"Oh? The so-called lich is dead?"
"Yes, madam…"
I, the Enforcer, am right now kneeling toward one of the esteemed Pillars: Artoic. Her orders are delivered with a wintry chill, as she has a cold, calculating personality and commands her servants. The residents outside of the Aglona have a skewed view of the Pillars, with the notion that they are an invasive species that is harmful to the people of Athiens and will bring them to ruin. For how they have arrived at that preposterous conclusion, I haven't the faintest clue. The Pillars are far from that nonsensical view. They are merely close-minded buffoons who have yet to see the splendor of the Pillars!
"Hmm…"
The Pillar was cross-legged on a throne of ice, and the clink of their glass was the only sound in the room as they slowly sipped their red wine. This was the throne room of the Palace of Ice and Frost. It was an empty throne room as the only items in here were the throne, a table made of ice, and a chandelier that never melts. In front of the throne was a wide space that overlooked the surrounding area. Arctic's vision of an eternal winter was encapsulated in a small realm of freezing temperatures and an endless blanket of snow. A canvas of frozen forests- void of life, and lakes that will never thaw. Every Pillar is in possession of their own pocket dimension, a small realm that closely mimics their ideal world. A different dimension that only they can access and freely control. Without their permission, you may never leave or enter.
The Pillar Artoic set her glass of wine down on a nearby tray and called out to me. "Enforcer. You know what must be done, right?"
Her angelic, chilling voice involuntarily made my body convulse in pleasure. Oh… how blessed I am to converse with the Pillars!
"Yes, madam!"
"That undead fiend has already completed the task it was given. Nothing of importance was lost. It is now time to step into phase two. You may leave now. I expect to hear good news this time around."
The Pillar waved me off as if I served only as an inconvenience to her. A position suited for one such as I. Without a word, I vanished from the freezing palace.
****
"What? We defeated an incomplete Chimera?" Isaac complained.
The blacksmith stroked his bushy beard as he stared at Isaac. "Wasn't that obvious, boy? You two wouldn't be able to deal with a complete one at your current strength."
We were returning to the village after the fake Lich was finally killed when Isaac crushed its head under his foot. Taking the path Isaac and I had used earlier, it was a breeze navigating through the forest route. The caws of birds accompanied our journey and the rustle of shrubs, as a bundle of trees flanked our sides. We trudged on for a mile or so until we reached the edge of the Magmi region.
I turned to the blacksmith as we walked. "Hey, blacksmith."
"Call me Venny, little girl."
"Okay, Venny. How did you get captured?"
Venny snorted with disbelief. "It did not capture me. I allowed myself to be taken in. When I went searching for ores near the Wyvern Zone, I spotted it entering that abandoned mineshaft. I was curious about what that undead fiend was concocting behind the scenes, and it turned out to be a fake Chimera."
Venny then puffed his chest, just daring me to refute his story. Up ahead was a clump of dark boulders making a makeshift stairway to a ledge. Venny vaulted over them with ease with just one step. For a blacksmith of his size, he was quite nimble! He then reached down and lent me and Isaac a hand, which we so graciously took.
"Thank you," I smiled. "I'm curious. What's your relationship with Morgac? Earlier, you called him a fool and a… youngster? He seems too old to be called a youngster unless you're significantly olde- Oh… now I get it."
Solgen mentioned Venny tends to change his appearance from time to time. Could it be that…
"You're ashamed of showing your age!" Isaac blurted out what I was thinking.
Come on, man! You should know when to keep things to yourself!
That didn't seem to matter, since Venny let out a raspy chuckle. "Aren't you a funny little guy? No, I don't change my appearance because of shame. Not anymore at least… It's for my safety since I'm the best craftsman around!"
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're being targeted? Maybe from the Pillars?"
The man stopped chuckling just as we stopped right in front of the village gate. A nearby lava geyser shot out plumes of fiery death. My skin prickled from the rush of heat, and I felt my eyes watering.
