Kieran struggled to contain his laughter as he looked at Hamon's hilarious expression. At the mention of a new toy, Hamon immediately lifted up his protective goggles and stared at Kieran, his eyes becoming the size of quail eggs.
Normally, Hamon wouldn't react so intensely to an offer. However, the wondrous flame before him rekindled Hamon's love for the art. Now, Kieran was claiming to have something else of noteworthy value to him?
With all of that in mind, Hamon's reaction was understandable.
"Well, it's not really shiny, but I'm sure it'll be incredibly valuable to you. If I'm not mistaken, it can elevate your forging prowess to a whole new level," Kieran said, creating an increased desire within Hamon.
"Kid! Ya don't think I know when someone is buttering me up, eh? I may be lacking in certain academic fields, but I am no fool!"
Kieran chuckled, noting Hamon's reaction with a subtle smile. "But it's working, isn't it?"
"Damn you! Spill it already. What is this thing?"
"If I show it to you, you might never be able to leave this place. Are you sure? Does this mean you're finally willing to give my Godhand Consortium a chance?" Kieran questioned, continuing to reveal a whimsical and almost teasing expression.
"You're… you're enjoying this, ain'tcha?" Hamon scoffed, reverting to his usual way of speaking.
"Perhaps a tad bit." Kieran laughed, withdrawing what seemed to be a fractured tome the size of Kieran's palm. On its surface was writing, which was unmistakably a runic language that he had already analyzed.
'This item is of no use to me because I hold an unusual subclass, but to someone like Hamon, this item is a heavenly opportunity,' Kieran thought, looking at the object in his palm.
「 Item Name: Specialized Guidance Ticket (Special)
Item Rank: Magic
Item Level: N/A
Item Usage: When used by an individual with a standard Profession, this ticket will access their affinity with their chosen Profession and bestow «Specialized Guidance». The effect of the guidance is dependent upon the user's potential. The higher the user's potential, the greater odds of Great Success with the guidance.
Description: A ticket that exists in the form of a Magical Analysis Tome imbued with the ability to test an individual. 」
Once Kieran let Hamon observe the item's details, Hamon fell silent, staring at Kieran with indescribable shock. Though the Specialized Guidance Ticket was vague, Hamon didn't care.
He had only heard rumors of Magic Items before. It was said that every Magic Item could produce a magical effect as the grading hinted.
"Kid… why do you play with my aged heart? I can't take the torment." Hamon sighed, clutching his pounding chest.
"Think about it. With the combined effects of the Core Flame and the outcome of the Specialized Guidance, who could be your equal in forging? Join me and become unstoppable—become… the Godhand Hammer," Kieran said, openly revealing Hamon's moniker to the old man.
"The Godhand Hammer," Hamon muttered, somewhat approving of the name. But after a while, his expression became difficult. "Wait… isn't Godhand the name of your Union? Why are you telling me to adopt it?"
"Simple—because I believe you can awaken the hand of a god when holding a hammer. Hence… you should naturally claim the moniker—Godhand Hammer. It should be your epithet that resonates throughout the world," Kieran said.
As he said this, his eyes brimmed with confidence and expectancy.
It was as if Kieran's eyes spoke the tale of a lost future.
"Mmm… Kid, were you born with a silver tongue or what? This is absurd… To think my old, crusty heart would be moved by your words. Very well… give me the damned thing. I'll join your god-forsaken Union… but I want to be unfettered!"
"As long as you remain loyal, you can be as unfettered as you please," Kieran said, making a mild concession.
When Hamon referred to being unfettered, he meant in terms of forging. He didn't want to be stifled in any way. Freedom of the craft was what he enjoyed most. If Kieran dictated what he could forge, Hamon's heart would no longer be in the craft, which would inevitably lead to a dismal situation.
Kieran wasn't aware of it, but this attitude was the reason Hamon rejected several requests to forge items. If the item didn't suit his style or he couldn't enter a state that linked him to the item, Hamon denied the request immediately.
As with any master, only a product of a certain mastery was passable in Hamon's eyes.
Similar to Sorcia, Kieran passed a Chief-level Zenith Covenant to Hamon, which left him wide-eyed and baffled.
"Kid… have you looked at this contract properly? No one gives a 50-50 split on commissioned items. Not when you're supplying all the raw material," Hamon muttered, baffled by Kieran's generous offer.
