âThat is right. Â At my current skill level, I would not be able to face the dragon. Â In fact, IÂ would be torn apart with a single strike from the dragon. Â I, at least, need power that will place me on the equal plain with them. Â Of course, it doesnât mean that I will simply rely on your master creations. Â I plan to train in the power of the language that my ancestor had wielded.â
Like Fran Paige, he will train in the power of the language.
That was more meaningful than anything else as far as the man was concerned.
âThe power of the languageâŠÂ that meansâŠ..â
âThe everlasting life that was given to you, the gift that is not a blessing, I will be able to lift it on your behalf.â
That was certainly an attractive offer and a deal. Â Help Ian Paige with all they can then after mastering the power of the language, he will try to lift the blessing of everlasting life. Â The man became visibly enticed.
ââŠ..Are you sincere?â
âTo be truthful, I, too, cannot guarantee it. Â It is a level that I have not reached yet. Â However, the intention to learn the power of the language, and the promise to find a way to lift the blessing in the process are all out of my sincerity.â
âHmmmâŠ..â
The man fell into a deep consideration upon hearing Ian.
His consideration went on a lot longer than expected.
Is it because he is an entity that has lived for so long?
A very long time of thinking about the offer has passed.
âIâm Bertholdo.â
âWhat?â
âThat is my name.â
Finally, the manâs reply was heard.
It wasnât an acceptance or a rejection.
Instead, he revealed his given name.
âIt has been such a long time since Iâve given out my name.â
Bertholdo, the man repeated as if it was a very new feeling. Â About three hundred years ago, after meeting Mitchell Greenriver and the dejection that he had felt from the promise, he had given up everything.
After returning to the Knocking Island and spending purposeless time, it was certainly the first time that he has verbalized his name in about three hundred or so years.
âFollow me. Â I will show you what you want.â
Bertholdo headed towards the center of the Island.
Ian, of course, followed by carrying Craven in his arms.
âEven after Fran had disappeared, we kept making children to offer to him. Â There were so many ingenious children too. Â Ah, Iâm referring to artifacts. Â They are like children to us.â
Having started to talk about artifacts, Bertholdo appeared animated. Â Is it because the lost sense of being a master craftsman has reemerged?
âFinally, those children will have parents. Â It has taken too long.â
Having arrived at the center of the Island with Bertholdo, Ian could not see anything around. Â What did he come here to find? Â The answer to that question soon emerged.
âWas it about here.â
Bertholdo swept the ground with his bare hands as if his memory maybe failing him.  Then soon, under the dust, ground surface with words on it appeared.  It was the very spot that Bertholdo was looking for.
Srrrrrrrr-!
That wasnât the end of it.   Bertholdo input mana into the ground.  As it was with Craven, the so called the master craftsmen had many characteristics that were similar to sorcerers.
âIs there an underground channel?â
A secret underground channel was what Ianâs guess was.  But soon, what Bertholdo showed went way beyond that guess.
KrrrrrrrâŠâŠ..
There was a massive shake. Â Was that all? Â Many manmade shaped colored white things began to emerge out of the ground including columns, walls, roofs, statues, chairs and tables. Â Â Then they all came together to form a âstructureâ.
âDo not move. Â This area is safe.â
As if he was used to it, Bertholdo watched as the structure was being formed.
âA temple?â
The identity of the structure was like a temple, a white temple.  To be more descriptive, it could be thought of as a âdragonâs templeâ.  There were eight large statues, which all had the images of dragons.
âAs Iâve said before, Fran longed for the dragonâs body. Â However, it does not mean that that longing has somehow changed into jealousy or inferiority complex. Â At least, thatâs how I remembered it. Â With the purest heart, he longed for and respected the perfection of the dragonâs body.â
Bertholdo said as he watched the white temple that had appeared at the center of the island.  He recited quietly as if he was reminiscing.
âDo you see those statues over there?â
âThe sizes are smaller than the dragons that Iâve seen, but other than that, they can pass as real dragons.â
âThey are all the works done by Craven, whom youâve brought. Â He is the sculpture. Â Ah, Iâm a master tailor.â
It seemed that each master craftsman had their own field of expertise.  The fact that Craven had focused on the sculpture even when he had lost his memory and that Bertholdo had made a robe for Mitchell Greenriver were all the reasons supporting that.
âEach of those statues holds an artifact that each of us has created for the purpose of offering it to Fran. Â Those statues are, in fact, storages that I donât think that you too wonât be able to crack with brute force.â
Even the first sorcerer, the teacher of the dragons cannot crack them? Â That fact is incredible, but on top of that, the creator is none other than the child, Craven. Â He probably was not a child based on the time that he has lived, but it was just incredible at any rate.
âThe only child that I can give you is only one at this time.  The other statues can only be opened by their respective parent, that is, the corresponding master craftsmen.â
Bertholdo came to a stop at the front of the statue at the very left end.
âDo you understand what I mean?â
âYou are saying that I need help from other master craftsmen in order to obtain the remaining artifacts.â
âYouâre correct.â
They could never die.
They are living somewhere in the world.
If want the artifacts, the implication was to find them and bring them here.
âFirst, Iâll introduce you to my child.â
As Bertholdo began to inject mana into the dragon statue, the mouth of the statue cracked wide open.  In addition, bright white light spewed out of it as if there was an explosion.
âHe has not a name yet.  It is a tradition to give a name according to the owner.  Since youâve told me that your name was Ian Paige, this childâs name shallâŠ..â
When the light has nearly dispersed away, a blue robe fell down out of the mouth of the statue.  Like Mitchell Greenriverâs robe, it seemed that dark blue was Bertoldoâs favorite color.
âIan Paige Robe, I think that will suffice.
Ian Paige Robe, a blue robe that was lighter than a feather, has landed on the top of Ianâs hands. Â It was a perfect landing as if it has recognized its owner.
âDo you like it?â
âMaybe.  Iâm not sure yetâŠ.â
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âPlease try it on.â
There was a strong sense of confidence in Bertoldoâs voice.
What kind of power is in this robe that the man feels so strongly?
Ianâs anticipation grew greatly.
âIâm saying this out of concern, but do not be too surprised. Â It is a robe that will make a dream, which anyone that knows magic may want to dream about at least once in his lifetime, come true.â