In Search of the Artisan
Sage Street was located just a little over two hundred meters north of the Academy's main gate.
It was barely a five-minute walk.
Bordering the campus, the street saw a constant stream of students and professors. It felt like an extension of the Academy itself, bustling with academic fervor and lively energy.
Old bookstores, shops, and cafes popular with the students lined both sides of the street.
Right in the middle of the street, directly opposite the Academy library's annex, sat my new workshop.
It was a three-story stone building.
In the past, it had served as the private laboratory of a famous alchemy professor.
The interior was still a work in progress.
I had only managed to roughly set up the spacious workshop on the first floor, the private quarters on the second, and a drawing room on the third. I planned to take my time furnishing the rest.
The front door chimed open, and Lily walked in.
She was dragging a massive suitcase, a heavy-looking backpack slung over her shoulders.
Her face held a mix of anticipation and slight nervousness, though she was mostly just out of breath from hauling her luggage.
"Thanks for making the trip all the way here. Looks like you brought a lot of stuff," I greeted her first.
Lily let out a sigh of relief as she set her suitcase down. She looked around the space before replying.
"Phew... It's fine. It's practically a stone's throw from the Academy anyway. It's just that my research materials are a bit heavy..."
"Haha, true. The location is perfect. Shall I help you carry those up?"
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Lily spoke up.
"No, I'm okay. More importantly, do you have any idea how many offers I turned down to come here? Mystic Arts, the Golden Magic Tower, the Imperial Research Institute..."
I smiled at her words.
"...You certainly received a lot of scout offers."
In truth, I had gone through something similar. Ever since the project presentation, love calls had been pouring in from all over. Not just from Mystic Arts, but also from the Empire's most famous weapon workshops and even the Imperial Research Institute.
After a brief silence, I asked gently, "So... do you regret it?"
Lily's eyes sparkled. She shook her head firmly.
"No, of course not. Without you, my research would have vanished into thin air."
Looking around, she asked, "Where is my spot?"
"Right up there," I replied, pointing to the stairs leading to the second floor.
We walked up the stairs together to check out the private research labs on the second floor. Lily looked at the empty, unorganized space.
"It's still pretty bare. And there are only four desks. Don't tell me the four of us are going to be the only ones here?"
I shook my head.
"Of course not. We'll start recruiting now. Only the most talented."
It had been about two weeks since Edward halted production of the Kraken series. The Song of Steel was gradually growing quiet again, and Lisa was starting to feel anxious.
Just yesterday, she had happened to read an article in the Academy newspaper about the massive success of Edward's project. On top of that, it reported that famous weapon workshops across the Empire and even the Imperial Research Institute were sending him love calls. There were even rumors of Mystic Arts trying to scout him.
Hearing all this, the anxiety in Lisa's heart only grew larger.
He said he'd be back soon, so why isn't he here yet...?
Lisa shook her head, trying to reassure herself.
"No, he'll be back soon."
She busied herself cleaning the shop to calm her mind, but anxious thoughts quickly flooded back.
What if he's already signed a contract somewhere else? Doing business with a much bigger company... Surely it's not Mystic Arts, right?
Just then, the door opened with a soft chime. Lisa looked up absentmindedly, only to freeze on the spot.
"Hello, Lisa."
It was Edward's voice. Her heart fluttered at the familiar sound.
"Edward! It's been so long."
A bright smile spread across Lisa's face before she could even help it. But her joy was short-lived when she noticed the woman standing beside him.
"And who is..."
Lisa's voice trembled. Her fingertips began to shake on their own. She had feared this might happen, and now it was actually playing out before her eyes. Her heart sank.
"Are you... abandoning me now? You can't do this," she said, choking back tears.
Edward waved his hands in a panic, but Lisa pressed on.
"I knew something was strange. Suddenly stopping production on the best-selling Kraken series, disappearing out of nowhere..."
Tears began to roll down her cheeks. Lisa grabbed Edward's arm.
"You're so cruel! Disappearing without a word, only to return with such a pretty new partner... I guess you don't need me anymore, is that it?"
The woman beside him looked utterly bewildered.
"Partner...?"
Edward quickly explained, "No, Lily, please don't misunderstand. She means business partner. Business partner!"
"Sniff... It's all over for me..." Lisa sobbed under her breath.
"Lily, wait, where are you going? I told you, it's a misunderstanding!" Edward called out to Lily, who was backing away.
Lisa clung to Edward's arm even tighter, pleading, "Come back to me. I can do better. I'll do whatever you want."
