They walked slowly and even after 4 hours they didn’t reached their destination. Horác wanted to sit in a restaurant and ate lunch, but Belinda didn’t feel hungry. She already ate some fruit. She didn’t want to torture herself with watching foods she couldn’t eat.

Horác didn’t mind it, he wasn’t hungry. He just enjoyed eating different foods. The academy’s kitchen always cooked the same things and he became bored of it a long time before. Gladly, immortals didn’t need to eat too often.

They reached the suburb. The buildings around them changed and the shops turned into workshops. They heard hammering and saw a lot of men and women making weapons.

„This place is?” Belinda was curious.

„The smith district.” Horác said. „Part of the shops in the inner city get weapons from here. Usually, costumers come here when they have a special order, or they want to ask a specific person’s help. Almost all the famous smiths live here.”

„... Then why do we come here?”

„Forging elemental weapons need places with strong energy. Those masters know the best places, so to help your cat we just ask one of them.”

Belinda was speechless. She couldn’t believe Horác thought it seriously. They just wanted to ask some common information. Why did they run to see a master?! She wanted to ask more, but a commotion interrupted them.

„Stupid beast! How do you dare to stand in my way?!” a young man shouted.

„I’m sorry, mister. My master doesn’t accept any visitors. Please leave a letter and we will inform you when he can receive you.” the beast said respectfully.

„You have such a big mouth! It seems I need to teach you some manner!”

„Mister please remember. This house has some rules. Those who don’t follow them, they won’t be accepted in the future!”

The man finally shut up and stepped back. He cursed and hugged the 2 women who stood next to him.

„Don’t think it’s over! I come back and you will pay for it!” he shouted and walked away.

The residents and passerby didn’t care about them. They were used to this kind of event.

Belinda wasn’t interested in him either, her full attention was on the beast. He had a teenager human boy’s form. He had yellow eyes, long black hair with yellow tufts, and dark colored skin with lighter colored spots. She was sure, he was some kind of lizard.

„He is Sal, a salamander beast.” Horác told them then turned to him. „Hey, Sal! Is your master here?”

„I’m sorry, he doesn’t accept any visitors today.” he yawned.

  What the hell?! Where’s the politeness?! He’s too lazy!

Belinda finally understood why the man was so angry. Even if he was sincere when he arrived, this kind of behavior was annoying after a while.

Horác smiled and turned to Belinda. „Show him the symbol on your bracelet. It’s in the inside.”

Belinda took down one of them and she found a graven picture in it. It was a salamander standing on a sword.

Once Sal saw the symbol he stepped aside from the gate. „Welcome!”

Horác was satisfied and walked in. Behind the gate, there was a little garden without flowers.

„Master is in the yard behind the house.” Sal said after he closed the gate. He lazily walked and wanted to show the way, but Horác stopped him.

„I know. You can go back to sleep.”

Sal nodded and disappeared on the spot.

„... Teleport?!” Belinda was shocked.

„No. This is his real speed. Sadly, he only works hard when it’s about resting.” Horác shook his head.

„... So why did he let us in?”

„Because I’m an old customer.” he laughed embarrassedly. „He is too lazy to memorize anything. Don’t be surprised if the next time he won’t remember about you.”

They walked behind the house and they saw a shining array. A man sat in the middle of it and held a sword in his hands. His upper body was naked, but because of the array’s light, they couldn’t see his features.

Belinda didn’t understand forging, she just looked around. In the middle of the yard, there was a fishpond. She walked closer to it and saw some fishes. They weren’t too big and had different colors. She squatted and watched them with interest.

Next to the house, there was a table with some chairs. Bertold went there and sat down. He closed his eyes and didn’t care about anything.

Horác was speechless. He remembered a lot of people wanted to see this man’s forging technique. They even wanted to pay millions just for a chance! Yet his students felt that other things were more important.

Horác smiled and shook his head. If they reached differently, he would believe that something wasn’t right!

The array’s light slowly faded away and the man stood up. He tried out the black sword in his hand.

Belinda heard the rustling and turned back. The man was handsome and seemed to be around 25 years old. His brown hair’s tufts had different lengths. This kind of hairstyle wasn’t rare in this district. Belinda saw enough on the streets. The smiths used demonic beasts’ fur, nails, bones, and other things while forging weapons, so it wasn’t rare to use their own hair. It was just that, it gave them a funny appearance.

Sal came out of the house and placed some snacks and drinks on the table.

Bertold didn’t move or opened his eyes, he was immersed in cultivation.

The man was the same. He only cared about the sword in his hands. He watched it from different angles and tried to find mistakes.

Horác walked closer and interrupted him. „Another beautiful sword! Congratulation, Szelim!”

„Horác?! Didn’t you say that you’ll come after 4 or 5 years?” he was surprised.

„Yes, but something else happened and I come to ask you.”

„Wha-”

„Oh! Sal prepared some snacks! Let’s sit down and speak slowly!” he sat down and ate a cookie.

„N-” Szelim wanted to stop him, but he gave up. Sal cooking could cause food poisoning, but the man in front of him was more poisonous than anything. He was sure, there wouldn’t be any problem.