With Rockham in trouble, Link couldn't stay indoors anymore. He could feel that this was an opportunity!
After thinking, Link took out his finished magic sword. Placing it in the sheath, he ordered, "Stay here and don't open the door for strangers."
"I know. We're not kids," Riel answered.
Taking the sword, Link left the house and jogged to Rockham.
When he got close, he saw Rockham lying on a stretcher. He was covered in blood. There was a bloody hole below his liver. The bleeding had mostly been stopped blood was still seeping out slowly.
Rockham was being taken to the round tower by two slaves. When he saw Link, a weak smile appeared on his pale face. "Heh," he laughed at himself. "I'm old now and got stabbed by that bastard without realizing."
As far as Link knew, there were no priests or healing spells in this world. If Rockham's wound wasn't treated properly, it could be fatal.
The apprentices stood in the courtyard, watching from afar and muttering amongst themselves.
"It's karma for this money-slave. I think he's going to get it this time!"
"I'm afraid the Bloody Butcher will find another stingier Magician after he dies."
"How can he teach us magic if he's so injured? He promised to answer my two questions last week."
They just watched without doing anything. Rockham was too stingy and mean to them usually. Of course, Rockham didn't need them; he had many slaves. Seeing Link beside him, he said, "You don't have to come. I won't die."
Link took down his wooden case with the sword. "Tutor, actually I already finished the sword and was about to give it to you."
"Ah, you finished so quickly." Rockham was surprised, but he quickly smiled. "Follow me then, but you'll have to wait. My wound still needs to be treated carefully… Ah, that damn bastard was so cruel!"
Link followed Rockham's stretcher all the way to the round tower. When he passed by the slave yard, he looked inside subconsciously. It was empty. The slave girls didn't come out to practice today.
They quickly arrived at the tower. After entering, the stretcher was taken to the second floor and inside a spacious bedchamber. Rockham was placed on the bed.
The doctor that had followed them went forward. He cut open the bloody clothing with practice and started treating the wound. The doctor's methods were similar to surgeons from earth. He cut open Rockham's wound and used very thin thread to sew the injury to Rockham's internal organs. Then he sewed up the cut quickly.
After around twenty minutes, he was done with sewing. He also poured some blue medicine on it. It sizzled softly, and many bubbles appeared.
Rockham grunted and his body tensed. Five seconds later, he felt much better and let out a long breath.
"Lord," the doctor said. "You injured your intestines and bled a lot. You must rest for three months. During this time, you mustn't work too hard. Otherwise—"
Rockham lost his patience. Waving his hand, he said, "I know. It's not my first time getting hurt. You may go and tell Balha about my injury. Say that I need to rest but nothing will be delayed. Tell him to not bother me if it's not important."
In the Spring Leaf Village, Rockham was a Magic Official. He was responsible for the magic affairs and had high status. This could be seen from how he spoke to the owner of the village, Balha.
The doctor nodded. He collected his tools, left some bottles of medicine behind, and left.
A few pretty elven servants came up. They carefully cleaned up Rockham's bloody clothes and dirtied sheets. The room was soon tidied up.
During this, Link waited quietly in a corner, but he didn't waste time. He had a book borrowed from Rockham and was reading seriously without making a sound. When everything was taken care of, he put his book away. He stood up and waited for Rockham with his arms lowered.
Fortunately, Rockham didn't forget about him. He patted his bed and said, "Come, kid. Show me your sword."
Link took the sword out of the wooden case and offered it to Rockham with both hands.
The sword had a sheath made from the skin of a python unique to Aragu. It was brown-gray and wasn't attractive. Of course, the sheath was made as intricately as always—there were no flaws.
Seeing this, Rockham nodded. "Good. A sheath that hides the sword should be more low-key. This is interesting."
He looked to the hilt. There were many grooves for better grip. Holding it, it felt a bit rough but also a bit soft. "It won't be slippery and can also absorb sweat. You used soft magic steel, didn't you? You adjusted the property very well."
