(Jeremy, who researched the demonization of every race)
The Demon Realm was using Assen fruit to transform humans and members of other races into demons.
Countless humans had already been demonized and absorbed into the demonic army. Now, those forces were advancing toward the borders of the Kingdom of Elphain. Realizing that war could no longer be avoided, the King of Elphain began searching for a new power capable of resisting the demons.
It was during this time that a blacksmith arrived in Elphain.
His name was Baldrik.
While exploring the ruins of Druga, Baldrik had discovered an ancient method of binding the souls of the dead to weapons. The king recognized the potential of his work and commissioned him to forge twenty special swords.
Baldrik had no reason to refuse.
He needed considerable financial support to continue his research and craftsmanship. More importantly, Elphain was one of the few places where he could work without drawing the attention of the demons.
Baldrik settled in a remote region near the kingdom’s border and began forging the swords.
Creating twenty blades was not particularly difficult. The true challenge was finding the souls that would be placed inside them.
One of the reasons Baldrik had come to Elphain was the extraordinary swordsmanship of its people. He believed that if he could bind the soul of a powerful warrior to a blade, he could create a weapon with strength comparable to that of a living being.
But during the process, an unexpected problem emerged.
To permanently bind a soul to a sword, a living heart had to be fused with the blade. Yet the hearts of adult Elphain hardened as they aged, eventually becoming stronger than steel. This made it impossible to incorporate them into the weapons.
Baldrik found only one solution.
He would have to sacrifice young Elphain whose hearts had not yet hardened.
To complete his research, Baldrik hired mercenaries and began abducting Elphain children. His plan, however, did not remain hidden for long. The kidnappings were discovered, and both his workshop and his experiments were exposed.
Enraged, the King of Elphain confiscated all twenty unfinished swords.
Baldrik was banished from the kingdom, leaving behind the empty blades into which no souls had yet been placed.
But that was not the end.
The Kingdom of Elphain handed Baldrik over to the demons, and he was imprisoned within the Demon Realm.