It's a small world, for sure. I never thought I'd see something like this. Archduke Eldric Harrow, the one who betrayed and killed Sophia’s family, turns out to be the father of the woman standing before us, Ariella Harrow.
“It's nice to meet you too,” I say, bowing slightly to Ariella while holding onto Sophia’s hand, hoping she keeps her cool. “I'm Asteria, and this is my wife, Lisa.”
Ariella pauses for a second when she sees Sophia, looking a bit shocked. Has she figured it out? I wonder, feeling a bit anxious.
But then, she smiles, “It’s wonderful to meet you, Lisa,” and I breathe a sigh of relief. That was close.
“Thank you, milady,” Sophia says quietly, her voice steady, masking the storm of emotions I know she harbors.
With that, we sit down to get down to business. Ariella tells us to call her Arie, and I, in return, tell her to call me by my fake name Edward. Asteria is just a name I use for my enchanting work, like an artist’s signature. I can’t put Jack on them for obvious reasons, and I didn’t want to use Edward either, since it’s just a fake name that I came up with on a whim.
“Arie, thank you very much for buying my weapons,” I start.
“No, the honor is ours to acquire Master Edward's creations,” Ariella replies. “They are such masterpieces. The moment I appraised them, I instantly knew that they must be the work of a renounced Grandmaster.”
“I appreciate your kind words,” I reply. “Now, you mentioned you had a request for me?”
“Yes, indeed!” Ariella says. “I have an item that needs to be examined. Could you assist with that? I would be happy to compensate you for your time.”
“Oh, please, there’s no need for that,” I say quickly. “I don’t charge for enchantment examinations.”
“I see, thank you,” Ariella responds. “Just a moment, please.”
She then turns to the catgirl in maid uniform standing beside her. “Bella, could you bring the sword, please?”
“Yes, milady,” the maid answers before departing.
Shortly after, Bella returns, carrying the sword with her. It’s a two-handed sword, looks somewhat like a Zweihänder, and I'm impressed by Bella's strength to carry such a hefty sword despite her small body. As for the sword itself, although the blade shows some wear and minor chipping, it still maintains an impressive sheen. The design is straightforward: a basic metal guard and a plain pommel, which features a small, black gem, somewhat cracked on its surface.
“Master Edward, this is an ancient sword my father discovered during one of his expeditions into the ruins of an underground dungeon many years ago,” Ariella explains, extending the sword towards me.
As soon as I grasp it, an inexplicable energy emanates from the blade. My hand turns cold, a chill running down my spine. Is this what mana feels like? Despite my low magic ability, the sword’s dense mana is palpable, almost like a thick, cold mist.
“Before you proceed, may I inquire about your Enchantment Crafting level?” Ariella asks cautiously.
Her question catches me off guard. Why does she need to know my Enchantment Crafting level? But before I can make a reply, she elaborates, “It’s not that we’re prying into your personal information. It’s just that this sword has a very powerful Arcanum written on it, so…”
“So you’re concerned it might be dangerous for me to examine it?”
“Exactly,” she confirms. “It’s not a matter of trust in your skills, but rather taking necessary precautions.”
“Oh, don't worry,” I assure her. “I'll be fine.”
Holding the sword closer, I prepare myself for the examination. I take a deep breath and activate my UV sight.
But before that, there's something else on my mind. I'm aware that Archduke Eldric Harrow is also a Grandmaster Enchanter, so it's likely that he's already examined this sword. Then why does Ariella want me to examine it as well?
The answer is clear: this is a test.
As expected, there’s no way in hell I can take her two thousand golds that easily. Seems like Ariella isn’t fully convinced that I’m a Grandmaster just yet, so she needs to confirm that with her own eyes.
One of the cardinal rules of reading Arcanum is to avoid forbidden words – this includes enchantments that exceed an enchanter's skill level. For those who aren't at the Grandmaster level, attempting to decipher such powerful enchantments could lead to dire consequences, ranging from fainting in the best-case scenario to death in the worst.
But for me?
Of course I harbor no such concerns.
Despite the sword’s plain appearance, the enchantments are extremely intricate and beautiful. There are six enchantments in total. Four of them are really high level ones that I recognize. However, the remaining two are more complex. They are not mentioned in any of the books I’ve read, but since Arcanum tends to follow some sort of patterns, I can still make vague guesses about their true nature.
