Kuno approached the table, but he paused briefly when he looked at each of us. This only took place in a split second, and shortly afterward, Kuno was already sitting next to Sieggald's father.

"Let us begin. Sieggald, bring the sword!"

Sieggald got up and went to a showcase. However, his father continued to talk.

"Kuno, could you tell us where you got this sword from?"

Even before the sword was on the table for everyone to see, he asked where it came from.

"Forged!"

Kuno proudly announced his achievement, which I found more embarrassing than a success. Above all, I included what happened yesterday.

"Then let me ask the question differently, "Where do these strange jewels or stones come from or whatever they are?""

Kuno looked across the table to me and then to the Lord.

“They are magical crystals from a creature. But the trick is... this creature was one of the foreign. The client brought them over and asked me to forge this sword for a large sum of money."

"Who was it?"

Kuno shrugged his shoulders.

“Some guy, I didn't ask for the name because it looked like a normal job to me. I don't ask every customer their name."

Sieggald came back with the sword in his hand and placed it in the center of the table. He sat down again.

"May I?"

Kuno leaned forward and pointed at the sword.

"Please."

After the acceptance, Kuno bent over the sword and removed the band. None of the crystals shone, and there was no fog.

“These crystals must come from the same creature! They are in balance, but I cannot fathom what they are based on. The interesting thing is that they both react to other things... I had to learn the hard way, unfortunately. Thanks again."

He looked up at the last part and looked at Savia and me.

"What did you find out?"

Savia leaned forward when she asked him and took a closer look at the stones.

"Strange."

She pressed the gray stone with her finger, and I could watch the surface of the stone give way.

"Do that again, but this time with the red one!?"

I eagerly asked Savia to repeat this.

"So?"

Again, I could see how the stone's surface, this time the red one, sagged a little.

"Strange."

Sieggald must have noticed it too and looked puzzled as well.

“At first glance, these are stones, but they are not solid! More like jelly."

I took the sword in my right hand and raised it slightly, pressing against the gray stone with my left hand.

"That's impossible! I would have noticed when making the sword that these stones or crystals are not solid! They were firm while processing!"

I put the sword down again.

“You said you know the stones react to other things. What, for example?"

He got up and took something out of his coat. He raised his hand and presented us with its contents. The item was a yellow-green lump of ore.

"Lagtanite."

He named the ore and placed the lump on the red stone. Each of us had expectations, but nothing happened.

"Nothing."

Sieggald put what had happened into words.

"Correct, but watch now."

He picked up the lump and placed the stone on the gray stone. The stone flashed and blinded us with a bright light.

"Take the stone away!"

The feudal lord shouted furiously at Kuno because, without seeing it, I knew that everyone was blinded by the light and covered their face with their hands.

"Sorry... Sorry..."

Kuno removed the lagtanite and put it away again.

"Something else?"

Savia asked immediately.

"Sure, here."

Kuno took out something else... and it was milk.

"Milk?"

Sieggald asked him, puzzled.

"Correct. Look here."

He tipped some milk from the bottle onto the red stone. The stone turned blacker.

"Nothing more?"

I asked Kuno, a little confused.

"Nope."

Kuno shrugged as he answered me.

“Any other reactions? And please, no further demonstrations?"

The feudal lord was visibly irritated, even if he didn't let it resonate in his words.

"There were a few small reactions but nothing meaningful."

Kuno ignored the undertone and leaned back again. I looked around the rest of the group. Everyone seemed to be lost in thought.

"Where does the tape come from?"

I broke the silence and asked about the origin of the tape I had used to tame the sword.

“Also from the customer. He also left the stones to me."

Before anyone could say anything, the feudal lord stood up in silence.

"Here, this should be enough."

He took a stack of coins from the desk and put them down in front of Kuno.

"So the sword is mine now, right?"

He sat back in his seat.

"As you wish."

Kuno agreed.

"Well. Savia, my ears have heard how you want to go to the capital. Am I right?"

Savia just nodded.

"That's perfect. Would you go with Sieggald? He should bring the sword to the capital for analysis. So that no questions arise, you will, of course, be richly rewarded."

Savia’s look turned serious.

“Kuno, you're done. You can leave."

The feudal lord waved to Kuno that he should go, please. He got up in silence and disappeared. When the door closed behind him, the Lord began to speak to Savia.

“I, no, we're not doing it for the money. I want to get to the capital as quickly as possible. A light coach, just Sieggald, the coachman, and the two of us. Nobody else! I don't want any unnecessary burden or unnecessary guards! "

The feudal lord rose and immediately held out his hand.

"I agree. When do you want to leave?"

"Just after noon. That should be a bit hasty, but it's still early, so there should be enough time."

Savia accepted.

Sieggald got up too.

"I will prepare everything."

His father nodded, and he also disappeared from the room.

“Since the wheels are turning, should I show you around the property? If you want, you can join my wife in the garden. At this time, she always drinks tea under the pavilion."

I would have liked to have said no, but Savia got ahead of me.

"I would like to see the property, but most of all, I would like to see the west wing."

He nodded, clearly satisfied.

“You are well informed. Do you want to go to the library or to my first magician?"

"Both."

Savia answered immediately, and the feudal lord began his tour. He led us out of the room and back down the hall. In the main hall, he went to another wing of the house. The decor was different, and there were huge portraits of people on the walls, each looking more important than the other.

I stopped in front of one of the portraits.

This face…

"Everything OK?"

Savia turned to me.

"Everything is OK. Would it be okay to wait here?"

I looked at the feudal lord who gave me permission to stay here with a nod.

A video game... HA! So two out of two hits... But 200 years have passed... Kuno hasn't aged, but people are.

The portrait showed the feudal lord from the game, and the date for the day of death was entered under the picture.

Maybe…

I lightly touched the picture with my left hand, hoping to get a reminder or some clue.

Nothing…

I withdrew my hand and then sat down on the windowsill. While I was waiting for Savia, I looked through the window into the garden. I could see a shadow sitting under the pavilion. In addition, there were two more shadows in their vicinity, and five more spread out a little further away.

"Hey."

Savia's voice was very close and frightened me. Out of a reflex, I hit in the direction. Only after it happened did I realize that I hit Savia right on the face.

“Oh shit! Is everything OK?"

I gave her my hand and helped her stand up.

“It's okay, that was my mistake. I should have expected it if I sneaked up to you."

She rolled her eyes.

 

=== shortly after noon, in the courtyard of the property

 

"Everything ready?"

The coachman looked at us in the small group that had gathered. Besides us, Sieggald, his father, and the butler from before were with us.

"We can go."

Sieggald didn't want to wait and climbed into the carriage through the open door. Savia and I did not have to be told twice and followed him into the carriage.

"Three days... you can manage?"

The coachman looked surprised at the lack of provisions and everything else.

"It'll be enough."

Savia waved him off, and we said goodbye without many farewell speeches. So the carriage drove off to Ainaryt.