Kalem had underestimated his friends' persistence.
After days of dodging their questions, he finally gave in. Unfortunately, that didn't mean they were going to make this easy for him.
The moment they sat down at their usual table in the tavern, the interrogation began.
"Alright, spill it," Nara said, prodding Kalem's side with her fork. "What the hell was in that letter?"
Kalem swatted her hand away with a scowl. "Can you not stab me?"
Jhaeros, sitting across from him, leaned forward. "We know you got something from The Bank. We just happen to be very curious about what."
Lyra smirked. "And since you've been suspiciously quiet about it, we assume either you got ripped off, or you asked for something ridiculous."
Garrick, ever the silent observer, simply raised an eyebrow. "We will get the answer one way or another. May as well just say it."
Kalem let out a slow sigh, rubbing his temples. "Fine. Apparently, The Bank thought my request was so cheap that they're sending more of it."
There was a brief pause.
Then Nara burst out laughing.
"Wait, wait—so you asked for something so insignificant that The Bank just decided to throw extra at you?" She wiped at her eyes. "This is the funniest thing I've heard all week."
Jhaeros blinked. "They're sending extra out of embarrassment?"
Kalem exhaled sharply. "Not embarrassment. Reputation management."
Nara kept giggling. "You could've asked for a sack of Mithril! And instead, you got so little that they felt bad?"
Kalem rolled his eyes. "Mithril would've been useless to me."
Jhaeros leaned back, crossing his arms. "I still don't get why. It's one of the best magical metals. Light, durable, resistant to enchantment degradation."
Kalem gave him a flat look. "At this level, my runes would just bounce off Mithril. I can't properly engrave it, reinforce it, or repurpose it without high-grade tools that I don't have. And worst of all, it can't be recycled."
Lyra nodded. "Because it resists reforging. Makes sense. You'd be stuck with whatever shape it was in."
"Exactly," Kalem said. "That's why I asked for something more low-level but practical. Something I can modify freely, reshape for different projects, and actually use."
Garrick finally spoke. "Alright, then. What did you ask for?"
Kalem smirked. "Cold-forged adamant steel with high mana conductivity."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "That's… specific."
Jhaeros nodded. "It's durable but still malleable. Good for magic channeling. But not rare."
"Exactly," Kalem said. "That's why The Bank is throwing in extra. It's dirt cheap to them, but for me, it's absurdly useful."
Nara leaned forward. "Okay, but how much extra are we talking here?"
Kalem's smirk widened. "Enough to outfit an entire battalion."
The table went dead silent.
"…Excuse me?" Lyra finally said.
Kalem chuckled. "Apparently, if they gave me just what I initially asked for, it would look like they were giving out trash. So instead, they're sending me literal tons of the stuff."
Jhaeros let out a slow whistle. "That's an insane amount for a tournament reward."
Nara shook her head. "You are actually the biggest scammer I've ever met. You lost and still ended up with a shipment's worth of materials."
Lyra sighed. "The Bank really doesn't like looking cheap, huh?"
Kalem smirked. "Reputation is everything."
As the conversation shifted, Garrick leaned back in his chair. "Speaking of changes, have you all decided what to do about the dorm situation?"
With second-year status came the opportunity to stay in academy dormitories—though, after the attack that leveled the first-year buildings, there were fewer available spaces.
"I'm staying," Lyra said, stretching. "It's free, comfortable, and close to the labs."
Jhaeros shrugged. "Same. It's easier to keep an eye on Velka there."
"I'm out," Nara said immediately. "Dorms are too small. I'd rather live near the combat grounds."
Garrick nodded. "I'll be staying outside too. Already got a room above the smithy."
Then everyone turned to Kalem.
"…I'm keeping my forge," he said simply.
Jhaeros groaned. "Kalem, you are a second-year now. You don't have to sleep next to Onyx anymore."
"I want to sleep next to Onyx," Kalem corrected. "He's warm, and I don't have to share space with noisy students."
Lyra smirked. "You just don't want to pay rent."
Kalem sipped his drink. "That too."
Nara grinned. "You realize that people are going to start calling you 'The Forge Hermit,' right?"
Kalem shrugged. "Better than 'The Guy Who Got Extra Metal Out of Pity.'"
Jhaeros snorted. "You have a point."