Once Arlo had exited the dungeon, Sven lingered above the clouds while Yoshi, the Ash bird, emitted a foul odor.
With some persuasion, Arlo managed to coax Sven down, and Sven took refuge in Arlo's shadow. This was a unique ability of Sven's, allowing him to conceal himself within the shadows of others. However, Arlo was at a loss as to how to hide Yoshi.
At present, Arlo was navigating through deserted alleyways. He couldn't detect Yoshi's stench, but according to Sven, it was akin to moldy wet clothes, only amplified a thousandfold.
"CAWWW!"
"Yoshi is tired," Sven interpreted. Arlo was still unable to comprehend Yoshi's language. Choosing an odd resting spot, Yoshi settled on Arlo's left wrist.
"Your claws are digging into me, Yoshi."
"SWOOSH!"
In an instant, Yoshi vanished. Arlo, taken aback, noticed a glow on his left wrist. He quickly opened the system window. Under the Subordinate Tab:
[Ash Bird: Yoshi]
[Child of Player 1:]
[Current Level: 1 Yoshi's level increases upon player level increases.]
[? Increase level to unlock Yoshi's info]
Yoshi's image was displayed under his status. Suddenly, a black prompt appeared:
[
[I hate both of you]
"Finally, I can understand Yoshi," Arlo sighed in relief, glad that he no longer had to explain Yoshi's existence to others.
Arlo headed straight for Ulysses, assuming that Remi would have vacated the hotel they had occupied six months prior.
Upon reaching Ulysses' place, he found it unchanged.
Arlo stepped into Ulysses' furnace room, where he found Ulysses and Shaman, both donned in eye guards and drenched in sweat, their clothes soaked through.
Shaman held a piece of red-hot metal, while Ulysses wielded a hammer. Seeing them engrossed in their work, Arlo decided to wait at their reception desk.
After a long four hours, Arlo dozed off at the desk.
"THUD!"
The sound of Ulysses dropping his hammer on the table roused Arlo.
"What brings you here?" Ulysses inquired, his tone stern.
Arlo had prepared a set of excuses for such inquiries.
"Actually, I've been away for six months assisting a client, but they stiffed me on the payment. Could you call Remi to come and fetch me?" Arlo responded.
Ulysses remained silent, his gaze fixed on Arlo. Suddenly, Shaman chimed in,
"Arlo, don't fret; your requests will be ready in a week. Remi mentioned yesterday that he'll be here in a week. Can you stay nearby until then?"
"Could you at least call him to send me some money to stay somewhere," Arlo asked.
Shaman opened a drawer, pulled out some money, and handed it to Arlo, remarking,
"Could you kindly leave now? Don't take it personally; we prefer not to have others see our work until it's complete. We believe it brings bad luck if someone interferes with our work."
As Arlo exited the premises without uttering a word, he could sense their dedication to the weapons they were crafting.
For the following week, Arlo aimlessly roamed the district, sightseeing with Sven and Yoshi.
Despite being in the inventory, Yoshi could perceive the outside world.
Finally, the day arrived to collect the weapons Arlo had requested.
Arlo entered Ulysses' place,
"Why don't you just drop dead?" Remi sneered from behind Arlo.
Without turning around, Arlo retorted, "Would that make you happy? I won't do anything that brings you joy."
"What a pair of weirdos!" Sven remarked, commenting on Remi and Arlo's exchange. Sven was still nestled within Arlo's shadow.
"Quiet!" Arlo yelled out of habit.
Remi, puzzled, said, "One thing's certain, every time I see you, you seem stranger than before. I definitely won't let you near my child."
"Oh, really? So, did a little peacock or wolf get born yet?" Arlo teased.
"I'll strangle you, you bastard," Remi grumbled, and stormed into Ulysses' place.
"Hey, tell me what happened with the baby," Arlo pleaded for Remi's response.
"Another three months until the baby arrives. We didn't find out the gender; we want it to be a surprise," Remi replied, a smile playing on his lips.
Arlo had been contemplating various excuses to explain his six-month absence, but so far, Remi hadn't questioned him about his disappearances.
"Welcome, Welcome," Shaman greeted them, but Ulysses was nowhere to be seen.
On the reception desk, a katana, a shield, and two kukris were displayed.
Arlo picked up the katana and gently ran his fingers over the sheath. He could tell it was made of rough, uneven crocodile skin, yet it felt smooth to the touch, indicating that it was lined with wood underneath. The green sheath hummed with the essence of nature as he traced his fingers over it before unsheathing the katana.
The hilt of the katana was entirely wrapped in crocodile skin, arranged in a specific root-like pattern for a secure grip.
The blade, with its distinctive curved, slender, single-edged design, measured around 80 centimeters. As Arlo gently touched the katana's edge, he felt a vitality and connection to the natural world. It emitted a sweet smell that he couldn't quite place. The blade's silver metallic color combined with green hues to give it the appearance of crocodile eyes.
Arlo set down the katana and picked up the two kukris. The kukris were nothing short of exquisite; the sword had a sleek and elegant design, with a sharp point and intricate detailing along its length.
The hilt of the sword resembled a crocodile's gaze, with coiling patterns that intertwined around the grip. At the base of the hilt, a piercing eye was embedded on each hilt, giving the impression that the sword was a living crocodile.
Remi attempted to pick up the katana, but Arlo swiftly slapped Remi's hand away and snapped,
"Don't touch it with your filthy hands, you peasant; you need to be at my level to appreciate this beauty."
"Here comes the younger self, Arlo, Shaman, let's run," Remi teased Arlo, as they playfully bantered. Arlo was about to pick up the green shield.
"AHHHHHHH…"
Ulysses's voice echoed throughout the workshop.
[End of Chapter]