Watching this unfold, Lily took another step back, looking thoroughly embarrassed. Her face was a mix of apology and confusion.
"Um... I don't think I belong here. I'll wait outside for a bit."
"No, really, it's not like that!"
Edward turned back to Lisa.
"Lisa, please calm down. It's not what you think."
At Edward's words, Lisa looked up at him. Seeing the genuine worry in his eyes, she calmed down slightly.
"Then...?" she asked, her voice still laced with lingering anxiety.
...
Lisa picked up her teacup and took a cautious sip. The warm tea slid down her throat, slowly melting away her tension. The stiffness left her shoulders, and she breathed a little easier.
"Actually, I'm planning to expand the business," Edward said. "This is Lily, a former magic researcher. She's going to help develop our new products."
"Hello," Lily greeted her politely.
Lisa let out a long sigh of relief.
"Ah... I see. So we're still doing business together, right?"
"Of course. In fact, I plan to scale it up significantly."
Hearing that he had even set up a new workshop, color returned to Lisa's face.
Edward continued, "But before we officially launch the expansion, I need your help, Lisa."
Lisa's eyes lit up at that.
"Really? What kind of help do you need?"
Edward glanced around. Although there were no other customers in the cafe, he lowered his voice cautiously.
"Actually, I need to go to Stonehelm. Do you happen to know of any ships heading that way?"
Lisa's face instantly stiffened.
"...Stonehelm? Oh dear. All ships heading there have been suspended. Diplomatic relations have soured recently over mining rights disputes between the two nations..."
"Ah..." Edward couldn't hide his disappointment.
Curious, Lisa asked, "Why do you need to go there?"
Edward hesitated for a moment before replying, "There are some people I need to meet."
What should we do then...
Lisa fell into thought. A brief silence filled the air.
Then, she spoke up hesitantly. "Actually, it's not like there's absolutely no way..."
"What is it?" Edward asked, his eyes filled with anticipation.
Port Raven, the western port city of Lucentia.
The salty scent of the sea tickled the tip of my nose. It had been a long time since I last smelled it.
The sharp cries of seagulls brushed past my ears, and a harsh sea breeze whipped against my face. The harbor, crowded with a mix of massive merchant vessels and small fishing boats, was bursting with life. The booming shouts of fishermen and the metallic clanking of dropping anchors blended together, creating the distinct, chaotic din of a port.
Lily asked in a startled voice, "What? You mean the 'way' was taking this fishing boat?"
The vessel before us was much larger than a typical fishing boat. It was easily thirty meters long, with an impressively sturdy hull. Massive harpoons and thick nets lay scattered across the deck. It looked specially modified for hunting Krakens.
"Yes. Apparently, there are no other routes left."
"Well... the sea is a bit scary to me."
Just then, a booming voice rang out.
"Welcome aboard, youngsters!"
A man of massive build disembarked and walked toward us. His red beard fluttered in the sea breeze as he greeted us with a broad grin.
I smiled and greeted the captain.
"Nice to meet you. You must be the captain of the Kraken, right? Lisa told me a lot about you. It's a very fine ship."
The captain looked up at his ship, bursting with pride.
"Of course it is! Whose ship do you think it is? Around these parts, we're probably the only fishing boat that deals in Krakens."
His voice was thick with pride for his vessel.
His son, standing beside him, chimed in.
"Father, that's only because nobody else wants to buy them."
To most people in the Empire, Krakens were objects of pure disgust. Consequently, they were never used as food, and were only occasionally sought after in limited quantities as alchemy ingredients. Under such circumstances, it was only natural that there was no demand for them.
"Quiet, you!"
"Before you met Lisa, you were lamenting about how you'd have to give up Kraken hunting altogether."
The captain glared at his son.
"Watch your mouth, boy! The people of the Eastern Kingdom go crazy for Kraken tentacles!"
His son sighed and shot back.
"How long ago was that? It's been years since the Empire blocked the shipping routes to the Eastern Kingdom."
The captain's gaze drifted toward the distant sea. A note of hope crept into his voice.
"No... the route to the Eastern Kingdom will definitely open up again someday. When that time comes, we'll be rolling in gold."
He lost himself in thought for a moment, then cleared his throat and turned back to us.
"Ahem, don't pay any mind to this boy. You said you wanted to go to Stonehelm, right? Normally, this wouldn't be allowed, but I'm doing this as a special favor out of respect for Lisa."
"Yes, thank you, Captain."
With that, we boarded the ship, and our voyage toward Stonehelm began.