After finishing the dagger, I went to eat at the Mess Hall. Magnar left earlier, after we tested the blades cutting strength.

  The food there was… generously put… unpalatable. The taste was either missing or it indicated that the food was just about to be deemed spoilt. At the very least they did somehow, through some miracles, manage to offer the possibility of a balanced diet, by compensating the absence of meat with beans.

  Those beans were the only food I considered edible here. They were almost white, having a purplish tint to them, long and spindle-shaped. They had no curve and stood straight. The dish they were made into was a kind of broth, with nothing more than salt in it.

  After my first meal, that was a complete failure for someone like me used to good food, I asked around and started eating only this. Of course, every few days eggs appeared as a morning dish, that was when I changed my diet a bit, but aside from this… Complete monotony.

  I took a portion of spindle beans and found myself a seat. Although bad, the food here did help me. After all I did not have to spend my time cooking… and it was free. Were I to cook myself I’d have needed Magnar’s help way faster. Not just that but the forge would have been delayed by stove building.

  In the end I could not complain about it. ‘This is all that is possible.’ After I thought this, I raised my spoon to my mouth and took a sip. The beans had a sweet and earthy aroma, that complemented very well the saltier broth. It could use more flavor, but it was not bad.

  Unlike the other foods… Soups that used were just some water boiled with whole vegetables. I thought the rations on the road were bad, but this was even worse.

  I finished eating and returned to my tower. The setting sun painted the tower golden. The smoking chimney of the forge was shadowed by the tower. A representation of duality, half the tower painted in golden light, half dark, visible through the golden rays passing through the slight smoke.

  The image returned to normal just as suddenly as it became enchanting. A gust of wind, as if commanded by the rays of the sun, scattered the smoke and broke the illusion. A smile formed on my lips. Even with the still broken roof, this was now my home.

  I took a shower and went inside. Steam rising from my body as I used aether to dry. I went to the second floor and sat on the floor, resting my back to the bed sinking in meditation. Later, when the room was already enveloped by the darkness I climbed into bed, and slowly slipped into sleep.

  The second day I attended classes then hurried to the market. Magnar came with me, interested in how much my dagger could fetch. Fjorn taught me everything and helped me form my skill with the hammer, but he never told me how to appraise the value of my craft…

  Considering that the dagger was an artifact that stood at the peak of the second grade, it could not be sold in an ordinary shop, so we went to a high end one, targeting mages, mercenaries and nobles.

  “Do you think this one’s good?” I asked Magnar while standing before a smithy.

  “Why are you asking me? You’re the expert.”

  “Guess you’re right… Well, here goes…” We went in.

  I did not go straight to the counter, but first browsed the items on display a little. Most weapons had special bone handles or staffs. It came from beasts. There were several bows too, those used tendons as strings. Overall the merchandise was clearly better than my dagger, but all blades on display here were inferior. A perfect place to try and sell my dagger.

  I walked to the counter followed by Magnar. Once again, I was in a situation where I was shorter than the booth, so the person standing there would have to look down at me. ‘Not a good start’ I thought.

  “Good afternoon, what may I help you with!” The shop keep ignored me and talked to Magnar directly.

  “We’re here to sell something. Or rather he is.” He said pointing the shop keep at me. “I’m tagging along.”

  “Oh? What is it that you wish to sell?”

  “This dagger.” I said whilst taking it out. I had used leather and a bit of metal to create a sheath for it. I pulled the dagger out of the sheath to display its surface.

  “Quite the beautiful piece I must say, but we do not accept normal weapons here, only artifacts.” Said the shop keep seeing the normal wood handle.

  “It is an artifact… Here, check it out.” I handed the dagger to him, handle first, holding it by the back of the blade.

  “Still, the handle pulls down its usability and value.” He said picking it up. He pushed aether through it and his eyes changed, his eyelids parting more and the pupils shrinking slightly a detail I didn’t miss.

  “A second grade artifact. Basic structure, interesting flow created. But…” He spun the dagger around. “There’s no craftsman marking. This will further decrease its value.”

  “Oh, please, you’re selling to fighters, it’s not some artwork. Anyone can tell how good it is by using aether with it. Also, it is at the peak of the second grade.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “I’m sorry, but that is not how it works. The mark represents trust. Its absence will inevitably decrease the selling price. Of course… That can be avoided if you tell me who made this.” A wide grin formed on his face.

  “I made it. Forged it yesterday.”

  “You? How could you make this?”

  “Just did.”

  “Who is your teacher? Were you never taught it’s not good to steal? I’ll hold onto this until he comes to claim it.”

  “I watched him forge it yesterday. Do you dare to steal the belongings of a student of the Academy? Threaten one?” Magnar intervened.

  “So, what if I do? I have reason to believe he couldn’t have forged this, look at him, he’s less than ten! How could he even be a student.” His aether started leaking out. He was at the peak of the second stage, his aether looked like rising stardust, glittering in the air.

  Magnar frowned. He pointed towards his golden thread.

  “Doesn’t this hold as a guarantee? You are down talking to a rare genius you know?”

  “A genius? Then I’m a domain powerhouse! Get out, you dirty poser, before I report y…” He was cut midsentence by my fist. He stumbled backwards holding the dagger.

