The woman took a step forward, hamming her finger on Hephaestus’ chest, “You ain’t going to weasel out of this you... you hacker!”
Staying calm, Hephaestus retorted by saying “Now, lady, please don’t get aggressive. Come in, sit down, and let’s talk about this.”
“There’s nothing to talk about! We want our commissions cancelled, now!”
“I’m afraid I can’t quite do that, lady, at least with the weapon.”
“Hell do you mean?”
“It’s ready.”
“That’s impossible!” She cried, “There’s no way the weapon is finished, unless you cheated!”
“Not at all, lady. I made it myself, by hand, thanks to years of experience. Now,” he said, turning towards Gareth, “would you like to see the weapon?”
“I, uh...”
“Gareth, don’t! He’s a hacker, he’s trying to get into your head!”
“If you’re not satisfied by it,” Hephaestus said, “You can keep it for free.”
Gareth and Eldin looked at each other; Hephaestus saw the glint in her eyes. After all, it was still a unique item, offered for free. The bait was cast, now he waited to see if they would bite.
“Alright,” said Eldin, “let him see the weapon, and if he doesn’t like it,” she shrugged, “he keeps it for free, deal?”
“Hmm, I’d like to add a bit to it,” said Hephaestus.
Eldin’s eyes narrowed, “Speak.”
“Thank you,” said the smith with a nod. “If Gareth likes the weapon, then you will get your request made—wait, let me finish. You’ll get your armor made right before your eyes.”
“And?”
Hephaestus shrugged, “And if you are not satisfied with the process, and its results, you get it for free.”
Her eyes widened, “The whole set!?” Hephaestus nodded. She looked at Gareth once again, receiving a nod in return. “Fine, let’s see it.”
Got them, thought Hephaestus, took the bait, line and all. He sent Gareth a trade request; it was accepted immediately, and he placed Viridaline into his screen, closing the trade. Gareth equipped the weapon, his eyes widening as he inspected it. Gareth swung it to and fro, twirling it midair, his eyes narrowing when he realized “This is a two-handed weapon.”
“Truly?” Hephaestus asked. “Try using it with a single hand, then switch to two-handed.”
Gareth did so, shifting his grip and poise, chuckling as he finished. “It’s a hybrid.”
“Mhm. You can switch your grip for quick, biting strikes, or heavy, shattering chops. Either way, see the rings along the spine? They work as a gyroscope, meaning they’ll make the weight balance and speed perfect without taxing your limbs or draining your strength.”
“Hmm. Eldin, can we talk?”
The woman nodded before her expression became vacant, together with Gareth’s. Hephaestus shook his hand in front of them, asking “Hell are they doing?”
Altara shrugged, “Private chat room.”
“Looks like they went mind-blank.”
“What can I tell you? They’re in their own little world right now.”
Before Hephaestus said anything, awareness returned to the two of them. Eldin broke the silence “Right, smith, you’ll make my armor right before my eyes, correct’”
“Correct.”
“And if I’m not satisfied, I’ll get it for free, yes?”
“Positive.”
“Hm,” she crossed her arms on her chest, “what’s to keep me from telling you I’m dissatisfied and just taking it anyways.”
Hephaestus shrugged, mimicking Eldin’s gesture and crossing his arms, “Truly? Absolutely nothing. I’m appealing to your good will and common decency, but if you screw me over,” he shrunk his shoulders, “it happens.”
“Right,” Eldin said, “well, get to it, then.” Hephaestus lifted an eyebrow, saying nothing. Eldin sighed, adding “Please.”
“With pleasure.” He drew out two of the chairs in the workshop, offering them to Eldin and Gareth, “Take a seat, this might take a while.”
“It’s alright,” the woman replied, “we’d like to see you working.”
“Very well, be my guest.”
