A CERTAIN COMMISSION

As Ravan opened the bag, the glimmering ManaCores caught Laila and Reena's attention, their faint glow reflecting in the soft light of the dorm room.

Ravan hesitated, pondering whether to involve them in the commission or keep quiet about its origins.

'I can't tell them of the encounter with the masked figure and the deal we made.'

'But at the same time I'll need a bit of help as I'm not fully skilled in forging weapons,'Ravan thought through his words before speaking.

After a moment's internal debate, he decided to disclose the task but withhold details about its source, emphasizing the need for their assistance.

"I need your help with something," Ravan began cautiously, his gaze shifting between Laila and Reena.

"I've been tasked to turn these ManaCores into daggers."

Laila frowned slightly, considering the implications.

"Daggers from ManaCores? That's unconventional," she murmured, her mind already calculating the challenges involved.

Reena nodded in agreement, her curiosity piqued.

"It sounds intriguing, but don't we need to go through the proper channels? We should present this commission to the front desk first," she pointed out, echoing the department's protocol.

'I had a feeling they would say that,'Ravan thought.

Ravan nodded, acknowledging their concerns.

"Yes, you're right," he admitted, grateful for their practicality.

"But I can't do this alone. I need your expertise."

Laila exchanged a glance with Reena, silently weighing their options.

"It's against the rules to bypass the department's procedures," she reminded Ravan gently, though her expression softened with understanding.

"But we can help you prepare the proposal and navigate through the approval process."

Reena nodded in agreement, her gaze steady.

"We'll assist you with the paperwork and preparations," she offered, her tone resolute.

"Turning ManaCores into daggers will require precision and proper authorization."

Ravan smiled gratefully, relieved that they were willing to support him despite the bureaucratic hurdles.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, a sense of determination settling over him. "Let's make sure we do this right."

With their roles defined, Laila, Ravan, and Reena spent the next hours strategizing and drafting their proposal.

They meticulously outlined the steps needed to refine the ManaCores and transform them into functional weapons, ensuring every detail adhered to the department's standards.

---

After Ravan, Layla, and Rina had deliberated their options, it became evident to Ravan that gaining official approval for the commission would be challenging without revealing its origin.

The masked man and the circumstances of the dungeon break were secrets Ravan intended to keep.

As they sat in Layla and Rina's dorm room, Ravan laid out his plan.

"We can't let the higher-ups know where these mana cores came from," he said, pulling out the bag containing the shimmering cores.

"But we need their approval to proceed."

Layla furrowed her brow, understanding the predicament.

"So, what's your plan, Ravan?"

"We need to get these cores approved as a commission," Ravan explained, his mind racing with possibilities.

'Only way through this is to have the two of them get the paperworks forged,'Ravan thought.

"But instead of being truthful about their source, we could submit a proposal. If it's written up properly and stamped, they might approve it without asking too many questions."

Rina nodded slowly, contemplating the risk involved.

"But how do we get the proposal through without anyone noticing?"

Ravan glanced around, his gaze settling on the front desk of the blacksmith department visible from their window.

"We'll need to sneak in after hours," he said quietly.

"Take the paperwork, write up our proposal, and get it stamped. Then bring it back here."

Layla hesitated, uncertainty etched on her face.

"That's risky, Ravan. If we get caught..."

"We won't get caught," Ravan insisted, his voice firm with determination.

"We'll be careful, precise, and quick. This commission could be our chance to prove ourselves."

After a tense moment of deliberation, Layla nodded.

"Alright, Ravan. I'm in."

Rina sighed softly, her expression reflecting both concern and resolve.

"Count me in too. But we need to plan this carefully."

---

Later that night, under the cover of darkness, Ravan, Layla, and Rina crept through the corridors of the blacksmith department.

They moved swiftly, ensuring no one spotted them as they approached the front desk.

Ravan held his breath as Layla skillfully picked the lock on the desk drawer, retrieving the necessary paperwork.

With Rina's expertise in writing, they crafted a convincing proposal, detailing the need for daggers and emphasizing the importance of swift action.

Working with practiced precision, they filled out the forms, making sure to mimic the style and language typically used by the department.

Once finished, Rina cautiously made her way to the stamping station, her heart racing with each step.

She held her breath as she pressed the department seal onto the document, her hand steady despite the nerves.

"We did it," Layla whispered as they hurried back to their dorm room, the stolen paperwork safely tucked away.

