Ethan left the hideout where he had held Amelia captive, and the first and only person he could see was the violet-haired girl named Eleanor.


    She was in this with him. This ce was suggested by her.


    When Ethan received the  Divine Decree, the person who approached him was Eleanor, asking if he was prepared to fulfil his duty as the Emissary of Light.


    Naturally, he didn''t reject it. Someone who hates Ambrobates down to his core and detests them to death, he had to fight against those who sided with evil.


    However, going against the evil-worshiper wasn''t his duty, given there were risks involved. He wasmanded to take someone crucial into captivity.


    Amelia is the only person within Ethan''s reach who can y a vital role in weakening Richard once he returns.


    Although Ethan was not sure of where Richard went, or how strong he would be when he returned, considering the decree arrived from the heavens, this matter was more severe than Ethan could ever expect.


    That''s why it was necessary to abduct Amelia, in case things go south.


    "You did the right thing, Ethan." Hearing her words, he shrugged.


    "I am just following their words." His indifferent answer didn''t make her disheartened.


    Seeing Ethan identifying his destiny and choosing the right path filled Eleanor''s heart with tion and allowed her shoulders to slump in relief.


    When the other three regressors warned her that harming the Duchess could cost Eleanor dearly, she had no other option than to rely on the Divine Ones. Fortunately, they listened to her prayers and made Ethan realise his path.


    Walking beside Ethan she asked, "What are we going to do now? Should I put a barrier around the ce?" They were still on the ind, yet the headmaster hadn''t been able to locate them for some unknown reasons.


    Although Eleanor had confidence in her golems, fighting against a bunch of trained professionals sounded risky.


    Ethan nonchntly stated, "I have camouged this ce with my divine essence. Unless someone is looking at us from point-nk range, we will remain hidden."


    Eleanor was surprised, "When did you unlock that skill?"


    Ethan didn''t reply to her and continued to walk forward.


    There was a lot on his mind, and discerning the limits of his powers was not one of them.


    ---------**---------


    For the next two days, Richard continued to engage in a singr activity that revolved around the forge.


    He had no idea how to forge the de of a scythe, so he made a few prototypes.


    For the first day, Richard devoted his whole time to the prototypes since he knew he would be able to craft the handle, grips, and other attachments with a little effort. What concerned him the most was the distribution of the de''s weight.


    He did not feel satisfied with making it overly weighty or keeping it light.


    The way he was pretty engrossed in making the weapon thoroughly surprised his helpers, given until now Richard had only worked with swords. But now, with scythes, it seemed he wasn''tpletely unaware of its mechanism.


    "This one is pretty good, in my opinion. You can just refine and sharpen it, and you will get yourself the best scythe to present them, "Brad suggested while he held the curved de Richard hammered yesterday.


    It had the perfect weight bnce, with the de being heavy at the spot where it would connect with the handle, and the tip was the lightest part. From Brad''s knowledge, this was an appropriate scythe de.


    However, "No, it''s not good. I don''t feel like it will make a good scythe. Too disnced and feels iplete. Swinging it with one hand could cause self-harm, and because of the extra weight at the tang, I feel the burden on the wielder''s arm will lessen their pace of swing. Not to talk about the tip is not worth pricking the life out of its enemies. Too many ws.


    Don''t show me that anymore."


    Hearing Richard''s detailed exnation of how bad the scythe de was, even though Brad thought it was perfect, the brown-haired frowned.


    However, before he could have said anything Jasmine red at him with the expression, ''Don''t dare say another word''.


    Under the two-way assault, Brad yielded and dumped the de.


    Approaching Richard, he asked, "Why does it seem you are quite familiar with scythes? Didn''t you say you are into batons and staff more?" Brad has be good friends with Richard in these few months. As such, he seldom hears about Richard''s training and the battles he has gone through.


    And in none of those stories, there wasn''t any mention of a scythe.


    Richard frowned, not because he realised it now, but rather because that question was something Richard had been asking himself for two days now.


    "I can''t say...." Letting those words hang in the room, he finally finished heating the material which was far different from normal metal.


    Once it was hot enough, he pulled it from the forge andid it on the anvil. Gripping the hammer tightly, Richard struck the steel, ttening and shaping it into a long, curved de. Each blow was precise, forming the natural arc of the scythe.


    His eyes narrowed, mind racing at what he could do to make it to his liking. Going with the manual didn''t help; he wasn''t satisfied with the design. He needed...something more precise.


    He hammered the weapon while his mind went through several ideas and suddenly he muttered under his breath,


    "No...only sharpening this won''t do..."


    Taking a thicker piece of steel, he heated it separately until it was malleable. With both pieces glowing hot, Richardid the thicker steel along the back of the scythe''s de, where the spine would be.


    Using a heavy hammer, he began to forge-weld the two pieces together. Each strike bonded the thicker steel to the de, creating a raised spine that ran along the entire length. Richard focused on keeping the spine even but strong, adding just enough thickness to reinforce the de without weighing it down too much.


    "The hell...scythes are made to slice not to hammer. Why are you adding weight to it?" Brad questioned, which was met with silence


    Richard didn''t know why he was doing it, but he felt in this way the scythe would be efficient to use.


    He hammered the spines and then reheated the de once again.


    Taking it out, he curved the tip a little more and made it thin like a needle near the tip.


    And about the edge, then Richard went ahead and sharpened both sides to make it double-edged.


    Each movement encouraged him to go on, almost like someone had put him under a spell.


    Richard had a smile on his face when he moulded the weapon to his liking rather than adhering to the manual.


    From time to time, Jasmine carefully wiped his back and neck with a wet fabric, only to store it carefully in a basket and take out another fabric.


    Brad didn''t even have to ask why she was keeping those sweat-soaked clothes, knowing her answer would creep him out.


    It took him four long hours, but finally, Richard stood with the fragment of the weapon with a satisfied look on his face.


    "Congrattions, master!" Jasmine beamed.


    "This looks nothing like a scythe...." Brad sighed.


    Ignoring both of them, well, not entirely, as he nodded towards Jasmine, he went to make a handle for the weapon.


    Now, he needed the perfect handle to match its strength. He chose ash wood for its bnce of lightness and durability. Taking a sturdy, straight branch, he began shaping it with his drawknife, smoothing it down until it had the perfect curve for a scythe.


    He sanded the wood until it was smooth to the touch, then added two wooden handgrips for better control—one near the middle and one at the base. Next, Richard wrapped parts of the handle with strips of leather, tightening them securely. This would give him a solid, non-slip grip when wielding the weapon.


    Satisfied with the handle, he attached the de, securing it tightly to the tang with iron rivets. The final product felt bnced in his hands, strong yet light enough to swing swiftly.


    "It looks marvellous." Jasmineplimented honestly.


    "Yeah, now it looks intimidating as a scythe," Brad added while nodding in acknowledgement.


    Richard smirked as he held the scythe over his shoulder.


    Gripping the weapon he casually swung it....only to freeze in shock.


    His lips parted and vitality escaped his eyes. Countless memories began to pour down his memoryne, and a shooting pain assaulted his mind.


    Richard fell down to his knees, and despite how much Brad and Jasmine called out he wasn''t able to listen to their voices at all


    It was all ...nk.


    What Richard failed to notice and will greatly shock himter was...


    [Death Count: 18683/10000]


    --------*---------


    A/N:- I hope you all liked the chapter. Thanks for reading.