To Vivi's surprise, her hands hadn't forgotten how to shape veins.

She wasn't as accurate as she was on the final days of the competition—the level of concentration required to craft something like Blossom was insane—but her movements were smooth enough that she had no reason to beat herself up. Given a few days, Vivi would be confident enough to attempt more three-runed swords.

For now, she just had fun. Her first work was a greatsword that technically had two ether roots, both of which added mass runes to. This wasn't for any practical benefit. She just wanted to craft the heaviest and most unusable sword she could imagine. Her second work was a thick saw-blade attached to a sword hilt. The blade didn't spin; it just had a sharp edge with a spiraling ether root inside carrying a swiftness rune.

Vivi didn't know why she crafted these two joke weapons. But she was a millionaire now. She could craft whatever she wanted. She hung both of the weapons on the walls as decorations.

"Let's go for serious attempts tomorrow," Vivi said. "Those were good warm-ups."

"We could have crafted actual two-runed weapons," Lucius said. "As we just saw, they sell for millions."

"I don't see the need to rush," Vivi said. "We already have a million ether. Earning more is just excessive. I'm more interested in improving my craft. Grandpa crafted multiple five-runed swords. Six is possible as well. We'll need many years to catch up to him."

Lucius pouted at her. "Do you really plan on spending years in this city? What about hunting? Channeling ether? Defeating bosses?"

"We'll continue channeling ether in Paradise," Vivi said. "We have no reason to stop that. As for hunting… We'll definitely put every milestone sword I craft into the test against bosses."

"Yes, I don't think hunting bosses as a primary source of ether is worth it," Lucius said. "You earn more by selling swords. After we sell Blossom, we can start thinking of which exalted skills we want to buy. One million might get us a good rare skill. The best exalted skills will sell for tens upon tens of millions. We can never have enough ether."

"You're never going to let me rest, are you," Vivi said with a sigh.

"Didn't we spend almost a week resting at Senith's place?"

"Sure, whatever," Vivi said. She washed her face in her bathroom. After the new installments, Vivi could actually clean up at home without visiting the bathhouse for every little problem. She wouldn't need to sleep on her anvil in fear of dirtying her bedsheets.

The luxuries were odd. Vivi had yet to decide whether sleeping on a bed was more productive, or if it hindered her progress. She closed her eyes and let Lucius take her to Paradise for practice.

***

Vivi woke up directly on Ythar's island.

She blinked, wondering if there was a mistake. The sun was bright with barely any clouds overhead. Locium buildings reflected brightly around her.

The richness in Paradise was different from Shivenar's upper levels. Shivenar was far more stylish and designed as a city. Paradise was just excessive. Buildings were constructed out of the richest materials, not because they looked good, but because locium was expensive.

"Why are we here?" Vivi asked. She stood and saw her outfit. "And why am I wearing my dress?"

Lucius floated around her, grinning. "I believe it's time for a comeback. We are no longer cursed. I wonder what the hunters will think, seeing us with over a million ether?"

Vivi's hair felt weirdly fluffy. She glanced at a building-front and saw a reflection of herself. Her hair was wavy, just like it had been when exiting Threads and Reveries. Her skin vaguely glowed with a light coating of ether.

"I saved your outfit in memory," Lucius said. "I can summon you into Paradise with whatever outfit we prefer."

Vivi frowned, while Lucius fluttered around her excitedly. "Next time," Vivi said, "please inform me before pulling a stunt like this. How am I supposed to defend myself if we're attacked in this outfit?"

"People don't even recognize you," Lucius said.

Looking around herself, Vivi hated to admit it, but Lucius was right. The glances she received were entirely different from the ones hunters usually sent her way. Male hunters eyed her face as if she was some lost lady. The women looked doubtful, as if examining whether Vivi was competition.

The dress doesn't fit at all, Vivi thought. Everyone is dressed for combat. I'll rip my clothes if I try to swing a sword.

"I was thinking we should buy a swordmaiden's dress at some point," Lucius said.

We are not buying any more dresses, Vivi thought.

Lucius laughed. "I'm kidding. We need to find a fancier raincoat for you."

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Just get us out of here… Vivi thought. This place makes me sick. We came to practice. Not to show off to these murderers.

"The hunters would probably respect you now," Lucius said. "If we put in some effort."

And so what? Vivi thought. Why would we want to be respected by them?

Lucius studied her expression. "If that's your decision, let's get out of here."

Vivi sighed. Lucius could be so annoying at times. Of course Vivi didn't want to be up on this useless island.

Vivi was about to close her eyes for another teleportation, when she spotted something amongst a group of passing men. Her head flinched up. Lucius, wait a moment…

The man in question had clean side-parted hair. His skin wasn't perfectly smooth with some wrinkles of age, but it was still far smoother than a demon's skin. His outfit blended in with the hunters around him: a black suit fit for battle, similar to the ones Andre tended to wear.

He had a scabbard on his belt. A sword-hilt poked out. A hilt wrapped in white obsidian with runes underneath.

Vivi ran over, forgetting her disgust over the island and its hunters. "Why do you have a runesword?" she blurted out.

The man blinked at her. His group paused. All of them looked confused.

"Ah," he eventually said. "You're the runesmith's girl. Vivian?"

The runesmith's girl? Vivi thought. What?

