The Ethersmith [Runesmithing Progression Fantasy]

Senith waited nervously on a chair outside. She was clad in a casual dress with light make-up. She sprung up when Vivi and Grandpa came out of the room.

"We found a translation skill," she said. "It should include most of the humans' languages. Ythar's Standard, at least. We hope it includes yours. Please ask your Grandpa to use it." She bowed, holding out a skill container to Grandpa.

"Who's this?" Grandpa asked, wary. "Why is she bowing to me?"

"She's Senith, and that's a translation skill. You should be able to talk to them with it. Transfer it to your core."

After some hesitation, Grandpa brought the skill to his core.

"Do you know how to use it?" Vivi asked.

He closed his eyes and focused. It took him a bit, but something seemed to happen in the sixth realm. He opened his eyes.

"Greetings," Senith said with another bow. "Do you understand me?"

Grandpa seemed to understand. "Greetings," he responded lightly.

"Interesting," he said to Vivi. "It works."

"Senith can hear you, you know," Vivi said.

Senith regarded Grandpa with an earnest smile—happily, like she always did. "It's an honor to meet you! I'm Senith Nemonn. I'm Vivi's, um, friend and acquaintance."

"Vivi mentioned you," Grandpa said. He bowed as well, though only lightly. "You've helped her a lot. Thank you. I'm glad my daughter has found friends."

She fidgeted her foot, face slightly red. "Would you like tea? Pastries, perhaps?"

"I would like to see my daughter's smithy," Grandpa said. "Is it a long way off?"

"It's next door," Vivi said.

"Lead the way, then," Grandpa said. "Thank you for taking care of me, Senith, and Lortel."

He looked ready to get moving. Vivi wondered if he was ready to step downstairs on his own. He did stand on his two legs without wobbling. His breathing was slightly raspy, but other than that, he seemed surprisingly healthy, as if the two-week coma had merely been a quick nap.

Vivi walked downstairs slowly. Grandpa held onto the railing, testing his feet, but surprisingly, he could walk, making it all the way down without problems. They passed Lucas. He bowed and looked like he wanted to introduce himself, but he noticed that Vivi was on her way out and stayed silent. Grandpa eyed him curiously.

Only when outside did the effects of the coma show themselves. Grandpa squinted and held a hand over his face by the facets' light. "The hell?" he asked. "Aren't we underground? Why is there a sun?"

"That's not a sun," Vivi said. "It's the facets. You'll get used to them."

Grandpa blinked, eyes straining to see. "Why is it so bright?"

"The Shivell mountains are in the middle of a desert," Vivi said.

Grandpa stood there in bafflement. "One hell of a legendary city. Is this really Shivenar?"

"We're in the Lowmoor district," Vivi said. "The very worst district of the city. It used to be, at least, until my smithy opened."

Grandpa's eyes slowly adjusted, and he found the building next door. He noted the paintings of rainfall, amused. "Decorations and all. I see. What does the sign say?"

"The Lost Raindrop," Vivi read. "Inside-carving Runesmithing Store."

"The Lost Raindrop, huh?" Grandpa asked, amused. "Well, you've always been clever with names."

Says someone who named me 'Runeblessed'… Vivi summoned her key from spatial storage. She opened the door, letting Grandpa head in first.

The door chime clinked, and Grandpa paused at the entrance, taking in the Lost Raindrop in all its blue-ness. His expression was hard to read. The first thing he seemed to spot was the plushy on Vivi's table, which made him bat an eye. The Lost Raindrop was clearly not what he expected.

Vivi felt strangely anxious. Back home, Grandpa's smithy never had many decorations. If anything, his workstation looked similar to the state of the Lost Raindrop prior to renovations, when Vivi had first bought it. Vivi's side of the smithy on the surface did have a few decorations: a single painting and a flower pot, but here, she had gone all in, making the smithy she wanted to.

"Well," Grandpa eventually said. "This is certainly your smithy."

Grandpa slid the curtain open. He nodded, seeing Vivi's equipment, though he looked suspiciously at the emberstone forge.

"Do you like it?" Vivi asked.

"No," Grandpa admitted. "But it's your smithy. You clearly love it. That means I love it as well. Where are your swords? What kind of work are you selling over here?"

