After hearing Satya's promise that he would come to Mraksha's house, Mraksha and his siblings spent their time relaxing in the living room. Mraksha was reading a book titled "How to Become a Skilled Weapon Smith." Afriani was sewing Ilya's torn clothes, while Ilya and Arsa were playing pretend as a knight and a princess.
Soon, the sound of energetic knocking came from the door. Afriani opened it to find Satya carrying a large amount of food. He entered the house and placed the dishes on the dining table near the kitchen.
Mraksha and the others ate together peacefully while Satya asked about the condition of Mraksha's siblings.
After the meal was finished and everything had been cleaned, Mraksha asked Satya, who was now playing with Ilya and Arsa—acting as the monster in their game.
"So, what actually happened yesterday, Uncle?" Mraksha asked.
"Hahaha, you won't believe this, Raksha. Listen carefully… I—no, we—got a client from a noble," Satya said with a grin.
Hearing that, the entire Rajani family became excited and congratulated Satya.
"Anyway, Raksha, tomorrow you must come to the workshop early. Don't be late, or someone else might take our good fortune," Satya said with loud laughter.
Satya then returned home, and Mraksha went back to his room and went to sleep earlier than usual.
The next morning, Mraksha was already at the workshop—so was Satya. Satya handed Mraksha a piece of paper.
On it was a design drawing of a sword with a thin, needle-like blade. Mraksha immediately recognized it as a rapier.
The noble had indeed requested a rapier. At first glance, it seemed simple. But according to Satya, "Making this sword is actually very easy—and very difficult at the same time," he said seriously. "The hardest part is the blade. If it's too thin, it will break easily. If it's too thick, it will lose its lightness."
Mraksha thought, Uncle Satya is right. This sword is simple, but even the smallest mistake could be disastrous for its user.
Then Mraksha helped Satya forge the sword. They began with the handle, which they crafted neatly without any mistakes.
By the time the sky darkened, the process was about fifty percent complete. They both returned to their homes, planning to continue the next day.
When the rooster crowed, they were already back at the workshop. After finishing the handle, they moved on to the blade. This time, both of them were extremely focused, determined not to make even the slightest mistake.
"Alright, let's begin," Satya said. He struck the heated iron with a hammer, shaping the thick metal into a long, tapering form.
Once Satya finished his part, it was Mraksha's turn. Carefully, he thinned the blade using specialized tools—five centimeters, four, three… until it reached two centimeters. When they felt it was sufficient, they moved on to the quenching and final hardening. The sword was now ninety percent complete, and the final step rested with Mraksha.
While Mraksha was finishing it, Satya suddenly brought the silver-haired woman into the workshop—alone. The servant was nowhere to be seen.
Satya leaned closer and whispered, "Raksha… this lady wants to see the sword when it's finished. I'll wait in the living room to accompany her servant."
He added quietly, "And… I know you're handsome, but watch your manners, Raksha. Remember, she's a noble."
With that, Satya left them alone.
After he left, the workshop became very quiet, filled only with the sound of Mraksha completing the sword. The woman simply watched in silence.
This is so awkward… Should I say something? But what if I say the wrong thing and get executed? What about my siblings?
Mraksha thought hard. He hadn't spoken to a girl his age in a long time—let alone a noble—and he had no idea what topics she might like.
Romance? Clothes? Food? Dreams? Ugh, what should I ask?!
While he was still thinking, the sword was finally complete. Mraksha sheathed it and said, "I think it would be better if the first person to draw the sword is its owner," as he handed it to her.
The woman took it and drew the blade. She examined it carefully, swung it to the left and right to test it, then sheathed it again.
"Very light—and beautiful," she said with a satisfied smile.
Mraksha then suggested, "How about testing it on a few targets?"
"Allow me," she replied.
They went behind the workshop, where there was a garden with stone targets shaped like human figures.
She swung the sword incredibly fast—so fast that Mraksha couldn't even see it clearly. In an instant, the stone targets were sliced cleanly into several pieces and fell to the ground.
So fast… and perfectly cut.
"This sword is sharp and light," she said. "I like it."
"If I may ask, why did you order a sword like this?" Mraksha asked.
She sheathed the sword again. "Because I will be entering the Academy."
The Academy? That sounds like a school, Mraksha thought.
"And," she continued seriously, "this sword is also meant to be a weapon—if that door appears again."
Hearing the word door, Mraksha instantly remembered the door that had sent him to another place.
"A door? Do you mean a door that sends people to a place filled with monsters?" he asked innocently.
The woman stared at him sharply, her expression shocked. "You… have you entered that door before?"
"Yes," Mraksha replied. "About a week ago."
After hearing that, the woman excused herself and left immediately with her servant.
Mraksha was left confused. Satya soon returned and told Mraksha to rest for one week.
A week passed. While Mraksha was relaxing with his family, frantic knocking echoed from the door. Mraksha opened it to find Satya with a panicked expression.
"MRAKSHA RAJANI! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME YOU ENTERED THAT DOOR?!"
Hearing the word door, Afriani immediately stood up and told Ilya and Arsa to go to her room.
"Brother… let's talk with Uncle Satya," Afriani said.
Mraksha agreed, and the three of them sat at the dining table near the kitchen.
"So… what do you want to talk about?" Mraksha asked, confused.
"BROTHER! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Afriani asked in panic. "Why didn't you tell me you went through that door? What if something happened to you? What would happen to me and our siblings?" she said sadly.
Satya placed a hand on Afriani's shoulder. "It's alright, Afriani. Mraksha, I heard this from the lady who ordered the sword. She said you also came back from that place. Is that true?" Satya asked seriously.
"Yes, Uncle. It's true. I went there," Mraksha replied.
Satya sighed deeply. "In that case, Mraksha, get ready. I will send you to an Academy near the capital to study and train there."
"Academy…?"