After the first demonstration, Duke Vardon moved swiftly. He imdiately gathered the most loyal and trustworthy blacksmiths and carpenters in the Dukedom. He also gathered large amounts of varying materials. He did this with the utmost secrecy.
As the Iron Duke of the North, he was no stranger to spies. No matter how tightly he controlled the information, the sudden mobilization of craftsn and resources would eventually draw attention. The flow of goods could be slowed, but not hidden forever.
The spies of nobles within the kingdom, as well as the spies of those from other kingdoms and Empires, reported what they found.
Upon hearing the reports of their spies, the people behind the spies’ initial thoughts were that the Iron Duke was building sothing, but based on the materials he gathered, they could not imagine what kind of thing they were building.
Their patrons ordered the spies to keep watching, waiting for anything to explain the Iron Duke’s strange mobilization.
...
Far to the west, in the opulent halls of House Darenthal, one of Norvaegard’s most powerful noble families, Viscount Cedric Darenthal leaned back in his chair, brows furrowed as he read the latest report delivered by the spies he had in Stellhart.
"Mobilizing blacksmiths and carpenters... hmm. No sign of military deploynt. No monster wave warning either. Also, these materials, they don’t add up to anything..."
He drumd his fingers in an uneven rhythm, a habit that surfaced whenever sothing refused to make sense to him.
"What is that monster of a man planning?"
His advisor, a sharp-featured man nad Vellis, cleared his throat. "Shall we consider tightening our own border defenses near the Northern passage, my lord? If he’s preparing for war—"
"There’s no need for that." Cedric interrupted. "The Iron Duke Vardon only cares about protecting the North from the periodic monster waves, as well as those barbarians that keep on ssing with him. He has neither the ti nor interest in court politics or territorial expansion."
Cedric frowned, thinking that his own plans might go awry because of this move of the Iron Duke.
...
Across the kingdom, and even beyond its borders, others were engaged in similar discussions. Nobles and spies, rchants and generals, all speculated about what Norvaegard’s Shield could be doing.
To outsiders, it looked like the Duke was rely preparing for another monster wave. A perfectly normal act for the Dukedom of Stellhart.
The things being made by calling all the craftsn remained a tightly guarded secret. It would take so ti for them to get any information, especially since the Iron Duke was still on alert.
...
The production of the Arquebuses and the gunpowder was going more smoothly than predicted.
At first, the blacksmiths and carpenters were slow in making one Arquebus, but once they got used to the unusual design, their work beca faster.
As for the gunpowder, which was the most important elent, Lucen taught Robert how to make it. Since Robert had sworn a mana-bound oath, he would never tell the secrets of gunpowder to anyone. Breaking a mana-bound oath, which is under the Goddess of Justice and Judgent, Thalara’s watchful eye was impossible.
The gunpowder, after production, was put into a barrel which is sealed tightly with wax-lined lids, and buried in sand, this is so that it won’t accidentally blow up.
Their work was conducted in a sealed, heavily secured location to ensure no information would leak beyond their walls.
Since he was no longer needed as much in the Arquebus production, Lucen focused on his training. Of course, even when he was busy, he kept on training, with Vahn sparring with him every now and then.
Thanks to his [Training Adept] trait, he gained far more than most would from the sa effort. Which is why his body had beco leaner, more muscular in just a few short months.
...
One day, during training, Sir Thalos strode in with the force of a thunderclap.
"Young master! I see you’ve kept at it. Hm? Pardon , I must inspect sothing."
Without waiting for permission, Thalos knelt and poked Lucen’s arms, legs, and abs like a blacksmith testing steel. His eyes widened, then glead.
"Incredible! A few months ago, you were all skin and bones! Now look at this! Solid muscle! Hahaha! I knew it! You were born to forge a body worthy of legend!"
He clapped Lucen’s shoulder with a force that would stagger a lesser man. "Co! Allow to personally oversee your training. Even without Aura, I will train you enough so that you may be able to struggle to survive. So what say you, do you wish to learn my training thods?
Lucen, panting, gave him a dry look. He didn’t rember Sir Thalos from the ga’s story; soone this loud would’ve been unforgettable.
There was only one explanation Lucen could think of: Sir Thalos had died early in the original tiline. Either during the monster wave or the territorial war.
