The Man-Made Magical Sword: Second Attempt—The Creeping Blade

“It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve been here.”

“I feel that too. I suppose we’ve both been busy.”

In the Green Tower’s workshop, Volf and Dahlia were both putting on their work gear. On the workbench in front of them lay a screw-fitted shortsword and a variety of enchanting materials. Volf had sent a messenger to Dahlia as soon as he returned from his expedition, and they had agreed to meet at the tower the following afternoon. Although it had only been about a week since they’d seen each other, it felt like far longer. It was strange, considering they’d been complete strangers only a month ago.

“What was your mission like?”

“We had to bring down a flock of harpies. They’d been stealing sheep from a nearby village. They even snatched a child during the hunt, but we got him back safe and sound.”

“Was he all right?”

“Yeah. He had some cuts where the harpy had grabbed him, but we got him healed up with magic in no time. Feisty little guy. He’d gotten bored of being stuck indoors all the time, so he’d sneaked outside to play. His mother was livid.”

“I’m glad he didn’t come to any harm. And that you didn’t either, of course.”

“Er, about that... I actually got Randolph hurt.”

“Huh?”

Volf hesitated and glanced at the sköll bracelet on his left wrist. “At one point, that harpy looked like it was about to drop the boy, so I used Randolph’s shield as a springboard so I could leap up and catch him. I managed to save him, but I fractured Randolph’s wrists. The mage healed them soon enough, but I obviously need to work on controlling this bracelet properly.”

“Well, it was an emergency.”

“There’s something else I need to tell you. The commander of the mages who came to support us saw me jump and asked if it was late-blooming magic. I told him I had a magical accessory that augments my movements and showed him the bracelet, though I didn’t let him touch it.”

“I don’t blame you for that. There wasn’t anything else you could have done.”

They would have found no evidence of magical power if they had asked Volf to use the measuring crystal. It was inevitable that he would have been asked about the bracelet sooner or later. In fact, being upfront about it was probably the safest approach.

“I was careless. I’m sorry. He didn’t ask me where I got it, but if anyone does, I’ll say it came from my family. Whatever happens, I’ll make sure you don’t get mixed up in it.”

“Please, don’t worry about it. Even if someone does find out that I made it, if I explain how I did it and that only people who can’t express magic can use it, I expect that’ll be the end of it. At my level of magic, I don’t even know if I’d manage to make another one. Besides, there’s nothing special about the technique; anyone with enough power and the right materials could do it.”

“I suppose it doesn’t seem that attractive when so few people can use it. You’d have to search pretty hard to find another knight in my situation. Even so, I’ll be careful. I seem to have a habit of getting you into trouble,” Volf said, smiling wryly as he began to dismantle the sword.

His familiarity with such weapons was clear in the easy movements of his hands. One by one, he laid the parts out neatly on the workbench.

“I wouldn’t say you’ve ever gotten me into trouble. If anything, isn’t it the other way around? You became a guarantor for my company and even promoted my inventions to the Beast Hunters.”

“Oh, I’ll do that sort of stuff anytime; it’s fun. Right, there we go. One shortsword, dismantled.”

Within moments, Volf had taken the small weapon completely apart and was rolling the screws around playfully. In total, there were five separate parts: the blade, the guard, the handle, the sheath, and the screws.

“Now that I think of it, your dryers use both fire crystals and air crystals—two different kinds of magic, but they don’t interfere with each other. Why is it a problem in a magical sword?”

“The dryers aren’t enchanted, you see. Their power derives from the crystals via magical circuits. It’s the same with the cooling fan and the chilling fan. We draw the circuits with as little overlap as possible so we can adjust the magic from each kind of crystal separately. But with this sword we’re trying to make, each part is enchanted—the guard uses water magic for cleaning itself, the blade has some other passive ability; they’re all separate. Um...put simply, it’s the same reason why you can’t put a hardening enchantment on a completed dryer.”

“I’m starting to see how impossible of a request this was...”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s not impossible. We just need to find the right materials and methods, and I’ll probably have to draw some more complex circuits. Those are the sorts of things we need to work out. Magical tools with multiple enchantments do exist, after all.”

Dahlia was sure that her knowledge, magical power, and technical skill were all insufficient for this task. If only Father were here, he could teach me... Dahlia quickly waved that thought away.

“Now then, it’s taken a bit longer than intended, but let’s get started on our second attempt.”

“What are we going to do this time?”

“Well, last time, thanks to the black slime, we ended up with a sword that you can’t even touch with bare hands. This time, I want to try using yellow slime, which possesses earth magic. I know of a technique for coating metals with earth magic using a similar material, and I thought it would be worth trying on our sword.”

“Coating them with earth magic... But yellow slimes will corrode metal over time.”

“Yes, but unlike black slime, its corrosive properties disappear once it’s been powdered. I tested this when I was in college,” Dahlia explained as she retrieved a box containing yellow slime powder from a shelf. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to put a mask on. The powder is very fine, and it’ll choke you if you breathe it in. Here, gloves too.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Once they were both properly masked and gloved, Dahlia carefully opened the box. She scooped out about half a cupful of the floury, light-yellow powder and tipped it into a silver bucket along with some liquid.

