Even after Lidaz returned to the military headquarters, Kazien did not immediately enter the mansion with Alvin. Instead, he stopped halfway on the gravel path leading to the estate, his eyes glinting with a mixture of excitement and concentration. Without saying a word, he reached into his storage dimension—an invisible pocket of space accessible only through magic—and withdrew two shimmering Silver Pholidota scales.
They gleamed magnificently under the late afternoon sun. Even untouched, the scales pulsed faintly with residual magic, whispering promises of potential.
Kazien knelt on the grass and muttered, "Perfect. This is the ideal material for what I want to make."
Alvin watched quietly as Kazien began arranging tools, metal molds, and magic circles around him with practiced grace. His hands moved with an effortless confidence, fingers tracing symbols in the air that glowed and sank into the ground.
Kazien extended his palms over the two scales.
Crackle—WHUM!
Silver light burst upward, enveloping the scales in a concentrated alchemical cocoon. Raw energy swirled, compressed, and reshaped under his control. The sound of metal clanging echoed through the air as something heavy hit the ground.
Clang!
A newly forged set of armor—pure silver, smooth, and ethereal—lay gleaming on the ground. Kazien's eyes widened in satisfaction. He picked it up, turning it over in his hands.
"Now," he murmured. "I have to test the durability."
He lifted the armor into the air with wind magic.
Crackt!
A bolt of lightning shot from his fingertips and blasted the armor. The silver plate rang loudly but remained unscathed.
"Good," Kazien whispered.
He switched elements.
Swoosh!
Flames roared out like a miniature inferno, engulfing the armor. The heat warped the air, but when the fire faded, the armor shone even brighter, untouched.
"Still perfect!"
He shifted again.
Crack!
Spikes of earth shot upward, puncturing the ground beneath the armor. The sharp stone shattered instead of the metal.
Kazien grinned.
Next came light magic.
Zip! Zip! Zip!
Projectiles of concentrated radiance hammered the armor from all sides, rapid and unrelenting. Still not a single dent formed.
Finally, he drew a sword—one of the finest blades forged by the royal smiths—and swung downward.
Clang!
The sword bounced off harmlessly, vibrating from the recoil while the armor remained pristine.
Kazien clenched his fist triumphantly. "I did it! My first masterpiece is a success! Pure silver armor resistant to magic and even sword slashes! Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed across the yard, warm and full of pride.
Alvin—who had been silently observing from a short distance—stood frozen with his mouth slightly open.
"What… what did I just witness?" Alvin muttered to himself, cheeks reddening. "He created such a powerful armor like it was nothing… Just how skilled is my future husband's alchemy magic?"
Kazien didn't hear him. He was already crafting more pieces. One after another, armors meant only for the elite special forces took shape under his hands. Alvin found himself drawn closer, captivated by the speed and precision of every motion.
Suddenly, Kazien paused, smacked his forehead, and groaned. "Ah! I almost forgot—the Silver Pholidota has a magic crystal inside its body!"
Alvin blinked. "What do you need a magic crystal for?"
"To make more bracelets for the griffons, of course!" Kazien replied as if it were obvious. "I want them to be safe from any danger that threatens them."
A small flutter of warmth tugged at Alvin's chest at those words. Kazien truly cared deeply for the creatures under his command.
They headed toward the city gates together. The two young men walked past several guards who were standing guard at the city gate. Once outside, Kazien veered off the main road into a wider, empty field.
He dug a large pit with earth magic, the ground folding open like soft clay. Then, with a gesture, he pulled the massive Silver Pholidota corpse from his storage dimension. The monstrous creature appeared with a thud that shook the soil.
The guards standing by the wall stiffened instantly.
"Young Master Alvin!" one shouted. "W-what is that thing?!"
Alvin answered calmly. "That is the Silver Pholidota—an S-rank monster he defeated in the Guartav region."
"S… S-rank?"
