WIEDERGEBURT Act III: Chapter 19

Moments after I made the announcement, at least one dozen of the 30 Spiritualists went over to the board and began looking at the quests. Among those who were eager to check them out was Geirolf, Catalyna, Marko, Bjark, and Ingrid—a lady Spiritualist with light brown hair, green eyes, and a small chest that seemed at odds with her taller than average stature. As the group of Spiritualists eagerly looked at the quests available, I stepped away and stood beside Kari, Fay, and Lin.

“It appears everyone wants to begin taking quests right away,” Kari said with a soft giggle. “I’m a little envious of them.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologized sincerely, but Kari shook her head.

“Don’t be. I understand why I can’t go on any quests yet. I’m needed here.” She reached out and grabbed my hand. “Right now is a crucial time for our sect. You can’t afford to go on missions yourself until you’re sure the sect can run even without you present. I honestly do not mind staying here to help you until we can all go adventuring together.”

Kari’s words never ceased to warm my heart. I loved how she called this “our” sect rather than “my” sect. She was including herself, Fay, and Lin in those words, which made this sect seem like more than a pet project I was working on to strengthen Nevaria. Her words also let me know that she was taking this entire matter seriously.

“What should we do now?” Lin had crossed her arms and was gazing at the people present with a small frown. “We spent all that time training these people, but now that’s over with. Do we even have anything we need to do?”

“Well…” I stretched out the words and considered what sort of matters needed to be taken care of before I could begin doing quests on my own. “The first thing we need to do is make sure the sect is stable from a financial standpoint and that our reputation as a group that can handle any quest spreads beyond just the Alchemist Association. I want to eventually begin accepting quests from everyone. We’ll also need to recruit more members, the budget will have to increase, and I believe we should begin building a library of Spiritual Techniques that members of our sect can learn.” I paused as a few more thoughts came to mind. “I also have a few experiments I’d like to begin working on, one of which involves those Runes you showed me last month.”

I looked at Kari when I said this, letting her know which Runes I was talking about. She seemed to understand because her eyes lit up almost immediately.

“None of that seems to be anything this princess can help you with,” Lin muttered with a bitter frown.

“I’m not sure how I can help either,” Fay added. “I do not know much about finances or expanding a business.”

Their words caused me to frown as I realized most of what I planned to work on really didn’t involve either of them. Kari was knowledgeable about business, management, budgeting, and other subjects that were necessary for a ruler, but Fay and Lin were not. Fay was a fighter, pure and simple. She beat people up and was damn good at it. On the other hand, Lin was a very strong but indulgent girl who wanted to help but lacked the knowledge.

“If you’d like, I can teach you some of what’s involved in managing a group like this,” Kari offered before I could make the suggestion.

“This princess would like that,” Lin said. “She wants to prove how useful she can be. She hates it when there’s nothing she can help with.”

“In that case, we can begin in a day or two.” Kari tapped her chin for a moment before nodding. “I suppose the first thing I’ll teach you about is how to file records of quests and after action reports. That was one of the first things Father taught me.”

“Which father are you talking about?” asked Fay.

“Sorry. It’s Valence,” Kari said.

“Valence was the one who taught all of us about filing reports and writing after action reports in case any of us decided to join either the Nevarian Spiritualists or the Imperial Royal Guard,” Mikkel said as he walked up to us. Earland and Geirolf were not by his side, but that was because both of them were still looking over the quests.

There were less people in the lobby now than there had been a few minutes ago. About half the Spiritualists had grabbed a quest, filed it with one of the two receptionists, formed a party with at least two or three other Spiritualists, and left to prepare. My sect provided everyone with a place to accept quests in exchange for cash, but by that same token, we didn’t provide provisions… unless they were willing to pay for them.

“Mikkel, are you not taking a quest with Earland and Geirolf?” asked Kari.

Smiling as he shook his head, Mikkel said, “Geirolf is actually getting ready to take a quest with Catalyna and Marko. I’m a bit… surprised to see him hitting it off so well with those two.”

At his words, the four of us looked back at Geirolf to see that, indeed, he was standing next to Catalyna as she handed the parchment with a quest over to Eira. The young woman behind the counter dipped her quill in a jar of ink and jotted down the quest name, people participating, and quest details inside of a large leather bound book. Once she finished, she placed the quest sheet inside of the book and closed it.