“Sorry, Volf, could you slowly stir this for me? While you do that, I’ll start enchanting the sword. I was going to keep the enchantments similar to last time—self-sharpening on the blade, self-cleaning on the guard, haste on the handle, weight-reduction on the sheath, and hardening on the screws. Would you like to change any of those?”

“No, that sounds perfect. It’ll be easier to compare the effects to our last attempt too.”

“Good point. I’ll go with those, then.”

Dahlia picked up the parts one at a time and applied the various enchantments. Since she’d already done this once and gotten the feel for it, it didn’t take her long. The weight-reduction enchantment on the sheath was the most time-consuming one, but even that took half the time it had before. The only problem she encountered was with the screws; perhaps due to their small size, she had trouble ascertaining whether her enchantment had actually worked on them.

Across from her, Volf’s golden eyes were staring fixedly into the bucket as he stirred its contents with a glass rod. The liquid had turned light gray with a yellowish tinge and was becoming thick and viscous. Dahlia immersed each of the shortsword’s parts into the mixture and then applied a fixing spell. So far, the process was virtually the same as it had been last time.

“Shall I try putting it back together?” Volf asked.

“Yes, please.”

Once she was sure that the fixing spell had settled on every part, Dahlia handed them over to Volf. As he fitted the blade into the handle, Volf nodded.

“This is good. I don’t feel any resistance, so it should all go together just fine.”

Dahlia was relieved. Yellow slime obviously shared the magic-sealing properties of black slime, preventing the parts from repelling each other. It appeared they’d found another viable material to use as a coating. The assembled sword was pale gray with a faint golden sheen. Depending on the angle, it almost looked as though gold dust had been mixed into the coating. The previous sword they’d tried to enchant, with its pitch-black blade and dark-red handle, had come out looking undeniably bewitched. This one was fairly unremarkable by comparison—it wouldn’t have looked out of place on a regular weapon shop’s shelf.

Volf groaned as he examined the sword. “Ah, that’s a shame...”

“Is something wrong?”

“There’s no water coming from the guard. The sheath doesn’t feel any lighter either. It’s like the magic’s completely sealed in.”

“I think you’re right; the coating’s completely smothered it. That’s another dud.”

Evidently, the coating of yellow slime had rendered the magic on each part inert. Attempting further enchantments would be meaningless.

“So black slime will melt your hand and yellow slime smothers the magic... I guess there’s nothing we can do except try a different material.”

“It looks like unicorn horn might be the best bet after all. I’ll powder a little for next time. If I’m not powerful enough to use it, we’ll find a mage who is. I’ll also do some more research on monster materials with magic-resistant properties.”

The enchanting techniques employed by mages, alchemists, and blacksmiths were often closely guarded secrets. What Dahlia could research were monster materials, mainly through books and her father’s notes. But it wasn’t only her knowledge of enchanting techniques that fell short—she also lacked familiarity with the metals used in swordsmithing, having had few opportunities to work with them. Continual trial and error was her only recourse. This project was shaping up to be a long journey.

“It almost feels like our first attempt, the Blade of the Dark Lord’s Minion, went a bit too well. We were able to assemble it, and all the enchantments worked,” Volf said as he finally put down the sword, glancing over at the shelves.

Upon one of those shelves sat a magically sealed box that housed the first enchanted sword Volf and Dahlia had created together. The slightest touch would leave one with burned fingers, so it had lain there ever since. If only they had been able to touch that sword, the experiment would have been a resounding success.

“So, I was just thinking...” Dahlia mused. “If we were to find some way of making that sword from last time touchable, that would mean the process we used to make it wasn’t wrong after all. Do you see?”

“The process might not be wrong, but I think I’d still call it a failure from a safety perspective.”

However, she wasn’t suggesting anybody should touch the sword with bare hands in its current state.

“Earth magic is effective against black slimes, right? If we dipped that sword into the yellow slime mixture, what do you suppose would happen? Would it fail to stick? Would it melt the metal underneath? Or would it actually form a protective coating over the top of the black slime, allowing the sword to be safely held?”

It was fun to consider the possibilities, but her hypothesis was nothing more than that. They couldn’t know the result without first conducting the experiment.

“It’s certainly true that earth magic works well against black slimes, but...have people done experiments like this with yellow slime before?”

“I’ve heard of it being used to enchant stones and bricks for the likes of walls and flooring before. It makes them a little sturdier. It’s simpler and cheaper to just employ a mage to perform a hardening enchantment, though.”

Mages blessed with earth magic often had the ability to perform hardening enchantments over large areas. Dahlia couldn’t help envying that sort of power. Apparently, elite mages wielded the same type of magic with awesome effects. Only they could create the so-called “adamant walls” that even the largest monsters would struggle to break down.

“Stones and bricks... Hold on, have you tried it here in the tower already?”

“Well deduced, Volf. My father enchanted the roof with some yellow slime right after he burned the black one that revived itself up there. He was worried that it might have weakened the stonework.”

