The next craftsman stepped forward. Rasing the box that concealed his work, a long rectangular object obscured by a sheet of silk. He reached down plucking the object, as he did so the silk sheet fell away exposing a long blade. The metal blade was laden with detail, small intricate details run up and down the center of the blade. The sword itself was roughly the size of Brownie himself
Cradling the sword like a newborn baby the Brownie craftsman presented his sword to me. Standing up I dismissed the table that I ate on, stepping forward I reached down grabbing the sword Inspecting it. The grip was decent not to chunky that it caused discomfort or to thin. The long hilt roughly the size of foot was meant for two hands. The sword was extremely heavy, I didn't know the exact comparison but the sword was roughly the weight I imaged a great sword to be.
If I remembered correctly these where mainly used to fight against a crowd of lightly armored opponents. Unlike its smaller cousins they remained effect against somewhat heavily armoured opponents. Finally inspecting it with system to see it abilities.
...
[Claymore of Fungal Monarch]
Rank Two Uncommon Item
This item was forged for a newly ascended monarch of the Fungal Folk a tutorial faction. Created for contest of craftsman this item was crafted with the full heart and soul of its Crafter. The engravings along the fuller of blade have been specially treated to resist wear and tear.
Effects: [Monarch's Companion], [Supernatural Density], and [Hope of the People]
-[Monarch's Companion]
This item gains records faster and will remain sharp when wielded by the Monarch of the Fungal Folk.
-[Supernatural Density]
This item weighs several fold greater than it should. Forged with a special technique that causes it to expand back to it original shape when pieces flake off.
-[Hope of the People]
This item increases with power the greater the tutorial faction the [Fungal Folk] trust your leadership.
...
The item was pretty good and would've definitely helped against the hoards of rats and mushroom puppets. As the Brownie stepped respectfully away I levied the sword before me. Miming some basic sword slashes, trying not to give a demonstration of how little I knew about wielding swords.
"Thank you for your gift it is greatly appreciated if you could give me your name?" I asked the craftsman. The Brownie snapped his eyes away from his creation locking eyes with me for a moment before bowing.
"Thank you for your compliments Milord, and my name is Elder Hofuun" he stated clearly elder was a title of sorts I assumed from age as I could tell this Brownie was older than most I could see except for perhaps Lord Urisk.
This time I leaned the sword on the armrest of my throne awaiting the final craftsman. The final Brownie craftsman bouncing on his feet in excitement. Stepping up to his own box he lifted the box, inside was pedestal which presented a band of two different metals intertwined like two serpents. One a light bronze and the other a brilliant silver
The craftsman did not present the crown, instead Lord Armeant Stood up from his chair. Picked up the crown lightly, turning towards me before he kneeled for a moment.
"It is within our tradition since the first fungi settlement many, many years ago that the first feast and hence the first crowning that one of the three craftsman present a crown to the new monarch on the first feast. Ydernu has elected to craft the crown marking him as the Crowncrafter if you choose to accept his creation" Lord Armeant spoke clearing memorizing the right. I froze for a moment before acting waiting to see social queues.
'Boss your supposed to bow your head and then Lord Armeant will crown you' she spoke into my mind. Bowing my head I felt the air shift as Lord Armeant placed the crown upon my head.
"Do you the Daemon of Protection and The Depths henceforth accept us the Fungal Folk as your subjects?" He asked me.
"Yes" I responded seeing as I already was saddled with the job pretty much.
"Do you Kien Noble henceforth swear to your duty has our Monarch and ensure our safety and prosperity" He asked me, seeing as I had already decided to do so I had no problem responding
"Yes, I do" I responded to the question.
"Then I the Lord of the Fungal Treants, Lord Armeant, representing the [Fungal Folk] henceforth deem you our Monarch, long and Honorably may you reign. With the Wisdom of the Oldest Treant, with the Vigor of the Strongest Lithoni, With the Dedication of the most Talented Brownie!"
As he finished, the other fungi stood up and began clapping following my custom. Standing up showing of the crown on my brow the sword in hand and the tapestry being unfolded and shown off. As soon as I realized how insane and odd I would have looked to a human from earth, hell to myself but a month back.
'its okay boss I can see how weird you look' Anastasia replied with a touch of snark. It was a pretty bland insult, but I would need to check up on Anastasia after this.
Finally, it came to the part where I had to chose a winner, taking off the crown I inspected it closer. The two interwining bands of metal had small connections that where hard to pick up from a far otherwise it was simple in its decoration. Which I prefered over an ostentatious overladen crown favored by certain defunct monarchies back on Earth.
...
[Crown of the Fungal Monarch]
Rank Two Uncommon Item
This item crafted as the crown for a newly ordained monarch. This Crown is crafted by two bands of metal one enchanted bronze and the other mundane silver. The Crown is enchanted so that way the best properties of both metals are transfered while maintaining their separate colors and hues.
