[LSB] Chapter 101: Picking Up Spirits Like They're Rocks

Keena’s voice was loud, loud enough that the people who didn’t care about Juliet and Julian at all were now staring at them and wondering what the commotion was about. That seemed to be Keena’s intent, however, as Julian felt a slight twitch in her lips.

Anyone else wouldn’t have noticed it, but Julian could also feel the beating of her heart becoming more and more excited.

“What?” Keena followed up, crossing her arms as she took a step back to make sure everyone was getting a good look at what was happening, “Can’t say anything because it’s true?”

Juliet was about to say something, but Julian grabbed her by the wrist and said nothing.

She stared at Julian’s hand for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and calming herself down bit by bit. She stared down at Keena, looking her in the eyes before saying,

“If you’re just here to pick up a fight, then go bother someone else. I’m in the middle of something and have no time to play your childish games.”

Keena scoffed and smirked at her words. Julian could feel her eyebrows twitch, and he knew she was about to explode there and then—but like Juliet, she also started to calm down as she focused on Julian instead.

“Take this as a warning. You’re a beautiful man, you don’t want to be wasted being with someone like her.” Keena stepped forward, wanting to get closer to him. But before she could let out another word, Julian just suddenly turned around and completely ignored her.

“What the…” Keena blinked in disbelief, and Juliet just smirked at her before also turning around to ignore her. She wanted to say something, but she was interrupted again when the reception returned with several people in tow.

The bystanders who were just previously eavesdropping on the conversation were now genuinely curious when they saw the people arrive.

How could they not, when the vice guild master of the Blacksmith Guild was one of the people approaching?

“Who is Julian Winters?” The vice guild master said, and the receptionist quickly rushed toward Julian’s side before bowing her head and gesturing to him.

“This is him, Sir Frederick.” She said as she stepped away, “And the woman was the one who presented the recommendation letter.”

“Hmm.” The vice guild master, Frederick, narrowed his eyes as he looked at Juliet and Julian. He placed his hands behind his back before settling his sights on Julian and saying, “So, you’re the one who was recommended by Calydion. The one who singlehandedly restored the trade of the entire city by lighting up the forge—I was there during the party, but I was told that you already left. A shame, I would have wanted to meet you. That is… if you are who you say you are.”

“Hmm.” Julian hummed as Fredrick and the other people he was with started at him, their eyes narrowing in suspicion as they looked at him from head to toe. He was about to say something, but Juliet beat him to it as she stepped forward.

“Sir Frederick, we’ve given you the letter with the stamp. I… think that should be proof enough,” she said while bowing her head. She was bowing out of respect, of course, but she also did it to hide the fact that her eyebrows were twitching.

She was already in a sour mood because of Keena, and now the people of the Blacksmith Guild were looking at them like they fabricated the recommendation letter, after she spent the time and effort to ride to Calydion to get it before heading to Piathus.

But most importantly, she hated the way they looked at Julian—like they were looking down on him without even knowing what he was capable of. She lifted her chin, straightened her posture, and stepped beside him before saying,

“I assure you, the boss’ skill is real.”

“I am not doubting your master’s skill,” Frederick quickly shook his head, “After all, to light the flames of a spirit is a feat that many grandmaster blacksmiths such as I have failed to do—I would need proof, and there is a simple way to prove that, no? I have heard that Julian Winters was in trouble with the Order of Artemia—but once they saw the Mark of Searadyn, a high-ranking official got you out… only to be abducted by the evil spirits. At least, that is what I heard.”

Julian tilted his head slightly as he processed the information. He had almost forgotten about all of that—so much had happened since then, far more exciting things that had pushed it to the back of his mind. But for the vice guild master of the entire Blacksmith Guild to know the details so well… it seemed the situation was more problematic than he had initially thought.

“We…” A small bead of sweat trailed on Juliet’s cheek as she tried to come up with an answer. She wasn’t aware whether Frederick was close to the Order of Artemia, and if they found out that the so-called evil spirits were actually Julian and his friends, then they would be in big trouble. She tried to collect her thoughts for a bit as she glanced at Julian, but right when she had cooked up a story in her head, Keena suddenly stepped forward and made herself known.

“She’s lying, Sir Frederick!” Keena said while pointing her finger violently at Juliet’s large bosom, “If you’re not aware, this woman only passed the blacksmith exam years ago because she was intimately close to the previous inspector!”

“Is that true?” Frederick glared at Juliet, “What’s your name? Show me your license so we could—”

Before Frederick could even approach Juliet, Julian finally stepped forward; sighing as he took off his leather gloves and showed the back of his hand to Frederick.

Frederick immediately froze upon seeing the Mark of Searadyn. And it wasn’t only him, the other people he was with all gasped when they saw it. And before any of them could speak, Julian snapped his fingers and fully opened up his hand, summoning the Avatar of Searadyn on his palm.

From the way the flame took its shape with the Avatar of Searadyn having her arms crossed, she did not look entirely happy being summoned. Not at Julian, of course, but at Frederick—and she wasn’t modest at all in showing it as she clicked her tongue at him.

“You dare question the identity of my master?” She said, the flames wrapping around her tiny body flickering and causing the other flames inside the guild to wither away due to the sudden freezing pressure that breezed across the hall, “A low-skilled blacksmith like you dare to question my master!?”

Her voice was quiet, but the presence of each of her words contained caused Frederick to hold his breath. Even those watching from the side had their eyes and mouths wide open as soon as they saw the avatar spirit.

“I am sorry that you had to summon me just for this, Master.” Her voice, however, immediately turned soft as she glanced at Julian. But it also immediately turned cold when she turned her focus back to Frederick, “Don’t make Master summon his other spirit, or I swear I would tattle on you to the other spirits inside this laughable tower of yours—don’t test me, I could feel three flame spirits residing in this tower.”

Before Frederick could even offer a rebuttal, the Avatar of Searadyn returned inside Julian.

Julian did not even have to say anything at all to shut everyone up on the floor. But perhaps the most speechless one was Keena—she had prepared all sorts of things to say, but all of them went away as soon as Julian summoned the spirit.

After all, what sort of people were capable of taming a spirit? Even the vice guild master of the Blacksmith Guild didn’t have one, only the guild master had one… and he only had one.

Frederick continued to hold his breath, and he only moved when he couldn’t hold it in anymore and said, 

“Wait… are you saying you’ve tamed two flame spirits?”

His voice sounded hurried, completely in disbelief as he looked at Julian’s face. Julian, on the other hand, only hummed in response before saying,

“Yes. I got it recently by accident.”

“By… accident?” Frederick gasped along with the people behind him. 

He got it recently by accident? 

What was he even trying to say? Was he trying to say that flame spirits were that easy to get? If so, if they were to go out there now, would they also accidentally get a flame spirit of their own?

Frederick stared at Julian again for a few seconds. He then turned to look at the other people on the floor, and when he realized that everyone was looking at them, he cleared his throat and turned around.

“This is not the place to talk about this,” he said. 

“Come, follow me. I wish to see just how great someone who could tame two spirits is.”

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AUTHOR NOTES

Sorry for the slightly short chapter. Have somewhere I need to be T_T