Dedication
(A/N: R18 Chapter available on Patreon o3o...)
After two days of waiting for Chelsea's spirits to improve, Cairn wasn't too surprised when Asim invited him and Elle to accompany him for drinks at a local tavern, waiting until they were halfway through their second round of drinks to divulge, "Tristan, Ariella, and I are planning to escort Chelsea back to Austral..."
"It's that bad...?" asked Cairn, feeling apologetic but understanding there wasn't much he could do. He hadn't tried to lead Chelsea on or anything. She had fallen for him of her own accord, and as mean as it sounded, he had no intention of tolerating her yearning for the 4-6 years it would take her to mature.
Shaking his head, Asim offered a kind smile as he assured, "It's not 'that' bad. Her spirit hasn't been broken or anything. Rather, she plans to make you 'regret' your decision by training earnestly and becoming a powerful pillar of the Church."
"I'm not exactly religious, but I'll pray she does..." responded Cairn, taking a slow, contemplative sip from his mug.
"We're alike in that regard," mused Asim, retrieving a sealed letter from his breast pocket and placing it on the bar as he added, "I will trouble you to deliver this message to my sister. I'm still planning to visit the Capital, but it will likely be after Tristan, Ariella, and Chelsea come of age. Until then, I plan to register as a Freelancer, enhancing my capabilities so I never have to deviate from my chosen path."
Accepting the letter and placing it into his Inventory, Cairn assured, "I'll see to it that the letter is delivered safely. You have my word..." A part of him wanted to apologize, but as this was likely the best way things could have developed, he held his tongue.
Nodding in response, Asim surprised Cairn by abruptly rising to his feet and saying, "See you around, my friend." as he tried to leave. A feeling of panic washed over Cairn, but before he could think to say or do anything, Elle beat him to the punch, calling out, "Hey, cat boy! Catch!"
Catching the silvery bracelet Elle had thrown, Asim's brows raised as he asked, "What's this...?"
Surprising even Cairn, Elle explained, "It's a bracelet that increases a person's ability to absorb mana and life essence from the monsters they defeat. Be a good boy and pass it to the brat who thinks I stole her man, okay? I won't apologize, but I can at least provide compensation."
"As expected of a Dwarven Forgemaster..." remarked Asim, a somewhat wry smile adorning his lion-like visage as he slipped the bracelet into the same concealed pocket as his coin pouch. Then, without further remark, he turned around and departed the tavern with resolute steps, his cape billowing behind him as he stepped through the swinging doors denoting the establishment's entrance.
"There he goes~" mused Elle, unabashedly leaning against Cairn as he continued staring in the direction of Asim's departure for several seconds. He had no thoughts of catching up or trying to thwart the young Lionel's departure, but even though they had only known each other for about a month, Cairn knew he would miss Asim's company...
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After finishing their drinks and paying their tab, Cairn and Elle returned to the Inn to find Kaia sitting outside, patiently waiting for them with a very despondent-looking Tarou slumped between her ears. Ariella had spoiled him quite a bit, frequently feeding, playing with him, and letting him nestle between her boobs, so he appeared notably depressed now that they had separated.
Seemingly noticing Tarou for the first time, Elle's eyes lit up as she asked, "Since when did we have a Seven-Colored Chin—oh? It's just a Treasure-Hoarding variant...?"
Turning sluggishly toward Cairn and Elle, Tarou frowned when he saw the former, but his enthusiasm immediately returned when he saw the latter's half-exposed breasts. Then, without any hesitation, he flipped right-side up and leaped several meters through the air, landing face-first into Elle's bosom.
Though Cairn frowned at Tarou's antics, Elle exhaled an amused chuckle as she retrieved the fluffy scoundrel from her cleavage, rubbing her nose against his as she remarked, "This must be the work of fate. It's said that any Dwarf that manages to acquire a Seven-Colored Chinchilla is virtually guaranteed to attain the status of a Grandmaster. Grow up big and strong so you can evolve for me, okay~?"
Nodding with as much enthusiasm as he could manage, Tarou responded with an affirming "Chi~!" before promptly plunging into Elle's jumpsuit and crawling around its inside, causing her to laugh ticklishly. His actions gave Cairn a sudden craving to try Chinchilla soup, but seeing Elle smiling and laughing cheerfully, the Fledgling Hero felt his pride would diminish if his possessiveness were triggered by a rat...
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With Elle's natural pace being even slower than Cairn's, largely due to the shortness of her legs, Kaia did the unexpected by offering to let the petite Dwarf ride on her back. Elle happily accepted, so passersby were privy to a sight never before seen in the history of Cliabhaan, a pixie-haired Dwarf riding a Karakut like a mount.
Fortunately for Kaia, Elle's weight, minus the oversized mallet and pickaxe she used as weapons, was fewer than 30kgs. It was a little awkward, but once Elle modified the armor on her lower Half to have stirrups and a horn, effectively turning it into a saddle, ferrying her around became fairly easy. Kaia was just grateful that none of her kin were present north of the Great Wall, lest she suffers an untimely death from sheer embarrassment...
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After three weeks of camping outdoors, avoiding most major towns and villages, Cairn, Kaia, Elle, and Tarou reached the city of Windrose, which, when viewed from above, resembled a massive compass. The amount of land it covered was smaller than the Capital but as the city through which most goods traveled, its population was second only to the domain of the Felidae.
"Are you sure we should stop here?" asked Cairn, seeing no reason to find an Inn when they had food, supplies, and a tent that could accommodate ten people comfortably.
