The Stray Smith

by Born of Prayers

"A Sword is not Strength. A Sword is not Skill. A Sword is not Fellowship." These were the tenets of the Craftknight. And for the amnesiac Welf, they became a truth upon his time spent in the City of Swords as part of a story involving eight apprentices, four swords, and what lay at the bottom of the Labyrinth of Wystern.

6. Chapter 5: Preliminaries - Part 2

Pratty took a deep breath from behind the entryway that would lead her down the stairs and into the arena. So far everyone from the Silver Guild who participated had won their matches. Sanary's had been completely one-sided and, while Trish won because Pouso healed her, she still won fair and square. Welf's had been cool too, though the twins had to explain how it worked—and they weren't nice about it either.

Now it was her turn to shine.

She slapped her cheeks to banish the doubts that had been creeping in at the thought of fighting in front of an audience. She wouldn't embarrass herself by failing where the rest of her fellow apprentices had succeeded—especially not after she made Welf promise to give it his all and he did. "Right! Let's go, Kutty! We've got a match to win!"

The Magical Beast seemed to approve of her resolve as he floated over and licked her cheek. "Kutty!"

She giggled before making her way down to the left side of the arena. The damage from Welf's battle was still there as part of the stone was scorched black from where his Guardian Beast had turned up the heat. She could make out where the big guy had smashed into the ground with his weapon too, though the larger chunks had at least been moved out of the way and the snapped portion of the massive sword had been hauled off by two Central Tower Officers.

No sooner than she had come down did her opponent do the same. It was a boy wearing a black shirt and matching pants. He had brown hair that was covered by a black bandana, and he seemed to be on the slender side. And floating next to him was some kind of cute green chick that was only half-hatched from its brown egg.

Master Sakuro waited until both took their side of the field before he said, "We will now commence the Fourth Round of the tournament. Craftknight Pratty, Craftknight Omugi, are you both ready?"

"Yes!" Pratty said, keeping her voice firm as she reached behind her back to the hilt of the knife there. It was hard to believe she hadn't even used a weapon before last week and now it was a familiar sensation to hold it this way. She could only acknowledge that it was due to how many times she had to reach for it when she was in the Labyrinth over the last week.

Her opponent made a similar motion. "As am I."

"Then, as Craftknights of Wystern, fight with honor and dignity." The Craftlord of Sapphire drew his blade once more with a practiced grace and then brought it down. "Let the Fourth Round begin!"

Pratty moved forward slowly as her opponent did the same, both keeping a hand on their weapon. It was only once they approached the midway point that they stopped, eyes fixed onto one another even as they kept their arms tense. Waiting for the other to make their first move.

His knife should be the same as mine since the design of the handle is the same and the size of his sheath matches. That was the conclusion Pratty drew based on what she could see. It made her feel a little more confident since she had lots of practice with using her own weapon over the last week.

So, she drew her blade first. The sound of steel slipping from its sheath rang in her ears over her quickening pulse. She then held the blade forward and gave him time to draw his own before she approached closer.

Omugi pulled his weapon free and revealed it was the same kind of knife as hers. Same profile at the very least. However, hers did not have flames seemingly dancing within a burning red blade, tongues of fire occasionally leaping from the surface like serpents that seemed eager to lash out.

This might be harder than I expected, Pratty realized in that moment. Then there was no more time for regrets as Omugi rushed towards her with the burning blade in a reverse grip. She had only a second to realize that he was trying to disembowel her and had just enough time to take a single step back, pulling her just out of his reach as a searing arch lingered where her stomach was. That was close!

The relief that had formed at avoiding the first slash was short-lived as her opponent immediately switched the grip on his blade and took a single step forward to get back within range. The Fire Dagger came around from left this time, snapping back from whence it came at a higher angle. It was almost seamless in how smooth the transition was as it came toward her neck.

Reflex took hold. Upon catching the heated edge from the corner of her eyes, Pratty's body responded to the danger by leaning her head further back. At the same time, her blade hand came up in a hasty arch to intercept it and sparks scattered as the Novice Knife repelled the attack.

