Katarina and Ruskus led me to the forest west of the village outskirts. We stopped upon finding a clearing about 30m² in size. There was no one nearby, only the symphony of birds and insects too busy with their own tasks.
However, I knew that if I walked a few kilometers, I would end up encountering a beastial habitat.
Ruskus sat at the base of a tree around the clearing. Calmly, he unsheathed his broadsword and began inspecting it with his bright grey eyes, that offered a great contrast to his tanned skin.
"Can I see that potion you mentioned now?" Katarina asked, drawing my attention. She was standing in the center of the clearing. She wore pants and a vest, made of some kind of extremely durable-looking black leather, over a dark short-sleeved shirt. On her arms, fingerless gloves of the same material reached up to her elbows. Her outfit was practical, allowing her movement while simultaneously making visible how fit her body was, showcasing defined muscles.
She looked exactly like a treacherous assassin from the fantasy stories I was used to reading. I almost took a step back upon having that thought. However, instead, I took off the backpack from my shoulders and from there retrieved the transparent vial with the slightly bluish liquid.
Katarina's black eyes immediately lit up upon seeing the vial in my hands, and she asked for permission to hold it. I handed it to her.
She observed the liquid under the sunlight, exactly as the wagon merchant had done the day before with the healing potion.
"Indeed, it looks like an intelligence attribute increase potion" she attested after nearly a minute of observation. "However, I have no way of knowing if it really increases by three points."
I knew my word offered no guarantee for my claim. So, I proceeded with the negotiation in what I thought was the smartest way.
"Well, you know this potion would increase at least one point" I said simply.
"I wouldn't pay two silver tiélvians for a potion that increases only one attribute point" she retorted.
"You should be able to resell it for that much."
"And what would my profit be from that?" she asked.
I shrugged.
"In a large city, you should find someone who can analyze the potion accurately. They will attest it increases three points."
"The only issue is that by the time I reach a large city to evaluate the potion precisely, there won't be a trace of you left nearby." She tossed the potion vial into the air and then caught it again with her left hand in an impressive display of skill. "Should I risk the trouble of hunting you down later, or should I simply take this potion with me now, certain that I wouldn't suffer any loss?"
I stayed silent for a while, looking at her, thinking of how to respond.
"Stop teasing the girl" Ruskus cut through the tense silence. "Let me see that potion already." He stretched a hand toward Katarina, who in turn skillfully tossed the vial in his direction. Ruskus caught it with equal ease.
After another minute or two, it was Katarina's turn to break the silence.
"So?" she asked.
"It is indeed a high-quality potion. It's certainly superior to any other we've come across" Ruskus replied, giving the vial a final look before storing it.
"Does that mean it increases intelligence by three points?"
"Probably" he said and shrugged. "Not that it's going to make any difference for you."
Katarina gave a smile that said 'You know me so well.'
"What does that mean?" I asked, trying to make my voice sound firm, even though I was considering the possibility that the mercenary would kill me before both of them ran off with the potion.
"That she's just playing with you" Ruskus said before returning to cleaning his sword.
"It was just the first part of the training, after all. I had to see how she would handle a situation like that" Katarina said and then winked at me. "So, ready to start the training you paid for, little sis?"
...
Two hours later I was lying on the ground of the clearing, panting loudly. The world was spinning around me.
"I'm kinda impressed with your stamina" Katarina said. "I wasn't expecting you to last this long." She then looked up at the sky. "I think it's fine to take a break for a few minutes so you can catch your breath."
"I think just a break won't be enough. She hasn't eaten anything yet today, has she?" Ruskus said. He then got up from the spot where he had been observing the training the entire time and approached where I was lying. He then handed me a fruit that looked like an apple but was yellow.
I sat up and looked at the fruit with suspicion but took it from his hand anyway.
The corners of his lips made a slight upward movement—an almost smile.
"It's not poisoned" he assured me.
"It wouldn't be the most efficient method to kill someone out in the open when there's no one else around" Katarina added.
I risked a bite of the fruit. The taste was similar to an apple's, though not identical. It was equally good, however, and the juice was sweet.