Speaking of Catalyna, she said some words that I couldn’t hear. The blonde woman smiled, nodded, and said something to Geirolf and Marko, who nodded in return and followed the woman as she began departing. I watched as the door closed behind them and turned back to Mikkel.

“I honestly didn’t know they had gotten that close either, but I do remember seeing Geirolf begin sparring with Catalyna a lot more toward the end of training.”

“Either way, I hope it works out for him,” Mikkel said. “He seems to have come into his own.”

“He certainly surprised me,” Kari confessed.

“I’m guessing you needed something?” Fay said as a means of getting us back on track.

“Yes.” Mikkel reached into a pouch at his hip and pulled out a small envelope, which he handed to me. “I was told to give this envelope to you. It’s an invitation to a party being hosted by the Eieran Family.”

Studying the envelope, I noticed that it was made from a faded but sturdy parchment, the kind that was awfully expensive to buy. The envelope was closed with a wax seal that bore the Eieran Family coat of arms. It was a Snake-tailed Lion (an A-rank Demon Beast) holding an intricate quill between its paws.

“This is for a party?” I asked for clarification, not at all sure why such a prestigious family would invite me to a party.

“The Eieran Family is not only influential thanks to their numerous business ventures, they are also well-known for hosting balls and parties at least four times a month,” Mikkel explained. “These parties are often a way for the Eieran Family to show off their vast wealth. However, they are also a place where numerous families and influential members of society go to form alliances, meet their competition, and even display their prowess as Spiritualists.”

“I thought the Eieran Family wasn’t one that relied on Spiritualists,” I said, my frown deepening.

“They don’t,” Kari supplied for me. “However, Spiritualism is such an important part of our society that the Eieran Family cannot afford to ignore it entirely. That is why they allow Spiritualists to duel during these parties. It is both a means of allowing Spiritualists to show off their prowess and knowledge and to provide entertainment to the guests.”

“I think I understand now.”

It sounded to me like the Eieran Family wished to invite me to this party because I was becoming an influential member of society. I was the winner of the Spiritualist Grand Tournament, was engaged to Kari, Lin, and Fay, and I had just founded Nevaria’s very first sect with the empress’s official seal of approval. If that didn’t make me influential, then I wasn’t sure what would.

Now curious to know about the contents, I opened the envelope and removed the parchment. Unlike the sturdy envelope, the parchment felt a lot softer and newer, once again displaying a wealth only families like the Eierans and the Astralias possessed. After carefully unfolding the parchment, I read the contents written in elegant cursive.

To Lord Eryk Veiger,

I hope this letter finds you well. My family and I have been meaning to speak with you for some time, but you have been so busy that we haven’t been able to contact you.

We wish to formally invite you to our Grand Ball, which is a yearly event that we hold alongside numerous others. Your fiances are all invited to come too.

Sincerely,
Alexander Eieran

I looked at the name at the end of the brief but elegantly written letter. Alexander Eieran. That was the head of the Eieran Family, if I was not mistaken. Did that mean this letter was personally written by him? I somehow didn’t think so. He likely had a butler or someone else write the invitations.

“Well, I’ve done what I was asked to,” Mikkel said with a smile. “It looks like Earland has selected a mission for us, so I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Mikkel turned around and walked over to Earland, who was standing with Ingrid and Bjark. It looked like those four had decided to form a party. As the group left to prepare for their quest, I turned the letter over in my hand.

“Are you planning on attending the ball?” asked Kari.

“I will.” Sighing, I slipped the invitation into the pouch attached to my hip. “The Eieran Family is a massive and influential family, and not just because they are one of the Heavenly Families. If possible, I would like to form a good relationship with them. I believe they can also help provide the Nevarian Braves with more quests.” I paused for a moment and looked at the three. “I was also hoping you three would be willing to accompany me.”

“Of course we will be going,” Lin said for the three of them. “This princess is not going to travel anywhere without you, and she isn’t going to let you go anywhere without her.”

The three of us giggled as we listened to Lin.

