"You don't know," Alan said with a contented smile. "Ordinary alchemy can indeed be used to shape items directly with magic, but when magic metals are simply kneaded together, they are not truly bonded, and impurities remain. To completely integrate them and bring out their full potential, forging is indispensable."
"Just like the exquisite goblin craftsmen—they possess magic, yet when crafting high-quality equipment, they still choose traditional techniques. After the forging is completed and the runes are inscribed, they even perform a re-smelting. Only through such a process can the equipment be called a sacred relic."
This technique was something Alan had partly learned from a drunken goblin guard captain during his business dealings with Gringotts. On the other hand, he had summarized the process while studying the Ghoul Summoning Pouch and the Travel Flask. Of course, Minister Bagnold's help was also indispensable. She had obtained a wealth of alchemy materials for Alan from her colleagues in the Order of Merlin. Bagnold had promised him as much support as possible, and she had kept her word.
"You're going to craft a sacred relic? Is it like the Sword of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw's Diadem?" Brandwaldden looked at Alan in surprise. He had known the boy wanted help forging a piece of equipment, but he hadn't expected something so legendary.
"Something just made can't be called a sacred relic yet. True relics require a long period of refinement and bonding. The reason they are powerful is because they have the potential to gradually grow and improve." Alan shook his head slightly. His ambition wasn't that high; it would be enough to create the foundation of such an artifact.
"That's still very impressive," Brandwaldden exclaimed. "What an honor it would be to witness the birth of such a thing today."
"I hope so. I'm not sure how far it can go. Let's begin. Remember to use the magic anvil and alchemy hammer I specially made for you." Alan was crafting such complex equipment for the first time, and he wasn't entirely confident.
"Don't worry," Brandwaldden nodded solemnly, then turned and shouted to the other two centaurs, "Let's get to work! Everyone, stay sharp today!"
With that, Brandwaldden placed the stone scoop into the giant furnace. Bane exerted all his strength to furiously pump the bellows. Violent flames raged in the furnace, but the metal in the scoop was no ordinary material; it was not easily melted.
Everyone nervously watched the changes in the metal. After nearly half an hour of burning, the metal in the scoop finally turned into a glowing red liquid. By this time, Bane was exhausted, sweat dripping profusely onto the ground.
"It's ready to be shaped! Bring the mold!" Brandwaldden shouted when the heat reached the correct point.
Alan reacted instantly, taking out the box containing the dragon heartstring. This box was specially made with high heat resistance. After he opened it, Brandwaldden directed Firenze to use iron tongs to lift out the glowing stone scoop. He poured the liquid directly into the long box containing the heartstring.
The smoking molten metal poured over the dragon heartstring without causing it any damage. Even the silver-blue light on it did not dim. In fact, after the metal solution completely submerged the heartstring, its faintly shimmering silver light could still be seen through the surface of the glowing metal.
"The item inside must be an organ from a magical creature, yet it can withstand such temperatures. It's truly amazing," Brandwaldden said, looking at the mold in awe.
Alan merely smiled. This was why he had immersed the heartstring in Wild Lightning for so long. Even if it had come from a ferocious Hebridean Black dragon, it still possessed biological vulnerabilities. Only after being immersed in Wild Lightning magic—which can resist even Fiendfyre—could it withstand such heat and imbue the equipment with that same raw power.
After the metal liquid completely enveloped the heartstring, they waited for it to cool, knowing the true forging had not yet begun. Fortunately, it didn't take long. The metal in the box turned into a slightly reddish, meter-long, square metal rod.
"It's ready! To the anvil!" Brandwaldden shouted to Firenze.
Firenze was prepared. He switched to a smaller set of forging clamps, lifted the metal rod, and placed it on the anvil. Brandwaldden and Alan moved forward, each standing on opposite sides. Brandwaldden held a huge iron hammer, while Alan held a smaller hammer and stood on a raised platform to compensate for the height of the anvil.
A continuous *clang, clang* echoed through the tent. Alan and Brandwaldden took turns swinging their hammers down onto the metal. With each strike, magical patterns lit up on the surfaces of the anvil and the hammers. Alan had inscribed runes on all these tools, making them far more effective than standard equipment.
The two hammers struck the rod alternately, quickly flattening it into a metal plate about half a palm wide. Once they reached the basic shape, they reinserted it into the furnace. Once it was red-hot again, they clamped it out for more hammering. After repeating this several times, the metal finally revealed its ultimate form.
It was a four-sided sword with a metal hilt. Each side was polished to a smooth finish, showing intricate patterns and a sparkling, crystalline gleam like the stars.
"Quench it!" Brandwaldden shouted.
Firenze carefully clamped the sword and plunged it into the water trough. After a cloud of steam dissipated, the blade appeared fully before them.
"Halfway there," Brandwaldden said, wiping sweat from his forehead. Even under high temperatures, the metal was incredibly hard, and he had exerted a tremendous amount of effort.
"Yes, now I just need to inscribe the runes before the next stage of forging. However, once it's imbued with magic, this level of temperature probably won't affect it anymore," Alan said, panting and equally exhausted.