The Forge of the Single Fire, Part 7
Clang! Clang!
The hammering grew even more intense.
Blue flames danced atop the anvil, and the sheath, which had been nothing more than a vague silhouette, gradually began to take shape.
Watching the scene unfold, I felt anticipation rising deep within my chest.
What kind of relic will be born?
To be honest, even I couldn't be sure of the outcome this time.
Over the course of two hundred playthroughs, I had experienced countless variables and possibilities. This meant I knew exactly what choices would lead to what results in almost every situation.
But today was different. After all, this was the first playthrough where I had learned Pean's true name.
Because of that, engraving his authority onto a relic was uncharted territory.
The power could be much weaker than I anticipated. Or, conversely, it could exhibit effects far beyond my imagination.
I just hope the performance meets my expectations...
It was right as I was lost in these thoughts.
"It is almost complete," the Lord of Flame and Forge spoke, his voice tinged with satisfaction.
"Only the finishing touches remain."
Whoosh!
The moment he finished speaking, subtle changes began to occur on the surface of the sheath.
Fine fabric was intricately layered over the solid wooden frame. The lacquer peeking through the gaps gleamed with a subtle luster.
Even a glance was enough to tell that this was no ordinary item.
Hummmm!
Soon, the sheath floated off the anvil and drifted toward me.
"..."
I reached out and grabbed the relic.
As expected of a custom-made piece of equipment, the sheath fit perfectly in my palm.
Yet, for some reason, I felt absolutely no weight at all.
"Mokgwe."
"..."
"That is its name."
The Lord of Flame and Forge, having spoken the sheath's name, calmly proceeded with his explanation.
"I have completely removed its weight so that it matches the Feather Sword."
"..."
"I have also engraved a Silence spell upon it. You may activate it at will."
I nodded silently at his explanation.
So the weight of the sheath really was zero.
No wonder it felt just as light as the Feather Sword.
And on top of that...
Being able to toggle the Silence spell on and off at will meant he had added an on/off function without me even asking.
...This is perfect.
It was exactly the kind of relic I wanted.
As I examined Mokgwe from various angles with a satisfied expression, the Lord of Flame and Forge spoke again.
"I have implemented the Silence spell in its most powerful form."
The formless gaze of the Lord of Flame and Forge swept over my body.
His eyes lingered on the Feather Sword hanging at my waist as he continued.
"Even 'she,' with her abnormally strong ego, will never be able to breach that barrier. And above all..."
The Lord of Flame and Forge trailed off for a moment.
"...I do not need to tell you what is most important, do I?"
I let out a soft chuckle.
Of course I knew. I knew the true value hidden within Mokgwe.
"The authority of 'that man,' which was engraved through the resonance of his true name, can also be manifested at your will."
I nodded silently.
In truth, no further explanation was necessary.
Because the moment I gripped the sheath, a system notification window had already popped up before my eyes.
Super Sensory (Residual)
(Available for use)
An authority skill engraved upon the relic, Mokgwe.
Super Sensory.
The very ability Pean had obtained at the cost of a sacred covenant was now mine to use.
Yes.
Learning Pean's true name from the Archmage Demarion was all a setup for this exact moment.
Part of it was to obtain a cheat key to keep him in check, but...
My primary goal was to share Pean's authority in this manner.
Of course...
This didn't mean I could unleash Super Sensory in its complete form.
The modifier attached to the authority skill: Residual.
It was the exact opposite of the True form.
While the True form allowed one to wield a god's authority without any output limits, the Residual form was layered with even more restrictions on top of the original limitations.
In short, I had obtained a degraded version of Super Sensory.
"..."
Not that I was complaining.
Since I was sharing an ability Pean had obtained through a sacred covenant, it was only natural for the authority to be downgraded.
The only question is, how severe is the degradation?
As I was pondering this, the Lord of Flame and Forge spoke.
"Why don't you test it instead of just standing there?"
Since I had no reason to refuse, I gave a brief nod and gripped the sheath tightly.
Hummmm!
The authority skill engraved on the sheath resonated with my will and activated.
It felt incredibly natural, as if it were an ability I had possessed all along.
You have used the authority skill engraved on Mokgwe: Super Sensory (Residual).
Whoosh!
And...
Not long after, the moment I emerged from the world of Super Sensory, I was certain.
Ah.
It works.
This will absolutely work.
If Super Sensory could manifest at this level of output, the plan I had laid out was bound to succeed.
"Well?" the Lord of Flame and Forge asked, inquiring about my thoughts.
"Are you satisfied with its performance?"
"...Yes," I replied, nodding as I shook off the lingering sensations of Super Sensory.
It was a brief reply, but it carried sincere satisfaction.
Mokgwe held a far higher level of authority than I had anticipated.
Hearing my response, the Lord of Flame and Forge spoke in a pleased tone.
