Rise of the Living Forge

“To challenge me?” Arwin repeated in confusion as he stared at Reya. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like,” Reya grumbled. She ran a hand threw her hair and blew out a sigh. “We don’t get it either. That’s why we’ve been trying to get rid of her while you were working. It isn’t worth your time. The smith won’t even say her name. She just keeps saying she won’t leave until you accept her challenge.”

Arwin’s brow furrowed. This was… interesting. He’d expected to get some new attention after the Proving Grounds, but this was not the kind of attention he’d been thinking about. There really wasn’t any benefit to him accepting a random challenge from someone. That went doubly so when the person in question didn’t even share their name.

At best, it just means every single smith that decides they want to make a name for themselves will show up and challenge me. At worst, I somehow lose and look like an idiot. There’s literally no benefit to taking her up on this.

“And she’s just… what, sitting there?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Arwin scratched his chin. “Not selling anything?”

“Nope. Just sitting there and demanding you come out.”

“Is she effecting Lillia’s sales at all?” Arwin asked. “Scaring anyone off?”

Reya thought for a moment. Then she shook her head. “No. I don’t think so. People are kinda just watching her and waiting to see what happens. But the line is still really long and I don’t see people leaving it.”

“Huh,” Arwin said. Then he shrugged.

Reya squinted at him. “What does that mean?”

“It means I don’t care,” Arwin said. “Tell Madiv not to waste his effort trying to get rid of her.”

“Are you going to take care of her yourself?”

“No,” Arwin replied with a chuckle. He set the pile of armor he was carrying down on the ground before Reya, then returned to the back room to gather another armful of it. He brought that over to add to the pile before continuing. “Why would I do something like that?”

“I don’t know if I’m following. Are you saying you’re just going to… what, ignore her?”

Arwin walked back into the back room and gathered the last of the armor he’d made. He added it to the pile before Reya before straightening his back and brushing his hands off against each other. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. What benefit do I get to accepting her challenge?”

“But she’s shit-talking you! She’s sitting outside the Devil’s Den and telling people you’re a coward that won’t accept her challenge! We can’t—”

Arwin burst into laughter. He couldn’t help it. The hurt look on Reya’s features immediately silenced him, but the mirth still swirled in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Reya," Arwin said, ruffling her hair. "I didn't mean to make light of your efforts. I appreciate that you’re standing up for me, and I always will. But why would I give a shit about what some random smith had to say about me? She can say what she wants. We got second place in the Proving Grounds. Not her. My equipment speaks for itself. There are smiths that are far better than me. But the people here have come here for me. And so I will do the only thing that matters.”

“And what’s that?”

“I’ll make equipment,” Arwin replied with a grin. “If she’s really determined to challenge me, then I imagine she can stick around and wait for a while. Besides, it gives the people waiting in line something to look at.”

“Aren’t you worried that people will think you’re scared to take her challenge up?” Reya asked nervously. “What if you lose customers?”

“I doubt anyone that came to Milten just to hire me is going to leave because I’m not answering some lunatic demanding I fight them,” Arwin said with a shrug. “And if they do, they probably aren’t the type of person that I want to make equipment for anyway. Posturing is for arrogant pricks. If she starts causing trouble or negatively impacting Lillia’s sales, then I’ll deal with her. But until then, just ignore her. If she wants to challenge me that badly… then she can sit around for a few days first.”

Reya blinked. It was clear the idea of just straight up ignoring the smith had never occurred to her. Arwin didn’t blame Reya for that. She’d grown up fighting for her life in the streets of Milten.

Choosing not to take a fight was often a liberty. It was one she probably hadn’t been often afforded — but Arwin wasn’t about to go charging out to accept some challenge blindly. Not, at least, until Rodrick had been given time to dig into whoever this was and harvest enough information for Arwin to list off their family lineage.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“So what should I do? Just completely ignore her?” Reya asked.

Arwin nodded, then gestured to the pile of equipment between them. “Yep. I’ve got some things I’m working on myself. This is a good time to knock out some of the stuff I’ve got to make for that waitlist. Could you bring it to me when you get a chance? As for the smith, I’ve got no problem letting her sit and wait for a while. If she’s really serious about wanting to challenge me, then she has to earn it. Just ask Rodrick to take a glance at her.”

“Will do,” Reya said. She rose back to her feet with a grin. “What should I do in the meantime?”

“I’ll make some sets that you can sell off to people that look fairly decent. I’ll trust your judgement on it,” Arwin said after a moment of thought. “That should show everyone that I’m still willing to sell my stuff.”

Reya nodded her understanding. Then a small grin slipped across her features. “This feels a bit evil, doesn’t it? Just making the smith wait. That’s way more insulting than anything else you could have possibly done. That’s what she gets for being such a nuisance.”

