dunlor."

The shop clerk froze at being introduced. It was probably some other etiquette thing the excited Mira was forgetting. Not that Aenon minded in the slightest.

"Mira…," Kelly said in a shocked voice. She turned to Aenon in fear, expecting some retaliation for the break in decorum.

"Ahem, I need someone to look at my daggers, Kelly," he deflected, not wanting to cause her to panic.

His words shocked her further, as did his reaction. But she recovered quickly.

"Yes, of course sire. Please follow me this way," she said with a bow. She led them towards a side room that was a bit fancier than the rest of the store. "You can have a seat here. Master Emberforge will be here shortly."

Once seated, Mira stood to his side like a statue. But Aenon could feel the agitation in the air without even needing to rely on his Sovereign's Eye. Kelly stared longingly for a brief second before starting to march out sullenly. Aenon sighed before turning his head towards Mira.

"You can go and wait outside till my work is done," he said before leaning back in his seat. The woman barely managed to hide her smile as she bowed and left with the other freaked out woman.

Once the two left, Aenon put his head back in relief. This much interpersonal interaction was something he was not used to, and it was starting to wear him down. He needed to get his daggers fixed and be on the road ASAP. Now that he was finally alone for a moment, he pulled up his last System message.

And so, the inferno spreads!

He didn't know what to make of the cryptic message. This was the first time that he had received a personal message without a reason. Earlier at least the messages were directly linked to an actual System notification. This System Admin person was getting bolder. Or impatient.

BANG

The door swung open as a dwarf dressed in blacksmithing attire walked in. He was covered in soot and oil, and there were burn and scuff marks all over his protective clothes. The smith regarded Aenon for a second before taking a seat opposite him. Aenon could tell from his Sovereign's Eye that the dwarf was very curious about Aenon.

Dwarf | Blacksmith | Level ???

Aenon was shocked by the man's level. The dwarf was past his first evolution for sure, and maybe even his second or third. Aenon couldn't get a read of his actual level, but it was not insignificant. Being a non-combat Classes, the smith didn't give off any threatening vibes, but the guy's look made Aenon cautious.

"So, you the bloke who be ruling this city now," the dwarf, Borin Emberforge, stated gruffly.

Aenon connected the dots based on Jenny's description and the fact that the clerk had called him Master Emberforge.

"I am," Aenon replied. The blacksmith's soul was just like the twins, direct and straightforward. Aenon was not sure if this was a characteristic of dwarves in general, but he had a feeling they would make poor politicians.

"Well. What ya waiting for? A written invitation? Show me the mess you made," the dwarf asked without ceremony.

Aenon nodded before retrieving the ruined daggers and putting them on the table between them. The smith ignored him completely as he lifted the horribly twisted metal and inspected them closely. He hummed and hawed, whispering incoherently to himself for the next 15 minutes. He finally leaned back with the daggers in hand.

"This be your work, I assume?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes. I used them as conduits to channel a large amount of mana to attack a Fire Ant Queen. Took her out in one hit, but the result is as you see," Aenon replied calmly.

"Hmmm. Show me your hands," the dwarf demanded. When Aenon extended his hands, Borin inspected them closely, momentarily eyeing his bracelet, before continuing, "You have the hands of a fighter, no doubt about that. But it seems you have boosted your dagger skill using SP quite recently."

"That is correct," Aenon responded. He had heard that true masters of their craft could analyze a person by the calluses on a person's hands. Seems it was true.

"These be some priceless treasures you ruined, holding a lot of potential. Will require a lot of work to fix, but doable," the dwarf said while grooming his impressive beard. "My services ain't cheap though. Think you can afford them?"

"Depends on the price," Aenon responded with curiosity in his voice. He didn't detect any greed from the dwarf's soul, so whatever this supposed cost was, it was not monetary.

"Fulfill your promise of protecting this settlement, and rule it with justice," the dwarf replied. Aenon stared blankly at the dwarf, unsure how to respond. There was no hint of humor or deceit from the smith's soul.

"That price is unacceptable," Aenon responded. When the dwarf frowned, he continued, "It's a moot request. The cost cannot be something that I am already obligated and intend to do."

The dwarf's eyes rose up in surprise, before a broad smile emerged on his face. "You sure don't mince words. I like it."

"In that we are quite similar, Master Emberforge," Aenon said while displaying an amicable smile on his mask.

"Bah. Call me Borin," the guy said with a dismissive wave. "Hate the formal tongue of you young folk."

"Our mutual acquaintance said as much," Aenon replied cryptically.

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"Mutual? Who ya talking about?"

"Jenny Smith."

"Ah. So, you met the lassie?" the dwarf replied with genuine fondness. "How she doing?"

"She's doing well," Aenon replied. "Got a few surprises in store for you when you meet next."