"Good. Now, go forth and execute your plans to your heart's content, child."
Yes.
The final puzzle piece for the True Name Awakening of the Feather Sword had fallen perfectly into place.
With this, my business in Midtemple was complete.
Which meant...
...It is time to move to the dark city of Dawnguard.
Swoosh.
A lonely wind swept across the desolate land.
As the distance from Midtemple grew, traces of civilization faded, replaced by the scent of the wild brushing against the nose.
"Sigh."
Pean let out a sigh as he walked.
The events of last night kept swirling in his head.
Sword Master Gaon.
The moment he recalled that name, a cold shiver ran down his spine.
What had transpired in Midtemple's guest room—from neutralizing his Super Sensory to casually uttering his true name.
Just thinking about it made his breath catch in his throat.
"..."
The egg Gaon kept in his breast pocket.
The presence exuding from beneath its shell possessed a depth and weight that even Pean could not bear.
It radiated an aura identical to the primordial beings he had encountered in his youth—back when he was not even a hundred years old.
"..."
Beings that had lived in the era when gods did not yet bind themselves to the laws of the heavenly realm and walked the continent freely.
A status so lofty that even Pean, who had lived for thousands of years, dared not approach.
If so, then Gaon, who harbors such a being...
It meant there was a high probability that he, too, was a primordial being.
"..."
Yes. That explained everything.
How Gaon could evade the detection of Super Sensory. How he knew his true name.
Even the fact that the chamber of the Archmage Demarion had opened for the first time in hundreds of years might have been due to a connection from that ancient era.
But...
A memory suddenly surfaced.
—I received a similar revelation.
—Oh... really?
—It said I would be killed by someone soon. Unless I receive your help, Pean.
—...?
...An enemy that even someone like Gaon finds difficult to handle is going to appear? And in the dark city of Dawnguard, of all places?
Pean bit the inside of his lip.
Is that why he is heading to the Forge of the Single Fire now? To bolster his own strength?
Before his midnight meeting with Gaon, Pean had used Super Sensory to eavesdrop on the conversation Gaon had with his disciple.
Their plan to challenge the Forge of the Single Fire.
By now, they were likely undergoing the trial to receive a new relic.
He wondered if they had passed the trial, and if they succeeded, what kind of relic they would receive—
"...!"
He flinched.
At that exact moment, Pean stopped in his tracks and froze in place.
He felt a strange sensation, as if a portion of his senses had suddenly vanished.
It was a fleeting phenomenon.
Though his senses returned to normal almost immediately, Pean couldn't help but be deeply unsettled by an experience he had never encountered in his thousands of years of life.
What on earth was that...?
Suddenly, the world fell silent.
Pean nodded slowly, as if listening to someone speak to him.
"...Ah."
A sigh escaped his lips shortly after.
"So that's what it was."
He chuckled softly, as if he had realized something.
"No. It is fine. If my senses only weaken slightly while Gaon uses the ability... well, I can endure that much."
Though he said it was fine, a complex mix of emotions lingered in Pean's tone.
It was an instinctive wariness of having a portion of his unique authority transferred to another.
No matter if the recipient was a fellow Sword Master sharing the same goal, giving up a part of the special power he alone had enjoyed for thousands of years was by no means pleasant.
And it was even more so because the recipient was Gaon.
An already absolute existence was now grasping his core ability. The thought of how much stronger Gaon would become sent a chill down his spine.
"Ahaha."
Yet, on the other hand... he felt a secret sense of relief.
"Yes. I agree. In fact, I am glad that the one sharing my ability is Gaon."
The Sword Master's seal bound to Gaon.
The absolute covenant he had been tricked into making by the founder of Heibrun.
Though he would eventually have to kill Gaon with his own hands, the stronger Gaon became, the safer it was for Pean.
If the likelihood of Gaon dying at someone else's hands decreased, Pean wouldn't have to worry about the penalty for violating the covenant.
Paradoxically, Gaon growing into an absolute being was the most ideal scenario for Pean as well.
"Well, whatever the case..."
Pean shrugged indifferently and resumed his walk.
"...Just do not die, Gaon."
That low murmur carried a mixture of reasons.
The realistic judgment that no one but Gaon could save this world from ruin.
Consideration for his own safety due to the covenant.
And above all...
A genuine sense of curiosity and goodwill toward him.
Creaaak.
Pokryong, Heukgol, and Arwen had been waiting in the hallway for a long time when the bronze doors finally opened.
Gaon and Adelia stepped out.
"Oh!" Heukgol exclaimed.
Spotting the new sheath hanging at Gaon's waist, he shouted, "Looking sharp! You got a new sword!"
"No."
"...?"
Heukgol froze, slightly taken aback by the immediate denial.
"Th-then what is that? Surely you didn't just get an empty sheath..."
"It is just an empty sheath."
"...?"
"...?"
"...?"