My mind processed my desires, my imagination flowed out and my hands gave them shape.
The product was a lever action rifle just like the Nordstjerne Anker, however when one looks at the breach and loading mechanisms the differences become apparent. The thick handle like cocking lever., the second cylinder under the barrel, the visible spring loaded rolling block hammer sticking out from behind the breach. An ejection port similar to the one the Nordstjerne Anker uses coupled with a horizontal loading port just a bit behind the chamber. However what made this rifle's silhouette truly unique was the odd absence of a long rifle butt and handle; instead there stood a shortened rifle handle with no stock at all.
Normally such a design would not be practical both due to 78cm steel barrels immense weight and of course the already shoulder breaking recoil of the 577/450 calibre cartridge it was chambered in. For me that was a non issue, the superhuman strength and precision granted to me by Father's arcane geens solving that issue handily. If a problem ever occurred or I was forced to take a particularly long ranged shot a detachable stock could be mounted. The only thing I added for aesthetics were the two aquilla wings on the sides of the barrel. The gun was much thicker and bulkier than the Nordstjerne Anker but slightly shorter.
Of course this gun was nowhere near what Father could do, but I needed a thousand years more to even near his crafting skills. I didn't even mention the know-how needed to craft his 'bolter', Father refused to design for anyone anything he crafted on this world were already invented by others. He said it was to make sure humanity progressed as it should.
"Well done, a well designed gun at least as far as lever actions go. Yet your inexperience still shines through."
After more than a Hour of silence Father's deep voice startled me out of my stupor.
"How so? I accounted for everything I foresaw. I learned gunsmithing from you after all. How could anything I make be flawed?"
"Ahhh, the arrogance of youth! I had forgotten how entertaining it was. I am sure you have already measured everything and made sure the breach could take the pressure, however you have missed one small detail. A safety."
"A safety? Why would I need one?"
"Never think like that Nao, always think 'when will I need it'. Imagine what would happen if you were to drop your weapon for a second. It would most likely fall down onto the soft earth and nothing would happen. But once in a blue moon when that gun falls the hammer even if it was left in an uncocked position would hit a rock striking the primer and discharging the rifle. Now, I am sure you would be able to simply see that coming and dodge, but what if said shot were to hit your companion? What then."
"Dad, I think the whole companion thing is a bit far off in the future for me."
Social interaction was not my forte. I mostly used pre prepared lines to act as if I knew how to talk to people.
"Bah, you'll see. Anyways before you start machining the parts add a safety. Also add a small holder for a cleaning stick, you'll thank me later. Remember, arrogance is a slow and insidious killer."
I decided that humility was a virtue and silently did as Father said.
When I was done I looked up and saw that father had brought thick steel and brass bars and plates for me to get to work. After a small thank you I got to work on the machining table. Although an easier job for me thanks to my superhuman strength and precision, the work was still tedious and long for any mistake I made I would have to start on that part over.. My labours caused me to gain a newfound respect for the many factory workers and black- and gunsmiths arming the country.
"You won't mind if I have the gunsmiths take a look at your rifle and take some inspiration from it right?"
Father's voice once again came out of nowhere. How can he be so silent for hours on end and then suddenly speak so loudly and clearly?
"No, just make sure they don't try to use this exact design. I don't want to be responsible for broken wrists."
"Oh, but of course."
I silently got back to assembling my creation. The sight of it fully assembled gave me a sense of pride I had seldom felt before. But I wasn't done yet, the still undetermined form of the Halberd awaited me.
As I got another set of paper Father called out once more.
"Are you not gonna give it a name?"
"A name?"
"Yes, every 'hero' weapon needs a name after all. Without a named weapon you can't be a named character."
"I feel like I'm not going to be blessed by a god that hates us, dad."
"A hero isn't just someone blessed by a god. They are someone who represents a portion of humanity or someone who brings hope and salvation when all is lost."
"Those shoes are a bit too big for me to fill."
I didn't want to take that kind of responsibility. This was just supposed to be a journey to understand the common people, not one to save the Republic.
"You'll grow into them I am sure."
"Fine, I'll give it a name."
