Chapter 61: The Legendary Weapons of the Girls 1

After finishing their discussion about the Runic Calculator, the women gradually began to leave the dining room.

Isadora retrieved the documents outlining the initial stages of the project.

"I will prepare the necessary space beneath the mansion."

Lyriana stood up.

"I will vet who has access to the old underground levels. Even the estate staff mustn’t know what we’re actually building."

Elaria carefully put away her notebook.

"I will prepare several supports for the elemental memory cell: crystal, runic metal, mana glass, and enchanted ceramic."

Vespera added calmly,

"I will retrieve several distress crystals as well as the plans for the military relays. We need to understand how their signals maintain stability over long distances."

Shiora made her documents disappear into her Ring of Promise.

"I will compile a list of suppliers capable of delivering the materials without question."

Adam looked at her.

"Reliable suppliers?"

Shiora smiled.

"Suppliers who know that certain questions could cost them future contracts."

"It’s not exactly the same thing."

"The result is similar."

Elena turned to Selene.

"I need to return to the Order of the Knights. We can prepare the initial military requirements for the project this afternoon."

Selene quickly finished her meal.

"Very well. For now, I’ll take Adam to the guild."

Adam stood up.

He retrieved the Progressive Charge Bracelets he had put back on after his bath.

They were still quite heavy.

However, after wearing them throughout the previous day, his body was already beginning to distribute the load more effectively.

Adam slightly adjusted one of the bracelets around his wrist.

Selene noticed his movement.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. They’re just less of a nuisance than yesterday."

The tiger-woman’s ears perked up.

Her smile instantly became far too smug.

"Perfect."

Adam eyed her suspiciously.

"Why do you say that as if it’s bad news for me?"

"Because I’ll soon be able to increase their load."

"I knew I shouldn’t have mentioned it."

Selene burst out laughing.

After saying goodbye to the others, they left the mansion together.

The morning was already well advanced.

The streets of Valoria were bustling with activity.

Merchants were opening their shops.

Knights patrolled the main avenues.

Craftswomen carried crates of materials to their workshops.

Several adventurers, weapons slung over their shoulders, were also heading toward the city gates.

Adam was walking beside Selene.

His thoughts naturally drifted back to the two skills he had gained upon waking.

He had planned to discuss them with her during their training session.

But since they still had several minutes of walking ahead of them, he decided to start immediately.

"Selene."

"Yes?"

"I gained two new skills this morning."

She immediately turned her head toward him.

"Which ones?"

"Blunt Weapon Mastery and Heavy Weapon Mastery."

Selene stopped almost in the middle of the street.

Her golden eyes sparkled.

"Really?"

Adam recognized that expression immediately.

"Why do you seem so happy?"

"Because we’re going to be able to make your training much more interesting."

"I was dreading that answer."

Selene resumed her walk, but her smile didn’t fade.

"Blunt Weapon Mastery covers hammers, maces, staves, and weapons that primarily use impact force."

"That’s what the description said."

"And Heavy Weapon Mastery covers weapons that require significant strength and stability. Great axes, heavy halberds, two-handed hammers, long spears, greatswords, and similar weapons."

Adam nodded.

"With those two skills, my mastery already covers a large portion of melee weapons."

"Yes. You’re mainly missing ranged weapons."

She started counting on her fingers.

"Bows. Crossbows. Slings. Some throwing weapons." And magical weapons specializing in projectiles."

Adam thought for a few seconds.

"Are Dagger Mastery and Sword Mastery considered two separate categories?"

Selene shook her head.

"Not exactly."

She took a few seconds to organize her explanation.

"Mastery skills have several levels of specialization."

Adam listened attentively.

Selene raised a finger.

"First, there are the very specific skills. For example: Short Sword Mastery, Greatsword Mastery, Warhammer Mastery, or Halberd Mastery."

She raised a second finger.

"Then come the more general masteries. Sword Mastery, Dagger Mastery, Hammer Mastery, Mace Mastery, and so on."

Then a third.

"Finally, several of these skills can belong to a higher category."

"Like Blade Mastery?"

Selene nodded.

"Exactly. Blade Mastery encompasses swords, daggers, sabers, certain combat knives, and most weapons whose primary function is to cut or pierce with a blade."

Adam mentally checked his status panel.

"So Dagger Mastery and Sword Mastery are two branches of Blade Mastery."

"Yes."

"But I don’t directly possess Blade Mastery yet."

"Not at the moment."

Selene explained:

"If your two masteries progress sufficiently and you learn to naturally transfer the principles from one to the other, they can eventually merge or trigger the awakening of Blade Mastery."

Adam frowned slightly.

"Is a more general skill necessarily more powerful?"

"Not always."

Selene placed a hand on the hilt of the ordinary sword Adam was carrying.

"General mastery grants greater versatility. You can pick up almost any weapon in the family and quickly grasp how it works."

She continued,

"But a specialized skill can offer much deeper mastery of a specific weapon. Someone with Blade Mastery at level ten won’t necessarily defeat a swordsman with Sword Mastery at level twenty."

Adam nodded slowly.

"Versatility versus specialization."

"Exactly."

"And my two new skills are of the same general rank as Blade Mastery?"

"Yes. Blunt Weapon Mastery, Heavy Weapon Mastery, Blade Mastery, and Ranged Weapon Mastery are all broad mastery families."

Selene raised a finger, however.

"But they can overlap."

"For example?"