’Even this man, whose body was a palace of muscle and whose overwhelming presence could die.’
Lucen sighed inwardly once again, strengthening his resolve to not only grow stronger but to make the Dukedom itself stronger so that he and the others may survive the upcoming threats.
"Alright, Sir Thalos," Lucen straightened his back as he looked directly at Sir Thalos’s eyes. "Show how to get stronger."
Sir Thalos roared with laughter, gripping Lucen’s arm like a comrade-in-arms. "We shall forge your body that will beco a weapon that no Aura or Mana can break!"
From that day forward, Sir Thalos’s training began in earnest. His regin was brutal, bordering on cruel, pulling logs through snow-laden fields, climbing sheer cliffs with weighted packs, subrging in frozen lakes to supposedly awaken the blood.
At tis, it seed more like torture than training. To make a twelve-year-old child who had no Aura do these things would have been called child abuse in Lucen’s previous life. Still, he endured and continued training.
Lucen could barely feel his arms as he dragged the log through the snow. His breath stead in clouds.
Every step felt like his legs would be torn off, but he kept moving. He understood that this world was dangerous, and it wouldn’t wait. Only Velmira’s embrace would co to him if he stopped.
It had been a few weeks since he started this rigorous training.
The system had acknowledged his efforts, and throughout the training, many notifications of his stats going up kept ringing in his mind.
It was incredible since Lucen knew that the more his stats increased, the harder it beca to increase them again, but because of Sir Thalos’s training, it kept on increasing. The greatest benefit he got from this training was gaining a new trait.
[New Trait Acquired: Grit (Normal)]
Lucen couldn’t help but smile brightly as he saw he gained a new trait, since, unlike skills and stats, which can be gained through grinding, traits were like pulling from a gacha machine, you never know what you’d get, or when you’ll get it."
As with all traits, there was no description. No hints. Just a na and a rank. But Lucen could feel it. The pain he once felt during training dulled. What would have left him breathless now felt like nothing at all.
...
When Robert had ti, he would start teaching Lucen about Alchemy. It was less teaching and more like he made Lucen read so books and explain so things in between.
Then one day, Robert wanted to teach Lucen a few basic spells that would help in alchemy, but that was when Robert learned that Lucen couldn’t even do a basic spell.
"Huh? You already have one circle, how co you don’t know any spells?"
Lucen’s first Circle wasn’t born of training, but forcefully shaped by the System. A crude foundation, but one uniquely his.
Robert did not bother to ask for permission and simply grabbed hold of Lucen and then sensed the mana within. Robert showed a surprised expression, and then his lips curled into a grin.
"Hoh... This is interesting. Your mana, it’s condensed and volatile. Like it’s on the verge of exploding, yet stabilizing itself just enough to avoid doing so. No wonder you can’t use basic spells. Your mana is tuned toward destruction. With sothing like this, I’d bet you have so kind of unique magic."
Lucen decided that it was fine to tell Robert a bit about his skills, so he nodded his head. "Yeah, it’s a kind of magic that allows to create things like the Arquebus using mana alone and my knowledge."
"Well, that’s quite a fascinating, unique magic. Hehehe, you’re like an onion, the more I peel, the more there is to uncover. Very well, I’ll find a way to teach you alchemy without the need for you to use spells. This might be quite the challenge... Alchemy without being able to use spells, how very interesting."
His tone said challenge, but his eyes glead with excitent.
...
Lucen’s days settled into a relentless rhythm: supervising Arquebus production, studying alchemy under Robert’s eccentric guidance, training under Sir Thalos’s brutal thods, and sparring with Vahn every now and then.
Lucen’s body was being broken down and then recreated nurous tis. It was being forged into sothing great, sothing powerful.
...
[STATUS WINDOW]
Na: Lucen Thornehart
Age: 12
Class: Gun Mage
Health: 50 / 470
Mana: 10 / 160
Aura: Locked
Mana Core: First Circle
Skills:
• Bullet Creation – Active (Novice)
• Gun Creation – Active (Novice)
• Gun Knowledge – Passive (Novice)
• Marksmanship – Passive (Novice)
• Gun Kata – Passive (Novice)
• Alchemy – Passive (Novice)
Traits:
• Thornehart Lineage (Dormant)
• Foreign Soul (Unique)
• Training Adept (Rare)
• Grit (Normal)
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