The burning blade was still made of metal. That was why Pratty's reflexive lashing out managed to knock it away. But in that same heartbeat, she spotted her Novice Knife was a dull-red color where it had met with the opposing steel.

The twins had told her how Welf had managed to break that larger weapon by heating it up first. Her knife wasn't nearly that durable. Direct contact with the blade could put her own at risk.

Not that she had the chance to dwell on that fact as Omugi had slid forward and thrust his chambered blade toward her heart.

She couldn't avoid it. Her balance was off from leaning too far back on instinct. Even with her protective mana-veil unbroken, Pratty knew she'd feel the burn once it hit the mark…

Thankfully, her Guardian Beast was still there. "Kuuu!"

Kutty jumped from over Pratty's head and landed right on his forearm before the weapon could reach, leaving the Fire Dagger to fall short of her chest. Then he lunged forward off the arm and swung a haymaker hard enough that Omugi staggered off to the side, a flash showing his mana hardening in response. The Magical Beast then took to floating between them, slamming his knuckles together.

"Thanks!" Pratty got her footing beneath her and took a more stable stance. He turned back and gave her an adorable gesture by raising his fists. Then, what could only be described as a burning egg slammed into him. "Kutty!"

Omugi's Guardian Beast had wreathed itself in flames, drawing on the power of his own Summonite Gem like how Welf's had done. But rather than camping out before his opponent and then raising the temperature, it had chosen instead to launch itself like a rocket. Both Guardian Beasts were sent flying off the edge of the platform.

Pratty didn't even have the luxury of checking on him. Her opponent was already closing in to take advantage now that Kutty couldn't help her again and the Fire Dagger was hot enough that prolonged contact with it would put her own weapon at risk. Exposure to the Gremlins had left her accustomed to how easily flames burned through her mana reserves, and that was without being on the business end of a knife...

Right, it's still a knife! It may have been a burning blade, but it was still the same length and shape of a Novice Knife in the end. Taking a sharp breath to steel her nerves, Pratty took a more defensive stance as she readied for the impending attack.

The Fire Dagger came for her once more.

Pratty pivoted on her right leg as the blazing stab seared the air on the way toward her chest. There was no clumsy stumbling out of the way this time. It was instead a calculated motion so that it passed beyond her by a fair margin, giving her a clear view of his right side, arm still extended outwards. It was an opening she could exploit…

No, not yet. Before she committed to a thrust at his opened flank, Pratty pictured what she would do in this instance. It was no different than if she was in the Labyrinth, having failed to stab a Gremlin by it floating to her side. She would almost certainly adjust for it by either forcing herself into a roll to escape the impending flames or spinning on her feet and dragging the knife around, deflecting the incoming horn and slashing away at its body at the same time.

The question was which option he would take.

Her eyes shifted down to his feet for a split second. His arm was overextended, and her own knife was held out, so it should have been safe for a moment. There she caught sight of his lead foot angling towards her—a pivot into a slash aimed for her head.

Pratty ducked down while raising her empty arm. It kept her head beneath his blade even as she guided his blade arm up so that his own swing went well above it. Then she lashed out with her own knife, leaving a white glow that marked where the edge cut into his veil for the briefest of moments before it sealed itself up.

First blood—sans the blood itself.

She then drew back rather than pressing the advantage. All it would take was a flick of the wrist and she could bring her knife back the way it came for another slash. But the chances of getting counterattacked were too high, so Pratty retreated by kicking off her lead foot and putting distance between them.

It proved to be the right call as a blazing arch split the air where she had been not even a half-second prior. Omugi clicked his tongue in frustration before he switched back to holding the Fire Dagger in a reverse grip. Then he shot towards her once more.

Pratty moved to slip under his arm when he came in for another horizontal slash, intending to take advantage of her smaller frame and cut into his stomach in the passing. But mid-step he reoriented the blade to being pointed downwards at an angle, rather than being held flat out. The slice to slit her throat was now a rising cut from below to slash her open from hip to shoulder. Oh no!

