When we entered Caspara city, it was already night. We stopped in front of a delapitated building from which smoke was coming from the chimney as sounds of metals clashing can be heard.
Mother Helena rapped on the door several times before a stout, short man with brown hair answered. Standing at three feet tall, his brown skin had a hint of reddish hue. Silver strands, like threads of wisdom, intertwined with his hair, reflecting the golden flames of the forge with a gleaming radiance.
I was stunned to see a dwarf for the first time.
"old man Ed how have you been?"Mom greeted the dwarf elder casually.
"Ho ho ho, isn't it little Hela? How have you been little brat? It seems your wild nature from adventure days have been suppressed after your marriage!
Aah! How long has it been I saw you last time? Also did you gain weight?" Old man Ed joked.
Mom glanced at me and saw I was looking at her face. Her face slightly turned red out of embarrassment , thats what I thought. But the next second what I saw made my mouth wide open.
Hearing the old man's comment Zeun suddenly felt the air turned heavy and her face darkened. Helena's veins popped out '💢' on her head as a scary smile appeared on her beautiful face which looked more like a demoness with two red horns.
Shiver ran through the spine of both me and Mr. Ed's, as a delicate looking wooden wand as tall as 5 feets appeard out of thin air in Helena's hand. She infused it with mana and attacked the old man's belly. Ed's eyes wide opened at this unexpected turn of events he couldn't react in time thus got flown away by the hit.
*Boom* Crash *Boom*
I covered my eyes with hands as sounds of table breaking and metal crashing on the floor was heard. Peeking through the fingers what I saw made my face in ....(°•°) shape.
The stout respectable fasaad of the elderly dwarf was no where to be found as he was now looking like a begger with dark circles and tattered clothes. He was hanging upside down from a shelf as my dear mommy was whipping his ass with her wand, I couldn't help but felt pity on his miserable condition.
"Old hag, you still have that annoying behaviour of irritating me and getting on my nerves even when you gave grand children of my son's age"
"Heh! Look who is lecturing me, the old granny who got married at the of 70."
That shameless old man again said something to irritate my mother as another round of beating started.
'This fiery, tempestuous woman seems a far cry from the delicate, graceful mother I've known. Where is the noble lady who always showered me with love? It's challenging to reconcile the image of the elegant, gentle mom with this version of Helena.'
I gulped in fear and promised never to be on her bad side. But I discovered a very big secret that my mom was above 70!! She looked like in her prime at the early age of 30, her skin was remarkably smooth and flawless, seemingly enhanced by some mystical touch, making her radiance surpass even the most beautiful actresses with makeup on Earth.
'So mana reduces ageing huh? Interesting, I must do some research on mana in future.' Zeun thought to himself.
'Also it seems mom and this dwarf are close to each other. But aren't dwarfs aloof in nature and even the Kings and Emperors have to respect them when one wants to make a wepon or something... I read it some where. But what's this situation?' I asked myself.
Half an hour later mom I and Mr. Ed were sitting at the dinner table. I was having milk and bread with honey on top of it. Old Ed and Helena had some kind of meat stew ,salads ,rice and sausage on their table as they discussed buisness matters .
I finished my dinner early and ask "Mr. Ed can I looked around your house?"
Mr Ed pondered for a while as if debating whether it would be ok or not then said " ..... You may tour around but don't touch or go near the shelves, some of them has magic wepon which are harmful for those who haven't entered rank 1"
This was something that I didn't expect. I hesitantly looked at mom afraid that she wouldn't allow me. But to my surprise, she nodded with a smile. Overjoyed, I sprang out of the room with a gleeful face.
The had two floors and an underground place which was used as a storage room.
Ground floor had the forgery and shop. The shop was filled with various cheap iron wepons , whereas the more expensive and beautiful looking weapons where kept on wooden shelves attached to the walls. Bows , arrows ,swords ,great swords, maces rapier, Katana and many wierd looking wepons were hanging on the wall.
I moved to the first floor and peeked into the kitchen where mom and old man Ed were still discussing about something. I quietly moved away.
