The children remained around him, admiring the sword. Adam held out the blade to each of them so they could touch it. They bounced eagerly, shouting in their tongue to one another excitedly. Even Taygak, Jaygak’s younger cousin, who didn’t like him one bit, was eagerly admiring the blade. She touched the silvery waves of the blade, pulled her finger back, expecting him to tell her off, before touching it some more when he nodded his head.

Turot stared at Adam long and hard, a suspicious look in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why did Saerat make a sword?” he asked, tilting his head.

“I asked her to.”

Turot’s lips formed a frown.

“What’s the…” Adam realised his folly. “Oh. Right. Sorry.” He brushed Turot’s hair. “Next time I’ll make sure I ask for an axe.”

Turot’s eyes remained narrowed.

‘Oops.’

Saerat eventually returned, holding up a small cloth bag. Within it were six round gems.

Currency: (2) White Pearl, (1) Silver Pearl, (1) Pink Pearl, (1) Gold Pearl, (1) Black Pearl

“Nice,” Adam smiled, accepting the pearls eagerly. ‘I needed one for Identify.’

“The pearls are worth a hundred gold each, the Black Pearl is worth five hundred.”

Adam stared at the pouch, which was worth a thousand gold. ‘I’m riiicher.’

“Rat owes one favour,” Saerat said, nodding her head.

“Great!” Adam said, nodding his head in return. He was still admiring the pearls, which were so beautiful. He wasn’t sure if he could bare to part with them.

Lucy cleared her throat, having watched the entire scene from afar.

“Ah, right.” Adam had forgotten she was around. “I need to buy some materials for your greataxe.”

“You can buy some from the warehouses,” Sonarot offered. “You will need to make a contribution to the warehouse, and whoever is working at the warehouse will guide you to which materials you will be able to buy. Jurot, why don’t you take Adam and help him?”

“Yes, mother,” Jurot replied, nodding his head. He wondered if Adam would allow him to carve the wood required for the greataxe.

“Sweet,” Adam replied, smiling. He strapped his sword at his side, wrapping it around his side. ‘I should get some white leather for a belt…’

“You need some white leather to make a belt,” Lucy said, staring at the sword at his side. “The sword belt clashes with the white.”

Adam nodded his head slowly, wondering if she was reading his mind. “What kind of enchantment do you want on your axe?”

Lucy sat up, suddenly more interested in the conversation. “I want it to turn into a pendant, no, a ring, so I can wear it with me rather than lumbering around with a huge axe. I want it to fire up too.”

Adam blinked, wondering how she had came to think of those enchantments together. “Alright, I’ll do my best. I’m not sure about the ring enchantment, I’m not that great at enchanting.”

Upon hearing what Adam said, Saerat turned and left, leaving the other Iyrmen to stare at him.

“I definitely want the ring enchantment!” Lucy threw up her fists and waved them around. “Axes are heavy!”

‘Hey, Bell, how difficult would that be?’

[You will need to average 21 across the entire enchanting process and spend 500XP.]

‘Sheeeeesh.’ Adam let out a soft sigh, staring down at the demon girl throwing a tantrum. “Alright, fine. It’s going to take forever, though, so don’t blame me.”

“You can take your time,” Lucy said, hopping onto her feet. “I’ll wait since we’re friends.”

Adam shook his head. He placed his pearls away into the blanket, grabbing a few of his Tiger Eye gems in order to pay for the items he needed.

Jurot led Adam to the warehouse, and Lucy followed after them, since it was going to be her axe. She noted the Iyrman which was following them, but didn’t say anything about it, assuming they were for her.

The Iyrman on duty, a man only a little older than Adam and Jurot, crossed his arms as he stared at the trio.

“He’s a nephew of the Rot family,” Jurot said, understanding the suspicion.

The Iyrman stared at Jurot’s tattoo for a moment, then his eyes fell to Lucy, who was smiling innocently at the Iyrman.

“She’s a guest, and the materials are for her weapon,” Jurot explained.

The Iyrman held out his hand.

“How much do you want to spend?” Jurot asked.

“I brought six Tiger Eye gems,” Adam said.

Jurot stared at him. “You want to spend six Tiger Eye gems?”

“Is that a lot?”

“Yes,” Jurot said. “That’s three hundred gold.”

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I was hoping to look around and let Lucy grab a few stuff and then pay after.”

The Iyrman sighed, motioning his head as he led them inside.

This warehouse was full to the brim with all kinds of wood and metal, though Adam noted some scrolls at the top shelf to the side as they entered.

“What kind of materials do you want?” Adam asked.

“Do you have any purple stuff?” Lucy asked the Iyrman, as politely as she could possibly manage.

“There’s purple heart wood,” Jurot said, pointing towards it from across the room, through several racks.

The Iyrman on duty led them to the section with the purple heart wood, where there were several racks of the wood within boxes.

Jurot smiled wide, staring at all the wood about. “Will I be carving the wood?” Jurot asked.

“I would appreciate that,” Adam said, nodding his head.

“I will do it,” Jurot said, nodding his head. ‘Purple heart wood.’ He grabbed a block of it and handed it to Lucy, once the Iyrman on duty nodded his head to allow it.

Lucy stared at the wood, and then nodded her head. “It’s good.”

“What kind of metal should we use? Puthral?” Adam asked.

The Iyrman scoffed. “Puthral?” he said, his voice low. “Puthral is hard to work with.”

“Yeah, no kidding. It was difficult to work with, but it turned out quite well.” Adam grabbed the axe he had made for Lanarot and revealed it to the Iyrman. “See?”

“You made that?” the Iyrman asked, a small smile on his face, but as he saw Jurot, who nodded to confirm the matter, his smile faded. “You can work puthral?”

