Even without touching it, a normal person would be able to tell that the sword on the counter possessed an extraordinary power. While it is merely a magical conduit in the form of a weapon, the metal of the blade is capable of creating a resonating ripple in the soul of any entity with mana. After all, its sole reason for being is to channel the untamed power in its wielder and the world into a glorious display of might and miracle.

  "There is excess mana from the process of its creation that still dwells within the sword. So, when you first inject mana into it, there'll be a discharge. When that happens, the sword will register your mana signature and be bound to you forever. Unless you relinquish your ownership of it or someone else with a similar mana signature to you got a hold of it, no one can channel magic through the sword." The blacksmith explained as she rolled up the signed agreement.

   Ryder marveled at the craftsmanship of his new weapon, while Green's vines twitched energetically above the surface of the sword.

  "Should I do the discharge outside?" The human gently lifted the sword with his non-draconic hand from the wooden rack holding it.

  Estria nodded. "Follow me."

  Once the duo was out of the shop, the demon pressed a hidden button under a weapon display and erected a transparent barrier at the entrance. Her wheelchair then carried her into an alley that led to the back of the building. Ryder curiously tapped on the barrier before following her with Green. Moments later, they found themselves standing on an empty wide road that appeared to be dedicated for large cargos to travel easily around the city. On the opposite side of the road was a tall wall that surrounded the entire city, while a few meters behind them was the back of the shop.

  Ryder raised his sword to the sky, ready to fire his magic, before he was interrupted.

  "I have a small request, if you don't mind." Her tail was swishing left and right.

  "What is it?"

  "Can you do a cool move when you unleash your magic? I always heard about how cool the Goddess's warriors are, but I never had the chance to see one in action with my own eyes before. Pretty please?" The young woman smiled pleadingly.

  "Sure." The edge of the dragon rider's mouth curved upward. His legs opened as he tossed the sword to his draconic hand before positioning it next to his hip. He aimed the hilt upward as his right hand hovered a few centimeters away from the blade. Estria retracted her lenses and gazed at him with anticipation.

  As he slashed his blade toward the sky, his mana, manifested as blue light, was clearly seen travelling from the butt of the handle to the tip of the sword. The swing was so powerful that it repelled the falling snowflakes away violently. When the tip reached the end of the curve, a bolt of purple lightning instantly crackled through the blade and cleaved a cloud above them in half.

  After lowering his sword, he turned to the blacksmith. "So, what do you think?"

  Her demonic eyes were beaming with reverence. "That was so cool!! Thank you!"

  The dragon and rider pair chuckled.

  "Where's the sheath? I wonder if I should carry it on my back or hip this time."

  "Oh! It doesn't have one, because it's retractable. Try pouring mana in and then 'sucking' it back."

  A feeble line of blue light slithered to the tip of the blade again. As the line retreated, so did the blade into the handle. While comparing the size of the handle and the underside of his draconic arm, an idea popped into Ryder's mind. He lodged the handle in the empty space between his draconic plates before concealing it completely under a layer of thick scales. His draconic arm already had a bulky appearance, so the extra bulkiness didn't come off as odd.

  "Neat. So, time to talk about your request?"

  "Let's."

  She turned around and lifted a metal shutter at the back of the shop up with her large hands, revealing a spacious, dimly lit workshop within. The duo noticed no snowflakes made it into the room as they stepped in. The cold they experienced outside was also instantly replaced by a comforting warmth. Once all three of them were inside, the blacksmith pulled the shutters down before guiding them to a wooden table next to a flight of stairs. Two scrolls were sitting on top of it.

  "Have you heard of Camptosium before?" She unravelled one of the scrolls and revealed an encyclopedic diagram of a pink metal.

  The duo shook their heads.

  "It's a metal used primarily for anything that needs to be as tough as steel, but as flexible as rubber. It sounds contradictory, I know, which is why it's considered as a type of magic metal. People often utilized it to create specialized components for unique tools, gadgets, or equipment. Not only is it expensive, it's also rarely seen in the market. When it does show up, it's usually sold out before the sun even sets."

