Time flew by. Krum truly lived up to his reputation as the Bloodaxe Clan's heir—he was a formidable fighter. After Lilia's sixteenth birthday, he finally defeated every challenger, then returned to the Warsong Clan, triumphant, with his bride and all the glory.
He arrived at the Bloodaxe Clan, and they held the wedding ceremony that very night. The clan members, young and old, gathered to celebrate Krum's marriage.
Solam, however, wasn't among them. Arando had summoned him.
Though Arando lived in the clan, he rarely spoke with the others and kept mostly to himself. It couldn't be helped. He had never been a cheerful man, and the blood feud he carried only made him gloomier. Over time, the other Orcs had grown less inclined to deal with him. Only a few elders, including Solam's grandfather and Uncle Tarik, knew something of Arando's past. They would occasionally invite him to drink or go hunting. So Arando rarely attended lively gatherings like this one.
"Ram, do you know why I called you here?" Arando asked, looking at Solam from his seat, which was covered in animal hides.
"I have a pretty good idea." Solam had guessed a long time ago, though he hadn't expected Arando to bring it up today.
"Mm. The time has come. You've learned about all you can from me. If you want to advance further, you'll have to go out into the world and make your own way. But that's not what I called you here to say. Kramsh needs to talk to you about that. It seems he has something planned, so I won't say any more."
Then Arando handed Solam a large bundle. "These were passed down to me by my teacher. They're heirlooms of our lineage. Now that you've completed your training, I'll pass them on to you."
Solam opened the bundle and saw Arando's full plate armor. He froze, then gave Arando an uneasy look. "Master, this... I don't think I can fit into it."
It was no wonder Solam said that. The armor fit the old man perfectly, but it looked too small for Solam. He was nearly two meters tall now and weighed almost 260 pounds. There was no way he could fit into the armor of a little old man like Arando.
"...Are you stupid? Why would I give it to you if you couldn't wear it?" Arando had been serious, but Solam's remark made him laugh despite himself.
"This magic armor adjusts itself to the wearer's needs and automatically changes to the perfect size. Otherwise, how could it be an heirloom?" That made sense. Armor was different from other gear; a poor fit could directly affect your combat ability, and might even injure you during a fight. Some ancient knightly families displayed suits of armor as decorations, not because they were showing off, but because the armor had little practical use. A suit of full plate was incredibly expensive, and it seemed a shame to destroy one. But wearing armor that fit poorly was a problem, so they had no choice but to put it on display.
"Oh, oh." Hearing how remarkable the armor was, Solam hurriedly put it on. The entire suit was black, covered in so many runes that they were hard to make out unless you looked closely. Overall, it looked understated, nothing like the gleaming armor of an ordinary knight.
Once he had it on, he could barely feel its weight. Most suits of full plate used chain mail to join the pieces at the joints, but this armor used a special kind of leather and an unusual silk. His joints moved freely, without the stiffness that ordinary knight's armor inevitably caused.
After putting on the armor, Solam moved around a little. It felt wonderful.
Arando was pleased to see how the armor looked on his pupil. Your appearance mattered when you went out into the world; that was no joke. In this dangerous world, first impressions were important, and looking good could certainly spare you a lot of trouble.
"This armor was forged long ago by one of our ancestors, who spared no effort in its creation. It incorporates many rare materials. They say that, to make the armor lighter, he slaughtered several Dwarf tribes to get enough mithral. The leather came from a red dragon's neck, and even the silk was no ordinary silk—it was woven from Ettercap webbing, which is incredibly tough." (Ettercaps are magical beasts that resemble spiders. They can spin webs, which are highly poisonous, and they like to keep various kinds of spiders to use against their enemies. They're very cunning and dislike fighting head-on.)
Arando spoke proudly of the armor's origins. It had been thanks to its protection that he had managed to escape back then.
"This armor has a lot of special features. Take a look for yourself."
Solam hurriedly appraised the armor.
Dark Sun Armor of Itras
Itras was a dangerous Arcane Knight. Many years ago, he joined the church of the Prince of Lies. After the Cyrinishad incident, he became utterly deranged and devoted himself body and soul to Cyric. To help the mad god fulfill his desire to become the one true god, Itras fanatically forced others to worship Cyric and killed those who refused to convert. Determined to carry out Cyric's orders more effectively, he set out to forge this powerful armor. Later, Cyric regained his sanity, and the mad Arcane Knight was defeated by his own pupil. He came to his senses in the final moments of his life and passed the armor on to his student.
The armor incorporates many rare materials, making it exceptionally sturdy and lightweight, with formidable defensive power. Its magic lightens the wearer's body and greatly enhances their spellcasting ability.