Pratty's left leg dropped from beneath her as she tucked her head into her shoulder and then threw herself off in that direction at the very last moment. Burning agony ran along her thigh as it scored a grazing cut. She grimaced in pain as she got back onto her feet, only to see a flaming arch coming towards her head.

CLANK!

Fat sparks bloomed amidst a spout of red flames and the sound of clanging steel as Pratty deflected the cut towards her neck with an upwards swing of her blade. It was the only way to keep the merciless heat from searing across her throat. With the briefest of contacts as the edge clashed with the flat of the burning blade from below, she knocked his arm above while getting ready to put more space between them.

"No, you don't!" Omugi stepped forward to close distance again with his unrelenting aggression, having seen through her tendency to leap back in the face of it. But then he pulled back abruptly as a glint caught the corner of his right eye. The silver streak of a sharpened tip settled for caressing his cheek instead of slicing it open from Pratty bringing her Novice Knife from below in an arch to cover her retreat.

Then an emerald light flared up from the Summonite Gem tucked into her pocket. A powerful gale stream billowed past Pratty, and a green blur slammed into Omugi hard enough that he was blown back. It was his Guardian Beast, unconscious as it lay on top of his body, while the Kutty drifted over and landed on Pratty's head.

"Kutty, you're okay!" She felt relieved at the fact, even though in hindsight it was obvious he would be given that he had been her father's partner. He could probably win the match all on his own at this point. Whereas she probably wouldn't if things went on like this for much longer.

It wasn't as though Pratty couldn't see his movements. He was good, but since they used the same type of weapon Pratty could at least guess how he was going to use it and react. But she couldn't put her knife at risk. One more mistake and then it would be over.

If there was just some way to keep my blade from making direct contact… It clicked. "Kutty, lend me your wind!"

Her Guardian Beast quirked his head. "Ku?"

"I could win if I just had some way to keep the heat in check on my knife," she explained, holding out the blade where a good chunk of the edge was still a dull-red color. "Can you do like how Urus did and give me something like a sheath of wind?"

Kutty jumped off her head and made a cute cheering noise. Then he lightly hit the flat of her blade while the light coming from her Summonite Gem shone even brighter. Her weapon was shrouded in a soft teal color and the wind churned around the blade, wrapping tight until it was covered in a small viridian twister from tip to guard.

Her weapon enchanted, Pratty gripped the handle tight as her opponent got back onto his feet. Kutty, on the other hand, decided to simply observe for the remainder of the match and floated near Master Sakuro. The Craftlord of Sapphire regarded the Magical Beast for a moment with an air of familiarity but kept his eyes forward to see the match to its conclusion.

Omugi readied himself, able to sense the change in the circumstances. His sole advantage had been neutralized and, considering how hard he had been hit by Kutty, he couldn't take another strong hit and stay standing. But Pratty didn't think she could take another slash after that one that had cut into her before.

What would determine the outcome now would be their skill alone in the next exchange...

Pratty made the first move. She was done being the one who got attacked and playing defensively. So she rushed towards her opponent and swung the enchanted blade, leaving a luminous-teal trail to mark its path as she cleaved towards his neck with a battle cry. "YAH!"

And in response, Omugi's Fire Dagger seared through the air as he moved to intercept her attack with a roar of his own. "HAH!"

Elements clashed. The bound flames met the sheath of wind. A portion of the wind unraveled and pushed back against the blazing blade, fanning the fire that was unleashed. The result was that both of their knives were repelled by the sudden bloom of fire and wind, leaving the apprentices briefly taken aback before they steadied themselves to continue the fight.

Omugi attempted to stab her. It was a straight thrust for her forehead with the fiery tip. But Pratty brought her arm up from below and hammered the wind sheath into the burning blade once more, the expulsion of wind and flames obscuring his vision with its intense glow.

That was when Pratty re-oriented her arm and took a horizontal sweep. Teal light cut through where his chest had been as he hastily pulled back a single step. But in a mirror of his earlier motions, she slid forward a step while swapping her grip on the handle in a smooth motion. The knife snapped back from the opposite direction to cut him down, knowing his weapon wouldn't make it in time to protect his chest.

