After fiddling with the details for a while, the master handed me the finished blade. By then, I had poured the bluish-white liquid from the vial into a stick with a diamond tip. The stick emitted a gentle hum as I infused magic into it. It seemed pleased to return to work after all these years. I took the sword from the blacksmith's hands and began inscribing intricate symbols on the blade. The bluish liquid remained on the edge in a thin stream, evaporating with a soft hiss, leaving behind sparkling white symbols.
"Hey, you're going to ruin the blade like that!" the blacksmith worriedly exclaimed.
"Don't worry; this is not a decoration. I know what I'm doing. If you come to the ceremony, you'll understand why," I assured him.
I covered both sides of the blade with two neat rows of inscriptions, so they mirrored each other. No human could read what was written, and not every dragon would dare to do so. Almost everything was ready; all that remained was to insert the catalyst stone into the base of the hilt, and the sword would be complete.
"Great work. I hope she'll like it. And don't forget to mention who forged it," the blacksmith said.
"Don't worry, I'll definitely tell her, but I have one more request for you."
I finished my tale, omitting a few details. Alfred clenched his teeth in anger. Out of the entire sword, only the guard was of external origin, but since Asura brought it from the dungeon after the battle, it could also be considered a treasure.
"Excellent work, young man. You did an outstanding job, albeit with some external help. Are you ready to sell it?" asked Alfred.
"Not yet. First, I'll fight Asura, if you allow me," I replied.
The rector nodded quietly and moved to the edge of the stage, nudging Alfred forward.
"Asura, show me everything you're capable of," I requested.
"Yes," Asura suddenly became extremely serious, with no trace of the girl who had cried over her broken blade.
I took out my two swords, and the battle began. Asura's fighting style differed from the usual; she moved swiftly around me, attempting precise cuts. However, for me, countering these attacks wasn't too difficult; the Tomb Guardian was a true master compared to Asura. It seemed she was intentionally holding back her attacks, not wanting to harm me.
"Come on, I thought you were stronger, or did your sword break because of your weakness?" I taunted Asura; otherwise, she would never fight at her full strength.
Asura started moving much faster, now aiming for vital points.
I noticed that the inscriptions on the blade finally began emitting bluish light. The stage cooled down, and small snowflakes sparkled in the air.
"Now we're talking; show me your clan's mastery," I encouraged her.
Asura's fighting style had many unnecessary movements. Sometimes she would swing her sword before an attack or do a half-turn when it wasn't needed. All this was meaningless in an actual battle, even though it looked beautiful. But I understood the purpose of it all when her sword regained its full power.
Waving her sword before an attack, Asura conjured a wave of ice shards flying towards me. I deflected them with my blades and charged forward. Asura created a wall of ice in front of her, against which my attack was shattered. It seemed the girl didn't even notice that her attacks were now accompanied by icy magic. Her ancestors who created this style were not only skilled swordsmen but also wielders of ice magic. They were accustomed to fighting with both weapons and magic simultaneously.
"Asura, show me your best strike, and we'll finish on that," I said.
"As you wish."
Asura lowered her sword and held it by the guard with her left hand. A rapid thrust that could cleave an enemy in half, now with the added ice magic, it was even more dangerous.
I stood with my arms crossed and both blades drawn back. When she made her move, attempting to strike with both swords like scissors, it wouldn't have helped against a regular attack. Still, against a magical one, there was a chance if I infused the swords with flames. Gathering all my strength, I directed the most powerful flames I could muster into the swords.
Asura's blade trembled, filled with energy, and a cold mist emanated from it, freezing the ground around. My blades were enveloped in black flames; I didn't feel their heat, but the proximity caused the stage to crack and crumble.
We both rushed forward in an instant, and the outcome of the battle was decided. A powerful explosion shook the stage, and the shockwave knocked down the front rows. When everything subsided, Asura and I stood facing each other. We were both unharmed, but a massive wall stood between us. Resembling a tsunami approaching the shore, the ice wall divided the stage in half. Its height was almost ten meters, but two thin strips of black flames restrained it from my side. I lowered my blades, and in a split second, the flames spread across the entire ice wall, shattering it into thousands of icy sparks.
"What was that?" Asura just noticed that her sword was glowing with a pleasant blue light, and a chill emanated from it.
"It's an enchanted blade. I inscribed runes on it using an ancient method and inserted a catalyst. If the owner fights with fire in their heart, it transforms into ice magic. I named it Cold Fury. I hope you like it," I explained.
"What? You can't do that; you spent so long making it," Asura protested.
