Authors note: In case it hasnt been ntioned before, this planet is much larger than Earth, and obviously has a thicker crust than our own planet. I wouldve liked to spend more ti on crafting, but in the end I know jack when it cos to smithing, and there are better stories for that aspect of things. I suppose I could do research, but then I think youd all rather I just write more plot.
As a side note, Ill be away from ho next weekend, and cant thus write. I might manage a chapter before then, but that depends. For example, I had so trouble imagining this chapter, for reason that beco obvious when you read it.
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Elluin spent the next few hours studying the instructions her daughter had left him. This would definitely be a challenge. Most of the work he was supposed to do would stretch his skills to the limit and especially the enchantnts were theoretical at best. How had Neleh figured out so of these enchantnts? And there was at least one enchantnt that was sothing he had no idea how to make, but he guessed this was one of the parts where Neleh had anticipated her help to be required. The biggest problem was that the materials she had provided needed stupendously high temperatures to slt. There was absolutely no way for his forge to produce the kind of temperatures ntioned in the instructions. He doubted even the breath of a dragon would have trouble reaching appropriate temperatures.
On the other hand, if they did manage to make the two weapons according to the specifications, they would be without a doubt his finest works. The girl was clearly insane with her demands, but Elluin couldnt help but get excited at the prospect of the finished work. They would be the most monstrous weapons ever created by the elves, and since the elves were the best craftsn of the different races it would an the most monstrous weapons in the world. These two weapons would make sure his na would be rembered in the future. Even if his legacy also included the secrets being passed outside the House, that would be a minor footnote when compared to this achievent.
Elluin saw Neleh return to the workshop. The girl had gone to get herself and Asheara settled before they started working, but according to the look on her face she had gotten so bad news.
Is everything alright? Elluin asked a little worried. He hoped it wasnt anything that would prevent them from starting the work. He was anxious about getting his place in history.
No, not really. Its not sothing that you should worry about, and theres nothing I can do about it at the mont. Neleh replied in a serious tone.
Sothing happened. It wasnt really a question. Elluin had not spent much ti with his daughter, but even he could glean this much from her expression.
Sothing with consequences that will be felt for a long ti. But like I said, its not sothing you need to worry about. It has more to do with my role as a Chosen, and just makes our work here more important. Did you get a good look at the plans? Neleh said trying to change the subject.
Elluin could take a hint, and knew Neleh would not want to talk about whatever was bothering her. Her words made him worried. Chosen business that increased the importance of weapons usually ant at least battles, but more likely ant war. Especially when you consider the long reaching consequences that she ntioned.
I did. There are so problematic parts, but I assu you knew that and have prepared accordingly. The biggest problem is slting this material you provided, and keeping it heated enough to be malleable. You spent enough ti in my workshop, before you went gallivanting in the capital, to know my forge cant produce heat like this. You still havent told what this is or where you found it. Elluin said sowhat impatiently.
The material is called Heart of Winter and I found it buried near the borders of my new duchy. Its a wonder how many different new and weird materials you can find, when you have a spell that can search inside the earth over a hundred kiloters deep. With the enchantnts I have planned the material will beco, for all intents and purposes, indestructible. Neleh said with a small smile.
Wait, your new duchy? And about those enchantnts, I hope you were planning on helping with the last one, because I have no idea how to achieve that effect. Also, your new duchy? What? Elluin asked confused.
Yes, the new empress in her infinite annoyance decided to make the new duchess of JaoeTinukai. The last duke t with a rather unfortunate end. My official appointnt has been deferred until I graduate from the academy. As a matter of fact, I have so plans including you and the new duchy. There are so changes that Im planning on implenting, and you are a part of one of them. Neleh replied calmly.
JaoeTinukai? Isnt that one of the biggest and most important duchies? How did this happen? And what do you an plans for ? Elluin was getting even more confused.
Aah, how to explain? Ok, did you hear about the changes to the way the current and future emperors are decided? Neleh asked, getting a nod in reply. Well what you might not be aware of, is that the whole system was my idea, and that Im one of the electors due to my position as the Chosen of Elune. Also, you might not have heard that I basically forced the current empress into her position against her will. Part of her retaliation was to make the new duchess of JaoeTinukai.
Elluin sat down heavily feeling a little dizzy. Do excuse while I try to deal with my youngest daughter becoming one of the most powerful people in the empire at the age of fifteen. I already had a faint idea when I heard about you becoming the Chosen, but it didnt quite sink in until now.
Youll get used to it. Neleh replied with a grin.
Im assuming this ans that your hair-brained plan about becoming my replacent is now impossible? You wouldnt have ti for it what with being a Chosen and a duchess. Elluin asked feebly, still trying to absorb what he had been told.
Thats partially correct, but that plan wouldnt have worked anyway, for several reasons. For one, it appears you managed to raise a group of daughters that all seem to be more interested in girls, so it wouldve been a bit difficult for to pass on anything to their children. It seems Selvaria was the only one that had inclinations in that direction, and unfortunately she t her end as you know. For second, the ti of having only one master crafter per clan is over anyway. Neleh said half lost in thought, with a finger tapping her chin.