So, Omugi didn't bother trying to protect it. Instead, he fell back completely into a roll that carried him out of range. Then he snapped back onto his feet and readied to lunge with a spring in his step to drive the Fire Dagger into her heart—

"Gotcha!"

—only to see the teal-shrouded blade rocketing toward him like an arrow. The moment he had fallen back into the roll, Pratty had taken a final gamble. Knowing that her opponent was the superior fighter and the only way to win was to surprise him, she waged an all-or-nothing chance and threw the dagger with all her might.

The thrown blade struck him in the chest. It didn't pierce his protective veil, but the wind sheath unfurled the moment it connected. And as its circulation was interrupted, all that wind bound within it was unleashed in the form of a powerful gale at point-blank range.

"GAH!" Omugi yelled out in pain as his body arched through the air by the shockwave-like blast. His body hit the ground hard enough to bounce before he tumbled backward a few more feet. For a moment Pratty was worried he might even go off the edge, but he came to a stop before then and let out a groan. "Urghhh…"

Pratty retrieved her knife from where it had been knocked back and watched him struggle to get back up with bated breath. The enchantment on her weapon had faded, likely expended in that final burst. She had gambled it on that last surprise.

Fortunately, his aura petered out the moment he got back onto his feet and the mana particles rolled off his body like grains of luminous sand. He clicked his tongue in frustration before he forced himself upright, sheathed his Fire Dagger, and turned to Master Sakuro. "I can no longer fight."

The Craftlord of Sapphire acknowledged his surrender. "It was a well-fought match. But the winner is Craftknight Pratty."

It took a moment after hearing the announcement for Pratty to register what had been declared. Then, all at once, it came. Elation. Relief. Exhaustion. As the tension of the fight melted, she let out a cheer that made her seem much younger than she appeared as she bound into the air. "YAY! KUTTY WE WON!"

Had her opponent been more of a sore loser he likely would have taken their display of joy as the Summon Creature floated over and rejoiced in their victory with bitter discontent. But instead, the apprentice of the Gold Guild chose to quietly bow before scooping up his unconscious partner and leaving the stage. It was only when he was halfway there that he heard his name being called and turned back.

"Thank you," Pratty said after regaining her composure. "It was a good match, and I learned a lot!"

He inclined his head. "I'll look forward to the rest of your matches."

Then he walked away with nary another word.

[-|-|-|-]

The remaining preliminary rounds for the day were ultimately concluded with the apprentices of the Silver Guild finding success. Caizo's opponent had chosen to use a polearm against him, which he managed to cut in half after only a few swings. Ariel and Mariel had both been set against guys using axes, whom they bested by destroying their weapons with their drills. And Razzy had pretty much gone untouched as their small stature didn't stop them from punching their opponent into submission with a flurry of hits that ended in an uppercut.

Flush with victory, they returned to the Silver Guild and reported their success to the Silver Master.

"You shoulda seen it!" Razzy said energetically as they showcased their footwork while ducking and weaving before throwing out punches into the air. "I totally sent that guy flying, Uncle Bron!"

"Master," he corrected the child sternly.

Razzy winced before placing a hand on the back of their head and then apologized. "Sorry, Master."

He let it go with a grin. "Still, good ta see that ya managed to make it past the preliminaries. And ya managed to kick the crap outta Libody's apprentices! I'm proud of all of ya!"

Welf's brows furrowed at the mention of a new name. He was leaning against the wall on the right side, with Urus keeping her flames dim as she clung to him with her arms around his neck. He was happy with his victory, but as one of the oldest of the apprentices he had opted not to draw attention to himself since their victories were well-earned and he didn't want to bring down the mood with questions.

Perhaps being of the same mind, Sanary had chosen to take a seat not far from him. It probably helped that it was physically the furthest she could get from the twins. Having been observing him in the corner of her eyes and seeing his expression, she brushed loose strands of her hair back and faced him. "That's the name of the Master of the Gold Guild. The two have something of a rivalry since they're the Masters of the two most prominent guilds in Wystern."