A name, something I think embodies this gun that was made to be the first weapon of a pilgrimage for knowledge and understanding. 'Oracle's Torch'. I could be seen as a kind of Oracle, after all quite a lot of the frontier folk worshipped Father.
"'Oracle's Torch', It will be called Oracle's Torch from this day onward."
My voice came without doubt. The look on Father's face was interesting. I had never seen him grimace like this before. Was my naming sense that bad?
"Very well then. Let's get to the next part."
The Halberd, a much easier to design weapon. Sadly here I run into a small problem. The halberd is a weapon designed to be used in defensive formation as a group. Hence why it's so popular. But I was an individual fighter. I needed a larger bladed edge then most halberds and more than the small spike expected on the queue of most halberds so that I could use it as a sweeping weapon when needed. So I chose a thick crescent head and for the top spike a shortened triangle bayonet-like shape. The back spike was also lengthened to give me a bit more punch on reverse swings.
When it came to the queue however I was a bit slumped. I decided to simply add a smaller gladius like blade to the end.
The design progressed as before when I was finally done. I looked around the workshop for Father, but he was gone. When I heard heavy thudding steps outside I turned towards the door to see father bring in 2 ingots of a dull silver-like colour and 3 that was most certainly high quality steel.
My curiosity won out and I asked
"What's that?"
He smiled an odd grin. His voice was clear and loud, full of pride.
"Adamantium, almost all that I have gathered in this world for the last 80 years. The rest is of course steel."
"Adamant- ack!?"
His extremely smug look only a father could have upon my biting of my tongue made me feel a certain kind of rage.
"Where the hell did you get that?"
My surprised screams were most certainly heard by every single servant in the manor.
He answered with a look no less smug than the last.
"Some mountains in former dwarf territories have veins running through them. Sadly most of them have been turned into demon realms so I had to find places that could be purified and mined. As I said this is all that I got in the last 80 years, originally I was going to use them on a new set of armour but my daughters first weapon must not break easily. Adamantium will not break, after all Adamantium is the very metal the gates of the imperial palace on Terra are made out of. I couldn't bear the thought that those precious first blades crafted by you would be broken. No, after your adventures are done I'll create a museum for your Journey and those weapons shall be the centrepieces."
Father's slightly weird rant aside. His intentions were quite sweet. But there was just one problem…
"Dad, one small problem."
"Hmm?"
"How do I forge Adamantium?"
"Ah, I must really be getting old. A slight problem, although not one unsolvable by ancient and arcane means."
I watched my father move towards the anvil and lay out the two Adamantium ingots on the anvil.
And heSpoke. I can't say I understood anything but suddenly the metal was malleable. I saw him bend it into shape with his bare fingers. He pointed towards the stool near the anvil. I quickly cut one of the ingots into 3 pieces.
Although I knew I should only concentrate on my work my mind wandered onto the language Father had used. Enuncia ,a dead language of ancient beings with the power to alter reality itself without tapping into mana or the warp. Although it does seem to have some connection to the warp, it is somehow non corruptive. Its only flaw is that if a practitioner is not experienced in the craft their body will be destroyed piece by piece with every use. Father is one of the few who have a mastery of it, he has always refused to teach me saying 'only when you are old enough'.
The shape of the axehead and back spike came easily, and to stroke my own ego a bit I added reinforcements onto the blunt sides of the axe in the shapes of the Aquila's wings. I decided to shape the back spike into a wing as well, of course this one being much thinner and longer. I kept the triangle bayonet look on the top spike simply because utilitarianism won out over aesthetics.
The shaft was entirely built out of steel. After all, the weight wouldn't be a detriment to me. Quite the opposite in fact since it would help balance out the immense weight of the adamantium. I kept up the mastercrafted look I was giving this halberd simply out of principle and added some engravings to the shaft. The last thing I forged was the queue, etched and ornamented; it might have been a bit overdone.. Shaping the halberd took even longer than the Oracle's Torch. I wasn't experienced in forging blades, I had only forged small mechanisms for my personal projects before. I knew the theory but without practice all those hours of lessons could only take me so far.
