"Wilin! Is something the matter?"
Leilin looked at the attendant the baron had recommended to him and asked with a smile.
"Nothing at all! I just wanted to report on today's business!" Wilin tried his best not to look too nervous.
"Quite a few people have shown interest in the weapons we sell, but, Boss, the prices you set… seem to be a touch on the high side, so business hasn't been great. I'm even worried that by the end of this month the shop will be operating at a loss…"
"Is that so! Understood. You're dismissed."
Leilin waved his hand, looking utterly unconcerned.
"Well then! You're the boss! What you say goes!" Seeing this reaction, Wilin became even more convinced of his judgment — this Lord Leilin was definitely some scion of an ancient noble house who had grown bored and come to experience ordinary life. Otherwise, he would never be so effortlessly nonchalant.
After Wilin left, Leilin resumed flipping through the book in his hands.
On the pale yellow parchment pages, clusters of crimson runes flickered and danced like flames.
"To design a weapon entirely on my own, modeled after Dawn's Light — it really is quite the challenge!" Leilin sighed.
The reason he had opened this weapons shop was to have a forge of his own while he recovered from his injuries, somewhere he could carry out small-scale weapons experiments.
As for all those swords and blades out front? They were merely by-products of his experiments.
…
In a haze, two years slipped by.
The residents of Bert Town had long grown accustomed to the weapons shop owner they called Master Leilin.
Leilin kept to himself most of the time. He rarely managed the shop directly, and by now had handed over nearly everything to Wilin, only dropping by now and then for a quick look.
Because he disguised himself so well, no one had discovered his identity as a
After the passage of time, the letters spelling "Hammer & Flame" above the shopfront had begun to peel and fade, giving off an air of decay.
The shop as a whole remained in a half-dead state — renowned for the quality of its weapons, but equally infamous for prices that made customers recoil.
Leilin had no intention of making money from this venture. And if he lowered his prices, not only would business become hectic, it would also invite jealousy from the handful of rival shops. He wasn't afraid of trouble, but he saw no reason to waste his mental energy on such trifles.
"Big Brother Wilin! I'm here again!"
At the sound of the voice, a brown-haired boy walked in through the shop entrance. He wore a short-sleeved linen shirt with several patches on it, but his eyes were bright and lively, giving him a sharp, clever look.
"Lombarton, huh." Wilin greeted him with a helpless sigh.
"Hehe! Big Brother Wilin, let me help you!" Lombarton cheerfully snatched the rag from Wilin's hands and began wiping down the wooden racks and display cabinets.
His movements were practiced and familiar — he clearly knew all the hard-to-reach corners. This was obviously not his first time doing this.
After polishing the shelves and cabinets until they gleamed, Lombarton looked up at Wilin with eager anticipation, the very picture of a boy hoping for a reward.
"There he goes again… there he goes again…" Wilin pressed a hand to his forehead, his expression one of utter resignation.
"I'm only allowing you five minutes! And you are not to tell anyone! Especially the boss — absolutely do not let him find out!!!"
If it weren't for the fact that Lombarton happened to have a pretty older sister, Wilin would never indulge the brat like this.
"Got it! Got it!"
Lombarton nodded furiously, scurried over to one of the display racks, and pulled out a silver Cross Sword.
The blade was fairly short — just the right size for Lombarton's small frame — about two fingers wide. The hilt was made of pure silver and set with a red gemstone, giving it an opulent appearance.
Clearly, no matter how much Lombarton saved, he could never afford something like this.
But now, he cradled the Cross Sword in both palms with the utmost care, as though holding some precious treasure.
"Ha!"
Lombarton gripped the sword with both hands and swung it forward in a clumsy, off-knit fencing motion.
"Sigh… Little Lombarton, I don't mean to be harsh, but if you learn from those common soldiers, you'll never become a Knight in a hundred years!"
Wilin shook his head helplessly. Bert was only a small town — the only Knight around was the captain of the baron's guard detail. The rest of the soldiers were conscripted farmers. What kind of skill could they possibly have?
But ever since he was little, Lombarton had dreamed of becoming a Knight! He had even gone so far as to sneak around and watch the soldiers train.
Once he had discovered this shop, he started dropping by regularly to help out for free — all he asked in return was that Wilin let him handle the merchandise for a while.
Of everything in the shop, Lombarton's favorite was this silver Cross Sword.
"Big Brother Wilin, then who should I learn from?" Lombarton held the long sword, his face full of dejection. "I'm just a common hunter's son! I can't afford expensive training fees…"
In truth, there was another small hope hidden in Lombarton's heart.
