Veil of Destiny

Chapter 8 War God's Hammer

Fort Farle, a major city situated over seven hundred miles from the capital Etherea, boasts a population of two hundred thousand. Given its strategic importance, it serves as a critical military stronghold on the western border of the Etherea Alliance, acting as a secondary line of defense and a bulwark against the creatures of the demonic forest from invading the fertile Pahs Plain.

The city sprawls across flat terrain, with the Pahs River flowing around it. Approximately a hundred miles south lies the demonic forest, making Fort Farle a crucial supply hub for adventurers and monster hunters. The forest, nearly as vast as the entire Etherea Alliance, stretches from the Pyrenees in the west to the sea in the south and encompasses the entire Red Rock Peninsula to the east, covering an area close to a million square kilometers. Its periphery, relatively free of large beasts, is crisscrossed by trade routes, making it a haven for thieves and bandits.

The "War God's Hammer" weapon workshop had been open for a month. Named to evoke the craftsmanship of dwarves, it now employed a real dwarf artisan named Gordon and his four apprentices. Occupying a three-story building in Fort Farle's bustling district, the ground floor served as the weapon shop, the second floor as an adventurer's haven, and the third, intended as an experimental lab by Lucian, became a VIP lounge displaying his masterpieces due to strong opposition.

Not far from the "War God's Hammer" was a small building that housed Dorian's workshop and laboratory. The largest lab, over two hundred square meters, had a large, complex magic circle glowing with a spectrum of colors on the floor. Blue-white magical flames flared within, heating several steel knight's armor plates crafted by Gordon.

Lucian carefully extracted an armor plate with tongs, placing a magic symbol cast from magical silver onto it. A flash of flame bonded the symbol to the plate. Dorian handed him a small vial of blue liquid—dragon's blood from an adult wyvern, a fearsome and swift mid-level magical beast known for its magical resistance. Dragon's blood could slightly enhance magical defense. Magical silver, highly malleable and excellent at absorbing magic, was indispensable for crafting magical items, though its scarcity made it ten times more valuable than gold by weight.

The dragon's blood, absorbed by the plate like a sponge, turned it a glowing blue. Dorian then returned the plate to the magical flames. After all the plates were treated, Lucian chanted a spell over the flames, summoning a pair of pale blue wind wings that swirled around the flames, growing faster until the flames surged violently. A protective barrier flashed white on the ceiling, containing the outburst. The firestorm quickly subsided, leaving behind several blue plates. The wind magic infused within reduced the weight of each plate by 60%.

At Dorian's insistence, each plate was inlaid with a bit of mithril, and Lucian cast a simple illumination spell on them, making the plates semi-transparent and pale blue, with the mithril runes glowing brilliantly.

"Now that looks much better. Gordon! Just in time. We need you to assemble these plates into a half-body knight's armor. Yes, in the style of this year's popular paladin armor. The chain mail connectors should be gold! And add gold filigree to the edges. Get Tristan—he's great with aesthetics!" Dorian's voice was filled with excitement.

Gordon grumbled, "No way! Chain mail should be made from top-grade steel. Armor is about protection! I won't tarnish my reputation!"

"Wrap the steel in gold wire. That should do. All chain mail must be gold-plated. This armor is about money! Add the gold, and you'll have ale for ten years! Tell Reginald to pick a cloak worthy of this armor—the best one! Gordon, you have two days to complete it, or no ale for you! Oh, and name it the Blue Crystal Armor. Leave the nameplate blank—the customer can decide. Ten gold per letter."

Grumbling, Gordon carried the plates downstairs, choosing ale over principles. He muttered under his breath, "Bloodsucker! Money-grubber!Man-eating pig! Old dragon in human form!"