"They were my trophies, so I can dispose of them as I wish. Besides... give me your scabbard," I took the empty scabbard hanging from Asura's belt and placed the katana inside. It fit perfectly, and I bowed gratefully to the nearby blacksmith, "thank our friend for this blade, the same size as the previous one. It's a bit heavy, but with it, you'll be able to fight at full strength."
Asura took the sword from my hands and hung it on her belt with a light smile.
"But it's not over yet! We are still participating in the festival, which means it's time to determine the price of this blade! Vina, it's your turn," I said.
Vina, who had stood there with her mouth open the whole time, finally regained her composure.
"Oh, Krito, Krito. Who behaves like this? If you destroy the entire stage, there'll be nowhere to negotiate," the petite merchant turned to the audience. The front rows had recovered from the collision and were waiting to hear what she had to say. "Ladies and gentlemen, behold this magnificent work of art. Just one of its materials is worth thousands of gold pieces. Listen to this: meteorite iron, the metal of the gods. It can cut through mithril armor like butter. And that's not all! A beautiful diamond adorns its dragon claw hilt. And most importantly, it's an enchanted blade! Many thought this art had been lost thousands of years ago, but here is a master who managed to revive it. This sword is unique; you can use it to crush hundreds of enemies or present it as a gift to a king, and both options will be a splendid investment. Think quickly; you don't have much time to buy it!"
Vina did indeed provide excellent advertising, but it was evident that Asura wouldn't sell the blade after the festival. It was her way of challenging Alfred and his family. Only a few hesitant bids were made.
"Fifty thousand."
"Sixty."
"Seventy."
Their offers were, to put it mildly, not very promising.
"What's wrong with you all? One metal alone is worth forty thousand, and you're offering seventy. What greedy nobles you've become," I remarked.
"Two hundred thousand for the blade!" A coarse, low voice came from the back rows. It belonged to a tall, muscular man with light hair and a short beard. He looked to be around thirty or forty, though he might have just appeared youthful. He wore massive chainmail armor with glimpses of fur showing here and there, despite the relatively warm autumn weather. A plate round helmet adorned his head, and on top of it sat a golden crown with large sapphires. "And three times more if the warrior becomes my warlord!"
"Who is this peculiar man?" I turned to Vina and saw a gleam of happiness in her eyes.
"You-yo-you mean you don't know? That's the High Jarl of the North. The ruler of Nordrune, Sigfrid. He's as rich as the King of Leran, even though he rarely leaves his lands. I have no idea what brought him here, but this is our lucky chance!"
Asura overheard our conversation and decided to join the bidding. She stepped down from the stage and headed towards the king.
"Your Majesty, you understand that I'm not intending to sell the blade, right?"
"Only a fool would part with such a weapon. Besides, I'm not skilled with it, so I wanted to hire you," the King sat on two chairs at once, and he was so big that he almost matched Asura's height while sitting.
"Then why are you offering so much money?"
"Because a good blade and skilled warriors must be duly valued! I've given my word, and I won't back down from it," the King fell silent and said nothing more.
"Thank you," Asura quietly thanked the King and returned to the stage.
"The deal is done!"
Vina looked up and saw that the positions of the snowy flowers had risen.
"Krito, I've realized something here," she said.
"What is it, Vina?"
"You're certainly commendable for giving this girl such a gift..." Vina looked at the fifth line: "BUT WHAT GOOD IS IT TO US!?!?!?!?"
"Don't shout like that; you'll understand in a moment. Grain, bring it out!"
"Forget it! You carry it yourself!"
Grain's strained voice came from behind the curtains.
"Oh, come on, you've already lifted it before."
"You try it yourself. It weighs at least two hundred kilograms!"
"Alright, I'll help you."
I went behind the curtains, and I heard Vina's words trailing after me.
"What are you planning now?"
Grain and I brought out an object, wrapped in cloth, onto the stage. The statue was quite heavy, and we had to find a spot on the stage that had suffered the least damage from the previous clash.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the final lot of the auction. A truly unique item, I must say."
I pulled off the cover from the statue, revealing a figure dressed in gilded garments, with two curved blades on its back and a huge golden mask on its head. Some in the audience recognized this "statue." And that "some" was now retreating from the stage with extreme caution.
"Where are you going, son of the inquisitor?" The "statue" turned its head towards the retreating Alfred and spoke with a sepulchral voice, "Or are you afraid of me?"
"Why should I be afraid... of you? And how did you end up here, anyway?"
The Rector, standing next to Alfred, merely smiled faintly.
"Don't change the subject, inquisitor. You looted my home and now pretend to be a fool?" The "statue" approached the mage, threateningly stroking the sword hilt.