Several guards staggered backward, eyes widening as they examined the creature's shimmering silver scales.
Kazien was already at work. He took out a blade and began cutting open the monster's stomach, removing its internal organs one by one and tossing them neatly into the pit. The work was messy, but his expression remained focused, efficient, and strangely serene.
When he was done, he murmured, "Next, I have to drain its blood completely."
He lifted the entire corpse with wind magic effortlessly—something that caused more guards to gape—and angled it downward. Thick silver-tinted blood poured into the pit.
Two hours passed before the last drop finally fell.
Kazien lowered the empty shell of the monster. His palms glowed red-hot as he channeled heat magic directly into the corpse.
Alvin cupped his hands around his mouth and called from near the gate, "My dear, how long will it take for you to finish extracting all the materials?"
Kazien shouted back without turning. "Soon! I have to heat the scales first so they'll fall off easily!"
As the corpse grew hotter, steam hissed into the air. One by one, the magnificent silver scales began to loosen and drop with faint metallic clinks.
Alvin gasped. "So that's why there were so many scales lying around the cave… One scale alone has fifteen layers!"
Kazien reached inside the monster's body again, arm disappearing up to the elbow as he felt blindly around.
"Yes… yes… ah! Found it! This must be the magic crystal!"
He cut around the area and carefully extracted it.
The crystal he pulled out was enormous—nearly as wide as his torso. It emitted a soft, pulsing glow, radiating pure magical energy.
Kazien's eyes sparkled. "Jackpot! Wait… oh no. What about the magic crystal from the Shadow Tiger King I killed earlier…?"
He froze.
"Argh!! I regret selling it! I didn't think about the magical tools I could've made with that crystal!"
Alvin could only marvel. "So this is what he wanted… no wonder he looked so excited."
Kazien quickly set to work. Using alchemy magic, he processed the immense crystal, breaking it into 164 small pieces—each exactly 0.5 cm in size. Then he combined the fragments with 41 silver scales.
With a dramatic sweep of his hand, he activated his transmutation circle.
A swirl of energy encased the materials.
Moments later—
Ling!
164 silver bracelets lay neatly on the ground, glowing faintly.
"All for the griffon army," Kazien declared proudly. "When I get home, I'll give them to Brother Davin immediately."
Alvin approached again. "My dear, are you done?"
"Yes," Kazien replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "All materials processed and the pit will be filled now."
He used earth magic to refill the giant hole, smoothing the land as if nothing had ever been there.
Then Alvin pointed at him, wrinkling his nose. "Wash your bloody hands! Do you want the whole city panicking?"
Kazien lifted his hands. They were indeed covered in silver-tinted blood.
He sighed. "Fine. Fine."
A sphere of water formed around his palms, swirling until the blood disappeared completely.
"Done," Kazien said. "Anything else?"
"No! Let's go home before the guards faint from shock."
When they arrived back at the mansion, Davin was in the foyer reviewing reports. Kazien didn't hesitate—he threw himself onto his brother with an enthusiastic hug.
Davin let out a long-suffering sigh. "Why do you always hug me like this?"
"Because I love you!" Kazien replied cheerfully.
"Stop joking and tell me why you're here!"
Kazien grinned and pulled out the mountain of silver bracelets, stacking them onto the table.
Davin's eyes widened as the room filled with their shimmering glow. "What… what are these?"
"Magic bracelets," Kazien announced proudly. "They're for all the griffons."
Davin picked one up, turning it over. "They look… expensive. And powerful."
"Oh, they are!" Kazien said eagerly. "They detect malicious intent, resize automatically, allow griffons to speak the human language, and if a griffon wearing one dies, both the creature and the bracelet will teleport back to headquarters."
Davin slowly set the bracelet down.
Then he stared at Kazien.
Then at the bracelets.
Then back at Kazien.
"You've made something insane again… haven't you?"
Kazien simply responded with his widest and most satisfied smile.