"Ugh…"
A sharp pain shot through Raymond's skull as he stirred, his tightly shut eyes fluttering open. His vision blurred for a mont before focusing on a familiar face hovering over him.
"Raymond, you're finally awake!"
The voice, warm yet tinged with concern, belonged to Arya. Her long, fiery red hair cascaded over her shoulders, glowing in the light filtering through the carriage.
"Arya?" Raymond mumbled, his gaze unfocused. Confusion swirled in his mind before the mories ca rushing back.
Right; after parting ways with Tresed and the others, the four of them had stocked up on potions and supplies before securing a carriage to Budak Village, as instructed in their letter of authorization. He had barely lasted a few minutes after boarding, his exhaustion catching up with him the mont he settled in.
No wonder. He hadn't slept at all the previous night, pouring every ounce of his strength into forging his armor.
"So… it was all just a dream," Raymond muttered bitterly.
Arya tilted her head. "What do you an? Are you feeling alright?"
Raymond exhaled, rubbing his temples as he sat up. "It's nothing. Just had two weird dreams back-to-back. Now I've got a splitting headache."
Arya didn't press further, though her golden eyes studied him carefully. She knew how much effort Raymond had poured into his equipnt, two sleepless nights at the forge, all for the sake of strengthening himself.
Before she could say anything, Sylph approached, arms crossed. "Raymond, are you seriously okay? You knocked out the second we got in the carriage. You didn't sleep last night, did you?"
Raymond let out a weary chuckle. "Not really. I was worried about getting up late and missing out on the cheap potions. You think I'd be able to snag these 'Primary Mana Recovery Potions' otherwise?" He patted his bag, where the vials clinked together softly.
Sylph blinked, montarily at a loss for words. Then, with a sigh, she scolded, "Raymond, that's ridiculous. If missing out on cheap potions ans you actually get so rest, then let them go. Running on fus is only going to get you hurt during a commission."
Lorene nodded in agreent, her calm deanor unwavering. "She's right. Sure, those potions were a bargain, but we can afford the standard ones. There's no need to push yourself like this."
Arya, watching from the side, stifled a laugh but said nothing.
Raymond sighed, knowing full well that telling them the truth would only lead to more lectures. Instead, he rested his hand on the hilt of Dark Moon, the long sword at his waist and muttered, "I wouldn't have gone that far if I had a choice… but every single coin I earned from my last few commissions went into forging this armor and this sword."
The mont he spoke, Sylph's gaze locked onto Dark Moon, her eyes gleaming with excitent.
She had been waiting for this.
The second they boarded the carriage, she had wanted to inspect Raymond's newly forged weapon. But before she had the chance, he had passed out. Out of respect for his exhaustion, she had held back her curiosity, until now.
Sylph cast a glance at the coachman outside, lowering her voice just in case. "Raymond, this sword… it's made from that piece of 'black iron' we found, isn't it?"
Even though the term "black iron" wasn't uncommon, the way she said it carried an underlying caution. Grooms like theirs often ferried adventurers in and out of cities, picking up all sorts of valuable information along the way. If word got out that Raymond was wielding a weapon forged from such rare material, it could attract unwanted attention.
Lorene, silent until now, also eyed Dark Moon, her curiosity evident. The black scabbard concealed its form, leaving her wondering just what kind of blade Raymond had crafted.
Raymond couldn't help but chuckle at the eager looks on Sylph and Lorene's faces.
"Ahem…" He cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "Since you're both so curious, I suppose I'll let you take a look."
With a practiced motion, he unfastened Dark Moon from his waist and extended it toward them. Sylph wasted no ti, her fingers wrapped around the hilt before he had even finished speaking.
Her eyes flickered with anticipation as she ran her fingers over the scabbard, but almost imdiately, her expression shifted. "This scabbard isn't very impressive…" she muttered.
She wasn't wrong. The sheath, crafted from simple ebony wood, was decent but far from exceptional. In a world where elite adventurers carried weapons encased in scabbards of enchanted steel, dragon leather, or even magically reinforced minerals, Dark Moon's housing was painfully plain in comparison.
Raymond shrugged. "You think I have money for that?" He motioned toward the coachman outside with a subtle nod. "Besides, this is just a slightly better longsword, nothing so grand that it needs a luxurious scabbard."
Sylph and the others quickly caught on to his aning, there was no need to draw unnecessary attention. Loudly, she responded, "That's true."
Then, unable to contain her excitent any longer, she shot Raymond a look, silently asking for permission to unsheath the blade.
He nodded.
Sylph inhaled deeply, steadying herself as if preparing for a grand reveal. Slowly, carefully, she slid Dark Moon from its scabbard.
And then… her excitent drained from her face.
The long sword that erged was deep black, unremarkable in its appearance. There was no dazzling luster, no intricate engravings or magical glow. It was a stark contrast to the weapons of legend, like Tresed's silver spear, which glead brilliantly under the sunlight.
Sylph stared at it in disbelief before finally blurting out, "That's it? It's just… black. It matches the scabbard perfectly."
Raymond rolled his eyes. "And what did you expect? A flaming blade? A sword humming with divine energy? If I walked around flashing sothing extravagant, every adventurer and thief would have their eyes on ."
Lorene chuckled, her violet eyes twinkling with amusent. "I think it suits him. A black sword with a black sheath, very fitting."
Arya smirked, adding, "It's not made of any rare enchanted materials, so of course, it's not going to look flashy. Isn't that right, Sylph?"
Sylph sighed, reluctantly nodding. "Yeah, yeah… I get it." She handed the sword back, still looking sowhat disappointed.
Raymond sheathed Dark Moon and glanced toward the window, noticing the sun's position in the sky. "How long was I out? We haven't reached Budak Village yet?"
His thoughts were still hazy from the dreams, but he was certain the village wasn't far from Wittes Town. To clear his mind, he retrieved the letter of authorization from his pouch and read it over again: Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire
> Information: Budak Village lies five miles south of Wittes Town. Two days ago, a flock of vicious Red-Eyed Crows suddenly descended upon the village, occupying several hos and preventing two families from returning. The attacks have resulted in two villagers being seriously injured and three others suffering minor injuries.
Mission: Eliminate the Red-Eyed Crows as soon as possible.
Reward: 10 silver coins per confird kill.
Ti Limit: Within two days.
Client: Village Chief of Budak.
Mission Level: Black Iron.
Raymond's brows furrowed slightly as he finished reading. Red-Eyed Crows were nasty creatures; aggressive, territorial, and known for their eerie intelligence. If they had driven multiple families out of their hos and injured villagers, this might not be as simple as a routine extermination.
Still, he wasn't too worried.
He folded the letter and looked up at the others. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Arya glanced at Raymond and said, "You weren't asleep for long, about half an hour."
"Half an hour…" Raymond muttered, rubbing his temples.
He turned his gaze outside the carriage, scanning the horizon. Budak Village was only five miles from Wittes Town in a straight line, but roads weren't always direct. The actual distance was likely closer to seven or eight miles, especially with winding paths and uneven terrain.
Raymond nodded, stretching his arms. "We should be arriving soon."
As if on cue, after another five minutes of travel, the village ca into view just beyond the horizon.
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