“By the way,” Lin began again, a confused expression crossing her face. “What’s a ball?”

***

I was walking through Nevaria alone this time. Kari was helping teach Fay and Lin about filing reports, so they were back at the Nevarian Braves headquarters.

Looking at the buildings made from a combination of bricks, wood posts, and gabled roofs, I could not help but be reminded that the architecture here was very different than what I’d find in Midgard. Nevaria seemed older. The buildings weren’t spaced as closely together until you reached the crowded Peasant’s Quarters, and there were a few trees interspersed across this particular section of Nevaria.

I was traveling to the blacksmith again. He was the only blacksmith within Nevaria that I knew, and while he wasn’t the best I’d ever seen, I trusted that his work would be of decent quality.

The door creaked as I entered the smithy, though it was drowned out by the sound of metal pounding on metal. I couldn’t remember a single day where the blacksmith wasn’t hard at work on something. He seemed to always be working on one thing or another.

As usual, I waited until the blacksmith finished what he was working on. The man in question had already noticed my presence, but it wasn’t like he could just stop what he was doing. I once heard that not finishing your work when you’re pounding molten metal could result in the final product becoming misshapen and unusual.

The blacksmith did eventually finish, and he set his work, which looked like the blade to a polearm, off to the side and turned to me. His bare chest flexed and glistened with sweat as he walked over and crossed his arms, staring down at me. That was something he could do because he was about a head and shoulders taller than I was.

“You got another project for me? I hope it’s not cylinders and overgrown butter knives.”

I resisted the urge to crack a smile. Since I was training those Spiritualists, I had hired him to make a lot of cylinders, which I then inscribed with Runes so their weight could increase. The blacksmith had no trouble expressing his dissatisfaction at the job. Of course, I paid him well so he still did it, but he had complained the whole time.

“It’s not cylinders. This time, I need you to make several rings and several etching needles.”

“Listen,” the blacksmith began with a frown, “I did those cylinders for you because they were easy and you paid well, but there are some things a blacksmith like me just isn’t meant to do. Creating etching needles and rings are outside my area of expertise. I can’t craft something as delicate as an etching needle, and I don’t have the proper tools to create rings.”

Well… that was a problem. I always found it rather odd. Sundur had been a talented blacksmith who was capable of creating just about anything, provided it was made of metal.

Of course, I realized that comparing Sundur, a Dweorg blacksmith, to a human blacksmith might be too much. Dweorgs were the best blacksmiths in all the nine realms. Comparing a human to a Dweorg in blacksmithing was like comparing an ant to a mountain.

“Then do you know someone who can make rings and etching needles?” I asked. “I need someone who can mold the alloy from the Giant Rock Golem.”

The blacksmith rubbed his jaw. “For delicate works like this, you’ll want to see an artisan. They’re the ones who create stuff like jewelry and the like. I know one artisan who is incredibly talented at what she does. Her name is Lystål. She’s one of the best artisans around and does a lot of custom work for noble families. She’s also unaffiliated with any noble family, so you won’t have to worry about her having any kind of political agenda.”

I wasn’t sure whether this man was looking out for me when he mentioned this Lystål not having a political agenda, but I honestly didn’t care about that so long as she could help me.

After getting directions for Lystål’s shop, I thanked the man for letting me know about her and left the blacksmith. While it was disappointing that he couldn’t help me, I appreciated his honesty. It took a lot to admit you couldn’t do something.

Lystål’s shop wasn’t too terribly far from the blacksmith. It was a single-story building with a good bit of space around it. I was a bit shocked to find a shop that wasn’t nestled between two other shops, but maybe it had something to do with her supposed popularity. If she did a lot of work for nobles, then it was possible she could afford a storefront that had its own space like this.

Unlike with the blacksmith, the door jingled when I entered the shop. I glanced around. This place was very different from the blacksmith’s shop, which displayed all kinds of weapons and armor near the front and had a forge near the back. For one thing, I couldn’t see the forge. There was a door at the far end, which I believed led to the forge or wherever Lystål did her work. There were a lot of displays showcasing her jewelry as well. Also…

I glanced at the two women standing at attention on either side of the entrance. Both of them were obviously Spiritualists. They had swords strapped to their waists and wore standard metal armor over their shirts and skirts. I could only assume they were here to make sure no one stole any of Lystål’s merchandise. That meant she must be really popular.

