Devouring Monarch: Rebirth of the Profane Phoenix - Chapter 325

Chapter 325: Upgrading The Black Sword
Asura stood in admiration, observing the blacksmiths Ignis and Amalia at work. The rhythmic echo of their hammers, combined with the melodic hum of the burning furnace, filled the air. The smithy was a hive of activity, with the blacksmiths tirelessly crafting the armour and weapons that soldiers would soon wield. The constant stream of adventurers seeking to upgrade their equipment was a testament to the blacksmiths’ skill and reputation. Asura, not wanting to disrupt their work, stood respectfully at the entrance, taking in the scene.

‘So the head blacksmith creates the special items, while the interns and others make the general equipment of the soldiers.’

Asura came to the blacksmith to have his black sword sharpened and maintained due to the constant battle. He noticed that his father’s sword was slightly blunt after so many rough fights. This gave him an opportunity to observe how the blacksmiths worked.

‘Would you like some water?’ A voice interrupted his thoughts.

A woman with short brown hair approached Asura with a tray containing glasses of water. She seemed a little short. At first, Asura thought she might be a child. Then he saw her wrinkled eyes and full figure and realised this woman must be one of the rare female dwarves. Lots of people struggled to believe that they actually existed.

Asura didn’t want to reject her kindness, so he accepted the drink. The cool water refreshed him, washing away his tiredness from the intense heat. He was glad he had come because he had learned new information about the blacksmiths with whom he would work closely in the future.

As he was drinking, Amalia appeared next to him, holding a cup of water with a grin on her face. “Hehe, brother, that dwarf lady is so pretty.”

Amalia admired the brown-haired dwarf. Her eyes sparkled as she drank in the sight. Asura choked on his water, nearly spitting it out, but held it back in at the last moment.

“Amalia, don’t be rude,” he warned her sternly, hoping to defuse the situation before it got awkward. He was embarrassed that his sister made such a blunt statement while also realising the truth of her words. The dwarf was definitely an attractive woman, but the wedding band on her finger meant she was likely the blacksmith’s wife.

Amalia laughed playfully and stuck her tongue out at Asura. “Haha, I’m just saying.”

“Never mind that now. How are you coming along with your training?” Asura asked, curious to know how his sister was progressing in her training. He wondered if she didn’t regret her choice or that she might not be cut out for the life of a Valkyrie.

Amalia replied, “I’m fine, thanks to Ignis and my sister’s lessons,”

“I see… I hope you manage to succeed.” Asura turned away, noticing the dwarf woman giving the blacksmith some water, the pair looking over to them as his wife whispered in his ear with a cheerful smile.

“Are you here to request something of my darling?” she asked from beside him, tapping his shoulder. Asura noticed the old man seemed defeated by her, his miserable face becoming a little more positive.

“Oi, brat, what is it?” The old blacksmith called out to him, “Tell me what you want, and I’ll see what I can do for you.”

Asura was taken aback by his gruff voice but recovered quickly and walked forward, holding out the black sword. With a loud thud, he placed it on the blacksmith’s identification table.

“Can you sharpen and maintain this weapon? Also, I wonder if you have any opinions on how to improve the knight’s basic armour, that is, without caring about the costs.” Asura said with a stern voice before stepping back and letting the blacksmith look at his sword.

“Hmm, so the new shadow lord wants to improve the soldiers’ armour.” the blacksmith took the black sword in his hand and gently tapped it on the ground. After a long moment of silence, he spoke, “I like the black sword. Though its creator is not someone I know well, I can tell this weapon was made with interesting skills.”

“As for the armour, we can upgrade the standard armour to have a few additional defensive measures that will allow the soldiers to survive the enemy’s attacks better and avoid being hurt. But… it will cost a lot. There is also an anti-magical coating, though because I would have to import materials, the price would increase… Overall, the current price for their armour is only ten gold… with these additions, it would cost fifty gold per knight.” The blacksmith’s eyes gleamed as he spoke, staring at Asura, who had become stiff due to his words.

Fifty gold was a lot of money for most people. However, Asura wasn’t like most people, and the money he made from all the monsters he and the women killed could fund an army of ten thousand or more with these upgraded armours, not to mention his other funds from his title and other income.

“I see; then, I hope you can work with Maria and have all the troops in this city fitted with the armour you designed. The price is well here. I’ll pay it upfront.” Asura pulled out an enormous bag of coins from his storage, the sack causing a thud the moment it touched the metal table before he looked back at the blacksmith. “My name is Asura, by the way… Now, about the black sword in your hands.”

The blacksmith’s eyes were filled with a golden shine. Asura’s gold coins were dazzling. The gold coins seemed to shine even brighter when compared to the dark metal of the black sword. The blacksmith shook his head.

“What a wealthy lad—I am Argus, the blacksmith of Utgard Pass. In regards to your sword, this is an excellent weapon, but it’s a little heavy, so using it will require a lot of strength. It’s also easy to lose balance, meaning an untrained soldier might miss a target…” Asura then grasped the blade in one hand; without difficulty, he swung the sword with pinpoint accuracy and tremendous speed.

“How is this?”

Argus nodded in satisfaction, stroking his beard. “Wonderful, I can make it lighter, no! Since you are able to wield it so well, more weight and sharper edges might work. It should have better handling and sharp edges.”

“I agree. But I wonder if you can also add something that makes it more resistant to magic?” Asura’s request was straightforward. If the blacksmith could add some extra defence to the black sword, it would help him better in combat.

Argus asked, “Do you want it to have a magic conductor or a magic-absorbing ability? If it is the former, it will conduct magic-based attacks, which could cause unexpected damage. Though you could use it to your advantage, while the latter will help absorb magic-based attacks, perhaps also enhancing your power, allowing you to use the mana of other mages against them. That will cost a little more money, though, about seventy gold coins. So which do you want?”

“Give me the absorption effect, thanks Argus.” Asura thought that although conducting might be cool, it wasn’t a guaranteed ability and could misfire. So, he opted for the absorption effect.

“Good choice. You can leave it here and pick it up tomorrow. It will be ready by then.” Argus smiled at Asura as he placed the black sword on the table and turned around to go back to his date with the two lovely Valkyrie.

Asura left the smithy, accompanied by Amalia and Ignis, who were still admiring the dwarf woman. Asura chuckled at the sight of his sister trying to get closer to the dwarf woman. He didn’t expect that Amalia would be so interested in her. He also wondered if she liked women or was just curious about the dwarf woman.

“Brother, I want to become like that dwarf lady when I grow up!” Amalia exclaimed. Asura then realised she must have admired the firm muscles and how the blacksmith’s wife could make him listen so easily.

“I see; you want to become a strong woman who can make her lover bend to her will?” Asura said as he patted his sister’s head, earning a giggle from Amalia.

“Yes, I want to be strong enough to protect you, brother,” Amalia said as she grabbed Asura’s hand. Asura smiled at her words and patted her head once more before walking away. Though he wanted to treat her as a woman, their life as siblings couldn’t be thrown away so easily.

“Don’t worry. I will always protect you, sister,” Asura said while walking away. Amalia watched her brother back as she followed him. She sighed before turning back to the blacksmith’s wife, who was still nagging the blacksmith.