"So, tell me this. How do you plan on being a prince, and a crime boss?" Thordin finally asked after getting over himself, but I just shrugged as I looked around the shop for a material to make a mask out of.
"I will just act like a cute 8-year-old in the castle, and a masked demon while I am in the underbelly of the city. It's not like any ever has anything for me to do. Plus, I only plan on going out during the night. During the day I need to be spending time with my wife-to-be, and doing whatever I want here."
"Creating a dual life, huh?" Thordin grumbled, crossing his arms as he tried to process my reckless plans. "It's dangerous..."
"But isn't living always dangerous?" I countered, grinning again.
Seeing my resolved look, Thordin only groaned and started muttering something in his beard. After a few seconds, he picked up a piece of blackened metal and threw it my way.
"Here," he said, an annoyed but resigned look on his face. "At least do it right, dumbass. That's Shadowmetal. It adjusts to the shadows around it, making it ideal for a mask."
"Shadowmetal?" I echoed, my interest piqued as I reached out to catch the metal. As soon as my fingers came into contact with it, I felt a strange coolness seep into my skin, as though the metal itself was alive. Holding it up, I watched as it mirrored the movements of my hand and shifting shadows, constantly changing yet remaining hidden.
"It won't make you invisible, though," Thordin added from his spot against the wall. "It just makes it more difficult for others to clearly see your face. Perfect for what you have planned."
"And how do you know so much about this?" I asked, grinning widely at Thordin as I started to mold it into a fitting mask for myself.
"Eh, I just might have had some crazy adventures in my younger years." He shrugged, but his cheeks reddened, and I snorted in laughter.
"Alright, old man," I said, and then the notification from changing the piece of metal to a mask for me to wear.
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| Crafting Successful: | Shadowmetal Mask Lv.1 |
| Crafting Experience Gained: 1000 |
| Your level has increased by 2! |
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Before it could block out all my sight, I closed my status without looking at it. "Bah! All these damn skills are giving me a headache," I complained, but then narrowly avoided a slap from Thordin.
"Don't whine! I would give my right and left testicles to have a class like yours! Damn child!"
"Alright old man," I laughed, running a hand over the now-smooth mask, marveling at how the shadows played off its surface. "Make sure to guard your precious jewels!"
Thordin grumbled and went back to his work, a fond smile playing on his face. I had a strange feeling, something I hadn't felt in a while. Was this what having a mentor felt like?
For a while, I worked in silence, slowly shaping the mask. I wanted it to be perfect, a reflection of the man I once was and the child I had become.
As I finished my mask, I carved elegant, abstract patterns around the edges, a nod toward my old world and my new beginnings. Satisfied, I slid it onto my face. The metal felt surprisingly light, and cool against my skin.
The mask fits perfectly. My face was obscured, just enough for my identity to be hidden, but not enough to deter recognition. When my new persona took over the Velum underworld, I wanted them to know exactly who was responsible.
"So this is Dante," I murmured into the empty room, removing the mask and replacing it in a hidden drawer. As Gideon, the prodigy child of the Vienerstien Kingdom, I would court the princess, train and charm the nobility. But as Dante, the underworld would be mine.
As I went to retrieve my weary body from the workshop, I smirked at the reflection I caught in the mirror. From a construction worker to a prince, and now a crime boss? From fart to shart, I was sure to make a mess somewhere along the way.
"Any other fancy items? While I am pretty strong, having a weapon might be nice if I get myself into a pickle, right?" I asked, and the dwarf gave me a flat look.
"Do you even know how to use a sword?" Throdin asked skeptically, and I gave him the middle finger.
"Why don't you ask your mother?" I taunted, shaking my hips around, pissing the dwarf off far more than I thought it would have, and a wooden sword flew across the room at me.
It was coming at me fast, but I was able to easily catch it. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to enjoy my fancy catch as Thordin came at me with a metal double-bladed battle ax.
"Are you out of your mind?!" I shrieked, just barely deflecting his first swing. "That thing is made of metal!"
"And? Aren't you supposed to be a prince, boy? Or are you not man enough?" Thordin roared back, swinging his daunting battle ax again.
Driven by a surge of sudden adrenaline, I sidestepped his follow-up attack, blocking another with my flimsy wooden sword. Notching my brows in concentration, I parried the heavy attacks, while simultaneously gauging Throdin's impossibly fast movements for a dwarf. The old codger was a lot livelier than I had thought.
Each swing increased my swordplay level, and my stats rose each time. It was like I could slowly feel the dwarf getting weaker, but the truth was that I was getting stronger! Not only that, but I was gaining a bunch of other skills as well!
After a few more rounds of intense wooden sword parrying against the ridiculously oversized battle ax blows, a burst of hoarse laughter boomed through the workshop.
"Heh, not half-bad, lad!" Thordin chuckled heartily, sheathing his battle ax. "You've still got a lot to learn, but it seems like the idea of a real fight fired you up." Then the dwarf's face went dark as he stabbed a finger at me. "My mother is a respectable woman!"
"Alright, alright. An apology for your mother. She raised a fine dwarf in you," I conceded, offering him a sardonic salute with my wooden sword. Thordin rolled his eyes, but there was an unmistakable glimmer of satisfaction in his gaze.
"Lesson one - always respect your opponents, on and off battle." He lectured his stern expression contradicting the earlier brawl. "Now go wash off the sweat, 'Master Craftsman'. Don't want to scare off the princess now, do we?"
"Says the guy who nearly hacked her future husband into pieces," I chuckled, but Thordin only replied with a wave of his hand. I grinned again, acknowledging his silent command, and turned to leave.
As I trudged back to my room, I couldn't help but ponder over the strange direction my life had taken.
From Dante, an average construction worker, I was now Gideon - the Master Craftsman, a prince, a potential crime boss in the underworld, and now, apparently, a swordfighter. My life was definitely taking an exciting turn.
"Who knows what's around the next corner?" I muttered to myself, a twinkle in my eyes as I unlocked my room. Besides, anything could happen when you were reincarnated as a prince in a world filled with monsters and magic. It seemed Velum had a lot more in store for me.