Venny whirled around and stared at us, slack jawed. "You know about the Pillars? Who told you about that?"
Before I could reply, a voice suddenly called out and said, "Venny!"
We all turned our eyes to the front gate and spotted Morgac shuffling toward the blacksmith, his arms outstretched. They embraced, squeezing each other with a force that could only be found between old friends.
"Morg, I've only been gone for a couple of days, and you send people to come after me?" Venny chuckled as he broke away from the embrace. "Kids, in fact!"
"Well, it wasn't really my choice now… It was all-"
"It was my idea."
We had no warning when Solgen suddenly appeared behind us, almost as if he had materialized out of thin air. She had her arms crossed defiantly and had cleaned up nicely the last time we saw her. She had replaced her tattered clothes with a freshly pressed white trench coat that grazed her scuffed black combat boots. Wrapped around her waist was a leather belt. Her hair, which used to reach the soles of her feet, had been cut and trimmed to her backside. Solgen now looked like an entirely new person after a good bath and a new wardrobe.
Venny got closer to Solgen while fixing his goggles. "Do my eyes deceive me or is that Solgen herself…"
"Yes, here in the flesh," Solgen said quickly. "I came here to use that favor you have given me."
Venny squinted at Solgen, eyebrows pinched. "Oh? And what would that favor be…?"
He seemed to have a good idea of what she might ask, judging by the way his eyes kept darting between Isaac and me.
"I want you to craft my apprentices the best equipment possible," Solgen said bluntly.
Venny stroked his chin while inspecting us like tools in a workshop. I could feel him gauging our strength and breaking us down bit by bit behind those steampunk goggles of his.
"Mkay. I'll do it. I've seen these two take down that incomplete Chimera with aplomb and I feel like my craftsmanship would not go to waste. It'll take a while to create them. Give me a month or so and ill have them ready."
Solgen's shoulders relaxed at his answer. "Thank you, Venny."
"No need for thanks," he chuckled warmly. "With that, we owe each other no favors. Now, if you'll excuse me, ill be in my workshop."
The man bid us farewell with a wave, leaving us standing in the silence of his departure.
While watching Venny leave, Solgen spoke first. "I'll tell him what specific blades to make later. First, I would like to congratulate you for a job well done on your mission."
Hearing the praise from Solgen herself, Isaac replied with a cocky attitude. "It was no sweat at all since, ya know, we're strong."
"Really now?"
Solgen slowly turned, her cruel smile lingering on her lips. A sense of dread came over me, and the clanging of alarm bells in my head demanded that I get away from this mischievous woman. Isaac had the same thought as he tried to leave first, which was a terrible mistake on his part.
"Yea, um… I'll be at the mansion now. Ciao!" Isaac nervously laughed. He only managed to take one step until Solgen gripped his shoulder.
"Hold on there, dear pupil. I'm not done with you guys. The first day of my personal training starts today. We have all the time in the world before Venny's finished."
Solgen snickered maniacally while opening one of her small portals. She then shoved me and Isaac into it and followed suit. When we opened our eyes, we found ourselves in an entirely unfamiliar area. We were sitting on a platform that stretched out for what seemed to be the length of a football field. On both ends were stairs that descended. The huge mansion we'd been staying at was standing to our left. On our right side lay a series of hills that led to a distant, inactive volcano.
"What the hell? There was an arena behind the mansion?" Isaac asked in astonishment.
Solgen frowned and said, "Duh. Did you not explore the backside? Enough of that. Let us waste no more time. I have already created a timetable for each of you. You will follow the schedule exactly. No slacking off. Take this."
She handed each of us a piece of paper with our schedule written on it.
"Why are the break times so short?" My brother growled. Isaac's eyes were blazing, and his hands were clenched, ready to rip the paper in two.
"You should be glad I gave you a break!" Solgen snapped. "I was deliberating whether you should get some rest between sessions. Should I just remove it altogether?"
"No, ma'am, I'm sorry for questioning you." Isaac kneeled in prayer, right at the smirking woman.