Hephaestus cracked his neck and knuckles, more for effect rather than any practical purpose, and got himself to work. Prior to the couple’s arrival, he had already made a choice regarding Eldin’s full set of armor and accessories. Working with mithril, itself an alloy of steel and aluminum, meant the metal would likely have a silver-like gleam. As such, he reasoned that full plates would look visually striking, especially inlaid with copper to contrast with the sheen of the base metal. He had enough mithril ingots to form the entirety of Eldin’s armor, so he didn’t need to worry to produce more; instead, he worried only about the design of the armor itself.
He figured that since Eldin was after a full set of armor, a Gothic armor underlaid with chainmail would be the best decision, offering a tremendous amount of protection against, quite literally, any form of attack—besides looking pleasing. His choice made, he placed an ingot into the furnace, further lowering the temperature on account of the aluminum. When the mithril ingot was hot enough, he began working it on the power-hammer, flattening it into metallic plates he would then shape into the pieces of the armor. He had purchased ten ingots (more than he would need) so he had surplus material in case something went awry; ideally, however, he wouldn’t use more than six of them. Once he had the necessary plates, he stacked them neatly close to the hammer, deciding to work on the breastplate first.
He took a spheroid mold and a manual hammer to start working the plate, using a female mannequin to take the measurements as he went along. Hephaestus shaped the frontal chest plate into a functional figure, without overtly emphasizing its femininity—it was armor, after all—before starting with the back plate. Once both had the proper shape, he used pieces of mithril to shape hinges so the armor would swing open and close easily, using leather strips to tie it into place. He shaped a metallic spine running along the center of the main plate to provide it with further mechanic resistance, as well as bevels along the arm holes, and the waist; Hephaestus then took another metal plate, using shears to cut three metal rectangles, wrapping them around the frontal shape of the mannequin’s body to form the armor’s tasset. He followed by drilling slots into the plates, so they would easily slide up and down, held together by the main plate itself, providing Eldin with mobility despite the armor’s heavy construction.
He proceeded by using the wire drawing die to draw a long, mithril line he slotted into a coiling rod, then a drill, before using the shears to cut the rings for the chainmail; piece by piece, Hephaestus made the chain mesh underlay for the armor, finishing by riveting it into the armpit area of the armor, as well as between the tasset’s plates. The main shape of the frontal plate was ready, only detailing remained.
Hephaestus continued by shaping the helmet—a visored sallet with an upper ridge. Another one of the metal plates was chosen, sheared into a smaller plate, before being worked on the spheroid mold; Hephaestus made two halves, heat-welded in the middle, forming the upper ridge of the skullcap. He continued by taking the remaining metal, using the shears to cut it into a shape fitting the general layout of the coif, before rounding it against the mold. When it was warped enough to fit around the frontal part of the helmet, he drilled small slots into the skullcap and the coif, where rivets would be inserted. Before continuing, he used the remaining plate metal to shape three thin strips to form the back-guard of the helmet, drilling slots through it to allow for head mobility. He pieced the helmet together before focusing his work on the next piece of the armor.
The pauldrons would be a comparatively easy endeavor. He cut two metal plates, measuring them against the mannequin before hammering them against the spherical mold, shaping them into nearly full circles to cover both the front and back of the shoulders. Using another piece of the plate, Hephaestus s
heared three smaller plates to articulate over the shoulder, forming the haute, and protecting right above the upper cannons of the vambraces; he then used chalk to draw the shape of both couters, shearing them off the metal sheet; he took them to the anvil’s horn to give them the necessary shape, cutting them in the middle and installing hinges, using two belts on the union points to close them together; he repeated the procedure for the lower cannons of the vambraces. He rolled the edges of the vambraces, pauldrons, and couters inwards to prevent edges, before continuing with the gauntlets.
He used the regular process for the gauntlets, as it was the most efficient: He cut the shapes for the gloves, quilting the backs of the hands, and riveting movable metal plates onto them; to increase the protection, however, he placed a sheet of chainmail on each glove, keeping the fingers of the hand flexible, but providing a better resistance to damage—plus a better grip on the weapon, all things considered.