Arwin just smiled.

***

The rest of the day slipped by quickly. Arwin spent it within the Infernal Armory exactly as he said he would, making more sets of armor for the people that had been on their waitlist. None of them were anywhere near his finest work, but the armor was definitely nothing to scoff at.

It outperformed normal armor by leagues. And, when very few people even had access to magical gear this far out in the Kingdom in the first place, it was an enormous step up above anything else they could afford — especially when one factored Arwin’s relatively affordable prices.

He knew this was far from a sustainable business model. Arwin really didn’t have much interest in sitting around inside the smithy all day and creating relatively uniteresting pieces of armor. Fortunately, this didn’t have to last long. He just had to fulfill the promises to the people that had been waiting for his equipment.

When he finished his work late into the night, Arwin asked the Infernal Armory to make sure nobody was still on the street before slipping out into the darkness. It seemed that the smith who had come to challenge him — whoever she may have been — had headed home for the night.

How determined could she have been if she gives up so easily? Wanting me to go up against her in some pointless challenge but not even waiting until the night for me to come out… that’s not really very convincing. Good riddance.

She probably won’t even be there tomorrow.

Arwin headed into the Devil’s Den without any further ado. After all, he had far better things to be doing than sitting around and thinking about the nutjobs that their growing name was attracting.

The following morning came too soon. Before the sun had even properly remembered it was meant to be climbing through the sky, the Menagerie were all back to their respective jobs.

Arwin headed straight to the Infernal Armory to get back to work. He had a few pieces from the waitlist to wrap up before it was completely finished. The previous day had yielded some great results and a fair amount of magical energy, though it hadn’t gotten him any more achievements.

Something told him he wouldn’t be earning much more from the Mesh for as long as he kept making armor that wasn’t at the limit of his abilities. It was challenge that drove the Mesh, not repetition.

But when Arwin stepped into the back room of the Infernal Armory, ready to get started for the day, he was surprised to find that he was not the first person to enter the smithy. A man already stood within it, leaning against the wall in wait.

Long white hair hung from his features in a raggedy mess and framed his weathered features. Crystal blue eyes poked out from beneath the mess of hair to bore directly into Arwin’s soul.

It had been a while since Arwin had last seen the man. But today, he was no drunkard. Even though his clothes were dirty and ragged, even though dark bags under his eyes spoke to lack of proper sleep, he carried no trademark mug in his hands.

Despite the man standing before Arwin looking every bit the part, there was something fundamentally different about him. No amount of dirt or torn clothing could change that. Before him was no longer a mere drunkard.

He stood before a lich.

“Koyu,” Arwin said. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing you so early.”

“You promised to make me a body.”

“I meant early in the morning. Thought you’d be passed out somewhere,” Arwin said as the door closed itself behind him. “Did you decide to give up the drink?”

Koyu didn’t respond immediately. He was silent for several long seconds, as if lost in some distant thought. Then he let out a grunt. “Your building has told me you desire some tutelage. Do you wish for my help or not? If it will assist you in creating the body you promised, then I will grant you access to my knowledge.”

Arwin hesitated for a moment. He, more than anyone, knew that judging someone based on their past was a foolish move. That went doubly so for their race or class. It didn’t matter if someone was a monster or a human.

But a Lich was not something that someone was born as. Liches were made, and not in any manner that could ever be considered benevolent. The amount of death that was required for a Lich to come into being was immense.

But Arwin needed a mentor. He had no clue how deep Forbidden Soulmancy went. He didn’t know how dangerous it was or what it could let him accomplish. If anyone knew anything about it, it would be either Wallace or Koyu… and Wallace definitely wouldn’t think much of the Forbidden aspects.

Koyu seems to regret the past. He’s helped us multiple times before. I may not trust him completely, but if he’s showing a willingness to be different than he once was, then I can’t deny him that chance. I’ll just have to be careful.

“I want information about something called Soulmancy,” Arwin said finally. “Have you heard of it?”

Koyu’s gaze bore into Arwin for several long seconds. Then the corner of the ancient lich’s lips twitched. It was impossible to tell if it was trying to form into a smile or a frown — and then his expression was flat once more.

“Soulmancy?” Koyu asked. An odd emotion flickered across his features, and it took Arwin a moment to realize that it was fear. A Lich was scared. That spoke louder than words ever could. His voice went deathly quiet as a sharp edge entered it. “Where did you hear that name?”

The hair on the back of Arwin’s neck stood on end. Anything that could make a Lich react like this was a dire warning… and he hadn’t even mentioned that his version of Soulmancy was Forbidden yet.

What the hell is my class specialization?