"Who are you? Who sent you?"
Ulysses challenged, his sword threateningly close to Arlo's neck.
"Who sent me? Chief Jacob is the one who sent us, I assure you,"
Arlo responded, taken aback by the intensity of the situation and the chilling sensation of the blade against his skin.
"Don't play games with me. Are you a spy from the Yusaf Clan?" Ulysses' anger was palpable.
"I genuinely don't understand why you would think that. I have no affiliation with this Yusaf clan you mention." Arlo's voice wavered slightly, betraying his anxiety.
Arlo contemplated disarming Ulysses and turning the tables, but the predatory look in Ulysses' eyes held him back. It was the gaze of a beast sizing up its prey; any sudden movement would trigger an attack.
"Even Shaman is unaware of my shield-making skills. How did you find out? Don't feign ignorance," Ulysses pressed on.
Caught off guard, Arlo retorted, "You're misunderstanding. I asked for a shield because you're a blacksmith; it's what you do. Why this sudden suspicion? You're letting your paranoia get the better of you."
Ulysses scoffed, "A misunderstanding, you say! Look around you, at these walls, at the weapons Shaman brought here. Do you see a single shield? No. Yet you specifically requested a shield, as if you knew I specialize in them."
Unable to counter Ulysses' argument, Arlo fell silent, which Ulysses interpreted as a tacit admission of guilt. "So you've accepted your fate then."
"I noticed shields in the hallway when we walked in," Arlo quickly interjected, causing Ulysses to hesitate.
Arlo elaborated, "All those swords and shields were crafted by you and another person, weren't they? Some had a polished finish, others were rougher."
During his stroll down the hallway, Arlo had used his status window and noticed two recurring names:
[Crafted by: Ulysses]
[Crafted by: Ian Ulysses]
Initially, it seemed insignificant, but now it was a lifeline.
Hearing Arlo's explanation, Ulysses sheathed his sword and offered it to Arlo as an apology, saying,
"For my disrespectful behavior, please accept this sword as a token of my sincere apology."
Once Arlo accepted the peace offering, they returned to the reception area where Remi and Shaman were waiting.
"I've filled Shaman in on our requirements. We'll get back to you about the core materials tomorrow. For now, let's settle the cost of the sword," Remi suggested.
Ulysses grinned, "No need for that. I gifted the sword to Arlo, consider it a symbol of our newfound friendship."
Shaman, irate, charged at Ulysses and landed a punch in his stomach, bellowing,
"Who gave you the right to make that decision, you melting hippo!"
Remi stepped in to defuse Shaman's outburst, "We insist on paying in full, please, no more fighting."
Shaman responded firmly, "We stand by our word," and delivered a slap to Ulysses' face, adding,
""We will call you tomorrow, don't worry about it. Now, please leave. We have business to discuss."
After they departed, the sound of Shaman's punches reverberated through the small room, punctuated by the repeated utterance,
"Canned food!"
Arlo and Remi then retired to a nearby hotel for the night.
---
The following day,
"Are you certain you want to return there alone?" Remi expressed his concern.
"I've explained this multiple times, I already have a specific core material in mind. I'll purchase it, deliver it to Ulysses, and be back within the hour. How many times must I repeat myself?" Arlo grumbled about Remi's incessant worrying.
"At the very least, take this phone with you. Remember the dealer said he'd contact us about a potential buyer? What if he calls and you're not here? Use your head, idiot," Remi's frustration was evident.
"There's no need. A phone is still a piece of Innovators' advanced technology," Arlo countered.
"You're such a hypocrite. You took a train to get here, and you're selling Mage and Innovators' weapons to buy regular ones. Why? Enough with the stubbornness. There's a limit to everything," Remi snapped, hurling a phone at Arlo.
Arlo caught it mid-air and pocketed it. As he was about to leave, Remi suddenly remembered something he had said earlier, "Selling Mage and Innovators' weapons!"
Remi mused, 'Is that why you decided to sell those weapons? Because they're Mage and Innovators' weapons.'
A few minutes later,
Arlo arrived at Ulysses' workshop, pushing a large trolley briefcase. It was quite a sight in the cramped space.
"Planning to arm an entire battalion, are you? Why so many?" Ulysses quipped.
As Ulysses opened the briefcase, he was greeted by the sight of a black crocodile scale.
It was a Mera Crocodile Scale, a reward Arlo had received for completing a side quest in the dungeon. This was why he didn't want Remi to accompany him, among other reasons.
"AHHHH..."
Shaman let out a childlike squeal at the sight of the irregular, diamond-shaped clusters with black substance splattered on the skin.
Ulysses, grinning from ear to ear, declared, "I will forge the finest regular weapons the world has ever seen."
"Thank you, and here's the advance payment," Arlo handed it to Ulysses, who was about to refuse when...
Shaman quickly clamped his hand over Ulysses' mouth, took the money, and said, "We'll notify you when it's ready."
As Arlo was about to leave, he remembered something crucial he had almost forgotten, "Ulysses, do you know how to make guns?"
Ulysses nodded in affirmation, despite Shaman's hand still covering his mouth.
"Then could you make a Ray Gun for me?" Arlo requested.
Shaman responded, "Sure, why not? But you'll have to pay more in advance for that."
"HMMMM..." Ulysses grunted.
"Alright... then call Remi in a few days, not now, for the advance. But don't tell him why. Tell him I ordered an extract shield. Okay?" Arlo instructed.
Both Ulysses didn't question him and agreed to Arlo's request. Ulysses and Shaman began discussing how to forge a katana and its sheath, two Kukri, a shield, and a gun. With that, Arlo left the premises.
An hour after Arlo left the hotel,
"RING!" "RING!"
Remi's phone rang. He answered within two rings, as he had been expecting a call.
"Huh… Right now. Who is this buyer?" Remi spoke to the dealer.
The buyer was eager to see the weapons immediately, so the dealer urged him to come to the buyer's location.
They had even arranged for a car to wait for him in the parking lot.
Remi ended the call and dialed Arlo's number.
"RING!" "RING!"
The ringing seemed to be coming from inside the room. As Remi looked around, puzzled, he spotted Arlo's phone under the bed.
"F******************K,"
Remi cursed in frustration, unsure of Arlo's whereabouts or when he would return.
Without wasting any more time, he decided to go alone, leaving a note with the address details for Arlo on the bed.
Remi wondered, "Where did that bastard go???"
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..."
Arlo descended from the sky, enveloped by clouds.
[End of Chapter]