A few seconds after I entered, someone came out from the back room. She wasn’t a very tall woman. I’d say she was maybe a head shorter than Kari. Her hair was long, blonde, and curly, framing a face that was smudged with soot. I was tempted to call her cute, but her narrowed eyes told me that wasn’t the best idea. She might have looked like a doll, but she was clearly nothing of the sort.

“A new face?” The woman blinked as she rubbed her hands on her apron, which went over a simple pair of pants and a shirt. She stepped out from behind the counter and offered me a polite curtsy. “Welcome to my jewel emporium, dear customer. I apologize, but I’m not taking any custom commissions right now since I already have so many projects. However, if you’d like to look around, I’d be happy to show you my wears.”

The woman was very polite, and I didn’t fault her for her words, but I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t disappointed.

“Unfortunately, I was actually here for a custom project,” I said with a sigh. “I’m looking for someone who can make etching needles and rings from the alloy of a Giant Rock Golem. The blacksmith I normally use for work said he didn’t have the talent or equipment for such a delicate job, and that I should see you.”

“Your blacksmith friend is very knowledgeable.” Lystål grinned. “While both of our jobs fall under the category of smithing, our focus is very different. This friend of yours sounds like he specializes in the smithing of weapons and armor, which requires a different skill set from what I do. I’m more of an artisan than a blacksmith. I create extravagant jewelry and other delicate items that can be used as accessories, which is indeed a more delicate operation than creating weapons and armor.”

As the woman spoke, she studied me with intense scrutiny. I bore with her observations since she didn’t seem hostile. After awhile, her expression cleared up.

“You’re Eryk Veiger, aren’t you?”

“That’s correct.”

Lystål stroked her jaw and frowned. “I am indeed doing a lot of work right now, so I shouldn’t really be adding anymore projects, but given who you are, I don’t want to turn you away either. Tell you what. If you show me what you want me to do, I’ll tell you whether or not I’m interested.”

This woman was very straightforward, which I appreciated. Not many people would be willing to turn away a job, but she was telling me that she’d decide whether or not she was interested based on the job itself, and she’d been upfront about having a lot of other projects to do.

Since she was being so honest, I decided to return the favor.

“Like I said, I need someone to create etching needles and rings.” Reaching into the pouch at my hip, I pulled out a folded sheet of parchment, unfolded it, and handed it to the woman. “The materials for the creation of these items is an alloy I salvaged from the body of a Giant Rock Golem. Smithing with it requires a higher temperature than normal metal, which means most people can’t use it.”

“Meaning you need someone with the wind element who can feed the flames and increase their temperature to smelt the alloy,” Lystål murmured as she studied the parchment. “These designs are rather simple. What are these Runes carved into the ring?”

“You don’t need to worry about those,” I told her. “I plan on carving those into the rings myself using the etching needles you make if you accept this job. The most important aspect of the rings are going to be the monster core embedded on the top. Monster cores are a lot bigger than this, so I had to shave away at them until they were small enough to fit onto the rings. You’ll also have to get the ring widths at those exact measurements. It’s important so I can inscribe the runes into them.”

“I see…” Lystål looked up from the parchment to study my face, looking at me in a new light. “Are you capable of inscribing Runes into items?”

“I am,” I said.

“I knew it!” Lystål looked excited. Her eyes became bright and cheerful as she folded the parchment and slipped it into her apron. “I had a feeling after seeing the designs on your rings that you were capable of inscribing Runes, but I didn’t dare to hope. Most people just like me to add them because they make for great designs.” She went silent for a moment, then smiled. “Okay. I’ll make a deal with you. If you teach me how to inscribe Runes into items, I will make you these rings and etching needles for free.”

“You have a deal,” I said without even thinking about it. I didn’t mind teaching others how to use Rune Writing. In fact, I believed more people should know. Rune Writing was another lost art in Nevaria. If I could teach a few more people how to use it, I was hoping we could eventually make people’s livelihoods easier.

After all, it was so much easier to install and use a shower than it was a bath.

