Chapter 42 42: teacher-student,student-teacher

------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. ------------------------------- Pflugzeit 17-20th ,2488 IC We left the elven enclave quickly, this time drawing far fewer stares. Apparently, the elves had been watching me before because of the magic—failing to contain it could draw daemons. I was still cursing that damned elf... there were so many magical items I could've bought, and that arrogant bastard hadn't allowed it. We returned to Guilderveld's commercial district, and this time Hieronymus led us to a smithy run by dwarfs. The place had plenty of customers and was sweltering, though I found the heat oddly comforting... magic was changing even my preferences. Hieronymus stepped inside and approached a bronze-bearded dwarf flipping through books and jotting down notes. "Is your father in?" the wizard asked directly. The dwarf looked up sluggishly and answered flatly, "Yes, in his forge." Then he went back to his books. The dwarven forge radiated immense heat, but it didn't bother me. In fact, I liked it. Hieronymus walked quickly despite his limp, weaving through the many workers. It didn't take long before we reached a more isolated section of the workshop, where powerful hammer blows echoed loudly. The sound continued even as we entered, until we saw a white-bearded dwarf working a piece of glowing metal on an anvil. The hammer stopped, and Hieronymus gestured toward him. "There he is. The only smith I know who makes runed items in human sizes," said the wizard. The dwarf turned, took off a glove, and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "What can I do for you, alchemist?" he asked as he approached, eyeing us both carefully. "I need some special components for alchemy," Hieronymus replied. "The usual? Reinforced vials?" the dwarf asked. "No, this time it's a bigger order." Hieronymus turned to me. "Tell him what you need for your creation." "And how are you paying?" the dwarf asked bluntly. "You brought imperial crowns, didn't you?" Hieronymus said, turning to me. I nodded silently, and he turned back to the dwarf. "Imperial crowns." "You expect me to pay for this?" I said, staring at Hieronymus. "You've got a cart full of gold. Did you forget what I taught you? I can feel the gold from here... besides, do you think what I got for you came cheap?" he said with a cheeky grin. I sighed, stepped forward, and replied, "I'll pay." "So, what do you need, pup?" the dwarf asked, now focusing entirely on me. "One moment, honored one," I said, then turned to Hieronymus and whispered, "I was planning to take you back to my territory... I can't stay here." "If I set foot in the Empire, bad things could happen to me... very bad things," Hieronymus muttered, locking eyes with me. "I can teach you much better things. What I did earlier was basic. I can do far more complex things," I insisted in a low voice. Hieronymus's eyes widened. "Then that's settled. We're going back to the Empire." He turned to the dwarf. "Sorry, Durgan. Seems your services won't be needed after all." The dwarf scowled deeply. "Wasting my time... alchemist," he muttered, turning back to his anvil. "Wait... master dwarf. I would never pass up the chance to improve my personal laboratory with items crafted by a professional like yourself," I quickly interjected. Durgan turned back again, this time with a slight smile on his lips. "What do you need?" he asked. "Alembics, resistant flasks, reinforced jars... I don't mean to insult you with the question, but... can you make items with coatings to prevent contamination of reagents?" I asked cautiously. "What do you take me for, pup? Of course I can. You're not the first alchemist I've worked with," he said in a deep voice. "The thing is, I work with very strong acids, master dwarf... some can corrode metal in seconds. While I've managed to prevent my metal trays from dissolving, I'd appreciate sturdier pieces," I said in a formal tone. "I can do it," he nodded confidently. "I also need..." I began, and spent the next five minutes listing very specific and complex tools used in alchemical practice. The dwarf nodded silently, stroking his beard as he memorized each item. "Want runes on any of them?" he asked once I was done. "I know nothing about dwarven runes, master... so I leave that entirely to your discretion," I replied politely. The dwarf nodded and stood silently for a moment. "6,000 crowns for everything you asked for, pup," he said. "Excellent. It's never a waste to pay for the best equipment available. When could I come to collect the items?" I said