It's a small world, for sure. I never thought I'd see something like this. Archduke Eldric Harrow, the one who betrayed and killed Sophia’s family, turns out to be the father of the woman standing before us, Ariella Harrow.
“It's nice to meet you too,” I say, bowing slightly to Ariella while holding onto Sophia’s hand, hoping she keeps her cool. “I'm Asteria, and this is my wife, Lisa.”
Ariella pauses for a second when she sees Sophia, looking a bit shocked. Has she figured it out? I wonder, feeling a bit anxious.
But then, she smiles, “It’s wonderful to meet you, Lisa,” and I breathe a sigh of relief. That was close.
“Thank you, milady,” Sophia says quietly, her voice steady, masking the storm of emotions I know she harbors.
With that, we sit down to get down to business. Ariella tells us to call her Arie, and I, in return, tell her to call me by my fake name Edward. Asteria is just a name I use for my enchanting work, like an artist’s signature. I can’t put Jack on them for obvious reasons, and I didn’t want to use Edward either, since it’s just a fake name that I came up with on a whim.
“Arie, thank you very much for buying my weapons,” I start.
“No, the honor is ours to acquire Master Edward's creations,” Ariella replies. “They are such masterpieces. The moment I appraised them, I instantly knew that they must be the work of a renounced Grandmaster.”
“I appreciate your kind words,” I reply. “Now, you mentioned you had a request for me?”
“Yes, indeed!” Ariella says. “I have an item that needs to be examined. Could you assist with that? I would be happy to compensate you for your time.”
“Oh, please, there’s no need for that,” I say quickly. “I don’t charge for enchantment examinations.”
“I see, thank you,” Ariella responds. “Just a moment, please.”
She then turns to the catgirl in maid uniform standing beside her. “Bella, could you bring the sword, please?”
“Yes, milady,” the maid answers before departing.
Shortly after, Bella returns, carrying the sword with her. It’s a two-handed sword, looks somewhat like a Zweihänder, and I'm impressed by Bella's strength to carry such a hefty sword despite her small body. As for the sword itself, although the blade shows some wear and minor chipping, it still maintains an impressive sheen. The design is straightforward: a basic metal guard and a plain pommel, which features a small, black gem, somewhat cracked on its surface.
“Master Edward, this is an ancient sword my father discovered during one of his expeditions into the ruins of an underground dungeon many years ago,” Ariella explains, extending the sword towards me.
As soon as I grasp it, an inexplicable energy emanates from the blade. My hand turns cold, a chill running down my spine. Is this what mana feels like? Despite my low magic ability, the sword’s dense mana is palpable, almost like a thick, cold mist.
“Before you proceed, may I inquire about your Enchantment Crafting level?” Ariella asks cautiously.
Her question catches me off guard. Why does she need to know my Enchantment Crafting level? But before I can make a reply, she elaborates, “It’s not that we’re prying into your personal information. It’s just that this sword has a very powerful Arcanum written on it, so…”
“So you’re concerned it might be dangerous for me to examine it?”
“Exactly,” she confirms. “It’s not a matter of trust in your skills, but rather taking necessary precautions.”
“Oh, don't worry,” I assure her. “I'll be fine.”
Holding the sword closer, I prepare myself for the examination. I take a deep breath and activate my UV sight.
But before that, there's something else on my mind. I'm aware that Archduke Eldric Harrow is also a Grandmaster Enchanter, so it's likely that he's already examined this sword. Then why does Ariella want me to examine it as well?
The answer is clear: this is a test.
As expected, there’s no way in hell I can take her two thousand golds that easily. Seems like Ariella isn’t fully convinced that I’m a Grandmaster just yet, so she needs to confirm that with her own eyes.
One of the cardinal rules of reading Arcanum is to avoid forbidden words – this includes enchantments that exceed an enchanter's skill level. For those who aren't at the Grandmaster level, attempting to decipher such powerful enchantments could lead to dire consequences, ranging from fainting in the best-case scenario to death in the worst.
But for me?
Of course I harbor no such concerns.
Despite the sword’s plain appearance, the enchantments are extremely intricate and beautiful. There are six enchantments in total. Four of them are really high level ones that I recognize. However, the remaining two are more complex. They are not mentioned in any of the books I’ve read, but since Arcanum tends to follow some sort of patterns, I can still make vague guesses about their true nature.
