The delegation arrived with velvet.
That was how Ace knew it was serious.
Five people.
Matching cloaks.
No dust on their boots.
They bowed too low.
---
The Request
"We represent the Kingdom of Halcyon," the lead envoy said.
"Our borders are… unstable."
Ace sat on the worktable, tail wrapped neatly.
"You want a weapon."
The envoy smiled.
"A deterrent."
Ace hopped down.
"…Show me what scares you."
The smile faltered.
---
The Materials (They Brought Their Own)
Gold ingots.
Mana crystals.
A sword blank forged by masters.
Perfect.
Too perfect.
Ace touched the blade.
It hummed obediently.
He grimaced.
"This will listen to anyone."
"That's the point," the envoy said.
Ace nodded slowly.
"Then you won't like what I make."
---
The Craft
Ace added nothing valuable.
He scratched the blade with a cracked awl.
Filed one edge uneven.
Inlaid a single thread from Ravenna's cloak into the fuller.
The magic resisted.
Fought him.
Ace leaned in.
"No," he whispered.
"You don't get to be easy."
The forge flared—
Then dimmed.
The sword cooled.
Quiet.
Heavy.
---
Item Created: The Blade of Mutual Intent
Refuses to strike unless the wielder accepts the same harm
Edge dulls when used to intimidate
Sharpens only in defense of someone weaker
Cannot be sheathed while consequences remain unpaid
The envoys stared.
"This is defective."
Ace tilted his head.
"No," he said.
"It's honest."
---
The Refusal
"We won't pay for this," the lead envoy snapped.
Ace shrugged.
"I know."
He slid the sword across the table.
"It's already paid for."
The blade rang once.
Low.
Uncomfortable.
The envoys left empty-handed.
And unsettled.
---
The Aftermath (Not Immediate)
Weeks later—
Halcyon's army hesitated.
Their generals argued.
The blade had been passed around.
No one wanted to hold it.
It felt like accountability.
Borders stabilized.
Not from fear.
From uncertainty.
---
The Copycats
A black-market smith tried to recreate it.
The result—
A sword that cut indiscriminately.
It broke in battle.
Killed its wielder.
Ace read the report.
Sighed.
"…They skipped the listening part."
---
End Beat
Ravenna watched Ace catalog the blade.
"You could've made something simpler."
Ace placed the sword on a shelf marked DO NOT RUSH.
"Then they would've used it faster."
He stretched.
Outside, the Bell rang.
Once.
Somewhere—
A kingdom chose not to swing.
And that, Ace thought—
was legendary enough.