with a genuine smile. "Next month, it'll all be ready, pup," the dwarf replied, his smile growing wider. It seemed my attempt to flatter his ego was working. "Of course... wait, I can't miss the opportunity... weapons? Armor? Preferably something I can take right now," I said, the leather of my gloves creaking as I laced my fingers together. "Let me guess, you want runed armor? I've got some leftover pieces, but I only sell minor runes," the dwarf said, leading us to the back of the forge, toward what looked like a storage area. It was packed with swords, rings, and armor—though most of it was dwarf-sized. "Not much in your future size, pup, but I hope you find something of interest." My attention went straight to the rings. "Hmm... I wouldn't recommend those, pup. If I size them for your current fingers, you'll have to come back several times so I can keep adjusting them," said the dwarf behind me, as I inspected the large number of rings on display. "Certainly, master dwarf," I replied, and began focusing slowly on the Winds of Chamon, trying to sense the metals around me to see if it helped with the search. I could feel a strong presence of the Wind here as well. All the artifacts glimmered and resonated clearly, but the dwarven armor stood out above the rest—there was something more powerful within them. "Do you have bracelets with concealment runes?" Hieronymus asked. "I've got a pair," the dwarf replied, pointing to a section of the armory where several pieces were carefully hidden from view. "Boy, take them. That should help you completely," said Hieronymus. "Five hundred crowns," announced the dwarf without flinching. "I'll gladly pay it," I replied, stepping closer to the bracelets. I moved the fabric of my clothes and fastened them over the chainmail I was wearing. As I did, I felt a slight pressure in my chest, like an invisible hand trying to calm the winds surrounding me. "And what about this chainmail? It'll be too big for me, but I think I can make it work," I said, pointing to a full-sized adult piece hanging among others. "Two thousand crowns. Chainmail with minor runes of protection, fortitude, and light warding," the dwarf explained in a professional tone. "I'll take it. Do you have a gambeson?" I asked. "I don't normally work with fabric...you would have to be made a order, pup," the dwarf replied. "Do you have something to protect me in case something goes wrong in my lab?" I asked while looking at the armor. "Then you might be interested in what alchemists usually request... there, you've got a pair of protective gloves, one rune against fire, another against poison; there's also an apron with a containment rune, boots with traction and weight balance runes, and protective goggles with clarity and eye-warding runes. The whole set goes for 3,500 crowns," said the dwarf, pointing at each piece. "I'll take it. How much for a runed sword?" I asked, eyeing the exposed set of blades. "Those aren't for sale, pup. I don't think you could even use them properly. You're too young, even by manling standards. You haven't even grown your first beard hair. I wouldn't feel right selling something that dangerous... my ancestors wouldn't approve. But I can sell you anything for your protection," the dwarf replied in a grave tone. "I understand, master dwarf. I suppose that will be all for now. I'll wait until I'm no longer a human pup before using your services again," I said, keeping my tone formal. "Alright then... 12,000 crowns, pup. You hand it over, and I'll get to work," said the dwarf, arms crossed. "Right away. Let me give the order for the boxes," I replied, stepping out of the storage room. Outside, I instructed my men to bring in several crates full of gold coins. They handed them over to the dwarf's son, who simply accepted them and gave me a receipt number I would need to collect the goods next month. After that, I packed away my newly acquired runed items, and we headed back to Hieronymus's lab. We quickly began packing everything the wizard deemed important. We filled my carts with grimoires, notes, dozens of scrolls, rare minerals, strange gems, and many sketches of what seemed like failed experiments involving the fusion of the winds of magic. We began clearing out the workshop. I opened a door looking for more books, but Hieronymus slammed it shut before I could get a good look inside. I had barely caught a glimpse of what looked like a crib covered in cobwebs. "There's nothing of value in there... just one of my greatest failures. Not worth mentioning," said the wizard in a strangely quiet voice. Soon after, Hieronymus