Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Better Deal Just as Rhian was about to thank the dwarf and turn to leave, content with the deal he’d barely scraped together, the dwarf raised a hand and stopped him. "Hold it, scaled boy. Might’ve got somethin’ more interesting for you." His grin widened. "A better deal, if you’re willing." Rhian turned, curious. "Better than ten thousand?" "Much better," the dwarf said, tapping the counter. "I drop it to five thousand. The two weeks of cleaning still stand, but I’ll throw in a little contract deal." Rhian raised an eyebrow. "What kind of contract?" The dwarf leaned forward. "You become my contractor. Means you bring me materials, monster parts, rare ores, junk with potential, and I craft ’em into weapons or armor for you, no extra cost." He paused. "Well, maybe some. Depends how annoying the material is." Rhian blinked. "So, free blacksmithing?" "Mostly free," the dwarf said with a shrug. "Let’s say... first three are free. After that, you pay in sweat or scrap. Or both." It sounded like a dream, but Rhian didn’t smile. Because then reality set back in. "How exactly am I supposed to gather materials when the portals are shut down?" Rhian asked, crossing his arms. "No one’s allowed out. Students can’t leave campus until the year ends." The dwarf grunted. "Yeah. I figured that’d be the problem." Rhian scratched the back of his neck. "That’s not a small issue." "No, but it’s not forever either," the dwarf said. "Once things open back up, this deal still stands. You agree now, and I prep a basic version of your blades. Soon as the lockdown ends, you bring me what you can, and I’ll start forging real weapons for you." Rhian looked at Nia, who just shrugged. "Honestly sounds like a win." He looked back at the dwarf, then at the counter. The dwarf went behind the counter. "Let me draft up the blueprint of your weapon." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦 Rhian raised a hand slightly. "I can come back later if that’s fine—" "Hah!" the dwarf barked, already grabbing tools and parchment. He ignored Rhian entirely. Rhian blinked as the dwarf’s hands moved at a speed that didn’t match his build. Sharp lines flew across the page, precise curves and quick shading coming together in seconds. Less than a minute later, he slapped the parchment down in front of Rhian with a smug grin. "There." Rhian leaned in, eyes widening. The drawing was clean, two individual blades, slender but sturdy, with hilts that could lock together to form a twin-edged spear. The design felt practical and balanced, even at a glance. Nia nudged him. "Well?" "This is great," Rhian said, his excitement building. "Seriously, I wasn’t expecting—this. It’s exactly what I pictured." "Course it is," the dwarf grunted, snatching the blueprint back with a snap. "Now that I know what you want, I’ll need to know you. How you fight. What you can do. Not now, later. For now, get the hell out of my house." He pointed toward the door, then added with a smirk, "The lady can stay." Nia stepped closer to Rhian without a word. Her glare said everything. Rhian extended a hand instead. "I’m Rhian, by the way." The dwarf shook it with a grip like stone. "Brovik Ironjaw," he said proudly. "Third forge-born of Clan Skeljarr. Remember it." Brovik snorted. "Now get goin’. I’ve got fire to feed and steel to bend. I’ll call for you when I’m ready to see what kind of warrior you actually are." Rhian turned with a faint grin, Nia walking beside him. As the door shut behind them, he shook his head. "That guy’s something else." "He’s insane," Nia said, "but your weapon’s in good hands." Rhian looked at her in disbelief. "You literally raised the price." Nia frowned. "I didn’t raise anything. I was just... clarifying the value." "Clarifying it to double the cost?" She shrugged. "Details. You should’ve stepped in earlier if you had a better plan." Rhian let out a low sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Master negotiator, huh?" "I stand by it," she said without flinching. "Besides, we still got a deal, didn’t we?" "Barely." Nia grinned and nudged his side with her elbow. "You’re welcome." Rhian just shook his head as they walked, but he couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at his lips. He was happy with the deal. Cleaning for two weeks was nothing. The contractor offer was even better, free or discounted blacksmithing in exchange for gathering materials sounded worth it, especially with how rare true craftsmanship was in this city. Connections like this mattered. Besides, he’d be getting a basic version of his custom weapon soon, something he could train with until the real thing was done. Of course, with the portals still closed, he wouldn’t be putting it to proper use anytime soon. As they walked, Nia kept pace with him. "What are you doing after this?" she asked casually, not quite meeting his eyes. Rhian didn’t have anything planned. "Nothing really. You?" She glanced away. "Me too. I was thinking... we should get some lunch." Rhian paused mid-step, blinking. "Well... I—" he caught himself, then cleared his throat. "Sure. If you want," he said, trying to sound nonchalant and deepening his tone slightly. Nia smirked at the sudden shift in his voice but didn’t say anything. They just kept walking side by side, the silence between them a little more comfortable than before. Rhian sighed, trying to brush it off, but he couldn’t ignore the way his heartbeat had jumped after answering. It didn’t make sense. It was just lunch. They trained together all the time, fought side by side, even talked about personal stuff. So why did this feel different? As they made their way toward the food court, their shoulders kept brushing, not hard, just enough to notice. Once. Then again. As if they couldn’t walk in a straight line without drifting toward each other. Neither of them said anything about it. Nia didn’t move away, and Rhian didn’t either. By the time they reached the plaza, the silence between them was still present but not awkward. It just stayed, like both of them were thinking about the same thing, but didn’t want to say it out loud.