  She unrolled the other scroll. It was an incredibly detailed map of the city and its surrounding areas. She pointed at a dot not far from the walls, at the bottom of the volcano. "Camptosium is only found in volcanoes overflowing with magic, and there's a cave here that'll lead you into a vein. According to what I heard, the vein is located close to the magma chamber. If you need heat-resistant armor, I can lend one to you-"

  "I have a draconic armor form that provides resistance to all elements, so I'll be fine."

  "What about Green? He's a plant dragon."

  Green scoffed pridefully.

  "He says he can handle it." Ryder shook his head subtly. "In any case, this doesn't seem too hard. Just walk in and pull the ores out of the rocks."

  "If only it's that easy." Estria sighed. "The heat is only one of the problems. The second problem is the metal itself. See this?" She pointed at the pink liquid flowing out of an egg-shaped rock. "Camptosium is solid while it's inside the rock. However, the moment it comes in contact with air, it'll turn into a liquid. It won't change back to a solid form until it undergoes a special purifying process. You need to store them in a container like this." The big hands on her wheelchair grabbed a cylindrical metallic container the size of a five-year-old and placed it on the table.

  "Can't we just grab a chunk of the rock with the metal in it and then leave?"

  "It won't contain anywhere near the amount I need. Don't worry, you simply need to fill up to three quarters of this container. To detect the metal, just send a pulse of mana to the ground and feel where the echo was reflected from. Then, you need to carve the rock out instead of puncturing a hole directly at where the ore is, because most of them won't be at an angle where it'll flow into the container easily."

  "Gotcha."

  "There's one final problem. The magma chamber is filled with lava crabs. As their name suggests, they live in lava and have very tough shells. They'll attack any intruders in swarms if they spot one, so you need to distract them while mining the metal."

  Green let out a small growl.

  Ryder raised his eyebrow. "I can see why you propose to exchange favors instead of asking me to pay directly now."

  The blacksmith lowered her head. "I'm really sorry, Ryder. Even though the price for the amount of Camptosium I need is lower than a magic sword, no one from the Guild is willing to take on the request at a price higher than that. While high-ranking adventurers often visit the city, they do so with the intention to relax. I couldn't let this rare opportunity go, even if I have to deceive you-"

  "Woah, woah, calm down." The human waved both of his hands. "I wouldn't say you 'deceive' me. You said it yourself. The price of the Camptosium you need is lower than the price of a magic sword. If anything, I think I got the better end of the deal, especially when I have the help of three dragons. You don't need to apologize for anything."

  She solemnly nodded her head before lifting it up.

  "What do you need the Camptosium for? It's okay if you don't want to answer."

  Her head shook. "It's fine. I'll show it to you."

  Estria led the duo to a table with a blanket over it. When the blanket was removed, a pair of incomplete mechanical legs with a bunch of unconnected pieces and components placed tidily around it could be seen on the table.

  "Have you heard of the name Phastus Eisen before?"

  "Uhm, I don't think so."

  "He's one of the most famous blacksmiths on the entire continent, and my master. This wheelchair," She patted its wheel. "was his gift to me when I officially became his apprentice. Without it, being a blacksmith would just be a dream to me. However, it's not perfect, and I still have to rely on my master from time-to-time as a result. If I want to open my own shop, I need a pair of legs that can withstand the stressful workload in the forge. I've spent years designing and creating all the parts necessary to construct a pair of perfect legs. The only thing left I need is Camptosium. Now that you're here, I can finally complete it."

  "I... see." Ryder opened his mouth, thought for a few seconds, and changed what he wanted to say. "We'll do our best. I promise."

  The demon turned to him, lowered her head, then raised it back up again before speaking in a slightly choking voice. "Thank you, Ryder. It means a lot to me."

  Green used his vines to pat her back.

  The blacksmith cleared her throat and informed, "You'll need to notify the Guild before you head to the cave. As for the container, you can come by tomorrow morning to grab it."

  "Alright. I think it won't take more than a day for my team to finish collecting the amount you need."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Camptosium - from the Greek word "éfkamptos", meaning flexible, combined with -ium