changed into a colorless cloak and placed a dark mask over his eyes. I nodded, saying nothing more. We packed the rest in a hurry and, using the last light of day, returned to Suiddock to secure a ship back to Schilderheim. This time, I was much more alert. I walked with my pistol in hand under my coat, ready to shoot the first idiot who tried something. Given the late hour, I noticed the docks were full of gang members and thugs watching us with greedy eyes as we made our way to the ships bound for the Empire. Soon, a crowd of these fools began to gather, flashing knives and daggers. I drew my pistol, bracing for a very one-sided fight in terms of numbers. I felt a vibration beside me. I saw Hieronymus lift his hand in a strange gesture and recite, "Ferrum fiat plumbum, iussu Chamonis," while making several finger movements. When I turned to see what he had done, I noticed the glow from the thieves' weapons had vanished. Many had dropped them due to their weight, and those still holding them struggled to lift them. You didn't need to be a genius to understand what had happened—and the thugs weren't geniuses either. They realized immediately there was a wizard with us, and they fled, leaving chunks of lead where there had once been steel. "Latin?" I asked, looking at him incredulously. "No? Lingua Praestantia... the tongue of wizards. Wait... wait... you understand Lingua Praestantia?" said Hieronymus, visibly surprised. "A bit... I caught 'iron', 'lead', and 'Chamon?'" I replied calmly. "Hmm... stop shining so much, looks like I only have to teach you the basics and you'll figure out the rest on your own," the wizard muttered, narrowing his eyes at me. "Hey, idiot, what are you doing showing off your ability in front of my men?" I whispered sharply. "They're trustworthy, right?" Hieronymus replied, shrugging with his only good arm. "Of course they are. That's why I brought them," I said firmly. "Then you worry for nothing," the wizard answered with complete calm. We continued on without further trouble, finally reaching the ships bound for the Empire. With some luck, no one would notice that a wizard had cast a spell so close to the harbor. We paid for our passage, loaded the cargo on board, and departed. Once again, I had trouble sleeping properly—but this time it was far more bearable than the first. The voyage was shorter than the last. This time we were returning, and that seemed to make the journey lighter. We arrived by late afternoon the next day. To my surprise—or perhaps relief—my guards were still waiting at the inn where I had left them, patiently awaiting my return. Once ashore, we unloaded our goods and paid the port's disembarkation fee. It was quite expensive, especially for transporting runed items forged by dwarfs. We immediately began the journey back to Reinsfeld without stopping. We avoided crowded roads and passed every village. I couldn't risk drawing unwanted attention—not with a wizard at my side who had invoked the winds of Chamon in the middle of Marienburg. We rode back from Schilderheim on horseback. It was already night when we entered the castle as quietly as possible. Once inside, I gathered the guards who had accompanied me to Marienburg and handed each of them a pouch with 25 crowns. "Nothing that happened these past days took place. If I hear you talking about it, I'll have you hanged," I said, staring at them just as they were beginning to get too cheerful about their pay. "You've got the next three days off. Enjoy them," I added before turning and walking into the depths of the castle, listening to their cheers behind me. I helped Hieronymus up the stairs. All the staircases in the castle had steps of varying sizes, forcing anyone going up or down to look down constantly, or they'd fall. "Oh... the sensation is getting stronger," said Hieronymus with a huge smile, clearly excited by the amount of Chamon wind present. We finally reached the top of the tower, where my laboratory was. "It's simpler than I expected... far too basic. I think mine was more complete," said Hieronymus, eyeing everything critically. "Let's see, old man... what matters is what I've got up here," I said, tapping my temple with two fingers. He was clearly excited, so I decided to get started immediately. "First lesson: the table of elements," I said, grabbing one of my notebooks, along with a quill and inkwell. ------------------------- If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know. Leave a comment; support is always appreciated. I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see. -------------------------------