Lorenz looked over her work as she crafted the sturdy leather armor for herself. Her hands worked tirelessly on weaving the leather straps in a way that allowed more movement, but the same amount of coverage as proper leather armor. It wasn't enchanted, however, the craftsmanship was both beautiful and functional. Almost inspiring if the dwarf was honest with himself.
Running a hand over the work, he nodded. Yes, it truly was made by a 9th level weaver.
"Sturdy. It will hold against most E ranked monsters as it is." He glanced to the nervous woman. "But you would like it to last against a D rank beast at least?"
She nodded, pulling at her fingers. She wanted to at least take a couple of hits from D rank beasts. If it wasn't too much of course!
He gave another firm nod, collecting the leather armor in his thick arms. He motioned for her to follow him over to a special room. He felt she would be ready for the next part of the process in Enchanting armor. Felt like she could handle the strain that came with Enchanting.
The room they entered was cleaned almost meticulously, the floors being strangely shiny compared to the rest of the shop. There were runes craved into the ground around a table, a protection circle it seemed. The table itself had its own set of runes, some too withered to see clearly what they once were.
Lorenz sat at the table, motioning for her to sit beside him. She was a little nervous in doing so, but her need for the knowledge being offered pushed her down. She had read about enchantment at one point, however it was said to be a protected skill. The why was never explained, only that it was a secret for the trade. Then again, the books she had were old and likely off by a little bit.
The blacksmith stayed quiet as he placed the leather armor on the table. Reaching into a side drawer that was well hidden within the table, he pulled out a couple of crystals and dried herbs. With careful precision, he crushed the dried herbs within his meaty hands, using the flakes to enhance the circle. He then placed the two crystals opposite of each other facing East and West.
"This looks like alchemy." Her voice broke through his focus, making him pause.
"Yes." He continued after a long minute. "But we are doing a Blacksmith specialty."
"A specialty?" She echoed, an eager smile pulling at her lips.
The man gave a nod, his own lips curving into a soft smile. The curiosity that was shining within her eyes was bright, a look he hadn't seen in the eyes of a noble in a long time. He honestly thought they had grown too used to their privileged lives to grow curious of anything else. Something he believed would weaken them.
Refocusing on his task, he closed his eyes and reached out his hand. He took a slow and deepening breath, focusing on the power within him. The power that gave him the strength and skill to bend and mold metal to his will, he pulled it forth and allowed it to escape from the palms of his scarred hands. He opened his eyes to see the sparks of magic swirling along the pads of his hand, glowing like the three suns in the sky, circling and weaving within itself. Pushing it forward, he willed his magic to run through the crystals and runes.
The crystals glowed an almost sickly colored, their own innate power bleeding into the runes that began to reform within the air, spinning like a maddening clock. He moved his hand, twisting the runes to spell words he knew like his mother's lullaby.
Selene watched the display, eyes wide. Her eyes zipped from one rune to the next, watching as their sickly color shifted to a brighter hue. The green never changed as much as she thought it would from how 'hot' the runes appeared.
Just as the mad clock was about to reach its crescendo, it stopped like a scratched record. The runes rained down, cracking the crystals and burning the dried herbs. The scent was a bit overwhelming, making her head dizzy.
Lorenz picked up the woven leather armor, turning it in his hands. Once he had inspected it, he handed it over to her.
"You got Eyes?"
Selene blinked, eyes stinging from the smoke.
"A-Appraisal?" He nodded, a patient sort of expression showing through. "Yeah..." She took the armor, eyes changing ever so subtly to examine.
Woven Leather Armor: Enchanted
Name: None
Durability: 200/200
Enchantments:
¬Minor Elemental Resistance
¬Minor Damage Reduction
¬Minor Damage Reflection
"Only the best Enchanters can decide what type of enchantments go upon an item. The more powerful your magic, the higher the level for the enchantment." The dwarf explained at the woman's slowly growing confusion.
She nodded slowly, processing the information. Perhaps, if she leveled up her skills, alchemy especially... No, she had very little skill in blacksmithing, she wouldn't be able to make anything. At least, nothing worth wild.
"Thank you, Sir Lorenzo." She held the leather armor against her chest.
He nodded to her, guiding them back to the front.
"When you have time, I am willing to show you more."
Her heart skipped a beat. She looked from him to the drawf's apprentice, wanting to make sure she had heard the truth. The man had tilted his head, eyes subtly wide. He then looked to her, brows pinching together.
"A-Are you sure?" She turned back to the blacksmith master.
He bellowed a laugh, patting the lowerw part of her back, pushing her toward her group.
"Yes, Selene. Now, go." He shooed her off, finding no point to waste more time for things that could be said later.
The noblewoman stayed for a second longer, then she left with the others.