"I'm not trying to be like everyone else. Loyalty, ability, and work. I abide by LAW," Kieran said, closing his eyes with a subtle smirk. As long as one was able, put in the work, and remained loyal, a bright future awaited them.
"Damn… all ya want is loyalty? Heh." Hamon grinned, swiping his nose. "I can give ya loyalty, but I demand it as well. Don't stab me in the back, else all hell will break loose."
"The day I betray the value of my word is the day I die," Kieran remarked, certain of his moral stance. If there was one thing Kieran vowed to never betray… It was himself.
At first, Kieran considered asking Hamon to accompany him to the recruitment event, but he soon decided against it after handing the Specialized Guidance Ticket to Hamon. After all, there was no telling how long the guidance would persist.
It could be minutes, it could be hours, or it could be days.
The faster he completed the guidance, the better it was for the future.
After obtaining Hamon's signature, successfully acquiring two of the most decorated Profession Users known to him, Kieran inwardly grinned. 'Scam… successful.'
…
Roughly ten minutes later, Kieran approached the Enchanter Paradise, which Agatha had moved to, and was stunned the moment he opened the door. Before him, the mountain of enchantments had more than doubled in size. However, beyond that, Kieran noticed strange wards set up inside this place to promote serenity and peace of mind.
Unsurprisingly, those wards were Agatha's doing since the world outside of the Mystic Rune Colony was too chaotic and devoid of the atmosphere she preferred. Once she placed these wards, she immediately became more comfortable, which Kieran understood why.
As if embraced by a pleasant touch, Kieran felt his weariness melt away. This wasn't physical weariness. Instead, it was weariness accumulated as a result of the Archaic Verity Compendium pulling him into that strange place in his soul.
Seconds after Kieran entered, Agatha opened her eyes and stared at him silently, continuing to skillfully weave her fingers through the Supreme Ciphers of Eni suspended in the air before.
After moments of tense silence, Kieran smiled awkwardly. "Hi."
Before replying, Agatha looked Kieran up and down numerous times, even narrowing her gaze. "You finally show yourself after hours upon hours of disappearing? Was it a nice nap?"
"Ah… you could say that, I suppose," Kieran answered, choosing not to mention the reality-warping incident. Seeing as Agatha had not brought it up, it must have been a phenomenon she couldn't sense.
"I'm glad you believe you can afford the luxury of such a long rest… as if you're not wicked. And you know how that saying goes," Agatha commented.
Gazing at her with a skeptical expression, Kieran could sense Agatha's bitterness. Though, common sense told him it was unrelated to his possession of the True Relic. Well, that wasn't completely true.
After all, Kieran merging with the compendium was the root of this entire situation.
"Are you harboring a grudge because of Scar's action? I had nothing to do with that," Kieran said.
"On the contrary." Agatha squinted, looking at Kieran's palms. "You had everything to do with it. But, that's beside the point. I'm not that childish. You need to train."
"Train?" Kieran muttered.
Truthfully speaking, he wasn't in the mood to engage in additional training. Kieran felt that all of his recent activities involved training, even if that wasn't particularly true.
"Yes. How will you improve your image amongst the Elves if you rely upon me for everything? Elves rarely honor the meaning of status amongst humans. We may be an exception, but even then… it's only to a certain extent. The detest runs deep," Agatha said.
After considering it, Agatha tapped her finger against Kieran's forehead, transferring her experiences while she was still young, particularly how her first meeting with the Emplenan Few went.
Despite possessing an Ancient Mystic Soul, Agatha's appearance as a human could not be overlooked.
'Though I've never met with them, the complaints of the official forum were enough to make players understand that seeking the Elves was akin to a death sentence without finding a way to change one's race,' Kieran thought.
A few seconds later, Agatha retracted her hand with a conflicted expression. "Do you understand now? You must, at the very least, be capable of pulling your own weight in their presence."
Kieran grimaced, smiling at Agatha wryly. "I understand what you're saying. I truly do, but can we postpone the training? I have an important matter to tend to. In fact… it would go quicker if you could assist me."
"Assist? The audacity…" Agatha scoffed, but her brow raised in response, indicating her interest. "What else could you require my assistance with? I've already prepared a large number of enchantments for you."
"I'd like to borrow your eyes," Kieran said.
"My eyes?" Agatha parrotted, looking at Kieran skeptically.
On paper, they possessed the same pair of eyes, but that wasn't necessarily true. Though their abilities were identical, Agatha's eyes were far stronger than Kieran's.
Naturally, Kieran understood this and saw great use.
