The patriarch sat on his throne in the Rono family manor. The manor was the seat of power, and the patriarch lived here. His three sons each had castles built in the various territories owned by the family.
Most people in the clan, including Jata, lived in the capital. Since they had the means, who would want to live anywhere else. This was the center of power in the entire Kingdom of Genza.
The clan members with any recognition were gathered in the throne room, and the two boys were standing facing the patriarch, with everyone else looking on. With the old man presiding, everyone had reverent eyes as they gazed upon him.
He was the top authority of the clan, the most powerful vasili in the clan as well. Everyone revered him, almost to the point of worship.
"Are the swords done?" The man asked. This was the purpose of this grand meeting. Contrary to expectations, the event had blown up much more than the family expected. Now, these swords were the talk of the town, with many figureheads in the clan receiving offers for purchasing.
All this had stormed off from these swords, and hence, the clan had to approach the matter with caution. If it turned out the swords were as advertised, then the clan would have gained a massive boon.
However, if it was the opposite, then their prestige would take a major hit. This was why the clan had been overly quiet about the creation. Any impropriety on their part would damage the clan's prestige.
"Yes, my lord, please inspect them," the head smith said as he presented the swords to the patriarch. The head servant of the patriarch took them and presented them to the patriarch.
The man reached out and calmly inspected the weapons, one by one. He was a sword user himself and had been involved in sword trade more than once. He knew what to look out for.
Just by the feel of it, the swords were much more comfortable to the hand. The smiths who had worked on them were much better at forging compared to Keita, so their work was leaps and bounds above what Keita had produced.
The sword balanced perfectly in the hand. The metallic shine on the swords, the curves and groove, even the hilt, looked immaculate. Needless to say, the swords were masterpieces.
Perhaps, had Keita been more proficient at forging, he would have made something close to these swords, after all, it was built off of his blueprint.
However, the focus was not on the aesthetics, but on the performance of the blade. This was what everyone wanted to see.
"Did you bring it?" Count Rono asked his son. Since all this directly involved his family, Jata had to be involved in this process.
"Yes father," Jata answered deferentially as he had his servant produce a chest. When it was opened, the sharp glints of sword lights could be seen. Upon closer inspection, one saw that the chest contained several premium grade weapons.
These were all top-notch swords and spears that not even Keita could access. They seemed to have been brought over from the family armory. Their purpose, to test the creations.
For this test, the Rono family had gone all out and bought as many top-grade swords as they could find. Many were not even on the market. This went to show the depth of the clan's wealth and influence in the city.
The test itself was nothing major. Jata took out a sword from the chest. Holding his son's creation in one hand, he swung it against the other sword in his other hand.
Ting!
Just like that, a top-notch sword was destroyed. There were excited murmurs from the crowd, and even Zukov turned to look at his brother. Keita had a brilliant smile on, feeling vindicated.
The past five days had not been easy. Everyone had been looking at him as though he was a pariah. They did not know whether to pull him close or distance themselves. Finally, his genius had been proven thoroughly.
Jata proceeded to brandish the sword created by his son against the various swords. A hint of pride in his eyes. He too had been caught up in this storm, and he feared the worst. His children had banded together, which was a good thing.
His concern had been, what if the swords were not as good as promised? He didn't need to, since he himself had used the sword his son made, so he knew its feel. Yet, seeing the mounted pressure, he wondered if he would lose face.
Turns out, his worries were unwarranted. The blueprints produced an even better sword, since the people forging were experts. Now, the sword felt much better than it looked. With a smile, he reached in for a second sword.
With every sword strike, another finely crafted, highly expensive sword would come out broken. Some of the sturdier swords would leave a mark on the sword, but none could withstand the sword's cutting ability.
This in itself proved the power of the sword. Since it had marks on, it showed that it was not some enchanted weapon, but a regular weapon. Yet, this regular sword could cleave through anything in its path. How could that not be impressive?
Further tests ensued, but in every test, the sword came out impressive to the tester's eyes. Some things that Keita's sword would not have achieved were easily achieved by the new swords.
In fact, the smiths said that with this new metal and forging method, they could easily make an enchanted version of the sword, skyrocketing the price.
After rigorous testing, the clan announced their findings to the world. They had verified that the fame of the Supreme swords was well deserved. They also announced the first auction of these swords in a fortnight.
There would only be fifteen normal swords and five enchanted swords available. Every power was allowed to buy only one sword. Subsequent sales and mass purchases would be discussed after the introduction into the world.
After the announcement, the various elder smiths of the Rono clan got to work. While the swords were being tested, the trusted elder smiths had had a chance to go through the blueprint. With their experience and expertise, they had come up with several designs that were guaranteed to drop the jaws of the would-be buyers.
By the time they were done, Keita's original sword looked rather crude and unsophisticated. However, it was held in high regard and would have high collector value. It was the first of the Supreme swords to be produced.
Meanwhile, Keita's fame was at an all-time high. Everyone was discussing the brilliance of the boy. From the highest to the lowest, everyone knew of Keita's achievement, and consequently, his life.
It helped that he had such a saddening life story, one that could cause anyone to break down crying. Born normal in a family of vasilis and having his essence (this would change with every retelling) stolen by his brother were the highlights. He was cast in the role of victim of fate and her cruel twists and turns.
Despite all that was against him, Keita had overcome his inefficiencies and stood out from the rest, showing his brilliant mind. Such sensational tales were loved by bards and storytellers, and this further snowballed his fame.
With Keita's name dazzling, Zukov's name wasn't further behind. Some saw him as the villain, others saw the bond of brotherhood. It had to be known that Zukov was a Tier 2 at the age of ten, something extremely rare. This only served to demonstrate the seer's words, the elder consuming the fate of the younger.
The fact that the boys were still close despite the odds being against them, the bond of brothers, all these amplified their character.
The boys in question were having their evening meal with the family. The house had become considerably warmer, and the tension was gone. Even Jata was able to address Keita with pride, seeing him as his beloved son.
Keshi was overflowing with joy. Her youngest was no longer the cripple or the weakling. He had a purpose, and his brilliance was only just beginning. Keita reflected his mother's smile, his thoughts running wild.
Seeing this, Abi was not having any of it, she took a piece of chicken and threw it at Keita's face, causing a pandemonium in the quiet family dinner.