"A light warhammer might rely primarily on Blunt Weapon Mastery. A gigantic warhammer can benefit from both Blunt Weapon Mastery and Heavy Weapon Mastery."

Adam understood immediately.

"A halberd has a blade, but its size and weight can also classify it as a heavy weapon."

"Exactly."

Selene seemed pleased with his answer.

"A great axe can benefit from both Blade Mastery and Heavy Weapon Mastery. A reinforced staff relies on Blunt Weapon Mastery, but a version several meters long could also be considered a heavy weapon."

Adam looked at his hands.

"So the more compatible masteries I have, the more fully I can utilize a complex weapon."

"Yes."

"And there are specialized skills derived from these broad categories."

Selene nodded.

"Mastery of Hammers, Mastery of Maces, Mastery of Staffs, Mastery of Great Axes, Mastery of Halberds, Mastery of Heavy Spears, and many more."

She smiled.

"Some people spend their entire lives perfecting a single weapon. Others accumulate several general masteries."

Adam chuckled softly.

"And I get books directly because of my power."

"They give you knowledge. Not real combat experience."

"I know."

Selene gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

"That’s why I’m here."

Adam winced at the added weight of the gesture.

"You seem to be enjoying this responsibility a little too much."

"Naturally."

They continued walking.

Adam remained silent for a few moments.

A question had been nagging at him ever since he’d met the various women in the group.

He’d seen Selene fight.

He’d glimpsed Elena’s sword and Lyriana’s daggers.

But he knew almost nothing about the others’ true weapons.

"By the way..."

Selene pricked her ears slightly toward him.

"What?"

"What weapons do you all wield?"

The tiger-woman remained silent for a second.

Then she burst out laughing.

Adam frowned.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Because you’re only asking now."

"I had a lot more to figure out."

"That’s true."

Selene regained her composure.

"We all wield both magic and weapons."

Adam didn’t seem particularly surprised.

At their level, limiting their training to a single area would have been strange.

Selene continued:

"Each of us possesses several combat skills. But we each have a preferred weapon. A weapon with which we’ve built our primary style."

Adam looked at Selene.

"For you, it’s the two large white swords."

The tiger woman’s golden eyes gleamed.

"You noticed them."

"They were hard to miss. They’re hanging on the wall above your desk."

Selene smiled proudly.

"These are the Twin Blades of Bloody Dawn. »

Adam thought of the two huge white swords whose edges had thin red lines.

They seemed much too heavy to use together.

Still, in Selene’s hands, they probably moved like small arms.

"You can actually wield both at the same time?" "

" Yes. »

"They’re almost my size. »

"That’s why they’re fun." »

Adam shook his head slightly.

Then several other weapons came back to his mind.

He had seen them in different places, often exhibited in women’s private offices or depicted in certain old portraits.

"Isadora has a red and black halberd. »

Selene nodded.

"The Scarlet Aegis. »

Adam remembered its particular form.

A long dark shaft.

A spear point at its end.

A weapon head combining an ax on one side and a mace or hammer on the other.

"It almost looks like three weapons put together. »

"Because Isadora uses several styles depending on the situation. The blade for cutting. The point for drilling. The hammer to break armor and barriers. »

Adam continued his enumeration.

"Elaria has a large green bow. »

"The Breath of Sylverleaf." »

This time, Adam was slightly surprised.

"I thought Elaria mostly fought with enchantments and tools. »

"That’s true at close range. But his main weapon is a bow. »

Selene explained:

"She can create her own enchanted arrows during combat. Explosive arrows. Piercing. Curative. Paralyzing. Spotting arrows or capable of deploying magical circuits over an entire area. »

Adam immediately imagined Elaria firing an arrow that built an enchantment at the point of impact.

"It suits him perfectly. "

" Yes. »

Adam continued:

"Shiora has a long purple katana with a white edge. »

Selene smiled.

"The Blade of a Thousand Contracts." »

Adam looked at her.

"Is that really his name? "

" Yes. "

" Obviously. »

Selene laughs.

"Shiora says every fight is a negotiation and her katana represents the final clause. »

"It fits her even more than Elaria’s arc. »

He then remembered the largest weapon he had seen.

"Vespera has a huge black and purple war axe. »

Selene’s smile diminished slightly.

"The Fang of the Black Dragon. »

Adam noticed the change in her expression.

"Is she really that dangerous?" »

"The weapon or Vespera? "

" Both. "

" Yes. »

Selene answered without hesitation.

"This ax can cut through magical barriers along with physical matter. Vespera can also cover it with her dragon flames. »

Adam imagined the usually calm dragoness holding a two-handed war ax capable of cutting through a fortress.

"I’m starting to understand why no one provokes her. »

"His mana is usually enough. The ax is only necessary when someone truly refuses to understand. »

Adam mentally reviewed the other women.

"The golden and silver sword that Elena carries is therefore her personal weapon. "

" Yes. The Honor of Valoria. »

Selene looked at Adam briefly.

"It’s a sword passed down in her family, but Elena is the first to be recognized as its true owner in several generations. »

Adam remembered the elegant weapon of the signet ring.

It seemed simpler than the others’ gigantic weapons.

But her balance and the runes engraved on her hilt made it clear that she was anything but ordinary.

"And Lyriana’s two black curved daggers? »

"Noctis’s Fangs." »

"PS. The image of the weapon has been added to the auxiliary Chapter ’Harem’"