The next piece he worked on were the greaves; just as with the pauldrons and the cannons of the vambraces, Hephaestus began with the upper parts, the cuisses, cutting two sheets of metal and shaping them into cylinders he proceeded to cut on their sides to install hinges, and belts on their opposite sides; he did the same with the shinguards, forming them into cylinders against the horn of the anvil, cutting them, rolling the edges outwards, and riveting hinges and belts to secure them in place. He proceeded with the poleyns, shaping both kneeguards against the spheroid on the power-hammer, placing fur-lined belts on each so they would set in place comfortably behind the knees.
The final piece of the main armor were the sabatons, as boots would clash with the greaves. He shaped them much as he did the gloves, cutting out the general leather layout, quilting the upper part, pinning chainmail on it, and riveting pieces of metal on the upper part of the feet. He used hard-boiled, thick leather for the soles, studding it with mithril rivets to give it a better grip against the ground. With the armor pieces ready, only detailing remained; he opted to work on it later, as he wanted to finish the cape, pendant, and rings.
Hephaestus started with the rings, as they would be comparatively easy. He merely used two thin bars of metal to form bands which coiled around the mannequin’s finger, before using another piece of metal, smashing it on the power-hammer to shape it into a hemispheric shape; he carved a sconce into the hemisphere, before taking two crystal beads from a nearby barrel—a red, and a blue one—polishing them using low grit sandpaper, and affixing them into the rings.
The necklace was a different matter: He decided to use a fresh mithril ingot, cutting off a small piece, and shaping it into a sizable disc; Hephaestus affixed two metal loops, threading a leather cord through them. The finesse to the necklace was on the engraving he made, however—his signature, Celtic-patterned bear. The cape was an easy construction; Hephaestus cut a piece of thick, black fabric, shaping a loop on its neck area, and a hem below, before he affixed pieces of chainmail on the neck area for further protection.
All of the pieces were functionally ready, prompting Hephaestus to continue with the detailing. He started with the cape, using golden thread to embroider his signature bear on the back, as well as a Celtic-knotted pattern along the hem of the cape; he then used the hammer and engraving chisel to engrave a knotted pattern along the bands of the rings. The blacksmith started working on the armor—an impressive piece on its own—by using copper brushes along the edges of every piece, giving them a reddish hue which contrasted nicely with the silver hue of the rest of the mithril. Once the details were ready, he considered the armor and accessories complete:
Mithraline Plate (golden hue)
-unique-
Bonus: Strength +60
Bonus: Endurance +60
Bonus: Damage Reduction 15%
Bonus: Health +300
Value: 200,000 GP
Description: An elegant carapace offering both tremendous protection, and lightweight mobility.
Crafted by Hephaestus
Mithraline Sallet (golden hue)
-unique-
Bonus: Strength +20
Bonus: Endurance +20
Bonus: Damage Reduction 5%
Bonus: Health +100
Value: 80,000 GP
Description: An imposing helmet, protecting face, neck, and eyes from any form of damage.
Crafted by Hephaestus
Mithraline Shoulderguards (golden hue)
-unique-
Bonus: Strength +20
Bonus: Endurance +20
Bonus: Damage Reduction 5%
Bonus: Health +100
Value: 80,000 GP
Description: Strong pauldrons to protect the entirety of the arm from getting hurt.
Crafted by Hephaestus
Mithraline Gauntlets (golden hue)
-unique-
Bonus: Strength +20
Bonus: Endurance +20
Bonus: Damage Reduction 5%
Bonus: Health +100
Value: 80,000 GP
Description: Strong, lightweight gauntlets providing both comfort and protection.
Crafted by Hephaestus
The rest of the items, once named, followed the same naming and attribute conventions. Still, Hephaestus was pleased with the end results; he opened the trade window and prompted Eldin to come into it. When she did so, Hephaestus placed the ten items into his screen, and accepted the trade. Eldin had the items in her possession; now, the blacksmith could only wait for her verdict.
The woman equipped her armor, moving in it; Hephaestus had his misgivings, as he wasn’t certain if the measurements would fit her as they did the mannequin. He realized it didn’t matter, however, as the items were reduced—or stretched, he assumed—to fit the wearer. Still, the armor was visually impressive, easily adapting to the woman’s body, moving with her as she tested their flexibility.
