The Pendant I [LEON]

The day was still not over when Leon and Noel were excused by the Marquis and his brother, so they decided to stroll in the town.

They walked around without any goal, and then Noel started a topic,

“Leon, what are you going to do about that thing”

Leon was little surprised, “Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the eyes of the demon.”

Leon, “Ah…I don’t know. It feels eerie to have it with me all the time”

Noel has an idea, “Leon, follow me.”

Leon a bit taken back, “Huh? Where to?”

Noel with a smile, “Just follow me”

Noel grabs Leon's arms and takes him somewhere.

After a while, they reach a modest building with an aged wooden sign that creaks lightly in the breeze. It bore the insignia of a gem.

Leon, “Jewelers?”

Noel, “Leon let's make a pendant out of it”

Leon, “Huh? I told you it feels eerie”

Noel, “Trust me”

Both of them enter the jeweler's shop.

“Welcome,” An old woman greets them. “Oh my, Young Lady Noel”

Noel, “Long time no see, grandma.”

Jeweler, “That’s right. How have you been?”

Noel, “Just fine”

Jeweler, “So, what brings you here today?”

Noel, “I want to craft a mana-imbued pendant”

Jeweler, “Hoh…Interesting. What about the materials?”

Noel gestured for Leon.

Leon hesitates slightly before handling over the eyeballs, “Here you go”

Two lifeless eyeballs. Initially crimson now it was brown probably because of lack of life.

Jeweler a bit taken back, “Interesting. You want to make pendants out of these eyeballs. Such unusual ones, I have never seen something like this. So What else to add to this?”

Noel, “Just mana”

Jeweler is shocked, “Just mana?” She smiles, “Interesting indeed. So let's begin”

The jeweler asks both Leon and Noel to pour their mana into the eyeballs. Noel instructs Leon on how to do it.

Leon looked at Noel. “Are you sure about this?”

“Just think of it as how to blaze up your sword though here only small particles of mana are involved”

Leon understands Noel’s intention. They begin.

Leon pours up his fiery mana. Tiny particles of ember pour down into the eyeballs.

Noel pours up her frozen mana. Tiny frozen particles pour down into the eyeballs.

As they pour, the jeweler observes.

Then something happens, Something out of the ordinary,

The brown murky eyeballs lit up. Again, they are crimson now. Probably Leon and Noel's mana did something to it.

Everyone is shocked. Then again something happens.

The eyeballs glow and start to move.

Leon and Noel are alerted and try to move away from pouring mana.

“Don’t stop!” Jeweler stops them saying let it happen.

They don’t understand Jeweler's intention though realize she had no malice so they continue pouring.

The eyeballs moved near each other. As they glow, they merge into one. The size is indifferent but the pupils are crossed out. It's still crimson in color and rather than two it's now one.

Then Jeweler began to pour her mana, she had an earth-aligned mana. Brown and golden-colored small particles flowed down into the eyeball. It was like giving it a life itself. Her mana wrapped around the eyeball.

After a while, the connection of pouring mana is severed.

The object on the counter no longer resembled something sinister. It was beautiful—captivating. A single gem-like pendant with a gleaming crimson eye embedded inside encased in a crystal hexagon. The red no longer felt like blood or wrath, but warmth—purpose.

The process is complete. The object on the counter no longer resembled something sinister. It was a gleaming crimson eye embedded inside, encased in a crystal hexagon. It contained the mana of three elements and it was beautiful.

Noel, “So, beautiful”

Leon, “You’re right”

Noel with a smile, “Doesn’t feel eerie anymore right?”

Leon, “Yeah”

"Ah-ah. I thought we could make two pendants and share," she said in a feigned pout, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.

Leon blinked, slightly caught off guard. “Is that so? Then maybe we can ask her to—”

"I'm just teasing, you idiot," Noel interrupted, stifling a laugh, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

Leon let out a soft, helpless chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. A faint flush rose on his cheeks.

The jeweler watched the exchange with a smile full of wrinkles and wisdom. She gave a small nod, chuckling in her throat. “Mm-mm. Fruitful youth. Haha”

They exit the jeweler.

After a while, the night falls and the red-eyed shadow comes as usual to kill Leon. He wakes up to his world.

His mundane day continues as usual. His mind is filled with the other world. He eagerly awaits for the night to fall, so he can travel back to the other world.

As usual, the night comes again and he is back to the dream.

As always Noel is there to welcome him. After the journey, his re-entry point was the same again at the golden trees under the violet sky.

He goes on a monster extermination quest. His skill was further evolved due to the journey’s experience.

He resumes his training with Noel’s uncle.

They spar against each other.

“So slow. So slow”

They continue to clash. Leon is barely keeping up.

“I have to admit, your potential is great. The real battle experiences on your journey further enhanced your swordsmanship.”

Leon laughs, “You say that yet you’re toying with me”

Uncle, “Don’t get ahead of yourself boy as you still have a long way to go”

But even as he said those words, the uncle’s thoughts painted a different picture.

“This boy… His form is raw. Unpolished. It lacks the disciplined elegance of noble swordplay, yet he doesn’t fall behind. No, he adapts. He feels the battle. His sword is unrefined, but it’s alive. A blade carved by instinct, sharpened by emotion. It's… otherworldly.”

With a swift rotation of his wrist and a sudden shift of his stance, the uncle stepped forward and Leon was on the ground.

“That’s enough for today,” the uncle says while lowering his sword.

Then the uncle’s with a more thoughtful voice this time. “Leon.”

Leon turned his head, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “Hmm?”

Uncle, “Spar with the triplets”

Leon blinks, “The triplets? Which one?”

Uncle, “All of them. Take on all three of them”

Leon is in disbelief, “Huh?!”

Uncle calls over triplets and explains the things. They agree.

Uncle looking towards Leon, “First observe my spar against them then you take them on”

Uncle and the triplets get ready to spar.