Rockham was already very satisfied by the sheath and hilt. He used a bit of force, and the sword was unsheathed with a clang. The air in the room turned cold as soon as the sword appeared. A couple of the elven servants around Rockham let out soft cries and retreated involuntarily.
"Get out of here…a bunch of idiots ruining my mood…hmph." Rockham was upset and spoke loudly, affecting his wound. He grunted again.
The elven servants scurried frantically out of the room. A young girl even fell hard, hitting her head against the corner of a table. Blood flowed out of her pale forehead. Without making a sound, she used all her limbs to get up and walked out of the room dazedly.
The room quickly quieted down.
Rockham rested for a bit and pulled the sword again.
Clang! With only some power, the sword sang again. It was clear and high like a dragon's cry. Rockham was a Magician, but he'd worked with all sorts of magic gear and weapons. Hearing this, he couldn't help but praise, "I know it's a good sword just from the sound!"
He slowly pulled the sword out. Pale white fog appeared on the blade. Under the fog, the silvery-white sword seemed to turn into crystal. The room's temperature dropped even more until the cold seemed to dig into one's bones.
Rockham praised again, "You were able to use the ice enchantment to this extent. So amazing!"
The runes on the body of the sword were flowing and intricate. Not only did it use the enchantment's effect to the extreme, but it also twisted around the sword, creating an ancient and thick groove.
If not for the low level of the enchantment, Rockham would think that this was a Master-level Legendary weapon!
He finally pulled the sword out entirely. As soon as it appeared, the room glowed faintly, and the temperature dropped again. The sword's arc was smooth and natural. It was light without a bit of murderous intent. The surface was covered in a faint layer of even white light. Around the glow, snowflake-light spots of light floated around.
Rockham studied the body, looking at the runes one by one. He grew more and more focused, even forgetting about his injury.
After a long while, he sighed. "I can't believe that I'm able to see such a magic sword before I die. Ah, what a pity. If only the enchantment was higher, at least at Tier-3, I believe it can be sold for up to 6000 gold coins. Right now, it can only be 2000 coins at most. Ah…"
No, he couldn't sell the sword. He should use it to forge more connections. With his injury, he would definitely have to overlook some matters in the village. Balha never liked him. Rockham had to use this sword to stabilize his status.
Lord Balha liked swords. Yes, this sword must be given to him. This sword came at just the right time and solved one of his worries.
Rockham put the sword away and looked at Link. His eyes had become so gentle as if looking at the love of his life. Link got goosebumps.
"Kid, your artistry is very good. Are you interested in becoming my student?"
"Student? Tutor, aren't I your student already?" Link looked confused, but his heart was pounding. He knew his chance had come.
"Ah, that doesn't count. How is this being a student? It's just working physical labor for me. But you're different. If you're my student, I will pass down my magic print and tell the entire village. As my student, you can read all my books at will, and I'll answer all questions for free. While I'm recovering, you can be responsible for the magic workshop. What do you think?"
Rockham wasn't saying this casually. He hadn't disturbed Link, but after receiving the magic bracelet, he'd kept an eye on Link.
The result was that this young man was a bit soft and was overly nice to his slaves. People like that are easier to control. Plus, he had such great enchantment skills. There would be many benefits to having a student like him.
As for being responsible for the magic workshop, Rockham had considered this thoroughly. He'd seen two of Link's enchantments—the bracelet and sword. He could see from the items that the man was careful and smart. There would be no mishaps if he was in charge. Rockham could also lasso Link in like this. It was two birds with one stone.
Link was surprised. He didn't expect all these benefits. Raising his head and seeing Rockham's enthusiasm, he thought a bit and nodded. "Tutor, I am so honored!"
There were both pros and cons. The most obvious negative was that, after becoming his student, their relationship would be very close. Rockham's bad reputation would affect him heavily. There were many more pros than cons though.
More importantly, Link didn't have other choices. This was the best chance to get a hold in this world. There was no reason not to accept.
Rockham clapped his hands and laughed. "Great. I didn't think that at my age, I could find a true disciple. Heh, come, I'll add the magic mark for you!"