The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 6: Glittergold Weapons

Vol 2 Chapter 6 Glittergold Weapons

Stepping into this block, a wave of heat hit her face, and the air was tinged with the smell of charcoal and metal filings.

Shops lined both sides of the street, each displaying all kinds of weapons and armor: curved sabers and broad swords, great axes and long spears, chain and plate armor, helmets and shields — practically everything one could imagine.

There were no crude iron blades here; the lowest grade were steel weapons made by apprentices.

Because materials were harder to collect, prices in the Shadow World were generally higher than on the surface. A steel blade sold for 40 silver coins on the surface would cost around 80 silver coins here, and slightly better steel weapons would go for 1 gold coin.

If it was a blade forged from fully tempered steel, the price would be roughly 4–6 gold coins, while the black steel blades Sylutia had heard about previously were priced at 12 gold coins and up here, more than double surface prices.

However, the black steel blades here were noticeably superior in quality to those made by ordinary surface blacksmiths, so even at double the price it wasn’t such a bad deal.

As for the Glittergold weapons Agren mentioned, their price hovered around 50 gold coins, typically only affordable for experienced Second Tier students.

Fifty gold coins was a huge sum for ordinary students; it would take about three years to save up, and that assumed the Lin Hidden Grove’s dangers meant the association’s compensation wasn’t low.

A normal First Tier student, like those First Tier patrol cavalrymen, only earned about 10 gold coins a year. After advancing to Second Tier, pay rose significantly, maybe to around 30 gold coins a year, but that allowance was far from enough to improve strength and fund studies, so many students earned extra income through side jobs.Gardeners sold high-grade fruits they cultivated, combat professions ventured into the Shadow World’s dangerous territories to seek relics and prey, and other life professions had their own income paths.

Sylutia had spent 50 gold coins previously on seeds and now had 150 gold coins left. Commissioning a weapon for Agren would cost at least 60 gold coins, and if she wanted better Glittergold material it might take 100 gold coins to meet the request.

Free things really are the most expensive, she thought with a wry smile after learning the situation.

Fortunately Agren had said he only needed it mailed to him within a year, so there was no immediate rush.

“Hey, little miss, you here to buy a weapon too? Take a look at this neat short sword, it suits someone with your light style,” a middle-aged blacksmith called to the girl watching in front of his shop.

Sylutia glanced at the Black Steel Short Sword in his hand, then drew the short sword she carried to compare.

“Oh, so you brought one too. Let me see.” He took Sylutia’s short sword, his rough fingers running along it, and a faint trace of Gold Steam Aspect hovered around him.

“This is probably an ancient technique. You likely got it while adventuring, right? Long ago people didn’t fully understand black steel’s properties. The black steel forged then was unstable, and after being worked it would slowly react with other materials, causing the overall strength of the blade to drop.”

“In the last few hundred years, black steel forging no longer has that problem.”

“Although the material has flaws, the smith who made this short sword must have been very skilled. The lines, balance, and feel are all excellent.” He praised it and returned the short sword to Sylutia.

Seeing how professional he was, the girl’s interest was piqued.

“If I wanted to make a long blade for a light, agile fighting style, what material would be best?”

“Best? That would be legendary materials, of course, but at your current stage, using Glittergold to forge it would be the best choice.”

Black steel was comparatively heavy and sturdy, making it suitable for shields, armor, hammers, axes, and greatswords, but if you wanted a nimble, agile style, Glittergold’s sharpness and lightness far outmatched black steel. Also, Glittergold has some anti-supernatural properties; it can slice through barriers constructed by extraordinary powers, which is especially effective against thick-skinned monsters.

“How much does Glittergold cost?” the girl asked.

“One Glittergold ingot runs about 20–30 gold coins. Forging a Glittergold weapon — a short sword, dagger, or spear — usually needs one ingot; good material concentrated on the edge is what matters.”

“For wider or longer blades, or axes and large swords, you might need two ingots to get decent performance.”

“If you truly pursue the extreme and make the entire blade out of Glittergold, it greatly increases anti-supernatural capability, but the forging cost would more than triple.”

“My friend commissioned a Glittergold longsword from me…” Sylutia explained the situation and asked the blacksmith for analysis.

“If I took on that job, material costs would be around 50 gold coins. I could be cheap on labor, maybe 10 gold coins, and that would basically meet your friend’s requirements.”

“But if you want it perfect, tailored for yourself, it would cost about 100 gold coins. I’ll make you the most fitting piece, one that will practically double your combat effectiveness.” He grinned as he described it.

“One hundred gold coins is really expensive,” the girl said, hesitating. She couldn’t bring herself to tie up all her liquid funds now; she still had the valley farm and many other needs ahead.

“I probably can’t afford that right now. By the way, you said Glittergold ingots — where are these ingots obtained?”

“From the Four Seasons Alliance, of course. The city’s notable gardeners are mostly in that organization. After they cultivate Glittergold Wheat to maturity and refine it, they extract Glittergold.”

“Oh, by the way, you’re a gardener too, right?” he said with a chuckle.

“If you join the Four Seasons Alliance you can get ingots at an internal discounted price, probably about 30% cheaper than the market. That saves a lot.”

“What about cultivating Glittergold Wheat myself?” Sylutia asked, thinking it over.

“Well… you probably can’t do that yet. I heard the Glittergold Wheat in White Stone Fortress is tended by Third Tier gardeners.” He said this gently to the girl.

Third Tier — roughly the same level as Lady Franne, Sylutia recalled from her fragmentary memories. Right now she had a long way to go to catch up with Lady Franne.

“I understand, thank you. I didn’t ask your name yet. Next time I come, I’ll come to you for making the blade.”

“Ha ha, my name is Oaken Graymount. I have some blood of the graystone giant. When you come down this street, just ask for ‘Graymount Forge’; that’s my shop’s name.”

“All right, thank you, Mr. Graymount.” Sylutia waved goodbye and left the shop.

Although she hadn’t bought or commissioned a weapon, she now understood the general price and uses of Glittergold.

She decided to buy some Glittergold Wheat seeds this trip. Even if she couldn’t cultivate suitable Glittergold Wheat yet, it would help her see where she still lacked and point out directions for improvement.