While I was lying on the couch in the perfect position, sleep overcame me, proving that I really needed to improve my stamina.
In the midst of my short nap, which lasted about twenty minutes, a cold hand touched my forehead, instantly waking me up.
"A 'horned one' finished her weapon. It's good to go see it," Freytan spoke with a spoon in her mouth, holding a wooden mug containing something resembling ice cream.
"Are you really going to insult every woman I show interest in?"
"What are you talking about? You don't want to have sex with the ' horned one ' too? So hurry up, because Amanda said she only sees you an information sheet, nothing more."
Impulsively, while smiling, expecting the worst to happen to me, Freytan bit the spoon, breaking it in half.
"Rudeness! You call someone a 'horned one' and now you're breaking other people's things. Are you really a swordsman?"
I got up from the couch, looking at Freytan's expression, as she held a half-broken metal spoon tightly.
I spat the broken piece on the floor; she stepped on it, arrogantly looking at me in a futile attempt to appear superior.
"Just go see your damn weapon, we need to get out of here soon."
"Alright, alright, madam. But remember that Amanda will find out about this spoon."
As I moved away from Freytan, I could see how she kept her eyes on the nearest exit of the forge, the window on the left wall.
' If I buy a new one, there won't be any evidence. Is that what she's thinking? ' I thought, giving a smile, almost turning back just to catch her in the act. But it wouldn't be as fun to do it now.
Upon reaching the door that led to the central hall of the forge, my ears were greeted only by heavy and panting breaths that grew closer. The door opened, revealing Scylla, covered in sweat, wielding a forge hammer so worn out that it seemed about to crumble into dust at any moment.
"So you finally woke up, Sleeping Beauty" Scylla said, with a breathless tone in her voice.
"What happened in this place? And how did you end up like this?" I asked, bewildered.
The forge was in a state of complete disarray and chaos. Tools of all kinds were scattered everywhere, piled up on workbenches and the floor. Mountains of metal and machine parts accumulated in corners and shelves, creating an undeniable visual mess. But nothing compared to Scylla's deplorable appearance. It was evident in every detail of her figure. Her face was covered in sweat, the skin pale and stained, betraying the exhaustion consuming her. Her normally silky and well-groomed hair was tangled and unkempt, sticking to her forehead and neck. Her clothes, once immaculate, were dirty and torn, showing signs of hard work and neglect.
Scylla's countenance was marked by fatigue and tension, with dull and lifeless eyes reflecting a mixture of frustration and determination. Her body, normally slender and agile, was hunched and stiffened by continuous effort. Every muscle seemed to scream with exhaustion.
Despite her deplorable appearance, Scylla stood there without complaining, radiating silent determination.
' What the hell is this? How did not only she, but the entire forge end up like this... now I understand why Jack Hamut seemed so terrified that day. ' While I thought, without uttering a single word, Scylla bit her lip and grabbed my arm, pulling me inside the forge, slamming the door shut and sitting down, leaning against the door.
"What you asked for is on top of this table."
Scylla pointed to a table on the left side of the room, against the wall, away from the heat and all the mess of the forge. On top of it, a yellow cloth covered the weapon she forged for me.
"Just know that I'll never do this again, now enjoy my masterpiece."
Scylla let out gentle sighs, remaining still to recover, while she watched me walk towards the table.
' Never again? Not at all, you'll be my main Blacksmith, so better prepare your tools ' I thought, already standing in front of the item I had been eagerly waiting for. Because of her words and the size of this item, it's definitely not a stinger. So, what did she make?
When I removed the cloth, the first thing my eyes found was an uneasy sensation passing through my mind. After all, what she had forged was not a weapon, but rather a piece of equipment, a pair of gauntlets.
' What the hell is this? I asked for a weapon, not equipment. ' That's what I thought to say, but soon my eyes lit up. This woman, she truly knows how to create exactly what her clients want.
