Rei and Dell named the battered little stone monkey Jasper. By the time they reached the gates of the bustling town, the sky had darkened completely, unleashing a torrential downpour. Seeking shelter from the cold rain, they hurried through the streets until they found a prominent local inn.
After paying the attendant for a three-person room, they received their keys and headed down the corridor. As they walked, a girl passed them in the opposite direction. It was Daina. She paused, glancing back at their retreating figures with a slight frown. Have I seen those two somewhere before? she wondered briefly, before shaking her head and continuing toward the front desk. Whatever.
Safely inside their room, Rei set his pack down and pulled out several glass jars containing samples of the exotic, unstable matter he had been synthesizing. He turned toward his companion. "Dell, hand me the hammer from the bag."
"Sure," Dell replied, rummaging through the luggage and passing the tool over. "But what are you building now?"
Rei set a metallic base on the sturdy table and began a rhythm of continuous, precise hammering. "I am making a sword—or more accurately, a highly specialized hilt. I want to experiment with crafting enchanted equipment, using principles similar to the force-amplifying gauntlet I made for you."
Dell watched for a minute before yawning. "I'll never understand this so-called research of yours."
For hours, Rei worked without a break. Under the force of his hammer, the exotic matter began to alter its atomic structure, fusing into a pristine alloy that radiated a majestic, shifting aura of yellow and white. Rei meticulously layered the materials, placing the yellow matter into the core of the hilt to act as an energy containment and release mechanism. The white matter formed the exterior, designed to act as a thermal-resistant conduit that attracted and channeled raw environmental energy directly through the metal without overheating or freezing.
When the final strike fell, the hilt was complete. Rei lifted it, sensing its perfect balance. "I have finally made you. From now on, your name is Mistletoe."
By this point, Dell had already fallen asleep, snoring softly on his bed. On the other side of the room, Pandora and Jasper were huddled together, studying language structures from one of Rei's notebooks.
Rei turned his attention to them. "All right, let's try to speak."
Pandora floated slightly, her eyes bright as she attempted the syllables. "I... Aqm... Prying."
Jasper opened his mouth, trying desperately to mimic the sounds, but only a low, rocky click escaped his throat.
"Good job, Pandora," Rei encouraged with a small nod. "You're getting closer. And don't worry, Jasper, you'll get there too."
Rei turned back to the hilt in his hand, ready for the true test. "Mistletoe, ignite."
Instantly, a brilliant blade of solid yellow energy erupted from the guard. Vibrant sparkles of raw plasma flashed and crackled along the edge. Rei swung it through the air in a silent arc. "This is excellent. Easy to handle, and the weight is as light as a feather. Moving it requires almost no effort."
The intense radiance flooded the dark room, causing Dell to stir. He blocked his eyes with his arm, groaning. "What's with the light show, Rei? Can you turn it down?" Intrigued, Dell sat up and stared at the humming weapon. "Wait, is that the sword you were building? I can barely look directly at the blade, it's so bright. What can it actually do?"
"What if I told you it can cut through standard iron and even dragon scale?" Rei asked.
Dell sat up straight, his excitement piqued. "Are you serious? Dragon scale rivals refined Mithril in toughness. If it can slice through that, it can definitely damage high-grade armors. Let's test it." Dell looked around, grabbed a heavy metal rod from his traveling pack, and tossed it toward Rei.
With a flick of his wrist, Rei brought Mistletoe down. The energy blade passed through the solid metal rod effortlessly, dividing it into two clean pieces like a hot knife through butter.
"Yes, it meets my baseline standards," Rei said, satisfied. "Mistletoe, extinguish."
The yellow blade vanished into nothingness, leaving only the ornate hilt. Rei carefully placed the weapon into his bag. "Time to begin the next project." He gathered his tools, generated a fresh batch of raw matter to store in the spare jars, and opened his journal to document the exact structural equations of the new alloy.
A short distance outside the town, the Midgard Cart was traveling steadily along the muddy dirt road, its reinforced wheels slicing through the heavy rain. Lyla sat at the driver's bench, pulling her cloak tight. Inside the dry cabin, Tylon was completely engrossed in Rei's handwritten manuscripts, studying the chapters on chemical synthesis and wind-driven poison capsules. Beside him, Tenko sat quietly by the window, watching the rain wash over the glass.