"I-I-I'm sorry, sorry, I won't do it again!"
"That's better. This man, the Rector, violated the rules of the contest. When I challenged the strongest of his warriors to a duel, he sent all his guild members to attack me, while he took advantage of the open door to the treasury. While his warriors were distracting me, he took everything he could from the tomb. I even had to injure several people to throw that scum out of the tomb. I ask you to subtract those stolen treasures from his merits."
"How dishonorable of you to act this way, young man," the Rector snapped his fingers, and the numbers above Alfred's treasury rolled down. They stopped at 140,000 gold pieces, "This was a test of strength and skill, not treachery."
"But how did he manage to leave the tomb? He didn't chase after us!"
The guardian returned to me and said, "I trapped myself in the tomb, promising not to leave until a warrior stronger than me appeared. Besides, this young man is the first to figure out that when I say, 'You may take any items in this tomb', I include myself."
The "statue" took off the long robes and the golden mask. Now, she stood in a golden-colored loincloth and a short shirt of the same color. She wore a small metal circlet on her forehead, and her long hair was chestnut-colored. She was a woman!
"My name is Rumy. I am Golem Number 00000001. I don't know why there are so many zeros; my brother just liked them," the girl tapped her right side. Most of her body appeared completely human, like anyone else. Only her left side, from her heart to her waist, was made of dark black metal with a blue tint, "A long time ago, I suffered greatly in battle. I was struck in the heart, and a significant portion of my left side was burnt. My brother didn't want to say goodbye to me, so he used his knowledge and various magic to partially replace my body, casting a spell of invulnerability on the rest. I can live, speak, think, and even eat like an ordinary person, but I cannot die. I may be the only half-golem in the world."
It was difficult to determine Rumy's true age; she appeared to be around twenty years old, but her attire seemed to date back by several thousand years. Apparently, her foolish brother hadn't considered that after his death, her immortal body would be unable to perish alongside him.
"So, you've all heard it. This girl is a golem and undoubtedly the treasure brought out of the golden tomb by our brave co-GM. Today, you have the opportunity to acquire this marvelous work of golem-building art," Vina's excitement surged once again.
"Hey, I can hear you, you know," Rumy said quietly, ensuring only Vina could hear.
"Shh, the merchandise must remain silent while I bargain. Ladies and gentlemen, how do you like this formidable golem? Those of you who have been to the golden tomb know of her outstanding combat skills. Moreover, she is immune to magic, which makes her an invincible warrior. And the fact that she is made half of precious meteorite elevates her value to new heights."
"Are you selling me for scrap metal??" Rumy retorted.
"Quiet, I said. Make your choice, the unconquerable warrior by day," Vina playfully tapped on Rumy's metal chest, "and the affectionate girl by night," then she embraced the human half of the golem.
"I'll turn her off right now!" Rumy nervously raised her fist, but the crafty saleswoman swiftly dodged and continued her pitch.
"The unparalleled strategist with a thousand years of historical knowledge, she can be yours today!"
"Blimey, this is the first time I've heard of a strategist," someone remarked.
"Quiet, the most interesting part is coming up."
The crowd seemed to come alive, with every noble suddenly desiring a personal golem. Prices sharply rose.
"One hundred thousand."
"Two hundred."
"Two hundred fifty."
"One million gold coins!" The astronomical bid silenced the eager bidders. It amounted to half the annual budget of a large principality. Who could afford it? It turned out to be the man with long red hair I had seen before.
"DAD!!! I'll tell everything to mom," Seleria fiercely struck the unexpected benefactor's head. Indeed, it was Leran's king himself. He couldn't resist showing off his wealth.
"Oh, my darling, I just thought such a guardian would look splendid at the palace."
"And what if I tell mom? You bought her a birthday present ten times cheaper! She'll be furious with you!" Seleria menacingly shook her fists.
"I think she won't mind once she knows the money will go to support your guild."
"This is going too far!"
"Quiet! I've valued this golem at a million, and you won't convince me otherwise. Even if you weren't here, I'd still pay that much for her."
"Mmm," Seleria grumbled in discontent, but she didn't oppose her father's words.
"We are RICH! RICH! Krito!!!"
"But we won't sell her," I heard Vina's dreams shattering.
"Sorry, what did you say?"
"Thanks for the million, but we'd rather keep her."
"I invested so much effort in advertising her, and YOU!!! I WON'T FORGIVE YOUUU!!!" It even seemed to me that Vina started breathing fire. Girls can be scary when angry.
In any case, the auction ended. Now, it was time to see the results.