"Could you tell me a bit about your adventures in the meantime?" I asked after swallowing the first bite of the fruit. My voice sounded more eager than I had planned. "I mean, you must have lived through many things; faced many dangers and such. You probably have plenty of stories to tell."
Katarina sat beside Ruskus.
"Do we?" she asked him with a playful smile on her lips.
Surprisingly, the one who spoke up after that was Ruskus. And even more impressive: he was a good storyteller. He spoke for minutes about situations lived by the duo, or by him alone. Katarina made a few contributions—and a few provocations—here and there. I, in turn, asked a few questions about the parts that most sparked my curiosity.
Both treated me like a younger little sister, in a way that even my actual sister, who was eight years older than me, never treated me. I wondered how old they must think I was. Katarina had said that Navika was her second youngest sister, and by the way she spoke of her, she was just about to reach adulthood. She couldn't possibly think I was exactly her sister's age, could she?
I then imagined how both would react if they knew I was just one year younger than Katarina. Not that the misunderstanding bothered me. The younger they thought I was, the more harmless they would conclude I was, and therefore, the less risk I would be in.
After some time listening to them and questioning them about their adventures, Katarina made me get up and return to training. She taught me the best way to wield dual knives, just as she did; how to throw knives, how to aim, how to move in combat, how to defend myself, and how to react when disarmed. Of course, only the basics of all that. Ruskus also offered occasional tips, and by the end of the training, he even offered to teach me some self-defense techniques.
Finally, they talked about the best way to fight the most common beastials found in the region, and told me about a mixture sold nowadays to repel low-level beastials. I made a mental note to look into that when I returned to the temple and see if I could produce such a mixture myself.
"Alright, lunchtime," Katarina finally said. The Player System informed me it was eleven in the morning, and my stomach thanked her. The yellow apple Ruskus had given me earlier was nowhere near enough to keep me going, especially after such intense training.
We chatted on the way until we arrived back at the inn. I was feeling much more comfortable in the presence of the two.
This time, it was Neidi behind the counter. She took our orders and brought them to her husband in the kitchen. Meanwhile, Katarina, Ruskus, and I sat at the same table we had occupied at dawn.
"What about the equipment?" I asked.
"We'll go right after eating," Katarina said.
"Is it very far?"
She smiled.
"We won't have to walk more than a few meters," she replied.
"You're going to the Hero's Smithy?" I asked, surprised, making a face.
Katarina immediately wrinkled her nose, and Ruskus huffed.
"Ah, no way! That place is trash! Leinir is as much of a trash blacksmith as he was a trash hero, apparently. There isn't a single quality piece in that place. We're going to a real blacksmith" the mercenary said. "I hope you have good luck there." She smiled mischievously.
"Is there another smithy around here?" I asked, intrigued. "And what do you mean by good luck?"
"There is, but it's like a secret smithy" Katarina replied. "And about the luck part... well, you'll understand when you meet him." She said simply, without giving details.
Soon, we were served by Neidi's eldest daughter. I saw no sign of Jura anywhere and overheard the inn's owner loudly complaining about her son's disappearance. I wondered where he had gone, trying to avoid us.
We ate in silence, considering I was too hungry to even think about talking during the meal. At the end, when paying Neidi for the lunch, I included the nickel tiélviam I had "extorted" from her son the previous night. As soon as I handed her the coin, I felt my conscience clear.
The Etruskian mercenaries and I then left the tavern together once more. I let them guide me to the mysterious and secret smithy they had mentioned. Along the way, we passed Cleus and Maria, who greeted me politely but were visibly hesitant to be as friendly and open as they had been when we first met, upon noticing who was accompanying me. I could see them gossiping with other villagers around the stalls while casting glances in our direction. At that moment, I felt like a controversial character inside a story.
We continued along the village's long main street until the base of the mountain where the mine was located, at its end. Behind the ore storage, right at the foot of the mine, we came upon a dirt trail that led into the forest to the northwest. After the first pair of trees, we arrived in front of a house made of wood and clay.
"Welcome," said Katarina, "to the hideout of the most infamous blacksmith on the Continent of Salvation." She and Ruskus smiled.