Ok, now I definitely need a better explanation. Elluin said finally trying to get a proper grip on the conversation. The news about all her daughters preferring girls had sobered him up sowhat, and the other point had gotten his full attention.
Which part? Neleh asked raising an eye-brow. The first part seems pretty self-explanatory. We like girls better than boys. You know how babies are made, and how that would complicate the process, right? As for the second point, it was fine to pass the knowledge along from one person to another in a long period of peace and quiet. Unfortunately those tis are over, and the craftsn of our empire in general and not just you master crafters are woefully unprepared to face the coming turmoil. Its one thing to keep the supply low, when the only demand is mostly as a novelty or status symbol, but soon the demand for your services will increase exponentially and theres no way for you to et it. And this ti the demand will be based on dire need.
Youre saying that there will be war? Thats the only thing that I can figure that would et the description you outlined. Elluin might be confused, but he wasnt stupid.
There will be a war the likes of which you havent even heard about. So of the changes I have planned will make sure we wont be caught completely unprepared. Neleh replied with certainty.
Elluin thought for a while. Alright, I can see so of what you an. If we were to face one of those great wars of old, I would not be able to produce enough items to outfit enough people. What do have planned though? I doubt taking a couple of apprentices will solve the problem. On the other hand, if I try to teach too many, then sooner or later one of them will leak the thods to the enemy.
You are correct. Couple of apprentices wont do. I was planning on getting so groundwork laid down before I tried to rope you in, but I might as well explain the basics to you now. That way you will have ti to plan, and give your input. Neleh was quiet for a mont and gathered her thoughts.
Firstly we need to define the problem. The craftsn are all in direct competition with each other, and have almost no cooperation. At best a rchant house might have a couple of blacksmiths in their service, and thats it. If I need ten thousand spears, my best bet is to hope so rchant has them in stock for so odd reason, because it will take years for to go from one blacksmith to another negotiating a different price with each one, hoping they have spare materials and ti.
What I have planned is to have all the craftsn in the duchy organize under large guilds, and streamline the process. Using the sa example, instead of going to the blacksmiths, Id approach the guild and place the order there. The guild would distribute the work to the thousand blacksmiths working for the guild based on their skill. Instead of competing with each other, if you prove you skill to the guild the guild will assign you work based on that skill. There would be no need to worry about materials, because instead of each smith purchasing their own materials, the guild would buy the materials in bulk from the miners guild, and reduce the material cost from the paynt made to the smith. As a bonus, the miners dont need to go to each individual smith to peddle their materials for varying haggled prices; instead they can just sell it to the guild for a fair and even price.
If a custor wants a new pot or a kitchen knife, they can still simply go to the closest smith, but if they need sothing more complex, they wont have to worry about individual smiths skills, and can just place their order with the guild. The whole system removes wasted ti and money, removes the probability of being scamd, helps even out the economy of the duchy and allows flexibility in fulfilling large orders. As an added bonus, its too expensive for lone smiths to purchase certain magical tools to use in their work, but the guild as a whole will be able to buy so from the mages guild, while the mages guild can create those tools easier because they have access to more mages. Neleh finished with a smile.
Elluin thought for a while. He could see the advantages after having struggled with so of the issues ntioned, and could see many other benefits that Neleh hadnt even ntioned yet. He did have a couple of questions. Wouldnt this system focus too much power to the smiths? And how about soone like ? You know I do a lot more than just smithing.
Yes and no. It could be a problem if not monitored, but it is kept in check by the fact that everyone is part of a similar guild. For example, the smiths cant really screw over miners because the miners guild is their only source of materials. Similarly for the miners, the craftsn guild is their sole buyer, so they cant up their prices on a whim. In the end though, the duchess and her forces need to monitor the guilds to prevent corruption and misuse of power, as well as to ensure equitable treatnt of different parties. As for you, although I focused on smiths, I did ntion the guild for craftsn as a whole, not separate guilds for smiths and enchanters and jewel crafters. Neleh explained.
So who would you have teach then? Elluin asked, starting to understand the basis of the plan.
I would have you teach everyone willing to learn among the guild. However, those that want to learn from you will be magically bound to be unable to teach those skills to anyone outside the guild. I already have a suitable spell planned. Anyone who tries to reveal the secrets under the spell or remove the spell will quite literally die before they are able to do it. Neleh finished coldly.
Elluin thought for a while. Alright, I think I have a pretty good idea on how this would work. We would need to hone so details, but the basic premise is sound. Good job daughter. Im proud. Give until we have finished crafting these weapons, and Ill give my answer then. I think it will be much easier to get over so of my hang-ups, once Ive managed to leave my mark in the history by crafting the best weapons ever made.
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Neleh was surprised how easily she had managed to convince her father, considering how much his identity had been tied to the position of master crafter. He had even cheated on her mother to pass on his knowledge and continue his legacy. The lure of the weapons they had planned had worked. The prospect of releasing his burden, and simply becoming a respected teacher might have appealed to him also. She suspected her father had never been completely satisfied with the idea of passing the knowledge on to her.
