The cosmic revelations Solomon had shared left Tony Stark, the technological genius, feeling a rising sense of unease. The arcanist first laid out a harsh truth, followed by a glimmer of false hope—acknowledging Stark's future achievements while simultaneously taking the responsibility upon himself. Yet, this did nothing to ease Stark's concerns. He wasn't the type to sit idle based on someone else's assurances. As soon as Solomon left, Stark began outlining his next development plans.
Meanwhile, at the orphanage, Solomon remained detached from Stark's plans. He was busy grilling steaks for the children while Athena, ignoring their protests, insisted they eat the broccoli on their plates. Solomon, under Athena's stern gaze, took the lead in eating the vegetables, eliciting complaints from the children. After wrapping up these tasks, Solomon brought a few packs of sirloin steak back to his apartment to prepare dinner and dessert.
Checking his memo and watch, Solomon noted that he needed to pick up Bayonetta and Jeanne after their shopping spree. Before that, however, he had a scheduled visit to the Gates of Hell bar. He had arranged with Rodin to learn the craft of creating magical artifacts—a skill that required hands-on learning rather than simply reading books. Few in Kamar-Taj could craft magical items, and while the Supreme Sorcerer was one of them, Solomon wasn't about to trouble her over such matters. Instead, he turned to Rodin, scheduling lessons.
Although Rodin had refused to take on additional work after fulfilling Kamar-Taj's orders, he didn't mind teaching Solomon a few techniques. Rodin specialized in crafting magical weapons and armor, but the foundational skills of magical crafting—arcane knowledge, craftsmanship, and technical expertise—were universal. Even intricate tasks like stitching runes into fabric were well within Rodin's capabilities, and he believed Solomon could quickly grasp these techniques.
As a mage, Solomon couldn't escape the need for constant learning. He was grateful for his enhanced intellect, which now made achievements like earning a Turing Award seem within reach. Stark's intelligence, however, was even greater—capable of revolutionizing human life on his own. But Solomon wasn't discouraged. As he delved deeper into magical studies, his body absorbed excess mana, strengthening his physique and sharpening his mind. His lifespan would also extend. With his innate advantages and the power of his sacred physique yet to be fully realized, surpassing Stark might come sooner than he anticipated.
With his arcane knowledge checks passed, Solomon now needed only the technical and craft skills to begin creating magical items. [Feat: Craft Wondrous Item]
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Bayonetta didn't mind Solomon being a bit late. She and Jeanne planned to enjoy a drink at the Gates of Hell while watching the arcanist struggle with cutting leather and stitching gloves. The only one visibly annoyed was Enzo. Whenever Solomon visited the bar, the chubby information broker was forced to extinguish his cigar—a non-negotiable rule enforced by Rodin.
"When can I finally smoke a cigar in peace?!" Enzo grumbled, swirling his whiskey. "That kid isn't as innocent as he looks. He's been living with witches for ages! He's already a man! Hey, Rodin, another Chivas!"
Jeanne shot Enzo a glare that could freeze fire. Undeterred, he muttered, "I'm not wrong…" His voice trailed off when Jeanne began spinning her firearm in her hand.
"About five more years," Rodin said casually, pouring another drink for the broker. "Twenty-one is the legal age of adulthood."
Enzo shouted indignantly, "You mean I have to wait that long? Bayonetta, when are you going to make that kid a real man?!"
"He already is~," Bayonetta teased, licking her lips. "Boya's kissing skills have improved a lot."
"Cereza!" Jeanne snapped in disapproval.
Solomon rolled his eyes and continued stitching his gloves. Before arriving at the Gates of Hell, he had prepared two scrolls: one for Bloodletting and another for Vampiric Touch. These were both dark magic spells that drained life force, making the gloves he was crafting true artifacts of black magic. His decision to create these vampiric gloves instead of something like Arcane Strike gloves was deliberate. Paired with weapons forged from a vampire's soul, these gloves would significantly enhance his close-combat capabilities. The gloves absorbed his enemies' life force, while the twin blades he wielded converted the excess vitality into blood to unleash devastating attacks—a perfect cycle.
If not for his well-thought-out use of the twin blades, Solomon wouldn't even consider using weapons that might stunt his growth.
"Here's your cola," Rodin said, placing a glass of iced soda in front of Solomon. "You're improving quickly. Next, you'll need to enchant the gloves. But first, try them on for fit—comfort is more important than magic."
"Don't worry, Rodin," Solomon replied, taking a sip. "These gloves will automatically adjust to size."
"No, I mean check your stitching. I don't want to feel loose threads in a pair of gloves," Rodin countered, pouring himself a drink. Since Solomon's visits to the bar, Rodin had all but quit smoking cigars. Exposing a minor to secondhand smoke was irresponsible, after all.
"One more thing," the fallen angel said. "The last two items you ordered are ready. To be honest, these two scabbards aren't particularly powerful in terms of enchantments, but they took me a long time to make. The patterns and decorations you requested were ridiculously intricate."
"They match the weapons' aesthetics, Rodin," Solomon said, summoning Phoenix. The golden-red bird arrived, clutching two canvas-wrapped items in its talons. Solomon unwrapped the first: the Twin Blades of Falling Leaves. The scabbard Rodin had crafted for them was a curved metal sheath adorned with somber, metallic patterns of unknown material.
The second canvas revealed the Sword of Promised Victory. Solomon had long wanted a proper scabbard for this sword. To complement the blade's radiant elegance, the scabbard needed to match its grandeur. The design was so intricate that Solomon had entrusted the task to Rodin.
Rodin hadn't disappointed. The scabbard's deep blue and golden-yellow enamel decorations were a masterpiece, crafted using the champlevé enamel technique. According to Rodin, the scabbard had been painstakingly kiln-fired over a long period to achieve its final form.
Solomon slid the sword into the scabbard, finding it a perfect fit. He didn't expect this scabbard to have the abilities of the original; he simply needed a functional container to carry the sword. Wrapping it in canvas each time was becoming far too unseemly.
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