Chapter 123: Enchantment and Magical Items (Part 2)

The air suddenly grew quiet.

There are many things in this world that, to be honest, invite complaints, so Victor turned his head and remained silent.

Suddenly falling silent was the worst.

Noticing the captain's gloom, the team members felt a bit embarrassed, wondering if they had gone too far.

So one of them reached out and patted his shoulder. “Vic, since you can transfer magical effects, could you add a rat-repelling charm to the sword, making it protect against both rats and fleas?”

Angulan’s question was well thought out, showing excellent associative reasoning.

Unfortunately, the young man’s expression was still somewhat awkward as he replied, “Not yet. I haven’t figured out how to fuse different magics, and for now, each item can only hold one effect.

“But don’t worry, in the future, multiple enchantments will definitely be possible.

“In fact, I’ll enchant another weapon now. I’m sure you’ll be very excited when you see it.”

With that, Victor picked up his sword and tossed it into the cauldron.

Seeing no way to stop him and not wanting to sit through two hours of incantations, Angulan put on a serious face. “You’ve been working so hard and must be hungry. You probably don’t feel like preparing dinner, so I’ll go out and buy dumplings for everyone!”

She said this, sweeping the freshly baked crowns from the table into her small purse.

“Dumplings? What kind of dumplings?” Hearing the familiar word stirred a pang of nostalgia, but he wasn’t sure if she meant the same food he was thinking of.

Angulan used her hands to demonstrate, “White flour wrappers filled with various stuffings, either fried or boiled—Redanian dumplings.”

“That sounds right,” Victor said. “Give me twenty with pork and chive filling.”

He realized just as the words left his mouth that northern nations didn’t traditionally eat chives. “I mean pork and spinach.”

“No problem! Also, since this enchantment can transfer effects onto gear, can I invite Yuna over? I think she should know you have this ability.”

The alchemy apprentice thought a moment. “Sure. Just give her a general introduction to the enchantment function, but don’t mention ‘Miraculous Alchemy’—that’s our core secret.”

...

Some time later, when Angulan and Yuna came in carrying boxes of food, Victor was standing seriously by the cauldron, stirring. This time it was his own sword, and of course, he wanted to imbue it with a practical effect to impress Angulan completely.

Yuna was also observing nearby. The young man, an admirer of poetry, was eager to show his best side. Merely his master-level smithing skills were enough to maintain friendly relations.

While eating dumplings, Yuna listened to Angulan explain how enchantment worked. When they finished, she eagerly picked up the "Sword Against the Catriona Plague," running her fingers along the blade to feel the difference before and after enchantment.

This was her own creation; any slight change in weight or balance was immediately noticeable.

But after a few gentle swings, the feel was no different. She asked, puzzled, “Does it really protect against fleas now?”

Angulan scratched her freshly trimmed hair. “I’m not sure. Vic said so. Maybe we should catch some fleas to test it.”

Hearing the girl doubt again, Victor stopped her immediately. “No need. My sword here is almost finished. You’ll see for yourselves the difference.”

He took a vial of spirit-enhancing elixir from the herb pouch and drank it in one gulp. His energy surged explosively, shimmering with seven-colored light, signaling the successful completion of Victor’s second enchanted weapon.

Angulan pounded her left palm with her right fist in frustration. “Oops, I forgot to check what charm I stirred in first. I wonder what magic effect this sword has.”

Dazzled by the light, then watching confidently as the young man pulled the steel sword from the cauldron, his stance graceful and commanding, Yuna couldn’t help but ask, “What’s this sword’s name?”

Victor’s lips curled into a slight smile. “The Sword of Prometheus!”

In the wizarding world, as in myth, there is a legend of a deity who stole the fire and brought it to humanity—also named Prometheus.

Hearing this familiar divine name, Angulan and Yuna brightened with anticipation, for it was easy to guess the weapon’s special effect from the name alone.

Sure enough, Victor assumed a fighting stance, thumb tapping the hilt, and suddenly a flicker of flame erupted from the blade.

...

...

...

In the alchemy workshop, silence fell before the burning “Sword of Prometheus.” Angulan stared wide-eyed, and Yuna gaped in disbelief.

Then Angulan closed her eyes in pain. “I’m so stupid. I’m really damn stupid. Seeing a flea-repelling steel sword, I should have known.

“In this state, the captain is basically insane, yet I still had hope, thinking he’d make some super magical sword… Damn it, I’m so dumb.”

What she refused to face, the “truth,” was that the flames on the Sword of Prometheus were only a tiny flicker at the tip.

Yuna’s frustration was less severe. Though the scene was hilarious, Prometheus lived up to the name—it truly was a “Sword of Fire.”

She stammered, “So this is the effect of combining a lighter with a steel sword?”

Victor nodded cheerfully, flicking his wrist to snuff out the flame. “Exactly! A true craftsman saw right through my idea—transferring the magic lighter’s effect onto the sword. Tap the hilt and a flame pops out. No more worries about lighting fires when you’re out and about. Very convenient!”

Covering her mouth, Yuna lowered her head, trying to look moved. Angulan had warned her not to laugh aloud now, or the scheming captain would hold a grudge and retaliate in small ways.

She finally understood the unique humor of Bell Town east of Serranica—a kind of goofy earnestness.

Fortunately, Victor was clearly very pleased with the final product, lost in his own world of satisfaction. As Angulan and Yuna left the alchemy workshop, they faintly heard him muttering incomprehensible phrases—something about “the myriad phenomena,” “flowing blade like fire,” and other baffling words.

...

Back in the kitchen, behind the thick wooden door, the two subordinates relaxed and began to gossip about their leader.

“Does he often act like this?”

“Not usually, but this time it’s bad—probably homesickness.”

“...Actually, that Prometheus sword was funny, but only because it combined with the magic lighter. If it fused with a high-level magical item, it might really be powerful.”

“Maybe. I’ll keep an eye out when I shop, but I doubt the market has anything special.”

After speaking, she recalled the strange items Victor had listed on the shopping list in recent days. She hadn’t understood their purpose then, but now, connecting them with enchantment, Angulan had a very bad feeling.