Chapter 13
Chapter 13
“Customer?”
In an instant, Lian’s gaze turned cold.
Had word already spread about the enchanted weapon?
“Wait a moment!”
Lian hurriedly donned the enchanted breastplate and covered it with his clothes. He wrapped the longsword in cloth to hide its gleam and held it in his left hand.
This was a situation where a battle could break out at any moment, so he had to be fully prepared.
‘There’s nowhere to hide anyway.’
In such a small room, the only hiding places were under the bed or in the closet.
It was better to fight with it in hand than to hide it.
“Phew…”
Lian took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Where is the visitor who came looking for me?”
“Yes, he’s waiting behind the dining hall.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
Lian immediately went outside and walked around the building to the back.
There, he saw two people standing.
“Are you the one looking for me?”
At Lian’s words, the man who had been facing away slowly turned around.
Brown hair and sturdy eyes.
Despite the relaxed smile and gentle appearance, his eyes seemed to have experienced quite a bit of hardship.
Lian, who had seen many people, could tell at a glance.
Someone who had risen from the bottom.
As Lian looked at him, the man smiled slightly and spoke.
“Hello. I am Adelson, the head of the Hamel Trading Company.”
“Hamel… Trading Company?”
For a moment, Lian’s eye twitched.
It was a name he had heard somewhere before.
‘Hamel… Hamel…’
The word kept spinning in his head, almost driving him crazy as he couldn’t quite recall it.
“Hamel Trading Company?”
Suddenly, something flashed in his mind.
“You’re Adelson, the head of the Hamel Trading Company?”
Lian’s eyes widened in surprise.
Seeing this, Adelson seemed a bit flustered but nodded.
“Do you know of the Hamel Trading Company?”
‘This man is Adelson of the Hamel Trading Company…’
Lian didn’t know much about the Hamel Trading Company.
It was only natural, as it had quickly fallen during the Great War.
But the reason Lian was so shocked was due to one particular fact.
‘They were known for valuing integrity, disregarding social status, and caring for the common people and those in difficult situations…’
Though it sounded like all the good words were attributed to them, ironically, it was these traits that led to the Hamel Trading Company’s downfall.
It was inevitable.
A merchant who didn’t chase profit but pursued ‘justice’ and ‘belief’.
‘Is heaven helping me…?’
What Lian needed most right now was someone trustworthy.
The ability to trade and the size of the trading company were secondary. As far as Lian knew, the Hamel Trading Company was the most faithful and just.
“Hmm, I’m Lian.”
Lian greeted him calmly.
‘Don’t jump to conclusions; I don’t know if this person is truly the same as back then.’
It was still unclear if the current Adelson was the trustworthy and just head of the Hamel Trading Company he knew.
‘But it’s worth trying.’
“So, why did you come to find me?”
“I believe you know the reason better. Didn’t you say you were looking for a trading company?”
“Well, that’s true, but… If you came to find me, you must know the conditions of the trading company I’m looking for.”
“Matching conditions is one thing. What’s important is what we trade.”
At Adelson’s words, Lian fell silent.
An awkward silence lingered between the two. But it wasn’t long.
“Shall we go upstairs to talk?”
“Let’s.”
When Adelson nodded, Lian led him and the man who came with him upstairs to his quarters.
Click.
Lian closed the door and offered them a seat on the small chairs in the room.
“Please sit. And what I want to trade is this.”
With those words, Lian unwrapped the cloth from the longsword and simultaneously took off his upper garment.
Seeing Lian suddenly undress, Adelson looked puzzled, but then he saw the breastplate and the longsword he was holding.
“This, this is…?”
But it wasn’t Adelson who was surprised.
The man standing next to Adelson couldn’t hide his astonishment upon seeing Lian’s longsword and breastplate.
He could sense the magic emanating from the weapon.
“Is he your bodyguard?”
“Yes, this is my bodyguard, Sir Bex.”
“Judging by your reaction to this, you must be quite skilled.”
“What is this?”
Bex asked Lian.
Why did this weapon and armor emit magical energy? Could it be…
“Is it a magical weapon…?”
“A magical weapon?”
At that moment, Adelson’s eyes flickered.
He knew very well what a magical weapon was.
But Lian shook his head.
“No, it’s not a magical weapon. As you can see, there’s no magic circle inscribed on it.”
“Ah… then what is this magical energy?”
“Can you handle aura, Sir Bex?”
“Hmm… If you’re asking if I’m an aura user, I’m not. But I do practice basic magical techniques regularly, so I have a bit of magical energy.”
“Then can you infuse this sword with your magical energy? As much as you can.”
Lian handed the longsword to Bex.
Bex, receiving the sword with a puzzled expression, looked at Adelson.
Nod.
“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
Bex drew the sword from its sheath and immediately channeled his aura.
Though it was a small amount, as soon as the magical energy from Bex’s hand was absorbed into the sword, whoosh!
