The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

Arius had no interest in taking care of children, and after losing his most suitable weapon, he embarked on a journey to find the Holy Sword.

Tilissa, on the other hand, took on a special "sidekick".

Besides imparting all his sword skills to him, it was also to keep an eye on his every move.

“Aside from his swordsmanship talent, which even Arios found disheartening, Felix’s mind is no different from that of an ordinary child.”

"I couldn't keep Felix with me all the time, so I left a letter guiding him to the academy."

Tilisa fabricated an identity and age for Felix, thus resolving his enrollment issues.

At the same time, he greeted Jessica and asked her to keep an eye on Felix's activities within the academy, but not to include him in the Silver Wolf Class for the time being.

Although Felix appears harmless and approachable, he has had too little contact with the outside world and needs further observation.

Only by remaining completely uncontrollable after leaving the sight of Tilisa and Arios can one lower their guard.

This was an opportunity that Tilisa had secured for Felix—an opportunity to integrate into human society.

“If it weren’t for your unexpected appearance, Felix wouldn’t have been able to join the Silver Wolf Class until at least his second year,” Tilisa frankly told her.

Using flesh and blood to forge weapons is something that Wiener had already done long ago.

Even if the Sword Demon infused Felix with his own flesh and blood and demonic soul, the effect on him would not be as profound as on Vena.

This has nothing to do with strength, but rather a deeper bond than that between creators and their creations.

Even if neither of them remembers anything, Felix will instinctively feel close to Venus when they meet.

"You've only explained Felix's problem."

Wiener is not so easily fooled.

"Then let me ask you, do you remember Felix's real name? Or rather, do you remember the name of the knife I took away?" Tissa suddenly asked.

This question immediately silenced Vener.

Because he genuinely had no recollection of it.

Wiener couldn’t remember how many weapons he had forged, just as a person wouldn’t count the number of slices of bread they’ve eaten.

It's illogical that he can't even remember the names of these two divine weapons that he's longed for for five or six years and even dreamed about.

"The [blade] you gave me, like Felix's, is a weapon capable of destroying demons."

Tilisa answered softly, but as she uttered the weapon's true name, a sudden burst of cacophony filled Venus's mind, drowning out the mysterious name.

"Say it again."

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Viner's forehead, and his voice trembled slightly.

"■■■■".

Tilisa read those four words aloud again.

The noise became even more intense, like sharp white noise, piercing Wiener's nerves and giving him a splitting headache.

Seeing Vina's pained reaction, Tissa seemed to have expected it. She continued softly, "In terms of grade, these two weapons have long surpassed A-grade. Perhaps only Tauronioda's last work can compare to them."

"What price must be paid to forge such a weapon?"

Unlike the main base of St. Freya Academy, Lumiel Village offers opportunities to acquire various rare materials.

How exactly did Navina manage to forge this weapon from ordinary iron to the point where it was strong enough to kill the demon?

Each time she received the blueprints from Arios, Tilisa would choose a different blacksmith to craft them.

Because she discovered that to imbue these weapons with a spirit, not only did it require the blacksmith's superb skills, but it also required the sacrifice of a portion of their memories and souls.

If it is only done occasionally, these lost souls and memories may be restored over time.

If this happens frequently, it will cause irreversible damage to the blacksmith.

"So it's not that I'm unwilling to tell you these things, but your brain is protecting itself; it's resisting the memory of the price you paid."

Tilisa gently embraced Vina, stroking his back with her delicate fingers, hoping to ease his pain.

She immediately noticed that there seemed to be a huge void in Viner's soul, and his vital energy was depleted to a worrying degree, which was not the state a teenager should be in.

This shows that before becoming a Herald, his body was simply unable to bear this enormous price.

If Vena were just an ordinary person, she could certainly take him out of Lumiel Village, find him a job, and let him live the life he wanted.

But Vena is a blacksmith with the potential to forge a holy sword.

Such an identity, once exposed, will undoubtedly attract countless eyes.

Not only would the demons see him as a thorn in their side, but even among humans, there would be forces that would use the guise of righteousness to force Vina to forge for them.

Having to travel to various places year-round to deal with demonic disasters, she obviously couldn't bring Vena with her to protect her.

The safest option is to leave him in Lumiel Village.

Because this is the birthplace of Arios.

Any prophetic spells pointing towards Lumiel Village will be seen as coveting the hero and will suffer a strong backlash before they even take effect.

This is the protection one receives by being registered under the same household as a hero.

Tilisa had planned to return and fulfill this promise to take Vina away from the village after the crisis of the demon god's resurgence was completely resolved.

Unexpectedly, Vena awakened her emblem and left Lumiel Village on her own.

This time, Tilissa could no longer find a reason to refuse.

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Chapter 387 Lisette's One-Day Holiday

"That's why I asked you before, how much do you remember?"

"If you can't recall it yourself, then no matter how much others say, it's useless."

Seeing that Venus's complexion was gradually improving, Tissalis reluctantly released Venus. "Are you satisfied now?"

