This was the North, where people needed what most? Fine swords, armor. But these weren’t just about appearance; each pte of armor, each metal ring had its own specific craft. Brandon needed to dive into these details, learning how to perceive them with his abilities and mimic them from the core to produce satisfactory results.

  Materials couldn’t be generated by magic alone. Brandon’s ability was to reshape and adjust materials, and understanding those materials became the core of his training. Fortunately, the family’s rge warehouse of discarded weapons provided him with plenty of resources to work with. Dani stood at the door of the warehouse, watching the boy in front of her with a hint of admiration. He was so focused. On one side, there was a broken sword; on the other, a newly formed single-edged sword. A reflective light line could be seen running down the bde, moving from the center and slowly reaching the tip. Dani knew that this was the magic altering the bde’s material properties. As the light finally reached the tip of the sword, both Dani and Brandon let out a long sigh of relief.

  Having gained some crity, Brandon had begun to settle down, no longer anxious. He now understood that he wasn’t alone. He had not only his bck cat, Huahua, but also his family and Dani. He had never truly been alone; it was just that he had overlooked this for too long. He had always felt trapped in this strange world, never considering that his arrival and actions were causing trouble for his family. Dani had been right—this was the North. So during the remaining days of winter, Brandon mostly stayed in the warehouse, using magic to sense the fine details of swords and armor, working hard to replicate them.

  “Dani, help me test this sword,” Brandon called out.

  Dani picked up the sword and walked outside with him. She swung it at the test stone by the door, and after a clean strike, she gnced at the bde before saying, “Not bad!”

  Brandon smiled. “It’s still far from perfect.”

  “It’s already good enough.”

  “I’ve seen most of the weapons in the warehouse, like that broken two-handed sword. They’re much better than this one. Even a weapon like that could break. I can’t see how this sword is any better.”

  “Is this why you’re hesitating to turn that broken sword into a new weapon?”

  “Yes, I’m starting to understand why these old weapons are still stored in the warehouse. If I can’t surpass them, how can I have the nerve to use them as materials?”

  Brandon walked to a thick wooden post, drew the custom-made Yanling Knife hanging from his waist, and swung it lightly. There was no flourish or fir, just a swift motion. However, just before the bde struck the wood, his body suddenly expanded like a whip cracking at its end, and the bde emitted a sharp, ringing sound as the post snapped in two.

  Dani stood stunned, speechless at the sight.

  The people of the North were typically tall and strong, and their weapons were often heavy. So when Brandon’s Yanling Knife was first created, people mockingly called it a “needle.” However, when they noticed how much more slender Brandon’s frame was compared to other boys his age, they began to understand his choice.

  Looking at Dani beside him, Brandon proudly said, “Sometimes, I’m not completely useless. At least, I’m not as useless as everyone thinks.”

  “How did you do it?” Dani asked, still in awe.

  “As long as the knife is fast,” Brandon replied with a grin.

  ...

  “Dani, it’s spring. Take me out for a walk. Let’s hunt near the castle or something.”

  “Sure,” Dani replied, then asked, “Aren’t you pnning to work on the castle’s construction?”

  “No rush. I’ll be able to start soon. At the rate I’m going, I’ll soon be able to forge top-tier swords and knives. With that, people will start offering to help us. But right now, I need to experience the use of swords in practice. Even if it’s just hunting two rabbits, it’ll help with crafting the bdes.”

  ...

  Dani listened to Brandon humming an unfamiliar song, which he kept repeating. It was supposed to be a cheerful tune—“Happy Birthday”—but Brandon sang it in a slow, mencholic manner, with a glimmer of tears in his eyes.

  Brandon continued to hum as he worked, finally melting down the broken two-handed sword and reworking it into a thick-backed handguard knife. The bde was pin and simple, with no shiny luster, instead appearing somewhat dull. Dani had grown somewhat indifferent to the process of Brandon’s sword and knife crafting. Even though he emphasized the importance of inner quality, Dani had little enthusiasm left. So, when Brandon called out, “Dani, we did it!” she zily walked over, picked up the knife, and went to the test stone outside the warehouse.

  On a summer evening, the Duke’s “idiotic” son stood outside the castle gate, holding a rge wooden board with the words “Test Sword” written boldly on it. Standing beside him were his “idiot” bck cat and “idiot” servant. Under normal circumstances, most knights would have ughed and ignored him—who would challenge a fool? But the bck cat, Huahua, wore a flower ornament on its head, and the petals sparkled with dreamlike light as the sunset cast its glow, causing the knights to pause and watch closely. Brandon then announced that the winner would receive the flower ornament. Dani, holding the handguard knife, appeared somewhat awkward, giving off a “don’t come near me” vibe, clearly unaware that she was already the third “idiot” in the family.

  The spectacle quickly spread across the castle, even reaching the Duke and Duchess, who watched helplessly from the balcony. However, what happened next would remain engraved in everyone’s memories forever...

  At first, Brandon’s older sister couldn’t resist her admiration for the flower ornament and stepped forward. She lightly cshed her short sword with Dani’s handguard knife. Perhaps due to Dani’s ck of confidence, her strike wasn’t decisive enough, resulting in a small chip in her sister’s sword. It wasn’t a major injury and could easily be fixed with a bit of polishing.

  Then, the sister’s servant, eager to restore some dignity, stepped forward to duel with Dani. Being fellow women, both were somewhat reserved, and the result was another broken tip on the opponent’s weapon.

  As time passed, the knights’ competitive spirit was stirred, and one by one, they stepped up to challenge Dani. Dani, fully embracing her role as the “big, dumb sister,” began to wield her sword with increasing confidence, each strike more forceful and sure. Her sharp words followed: “You’re the idiots! You’re all idiots!” Her frustration from being Brandon’s servant was pouring out in every csh. Finally, an irritated knight stepped up, wielding a double-handed sword, and cshed with Dani with full force. But with a crack, the double-handed sword broke in two. The noise died instantly, and all that could be heard was Dani’s angry shout, “You’re the idiots! All of you!”

  By this point, the Duke and Duchess on the balcony could only shake their heads in disbelief.

  Dani’s handguard knife, gleaming in the st rays of the setting sun, caught the gaze of every knight present. In that moment, the glimmer of greed fshed in their eyes. And as if in a dream, they heard Brandon’s voice, “It’s yours, Dani. This knife is called ‘Birthday.’”