Gear B3C7/B4C1 Vacuan Silver Daggers

She looked to me. "You must have seen your father work the forge. Do you know which material would make the best weapon?"

Materials, huh? I was relieved for the excuse she'd inadvertently given me, and I looked over the assorted metals, most in bar form. "I know a few things," I said. My hand hovered over them for a moment, but quickly moved to a silvery bar off to the left. "This is Vacuan Silver," I said. "It's probably the most expensive here, but it's definitely the best in terms of quality. After that, there's a few different types of stee-"

"Silver?" Blake asked, eyes narrowed. "I wasn't aware that was any use in weapons…"

"Oh, it's not actual silver. It's a variant of steel mixed with a few other ferrous compounds, most of which give it a sheen like silver. It's stronger than steel, but can be brittle if used in large quantities. Suits of armour aren't very good if made from them, but weapons – particularly small ones – can have a keen cutting edge. It's also used in arrows for its ability to pierce through armour."

–B3C7


Blake gasped. "They're beautiful…"

"Aren't they?"

Her eyes lit up as she drew the gift out into the sunlight. The light reflected off the silvery daggers. Not jewellery or some other gift, but I didn't think the smile on her face would have been nearly as big for anything else. She glanced down at me and bit her lip. "Can I…?"

"They're yours. Go wild."

Blake hopped up and out of my arms. She slashed once forward, then parried an invisible opponent with the second and twirled around to place a dagger in his gut. The Assassin was as graceful as ever, a flickering figure almost too fast to see. A minute or two later, she stopped. Her breath came a little harsher and her hair hung loose, but the expression on her face was nothing short of euphoric.

"Perfect," she whispered, twirling the daggers in her hand. "I've never held something that fits me so well. Your father must be an incredible Blacksmith. Give him my thanks."

"He knows," I said, hiding my smile. The one who had forged her new weapons knew, in any case. I'd wanted to make them straight away, but that would have been suspicious. I had to wait long enough for it to make sense for me to ship her ingots back home, and then receive them again. That it came around the time I forged my own was less coincidence and more convenience. That and me wanting to make the best daggers I could.

"Hm. There's something here, just above the hilt?"

"It's a marking," I said. "My Dad does that. He says it's a branding sort of thing, so people know he's the one who made them."

They weren't, of course, but it was an excuse that made sense. The tiny symbols were runes I'd added, one to each of her daggers. I'd agonised over which to give her, but in the end settled for the one thing I wanted to give her most, Constitution. I wouldn't always be around to protect her, and even if I was, it was usually the other way around. She was the stronger fighter, but my biggest fear was that one day it wouldn't be enough.

Maybe like this, with eight additional Constitution, I'd be able to protect her.

–B4C1


So, yeah, Jaune is using his Runes – but it's to patch up deficiencies more than anything else. Still, four points is a big deal when it's in your lowest skill. To note, even though Jaune already said it, there is no obvious way for him to see or feel the Rune having been added. As such, Blake might feel "slightly healthier" or find herself able to take more hits, but she would not notice the increase. It would be even less obvious for her since she's a higher Level, and thus has higher Stats across the board.

–B4C1 Author's Note