Free Web NovelChapter 293: Chapter 281: Departure
Roland gazed at the last wisp of Wind’s Tassel dissipating from the blade, his fingertips gently stroking its cold, sharp edge.
The power he had just briefly unleashed was merely the tip of the iceberg, yet it had already clearly revealed the feasibility of this path.
And the unfathomable potential of this Secret Silver Longsword.
"To fully call upon its true name and completely unleash this power, the immense Spiritual Power required would be enough to instantly drain any ordinary Caster dry."
His tone betrayed no hint of distress, but rather one of prudent assessment.
For most people in this world, the Spiritual Power threshold demanded by this Secret Silver Longsword was a wall of despair they could never hope to surmount in their lifetime.
They had no choice.
But Roland was different.
The Basic Professions that granted a Spiritual Attribute Bonus, and even High Tier ones, were the very bricks he needed to build this stairway.
Even if each Basic Profession offered only a limited bonus, with enough of them, this accumulation of quantity would eventually trigger a qualitative leap.
This path was simple, direct, and most importantly...
It was completely under his control.
One day, when his ocean of Spiritual Power was vast enough to quench the sword’s endless thirst, all its inscriptions would completely reveal their secrets to him.
At the thought of such a scene, a deep and determined light flashed in Roland’s eyes.
It was not some distant fantasy, but a clearly visible future that was destined to be achieved.
With a flick of his wrist, the Secret Silver Longsword let out one last, faint ring as it cut through the air, then slid smoothly back into its sheath. All unusual phenomena subsided.
He turned, his attention returning to the pile of sorted, high-quality Secret Silver Shards.
The clear sound of forging soon rang out again, steady and rhythmic. Before he knew it, the sky had darkened, and dusk had quietly fallen.
"Hooo..."
With a long sigh, Roland rubbed his aching temples. He packed the finished Secret Silver implements into a burlap sack at his feet, then rose and walked out the door.
After nodding to the respectful receptionist, Noel, he headed for home.
"Roland!"
Before he could even push open the courtyard gate, a clear voice suddenly called out.
He looked toward the sound and saw the Elf Maiden, who had appeared from nowhere, sitting on top of the wall, her slender legs dangling and swinging gently in the air.
"What took you so long?"
"Avril?"
Roland raised an eyebrow slightly, pushed open the gate, and walked in.
"Do you need something?"
"Of course!"
Avril immediately leaped down from the wall and followed close behind him.
"Have you forgotten the promise you made?"
"A promise?"
Roland looked around, noticing that the once-lively courtyard was now empty. He couldn’t help but frown slightly as he slowly lowered the burlap sack from his shoulder.
"That’s right! You’re unbelievable, Roland!"
Avril circled around to face him.
"Have you forgotten what you said in the Land of Mist? That if we returned safely, you would treat us to a seven-day and seven-night celebration at the finest establishment in the Royal Capital!"
"Oh, that..."
Roland let out a sigh of relief, his tense body relaxing slightly.
He crouched down, opened the burlap sack, and started rummaging inside as he asked.
"So... Mr. Bronson and the others have already gone?"
"That’s right! They excitedly headed off to the Golden Acorn first thing this morning. They’re just waiting for you, our generous sponsor!"
Avril said cheerfully, but her eyes were glued to the bulging burlap sack, her curiosity practically overflowing.
Roland nodded, his hands not stopping. He quickly took out two items from the sack.
A dagger with smooth lines, its edge faintly wreathed in a weak current of air, and a dozen or so arrows that also glinted with the cold light of Secret Silver, their heads specially sharpened.
"For you."
He handed the dagger and arrows to her.
"Huh? What’s this..."
Avril blinked her big, emerald eyes as she took them.
The moment her fingertips touched the dagger, she could feel the active Wind Elemental Power contained within, as if it yearned to slice through the air.
"An Enchanted Weapon? And... it’s made of Secret Silver!"
"Mhm."
Roland explained calmly.
"I made it from scrap materials. It’s infused with the Wind Element, so it’s much sharper than ordinary iron, but the raw materials were too impure, so it’s not very tough and the edge might chip. Be careful when you use it."
"The same goes for the arrows. Their accuracy and range will be improved, but don’t expect to reuse them."
He paused for a moment, watching Avril curiously fiddle with the dagger, then pulled two more items from the sack.
A ring of simple design that gave off a cold, silver light, and a necklace inlaid with fine, faintly glowing gems.
"These two as well. They have a similar construction to the weapon, with special patterns inscribed inside."
Avril, holding the dagger in one hand, took the ring and necklace with the other, her eyes filled with even greater curiosity.
"Their main purpose isn’t for daily wear or for looks... If, and I mean if, you find yourself in an emergency with no time to react, pour a large amount of Magic Power into them and forcibly destroy their internal structure."
"And then what?"
Avril asked, holding the sudden set of gifts, her gaze shifting back and forth between the weapon and the jewelry.
"The magic patterns inside will instantly disintegrate, and the stored Elemental Power will erupt uncontrollably, creating a decent magical shockwave. It should... buy you a little time to escape or create some Chaos."
Roland added.
"Think of it as a small emergency measure."
He felt he had explained it clearly enough: these were purely practical tools for self-defense.
As for why he chose to fashion them into a necklace and a ring, that was purely for the sake of concealment.
After all, no one would ever suspect that seemingly ordinary jewelry could turn into a deadly Magic Bomb the moment a large amount of Magic Power was suddenly poured into it.
However, looking at the exquisitely crafted items in her hands, a faint, almost imperceptible blush crept onto the Elf Maiden’s cheeks.
Her emerald eyes sparkled as she looked at Roland, suddenly interrupting his technical explanation to ask him directly.
"Roland, these... did you only give them to me?"
Her voice carried a hint of anticipation and cautious probing, which was quite rare for her straightforward personality.
But Roland was completely oblivious to the deeper meaning in her words. He simply nodded as a matter of fact.
"Of course."
’After all, Avril isn’t coming on this long journey, and I only had enough of the best quality Secret Silver Shards on hand to make these three small things.’
’As for the others, whether it’s Teresa or Galvis...’
’Their own power is already considerable, and with me by their side, we’ll be able to handle most situations.’
His straightforward answer instantly made the light in Avril’s eyes shine even brighter.
She carefully put away the ring, necklace, and dagger as if they were priceless treasures, the corners of her mouth rising in an irrepressible smile.
"I... I understand!"
Her tone was much lighter now.
"I’ll take good care of them! Absolutely!"
Roland looked at her, suddenly so happy and earnest, and though he didn’t quite understand why, his goal had been achieved since she’d accepted the gifts.
"Good. In that case, we should head to the Golden Acorn to find Mr. Bronson and the others."
"Okay!"
Avril nodded vigorously, clearly in high spirits. She followed along with a light step, her fingers unconsciously caressing the cool Secret Silver ring and necklace in her pocket.
A seven-day, seven-night celebration was, of course, impossible now.
After all, there were fewer than seven days left before they had to leave the River Domain and set out for the Golden Valley Kingdom.
Even so, Roland and his party still enjoyed themselves to the fullest at the establishment called the "Golden Acorn."
Even Roland found himself somewhat captivated by the extravagant lifestyle.
But this indulgence didn’t last long.
Before they knew it, the day of their departure for the Golden Valley Kingdom had quietly arrived.