Eldin chuckled, saying “You’re not the best at descriptions, are you?”
Hephaestus grinned, “I’m a blacksmith, not a writer. Still, I’d rather let the quality of the items speak louder than their descriptions.”
“Well,” she sighed, “they sure do.” Eldin, still wearing her armor, walked towards the chair Hephaestus had offered, sitting loudly in it, and taking a gauntleted hand to a helmeted face. “Hephaestus, look, I...” she sighed again. “What am I to do with, well, this?”
“What do you mean?” the smith asked.
“It’s just... Well, as soon as we left, we heard these rumors that another hacker had come to work into Baratus’ shop, and well, we knew it was you. Had to be, as there was no one else working the forge. Still, well, I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Well Eldin,” said the smith, sitting opposite her and prompting Gareth to sit down as well—a thing he promptly did, “you have seen my crafting process, moment by moment. You saw me drawing the metal by hand, you saw me making my own rivets and studs. Hell, you even saw me write shitty descriptions!” she chuckled at the comment before Hephaestus continued, “Eldin, blacksmithing is my life’s passion, a fact I hope has become readily apparent. However, I understand why these rumors started.”
“You do?” Gareth asked, “How? Why?”
“Well, before I tell you, let me ask you something: Was the name ‘Liberath,’ or something such as that mentioned, at all, when you heard these rumors of me being a hacker?” The two looked at each other, nodding at the same time. “Then let me make it to your knowledge that lord Liberath seems to be the owner of one—if not many—crafting guilds. He made me an offer he thought I couldn’t refuse. I take you two as smart individuals, Gareth and Eldin, so let me ask you: What do you think a would-be lord would do when someone rejects them?”
Eldin replied “He went after you?”
Hephaestus shrugged, “I assume so. And what better way to screw over a fledgling freelancer than spreading ill rumors to their name?”
“There’s something I don’t understand,” Gareth sai
d, “Why wouldn’t you just join a guild?”
“Because I don’t do this as a job, Gareth. I do it, quite frankly, for fun. Life’s passion, as I said. Besides,” he added, leaning forward, “have you seen the kind of crap his guilds produce? Oversized, spike-riddled, frankly ugly.”
“Hmm, gotta give you that, Hephaestus,” the man said, lifting his sword, “no guild would have made a weapon such as this one. They use base patterns, you know? This is... well, this is yours. It’s unique beyond just having a golden text, and better attributes. What’s with the bear, though?”
Hephaestus chuckled, “A small signature of mine.”
After a moment of silence, Eldin said “Still, it doesn’t make it right, Hephaestus, I... well, I think I mistreated you. I’m sorry about that.” When she finished talking, she prompted Hephaestus into trade; the blacksmith accepted, receiving three million in gold.
“Double what we agreed,” Hephaestus said, prompting another trade with Eldin.
She cancelled it, saying “No, you deserve it. These pieces, they’re true masterworks, at a fraction of what a guild would charge even for some rare items. Besides, we still mistreated you. Is there anything we can do to atone for it?”
“Hmm, there actually is,” said Hephaestus, “All you need to do is tell the people you know nothing but the truth. That the rumors you heard are lies, and, well, that I provided you with good quality items.”
“You’ve got it,” Gareth said. “You deserve promotion, Hephaestus, truly. Working with you has been far better than hiring a guild’s prick.”
“I take it,” Hephaestus mused, “that guildsmen aren’t well loved?”
“Of course not!” exclaimed Eldin, “they’re snobbish, expensive and, quite frankly, without any creativity.”
“Well, no wonder Liberath is afraid of me, just as he was of Baratus.”
“Uh, wasn’t Baratus a hacker?” Eldin asked.
“No,” said Hephaestus, “he did the same as I did: he defied the guilds,” he paused, “and paid for it.”
True Smithing: A Crafting LitRPG Series Page 19