The final piece now done, I leaned , this satisfaction after creation is most certainly something I could get used to. It was the entire point of the journey after all to understand humanity and to feel bonded to reality. This was just another piece of the humanity I so dearly seeked.
When it was finally done I had to give it a name once again. A name that would represent its purpose. Father fancied me a hero and heroes are so rarely depicted with rifles ,so if I got this whole hero thing right the halberd would be my hero's weapon.
I lifted the now complete weapon up and did a few practice swings. I still had to sharpen the edges but once I did it would hold an edge sharper than any steel. A name for this one then.
'Mortality Clarified' will be the name of this weapon meant to remind both myself and those I fight that Death is always a few steps ahead. Knowing me I certainly needed it.
"I'll call it 'Mortality Clarified'."
My thoughts were once again interrupted by Fathers voice.
"Now that you're done with your weapons I should give you your birthday gift early. After all, I doubt that you'd bother coming back just for your coming of age ceremony."
The very thought of it made me shiver. I had seen the ceremonies following the 18th birthdays of others. The hours-long annoying procession filled with congratulations and constant social interaction is definitely something I had to escape from.
Once again deep in my thoughts I turned towards Father and saw that he was carrying a Cuirass made out of steel and trimmed with Gold with laurel like engravings around the sides and a large aquila on the front plate.
The two large shoulder pads with gold trimming and the prominent symbol of the aquila on them were paired with elbow length gauntlets once again steel trimmed with gold, the small talons on the gauntlets awoke something in me I am sure of that. There was also a somewhat thin but still padded gambeson of black. The greaves and sabatons of a similar style were also accompanied by cuisses that went up to my upper thigh. An entire suit of armour. The only thing I couldn't see yet was the helmet.
Seeing my awe, Father chuckled and told me to wait for a second more while he went and took the helmet. When he was gone I called one of the maids, Isabella was her name if I remember right, and started putting on the armour. It fit way too seamlessly despite the fact I was sure Father didn't have my measurements, did he visit my tailor?
Just as I finished putting the gauntlets on, Father came in.
" I see you have finished putting everything on. Well there is only one thing left, here."
Father handed me a steel rounded full-face helmet. The helmet's head was crowned with a laurel made out of Gold and from the top a red plume flowed out, the mouth was covered with two eagle wings spreading out from the middle and ending just where the ears are supposed to be. The eye holes were nothing special, simply two rectangles placed between the brows and the mouthpiece.
But I was speechless, this armour set was beyond a doubt one of my Father's works, craftsmanship honed by thousands of years. You simply couldn't find this kind of craftsmanship anywhere else in the world.
"Dad.. Thank you, thank you so much."
"Anything for you, my one and only child. Come let's finish the rest of these preparations then two days from now after a party you'll set out on your journey."
As he said that he laid out a massive stack of papers on the table. Processing what he had said before my heart was filled with despair.
"Now then, let's get to work. These are requisition forms for your licences, your diplomatic guarantee and requisition form for your supplies. I'll deal with the requisition forms, the cost is coming out of our pocket anyways, so it'll be fairly quick."
"Diplomatic guarantee?"
"Well it's a bit of abuse of power but I wanted to make sure you were safe when you were in the Order or Monster-Friendly Nations and it'll make sure you don't do anything too careless, since your acts will be representing the Republic. Do be careful, yes?
The sudden revelation that I was going to be a representative hit me like a train. But It didn't weaken my resolve. Father has always said that necessity is the mother of innovation and if I do something wrong I am definitely gonna be in need. But would the senators even pass this?
"Dad, are you sure the senators will allow this?"
He looked at me as if I had grown a second head, then came to a realisation. He laughed and looked at me again. He couldn't hold himself and laughed again.
"Oh, you do not know. Well, you'll find out eventually."
With that remark we got back to preparing. Then it dawned on me, Father said that there would be a party, but etiquette demands a week of preparation before the party. Had he predicted my request from that far back? Had I simply not noticed the preparations.
"I have already sent the invitations if that's what you're wondering."
