After his declaration, he spoke a little longer with Durgrim and Gork before Lilia knocked on the door.
"Hello! I'm here to deliver lunch!"
She stepped inside with a basket filled with sandwiches and an eager voice contrasting with the heavy atmosphere.
The delicious odor of salted meat and bread freshly taken out of the oven permeated Luna's living room, causing their mouths to water and stomachs to grumble in desire.
Grateful smiles blossomed on their lips as they shared a hearty lunch, during which Durgrim learned of the territory's chaos forge and Muramasa's legendary skills.
Heart drumming in his chest in intrigue and anxiousness, the dwarf requested to meet him as a fellow artisan.
Yet, Adam noticed how his eyes' wrinkles twitched and his trembling fingers despite his efforts to hide them. Still, his eyes slipped aside, and he raised his thumb.
"I'll accompany you but won't stay for long." He chuckled and shook his head in self-depreciation. "I know you want to tell me about your inheritance, but trust me, you'll just waste your time. I'm as skilled and knowledgeable in forging as Litia." He slapped the table in amusement. "I bet she knows more than I do, though."
Then, his eyes narrowed, and his voice turned solemn as he pushed himself off his seat.
"Your inheritance is yours alone. I don't want to know the designs, nor would I force you to craft those divine items." He lowered his head slightly in a show of humility that surprised everyone present but Luna. "However, I'd be grateful if you use it with Muramasa to help us achieve our dream."
Amidst the poundings of his raging heart, Durgrim nodded.
"You're giving me more reasons to craft them for you. It'll be hard." He bit his trembling lips. "Extremely hard. But who knows? I might find alternatives for the materials with Muramasa."
Adam's eyes sparkled at the idea.
No other word could describe Muramasa's craftsmanship better than perfection. It was even more true when his hammer pounded scalding metal to forge blades. Yet, his creations fell short compared to divine artifacts like Mjölnir or the ring of Draupnir.
His lips curled into a bright smile as his mind rumbled with the reason... and the solution to fix the problem!
'Muramasa lacked access to magic or divine powers, and they didn't matter in his time since only humans surrounded him. Therefore, he focused on creating a peerless blade from a human's point of view.'
His knuckles whitened, and his breathing hastened. 'Even when he recovered materials from the Abyss, he only boosted his body with the essence he collected without using it to enchant his blades. But now! With Durgrim's knowledge of divine enchantments and his abyssal touch, what kind of soul-chilling weapon can he create?'
Eager to witness its creation, he stepped toward the door to join the others.
Before he could, Luna's firm grip tightened around his arm, and the door whistled in his ears.
His head jerked back, and his eyes widened as she slammed it shut. An irresistible pull followed, forcing him back to his chair before two green eyes locked on him.
He saw the care hidden behind the thick wall of demonic essence swirling in them and smiled at her.
"You can relax if you're worried about what I heard earlier." A mischievous grin split his swollen face, and he winked. "Achilles smacked my ears so hard that I have trouble hearing. See? You have no reason to panic."
"Humph." Luna sneered and rolled her eyes at the obvious lie, yet her chest tightened, and the corner of her lips rose slightly. "Don't mention it, you boor."
Then, she placed her hand over his battered face, feeling the hot bumps under her fingers.
"Even if you infuriate me, I can't let you scare our new citizens. But remember, I'm doing it to preserve the territory's prestige, not to help you!"
"Sure, sure." He closed his eyes not to roll them at the obvious lie, and muttered. "Thank you for your help."
With a dissatisfied snort, green flames wafted from her fingers and engulfed his face. They licked his wounds in a warm stream that reflected their conjurer's emotions despite her words.
Under their soothing influence, the forming blisters receded.
With each passing second, he stifled the delighted groan threatening to escape his throat and enjoyed the feeling of his taut skin relaxing as the pain he had silently endured alleviated. In the blink of an eye, the swells and bumps disappeared like mirages, restoring his handsomeness before Luna retrieved her palms.
Then, her green hair fluttered behind her back as she stepped out of the living room.
"Don't keep the others waiting..." Her voice trailed off for a second as if she hesitated to continue before a steely glint flashed in her eyes. "But come after Achilles' training. I'll treat your wounds."
A soft smile crept onto his face as he rose to his feet.
What kind of facial expression did she wear? Was she smiling? Was it the cute hesitation he had seen when he returned from Foliaris?
The desire overwhelmed his pounding chest. Yet, he shook his head and forced his feet to bring him to the door.
With one last glance back and a strange yearning for tomorrow's terrible training, he opened it and joined his subjects.
They visited Muramasa together before the latter smiled at him.
"Your leather armor is ready." He pointed at a desk supporting seven brown pieces of equipment sparkling with demonic engravings. "As always, I forcefully increased their rarity using the forge's feature. They're all epic items and are fifty percent better!"
Meanwhile, Adam's smile reached his eyes.
He lunged at his new items, the scent of fresh leather inundating his nostrils.
Without wasting a second, he ran his finger on the rigid leather, feeling the thin metallic plates hiding underneath.
In contrast, thick steel shaped in semi-circles arranged to optimise defense against piercing blows glinted on every piece.
AN: I'll take tomorrow off to recover. Sorry, guys. I hope I'll return with twice the energy the next day.