Back in the safety of the girls room, Ravan let out a sigh of relief.

"Good work, both of you," he said, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Now, let's get to the fire chambers and start working on those daggers."

With a sense of accomplishment and anticipation, they gathered their tools and the bag of mana cores.

Laila, Rina, and Ravan hurried through the bustling corridors of the blacksmith's department, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls.

The air was thick with the scent of burning coal and the clang of metal meeting metal reverberated through the halls.

Finally, they arrived at the fire chambers, a series of interconnected rooms filled with roaring furnaces and anvils bathed in the warm glow of molten metal.

Ravan glanced around, taking in the organized chaos of the workspace.

He saw rows of workbenches cluttered with tools of every shape and size, and large cauldrons bubbling with hot liquid metal.

Laila and Rina wasted no time in setting up their workstation, pulling out leather aprons and sturdy gloves to protect themselves from the intense heat.

"So, Ravan," Laila began, her voice barely audible over the roar of the fires, "the first step is to prepare the mana cores. These are the ones we'll be using." She reached into a small pouch and pulled out several shimmering mana cores, each pulsating faintly with arcane energy.

Ravan nodded, his eyes fixed on the cores. "And what do we do with them?" he asked, trying to mask his excitement.

"We need to crush them into a fine dust," Rina chimed in, grabbing a heavy hammer from a nearby tools barrel.

She placed the mana cores on a wide metal like table and with one swing she crushed the mana cores.

Rina then proceeded to pick up a heavy looking mortar and pestle and began grinding them with precise, methodical movements.

The cores resisted at first, their ethereal nature making them difficult to pulverize, but Rina's skilled hands gradually reduced them to a fine, glowing powder.

'Rina's strength is similar to Lailah's,'Ravan thought marvelling at the fact the two girls were definitely stronger than him in almost all ways.

'Sigh...once again I'm the weak one in a room of strong and talented individuals.'

Once the mana cores were ground into dust, Laila gestured towards a large cauldron filled with molten metal.

"Now comes the tricky part," she explained, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"We mix the mana powder into the metal while it's hot. This will infuse the metal with magical properties, making it suitable for crafting magic weapons."

Ravan watched with fascination as Rina carefully poured the mana dust into the cauldron.

As the powder touched the molten metal, it emitted a faint glow, illuminating their faces with a soft, otherworldly light.

The metal hissed and bubbled, reacting to the infusion of mana, and Laila stirred the mixture with a long iron rod to ensure even distribution.

"The key," Laila continued, her voice rising above the crackling of the fire, "is to maintain the right temperature and stir continuously. We want the mana essence to integrate seamlessly with the metal without causing it to destabilize."

For the next hour, they worked tirelessly, monitoring the cauldron as the metal gradually cooled to a workable temperature.

Ravan assisted by adjusting the fire's intensity, ensuring the heat remained consistent.

As they waited, Rina explained the second method they had discussed earlier for crafting magic weapons, involving precise forging techniques and enchantments applied after the metal cooled.

"I'm sorry Rina but I can't use that method,"Ravan began.

"What, why?"Rina asked.

Ravan was hesitant but had to say it,"I am not an awakened one like you two or the 90% of people in the Department."

The room was silence with noone uttering a single word as they took in Ravan's words.

"Its okay, the first method works wonders too,"Rina said smiling.

Ravan knew she was just trying to be nice. Everybody knew the first method was tiresome and wasn't as perfect as the second that involved magic...

'And yet here is Rina lying and trying to make me feel good about my weakness.'

'There is nothing good about being mana crippled,'Ravan thought trying to keep his composure as he gave Rina a nod.

Finally, when the metal was ready, Laila signaled to Ravan and Rina to prepare their molds.

They carefully poured the enchanted metal into dagger-shaped molds, the liquid metal flowing smoothly and filling every crevice.

Steam rose as the metal met the cooler molds, solidifying into the shape of daggers imbued with a faint, magical aura.

As they neared the final stages of pouring the enchanted metal into molds, they suddenly heard the distinct sound of locks turning.

'Who could be that at this hour?'Ravan thought as his face was tense, sweat trickling down.

The heavy door swung open, revealing Adam, standing in the doorway with a furrowed brow.

His presence cast a shadow over the room, and Ravan exchanged a quick glance with Laila and Rina, a hint of concern flickering in their eyes.

"What are you three doing in here?" Adam's voice boomed, breaking the focused silence of the fire chambers.