Noticing something absurd about the schedule, I asked a question. "Um, why is my schedule only filled with sparring/training with mana?"
Solgen turned away from Isaac, who was still kneeling. "Oh, that? It's because you will fight me with only your mana."
"…Excuse you?"
"No more questions! It's time to start!"
****
From the platform, Solgen's eyes were sharp and hungry, watching us intently. "Now, Laila, your magic. I want you to only fight using those mana blades! Any other weapon is prohibited. If you were to break this rule, let's just say your legs will probably fall off."
Hearing that threat made me almost piss myself out of fear. I don't want to know what the punishment is, and I never want to find out.
"Isaac, go ahead and begin."
Isaac was at the far end of the arena in a meditative pose. He gave her a thumbs up and started his training. His job was to build up his mana reservoir by casting spells and increasing the power until he succumbs to exhaustion. Poor him.
Solgen motioned to me and said, "Laila, it is your turn."
With a nod, I imagined myself holding the all-so-familiar katana in my right hand. In an instant, it materialized.
"Alright I'm rea-"
Solgen shook her head. "No. That is not what I want you to train with. I want you to create a thin, light blade."
Something thin? For what purpose? If she wants something small, then how about a rapier?
It took longer than usual since it was my first time forging one with my mana. After about thirty seconds, it manifested. Solgen gave me an approving nod.
"Perfect. I want you to use that as your main weapon from now on. Change it without my permission, and you'll be punished. Understood?"
"I understand."
"Now, attack me with all your strength. Don't hold back."
No need to tell me twice! Knowing how strong you are, I shouldn't charge in blindly. Watch her every move and counterattack once she strikes…
I cautiously moved forward, the mana rapier in my hand held up high. With a look of doubt etched on her face, Solgen tilted her head sideways.
"Are you trying to play it safe? That's a good mindset to have, but that's not always the case…"
She vanished from my sight instantly and reappeared at my side, slapping me on the back of the head. I massaged my throbbing head while glaring at Solgen.
"OW! What was that for?"
"If I was an enemy, you'd be dead right now. Your battle sense will need to be improved upon. Now, again!"
She backed away a few meters and beckoned me forward. Feeling slightly annoyed at the gesture, I dashed toward her and started thrusting the rapier. She was easily dodging my rapid-fire thrusts with ease while talking in a condescending tone.
"Is that all you got? You have done approximately twenty-three strikes and have not landed a scratch on me."
At my last attack, she simply sidestepped and pulled her leg out, tripping me. I toppled over and landed face-first on the hard ground, my nose stinging. Solgen stepped over, and I felt the weight of her body as she settled onto my back.
"While your speed may be adequate as of now, your fighting experience is lacking. This sparring session is for you and Isaac's own good. Speaking of your brother… Isaac! Come over here."
He was on the opposite end of the arena, testing out his magic and heard his name being called out. As soon as I saw his face, I knew he was on the verge of collapsing. His eyes were droopy, and he was caked with sweat. It took him a couple of minutes to reach us.
"Oh god, what now? I'm feeling light-headed, ya know?"
Solgen nodded approvingly. "Good. Fight through the exhaustion. I want you two to battle me at the same time. Use teamwork to your advantage."
Isaac scowled at the woman. "You want me to fight in this condition? Fine…"
Solgen finally rose from her fleshy chair, creating some distance between us. After getting up myself, Isaac trudged over to me.
"Now, after this, you'll take a slight break, and continue training your magic training on your own until you feel like dying. If you give up before the days are over... I don't have to tell you what happens next."
Isaac leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Laila, does she know how to teach students properly? I feel like this is her first ti-"
Isaac's sentence was disrupted when Solgen unexpectedly appeared in his view.
"Why are you taking your eyes off your enemy?" she taunted. It looked like she was about to go for another smack, but I expected she would do that. In a split second, I pushed Isaac and aimed straight for Solgen's head. I thought I had her in my grasp, yet she maneuvered away and launch a forceful strike to my stomach, which rendered me off balance.