He nodded his head in understanding and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Her red eyes lingered on him for a moment, carrying what was no doubt many questions like how he didn't know that much. But she shelved them and swallowed before she softly said, "…I'm sorry."

Welf crooked his head. "Hm?"

"For what I said earlier," she elaborated, crossing her legs that hung over the edge of the boxes. "As much as I hate to admit it, Ariel hadn't been wrong when she said that I was quick to judge you based on learning that Lady Amariss had helped you get into the Silver Guild. And even before then I called you out on babying that girl and that it would make her weaker. I have to apologize for that, at the very least."

The shift in her tone was subtle. But it had been notable enough that Welf picked up on it. He shifted Urus to his furthermost shoulder while she looked on in curiosity and took a step closer so that they would not be overheard. "What changed your mind?"

His question acknowledged that she had said both. There was neither admonishment nor judgment. He was simply curious as to what had caused her opinions to shift when she felt so strongly about it.

"You both should have lost your matches," Sanary said bluntly. Once more there was no malice in her tone, but a statement of facts based on observation. "You both got those Techniques for winning, right? That should have given you an idea of how dangerous members of the Gold Guild were."

They had. It was their prize for victory—the Techniques of their defeated foes became their own. The others also had, but those weapons were at best on par with the Novice Weapons. It was only Chaves' Sword and Omugi's Fire Dagger that stood out as being a cut above the competition.

"His blade was impressive in how comparatively little Elemental Ores he needed," Welf admitted. The monosteel blade had been massive and heavy, but it could be made from roughly the same cost as a Novice Knife. To convert so little into such a massive yet functional blade was only possible due to what had been Chaves' own smithing technique. "I feel even worse for breaking it on its debut."

As a blacksmith, he could only imagine how long it took to come up with that method. It was something to be proud of and likely was the product of not just a week, but several months or even a year of effort. And in the end, it had not been enough—all that effort was destroyed in under five minutes before the entire audience.

Sanary's face briefly wrestled at the sympathy in his tone towards the destruction of his foe's weapon. But she chalked it up to him being who he was and simply continued. "I don't know how it was made but, from his size, he probably has thicker Silturnian blood than most. That strength and a weapon that heavy meant that an ordinary blade would have been smashed to pieces in a single blow, but…"

Welf's blade hadn't broken. It had endured the weight and strength of the opponent and his weapon. It had even prevailed and managed to destroy its opposite while coming out ahead.

"I kept calling you a slowpoke, but you got results." Sanary turned her gaze over the weapon resting against the wall. It stood vigilant like a sentinel waiting to be called back into action. "And sure, it took help from your Guardian Beast. But you still won a fight that you wouldn't have if you hadn't lived up to Master Bron's expectations. So I overstepped my boundaries when I said what I did."

"Well, I'm happy to get your approval," he said somewhat jokingly. From the beginning, he had crafted that weapon to live up to his standards and it had done so. The fact that it had begrudgingly gotten her to change her opinion was more of a bonus. "And what about Pratty?"

Her gaze turned back to their junior apprentice. She was still basking in her victory as she tried to convince Master Bron they should throw a celebration. "Her opponent was using a weapon made from Mystic Ore and was competent. It'd be one thing if he was swinging it around like an idiot, but that guy knew how to use a knife probably half as well as I could a sword. It was clear between them she was the underdog."

Her opinion of her own skill aside, even Welf hated to admit that between the two of them, Pratty had been the underdog in that fight. She had never wielded a weapon before the last week. Even though spending every day in the Labyrinth had given her an inkling of how to fight, her opponent had been more experienced.

Well, she admitted afterward that Kutty had done most of the damage to him, Welf thought to himself. Even now the Magical Beast was floating on the other side of the room while looking rather lethargic, almost as though it were ready to fall asleep. It was Kutty who had worn out his defenses, and his enchantment made it a fairer fight.

Sanary continued. "She might be new at combat, but she adapted to his movements well enough that she managed to surprise him in the end. It helped that they used the same weapon, but she still caught on fast enough that she could blindside someone if they were careless. I'll even admit that, with enough time and battles, she might even be a decent rival for me."

