The journal’s Power Compass page had changed after the meeting with Penelope. Five new hollow circles sat where his conjunction and confluence abilities would go. He couldn’t tell if the journal was learning with him or had instructions to only reveal such information when he discovered it.

Lukas slowly got into the habit of inspecting everything he found. It served as a decent substitute for his lack of magic detection abilities.

Runeblade’s Shortsword

The sword was made with magicked materials, using magic to wield magic by the first runesmiths of the Gray. It will hold arcane imbuements longer than ordinary swords without suffering damage. The stone at its heart also has the ability to attract and store magic for spell casting and empowering the blade.

Hold the sword a blade's width from your lips and speak the following words to activate the respective enchantments.

Bryna: Sharpen

Frar: Haste

Skina: Shine

I need to get in the habit of inspecting things. It was beyond stupid not to.

Lukas kicked himself for not inspecting the short sword earlier. It was a good thing he hadn’t sold it. Kat either didn’t know its true value or had counted on his ignorance to make a neat profit.

The journal also had much to say about the scabbard.

Magestalker Scabbard

The scabbard is made from Magestalker Leather. Little is known about the elusive humanoid creatures besides their hide being able to conceal their magical signatures. They specifically hunt channellers of magic and grow stronger by consuming them.

The scabbard is alchemically treated for hardening and weatherproofing. It will conceal the arcane signatures of the weapon and all else it contains.

These are too valuable to hand to a clone, let alone sell.

Initially, Lukas had believed that the extra-long scabbard was a mistake by the weapon's creator or previous owner. Now, as he concealed the cracked shard, he believed it was intentional. The sword fit over it with room to spare.

Mislead opponents about its length and also hide magical tools to catch them off guard. This is perfect.

Lukas also inspected the coat he had found in the manor. It was mundane, and the journal had nothing to say about it besides the high-quality fabric and weather-resistant treatment. The satchel’s contents still remained unanalyzed. He had sent it away with a clone for safekeeping. The other inn was far safer and in a well-policed area. The chances of burglary were significantly lower.

The inn serving as his temporary hideout sat close to the market street and was still far enough from the eastern wall to not be too big a concern. He spent a couple of days watching the street from his room’s window. Neither thug made an appearance. He didn’t see the shopkeeper either. The shops and nearby alleyways appeared shady, but it was still noon, so Lukas didn’t consider heading out too risky. Even if his former pursuers found or identified him, there wasn’t much they could do in crowded areas. The city guard would get involved, keeping things from getting violent violent.

Stolen novel; please report.

It didn’t take him long to find a leatherworker with quality products. Lukas ate into his meager liquid savings for a belt treated for durability and flexibility. It had a loop for his scabbard and fit snugly enough, so a simple yank wouldn’t be enough to steal the weapon or for disarming. It also came with a buttoned strap to secure the sword, and Lukas kept it fastened.

I just need to remember to undo it if there is the slightest chance of me needing a sword.

The transmigration had robbed Lukas of all the lessons and experience he had gained in the Realm of Great Beings. However, he remembered the many fights and skirmishes he and the clones had experienced. They were like dreams threatening to slip away. The old Lukas had a preference for curved swords and stabbing daggers or knives. His new tool sat somewhere in between, resembling a Roman gladius at just under a couple of feet long.

The blade started broad at the hilt, curved marginally inwards before widening again closer to the triangular tip. A fuller ran along its spine and contained a good deal of the weapon's enchanting runes. Lukas needed to practice with the straighter sword but hoped, in the meantime, the enchantments and raw instinct would help him overcome his shortcomings. Overall, he felt more comfortable with it hanging from his belt.

Approximately two weeks had passed since his arrival in Iskander, but he was already looking and feeling healthier. The hearty meals had helped him put on weight. ‘Elvis’s’ activities in Kat’s forge and the courier jobs ensured he got plenty of exercise. Lukas was still far too skinny but no longer looked sickly and malnourished. His complexion and the quality of his dark brown, almost black, hair had also improved.

Finally, he entered the Shadow Seeker guildhouse and marched straight to the reception. The walls were old, stained, and moldy around the corners. The floor didn’t seem to have met a brush in weeks, if not more. Courier services had taken Lukas and his clones to almost all the guilds for drop off and collection, except for the Shadow Seeker’s offices. None were as rundown as it. The building felt more like a den of thieves than an organization of warriors.

The woman behind it looked bored as she worked on her right hand’s fingernails with a slender file. It took Lukas clearing his throat three times and knocking on the counter before she paid him any attention.

“Yes?” She asked, tone heavy with annoyance.

“I’m here to enquire about the signup procedure,” Lukas replied. Penelope claimed that he and ‘Elvis’ could access the undercity without any additional paperwork as long as they were with her. However, he didn’t want to rely on her alone. More importantly, the only way to get martial training without pledging oneself to a mercenary troupe or Iskander’s security forces was through a guild.

“Are you able to pay the five-shell signup fee?” The woman didn’t sound any more friendly than before.

“There is a signup fee?”

“It’s meant to discourage timewasters. Testing nor the examiner’s time is free.” Her attention returned to her nails, as if she had already decided that Lukas was a time waster. “Powering and examining the scryer takes magic. A Senior guild member also needs a reason to tear themselves away from training, downtime, or whatever they’d rather do for the physical test. Why don’t you—”

Lukas placed a large gold coin on the table, pulling it on the table. “Can you break a crown?”

The woman eyed the coin greedily for a moment before nodding and handing Lukas a form and pen. She retrieved a wooden box from under the counter. The crown went in, and she counted out five silver coins. “It’ll take a moment to prepare everything,” she said when he returned the completed form. “Why don’t you take a seat? Someone—”

“Is there somewhere I can warm up and work off breakfast?” Lukas interrupted, keeping his tone friendly despite the contempt the woman radiated.

“Down the hall,” she replied, rising from her chair and pointing to the right. “Take a left and out the back. Don’t disturb any members. Don’t get in their way. Don’t talk to them unless they talk to you first.”

“Anything else I need to keep in mind?”