Could you give a little more detail about the problem you're having? It sounds like you tried to do the first AF quest "Wings of Gold" for the Barbaroi Axe so you could proceed onto the next two quests? But instead received the Pick of Trials for the quest "Axe the Competition"? And then after talking to him he tried to give you another Pick of Trials? Or did you mean he started the Artifact Quest? Did you try trading the unlocked Pick of Trials to him?