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Equipment effects:
0th- to 7th-level spells: +2 Spell Slots for each level
Slightly increases spell power
Greatly increases physical defense (equivalent to +3 plate armor, or the combined protection of three sets of high-quality full plate)
Greatly increases magical defense
Immune to acid attacks
Permanently affected by the lightness spell
Energy Shield: 3 uses (can be recharged after use, or will recharge automatically the next day)
Invisibility: 3 uses per day (ends when attacking; lasts 5 minutes, plus 1 minute per spell level)
Greater Invisibility: 1 use per day
The long list of enchantments nearly blinded Solam, but he couldn't help wondering whether putting Invisibility on a knight's full plate was a little too underhanded. He really was a follower of Cyric—whatever was underhanded was fair game.
(The "Cyrinishad" incident occurred shortly after Cyric ascended to godhood. On a sudden whim, he wrote a holy book. Anyone—god or mortal—who read it would become fanatically devoted to and obedient to Cyric. The former god of thieves fell victim to it. Then, in a ridiculous twist, that god went and read the Cyrinishad himself. He went mad, and even had his followers read it. Many of them went mad, too.)
There was no doubt that this was a legendary suit of full plate, though nothing about its appearance gave that away. It didn't show even the slightest magical aura.
"This armor was made to conceal its magical aura from the very beginning, so nobody can detect it. You can use it without worrying. As long as you don't tell anyone what it is, you'll be fine," Arando explained. This was a lesson passed down from the ancestor who had made it, to keep others from coveting the armor. Arando had never told anyone its true nature—not even his wife and children knew that it was legendary armor. Legendary items were rare to begin with, and legendary armor was rarer still. Telling someone about it would only cause trouble for himself.
Then Arando handed Solam the few possessions he had left: a belt, a ring, a Spellbook, and a pendant.
The belt was called the Tactical Master Belt, and Arando had made it himself. It didn't have any powerful enchantments, but it was very practical. It had three extradimensional pockets, each with a capacity of nine cubic meters, and a specially treated scroll case that could hold a hundred scrolls. With just a thought, Solam could take out the scroll he needed. It also had a special weapon clasp that held weapons firmly in place, so they wouldn't come loose and fall during vigorous movement. The belt was made from the tough hide of a dragon's back.
The magic ring was also one of Arando's creations. It wasn't very powerful, but it was useful. "Arando's Magic Ring: +1 Spell Slot for 1st- to 5th-level spells."
The Spellbook had been passed down through the family. It contained many spells, including some rare ones.
The last item was a pendant called the Amulet of Shelter. It had no enchantments aside from one function: storing a mount. The pendant was plain, looking like an iron tag. In truth, it had been permanently enchanted with a 9th-level spell, Luwin's Sanctuary, which created a small space for storing living creatures. It could hold only one living being at a time.
Solam equipped everything and checked his status.
Name: Solam
Attributes: Strength: 20 (+2) Intelligence: 23 Constitution: 19 (+2) Dexterity: 15 Wisdom: 21 Charisma: 16 (+2)
Classes: Elemental Shaman (Level 7) Warrior (Level 8) Arcane Knight (Level 3)
Spell Slots:
0th-level spells: 8 (+5) (2 from the rings +3, armor +2)
1st-level spells: 5 (+5)
2nd-level spells: 3 (equipment +5, class -2)
Talents: Elemental Totem, Armored Casting, Arcane Modification
With all this equipment boosting him, Solam had gone from a chicken to a phoenix. He had more Spell Slots than an ordinary Mage. No wonder they said Mages with money were so damn powerful.
Watching Solam beam with delight, Arando didn't bother to burst his bubble. You call this rich? You've got a long way to go. As he thought about it, he felt even more certain that sending Solam out to see the world was the right choice.
"Enough admiring your gear. Let's talk business. Do you know what your top priority should be once you leave?"
"Yes. Avenge you!" Solam replied firmly. Arando had never hidden from him why he had taken him on as a student. Solam knew the reason well.
"Just the opposite. You need to forget about revenge and focus on learning and getting stronger. Don't overestimate yourself. The Arcane Brotherhood isn't as simple as you imagine. Remember this—never underestimate any Mage, let alone an ancient organization of Mages." Arando's expression turned stern. "I'm telling you this because I'm afraid you'll underestimate them. Once you leave, don't think about taking revenge. Don't even mention it. Do you hear me? You won't be qualified until you reach legendary rank."
"I'll remember. I won't act on impulse," Solam promised at once.
"All right. That's everything I needed to say. Go now, and remember my words."
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