"That is good," Borin replied while stroking his beard.

"Although, she did mention another of her friends who worked here. Some guy named Michael Harrison?"

Aenon was curious to see how the big guy was doing. Especially so since he could sense him hiding a few rooms down the hall.

"Bah. That overgrown meat bag," Borin said dismissively. But Aenon sensed pride in the dwarf's words. "He finally learned how to hold a hammer the right way."

Aenon wasn't sure why Mike would be hiding, but he could guess the reason. His very first encounter with the Village Head wasn't exactly a positive one.

"Anyway, I'd charge the standard rate for an apprentice blacksmith and send the bill to the city admin. How's that?" the dwarf redirected them back on topic.

"You are not an apprentice blacksmith though," Aenon stated.

If he recalled, Jenny had mentioned he was a Savant level smith. That was the very reason he had come here in the first place.

"No, I'm not," he said cryptically with a smile, but didn't elaborate.

"Seems like I am getting the better part of the deal here," Aenon replied honestly.

The dwarf regarded Aenon with a mysterious gaze, before pulling a wooden pipe from his inventory. He lit it up and took a long drag before blowing smoke out towards the ceiling. He had gone quiet, so Aenon waited patiently for him to speak.

"I am tired laddie. These old bones seen enough spilled blood and tears to fill a damn sea," the dwarf finally spoke in a somber tone. "My recent customers have been nothing but backstabbing nobles, and greedy honor less mutts. It be a fresh breath of air finally seeing someone in power who has some resolve and honor for a change."

The dwarf pointed at Aenon with his pipe, taking another drag of the stuff that emitted purple smoke. Aenon's curiosity was piqued for sure, so he let the dwarf continue.

"That bracelet on your wrist. The little girlie made that in my shop. Said it was for someone special. It be as worthless as dirt. Seeing it on ya, not to mention the mana reinforcement, tells me more about ya than can be put into words," the dwarf said while his soul emanated respect and appreciation.

"You can't really put a price on things like this, Borin," Aenon said while looking at the bracelet fondly.

"And that be the reason, it is not you who is getting the better end of the deal. It be my honor to work for someone like ya," the smith said firmly.

"I am curious though. The kid, how do you know her?" Aenon asked.

"The cheeky brat ran all over the market each day, trying to find work to support her grandma," Borin said while pulling dozens of such trinkets from his inventory. "So, I hired her. This be her work for the last few weeks. Been taking them off the shelves when she is not looking, telling her they sold out. The smile on that lassie's face brightens my day like nothing else."

Aenon smiled as he got the full picture. Even if he was to pay every copper he owned, this was someone he would work with wholeheartedly.

"Very well then, Borin. Let's shake on it," Aenon said. The blacksmith smiled as he extended his hand, shaking Aenon's with a firm grip.

"Good. Now onto business. Follow me to my shop for some measurements," the dwarf said while standing.

He led the way at a brisk pace, with Aenon following in silence. He sensed Mira and Kelly in an adjacent room, inadvertently picking up a few snippets of their conversation

"…really didn't demand anything in return?" he heard Kelly's disbelieving voice.

"Would I lie to my best friend, Kel? I am serious…"

Aenon ignored the following words, focusing on where they were heading instead. He sensed Mike jump back in fear when he passed by the door of the room he was hiding in. Aenon was right on the mark about the man's trauma related to city leadership. Too bad Aenon wasn't ready to reveal his identity to him yet.

The dwarf finally entered a meticulously arranged forge. It was Aenon's first time in one. He had seen videos of them, but never really entered any. There was even an open area with a mannequin at the center. Borin placed the two daggers on a work bench and went over to gather some things from a nearby shelf.

"Here, use these daggers to show me what ya got," he said while handing two plain looking daggers to Aenon.

Aenon took them and stood before what he assumed was a training dummy. He made some swift slashes and stabs to demonstrate his skill before turning to face the blacksmith. The dwarf had a thoughtful look in his eyes as he groomed his beard in contemplation.

"Hmmm. Your Skill is obviously at Savant rank. But I got a feeling ya holding something back. Got any Class abilities that go with the daggers? Ya know, the way ya ruined the poor things on the desk," Borin asked while folding his hands.

So Aenon infused his mana into the blades and used some more tricks he often used while fighting. He specially demonstrated the ice enforced slashing attacks.

"Not quite. What else ya got?" Borin asked with a frown.

"The only thing I can think of are soul attacks. But I am not sure it will affect the dummy, seeing as it is a not alive," Aenon replied.

"You a soul mage? Why didn't ya say so earlier?" Borin said before dashing for a locked cabinet in the back. When he returned it was Aenon's turn to be surprised. He was holding the Corrupted daggers that the elf wielded earlier.

"Why do you have that?" Aenon asked with concern. He didn't suspect the dwarf, but was worried, nonetheless.

