Master Renald led Oasis through the throng of people, making their way toward a particular stall at the far end of the market near a building.
The stall was run by a blacksmith known for his exceptional craftsmanship in creating weapons.
The blacksmith was a burly man with a thick beard, his face weathered from years of working the forge.
Behind him, a display of swords, each one a work of art, gleamed in the lantern light.
"Ah, Master Renald," the blacksmith greeted with a nod. "What can I do for you today?"
"We're here to get my disciple a sword," Master Renald replied.
The blacksmith eyed Oasis, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Well then, let's find you something special," he said, turning to his wares. "You any good with a blade, lad?"
Oasis nodded. "I'm learning, sir."
"Cool, cool. Come this way, lad," he spoke as he got out from behind the stall and led the way to the store behind him. Above the entrance, a sign read 'Divine Forge.'
"I'm not just a blacksmith; I'm also an artifact refiner," he said.
"Kara!! Kara!!" the old man called out.
"Yes, Master," a girl with short brown hair and striking beauty answered, approaching them inside the store.
Kara had keen eyes and an aura of calm competence.
Her hands, though delicate, bore the calluses of hard work at the forge.
"This is my disciple here, Kara. She is a second-year practical student and specializes in artifact refining," he introduced.
"Kara, this young boy here is Master Renald's disciple, so help him with choosing a suitable sword for him," he commanded.
"We old men will be catching up," the old man said as he left the shop, leaving Oasis and Kara alone.
"This way," Kara spoke to Oasis as she pointed the way.
They walked past a row of ordinary weapons and reached a section with more distinguished, unique items.
"This row consists of artifacts. Every sword here is an artifact, so choose carefully," she said.
"My master said you must take your time, so relax," she continued.
"You look too young to be doing practicals; you must be doing your theory by now," she remarked.
Oasis didn't reply as he continued browsing, looking for a suitable weapon to his liking.
After a few breaths of having Kara's constant chatter as background noise, he stopped.
"Here, this one will do," Oasis said, pointing to a sword.
The weapon he selected was a magnificent scimitar.
The scimitar's design included a sleek, sharp blade with a series of small holes near the spine for better aerodynamics and a reinforced hilt wrapped in black and red leather, providing a firm grip.
Its unique shape and balance made it perfect for fast and agile strikes.
"Damn brat," Kara thought.
"Ohh, nice choice. This one was made specifically for fire martial artists."
"Since you are Master Renald's disciple, I guess you are a martial artist who uses fire," Kara said as she held the sword.
"Here, try it. This is not an ordinary sword; you have to refine it before you can fully use it," she said as she handed the blade to Oasis.
"Wow... not bad, I like it," Oasis said as he examined it.
"You can talk, huh?" Kara replied. "What's your name anyway?"
"Oasis Volacris," he answered.
"Ohh, Oasis... that Oasis," she said, recalling rumors about Oasis Volacris who aced the theory exams and won a duel against a second-year practical student.
"Here, this is a gift from me. I refined these."
"They are not high-grade, but I will upgrade them as my skills rise... for now, I can make low-grade artifacts,"
she said, handing him a pair of fingerless gloves and a waist belt that was suitable for holding sheathless blades like the weapon Oasis chose.
"For free?" he asked.
"Duh, gifts are for free," she replied.
"You know, Kara, favors are deceitful," he said as he also took something from his bracelet.
"Here," he handed over a pill from his storage bracelet.
!!!
"Wow, this is a high-grade pill... do you know how much this costs?" Kara exclaimed.
"This is the Mana Heart Purifying Pill. It's worth about 10,000 gold coins," she added.
"Yeah, it's a gift for you," Oasis said.
As he left the shop, Kara trailed behind him, talking non-stop yet with a lot of thoughts about oasis's identity.
"Here," he showed the old man the sword.
"Damn it, he is ignoring me," she thought.
"Ohh, nice eye, lad," the blacksmith said.
"I refined this sword when I was still young. This sword is a high-grade artifact," he continued.
"I named her 'Kaze no Kagutsuchi'."
"This sword was made from a claw of a wind dragon I got from an auction,"
"so it is suitable for fire magic since the blade can handle the flames and the wind magic in it can enhance the flames," he explained.
"This sword is suitable for both martial artists and battlemages."
"By channeling mana into the sword, you can use the wind magic in the blade without being wind-attributed."
"The more mana channeled, the more powerful the wind magic," he added.
"Wow, this is the best weapon for me since I don't want to show those who don't know that I can use magic spells."
"I can use my wind magic while using this sword," Oasis thought.
"Here," he handed it back to Oasis, who put it inside his storage bracelet.
"I will attach it to the belt as soon as I refine it," Oasis thought.
"Oasis, head back to the garden. I still have some business here," Master Renald said to Oasis.
As Oasis started moving from Snow Valley, just before he went out of the marketplace, he felt a familiar energy.
"Definitely, that's Amilia's energy," Oasis thought as he moved toward the direction he felt the energy.
As he reached the place in Snow Valley, he found Amilia in a duel.
The scene was chaotic, with many students watching.
This was happening in one of the open training fields in Snow Valley, which were scattered throughout the vast Vardetial Academy, allowing students to duel anytime.
From Oasis's perspective, Amilia was fighting a second-year practical student.
She was being bullied, and the fight was one-sided as the guy was toying with her, yet she wasn't giving up.
"Damn it, that instructor is not stopping the match. What's wrong with him?" Oasis thought.
"Enough!!!!!" Oasis roared, releasing his energy.
!!!