“Yeah,” Adam said.

The Iyrman stared at Adam for a long while. His eyes fell back to Jurot.

“I’ve saw him make the axe,” Jurot confirmed again.

The Iyrman blinked. He turned and led them to where there was a giant pile of puthral.

“What do you think?” Adam asked.

“Can I swing that axe?” she asked. Jurot handed it over, and she swung it a few times. “It’s light.”

“That’s a property of the metal,” Jurot said.

She thought about it. If it was light, then she could carry it around in case Adam failed to enchant that effect. “Looks good.”

“How much do I need to pay?” Adam asked.

The Iyrman first brought out a slip, writing a few things down onto it. “You will need some more ore to mix with the puthral.”

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever will work well with it.”

“One hundred and thirty gold,” he said, writing down what Adam had bought, the date, the time, and what he paid with.

Currency: (38) Tiger Eye -> (35) Tiger Eye

“No, no,” Adam said as the Iyrman prepared some coins. “It’s alright.”

“You will donate twenty gold?” the Iyrman asked.

“Yeah,” Adam said, trying to form good will with the Iyr. He was rich enough that he didn’t need to worry too much about a handful of gold coins, especially if it meant that he was earning favour in the Iyr.

Jurot signed the small sheet of paper first, before Adam added his name below, and finally the Iyrman signed it.

With the formalities sorted, the trio returned with the materials. Jurot carried the wood and Adam carried a box full of the ore. Lucy whistled happily as they walked back.

“You sure have expensive taste,” Adam said.

“Of course!” Lucy grinned wide. “I am the Demon Lord!”

“Am I able to use a smithery?” Adam asked, having only just thought to ask.

“Yes,” Jurot replied. It was an easy enough matter to deal with.

“I refuse,” Elder Gold said.

Word had been brought to the Great Elders as they gathered around with the Chief.

“Why should we allow him to make a weapon for someone who proclaims herself to be the Demon Lord?” Elder Gold shook her head. “This is ridiculous!”

“He has used his right as the nephew of the Rot family to procure the items, and the Rot family is willing to vouch for him for one of our smitheries,” the Chief replied, simply. He had only recently returned, leaving Elder Peace to deal with the Aswadasad issue.

“And what a good nephew of the Rot family he was, procuring a sword!” Elder Gold spat. “It’s obvious that he cares little about the matters of the Iyr. I will use my right as Elder Gold to deny him.”

“Chief Iromin, since when have you allowed yourself to fall for an outsider?” Elder Wrath grinned.

“It is not a matter of allowing myself to fall for him, but that he is an impressive young man who is bringing forth great boons to the Iyr.”

“Do you truly believe he was responsible for the Big Ivory Forest?”

“He was the one to name it.”

“Naming something and bringing something into life are two very different things.”

“Elder Peace seems to like him,” Elder Forest said, smiling. “It’s just you and Elder Wrath who haven’t taken a liking to him yet.”

“I hear he often plays with the children of the estate,” Elder Teacher said.

“He is trying to win the hearts of the young! He’s a fiend, I tell you!” Elder Gold declared.

Elder Teacher raised his brows at her.

“You know what I mean.”

“I have heard what the children have to say, and it’s mostly positive.”

“They are children, of course they will like those who play with them!”

“Isn’t he a follower of Baktu?” Elder Teacher asked. “Why are you so suspicious of him?”

“There’s something off about him,” Elder Gold said. “Not only that, you say he met with the gods?” She stared at the Chief.

“He did,” the Chief confirmed. “I wrote him a letter to allow the Demon Lord within the Main Iyr.”

“Which is also troublesome,” Elder Gold said.

“After which, he told me he had dreamt he met with the gods, and that…” Iromin paused, realising he shouldn’t give that part of the story, before continuing. “Baktu gave an indication that he has a special relationship with the Iyr.”

“It’s just a dream, a coincidence,” Elder Gold said. “There is no way that’s true. He understood he needed an excuse as to why he knew that secret.”

“A secret how many Iyrmen know?” Chief Iromin asked. “Everyone knows Baktu favours us, but that he personally keeps his gaze on us?”

“He’s too smart for his own good,” Elder Wrath said. “He knows too much.”

“There are times when people meet the gods,” Elder Forest said, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s not out of the ordinary.”

“Yes,” Elder Gold agreed. “One or two at a time, not so many of them, and especially not those two Lords.”

“If Lord of Order was trying to kill him, he must be a threat,” Elder Wrath said.

“I understand why Lord of Order tried to kill him,” Iromin admitted, though from his look, they understood he couldn’t say why.

“I agree with Elder Wrath, he is too dangerous to be left alive,” Elder Gold said.

“He has yet to show himself as a threat,” Elder Teacher intervened. “If what he said is true, it was Baktu who allowed him to live, with Baltu’s assistance.”

Iromin looked to Elder Forest, who had yet to give her vote, but before she could, the Great Elders and the Chief froze.

A crimson snake appeared.

It slithered from the end of the courtyard towards them over the course of a minute.

It slid up to the table, and across it, before it slithered away.

The Chief glanced at Elder Gold. “Well? Will you deny it?”

Elder Gold sighed, resting her head into her hands. “No,” she said. “How could I?”

Iromin glanced to Elder Wrath expectantly, who shook his head. “Good,” the Chief said. “The matter is settled, and I will not hear it again until you bring something substantial forward.”

“For what it’s worth, I was going to vote against it too,” Elder Forest said. “He’s a half elf. We require those who know the tongue of the elves, and I am sure he would be willing to assist us in that regard.”

“Mark my words,” Elder Gold said. “He will be a bane to the Iyr.”