Effects: [Pseudo Alloy], [Right of Rule: The People], and [Guide the Monarch]
-[Psudeo Alloy]
Properties of both types of metal making up this item share their superior properties. Enchanted Bronze is highly Durable Material at the cost of being Magically inert. Sliver even the mundane kind is a soft metal but great at processing magical power.
-[Right of Rule: The People]
This item represents the right of rule that the owner of this item possesses, granting them increased control over the land your people inhabit.
-[Guide the Monarch]
This Item increases the wearers Wisdom and Intelligence by 1 and your luck by .01.
...
As I placed the item back on my head and this time I focused on the effect. My magical pool seemed to gain a small Phantom shield around storing extra mana but not actually increasing my real Mana pool.
Really the two that really tossed it up where Ydernu and Elder Hofuun. The Sword was probably going to see plenty of use against the Hares or were they rabbits? Giving a mental shrug I refocused, the crown though gave a nice intelligence and Wisdom boost and the Luck was appreciated but I didn't know what effects the stat would actually do.
"Uxenis step forward" I asked the tapestry's Weaver nodding the Brownie stepped forward.
"I greatly appreciate your gift, although Im afraid that I can not select you as the winner, I grateful that you spend such time and effort to create this tapestry and to learn of battles and to depict them truth, for that I will grant you one request within reason" I had many reasons for doing so, or at least I could find several reasons why do it besides the actual reason. I had gotten carried away and I had said the last part. Luckily for me Brownies were not humans when in it came to greed and ambition.
The Brownies eyes blinked for a moment before he nodded.
"I Humbly ask of His Majesty that I might have time to consider my request" he asked politely.
"Yes though do keep in mind I will only be able to stay in the area for a time" I agreed though also reminding him that he might be on a timer to cash in the favor. Now came the hard part.
"Ydernu come forward" I asked him, he understood that he didn't win, but he seemed only slightly bummed out about it.
"To you Ydernu the Crowncrafter, I thank you for the Forging of my crown I can see the skill and time put into this Crown; however, I can't proclaim your victory for this competition. Not because of lack of skill, talent, nor dedication but rather the fact that Elder Hofuun has gifted me something that will increase my ability to destroy the Hares with soft motions, and just like Uxenis I shall grant you a single request within reason" I explained my choice and granted him the same 'gift'. Finally I turned to the Elder Brownie craftsman smiling back at him.
"To you Elder Hofuun step forward I proclaim you the winner of this Competition. For the Great Sword you crafted and spent a great deal of time upon. You've granted me a weapon that I shall use to carve through our enemies that nip on our ankles. So To you I grant you a favor, as long as it does not in danger the lives of our compatriots then I shall do my best to fulfill it" I stated with a bit pompousness.
"Thank you for generosity Milord, please grant me time to think of the request" he asked of me bowing.
"Yes of course, now I believe it is time for the next part of the feast" I stated signaling to the Lithoni. There was scraping and scrambling as space was made for a combat zone. Moving forward brandishing my new sword I stood at the center of the area. One of the Lithoni stepped forward roughly 8 feet tall and his rocky exterior was an art piece in of its self thick groves and marks ran along his rocky exterior.
"Milord I Fengairi of the Lithoni offer myself as a combatant to showcase our strength" He stepped forward pulling out a halberd from his back. Deciding to go with strength and unquestionable power, yet not brutality.
As he readied his weapon, gripping the shaft of the halberd he swung downwards the axe like part of the halberd. Putting my sword in a imitation of a guard stance I brought my sword upwards intercepting his weapon. Stepping forward into It I used the force to push him off his stance. Before I could follow up, another Lithoni entered the ring, with My [Flow of Combat] skill I could easily use tell the location of his attack. Stepping to the side, I saw that he had over extended himself.
Taking the opportunity I shoulder checked him, as I returned to battle the other one. The battle continued in similar fashion until a full squad of ten Lithoni battled me at once.
Standing in the center, my superior stats and system skills allowed me to act like I was more skilled then I was. In truth being able to instinctually tell where everyone you were fighting and being stronger and faster then them eclipsed their experience in using their chosen weapon.
Stepping to side dodging a Warhammer strike I batted away the Halberd and a rapier. Turns out classes and skills made certain weapons far more practical then they had been on earth. I was wondering if Gunswords could be a thing one we found a way to stabilize gunpowder around Mana.
Deciding I had made my point, the point being I was capable of defending the fungal folk. I began attacking one at a time whittling down their numbers as they were out as soon as the exited the combat area. The others tried to stop me via distractions. They were unable to actually attack me. [Flow of Combat] really shined in group combat, as I pushed out the final Combatant I wondered where the hell those Knight's in my dream came from, I know the system claimed credit but it felt off to me...