In the end, it had been both getting through the preliminaries that had caused her to re-evaluate her opinion. The two who should have failed ended up surpassing her expectations, and so she was forced to acknowledge that her previous opinions had been flawed. Recognizing them as being competent was something she owed them at the very least.

"Let's go out for curry!" Pratty said, pitching the idea of them having a celebratory meal. "All we can eat on Master Bron's boam!"

"Geh!" The Silver Master grimaced. "Feedin' all of ya would leave my coffers in the red! Yer a voracious bunch as is. 'sides, the place is closed down for renovations for a while."

She deflated hearing that. "Boo… then that means we have to settle for the twins' cooking tonight."

Two sets of bespectacled brown eyes furrowed as they shifted from their private discussion toward Pratty. There was notable animosity within their gaze even from the more passive of the two. "What's wrong with our cooking?"

Pratty averted her eyes, having realized she must have pressed a button that she didn't want to. "…W-well, it's… how do I put it…"

Fortunately, before she lit the powder keg that was apparently their pride in their cooking skills by mentioning that the taste left a lot to be desired (to the point where not even a stray summon would eat it if given a choice), the door to the Silver Guild opened. The apprentices knew better than to bicker in front of their clients, so their voices died down. The prodigy twins settled for glaring daggers at Pratty.

But the girl paid them no mind. Instead, she was captivated when she saw who it was that had stepped through the door. It was no surprise to her even when Kutty sped through the air and into a pair of slender arms that welcomed him.

"Mother," Pratty called out, watching her holding the fickle Guardian Beast affectionately against her bosom in a way that would get her punched if she tried. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I can't visit my daughter to congratulate her on victory?" Amariss said with a playful tone towards her daughter. Then her eyes scanned the room before they settled onto the wall where Welf was. "You also fought wonderfully, Welf. And your partner suits you well."

"Thank you, ma'am." Welf brushed the back of his head in what could pass as slight embarrassment, failing to notice how Sanary seemed to shrink in her seat the moment Amariss' gaze shifted over in their direction.

The housewife then turned her attention toward the Silver Master. "I actually came to take Pratty and Welf back home for dinner since I've missed their company and wanted to celebrate them doing so well in the Preliminaries. I'll have them back before your curfew—if that's okay with you, of course?"

"Sure thing!" Bron said with newfound enthusiasm that had been absent before. If there was any doubt about his affection for her, it had been dispelled. "They both worked hard, so what's a little break for 'em?"

"Thanks." She waved her hand over to tell the two to come along with her before turning back to Bron on her way out and adding, "Make sure you treat the rest of your apprentices to a nice meal as well, Bron. They deserve to have a reward for all their hard work, right?"

"Sure, sure!" The moment she was out the door the Silver Master looked around at the others, who were giving incredulous looks that spanned the range between pitiful and amused. "Not a word, else I'll feed ya the twins' cookin' instead."

"It's nutritious!"

[-|-|-|-]

They had been given leave to enjoy the rest of their evening as they wished after dinner on the Silver Master's boam.

Sanary had chosen to return to the Undersea Observatory, where the window that stretched wide offered her a view into the world beyond the looking glass. Structures from a hundred years ago were preserved by the ocean water like a snapshot in time. External fixtures to the tower had now been claimed by coral and reefs of bright colors that lured in fishes of all kinds.

She stood there in silence, watching as fins swirled the water and bubbles danced. Light from the window reflected off the scales of the fish. Some even bumped into the glass, drawn to the silvery flame that burned near her. That awkwardness drew her fingers to the glass as she reflected on her visage as it swam past.

Memories surfaced within the blue depths. She recalled a gentle but warm embrace lifting her so that she could do the same back then. The touch of the glass was cold from the water outside, but that just made her sister's body feel warmer in contrast. It made for a calming memory as she reflected on the day's challenges and accomplishments.

Clack, clack, clack.