"Predicting my movements while saving your brother from my attacks. Good! Keep it u-"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Isaac launched a surprise attack while Solgen was talking. He released a wide slash at Solgen's shoulder, but the woman calmly stopped the attack by grabbing Isaac's weapon with her bare hands.
"I saw that coming a mile away Isaac," she tutted. When she had intercepted Isaac's attack, I was already running at her with my mana rapier. I went for a thrust attack at her backside, but just like before, she stopped it with her hand.
"Good effort, but you'll need to be faster than that," Solgen smirked. Yet again, she tossed us aside like a bunch of rag dolls.
"Once more, you two!"
The sun was slowly sinking, casting its rosy hue over the sky, and the hours had passed in a dizzying blur. The grueling spar left me exhausted, but she still made me construct as many mana blades as possible. I was now rendered incapacitated, willing my legs to move.
"W-water…" Isaac croaked by my side. He sounded like a dry fish out of the sea. Not to mention his eyes were rolled up in his eye sockets. If he continued mana training any further, he might've started catching glimpses of the pearly gates. We were both lying flat on our backs, barely able to breathe and not able to move our legs.
I heard footsteps shuffling over to us. Solgen's pale face was twisted into a maddening smirk as Solgen stood over us.
"Congratulations on surviving the first day! Give yourself a pat on your back! Once you can move, that is. Up you go." Solgen effortlessly carried me and Isaac in both arms while walking toward the mansion.
"If you want any solace, my training as an Apithien was three times worse than what you're going through. I'm going easy on you guys for now, but as the day's progress, they will get more difficult. I must teach you as much as I can in this one month."
As she talked, Solgen flung the back door of the mansion. The way she worded herself sounded like she was pressed for time, and I didn't like it. I couldn't voice my thoughts as it was taking all my mental strength to not pass out from exhaustion.
Solgen gently placed us down on the hardwood floor of the mansion, near the lounge, and exited through the front door, leaving us behind. I thought she might've left something and went to retrieve it real quick, but when it passed the thirty-minute mark, I figured that was not the case.
"She really dipped out on us," Isaac mumbled.
"Yep," I whispered back.
By the time Solgen returned, it was already morning.
****
Waiting patiently in front of the smithery, I heard the tinkling of metal beyond the door in front of me. The chimney released a steady stream of black smoke, the stench of soot and ashes filling the air.
"Who is it?" The deep voice bellowed from behind the metal door.
"It's Solgen."
There was a pause, and the voice said, "Come on in."
Accepting the invitation, I opened the door with a light shove. I felt the oppressive heat of hot metal and coal invading my senses. Stepping into the black smithery, I noticed the warmth of the fire, as well as an array of tools and weapons, hanging from the walls and racks. A man with goggles and an apron was working furiously on an anvil, the forge blazing in the background.
"Venny, I came here to inform you about the weapons those two will use," I said at the front of the doorway. Venny, not pausing his metalworking, grunted in response. I took that as his way of saying go on.
"For the girl, I would like her to use a long, but slender weapon, as I feel she would get the most use of her abilities, especially her agile movements. I thought of daggers at first, but that would require using two hands and that is a disadvantage, considering her magic. The boy, on the other hand…"
I hesitated for a second, knowing what I was about to ask may be nearly impossible.
"You want me to create a weapon using Torqinite, is that it?" Venny finished. "No problem at all."
My eyes lit up at the joyful news. "Really? Is it possible to finish it in a month? It takes a lot more time to craft weapons using Torqi-"
"Don't worry about that. Just who do you think I am?" Venny smiled. He continued hammering away at the anvil. When I glanced over at the product, I noticed Venny carefully hammering the steel, creating the shape of a longsword.
"I'll start on them right away, but I would like to ask you a question about those two…"
After he finished the hammering process, he wiped away a bead of sweat on his brow and turned to face me.
"How much have you told them about the Pillars...?"