“The orcs! They killed two elves in the forest!”
“Those damn orcs!” Said Jacob.
Everybody in the mines heard the horrible news. They instantly felt their blood boiling as they rose and shouted for revenge.
“They will pay for this! Bring me to the forest!” angrily said Jadis.”
Inside Garde’s workshop,
Everyone was busy, especially Garde. The work today is focused on one particular project. Everyone was forging a sword using Levi’s technique. They were still in awe. How could such a simple method be used to make such a good sword? So Garde decided that his workshop will focus on doing that sword.
“It’s finished! Our fifth sword!” said, Garde. Everyone was happy and excited. They just started working yesterday after Levi left, yet they are in their fifth sword, noting that the process of forging the sword with Levi’s technique was entirely a little bit tougher and time-consuming.
“Continue with the work. This sword will give us a fortune.” Garde added.
“Isn’t it bad? We use Levi’s technique without his permission.” a dwarf apprentice of his asked.
“We already talked about that. He said something like a patent. I don’t know it, but he just said that I need to pay him every month for the patent or the technique, and we can freely practice the technique.” Garde replied.
“For how much?”
“This sword will sell for as much as 10 golds, so if we can make, let’s say, hundreds of this for a month, then we will get 1000 gold in profit! That’s a huge sum of money. After calculating this amount, Levi told me that I am to pay him 200 golds per month. Though I would like to give him more, he only demanded 200 golds. Our projected profit after paying patent is 800 golds, and that’s still a huge amount considering we only invest labor and iron bars, which cost 3 silvers per bar. It’s a win-win!”
Everybody’s eyes were glittering. They were like children that were told an excellent story.
“Plus, he said that I should prepare for more to come!” he added. “Everyone back to work! Make as many words as possible, and you all will receive additional pay.”
Meanwhile, In the deep forest.
“Those wild beasts!” angrily shouted by Jadis after he saw two dead bodies of elves lying on the ground covered with their own blood.
“Prepare our troops! We’re going to war!” he added.
“No!” shouted a women’s voice coming from behind. Birds flew from the top of the branches due to shock.
Everyone looked behind only to see Maris, the elven queen catching her breath after running to get here. She has two elves as the company on both of her sides.
“Do not go to war! Lives would be lost, many would be killed. We’re not even prepared yet! Think carefully, Jadis!” added by the elven queen.
“What should we do? Your people, these two elves, my people! They were killed! Do you think we should just wait for them to kill more of our own?!” Jadis said.
“Do you think we will win?” asked Maris.
Jadis turned silent for a moment and gritted his teeth.
“We would not go there to be massacred! We will fight with all our might and try to win, but not now!” Maris paused for a moment. She slowly walked a few paces to get close to Jadis.
“For now, let’s bury these two and file our fangs until such time that it will be sharp to bite those orcs. We. Will. devour. Them.” angrily and slowly said by Maris, the elven queen. To see her people killed was devastating, but she doesn’t want to decide without thinking of the consequences.
On Jadis’ house,
After he accompanied Jadis to his own home. He consoled him and talked to him for a few minutes, then he goes out.
A while ago.
“Mr. Jadis. I know that you love your people and this country. I-I’m sorry.” said Levi.
“Don’t think about it. I should apologize too for showing myself as not appropriate in front of you.”
“Not to worry, Mr. Jadis. There’s nothing wrong with that. If I am in your position, maybe I would do the same out of rage, or even worst, I will charge to the orcs’ territory on my own, and the rest would be history.”
“Thank you for helping me bring myself home,” Jadis said sincerely.
“You’re welcome. Hmm… I should go ahead.”
Back outside Jadis’ house,
“What should I do now? The plan for the mines was already set.” he talked to himself, then he remembered, “I should go to Caleb and learn magic! Maybe if I can use it, everything would be easier.”
He then decided to go to the training grounds and meet Caleb. But when he was about to take his first step, he stopped. His mind went dark as if he collapsed, but in reality, he’s still standing upright but with eyes looking straight into nothingness.
He was now located in a dark place. Up above the sky, there are green auroras and a moon that shines up the night. Beside him, a few meters away, there is a lake that mirrors the black night sky and its auroras.
“Magus6Magus A person who has great mastery of using magic. Also, normal people use this as an honorary, for acknowledging the mage's higher status in the society.…” said a hollow voice. It was a whisper of a woman’s voice.
It echoed again and again to Levi’s mind until Maris came.
“Mr. Levi?” said Maris.
Levi snapped from the illusion in his mind and saw Maris looking at his eyes.
“Are you ok?” She asked.
“I-I don’t know. But, I am fine,” he replied.
“You sure?”
“Y-Yes. I will go now.”
Maris just looked at him as her eyes follow the man walking.
He walked towards the mountainside on the northern part of Natura7NaturaThe country which was founded by the Elven-Dwarves alliance., where the training grounds were located.
While he was walking, he’s deep in thought. The scene earlier kept playing in his mind now.
“What was that?!” He asked himself. “I only heard Magus. What place is that?! Is it a product of magic?” He was surrounded by questions.
“I’ll ask Caleb; maybe he knew the answer.”
