CH211 Plate of Happenstance

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'That said, the armour is really well made. From the preparation of the special alloy to the actual crafting and finishing, every detail spoke of the craftsman's passion and dedication. This was not the work of someone going through the motions — the maker clearly cared, both for their craft and, perhaps, for the armour's intended wearer.'

'In fact,' Alex thought, 'I doubt the craftsman was just some veteran Tier III Expert Forgesmith. More likely, they were on the very cusp of advancing to a Tier IV Master Forgesmith.'

Although the armour had ultimately ended up as a mere Tier III artefact — most suitable for Elite and Great Mages — it had both the potential and the foundation to be improved. With a little refining from a true Master, it could have reached the Tier IV level it was originally meant to achieve.

'In theory,' Alex mused, 'if I were willing to invest in it, I could use this armour until I reach the Grand Mage rank. Maybe… it could even remain useful until I become a Legend.'

He glanced at Jared, not expecting this sadistic, disrespectful, and endlessly annoying knight to gift him something so genuinely useful.

"I have a feeling you're thinking of something that would earn you a beating, Young Master Alex," Jared remarked dryly, catching the youth's gaze.

'Yep, as disrespectful as always… but oddly, kind of cute now,' Alex thought, a smile tugging at his lips.

"No, I just thought you're nicer than you look. I didn't expect you to prepare such a wonderful gift for me," Alex replied with a slight shake of his head.

"As I thought, you're asking for a beating. I'd invite you to the training ground, but unfortunately, you need to lead your first proper campaign in a couple of hours," Jared said, before adding, "Then again, it still remains to be seen if you can actually receive the gift."

After uncovering the armour's hidden nature, Alex knew he was no longer bound by the original conditions required for its approval.

With a smirk, he approached the armour. Instead of reaching to wear it, he simply laid his palm against the chestplate.

'You're up, Aetherkindle,' Alex called in his heart.

From his Mana Heart, a golden flame in draconic form burst forth, flowing through his mana pathways and down his arm. It ignited upon the armour in a shimmering, illusory blaze.

"AHHH!!!" A psychic shriek erupted from the armour as Aetherkindle burned away the remnant will lurking within.

As the Origin Primal Flame, embodying the concepts of Purity and Refinement, Aetherkindle put the armour — including its integrated beast core — through the purification and tempering process it should have undergone long ago.

To Jared's credit, he didn't step in to stop Alex. Instead, the Saint Dark Knight simply watched, eyes narrowing as he assessed the scene. It didn't take him long to realise that the strange flame wasn't harming the armour at all.

At first, he assumed it was just the youth's way of cheating his way through the user acceptance process. But as he observed more closely, a faint flicker of understanding crossed his mind.

For the briefest instant, Aetherkindle's flames exposed the armour's true nature. It was more than enough for a powerful Saint to detect the signs.

"A beast's remnant will?"

"Yes," Alex confirmed. "That's the main reason the armour has been rejecting wearers. The craftsman's skill was far too high for this to be some careless mistake."

"I see."

The remnant will's psychic shriek grew louder and more desperate as Aetherkindle continued its relentless work.

Before long, dark miasmic smoke began to seep from the armour — only to be instantly burned away by Aetherkindle's golden flames, which could not ignore even the slightest trace of filth or corruption.

Seizing the moment, Alex quietly slipped his Spiritual Force through his connection to Aetherkindle, exploiting the armour's current vulnerability. He wove his way into its rune formation and created a hidden backdoor, granting himself control without ever going through the official user assessment process.

It was a chance that could only exist due to the perfect alignment of several rare coincidences — and Alex was not the sort to let such an opportunity pass.

Within five minutes, the miasmic remnant will that had slumbered and grown inside the armour for centuries was completely erased.

'Another large coincidence…' Alex mused. 'For centuries, no Master artisan from any of the three major craftsman professions ever came into contact with this armour. Usually, artefacts with such history are snapped up quickly, either to recover ancient techniques or study forgotten methods hidden in their design.'

Lifting the armour, Alex slipped it on with ease. Thanks to the backdoor he had planted, the armour's runes now recognised him as its rightful user.

There was no resistance at all.

He wore it over his usual Brotherhood-style garb — long-sleeved tunic concealing his wristblade, hood and all.

It gave him the air of someone out of a medieval play, though instead of a cloak that would have perfectly complemented the armour, the hood hung loosely at his upper back, ready to cover his head when needed.

The armour enhanced his noble bearing without dampening the roguish edge of his style.

Feeling the weight settle on him, Alex noted it was far heavier than what most mages could tolerate while moving in battle — but for him, it was manageable.

Jared, watching, gave a small nod. He had expected this result, though his eyes twitched slightly at the ease with which the young noble wore it. He had dealt with enough magic armours to know Alex must have done something… cheated, somehow.

Still, it didn't matter. Cheated or not, Jared had intended to give him the armour either way.

"Does the armour have a name?" Alex asked once he'd adjusted to its weight.

"No," Jared replied. "The crafter died shortly after making it, and the intended user never had the chance to wear it. It was never named. You can name it if you want."

"You gave me an armour with such an ominous history?" Alex raised an eyebrow.

Jared met his gaze silently, as if to say he was welcome to take it off if he didn't want it.

Of course, Alex wasn't about to give up such a fine piece over mere superstition.

Thinking back to the string of coincidences surrounding the armour's creation and survival, and drawing on his usual naming sense, Alex decided:

"Plate of Happenstance," he muttered.

Jared didn't comment on the name — just gave a simple nod.

"Come along, Young Master Alex. There's one more gift," he said, quickly ushering him out of the storage room.

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