"She's not supposed to be here," another man said. "It was ordered to send her out of Paradise on sight."

What's going on!? Vivi shouted in her head. Out loud, she said, "I'm not cursed anymore. You have no reason to kill me."

"It's not about that," the man said. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "We apologize, but you'll have to die for tonight."

He waved, glancing up at building roofs. Vivi stood still, utterly confused.

A sharp whistle-like whoosh sounded from behind her along with a subtle ethereal presence. An arrow pierced the back of her skull, disintegrating her to ether.

***

Vivi sprung out of bed. "What the hell? What's that about!? Why do the hunters have runeswords?"

"That's very odd…" Lucius said. "I thought they would respect you now that we aren't in debt."

The arrow that killed her didn't bother her. If she entered Ythar's island, getting killed was an inevitability. What was more concerning was the sword strapped to the man's scabbard.

"Lucius, that hunter had a runesword."

"Your Grandpa has been selling swords for a while, has he not?" Lucius asked. "I'm guessing he sold hundreds. The hunters probably finally realized those swords are actually good."

Vivi bit her lip. She wrapped herself tight inside her blanket. Lucius's idea was possible. Grandpa had sold most of his swords, including four five-runed swords. Most of his best swords were sold to Ellandor.

The sword the hunter wielded wasn't one of Grandpa's masterpieces. Vivi still recalled each hilt of Grandpa's masterpieces. She wasn't certain how powerful the sword was, but Grandpa commonly used white obsidian wrap. The sword could have very well been his creation.

Vivi slammed her hand on her nightstand. Her hatred toward the hunters only grew. "First they let him die in prison. Then they steal his life's work and swing them around as if nothing has happened!"

Lucius looked away. "I didn't remember they were this shameless."

"That's nothing new," Vivi said. "But this might be a problem…"

She stayed wrapped inside her blanket. Her bed was actually comfy now to the point she wanted to stay there. Everything in the new smithy was comfortable. The only thing she had to worry about was her sack of ether roots. She'd need to buy more soon.

The hunters better not be doing anything stupid. I really don't want to head to the surface to deal with this…

A knock came on the door. Vivi lifted her head. She had a butler now, didn't she? If someone was knocking, it probably wasn't a customer.

With her blanket wrapped around her like a cloak, Vivi headed to the door with her back arched. She opened it slowly and peeked her head out, squinting by the facets' light.

The butler Lucas had hired, in his fancy black suit, lowered his head. "Master Vivian. You have visitors."

Behind the butler, Vivi spotted a lot of heads. A whole crowd, everyone silently eyeing Vivi. Not hooligans either, but nobles and maids in rich outfits. Amongst the crowd was a carriage with a sculpted dragon head on its top. Letters had been engraved into its body and painted with reflective conductive paste. The letters read, Runesmiths of Vanhalla.

Vivi slid backward, her head peeking out from an ajar door like some goblin. Zack Vanhammer better not have been here…

"I believe I said the smithy is still closed," Vivi said.

"Yes, I am aware," the butler said. "This guest… might be an exception. The Luminary is here."

"The Luminary?" Vivi asked. "Who's that again?"

"The Luminary?" The butler blinked, then spoke in a loud whisper. "The Luminary, Lady Insight, Coshi Dala! The ruler of Shivenar!"

Vivi flinched upright. Really? The leader of this place was there to meet her?

"Lady Insight, as well as Piaro Vanhammer have both arrived," the butler said. "They wish to hold a discussion with you."

"We have paid our taxes, right?" Vivi asked, subtly trying to sneak the door closed.

The butler held the door open. "The business is not under threat. They are not here to apprehend or punish you. That is all I know." After an uncomfortable pause, he added, "Although, it does not seem Piaro or the Luminary are overjoyed. I recommend preparing your best outfit."

A mumble of uncertainty came from Vivi's mouth. She began closing the door again. "Can they shut the business down?"

"Lucas is making sure they cannot," the butler said.

"Then, tell her to come back later," Vivi said. "She can return when she isn't in a bad mood."

"You do not wish to meet her?" the butler asked.

"No," Vivi said. "The business is closed. The Luminary will not receive special treatment."

She closed the door, hiding from the crowd outside her doors. She slumped down and cuddled in her blanket.

Lucius laughed in her head. "That's a bold move, Vivi. You wish to keep yourself independent from the leaders, I see. We might lose some potential ether because of this, but I don't hate the decision."

Lucius? Vivi asked. Why are we so famous!

The question seemed to confuse Lucius. "We are the best. Of course we are famous. Isn't that what we wanted?"

Gods. There were so many people outside her doors. Everyone must have wanted runeswords. They'd seen how powerful Blossom was.

The Luminary herself was with them. And apparently she was annoyed at Vivi.

We need to get back to work, Vivi thought. My consistency with three-runed swords needs to go up. I need to get better.

"We are already the best," Lucius said.

Regardless, we're not even close to Grandpa's work, Vivi thought. We need to get better.

Lucius sighed. "Vivi, you can be difficult sometimes…"

Vivi ignored him. She stood and put on her smithing apron, preparing herself for another work-spree.

She spent the next twenty hours shaping veins. For the whole process, she was distracted by the sight in Paradise.

Why in Ythar's name were the hunters suddenly wielding runeswords?

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