Ever since he had learned that Master Leilin the weapons shop owner was a formidable Knight, he had been coming around even more diligently. Maybe — just like the protagonist in those Knight novels — his talent was extraordinary, and Leilin would happen to notice him!
"Ah…" Even Wilin himself sighed at this. In the Dark Extreme Domain, for an ordinary person to stand out and make something of themselves was no easy thing.
"Lombarton, I think you should give up on this impossible dream. Come here every day instead, and I'll teach you how to read!"
Wilin made the suggestion with complete sincerity. "I don't know that many letters myself, but it's enough for you to read ledgers. Then you could find bookkeeping work anywhere…"
"Thank you, Big Brother Wilin!" Lombarton was deeply moved. Even if he went to a scholar for lessons, the tuition would be astronomical. For Wilin to teach him for free — that was an enormous kindness.
"It's nothing, really!" Wilin flushed slightly. "I'm doing it for my own sake too. If the boss caught me slacking, I'd lose my job…"
"Caught doing what…?"
Leilin's voice suddenly rang out, freezing Wilin in place.
Then Wilin slowly turned his stiff neck and saw Leilin walking in from outside.
"B-B-Boss! What brings you here now?" Wilin's smile was rigid, and he could barely stammer out the words.
Allowing someone else to handle the shop's merchandise without permission was a serious offense. Leilin could fire him on the spot! And the pay here was truly excellent — far too good for Wilin to give up!
Wilin cursed silently. Leilin was always such a recluse, often sequestering himself in his room or the forge for days without showing his face. How was it that today, of all days, he had walked in at exactly this moment?
Clang!
Lombarton's hands trembled, and the silver Cross Sword slipped from his grasp, hitting the floor with a heavy ring.
"Lord… Lord Leilin!"
Lombarton stammered out the address, his voice shaking. For someone like him — an ordinary commoner — Leilin, the weapons shop boss, was practically a great lord. In that moment, Lombarton felt exactly like a thief caught red-handed. His legs had begun to tremble.
"Oh?" Leilin glanced at the sword on the floor, then said to Wilin with a smile: "It looks like, while I was away, you two have been having quite the fun time in here."
"Boss! No — My Lord! Please forgive my offense!" Wilin was so terrified he dropped to his knees, while Lombarton had gone completely limp, unable to even form a coherent sentence.
"I'll settle your account later." Leilin shot Wilin a look, then turned to Lombarton: "Boy, you touched my merchandise without permission. How do you plan to compensate me?"
"My… My Lord…" Lombarton's teeth chattered up and down, his voice cracking into a whimper. His family were commoners — worse off than most. What could he possibly offer in compensation?
"Let's see… Starting tomorrow, you'll come here every day and do two hours of odd jobs. That will serve as your compensation."
Having had his fun, Leilin stroked his chin and delivered his verdict.
Lombarton stood there, stunned. What he had feared most was being forced to pay money! The second worst would be being handed over to the garrison and thrown into a cell. But odd jobs? That was hardly a punishment at all!
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank his Lordship!" Wilin snapped out of his daze and pressed Lombarton's head down in a bow.
"Thank you, My Lord! Thank you, My Lord!" Only then did Lombarton understand, his face flooding with gratitude.
Getting to openly handle the weapons in this shop was something he had always dreamed of. And on top of that, he could build a connection with the legendary powerful Knight, Leilin — something he wouldn't have dared to imagine before!
"Good. Come work starting tomorrow afternoon."
Leilin nodded and turned to walk toward the back of the shop.
In truth, he had long since noticed the little games Wilin and Lombarton played, but had been too lazy to call them out. Today, however, several of his experiments had made excellent progress, and his mood was quite fine.
Once he had entered his private room, Leilin silently called out in his mind: "Chip! What's the progress on the exclusive weapon derivation?"
"Ding! Subject's exclusive weapon derivation progress: 100% — complete schematic and imprint rune configuration have been formed!"
The Chip responded promptly, then projected an image of a weapon before Leilin's eyes.
It was a black Cross Sword. Its exterior was utterly unremarkable — plain to the point of being mundane — but on several cross-sections, dense networks of energy circuits and runes were packed tight.
"Exclusive weapon design complete. Designation: 'Fallen.'" The Chip's mechanical voice announced.
Over these two years, Leilin had finally fully analyzed Dawn's Light — the mid-tier Magical Item, an Imprint Knight weapon — and, synthesizing everything he knew about alchemy and runic arrays, had designed his very own exclusive weapon!