The gauntlet would have its base predominantly white, radiating a feeling of purity and elegance. The white is soft and immaculate, giving the gauntlet a refined appearance. The surface is smooth and polished, reflecting the attention to detail employed in its manufacture.
Orange details stand out, adding a vibrant and energetic touch to the gauntlet's visual. The orange tones are intense and captivating, bringing life and vitality to the piece. These details can be seen in abstract forms or decorative patterns, such as sinuous or spiral lines, which skillfully interweave with the white base.
"Scylla, you really made a masterpiece."
Scylla gave a smug smile, remaining seated on the floor. She pointed her finger to the ceiling.
"Of course, after all, I'm the best of all blacksmiths. No one is as good as me."
"Really, I have to agree. After all, no other blacksmith would use parts of their own body in the forge."
Holding one of the gauntlets in my hand, I pointed to its base, looking at Scylla, who froze. If I looked at her ears, I could see the tips turning red.
"Is it that good? I'll always have the best blacksmith by my side."
That was unexpected. Throughout the game, I never saw Scylla use her horns to forge anything. In the game's story, the only time she did anything with them was to pierce the heart of the king's son. I remember that this part of the story was talked about for a long time, after all, it was from this moment on that the game's story started to become more interesting.
"Shut up, I don't know what you're talking about. I just used a unique material from my family, because I didn't want to tarnish it by using low-quality materials."
Scylla pointed to her horns.
"And you, are you blind? Can't you see that I still have both of my horns?"
Without saying anything, I put on the gauntlets, covering my legs and five fingers with golden energy. I took a step back and appeared behind Scylla, cutting her left horn into four pieces.
"Damn it..." This was the only word that came out of Scylla's mouth, who was now in shock.
I sighed, looking at the gauntlets, moving my fingers.
"Being able to cut something so resistant, yes, that is perfect."
Before I could react, my face was hit by Scylla's hammer, which threw me away, hitting a shelf full of shields and armor parts, which collapsed on top of me.
' Oh, crap ' I thought, lying on the ground, looking at the huge pile of metal coming towards me quickly. Choosing the most logical option, I brought my leg forward, appearing a few meters away from where the pile of metal had formed.
' This isn't a cartoon, for my plot armor to be so strong. I would be crushed if I stayed there ' I thought, touching my face, feeling a strong pain. By some miracle, I didn't lose any teeth or break anything. How is this possible?
"Ouch..." I groaned in pain, touching my mouth.
Thinking about it now, maybe I would be able to survive even if buried by the pile of metal. This body is stronger than I expected, but I'm not interested in finding out its limits.
"You pervert! Bastard! Afterbirth residue, what do you think you're doing touching my horns?"
"What? But I didn't touch them, after all, they're intact on your head."
Scylla, who was running towards me, stopped in her tracks, realizing she had been caught in her own lie.
' This useless noble, how does he know about my regeneration? ' Scylla thought, putting her hand in front of her mouth and clearing her throat.
"Whatever, just give me my payment."
' So you're going to try to change the subject? ' I thought, applying the golden energy to my face, relieving all the pain I was feeling.
"I almost lost the books just now, how strange, isn't it? Could there be a ghost here?"
Smiling, I reached for the bag at my waist, taking out the tenth volume and throwing the bag with the other nine volumes to Scylla.
"Hey, this wasn't our agreement."
"Of course, you wanted four volumes, and I gave you nine. So, don't complain."
"Tsk, it didn't work."
"What are you talking about? Of course, it worked. After all, you got five extra volumes and were also able to work with one of the flaws."
Scylla, who was crouched down looking at the books inside the bag, looked at me curiously.
"So you know about the others?"
"Shouldn't that be obvious? If I know about one, of course I would know about the others."
Placing volume three in front of her mouth, Scylla frowned.
"So you didn't just get lucky, huh?"
Scylla put the book back in the bag and closed it.
"Well, I'll be waiting for you then, whenever you want to forge something again."
Scylla picked up the hammer she had placed on the ground, pointing towards the door and with a smile on her face, she said:
"Now get out of my sight, you piece of shit."