"Thalindra asked me to melt these things. But I think I got a better idea," Borin said as he started measuring the four daggers on his desk.

"Isn't it considered taboo to use those things?" Aenon asked.

"Bah. Not after I am done with them. Ya won't be harvesting souls with it. But the material is perfect for what I got planned," he dismissed Aenon's concerns. "What do you know about your old daggers?"

"Only that they have a soul imprint of their creator, and that they have health and mana debuffs associated with their attacks," Aenon replied with confusion. Not sure where this was going.

"Precisely. A soul imprint is hard to forge onto just any material. It be rarer than most things, and these four beauties have that material. I am gonna remove the cursed abilities of these daggers and use the material to bolster yours. If successful the effects should work on all enemies, not just Goblins," Borin said while writing down some calculations.

"Wait, you can do that?" Aenon asked with delight. But the dwarf didn't respond, too engrossed in his work. After almost fifteen minutes he finally looked up, a deep frown on his face.

"There be a problem. These new daggers have far too many negative emotions embedded in them. I can't just melt them to extract the material I need. Plus, even the imprint on your old daggers is very strong. It will refuse to work on anything but Goblins," Borin said while thinking. "There is a way around it. But it is risky."

"What is it?" Aenon asked. If he could upgrade his daggers, that would be amazing.

"You'll have to help with the forging process and use your soul powers to suppress the daggers. But if you fail, or are too weak, you will be consumed by the roiling mass of negative emotions left behind by the victims and the creator," Borin said solemnly.

Aenon considered the pros and cons of the process. If it succeeded, he would get invaluable tools for his Class. But the risk too was great. The question was whether he could handle the mountain of hate and anger that was embedded in those daggers. He had sensed the number of wails and cries from the elf's soul.

"What do you think, Bane?" he asked mentally.

"It is your call, Alpha. Nothing is without risk, but you will have us backing you," Bane replied resolutely.

"Very well then, let's do it," Aenon finally told Borin.

"Thought you'd say that. Heh. Can't imagine someone who could intimidate an entire city to back off from a challenge," Borin replied with a smile. "But be warned, souls be a tricky business. Stats and Titles matter little when it comes to them."

"I should be fine. Just tell me what you need me to do?" Aenon said with a nod.

"Come back tomorrow. I need to prepare some things," Borin said as he started making another list in his notes.

Aenon was about to ask something, but the dwarf made a shooing motion and got down to work. So Aenon let the crafter be and headed for the exit. He walked up to where he sensed Mira and Kelly were and wasn't surprised to find them immersed in more gossip about random things.

"Ahem. I believe we can leave now," he said loudly to get their attention. The girls shrieked before turning to face him.

"Yes Lord Fenrast. Right away. Where would you like to head next?" Mira said with a formal bow, her cheeks a deep crimson.

"Back to the mansion. My work here is done, but I will need to return tomorrow," he said as he eyed the girls suspiciously. They were both blushing, but he decided to ignore it.

The way back was much faster as Mira didn't say a word the entire time, keeping her head straight ahead. Aenon didn't really mind, as he preferred peace and quiet. But at the mansion's footsteps, a familiar face greeted Aenon. And realizing he had not asked her name, Aenon flagged the jubilant kid down, and got down on one knee before her.

"I am sorry about not asking your name last time," he said while showing a smile on his mask.

"It's Talia Ashvein," she said with a smile. A smile that got wider when she noticed her gift on his wrist.

"It's a pretty name," Aenon said softly. "Where are you heading, Talia?"

"To my job at the Blacksmith, sir," Talia replied cheerfully.

"You don't need to work little one. Your grandmother will be taken care of," Aenon said kindly.

"I know. That is what Henry sir told me as well. But I like working in the forge. I will grow up to be a big strong girl in no time," she replied with a smile.

But something was off about the smile this time. It wasn't genuine like before. So Aenon looked deeper into the kid's soul. And what he found made his heart clench in agony.

"How about this, want to come with me on a trip? I will also inform your boss about it, so you won't lose your job," Aenon said in a cheerful tone. The girl hesitated for a bit, before relenting and nodding. Aenon turned to Mira while he picked up the kid in his arms, "I will be gone for a while and may not return by tomorrow. Please inform Borin and the kid's grandmother about it. I will reach out when I am back."

"Yes, Lord Fenrast," Mira replied with some curiosity. She obviously wanted to ask more, but she held back.

"Ready to go, Talia?" Aenon asked with a child-like voice that surprised Mira. She had never heard her boss speak in such a tone. He placed the kid on his shoulders, and started running, making the girl squeal in excitement.

But Aenon had a deep frown that his mask hid. He resolved that he would not let another kid go down the path he was on.

The darkness his soul was accustomed to would be his to bear alone.

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