The workshop was illegal.
Not aggressively illegal.
Just… unclassifiable.
No license.
No signage.
No fixed address.
It existed wherever Ace stopped long enough to need a table.
Today, it was an abandoned dye house by the river.
---
The First Item – The Needle That Refused Perfection
Ace sorted through scrap.
Bent needles.
Frayed thread.
A thimble cracked down the middle.
Ravenna watched.
"You're making a legendary item," she said carefully,
"with that?"
Ace flicked an ear.
"Legendary doesn't mean flawless."
He threaded the bent needle.
The magic activated—
Not with light.
With resistance.
The needle fought being straightened.
Ace smiled.
---
Item Created: The Needle of Honest Repair
Refuses to mend anything the user is lying about
Stitches grow stronger around weak points instead of hiding them
Breaks if used to fake restoration
Ravenna swallowed.
"This would bankrupt half the tailors' guild."
Ace nodded.
"Good."
---
The Second Item – The Ledger That Wouldn't Balance
A merchant arrived at dusk.
Nervous.
Sweaty.
"I heard you make… tools," he said.
Ace accepted a ledger.
Every page pristine.
Too pristine.
Ace spilled ink on it.
On purpose.
The ink rearranged itself.
Numbers shifted.
Margins widened.
The merchant gasped.
---
Item Created: The Ledger of Deferred Truth
Accounts only balance after consequences occur
Hidden costs appear days later
Cannot be closed while anyone involved is exhausted
The merchant backed away.
"I—I can't use this."
Ace shrugged.
"Then don't."
The ledger snapped shut on its own.
---
The Third Item – The Bell No One Wanted
This one was accidental.
Ace melted broken cutlery.
Forks.
Spoons.
A ladle with a child's name carved into it.
The metal refused to smooth.
It rang when touched.
A dull, uncomfortable sound.
Ace froze.
"…Oh."
Ravenna frowned.
"What?"
Ace hung the bell by the door.
---
Item Created: The Bell of Unsustainable Silence
Rings when harm is ignored long enough to feel normal
Grows quieter the more people pretend not to hear
Cannot be destroyed while still ringing
It rang once.
Then stopped.
Ravenna felt sick.
"So this tells you—"
"When something's been wrong for a long time," Ace said softly.
"Yes."
---
Word Spreads (Wrongly)
Stories traveled.
They said Ace forged miracles.
They said he was rebuilding the age of legends.
They were wrong.
Ace wasn't crafting power.
He was crafting friction.
Items that slowed misuse.
Tools that punished shortcuts.
Artifacts that noticed fatigue.
Legendary—
because no empire wanted them.
---
End Beat
That night—
Ace sat alone.
Surrounded by scraps.
Legendary items stacked carelessly like laundry.
He yawned.
"…I should label these."
The Bell rang once.
Soft.
Ace looked up.
"…Tomorrow," he said.
Because even legends—
need rest.