The village chief stared at the book, opened it, read a few pages, and was amazed by its contents.
—Good, it seems he liked it. I'm really glad.
"By the way, I also have something for you, Antoine."
"For me? Hahaha, I don't need anything more than what you've already given us. Besides… your friendship is enough for me, my friend. You don't have to give me anything."
—His friendship? Does he really consider me his friend?
"Even so, I wanted to give you something, but we need to go to Higram."
"To Higram? Mmm… alright."
Uriel and Antoine headed to the place where Higram's shop now stood in this city. It wasn't far from where they were, and along the way they noticed how the entire city was overflowing with vibrant colors, and the people themselves seemed genuinely happy.
They arrived at the shop, and Antoine called out for Higram with his usual thunderous voice. After a couple of shouts, Higram finally came out.
"What? Oh, it's you two! Boy, you came back! HAHAHAHA!"
"Yes, I'm back."
"Hey, and where's the weapon I made for you? I heard you used it against Chrom. I'm really proud of my work."
Uriel lifted his hand, and Daelvachor fell from the sky like a bolt of lightning, shocking everyone present.
"That— that was incredible! Teach me how to do that later."
"Hahaha, it's Daelvachor's ability."
"Daelvachor? So you finally named it."
"Yes, and it now also contains the core of the ancient blade Adámanas."
"Adámanas? Th—that's unbelievable. Then… can it speak?"
"Indeed, I can. And I see that you were the one who forged the new body of my scythe."
"Yes, that was me. It's an unimaginable honor."
"Wow, it's your scythe again. Can I hold it?"
"Daelvachor?"
"No problem."
Antoine held Daelvachor with both hands. He showed slightly more effort than last time, but he could still wield it. In fact, it even seemed like he was handling it with less and less difficulty. Antoine was very talented with weapons—apparently he possessed a skill that helped him handle them. After a few swings, he placed Daelvachor on the ground, leaving a small crater—proof of how heavy the scythe now was. Its weight had increased drastically due to Daelvachor's own MP and its recent evolution.
—He can still wield it so easily… incredible.
"You're very skilled."
"Thank you. I want to become stronger. Vitalium needs to grow stronger, doesn't it?"
"It's just as you say, my friend."
—I called him my friend. I said friend.
"Also, thanks to the Saint, a new academy for Paladins will open soon. I've already pre-registered. I hope I get accepted… I want to become someone like you, my friend—someone capable of protecting his people. That's why I admire you so much."
"I'm sure you'll get in. You're very skilled."
"So, what brings you to my workshop? And don't just stand there... come in."
"I want you to forge a weapon with this material."
Uriel took out the bright mineral. Higram was immediately curious, he said he had never seen such a material. Uriel explained it was a very high-quality material from a very distant place. Higram examined it closely, and after a while he said:
"It's even better than Peronite. With this I could make at least a dagger of the same quality as the scythe. This material has a lot of potential."
—If I'm not wrong, Paladins use swords.
"I'd like you to make a sword. If possible, I want it to be one-handed but able to grow into a two-handed sword."
"I understand. I'll try."
"A one-handed sword that transforms into a two-handed one… that's an awesome idea, my friend."
"You like the idea?"
"I think it's amazing."
"Then you need to do the same thing as last time."
"Imbue the material with MP?"
"Exactly."
"In that case… you do it, Antoine. After all, the weapon is for you."
"Really? Then… was this the gift? Honestly, I'm fine without a weapon."
"If you're going to become a Paladin, you'll need a good sword. So this is my vote of faith in you."
"I don't know how to thank you. I promise I'll wield my sword for you… my friend."
Antoine began infusing the material with his MP until the process was complete. Higram took his hammer and, after heating the material, began forging. Sparks flew everywhere, it was an incredible sight. Each strike of Higram's hammer was extremely heavy, and the sound it made upon impact echoed like thunder in a stormy sky.
After two hours, Higram finally emerged from the workshop area, saying:
"It's done."
"Already? Where is it? I want to see it."
"Well… there's a problem."
"What's the problem?"
"After giving it the final strike, I couldn't lift it. It's extremely heavy."
"What?"
"Can I hold it?"
"I imagine it won't be difficult for you."
Uriel walked into the workshop and finally saw the sword... a long blade with bright blue details despite the mineral being red. Uriel appraised it with the Eye of the Sage and saw that it was even more powerful than his scythe had been the day it was first created. He also saw that it indeed possessed a second state.
—It's really heavy… maybe even heavier than Daelvachor.
"Think you can manage it?"
"It's truly beautiful. I'll try."
Uriel handed the sword to Antoine, who immediately felt its immense weight—yet he didn't drop it.
"It's even heavier than the scythe… I'll have to get used to this."
"Try the second state."
"Right."
Antoine activated the sword's second state. A surge of lightning and light burst around him, and the sword grew larger instantly—but this time, he couldn't help dropping it. It was simply too heavy. Its appearance had changed completely: its red and black colors turned into bright blue and silver. Everyone was stunned by the sword's form; its power was undeniable.
"My Lord, I see it's a wonderful weapon. I believe it would be a good idea to obtain a core for it. That way, it will be easier for him to manage its abilities, and it could even gain a Unique Skill of its own."
"True. Ah, now that I think about it—I do have certain abilities."
"Let me see the sword again, Antoine. I want to try something."
"Alright."
[Núcleo]
//Notification
The skill Core has been activated.How many MP would you like to assign to it?
20,000 MP
Verifying...
Completed//
A mist suddenly formed and materialized into a small core similar to Adámanas's. Uriel handed it to Antoine, who felt a connection to it the moment he touched it. It even began speaking to him in his mind—the core seemed to be extracting information from its host to adapt to whatever it was going to belong to. Then, the core adhered to the sword and fused with it. Uriel handed the sword back to Antoine, who named it Bolt, recalling the electric sound it made while being forged. The sword changed slightly upon fusing with the core.
"This is incredible… I can even hear its voice in my mind."
"As its power grows, it will even be able to speak to those around you, just like I do."
"You heard that, Bolt? We need to grow stronger."
"By the way, Higram, I will cover all expenses. Also, I want to talk to you about something."
"Alright."