The sound of hard soles impacting the stairwell broke the silence. They were neither hurried nor gleeful steps. Each one was calm and composed in a way that spoke of confidence rarely found within the den of monsters. Sanary's eyes were drawn towards the entrance to the Second Floor to bear witness to the arrival.

Silky, emerald hair came into view first. It was long and glossy, two long strips of it framing the face of a demure beauty like a flower that had managed to bloom within the hive of steel that was the City of Swords. And eyes that were as elegant as crystallized flames greeted her own.

Sanary's voice came out soft. "Sis…"

Kouren, the Craftlord of Ruby—one of the two beauties in Wystern to be counted among the ranks of the Craftlords along with the Majestic Lancer. The adult woman who was draped in shades of red carried herself with a dignified air befitting her title as she stopped at the incline of the observatory platform. "Sanary, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

It had. "Are you just now coming back to the surface from looking over the shrine?"

Craftlords had a duty to make monthly visits to the shrine on the 50th Floor, where they would remain for a week or so. The public reason was that they were to make offerings to the remaining Holy Spirit of the Sword, whose blessing allowed them to work with their weapons as they do now. But the truth was… different…

"Not quite." Her slender arms, veiled by crimson sleeves held in place at the upper arm with bands, shifted. One fell around her waist while the other rose. Her finger playfully twirled one of the locks of hair framing her face. "I merely came up to speak with Sakuro and re-supply. I'll be returning after that for another two weeks."

"But you've already been down there for half a month," Sanary pointed out. Even if it was their duty, it was usually done on a monthly rotation. And while she understood that the time below had lengthened over the last three years, more than a week was still a lot. "And you've been the one in charge of shrine duty for three months in a row…"

A slight shrug of the shoulders was all that Kouren gave. "It can't be helped. Sakuro handles most of the administrative duties and Lubert deals with our international relations. Tyram's absence means someone must take his place when it comes to the rotation, and Rumari will no doubt be fraught with her beloved missing. It's only natural to leave Ureksa free to work with the investigators to find out what happened to him and keep her company."

Rumari had been the previous Craftlord of Jade until two years ago. Due to her declining health, she passed the title down to her younger brother Ureska. Since he was such good friends with Tyram, he would be the most determined to find him and leave no stone unturned.

Kouren continued. "Master Rondeau has long taken leave due to his advanced age. It would be wrong to bring him out of it at this point. And... Shintetsu's seat remains empty until the end of the tournament, so it can only be me to watch over the shrine."

The hitch in her older sister's voice at the mention of his name felt the point of a dagger stabbing into Sanary's chest. Yet another sign of the person she'd become, simply hiding beneath the mask of the sister she once knew. The younger of the pair couldn't help but look away. "I… fine, I get it. You're too busy and there's no one else until the tournament ends."

A light hum escaped the Craftlord of Ruby's throat before she changed the topic. "I believe the preliminaries for your group were today, weren't they?"

"…Yeah." Sanary brought her hand up to her arm and squeezed. "I actually set the record time for the fastest match so far."

A soft smile graced the older sister's lips. "Lovely to hear. It'll be harder from here on but keep doing your best. And remember the three treasures of a Craftknight—forging skills, sword skills, and fellowship with your guardian beast."

A Craftknight's true strength can't be judged by the quality of their weapon alone. Nor the skills to use it. Nor the capability of their Guardian Beast. Only when all three are embodied can one be considered a good Craftknight.

"I'll remember them, Sis," she vowed.

"Good girl." Kouren straightened up before brushing her hair over her bare shoulder. "Now, I'd better be off. Take care of yourself."

The older sister deviated off to the side rather than taking the path that would lead her to the Entrance. It would appear to be a dead-end, but the younger one knew there were a hidden set of stairs that would lead up to the quarters of the Craftlords themselves on the Third Floor of the Tower. It was a secret only known to them, but her sister had shown her the day that she brought her down to the Undersea Observatory.

Sanary watched her go, not knowing the next time she would see her again. But she didn't let the words she wanted to say escape, knowing that there was no point in the end. Instead, she turned her attention back to the looking glass and reached out for it as she did once before.

It felt even colder than she remembered.