The week before his expedition, Lucen got to work.
He had his skills: Gun Creation, Bullet Creation, but both relied on mana. And mana could run out. He needed something that wouldn't vanish the moment he ran dry. A real, physical weapon. Something that didn't disappear just because he ran out of mana.
He also needed armor, emergency supplies, rations, and probably a few mundane tools like rope and bandages. He was going outside the safety of the fortress, after all.
The first thing Lucen did was go to one of the blacksmiths working on the Arquebuses alongside the carpenters. When he arrived at the large forge, he saw that Robert was also there. He and the blacksmiths were looking at something.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah! Lucen, perfect timing." Robert looked up with the usual alchemical sparkle in his eye. "I made a few changes to the Arquebus design. Come, take a look."
Lucen's eyes scanned the drawing. The replacements weren't familiar, not because they were advanced, but because they didn't exist in his old world. They were magical components native to this world.
"I replaced your so-called matchlock system with a new ignition method," Robert explained. "See this? It's a striker-plate mechanism. A spring-loaded wheel scrapes against shardstone. No mana needed. Just twist, aim, and fire."
"Shardstone?" The name sounded very familiar, but Lucen could not remember where he had heard it or what it was.
"It's a mineral found in the bone spikes of Frost Hounds. It's spark-generating, incredibly durable, and it works even in rain or snow. Grey Tower researchers use it in mana-reactive triggers, but it doesn't need mana to ignite. This version? Anyone can use it. Also, I increased the explosive power of the gunpowder, so now the lead balls can fly further." Robert beamed with pride. "Even a farmer could pick one up and fire it reliably."
Lucen blinked in surprise. 'This guy just casually reinvented the wheellock. I didn't know the specifics of the thing, so I did not bother trying to make it, but this guy just did it on his own. Not only that, he improved the gunpowder using things that are beyond my knowledge.'
"Heh, you truly are a brilliant mad alchemist."
"I don't know if you're praising me or not, but I'm indeed brilliant," Robert smugly replied.
Lucen shook his head, looking at the confident Robert, and sighed. This was a blind spot in his skill: gun knowledge, since it was knowledge from his past life's world, and not from this magical world.
This version of the Arquebus, though similar to the original, was now a little bit closer to a musket.
Lucen gave the updated drawing one last glance before rolling it up and handing it back. "Good work, Robert. Just don't blow yourself up testing it."
Robert chuckled. "No promises."
Lucen shrugged his shoulders, then turned towards the blacksmiths gathered nearby.
"I'll be travelling outside the fortress for a while, I need armor, a sword, and that newly developed Arquebus."
The head blacksmith, a gruff older man with burn scars and arms like tree trunks, nodded. "Young master, if it's alright with you, will you use the armor we created?"
"Hm, you already made the armor?" Lucen asked, surprised.
"Aye, when we started getting the hang of making the Arquebus, we started thinking of what kind of armor would be good for the one using it. When we imagined the armor for this, we made the young master the model."
The group of blacksmiths took out a few pieces of armor and showed them to Lucen. "This is the prototype armor we designed for the soldiers who are going to use the arquebuses."
The head blacksmith pointed to the pale, slightly glossy surface of the chestpiece.
"Frostfang wolf's spinebone. Light as hardwood, but harder than steel when properly forged. It'll take a sword or a spear tip without cracking, and the cold won't make it brittle."
He moved to the pauldrons. "These curved plates? That's from a winter drake's leg scales. Tough as anything we've seen, but we thinned them down just enough to keep shoulder movement free."
"Ogre hide," the blacksmith said. "Cured it for days, then reinforced it with layers of fang fragments from goblins. Strong enough to stop a short sword, but light enough not to have difficulty moving."
"And we used frost ogre hide strips for the joints! It flexes well, but holds up in snow. Doesn't get stiff."
Lucen stared at the last piece of armor. "And the gloves?"
"Double-stitched hide and claw pulp. Gives a good grip."
"This is good, with armor and arquebus, I only need a sword. Can you make a short sword for me to use?"
"No problem, young master."
"Once you're done, just give Vahn the armor and weapons once you're done."
"As you wish, young master."
After he was done talking with the blacksmith, Lucen decided to head out into town for the first time in this life. Even back in the game, he hasn't seen what Ironhold looked like since the fortress city had fallen before the start of the game.
...
As Lucen was about to head out for the first time ever in this life, he saw Sir Thalos training in the snow. This person trains every day without rest.
The man was upside down, balanced on a single gloved index finger, his entire body as rigid and motionless as a statue. Not a single wobble. His finger touched the snow so delicately that it didn't even leave a dent. Not even a flake moved.
Lucen blinked. '...Is he doing a fingerstand push-up on snow?'
No. No, not even that.
He was holding a perfect fingerstand without sinking, because he was concentrating aura into that one fingertip with such absurd control that it created a near-weightless contact point.
Sir Thalos noticed Lucen and then, using a burst of the aura on his fingertip, he pushed himself upward. In the air, Sir Tahlos spun in mid-air and landed perfectly in front of Lucen.
"Young master, are you going to train as well?"
"No, not today. I'm just going to visit the town."
"I see..." Sir Thalos looked slightly disappointed, but it passed. He smiled. "Well, if you ever feel the urge, you know where to find me." As Sir Thalos turned around and was about to go back to training, Lucen spoke.
"Sir Thalos, why do you train like this every day? Why are you so obsessed with strengthening your body and denying using any weapon?"
Lucen could not help but ask the question he was always curious about. Since Sir Thalos wasn't part of the main game, and he wasn't even in the lore, he did not know much about the other person. He was very interested to know more about this character, who could have been a good addition to the main game.
Sir Thalos, who had his back facing Lucen, did not turn around, but he responded to the question.
"... Long ago, I learned no matter how good a sword, no matter how proficient you are in the use of Aura, a sword will break..." His voice then dropped a little lower. "Back then, if only my body were strong enough, I would have..."
Sir Thalos stopped speaking for a few seconds and sighed before continuing. "Young master, swords, spears, and even your new toy, all of them could break, but my body, which I forged myself, will never break."
Lucen did not know what to say. Sir Thalos turned, and when he saw Lucen's reaction, he smiled slightly. "So, young master, it's good that you have trained your body into what it is now. I hope you continue forging into something unbreakable."
With a faint chuckle to ease the mood, Lucen replied. "Well, I don't know if I'll ever get to the point where I can do fingertip push-ups on snow, but I'll keep training. Maybe one day, my body won't break either."
Lucen gave a respectful nod. "Thanks, Sir Thalos. I'll keep that in mind."