Chapter 33 – Choosing A Weapon
'Sh*t! How do I talk to someone who I just snubbed like a fly?' Dion thought but he instantly got a spark. 'Wait… why would I even bother about her when I came to meet the father for business?'
Dion walked past her and knocked on the door. Zeni was stunned by his action.
The door swung open and a gigantic man walked out of the house while sneezing.
"Hello, you need something from me?" the man smiled at Dion.
Dion took a moment to check out the man. The man should be around his early forties. He had tanned skin with long, ash hair, and brown eyes like Zeni, with a gigantic build.
"Good evening, Sir. I want to buy something from you," Dion said respectfully.
"What's that?" asked the man.
"A nice blade that's sharp and durable," Dion responded.
"A weapon? I only make regular hunting weapons. Mountain wolf can testify because that's what he uses." The man pointed at Rowan, who kept giving Zeni sneaky glances. Only heaven knows what's going on in his head.
Dion nodded before explaining, "I've seen those. But I need something better than them."
"Something better? That will be a bit difficult but… I can create it with a little help from my daughter," gesturing at Zeni, the man spoke proudly.
Dion's face twisted into a nasty scowl. 'Can I not talk to that feral clown?'
"So, it is useless without your daughter?" Dion asked calmly.
"Boy, are you insulting me?" The man snapped. "If not for Mountain Wolf, do you think I would spend time talking to you?"
Dion was stunned for a moment. He replied unhurriedly. "It's business and I'm paying, not charity work. Why make it sound like I would be getting it for free? If I was being disrespectful, then I'm sorry about that."
"You don't look sorry," pointed at Dion's nose, the man articulated loudly.
Dion merely stared at him. 'Now I know where the feral clown got the clownish gene from.'
"I, Tor Harma, is useless without my daughter? Do you know what I've made alone?" The man growled and beat his broad chest with his palm
Dion's posture and expression remained unchanged even in the face of Tor's anger and impassioned speech.
Rowan swiftly intervened, seeking to defuse the tension to prevent Sir Tor from looking foolish from Dion's gaze. "Sir Tor, I apologize for his demeanor. Dion struggles with interpersonal communication, and he was merely questioning if you could forge the weapon without relying on Zeni, as he doubts her abilities."
In a hushed tone, Rowan whispered to Dion, employing cloaked speech to convey his message discreetly. "He despises the word 'useless.' It deeply unsettles him."
Tor's chest rose and fell with each breath as he continued to scrutinize Dion from his elevated position, his gaze fixed upon him. Zeni silently watched the drama as it unfolded.
"In short, I don't make weapons. But if Zeni does the measurement and calculations, I can do it. Talk to her." The man waved his hand impatiently and left like he couldn't stand seeing Dion's face.
Dion took a deep breath and turned to Zeni. "I think you heard your father. So, how is it going to be?"
However, Zeni ignored him and walked up to Rowan. She patted his shoulder. "You've been throwing me sneaky and strange glances since you arrived. Is something on my face?"
Rowan's cheeks trembled and he scratched his head. 'Curse you, Dion! You've tarnished the image in my mind. Now, whenever I see her face, the face of that hairless monkey overlaps with hers. My brain has made it even worse. I can't seem to shake the image of a talking, hairless monkey adorned with lipstick, earrings, and clothes. I don't know how long it will take for me to forget this disturbing vision,' he lamented in his mind.
"Why does your face look terrible like you want to puke?" Zeni asked again, snubbing Dion's question.
"Stomach ache," Rowan mumbled with a nasty expression.
"Mountain wolf with stomach ache?!" Zeni exclaimed in shock, momentarily taken aback before swiftly changing the subject. "How is your preparation for the upcoming exams?" She asked and tousled Rowan's hair.
"I already have my eleventh rune. I should be able to reach the Aura Flare level before the send-off," Rowan replied, grateful for the shift of the topic.
Dion was watching from the sidelines as both of them conversed like he was invisible. Without a word, he turned and began walking away.
When he had walked some distance, Zeni's voice echoed from behind, "Mute, where are you going?"
Dion halted in his tracks and turned his head. "Home, of course. Your father isn't interested. You refuse to talk. That's a signal for me to leave."
"Sigh." Zeni shook her head weakly. "I will use my saintly heart to help you. Come, let's go to my room."
She began walking to her room. Rowan followed, and Dion trailed them from behind.
On the way, Zeni spoke up with a hearty laugh, "You see how it is to be ignored, right? You became furious when you got ignored but I just laughed it off. Now, you know the extent of my magnanimity."
Dion responded calmly, "I wasn't angry. I merely did what I expected you guys to do when someone is silent and doesn't want to talk to you — walking away. But you guys never get the message, pestering someone until eternity like a buzzing fly."
"Are you calling me a fly?" Zeni snapped, baring her teeth at him.
Dion's brow furrowed in confusion. "When did I do that?" Then it clicked in his head. "Oh! Do you mean from my conversation? That's for other people. I'm sure you're not among them."
Zeni nodded in satisfaction even though she knew Dion was lying through his teeth. She led them to her room.
Phew~
Dion exhaled. He's not stupid to anger the person to whom he requires her help. The first truthful reply of how to respond to silence was already an error on his part.
When they reached her room, Rowan and Zeni sat around the table.
Dion joined them and saw a big book in the middle of the table.
"This book cost a huge amount of fortune, so handle it with care," Zeni warned sternly with sharp eyes like a protective hen warning others what happens if they touch her chick.
Dion nodded obediently.
"Choose a blade that fits your style and I will tell you the cost. The size and complexity determine the cost. Remember, you shouldn't expect a masterpiece because my father is not an expert blacksmith of weapons. So, choose something plain," Zeni explained calmly.
"Okay." Dion looked at the book that had, 'Basics of Blacksmithing' written boldly on it. He began flipping through the book with pages that were made from the beast's hide. The book resembled a weapon dictionary. He ignored the explanation below after reading the first and focused on the pictures.
The explanation was about the weight, length, width, and many more. He closed one eye and skipped many cool weapons that tingled his heart because he wasn't used to them. What he needed was an urgent weapon and not a weapon he would need to first master how to use it.
Finally, his eyes landed on a weapon that looked easy to use because of the familiar design — a knife.
If the handle is ignored, the blade resembles a kitchen knife that is only longer.
"You choose that?" Zeni arched an eyebrow. "Plain doesn't mean you should ignore your heart. I can help my father make a masterpiece that is above average."
The contradictory statement made Dion's lips twitch. But he still chose the knife because it wasn't too long and complex, so the price wouldn't be much.
Zenu read the description and thought for a moment. "That will be a hundred silver boon. Come in four days to get it," she said calmly.
"Thanks." Dion appreciated her, stood up, and left with Rowan.
On their way home, Rowan incessantly whined about how Dion destroyed his eyes by mentally massacring beauties. Dion chose to ignore him. After a satisfying dinner, he retired to his room to have a good sleep. He started his sleep early, getting his first sleep without void shuttling. When it was about 6 PM, he shuttled in the middle of his sleep.
***
Dion's eyes opened on the other side. When he tilted his head and saw the money sprawled on the floor and bag, his lips curved in a smile but his grumbling stomach reminded him of his hunger state. He was famished.
Brushing his teeth, taking a quick shower, and donning his soft but light hoodie and leather pants, he was ready to eat an elephant. Dion picked two thousand dollars before hiding the rest of the cash under his bed. He walked quickly as the worms in his intestine were rioting.
However, when he opened the door, he bumped into a person in front of his house.
"You are…?" Dion raised an eyebrow.
The lady waved with her lips beaming with a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm your new neighbor."