  I also roused my aether. My aura expanded out of my body for half a meter, a normally impossible feat for a core formation warrior mage. I raised my hand to stop Magnar from talking and jumping on the counter to look down at the shopkeeper.

  “Listen here. It’s one thing if you insult me, but you also had to insult my friend and disrespect the Academy.”

  I jumped down on the other side and took the dagger from his hand. His eyes were bulging out looking at me as if I were a ghost and remained frozen after I took the dagger. Another jump got me in front of Magnar.

  “Let’s go, this guy isn’t worth our time. A complete waste.”

  “Losing a chance to cooperate with Fjorn’s disciple…” Magnar said. I threw him a side glance hearing that.

  After we left the shop I stopped him.

  “What was that about? Why’d you just throw out that I’m Fjorn’s disciple?”

  “Annoyed me. With his confusion and the way all I said until then proved to be real, I guess he’ll also believe that you learned under Fjorn. Let him go crazy with grief at the profit he’s losing.”

  I shook my head, my eyes going out.

  “Turns out you learn something new everyday… Where is this bit when Elian bothers you?”

  “I have nothing to attack him with… You are a ball of enigmas, however.”

  We continued looking around. Similar outcomes came from all the stores on the main road. Fancy weapons hung in all of them, with good materials used, yet the craftsmanship was lacking. Not obviously, but the trained eye could tell. In the end we left the main road, since the signs were repeating themselves and started looking for stores in the alleys.

  Eventually we left the market entirely and instead went to the gates. There, guided by hammer sounds we found a smithy. Three people were working. An old man set the tone with a small hammer while a young muscular person struck the metal in the points pointed by the old man. The third guy was maintaining the fire of the forge, heating billets and using bellows to pump air.

  It was obvious the forge design was inferior, using a side blow and a direct chimney. Smoke was raising up from the fire and filling the area, as the draft created wasn’t strong enough to pull all the smoke. But I wasn’t here to fix their forge. We waited until the hammering stopped.

  The old man came forward to talk with us.

  “What brings you here? Is there anything that caught your eyes?” He said gesturing to the weapon racks and the armor stands.

  “I’d like to sell this dagger I forged.” I handed it to the man.

  He pulled the dagger out of the sheath and looked at the blade. He lightly tapped the cutting edge. A pearl of blood formed on his fingertip and his eyes lit up. He sucked on the cut finger, then after the bleeding stopped, he pinched the blade in the sheath and pulled on the handle.

  “This is good, very good. The handle is well fitted, and the blade is sharper than anything I’ve seen. Did you say you made this?”

  “Yes.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Eight years old.”

  “Your master must be very proud of you. Goran, Kester, come here and see this.”

  “But the forge?” asked one of them.

  “Leave the forge. What does the fire die in two minutes? Just move your asses here when I tell you to!” The two came over and the old man passed the dagger to them. “Look at this. The boy made it! How long have you worked under me and yet you’re still unable to make a damn billet right!”

  Goran and Kester looked at the dagger ignoring the old man. One of them grazed his forearm with it and looked at the residue gathered on the blade at the end. The other put the dagger on his finger,where the handle met the blade and it stood without tilting.

  “Damn this is good…”

  “It’s an artifact too. Peak of the second grade, never thought I’d see one this well-made and with no attributes in my life.” Added the old man.

  “How did you know it’s at the peak of the second grade? You never pushed aether through?”

  “Artifacts hum on their own. Those that are experienced can feel that natural flow inside without trying. It’s a vibration anyone can feel.”

  “So… Would you sell this dagger and any other items I craft?”

  “If the quality doesn’t drop, sure. But I’ll take a cut from the price. Twenty percent.”

  “Hm…”

  “Don’t push it. The stores at the market take half the price instead.”

  “So how much for the dagger?”

  “It will fetch at least a gold coin. A veteran adventurer looking for a low-profile defense weapon would appreciate it. Perhaps a bit more due to the beauty and quality of the blade.”

  “Alright. Then give me the money now, anything over a gold coin you can keep. It basically comes down to your haggling skills.”

  “Sure. Goran, go bring the money, eight silver.”

  “Right away, master Heston.” As he said this, the big guy who was hammering with him earlier went in the house in the back and came back with the money.

  “Thanks.” I said, counting the coins.

  “Pleasure doing business! You should come up with a sigil to brand your work. That way you can earn in more based on trust and reputation.”

  “I will!” I said as I turned around to leave. “Have a nice day!”

  Magnar followed after me as we departed and went towards the Academy grounds. I pulled out two more silvers from my pouch, then handed all ten of them that I was holding to Magnar.

  “Here, I paid back your investment.”

  “Faster than I expected… But do you still have any money left? You still need to fix the roof and you mentioned building more.”

  “Don’t worry, I only used a third of a sword billet to make that dagger. I have plenty of coal and some coke still left. Even if I had nothing right now, I can still make more money over the next few days.”

  “That’s good.”

  We walked back. This time I even splurged a bit on a tavern where I bought some real food. The first good meal I had since I left Rovandel. However, seeing the final price however, I regretted inviting Magnar and saying I’d pay… Two large coppers were gone just like that.

  We returned to the tower together, ready to discuss the next steps of renovation, yet in the courtyard a golden surprise awaited us…