Flames flared up from the longsword.
“…!”
“F-fire?!”
Both Bex and Adelson couldn’t hide their shock at the sight.
It was a magical sword.
“It’s not a magical sword. If I were to name it, it’s an elemental sword. A fire-elemental sword.”
“A fire-elemental sword…?”
“Yes. This is an enchanted weapon I finally succeeded in creating after many experiments.
Unlike magical weapons, this elemental weapon does not lose its abilities if the weapon itself is damaged in battle. Though its power is less compared to a magical weapon…”
Lian took off the breastplate he was wearing and handed it to Bex.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
At Lian’s words, Bex nodded. Then, Lian took the longsword and swung it at the breastplate Bex was holding.
Slice!
It wasn’t a full-strength swing, so the breastplate wasn’t completely cut through.
But a clear sword mark was left where Lian had swung.
“To be clear, I will swing with similar strength. Now, Sir Bex, could you infuse it with your magic?”
Nod.
Once Bex finished his preparations, he spoke.
“It’s done.”
“Then…”
Clang!
“…!”
The sword made a different sound when it struck the breastplate this time.
It was like hitting rock or stone. Moreover,
“What is this…?”
“As you can see, the mark is different from before.”
The leather breastplate was slashed by the steel sword. The first swing left a clear cut, while the second left only a slight scratch.
“The strength has increased.”
“Is there really a weapon that can be enhanced with such a small amount of magic?”
Although Bex had practiced with swords and magic techniques for a long time, he wasn’t an aura user.
An aura user can enhance their body or weapon with aura, but Bex didn’t have enough magic to strengthen anything for even a second.
He was just a bodyguard with a bit of accumulated magic.
“What’s your opinion on this elemental weapon?”
“T-that…”
Adelson’s hand trembled as he touched the breastplate, and Bex’s reaction was similar.
For a moment, a hint of desire appeared in Bex’s eyes.
‘Indeed… it lives up to its name.’
But they controlled themselves, showing their sense of ‘justice.’
“Phew… This is a tricky situation.”
Adelson laughed bitterly.
To negotiate, one must have cards to play. But could he negotiate with such an extraordinary item?
‘The price is whatever they call it. Or even more…’
Adelson’s eyes sharpened.
“Do you have more of these elemental weapons?”
“Yes.”
Gulp.
Adelson swallowed dryly and asked Lian.
“How many more do you have? What types?”
“Before that, there is something you must agree to in order to trade with me.”
“Tell me.”
Lian handed over a prepared document, which Adelson quickly read through.
“Hmmm… I see.”
Adelson’s lips curled into a slight smile as he read.
His gaze towards Lian changed, filled with interest and a peculiar emotion.
Adelson nodded.
“Very well.”
“Shall we begin the trade then?”
* * *
“Master! Master!”
Bex couldn’t hide his excitement as he returned to the trading company’s quarters.
No, he didn’t even try to hide it.
This was revolutionary. Even if the effects weren’t significant, it was still a weapon imbued with magical capabilities.
And it was usable by those who couldn’t properly handle magic.
“But only ten pieces a year? If these items are properly released, our company could become the wealthiest in the kingdom, no, the continent, within months.”
“Bex, calm down.”
“But, Master, think about it…!”
“Bex!”
Adelson shouted, making Bex flinch and shut his mouth.
Adelson, who rarely raised his voice, looked at Bex and spoke.
“Return to your usual self. Do you know how you look right now?”
“But…”
“I understand how much you care for the Hamel Trading Company. And I know this is a tremendous opportunity for us. But…”
Adelson poured himself a cup of water and took a sip, feeling the cool liquid clear his mind.
“Ten pieces… only ten…”
One of the conditions was:
– Supply ten pieces a year.
The reason was unknown.
Perhaps that’s the maximum they could produce.
But Adelson knew it was a deliberate restriction.
Such scarcity could drive the price up initially, which was understandable.
But the other condition puzzled him:
– The creator of these weapons will be known as the Hamel Trading Company.
“Hmm…”
Why would he want to hide his identity?
If these elemental weapons became known, he would gain immense fame and wealth.
Even that young boy would.
‘And…’
At the end, the boy demanded 2000 gold from the Hamel Trading Company.
For a small company, 2000 gold was a significant amount.
But Hamel readily paid the amount in jewels.
If things went well, they could earn hundreds of times that amount.
However, the issue was…
“Bex, gather information on that boy.”
“Why?”
“We need to know if he’s genuine or if someone is behind him. Also, if our trading company changes after this deal, we need to know if our client is at least not a villain.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Find out what he plans to do with the 2000 gold as well.”
“Understood.”
“And lastly, don’t get greedy over the elemental weapons. They could bring trouble if we covet them too much.”
“…Yes, sir.”
As Bex responded obediently, Adelson grinned and stood up.
“It seems we’ll be busy from now on.”
Adelson muttered as he looked at the two elemental weapons he received from Lian.