That question was easier asked than answered. Arwin was trained with most weapons, but Verdant Blaze covered just about all his needs for close quarters combat. The crystal was also enormous. He couldn’t stick it onto a dagger. Anything that held it would have to be huge. He didn’t really want to make a large sword or another hammer. They’d probably work, but it felt like a waste. Neither would give him as much benefit as a completely new piece and anything he made would likely take on a portion of the crystal’s powers. To be honest, even if I can contain the crystal’s magic to keep it from affecting me, I don’t know if I’d want its power anywhere close. Maybe this would be better as some form of throwing weapon? I could bind to it with Arsenal and reuse it. Arwin paced in circles around his anvil as he thought. A throwing weapon definitely had potential. The crystal was unwieldy and heavy, but he could use [Scourge] to fling whatever it ended up in. Maybe a javelin or a spear? But I’m really not all that accurate with those. I could throw them, sure, but I don’t know how often I’d actually hit my target. It would be much better if I had a… “A bow,” Arwin muttered, his eyes lighting up. “That’s it. I’ll make it part of a bow. It would have to be one big bloody bow, but [Scourge] would let me draw the string. It wouldn’t be the first time I used a bow, and I’m a decent shot with them. Adapting to such a large weapon might be difficult, but it’s better in the long term.” Arwin nodded to himself as he spoke. The longer he thought about it, the more promising the idea seemed. Any magical effects the crystal had would likely get transferred into its arrows rather than affecting the wielder. It would give him a way to study the crystal and what it did without putting himself or anyone else at too much risk. All he had to do was figure out how to actually make a bow. He wasn’t about to do it out of wood. That would have required a bit more skill than he had with the material – and it wasn’t like he could forge a tree trunk. If I use a flexible metal like Brightsteel, I could make the bow bendable. I’d have to use a lot of it, but it would be basically unusable unless I’m using [Scourge]. I suppose that was always the plan, though. “There’s already one waiting for you. Fortunately for you, I predicted this may have happened and retrieved one of your sets of clothes as well. You might need to get some more in the near future. You’re running out.” “I’ll keep that in mind.” Lillia nodded in response. He headed past her and over to the bathrooms. As Lillia had said, there was already a large tub full of water waiting for him, his clothes draped over a wooden hanger protruding from the wall to its side. He wasted no time in taking advantage of the awaiting water. It was cold, but a little application of his [Soul Flame] brought everything up to heat quickly. Arwin scrubbed himself down and worked the smell out of his skin as best as he could. He didn’t want to sit around in the bath for the rest of the night, but Lillia had been right about the smell. It took him around thirty minutes before he was satisfied with the results. Arwin re-clothed himself with the spare set and then headed back out to rejoin Lillia. She was still sitting at the counter, though she’d finished her drink. “That was great. Thank you,” Arwin said as he drew up beside her. “I–” The rest of his sentence caught in his throat as Lillia leaned in, smelling at the nape of his neck. Her hair brushed against his skin before she pulled back and gave him a small nod. “There. That’s better.” “I – ah, yeah.” Arwin cleared his throat. “It is. When did the others go to bed?” “Two or so hours ago. Anna and Reya were all worn out from traveling. I’ve just been mostly working on the inn. Repairing some of the extra rooms and trying to see if I can get the rest of the upstairs portion a little more livable,” Lillia said. “I’ll probably need to get some more beds in the near future. That’s a problem for later. Right now, I just want to eat.” “There’s always work,” Arwin agreed. “We can handle that later. I’m looking forward to eating as well.” “Really? I thought you were just keeping me company. I thought you didn’t really need food.” “I don’t, but it doesn’t hurt when it tastes good.” “I think those squid tentacles might have.” “They were perfectly fine. You’re just being overly critical of yourself.” Lillia pierced Arwin with a stare that told him she didn’t believe a single word coming out of his mouth. A small grin pulled across her lips and she shook her head, rising out of her chair and brushing past him as she headed toward the kitchen. “Come on.” “We’re not eating out here?” “No. I want to turn the light out.” Lillia stopped beneath the lantern and reached up to it. “And the magical shade in my room mutes sound. It’ll make sure that nobody wakes up from us talking.” Arwin shrugged and joined her. She reached up to the lantern and snuffed the candle out. Her hand found his wrist a moment later and she guided him through the darkness. Lillia’s hand caught his shoulder a few steps later. “Careful,” she whispered. “What? I can’t see where I’m going. Did I almost hit something?” “The doorframe,” Lillia replied. Arwin’s foot nudged into the hay that made up her bed and she gave his wrist a small tug. “You can sit down. I’ve got the food waiting. I made these so they’d still be good cold.” She put what felt like a sandwich into Arwin’s hands, then sat down beside him. He lifted it to his lips and sniffed at it. It was a strange feeling to be about to eat something that he couldn’t even see. “Is this a sandwich?” Arwin asked. “Yeah. Meat, cheese, and oil. Not exactly fancy, but I’ve been devouring them today. They’re pretty good. I think they are, at least.” Arwin took a bite out of his meal. He chewed silently for a few seconds before swallowing. She was right. The sandwich tasted great. It was plain, but all the ingredients held their own and melded into a perfect mix of flavors.