Upon entering the room opposite the kitchen on this floor, I found a bed bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through open windows. The room exuded a tranquil atmosphere, with curtains swaying to the rhythm of the wind. It held only essential furnishings—a wardrobe, a bed, and a table with a chair.
The next moment my eyes widen in utter disbelief. There it was, on the table, six blades hovered in the mid air, motionless yet gleaming in the dimly lit room with a silver hue. Their sharp edges pointed downward, delicately suspended by almost imperceptible, quasi-transparent threads. One had to keenly observe to discern the fragile support. The blades, resembling a fusion of shuriken and flying knives, exhibited razor-sharp edges, devoid of any blunt surfaces.
On Earth, I've always been drawn to Assassins. Despite their seemingly cowardly tactics, there's an allure in their single-minded purpose to kill. The swift reactions, speed, sudden bursts of power, and the ability to hide in shadows, akin to a black mamba ready to strike, fascinate me. In this child's body, I can't contain my excitement.
I could feel the dangerous vibe emanating from a delicate-looking weapon. Behind its appearance lies a power as lethal as a poison dragon, and its threads, though delicate, are 100 times sharper than obsidian on Earth. I am captivated by its beauty, my heart racing with excitement. Tempted to take the weapon, I snap myself back to reality, shaking off such thoughts of stealing.
I didn't check on the next room as my mind was preoccupied with the weapon I have seen, already imagining my self wielding it from the shadows. A wide grin appeared on my face.
I slammed the door of the kitchen open with excitement rushed towards the table where mom was sitting. Mr. Ed and mom was started at my sudden violent intrusion, but mom was not angry .
Seeing the excitement and a yearning desires gleaming in those bright ruby eyes of her son, Helena could not decipher what exactly his cute and intelligent son was thinking.
Because it was on of the few time Zeun had shown her this child like behaviour of his, as if longing for a new toy. This was the expressions he made when Zeun saw her using magic for the first time.
As a caring mother Helena's intuition was very right about her son as the next moment he blurted out what he wanted.
"Mom there is a wepon I want" asked Zeun with a bit hesitation after hardly suppressing his visible excitement.
"Hmm. A wepon huh? Is it a Magic Wand that you want? If so....I have much better quality ones here. I was planning to give you after you made your first circle but now is also ok...."
"Noo mom!" Zeun did not let his mom continue and added " I don't want a wand right now, what I want is a different wepon."
Now both Helena and Mr. Ed was surprised and stared at me with amusement.
This time Mr Ed questioned me "Ho ho... so if its not a wand then I guess its something that a mage generally does not use right? As my shop doesn't have any wepon for mages other than a wand.. So kid what's it that you want?"
"Yes its not a wepon used by mages. Its an assassin's wepon" I answered.
Silence hailed upon the room.... as Helena and Mr. Ed glanced at each other as if confirming something.
"Zeun don't you want to be a mage? Then why are you looking for an assassin's wepon?" Helena asked with dissatisfaction in her eyes.
'She must be thinking I don't want to be a mage anymore..' as I did not want her sad so I quickly replied.
"No mom I want to be a mage and discover new magic spells and circle but I also want to wield that wepon. Pretty please mommy I won't ask you for anything else than this. Please please..." I joined my hands '🙏🏻' and begged her with puppy eyes. Playing my cuteness card which have never failed me once while I grinned mischievous in my mind.
One has to know that most assassin's had demon bloods and half bloods thus giving them an affinity towards darkness element hence were able to use some dark and poison imbuded attacks.
Beings of demon races were looked down upon and sometimes even killed with out any words in cities. Thus demon half bloods in order to survive came together and formed an underworld guild "Black Dawn". Their only way of living in this cruel world was by assassination that were ordered by high nobles and royals.
Empire and kingdoms didn't take action against Black Dawn because they generally do not come in contact with general public and also they could commision Black Dawn to do the dirty work for them.
The leader of Black Dawn is a powerful Level 8 Grand-Lord Rank Saber User, making it tough for the Empire to take them down. Trying to eliminate Black Dawn would result in significant losses for the Empire, making it not worth the effort.