Chapter 355: The True Lightbringer (Part II)
"Can you just settle down for a moment!"
Melisandre was about to explode. Why couldn't this man before her act like a normal Prince Who Was Promised and just honestly take Lightbringer to hack at some White Walkers? One moment he wanted to sell it, the next he wanted to melt it down; was he only happy when he was causing trouble?
Egger knew he was probably pushing it, but he had to get clarity.
The Gift was already employing large-scale melting and casting to manufacture obsidian weapons, and the reason was that Melisandre had confirmed a crucial fact: the series of processes—heating obsidian until it melted and cooling it to shape—did not cause the fire-attribute magic within it to dissipate.
So, did Valyrian steel, which contained energy far stronger than obsidian, possess this same trait?
Egger waited patiently for the frantic Red Woman to calm down a bit before repeating seriously: "I am asking this quite earnestly—will melting and recasting Dark Sister cause the magic that repels the Others to fail?"
It took Melisandre a long while to settle her emotions. The man before her was truly an extraordinary specimen; not only could he provide her with long-lost sexual pleasure, but he could also ignite a fury she had almost forgotten how to feel.
"Your question is fundamentally flawed. An insider would know immediately: you quite typically haven't distinguished between 'spells' and 'magic power,' or between 'enchanting' and 'infusing.'" Melisandre wanted to say that recasting would make it fail just to make Egger give up on the idea. However, with the great enemy at hand, she didn't want to provide false information that might lead the Prince Who Was Promised to misjudge the situation and affect the outcome of the final battle.
"What I used to make your sword glow was a spell—a spell is composed of magic power and the act of casting. The process of applying this to your sword is called enchanting. However, the reason dragonsteel is dragonsteel is not because a spell was attached to it, but because the power within the Dragonlord's blood was deeply branded into the material itself in the form of infusion during the most critical stage of forging. The cost of doing so is immense and far more difficult than enchanting; the requirements for the vessel are also extremely high. But once completed, this power is firmly locked within every inch of the dragonsteel."
"Spells can be destroyed, interrupted, or countered; but magic power is indestructible. The advantage of 'enchanting' is that it can be applied or canceled anytime and anywhere to achieve various strange functions. But the flaw is that it is extremely unstable. Never mind melting and recasting—even a single crack can cause it to fail instantly." Melisandre gradually calmed down. "As for 'infusion,' the downside is that the magic is locked so deep within the material that it is hard to project outward; the effect cannot be exerted unless it is plunged into the enemy's body. The advantage, however, is that unless one possesses the correct method of exorcism, it is difficult to make it lose its magical attributes even if you wanted to. Never mind melting and recasting—even if you cut it into cubes or grind it into powder, every pinch would still firmly retain the power it ought to have."
"That's excellent. I intend to melt and recast Dark Sister into..."
"Don't be in such a hurry; I haven't finished." As if to avenge the two times she had been interrupted earlier, Melisandre unceremoniously cut Egger off. "Melting and casting without damaging the magical attributes of dragonsteel refers to the ideal situation. Magic is ethereal and indestructible, but Valyrian steel is not! Recasting Valyrian steel requires superb skill. A single instance of improper temperature control or the slightest infiltration of impurities could cause it to deteriorate or change its properties. Once that happens, though the original magic remains, the self-restoring function of the dragonsteel and the legendary toughness of the blade itself will be greatly compromised."
"Does anyone in the world still possess the technology of that ideal level?"
The corner of Melisandre's mouth curled into an ambiguous smile. "There were some, but such national-treasure-level craftsmen lived on the Valyrian Peninsula, in the heart of the Freehold."
"You could have just said they're all dead." The Valyrian Peninsula was where the Doom had occurred; Egger felt mocked and snorted in dissatisfaction. "Among those still living, who has the best skill?"
"There are smiths in the court of Qohor who possess the most complete techniques for casting Valyrian steel..."
"Too far. By the time craftsmen from across the Narrow Sea reach Queenscrown, I'll have become a wight following the Night King to the gates of Winterfell." Egger vetoed the idea without hesitation. "In Westeros, is there anyone of comparable skill?"
