Lily held Leo's hand and practically dragged him toward a weaponsmith's shop, her steps light and eager. Miho followed closely behind, deliberately averting her gaze from the lovey-dovey couple ahead of her, her ears faintly warm with embarrassment.

The moment they stepped inside, the sharp clang of metal striking metal rang through the air. The rhythmic scrape of sharpening stones and the dry hiss of heated steel being quenched blended with the heavy warmth spilling from a glowing furnace. The scent of hot iron and coal filled their lungs.

The store owner looked up—and the instant his eyes landed on Lily, recognition flashed across his face. He straightened hurriedly.

"Please wait a moment, Miss," he said, already moving. "I'll bring the weapon you commissioned."

He disappeared into the back and returned shortly after, holding a wrapped bundle with careful reverence. Pulling the cloth aside, he revealed a pair of twin jagged daggers carved from an unnaturally dense, stone-like material, their edges sharp and faintly shimmering.

"This is the weapon you commissioned, Miss," the store owner said proudly.

"After appraising it, it turned out to be a High Blue-tier weapon," he continued, his voice rising with excitement.

"It's the first time I've successfully forged something into the High Blue tier. Because of this, my blacksmith ranking has advanced."

He hesitated for a moment, then added with emphasis, "Although it's High Blue-tier, this weapon could even be used by a Mid 4-star being. The material itself plays a massive role in that."

Lily's face lit up. She turned and eagerly handed the daggers to Leo.

"Leo! Look!" she said brightly. "These daggers were made from the beast horn I killed when Lunaria ranked up. It's a shame I couldn't retrieve the entire corpse since I was teleported away… but even a single horn was enough to make two daggers!"

Leo accepted the weapons, feeling their surprising weight and the cold solidity beneath his fingers. Since he didn't currently have a proper weapon, his smile was genuine as he thanked her.

Lily waved it off lightly. "It's just my way of thanking you. If you hadn't helped me back then, I would've had no choice but to run."

After thinking for a moment, Leo reached into his storage and took out the Thunder Elk Antler, presenting it to the blacksmith.

The man froze. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he quickly shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir," the blacksmith said honestly. "That material is far beyond my current level. To tell the truth, even the horn Miss Lily brought was outside my comfort zone. I took a risk back then… and fortunately, it succeeded."

Leo nodded in understanding and put the antler away, deciding to have it forged later in a higher-tier city. Thalor, after all, was only a tier-3 city now—having fallen from tier-5 after the beast invasion.

Glancing around the shop, Leo selected a freshly forged High Blue-tier sword from the rack—a temporary weapon for Lily, made after the blacksmith's recent breakthrough.

When Leo reached to pay the remaining fees, the blacksmith hurriedly declined.

"The cost has already been waived," he said firmly. "The material Miss Lily brought alone was worth far more—and it helped me rank up. I even have some leftover horn fragments that I'd like to continue working on."

Leo paused, then nodded gratefully. The waived amount easily amounted to two to four gold coins.

After final thanks were exchanged, Leo, Lily, and Miho left the shop. The sky had darkened, lanterns beginning to glow as night approached, and they headed back toward their inn.

Behind them, the blacksmith finally exhaled deeply.

"Phew… Were they really candidates?" he muttered to himself. "They must be big shots."

His gaze lingered where Leo had stood earlier. "Especially that man—pulling out purple-quality treasures like it's nothing. I nearly lost my composure. Isn't he afraid of being targeted? Even academy instructors would drool over that."

He shook his head in disbelief. "And that girl too… what a terrifyingly powerful couple."

As a 2-star master with blacksmithing talent, he could clearly feel the pressure radiating from both of them. Especially Leo—his strength felt deeper than what he outwardly displayed. Maintaining composure throughout their exchange had been exhausting, to the point that the blacksmith had instinctively waived fees just to stay on their good side.

On their way back, Leo noticed the updated notice board.

All candidates will depart for their respective academies the day after tomorrow.

By now, the Elasian Aetherbloom had bloomed once more. Leo possessed a total of four Elasian Blooms. Two had already been consumed through the combined effort of himself and Lily.

Lily had even suggested that if possible, Miho should be given one petal as well.

After some contemplation, Leo agreed. He handed Miho a single petal—but only after setting a condition.

"You'll stay by Lily's side," he said seriously. "Protect her to the best of your ability if I'm not around."

He knew he couldn't be with Lily at all times. He needed another layer of protection—and Miho fit that role perfectly. Being female, she could accompany Lily almost anywhere without restriction.

However, Leo didn't realize how overwhelming his seriousness—and the faint aura he released unconsciously—felt to Miho.

Her servant instincts, honed through years of hardship, kicked in instantly.

Before either of them could react, Miho dropped to her knees and bowed deeply.

"I, Miho," she said, her voice trembling but resolute, "swear my utmost loyalty and servitude to Master Leo and Master Lily, and vow to serve them for my lifetime!"

These words were sacred among servants.

In this world, such vows were etched directly onto the soul. When spoken sincerely, they formed a master-servant soul bond—one heavily protected by the laws of the world itself. There was only one condition: the vow had to come genuinely from the servant's heart. Forced words held no power.

Leo froze, utterly awkward.

He had only wanted Lily to have a trustworthy companion. It seemed he'd been completely misunderstood.

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