***

I came back to Lystål’s shop the next day, but I didn’t come alone.

Kari had expressed an interest in learning how to inscribe Runes when I told her what I’d be doing and asked to come along. I wasn’t surprised. In my previous life, Kari had also expressed a heavy interest in Runes, which was partly because all the ruins possessed Runes, but also because she just found them interesting.

Lystål was surprised to find Kari standing beside me when she emerged from the backroom.

“Princess Kari.” Curtsying almost the moment she saw the blonde girl, Lystål acted far more politely than she did when it was just me. “I had no idea you’d be coming by today as well.”

Kari’s lips stretched into a wide smile. “Eryk told me he’d be teaching you how to use Rune Writing. I haven’t had the chance to learn myself because we have been so busy. I decided to use this opportunity to also learn about it. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Please, follow me to my workshop.”

Lystål led Kari and me into the backroom, which I realized was a forge somewhat to similar but still vastly different from the blacksmith’s. It was a lot cleaner. However, there were also a lot of tools present that the blacksmith’s workshop didn’t have. Hammers and tongs hung from racks on the wall, two anvils sat side by side near the forge, and there were several types of metal ingots that looked like steel and iron sitting around in a corner. The forge was smaller and sat in the corner, and there were several objects that I didn’t recognize.

“Do you have the alloy you want me to use?” asked Lystål.

“I do,” I said. I was carrying a large bag with me today. I opened the bag, reached in, and pulled out several large blocks of alloy with a vibrant red tint.

Lystål took one of those blocks from me and hefted in her hand. Her eyes seemed incredibly sharp as she studied the alloy, switching it from hand to hand as though testing its weight.

“This is a really sturdy piece of metal,” she said at last. “I can see why you need someone with the wind element to forge anything from it. This alloy probably won’t melt unless the flames are far hotter than anything normal smiths use.” She twitched her nose a little, then took in a deep breath. “All right. Give me some time, you two. I’ll forge the etching needles first since those will be easier, and then I’ll make the rings. You can either leave and come back when I’m done, or you can stick around.”

“We’d like to stick around,” Kari said before I could make a comment. Her eyes were sparkling. “I’m really curious to see the forging process.”

Lystål shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

Since it looked like Kari wanted to watch Lystål forge the rings, I decided to stick with her. We moved to a place near the back wall where we wouldn’t be in the way and watched as Lystål got started.

I’d seen people forge items before. When Sundur was making the weapons and armor for me and Kari in my previous life, we had stuck around and watched the process. However, it seemed forging weapons and armor was a bit different than forging etching needles and rings.

The initial process was pretty much the same. After lighting up the forge, Lystål placed one of the alloy ingots into the fire, then began tapping her feet in a steady rhythm as she rotated a crank off to the side. Spiritual Power wafted from her body. I realized she was using the wind element. The flames quickly went from red to blue, and the heat became so intense that Kari and I started sweating despite how far away we were. I needed to cover us with the water element to protect us from the heat.

After the bar had turned into a bright, molten reddish gold, Lystål used a pair of tongs to grab it, placed it on an anvil, and grabbed the hammer sitting beside it. Thus she began pounding away. The sound of her hammer striking the molten alloy echoed all around us as the woman worked. Sparks flew from the metal as it began gradually taking shape.

“Who is this ring being made for?” asked Lystål as she worked.

“Kari,” I answered immediately.

“All right. We’ll measure Kari first,” Lystål muttered.

I didn’t know what she meant by that, but after she had pounded the red alloy into a fairly flat rectangle, she found a measuring tape, came over, and measured Kari’s index finger. Once that was done, she went over to where a series of flat metal sheets rested and picked one up. Then she went back to the anvil, set the sheet down, grabbed the ingot, and began heating it up again.

I wasn’t sure how long we stayed in that forge and watched her, but it felt like a long while before she eventually forged a small etching needle that had a very fine and slightly curved point. She presented the needle to me, which I took and examined. I wasn’t very knowledgeable about good etching needles. However, this one was perfectly smooth, had a point that could easily carve into normal metal, and would allow me to inscribe Runes more delicately than if I used my finger.

“It looks good,” I said.