He really does outperform my expectations even after my entire 17 years of life. But it was kind of creepy knowing that my Father could even read me, who was famous for my unchanging voice tones and face, like a book. After the work was done I bid my Father goodnight and got the two hours of sleep I needed.
I woke up just after dawn, blitzed through my self-care routine and dressed myself with the help of some very eager maids. I remembered that I had forgotten to ask Father when the party was going to be. I found Father in the middle of breakfast eating toast with wild strawberry jam and scrambled eggs. I quickly sat down and ordered my meal of beef bacon, eggs and tulum cheese imported from the south of the Republic with a cup of coffee once again imported from the south. Maybe I should visit the south first, it is filled mostly with small villages barring a few academy cities. After our meal was done I asked Father when the Party was going to be. His answer might have caused a momentary panic that quickly faded away.
"The party will be after the noon bell. We still need to get you a good travel pack and I thought you'd want to set out early in the morning."
"What am I going to wear then, I haven't prepared anything."
"Just do what I do and wear your armour. You don't have to prepare a dress anymore, It's a wonderful solution to the annoying party problem. I have been wearing armour to every single party for the last 400 years, I was the one to set the trend after all."
Fathers reassurances did not help in the slightest. But I guess it was acceptable to wear your armour almost everywhere. It certainly set the whole hero image nicely.
Time passed and it was finally time for the party. In my full armour sans the helmet of course I trotted into the hall. Most of the guests had arrived by this point and as the guest of honour my name was announced, "Eques Naotora of the Founder's Blood". A moment of silence took the hall as every single guest turned towards me. The men in cuirasses ,half plate and sometimes tight fitting dress suits; women in beautiful shoulderless flowing dresses with low necklines they all turned to me and awaited my words.
I walked with a leisurely pace onto the podium placed on the far side of the ballroom. Taking my place on the stage I spoke.
"First of all, I must thank you for coming to this party thrown in my name. I am sure that you, the esteemed citizens of our great nation, have much to do, yet you have come to this party to commemorate my journey of discovery. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, to know that I am valued by so many gives me such pride that I can not express it with merely the words I have learned in my short life. Please make merry and enjoy our hospitality."
Almost none of what I said was cincere, true I spoke already prepared lines entirely from memory. But this was what they expected and wanted to hear from me. I truly did not care for these people. Annoying suckups, who didn't even bother to hide their intentions.
I wish I could say something interesting happened in the party but it was like the hundreds I had gone to before, only people wanted to talk to me even more than usual and many whispered among themselves. After having to dance more than forty times with men and some daring women who didn't even reach my shoulders, and correcting their own moves I was thoroughly bored. Although I was bored of this party, the prospect of what I was going to do after this inane party ended kept me going through the hours..
When everything was out of the way I found Father chatting with a few of the scholars from the guilds debating with him about some topic or the other. When I came close enough he asked for a moment to talk with me.
"The party has almost ended and your journey draws near. What do you think, are you ready to leave?"
"Yes I want to see the world, I am sure of this atleast."
"It really makes me proud that you finally began to make your own choices instead of following me around. Go, I have already prepared your travel pack, I will end the party and see you off."
Taking Father's advice I discreetly exited the ballroom and took everything I needed. I wouldn't be using a horse since I can travel faster and longer without one. When everything was ready and the guests had all left I stood before the gates of the manor. I saw father walk up to me, he was carrying 2 bracelets of a black stone-like material.
"Here, no matter what happens keep these on. I know you aren't of the superstitious sort, but think of them like good luck charms. My final gift to you. Good luck and don't forget to have fun!"
The ending quip was a bit unnecessary but Father's well wishes spurred me on.
"I'll come back dad. I'll find what I seek and return."
His voice now so low that I wasn't supposed to hear answered me.
"I hope you will."
So I set out on my Pilgrimage.
I was out of the capital outskirts in an hour.
AN:
It's been a bit less than a week but this might be the norm.
To be honest, next week's chapter is already prepared but I also have 6 exams in 5 days that week, so I am keeping it saved just in case.
I really have mixed feelings about this one, I don't know if I described everything well and set the proper character for Nao.