The display rack was empty, as everything had been sold. "This is the sword I use right now. It's called Moonlight."

She summoned Moonlight, nervously handing it to Grandpa. Judging by the veins, the sword was more proficient than Abyss Destroyer. Vivi had fixed the mistakes she'd made while shaping Abyss Destroyer in her cave-like smithy in Zand. The veins weren't as tight as Blossom, but she had spent three attempts to get Moonlight to a level she considered more than acceptable.

Grandpa studied it intently. He transferred ether inside. Since he couldn't shape ether, he transferred full wisps the same way he would offer ether when trading with a merchant. The runes shaped the transferred wisps, though the effect wasn't as powerful as when Lucius pushed already active ether through the runes.

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As expected, Grandpa wasn't awed. He didn't gawk at the sword like the demons trying inside-carving for the first time. He studied it with years of experience—many more years than Vivi's fifteen—with the same treatment he gave to every one of her swords. While he praised her achievements and her smithy, Vivi knew she would not receive mindless praise for her runeswords.

"It's better than your usual work," Grandpa said. "The best sword I've seen from you so far. Can you replicate this consistently?"

"Around two out of three times," Vivi said.

Grandpa nodded. "Very good progress. But this one is far from perfect. It has seventy-eight total branches, and thirty of them have minor inaccuracies. The eighth branch of the last root is bent slightly out of shape. You've used the space well, it's not tight either. I reckon I could still fit a fourth root through this."

Vivi had her head low, biting her lip. As blunt as ever…

"It's not a bad sword, definitely," Grandpa said. "But not great. You didn't take any risks. You merely wanted to complete a good sword, not a great one. A growing runesmith must take risks. You must work at your limits, always. Have you been practising your fundamentals?"

"Every morning," Vivi said.

"For how long?"

"For thirty minutes."

"Not nearly enough," Grandpa said, shaking his head. "Rudimentary exercises should take up half of your time in the smithy. From there, you need to focus on tighter three-runed swords, and four-runed attempts. Crafting more of these sloppy things won't help you toward finishing a four-runed sword."

Vivi felt Lucius glowering within her. "I know," she said. "But storm season is coming. The demons need swords, and they need a lot of them."

"I see," Grandpa said. He handed back the sword. "That sword, Moonlight, will cut through monsters. It's a proficient sword. But it's far from an artistic masterpiece. From now on, you should—"

Lucius popped out of Vivi's core, facing Grandpa with a deep scowl. "Old man, watch your words! We have worked really hard on these swords!"

Grandpa tilted his head, matching Lucius's expression. "Of course. Vivi always works hard. She works harder than any obsessed swordsman I've ever met."

"So show her some respect!" Lucius said.

Grandpa crossed his arms as well. "Working hard is not an excuse to stop working hard, spirit. What Vivi has achieved is nothing short of remarkable. That does not change the fact that she still has a lot to study. If Vivi wishes to surpass me and take an apprentice of her own, she cannot be stuck crafting three-runed junk."

Lucius looked appalled. "Junk? You're calling our work junk?"

"Stop, you two!" Vivi said.

"No, I will not," Lucius said. "Not until this old cot apologizes! I will not accept this treatment. Vivi—"

Behind them, the door chime clinked. Nobody had knocked. That meant it could only be one person. Vivi turned to see the cat-like face of the Luminary herself. The argument paused as everyone glanced at the door.

"Bad time?" Coshi asked.

Vivi lowered her head. "Come in, please."

Coshi closed the door graciously. She spotted Grandpa in his black raincoat and offered a bow. Then she regarded Grandpa with her usual enthusiasm. "Finally awake. Does the translation skill work?"

"Does indeed," Grandpa said. "Who might this be?"

"Coshi Dala," Vivi said, "the Luminary, Lady of Insight, and the leader of Shivenar."

"Hellooo," Coshi said with a smirk. "You must be Thomas Warren's Son. Supposedly, the best inside-carving runesmith in the world."

Grandpa looked like he'd just been told the rainclouds had disappeared from the sky. He turned off his translation skill and spoke quietly toward Vivi. "This is the leader of Shivenar?"

Vivi nodded.