"Absolutely," replied Elle, seated atop Cairn's shoulders as Kaia felt it would attract too much attention if people witnessed a Dwarf riding a Karakut in a major city. As for how she ended up on Cairn's shoulders, she claimed it was because her feet hurt, but the reality was that she enjoyed the feeling of his Legendary helmet between her thighs, a fact he became increasingly aware of due to the heat and faint feeling of moisture against his neck...
"It's been a while since I visited, but prices in the Capital are known to be the highest in Cliabhaan," explained Elle. "Conversely, Windrose is known to have the lowest prices, second only to procuring them directly from the source."
Grabbing the pointed ears of Cairn's helmet, caressing their tips with her thumbs, Elle's voice carried a melodic quality as she added, "Half a million Graadis might sound like a lot, but that's only true if you plan to live like a Commoner. Nobles and high-ranking Freelancers can drop tens of millions of Graadis on high-quality equipment. A hundred years ago, this helmet of yours would easily fetch fifty million at auction. In today's market, it might exceed a hundred."
"..."
Though it caused Elle to frown, Cairn promptly toggled the visibility of his helmet the moment she finished talking. Most onlookers wouldn't be able to discern its value, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Elle squeezed his face and squished her breasts against the back of his head in protest, but Cairn remained resolute in his decision...
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True to Elle's words, Cairn ended up spending all but 38,400 of their total Graadis on seven kilograms of unrefined Mithril, a fiery red mineral known as Vulcacite, and the materials used to refine them. Elle wanted to forge him a custom shield to commemorate becoming his official Blacksmith, so while it pained him to see the majority of their funds disappear, Cairn had high hopes for the item his compact companion would forge.
Fortunately, though he would have preferred to wait until they reached the Capital, Cairn didn't have to wait long as Elle insisted on forging the shield before they departed Windrose. The only downside was that he had to suffer the intrigue of the Dwarf whose workshop Elle requested to borrow. Consequently, Cairn came to learn two things about the Dwarves. First and foremost, they were 'all' female. Secondly, except for the Elder Dwarves, every single Dwarf had been 'manufactured' by the person Elle referred to as Grandma, the most senior of the Elder Dwarves, the 'Grand Architect' whose name was carved into the very foundation of the Central Continent, Maa Viraja...
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"This is for me?" asked Cairn, slackjawed at the primarily crimson shield Elle had produced for him. Unlike a traditional shield, it had a bull motif, gladius-like blades, and axe-like edges that protruded from both ends, allowing him to stab and slice, not just defend. The blades could also be retracted at will, so if he encountered a situation where he needed more defense, he could flip a switch, rapidly retracting the blades and greatly increasing the shield's defensive stats.
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Aberrant Aegis
Rank: Epic Shield
Weight: 6.5kgs
Durability: 17,900/17,900
Level: 14/60(6,219/6,590)
P.Def: 390+164
M.Def: 150+63
Enchantment(s): [Stalwart], [Defense Conversion], [Retaliation]
Description: A shield forged by an aspiring Mastersmith with every ounce of their skill. Due to the perseverance of the creator, the materials used in its forging have been drawn out to their limits.
Ingredients: [Mithril], [Vulcacite], [Dwarven Blood], [Dwarven Sweat]
Restriction(s): Made specifically for the Champion, Cairn. When wielded by others, the nascent spirit dwelling within the shield will become unruly.
[Stalwart]
Effect: Reduces damage from Physical Attacks by 20%
[Defense Conversion]
Effect: Convert 50% of the shield's defensive stats into offensive stats.
[Retaliation]
Effect: 10% chance of reflecting 20% of the damage from physical attacks. If this enchantment fails to trigger after ten successful blocks, the effect is guaranteed to activate, increasing the reflected damage by 200%.
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Reading the shield's description, Cairn's throat tensed as he looked at the visibly exhausted Elle. She was covered in soot and more than 80% of her HP had been depleted due to exhaustion, but she still managed a smile as she asked, "Do you like it~?" in a sleepy, sing-song tone.
"It's the best..." answered Cairn, adopting a smile of his own. He had no doubts there were far greater shields in the world, but as far as he was concerned, the Aberrant Aegis was truly the best as it not only belonged to him but because it had been forged with such consideration.
"Come here..." said Cairn, temporarily placing his newly acquired shield into his Inventory and gesturing for Elle to move closer. When she did, he surprised everyone present by picking her up, supporting and squeezing her ass as he gave her a deep and passionate kiss. Neither of them had confessed feelings for one another, but even if Elle didn't love him, Cairn felt obligated to reward her hard work with passion of his own...
Feeling slightly annoyed, Elle's 'twin,' a pixie-haired Dwarf named Nello, crossed her arms and complained, "Oi, unless you plan on making this a threesome, get out of my workshop."
Prompted by Nello's words, Cairn raised Elle and set her on his shoulders, causing her to exhale a tired laugh as she linked her legs around his neck, leaned forward, and embraced his head. She had expected Cairn to thank her, but seeing how 'enthused' he was by her work, Elle was feeling frisky despite her fatigue. Thus, once they returned to their room, Elle had Cairn wash her body and show his 'gratitude' with actions...much to the chagrin of her fellow Dwarf and a certain, predominately blue-furred Chinchilla...
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(A/N: For those that are curious, Viraja roughly translates to 'Superior' or 'Excellency' in Sanskrit. Maa translates to make/produce/create.)