He originally thought that in such a border town, it would be good enough if someone recognized the materials. He didn't expect Mora would actually dare to take the job and even create a usable Rough Embryo!
“I understand. I'm already very satisfied with this level of work,” Bai Xuan's voice was full of anticipation. “May I ask, how much will it cost to forge this Rough Embryo? And how long will it take?”
When it came to the specifics of the deal, Mora calmed down completely.
She scrutinized the three materials again, her eyes gauging their value as her fingers tapped on the counter.
She calculated the fuel, auxiliary materials, time, and... the value of the potential improvement this forging could bring to her own skills.
“Crafting fee,” she quoted a number, “eighty gold coins.”
Bai Xuan felt as if he had been struck by that “Rock-Crushing Mountain.”
Eighty gold coins! His entire net worth was only eight gold coins and twenty silver!
Mora saw the flash of shock in his eyes.
Although he tried his best to maintain his composure, she didn't back down. “This isn't extortion. Kid, get this straight.”
“Working with these materials that only exist in legends is a huge challenge for me as well.”
“I need to use high-grade auxiliary materials from my stock to harmonize them, use special fuel to raise the furnace temperature to its limit, and invest all my focus. I won't be able to take any other work during this time.”
“Eighty gold coins. It's worth that price.”
Bai Xuan's mind raced.
Money—he definitely didn't have enough.
But he had to secure this forging. Transforming the resources in his hands into tangible strength was the most important thing.
“Master Mora.”
He changed his form of address, his tone becoming more solemn. “I truly believe in the value of your skills. However, my current financial resources are far from enough to pay eighty gold coins. I can only offer five gold coins as a deposit for now.”
He paused for a moment and presented the plan he had prepared. “Regarding the balance, I have two proposals for you to consider.”
“First, after the weapon's Rough Embryo is completed, I can perform a task of your choosing that doesn't violate my personal principles to offset part of the debt.”
“Second.”
He hesitated slightly before continuing, “If you have a purely academic or technical interest in studying the Earth Element Heart...”
“On the premise of ensuring its absolute safety, I can leave it here with you during the forging period for you to observe and study as partial collateral.”
Mora narrowed her eyes.
The first proposal—debt repayment through a task—was common among adventurers and artisans.
But the second proposal... leaving the Earth Element Heart as collateral, even just for observation, showed that this young man trusted her reputation.
She remained silent for a long time, her mind weighing her pride as a blacksmith against her desire for rare materials and the assessment of risks.
“Even if you leave the Earth Element Heart, I won't have any spare time to study it while I'm forging your weapon.”
She finally spoke, her voice low. “But you're Barend's friend... I suppose you're trustworthy.”
“Keep the Earth Element Heart yourself. The deposit for this order... five gold coins. The balance... seventy-five gold coins.”
“However, when you pick up the goods, you must pay at least forty-five gold coins. The remaining thirty gold can be deferred for three months.”
“And you need to sign a contract to complete a task for me to offset the risk.”
She made a concession, but it still left a huge amount of financial pressure.
In ten days, he would need forty-five gold coins to collect the item and complete a designated task.
Bai Xuan knew this was the limit of Mora's trust.
He nodded. “Alright. We'll sign the contract.”
Mora didn't waste any words, turning around to pull parchment and an ink pen from under the counter.
She quickly drafted a simple forging contract, clearly stating the materials, requirements, construction period, costs, and the requirement to complete a designated task.
Both parties signed and left their fingerprints.
With the contract settled, Bai Xuan felt a huge weight lift from his heart, only to be replaced by an even heavier boulder.
He handed over five gold coins that were bright and shiny but seemed utterly dull at this moment.
“Wait,” Bai Xuan called out to Mora as she was about to put away the materials. “Before the Rough Embryo is finished, I need temporary weapons for the transition.”
“Do you have any staves suitable for a Healer here, and... a sturdy rod?”
Mora understood and pointed to a dusty shelf in the corner. “There are a few metal staves over there that I made as practice years ago. They're inlaid with some common Fluorescent Stones and have a slight calming effect. Real mages wouldn't look twice at them.”
“If you want one, take it for two gold coins. As for the rod...”
She went to the back warehouse and dragged out a dark, solid iron rod. “It was made from scraps left over from my practice melts. It's got no merits other than being hard and heavy. Fifty silver coins.”
Bai Xuan inspected them.
The craftsmanship of the metal staff was actually quite good; only the decoration was simple, and the stone embedded in the handle was dim.
The iron rod lived up to its name—it was just a solid piece of iron.
But it was enough for the transition period.
He paid another two gold and fifty silver.
Next, he and Mora finalized the specific requirements for the battle staff's Rough Embryo.
The length should be similar to his height, the staff body needed a texture for easy grip, the top should have a sturdy rounded head for heavy strikes, and the bottom needed to be sharpened to a point for thrusting.
The overall design should lean toward a staff to avoid unnecessary attention.
When all the details were settled and Bai Xuan was about to leave The Fire God’s Forge, his coin pouch was completely deflated.
The eight gold coins that had been heavy before now only consisted of seventy silver coins and seventy-five copper coins lying lonely at the bottom of the bag.
That empty feeling was even more painful than being clawed by a monster in the forest.
He tried his best to maintain his composure, but with Mora's sharp eyes, she saw his lips tighten and his fingertips stiffen as she took the money, and she understood.
Mora didn't mock him. Instead, as he turned to leave, she said in a muffled voice:
“Out with the old, in with the new. The money you spent hasn't disappeared; it's just staying with you in a harder form.”
Pushing open the heavy shop door, the cool evening breeze blew against his face.
Before Bai Xuan could take a deep breath, he saw a stout figure pacing back and forth at the mouth of the alley.
Every now and then, he would look anxiously toward the shop entrance—it was Barend.
Seeing Bai Xuan come out, Barend practically pounced on him.
He lowered his voice and asked urgently, “How is it? Is she... is she okay? Was she particularly angry? Did she say anything?”
Looking at the mixture of worry, guilt, and apprehension on the dwarven warrior's face, Bai Xuan suddenly found it a bit funny and a bit moving.
“She's fine,” Bai Xuan chose his words carefully. “At the very least, her forge and her craft keep her very fulfilled.”
“As for what's between you two... perhaps what's missing isn't a matter of who's right or wrong, but an answer that both sides can accept.”
Hearing this, Barend was stunned for a moment. His thick beard twitched as if he wanted to say something but swallowed it back down.
He scratched his hair irritably.
“Let's go,” Barend seemed to want to shake off his troubles as he patted Bai Xuan's arm hard. “I'll buy you a drink!”
Bai Xuan did not refuse.
Rate on N.U.