“I’m glad.” Lystål smiled. It was a big, wide smile that made me shift from one foot to another. “Now you can show me how to use Rune Writing.”

“Ah…”

Her words made me realize she intended to have me teach her before she would make the rings. Kari was also staring at me with sparkling eyes now, making me realize I wouldn’t be getting anything more until I showed them how to inscribe Runes.

“All right,” I said. “Do you have a sheet of metal that you don’t mind me using?”

“I do.” Lystål ran over to where several sheets of metal lay, grabbed one, and came back. “Will this work?”

“It’ll do fine,” I said.

The metal sheet was a little lumpy, but since I was just going to inscribe some basic Runes into the metal, it wouldn’t really matter.

We went over to the anvil. I set the metal sheet on top and held the etching needle in my right hand. Channeling Spiritual Power through the needle, I carefully watched how it began glowing bright and brighter. Since I wasn’t using an element but pure Spiritual Power, the needle was glowing a simple blue color.

“Rune Writing is the standard name for creating something with Runes,” I began. “However, what I’m about to do should really be called inscribing, which is a branch of Rune Writing that involves inscribing Runes into metal and other materials to create various effects.” As I spoke, I brought the etching needle onto the metal sheet and began carving into it. “What I’m doing is using pure Spiritual Power to carve Runes into the metal. By doing this, the Runes become attuned to Spiritual Power and can be activated whenever someone channels their Spiritual Power through them.”

“Wait. So that’s it?” asked the shocked Lystål. “I would have assumed it was harder!”

I worked slowly, carving in several Runes. Uruz, the Rune of freedom, energy, action, courage, strength, tenacity, understanding, and wisdom. Sowilo, the Rune of wholeness, power, elemental force, sword of flame, and cleansing fire. Hagalaz, which could mean wrath of nature, but it also meant controlled crisis, leading to completion and inner harmony. It was just three Runes, but I didn’t need many since I was only show off how they worked.

“I think you are underestimating how hard it is to inscribe Runes and make them actually work,” I said. “The reason not many people can use Rune Writing here isn’t because they can’t inscribe Runes into items and materials. It’s because they aren’t infusing the Runes with their Spiritual Power. In order to activate a Rune, you must inscribe Spiritual Power into the Rune while you use Rune Writing.”

As I lectured her, I was constantly channeling Spiritual Power through the etching needle. The Runes I was inscribing into the metal sheet all glowed a light blue as I worked, showing that my Spiritual Power was activating the power inherent within the Runes. I soon finished my work. Taking the etching needle away from the sheet, I waited until the glow died down before showing what I’d made to Kari and Lystål.

“This is Rune Writing,” I said. “By infusing Spiritual Power into Runes while you make them, you create a spiritual link with the Runes, allowing them to activate whenever someone channels Spiritual Power into them.”

As I spoke, I placed my hand on the metal sheet and channeled Spiritual Power into the Runes. The Runes began glowing. A small spark ignited. Then a flame about five centimeters in diameter flickered to life above the Runes.

“This is a very simple Rune Array. I use Soliwo to create the fire, Uruz to give the flame energy, and Hagalaz to control the flame’s size. Using different Runes will give you different effects. You’ll have to be wary when experimenting. Some Runes are incredibly dangerous when combined and can explode in your face.”

The two were paying rapt attention, hanging off every word I said. Kari was even leaning forward as she stared at me with an intensity I usually only saw when she was thinking about exploring ruins. Well, I guess Runes were an interesting subject for her.

“Now,” I began again, “I’m going to teach you the 24 Runes and their merkstave variations. Be sure to pay attention because it’s important to know the meaning of these Runes and not just how they are shaped. If you don’t know what they mean, you won’t know how to use them, and if you incorrectly use two opposing Runes together, you run the risk of injuring yourself.”

Once Kari and Lystål nodded, I began teaching them about the Runes, their variations, and a few simple arrays they could use to practice with. As I did, I noticed how Kari would frown every so often. She’d occasionally open her mouth to stop me, but she seemed to think better of it and closed her mouth again. It was like she wanted to correct me but feared saying anything.

Later that day, Kari would correct me on several matters regarding Runes and Rune Writing that I had gotten wrong.