After a moment of silence, Vena stared at Tissa with a complicated expression and said, "...If you can guarantee that what you just said is true and that you will not lie to me again, I will forgive you."

"I don't want to lie to you."

Tilisa remained as enigmatic as ever.

"So you're still trying to lie to me, right?"

Vena sighed helplessly; he was only ever this helpless when facing Tilissa.

“Playing a little trick now and then is a girl’s privilege, little Venus,” Tilisa teased, as if she were playing with an angry kitten.

"When to believe, when to doubt, or whether to play dumb is up to you to decide."

"You just need to remember that even Arios and I are liars."

"Then I can at least surrender?"

Wener felt utterly powerless and made a gesture of surrender.

It was like one thing subduing another, leaving them with absolutely no chance of winning.

"Of course, I would never harm you, sister. At least that much I can guarantee."

A hint of doting flashed in Tissa's eyes.

"Let's leave those aside for now; I have something to discuss with you."

Vena's expression changed, and she explained in detail the demands that Adele had made earlier, along with her own thoughts.

"...Adeline has far-reaching ambitions. In terms of sheer courage alone, she has already surpassed her father," Tilissa couldn't help but exclaim.

Edel wanted to eradicate the deep-seated problems within the Empire, and the Academy also wanted to eliminate the threat of the demons.

While it may seem like a win-win situation, not everyone dares to make that move.

Once the academy gets involved, no one can guarantee that the knife won't end up on one of their own people.

"But are you sure?" Tilissa asked with concern.

"If it's just about detecting demons, I'm 100% confident; it'll just require more resources. But for mass production... its main material will probably be cold iron."

This is what Wiener is worried about.

If mass production is not possible, the demons lurking in human society can easily evade detection, greatly reducing the effectiveness.

“Cold Iron? You don’t need to worry about that,” Tissa comforted her. “You’ve been focused on forging and haven’t paid much attention to the outside world, so it’s normal that you don’t know anything about it.”

"The Lafna family controls the largest cold iron producing area on the entire continent. In the past, this might have caused some trouble, but now, as long as you produce results, the Lafna family will fully cooperate with you."

Given similar numbers, there are very few knightly orders that can rival the Knights of St. Freya.

The Iceblade Cavalry, which guards the borders of the empire, is one of them.

This cavalry was completely under the control of the Rafna family. Although the individual strength of its members might not be as good as that of the elite of the Holy Knights, the armor and vests they were equipped with were all made of precious cold iron.

In terms of the level of luxury of its accessories, it can be called the most luxurious in mainland China.

They stood like an insurmountable barrier, protecting the empire's gates.

This is why Edel was willing to go to great lengths to win over the Lafner family.

After welcoming back Admira, the Rafna family's stance has completely shifted towards Edel's faction.

In addition, given their family's hatred for the demon race, providing cold iron was a trivial matter.

“When Count Feld took Sigurd away, he invited you to visit the Lafner family,” Tilisa said thoughtfully, resting her chin on her hand. “I think this is a rare opportunity.”

"No, you just said you wouldn't harm me, why are you bringing this up?" Viner instantly became alert.

He beat someone else's son into a cripple, and then shamelessly went to their house as a guest.

Even he felt that this blatant act of slapping someone in the face was a bit excessive.

"Alright, I won't force you," Tilisa chuckled.

"It has now been confirmed that there are nine unsealed demons. If we include those that have been lying in wait and have never appeared, there will be no more than fifteen."

"If we can find them, the pressure when the demon god revives will be much less."

"I feel like you're putting pressure on me," Viner sighed.

“I just hope you can realize that you are important,” Tilissa gently comforted her. “Even if it’s urgent, a few more days won’t make a difference. Don’t exhaust yourself.”

This is clearly pointing out that Viner disregarded his health and stayed up all night to forge three spirit-awakening weapons.

There are deep reasons behind this, at least it won't happen again next time.

Wiener didn't know how to explain it.

I originally planned to make just one weapon for Jessica and then stop, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I was robbed of it twice.

Although he ultimately achieved his goal, the process along the way certainly took a toll on him.

Tilisa chuckled and shook her head, clearly not believing Venere's explanation.

"I can't control you anyway. I'll give Lisette a day off tomorrow so she can take care of you."

“This…isn’t that inappropriate?” Viner frowned slightly. “To disrupt Lisette’s progress over something so trivial.”

Tissa glared at him lightly, feigning anger, and said, "You're quite heartless. It's one thing for you not to rest, but you won't even let Lissie rest?"

“I didn’t say that!” Viner quickly denied.

"Then it's settled!"

Tissa gave Vena no chance to refute.

-----------------

The next day.

Lisette stood in front of Venere's dormitory, feeling rather nervous.

She got up early today and spent a lot of time dressing up, wearing an elegant dress so that she could present her best self to Vina.

This precious vacation was earned by completing the assignment given by Tilissa ahead of schedule.

That's right, this rare day off had nothing to do with Venus at all; it was entirely something Lisette had fought for herself.

She took a deep breath and then gently knocked on the workshop door.