After the lengthy discussion, they finally got back to the main topic. So you never did explain to how you intend to slt that damn white stuff. Elluin brought up the previous topic.
Before I explain, I need you to swear to that nothing that happens next will leave this room. I havent shown the next part to anyone, and I would be very disappointed if I heard about it next week from so random noble, because you couldnt keep a secret. Neleh replied, giving Elluin a stern look.
Elluin gave a wry grimace. You know Im pretty good with secrets.
Neleh gave a small sigh. This was the part she had been worried about. She had felt so of her old power coming back. She still wasnt sure why this was happening, but assud the blessing from Satai had sothing to do with her powers returning. Earlier she had gained back the form of the Fla Seraph, which was a form of a higher end on the power scale of a dium class fire elental spirit. Not long ago she had felt the possibility of taking another of her old forms, a form that was that of a high end of the power scale of a high class spirit. It had been another of her favorites, and would serve them well in slting the Heart of Winter. It was also a good form to use in battle if that beca necessary. She hadnt tried to take that form before this though.
She cast a quick spell that transferred them and the contents of Elluins workshop to a dinsional pocket similar to the storage rings she used. She had spent most of the ti on the trip to their old ho to form the dinsional pocket. The entrance to the pocket remained in the workshop, while the pocket itself was empty. Later on she would create sothing proper inside the pocket dinsion, but for now she just needed space. Elluin of course looked bewildered, but by now he was almost expecting surprises like this, so he held himself together.
A large white fla surrounded Neleh, and soon the elf was gone, and a creature made of that white fla stood in her place. Elluin could only describe the creature as a dragon, but this was not any dragon he had seen before. The pure white being looked more like a hundred ters long serpent with four powerful legs. Instead of muscle and war, this dragon seed to embody grace and magic.
Neleh noticed her fathers wondering look. Theres more than one basic type of dragon. I think I once heard soone describe this form as an eastern dragon, but I still dont know what the cardinal direction has to do with it. She gave a small laugh, which sounded odd coming from the large being. We should get to it; I can only maintain this form for a short ti. Once we manage to slt the materials, I can use my fire magic to keep it soft enough to forge.
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It took them a week to form the pair of weapons, most of the ti spent forming the enchantnts. While Elluin supplied his power, experience and life force, Neleh added her own to the mix and actually controlled the power to form most of the enchantnts, simply because Elluin didnt have the required precision control. A surprising result was that Neleh ended up learning most of the secrets of Elluins trade, and with ti could extrapolate the rest from what she had learned already. She would not have too many chances to use the skills, but at least she would have them if necessary.
The end result of their efforts was a pair of pure white swords with silvery lines of enchantnt running along the curved blade and the white handguard and hilt. Neleh had never explained to Elluin where she got the white sheaths that looked like so shiny lacquered wood. The end result was simple and elegant. Both the sheaths and the swords carried small silver insignia of both the House Khalidor and the flaming phoenix that Neleh was taking as her symbol. One of the swords was a very long no-dachi, while the other was a rather short katana more suited for use in narrow spaces. Although they had planned on making only those two weapons, they had ended up making Neleh a small dagger from the leftover materials, small enough to hide in a sleeve, although it was currently behind her back, hidden by her long hair.
Neleh would give a more precise explanation about the weapons abilities to Asheara when she got used to them, and once she was able to utilize them properly. But she did ntion two of the main features they had worked so hard on. Firstly there was no power besides Nelehs powers as a Destroyer that could damage the weapons. So extre phenonon like a black hole or a supernova might be able to do the trick, but at that point the condition of the weapons would not really matter anymore.
The second feature and one of the main reasons for the weapons durable nature was that the weapons treated magic as if it didnt exist. This was the most complex enchantnt that Elluin had not been able to create. If striking a mages protective shield, the blade would go through like the shield didnt exist, and the blade treated magical armor as if the armor was made of normal tal. Combine that with enchantnts that improved the cutting power of the weapons, and there was no armor capable of standing against the weapons. Of course, you would still need a lot of Ki to cut through sothing extre like the scales of a dragon, but even then the scales would be less effective, since dragons were magical beings as well. Now to make sure the silly woman didnt cut her own foot with the swords
Neleh, Azrael and Asheara set their sights on JaoeTinukai next. Before they returned to the academy, Neleh had to visit her future duchy. Her plans required a lot of resources and money. It was all well and good to detect so chunks of tal all the way from Rhianon, but she would need to actually go to the duchy to do a proper survey. Her magic didnt co with a convenience like infinite range after all. Besides, there were other riches besides tals and gems that could be found with a proper use of spells. She was hoping to find so plants that were otherwise rarely used, but which her alchemical skills from other worlds could put to good use.
She would also have good use for the boring lessons at the academy, because she had plans to make and ideas to hone and she might as well do it during those lessons. There were plenty of other fields she planned of changing drastically with her knowledge, like farming, banking and administration, slting tals and creating fabrics and much more. There wasnt even a proper printing press on this world, because much of the books were copied with magic. So much to plan, so little ti
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