Rios's arrival interrupted Mavuika and the others' argument.
"Pyro Archon, my lord, could you please rein in Mavuika?"
Xilonen said helplessly: "Every few days, she brings me some impossible demands. My head is about to go bald."
"Xilonen, how come the moment the Pyro Archon arrives, you start badmouthing me?"
Mavuika said with a laugh: "I'm just a bit demanding, that's all. It doesn't warrant you disparaging me like this."
"Besides, you haven't gone bald either."
In an event storyline from the original game, to save the little Saurian of Natlan, the characters from Natlan's banners had to pretend to argue.
Mualani and the others' arguing could only be considered awkward acting, but Xilonen's was laced with genuine emotion.
This goes to show just how much resentment Xilonen harbors toward Mavuika, this client mommy, on a daily basis.
"I have no interest in meddling in your affairs."
"Xilonen, the reason I've come to you this time is to ask for your help in forging a new model of weapon."
Rios said with a smile.
"Ah, this..."
"Pyro Archon, my lord, you have demands too?"
Xilonen drew in a sharp breath of cold air and couldn't help but clutch her aching forehead.
Although this was the first time Rios had come to forge a weapon, weapons for the Pyro Archon would undoubtedly have extremely high requirements. It might even be more troublesome than forging Mavuika's Flamestrider.
"Pyro Archon, my lord, what kind of weapon would you like to have forged?"
Xilonen sighed, adjusted her mindset, and said somewhat wearily.
She very much wanted to take on some easy work, but since the Pyro Archon had come knocking personally, there was no way she could slack off.
"Pyro Archon, my lord, you need to specify the weapon's exterior design, dimensions, desired effects, and all other details."
"Otherwise, Xilonen will have complaints."
Mavuika said from the side.
There were countless people who wanted Xilonen to forge weapons for them.
But some people didn't know how to describe the effects they wanted, to the point that even after Xilonen made them, they still weren't satisfied.
Therefore, before forging, to improve work efficiency, Xilonen required her clients to lay out all the details clearly.
Of course, this was only when dealing with ordinary clients.
When facing gods, it was different.
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all... Pyro Archon, my lord, don't listen to Mavuika's nonsense."
Xilonen hurriedly shook her head: "As for the Pyro Archon's weapon, we can discuss it slowly. If it doesn't meet your satisfaction, I can revise it again and again until you're happy."
She was joking.
Rios was the most temperamental Pyro Archon in Natlan's history.
On the very day he ascended as Pyro Archon, he suspended Natlan's long-standing traditions: the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame and the Night Warden Wars.
He even beat up all the dissenters.
If he took issue with the weapon she forged for him, Xilonen felt she wouldn't get away unscathed.
So, even if Rios's demands might be more troublesome than Mavuika's, she still had to serve this master well.
"The item I want to commission you to forge isn't a weapon for my personal use."
Rios handed the blueprints to Xilonen: "These are all for Natlan's warriors to use. If we can produce them, our strength will increase by a lot."
"For others to use?" Hearing this, Xilonen felt a bit relieved in her heart.
If they were for ordinary Natlan warriors, then the requirements for the weapons would be much lower.
It wasn't that the other warriors didn't deserve better weapons, but some weapons could only truly shine in the hands of the strong. In the hands of those lacking in strength, they would just be a waste.
For example, Chasca's gun that could fly in the sky—if used by someone else, they might not kill many Abyssal monsters before being flung away by that gun themselves.
"Let me take a look at the blueprints... Oh my!"
After opening the blueprints, Xilonen immediately let out a strange yelp.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing Xilonen's cry, Mavuika asked with concern.
"I am just... so moved."
Xilonen looked at the blueprints and said: "The weapon's functions, the effects to achieve, all the parameter details are written on the blueprints. Even the materials to be used are specified clearly."
"I've been a craftswoman for so many years, and this is the first time I've seen such precise requirements."
Xilonen raised her head to look at Rios: "Pyro Archon, my lord, with this design blueprint, even an ordinary craftswoman could forge the weapon."
"So, no problem then?" Rios asked.
"For safety's sake, it's still better if I forge one according to the blueprint's contents first."
Xilonen said: "Once it's forged, and I've confirmed that the production process and realized effects truly match the blueprint, I'll let the Pyro Archon know."
"That's good." Rios said.
Those weapons of his were theoretically far superior to Natlan's current weapons.
If they could be mass-produced, Natlan's combat strength would multiply several times over.
"Xilonen, do you really need to be this surprised?"
Seeing Xilonen meticulously examining the weapon blueprints, Mavuika said with a laugh: "When I commissioned you to design the Flamestrider, didn't I also give you design blueprints?"
"You have the nerve to say that!"
Xilonen glared at Mavuika: "Your blueprints were scattered here and there. To make a Flamestrider that met your requirements, I flipped through those blueprints how many times?"
"Unlike the Pyro Archon's blueprints, which can be followed directly."
With that, Xilonen said she needed to try forging the weapon, picked up her hammer, and began working.
"Pyro Archon, my lord, would you do me the honor of chatting with me outside?"
Mavuika looked at Rios and said in a half-joking tone.
"Conveniently, I have something to discuss with you too."
Rios walked out of the workshop with Mavuika.
======
With a thought from Mavuika, she summoned the black Flamestrider. Then, with a big stride, she mounted it: "Pyro Archon, my lord, hop on."
"You really do love this ride, don't you?"
Rios followed and sat behind her.
It was quite amusing—in his pre-transmigration life, he actually hadn't ridden a motorcycle before.
Who would have thought that after transmigrating, he'd ride one in another world.
After Rios got on, Mavuika immediately started the vehicle. Powerful flames erupted from the rear of the Flamestrider, propelling the two of them along with the vehicle into the sky.
After flying a good distance in the sky, Mavuika found a deserted spot and landed the vehicle there.
"Now that we're here, we shouldn't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping."
Mavuika said.
"I imagine you wouldn't like the phrase 'ladies first.'"
Rios dismounted from the Flamestrider and said: "So, shall I let you speak first, or do you want me to go first?"
"I didn't expect the Pyro Archon to be such a gentleman." Mavuika said with a smile, "Then I'll go first."
"Rios, you've entered the Sacred Flame and obtained the knowledge of past Pyro Archons from within."
"Then you should know that I was the Pyro Archon from 500 years ago, and you should know about my plan."
"But after learning all this, why did you still suspend the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame?"