>>5260318"So you learned about Pishacha and how to control them."
"Exactly, I grew accustomed to his culture, and though I wasn't a formidable fighter, when my time came to do so, I turned the animal he sent to devour me into something I could control. He was impressed at how much I managed to learn overnight, and let me stay as an official soldier. Only one thing has bothered me from this whole ordeal, when I asked him about the needle-"
"I don't know where it went to." You see Barnham speaking in Kalki's POV.
"H-how could you not go after it? Doesn't it intrigue you that a single needle killed one of your soldiers?"
"If he was so weak that he died to a needle, then he was a soldier not worth remembering. Besides, it's a needle, it was bound to get lost. Now get back to work."
"...Was my mother's spirit into her item of work? Did she refuse the God Hand's contract? If she accepted it, then what did she sacrifice, if no apostle was found? Maybe I would know, if I could inspect the needle, but the object I value the most... Is something I've never seen in the first place."
You let go of Kalki's forehead, not a single lie was detected.
"I can't offer a valuable item, but I hope that was enough to prove my loyalty. I might be a Kushan, but that doesn't mean I automatically align with Ganishka's ideals of being the ruler of everything. Especially because that title already belongs to Barnham."
You raise an eyebrow at how Kalki stays loyal to a man who had no remorse in killing his mom and wonder if he was just groomed into enjoying his work from receiving the bare minimum in return, but that's a comment you'll keep to yourself.
"Here is my proposal: Since we are also training weaponsmiths, it's only fair the first perfected armor set would be yours to use. You don't even have to test it in the arena, that's what the other gladiators are for. I imagine the viewers would be in for quite the spectacle, even seeing a fight between our weakest men."
You think back on the last armor set you had. While protective and useful for hiding your face, you did have a few problems with it, what tips you could give Kalki on what to enchant it with?
"Now, if I may?" He reaches his hands for the book.
>Give him the book.>Don't give him the book.>Make my armor lighter.>Make it sturdier.>Make it fancier.>Make one for my horse. 