"The leader of the ancient city of runesmithing," Grandpa asked quietly. "She's… She's smaller than you!"

"She could kill you instantly if you misbehave," Vivi said.

"Is she rich?" Grandpa asked.

"Yes," Vivi said.

Grandpa breathed in, cleared his throat, and activated the skill again. "Apologies. An honor to meet you."

The gesture came off as awkward as best. Grandpa was never good at dealing with customers. Luckily, Vivi knew Coshi wouldn't mind. "Likewise," the Luminary said. "I am happy to see you in good health. Your granddaughter has helped us gravely for the upcoming storm season. It's a blessing to be acquainted with the two of you during these times."

Vivi was fairly certain Grandpa had no idea what storm season was, but the praise clearly made him satisfied.

"I hear you're the wielder of my daughter's best work," Grandpa said, his eyes finding Coshi's scabbard. Blossom's hilt poked out.

Coshi unsheathed the sword, pushing a light amount of ether through it. "It's name is Blossom. Easily the best sword to ever graze the fifth level. Although, I have been told this sword is not even close to your work, Master Thomas."

"Let me see it," Grandpa said.

Coshi didn't hesitate to showcase the sword, handing it over. Vivi froze in place as Grandpa examined it with just as much scrutiny as he had with Moonlight. Blossom was, beyond a doubt, her best sword. Vivi still considered a miracle how she even managed to piece it together. Compared to Grandpa's work, however, it was still mediocre.

Grandpa stared at it deeply. He raised his head.

"This," he said, "is actually pretty good."

Vivi's heart pounced. The same emotions she'd felt when completing the sword flowed through her. The best kind of satisfaction.

"The core root is confident, and the second root is bold all the way through," Grandpa said. "You didn't shrink back in fear of using too much space, and the third root actually makes it through."

"It was a fluke," Vivi said. "I haven't been able to replicate it."

"Have you tried to?" Grandpa asked.

"No," Vivi admitted. "I've been scared and pressed for time."

Grandpa smiled, continuing to examine the sword. "You were never this precise back home. Blossom is sharper than your best attempts with practice roots. Whatever your consistency might be, this sword was brave. You need to regain that bravery and attempt another."

"So," Vivi asked. "Is it a good sword?"

"As far as three-runed swords are concerned," Grandpa said, "Blossom is within ninety-five percent of perfection. You have reason to be proud of this, especially considering you crafted it for a competition. It's a good sword. Great work, Vivi."

A warm feeling moved up her body. It reached her head, and a wide smile appeared.

For the first time, Grandpa had actually called her swords good, with full honesty.

"That said, I could have created this as a warm-up," Grandpa said. "You have a lot of work to do."

Vivi nodded excitedly, still overjoyed with satisfaction. "Mm!"

Grandpa stretched, turning to Coshi. "So, if Vivi's three-runed swords are worth ten million, how much will you pay for a six-runed sword?"

"I do not think," Coshi said, amused, "there is a single person in the world who can afford a six-runed sword, if such a thing is to be created."

"You'll need to start gathering ether, then," Grandpa said. "Where can I get to work? Vivi's smithy doesn't quite have space, and I won't be kicking her out. I will be starting my own smithy."

"We won't be working together?" Vivi asked.

"You have been running a smithy without me for some time now," Grandpa said. "You will continue to do so. You are at an age where you know best what's necessary for your own progress. Not to mention, you are wealthy enough to work with your own resources now."

Vivi was surprised to hear those words. She'd expected Grandpa to order her around with her every project, guiding her progress, like he had on the surface. She didn't know how to feel about not working with him. But she bowed. "Thank you."

Grandpa nodded. "Ah, and Vivi…"

"Yes?"

"Could you… lend me some ether? You see… My core currently has seven wisps. The ether hunters weren't exactly the most giving when it came to money."

"Ah, of course!" Vivi said, face turning red. She began transferring wisps for Grandpa. Ten thousand left her core immediately, and she planned on giving a lot more.

"No, no, no, stop!" Grandpa said immediately. Vivi paused, having transferred twenty thousand.

He sighed. "I guess you are a millionaire now. This will be more than enough." He turned to Coshi. "Now, where can I start a smithy in this city of legends?"