"Many famous blacksmiths choose to go to Qohor for further study after they've mastered their craft. As far as I know, there is one in King's Landing who claims to know the spells and methods for casting Valyrian steel." Melisandre didn't get angry at being interrupted again. Instead, she asked with a stiff face, "What do you want to recast it into? I must remind you: if you want a weapon to have the effect of killing Others, simply embedding obsidian will suffice. But the traits of dragonsteel—its immunity to ice magic and its legendary toughness and sharpness that nothing can withstand—cannot be replicated!"
A craftsman in King's Landing?
Egger recalled carefully. In the original story, the one who helped Tywin successfully recast Ice seemed to be a famous King's Landing blacksmith. In that case, even if this person wasn't the best Valyrian steel smith in the world, his reliability was at least a safe bet.
Egger's mind whirled, and his decision was made in an instant. He nodded, but then changed the subject: "Lady Melisandre, do you still have the memory of the day we first met?"
The Red Woman tilted her head in confusion. "It wasn't very pleasant. I admit I was a bit reckless that day... but if I remember correctly, I have already received your forgiveness."
"I'm not talking about the unpleasant part, but the vast array of questions we discussed after we sat down. You were the first living person I met who possessed supernatural power. It was from your mouth that I first heard of the existence of the Great Other and the Lord of Light, who are more transcendent than the White Walkers or yourself... but those aren't the key points. There was one last question I asked that you couldn't give me an answer to back then: if a White Walker wore a suit of armor, how would we kill it?"
Melisandre's answer back then was that a caster's clothing should be as simple and thin as possible, which was why she never wore underwear or heavy coats—a fact Egger had recently verified personally. But the question itself remained unanswered: if the Others were willing to sacrifice part of their casting ability to don a suit of armor that obsidian could not penetrate, how would one deal with them?
"I didn't realize back then that you were the Prince Who Was Promised, so there were many things I didn't bother to explain to you." The Red Woman also recalled that past event and spoke without thinking, "But I can answer you now: Lightbringer can absolutely kill any armored White Walker."
"I don't doubt that, but there is only one sword, and there are many Others... If they all put on armor capable of defending against obsidian weapons, am I to challenge them one by one?"
"So you thought of casting the sword into many pieces?"
Egger could not admit that he didn't want to engage in hand-to-hand combat with Others because he was scared, but he also knew that if he didn't provide a compelling argument, this debate would drag on for a long time. Seeing Melisandre's protect the prophetic sword at all costs stance, it was very likely to lead to conflict between them... and might even make her start doubting whether his status as the Prince Who Was Promised was genuine.
Though he didn't particularly care about being some Chosen One, to be honest, he had indeed benefited greatly from it. A high-quality "friend with benefits" who doubled as a free mage consultant—he'd be a fool to let that go.
After clearing his throat, he adopted a solemn expression and entered his long-lost persuasion mode: "The Lord of Light told me in the flames that not only should I divide the sword of prophecy into multiple pieces, but I should also fashion them into long-range weapons."
The good mutual trust he had maintained by not hiding things, not cheating, and being direct was for exactly this kind of critical moment—so that a big play would be convincing. Previously, he had been unwilling to claim the title of the Prince Who Was Promised because he worried it would be too awkward if the real one showed up. But the Greenseer's words had opened his eyes: the so-called Prince Who Was Promised was just a trick of painting the target where the arrow lands.
There is no destined hero; whoever fulfills the prophecy is the hero.
In that case, why couldn't it be him?
Sure enough, as soon as he said this, Melisandre—who a moment ago looked ready to die before agreeing—instantly showed a look of surprise, which turned into utter piety and fanaticism in the next second. She didn't even think to ask questions like: When did you see this? or Are you lying to me? Instead, she chose to believe without a second thought.
"What else did He say? Were there any instructions concerning me?"
"No. This was the first time I saw something in the fire. I initially thought it was an illusion, and the information wasn't very clear. I hadn't even imagined the prophetic weapon would appear in such a form." Egger put on a slightly dazed expression and shook his head, then immediately became firm: "But now, everything is certain. I will recast Dark Sister into as many arrowheads as possible, paired with the finest shafts and fletching. And I shall name this set of arrows..."
He paused for a moment to savor the thrill of writing his own legend.
"Lightbringer."
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