"The downpour is getting too thick," Lyla called back into the cabin. "I can't see the road ahead clearly anymore."
Tenko leaned out, pointing directly at a small, strange mechanical fan mechanism mounted near the front viewing pane.
"I'm supposed to rotate it?" Lyla asked.
Tenko nodded. Lyla channeled a minor wind spell, forcing the small fan blades to spin rapidly. Instantly, a pair of hidden mechanical wipers clicked to life, sweeping the heavy sheets of water off the glass pane and leaving a perfectly clear field of vision.
Lyla stared at the mechanism in awe. "I can't believe it. Rei truly is a genius."
Tylon didn't look up from his book. "If you ask me, his work on toxicology is what makes him a mastermind. Controlling the trajectory and dispersal of airborne toxins purely through localized wind currents... it's a methodology I never would have even dreamed of using."
The Midgard Cart pulled into the courtyard of the very same inn. Lyla parked the vehicle, shook the water from her shoulders, and approached the main desk. "We need a room for three, please."
"Right away, miss," the attendant replied, handing over the keys. They were led up the stairs to a room located directly adjacent to Rei and Dell.
A few minutes later, Kaiser, Adriel, Hella, Sentry, and Axel walked through the front doors, wearing makeshift rain gear crafted from heavy oiled cloth.
Kaiser wrung out his hood, looking out the window at the flashing lightning. "Man, this rain is coming down hard. Do you think the organizers will postpone the Five Swords Competition because of the weather?"
"I highly doubt it," Sentry replied, adjusting his collar. "The arena grounds are heavily enchanted."
"They better not postpone it," Adriel muttered, his grip tightening on his weapon.
Hella looked over at the group. "I honestly wonder if this competition will even be interesting, considering the gap in our powers."
Axel smiled gently beneath his straw hat, his staff lightly clanking. "I simply want to watch the matches unfold, strictly as a spectator, of course."
They approached the desk to secure their lodgings. The attendant processed their payment and led them down the hall, assigning them to the room right next to Lyla's group.
Far above the street level, on the balcony of a high stone tower overlooking the district, Researcher Wells stood beside a man he created. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes gleaming with a cold, obsessed focus.
"I will be entering the Five Swords Competition myself," Wells stated softly. "And I will ensure that Rei is forced onto that stage as well. I want to see if his analytical skills alone will be enough to defeat my mathematically perfect swordsman body, or if he will be pushed to create something entirely new to survive. Just you wait, Rei... I will break you in that arena."
Meanwhile, traveling from the direction of Asgard, a sleek, custom-engineered armored car drove through the outskirts of the town. Levi was at the wheel, navigating the muddy roads with expert precision, while Arizona sat in the passenger seat next to him. In the spacious back seat, Ben and Emilia reviewed their ledgers.
"If we can manage to mass-produce this vehicle, long-distance travel across the territories will become incredibly fast," Arizona noted, looking out at the passing trees.
"Absolutely," Levi agreed. "I can see nobles and wealthy merchants paying a premium for these to ensure their families can travel securely through the wild zones."
Ben sighed, closing his ledger. "The issue is our standing in the Royal Capital. Our current political influence is still small. My faction holds only a twenty-seven percent share of the capital's commerce and backing, while my sister commands thirty-four percent. Not to mention, the Holy Church already views our technological gadgets as heretical. If we begin distributing these inventions prematurely, our rivals—especially my sister—will immediately attempt to seize and weaponize them for their own ends."
Emilia nodded seriously. "Yes, we must tread very carefully. We are at a critical junction in this campaign. One single misstep right now, and our entire operation is over."
"You're right about that," Arizona admitted.
Levi steered the vehicle into the courtyard of the large inn, his headlights catching the distinct silhouette of a large, custom-armored transport parked in the stables. "Looks like the Midgard Cart is already here. Lyla's group made it ahead of us."
The group disembarked, shaking off the rain, and entered the lobby. Ben booked a large room for the four of them, and the attendant escorted them down the hallway, unlocking the door situated directly beside Kaiser's room.
Inside his quarters, entirely unaware of the converging paths outside, Rei dipped his quill into the inkwell, continuing to map the boundaries of his evolving science while the rain beat a relentless rhythm against the glass.