“I swear this tower must be partly made of slime by now...”

“I wouldn’t go that far. Probably.”

Now that she thought of it, in the period leading up to her perfecting her waterproof cloth, she’d dried all sorts of slimes in every spare corner she could find. There were some that had shriveled up and gotten stuck in the nooks and crannies of the stones. Perhaps Volf wasn’t entirely wrong. Dahlia noticed her eyes starting to wander over the workshop floor, looking for the telltale stains, and quickly told herself to forget the matter.

“Anyway, why don’t we give this yellow slime mixture a try?”

“You love a challenge, don’t you, Dahlia?”

“Yes, I can’t deny that. Not that I’ve had the chance to take on very many. My father and my, er, ex-fiancé were always stopping me.”

“Well, now I’m wondering if I should stop you, for safety’s sake.”

“Volf, be honest. Do you really want to stop me when this magical sword could be within our grasp?”

“I don’t. In fact, I want to cheer you on. But I also want to keep you out of danger.”

Seeing Volf gripped in a dilemma, Dahlia began to make her case. She explained that yellow slimes’ corrosive properties were much weaker than those of other slimes. Even on bare skin, it wouldn’t cause burns immediately. It was nothing like the terrifyingly caustic black slime. In any case, she would wear gloves, prepare a piece of meat to check the sword’s safety, and have a potion on a shelf near at hand. Persuaded by her thorough safety procedures, Volf finally relented.

The Blade of the Dark Lord’s Minion was unchanged since they’d put it away in its magically sealed box. Thankfully, it appeared that the black slime powder was not eating away at the metal. After donning some heavy-duty gloves, Dahlia submersed the sword in the yellow slime mixture. She saw no unusual reaction or any sign of the liquid being repelled; it coated the surface evenly. However, when it came to applying her fixing spell, she saw the color of the yellow slime mixture all but disappear before her eyes. The once-pitch-black sword was now a very dark gray, giving it a rather used, weathered look.

“I guess the black slime won,” Volf commented.

Dahlia smiled grimly. All she’d done was add a second coating of liquid; it wasn’t as though the slimes were actually fighting, but in a way, he might have been right. After all, the properties of black slime were far more potent than those of yellow.

“I’ll just test it with a piece of meat.”

Just like last time, Dahlia placed a small scrap of raw meat on top of the sword. On that occasion, the meat had quickly melted into sludge and burned away. This time, however, even after three minutes of waiting, the meat was unchanged. Dahlia tried placing it in different spots, but still there was no reaction.

“It seems to be all right.”

“Right, then I’ll try holding it. Don’t even try to argue because I won’t hear of it.”

Before she had a chance to reply, Volf reached out and grasped the sword in an ungloved hand.

“Does it feel okay?”

“Yeah, completely. And look—the scabbard’s light, and the water comes out. You’ve done it!”

“Well, we’re not finished yet, but it looks like this method works!”

Volf placed the shortsword down in the middle of the workbench and raised his hands in triumph. “We’ve just taken a huge step forward. What do you say we go for a drink to celebrate?”

“Great idea!”

“Anywhere in particular you’d like to go? Anything you’re hungry for?”

They began to discuss their favorite restaurants and drinks. A minute or two later, Dahlia happened to glance down at the sword again and unwittingly took a step back.

“Volf, unless my eyes are playing tricks on me...I think that thing’s moving.”

“I just noticed it too. It’s very slight, but it is moving. Almost like it’s alive.”

“Oh no, it’s definitely not that. I’m sure it’s just magical antagonism!”

At a pace slightly slower than a snail’s, the sword was creeping forward across the surface of the workbench. The magical properties of the black and yellow slime were repelling each other, causing all the magic to flow in a single direction. That was undoubtedly the cause for the sword’s movement.

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“But just look at the way it crawls... It really looks as though there’s something living in it. Um...I’m sorry for the weird question, but when you’re crafting magical tools, is it possible that something like a soul or spirit can get sucked inside them?”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that, although spirits, holy energy, and warriors’ souls do dwell inside some weapons and armors, don’t they?”

“Yeah, so they say.”

“And we spoke about dullahan before too. What in the world is inside them?”

“Ghosts, maybe? Wait, so does this mean a magical tool really could have a soul inside it?”

The moment he said that, Dahlia felt a shiver go down her spine. Could it really be that ghosts could enter her magical tools while she crafted them? The mere thought was horrifying.

“But you don’t think the same thing that’s inside a dullahan is in this sword...do you?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t say so. I mean, we’re in your tower. The only ghosts that would be here would be your fam— I mean, er, never mind.”

“I’m sure Father and my ancestors wouldn’t haunt my tools!”

While she’d prefer her father’s ghost to some mysterious, unknown specter, she’d be happiest not being haunted at all. Dahlia frantically shooed those befuddling thoughts from her head and turned her attention to the problem of the restless sword.

“The yellow slime will peel off if I freeze it. Once we’ve thoroughly observed the sword, I’ll shut it in a box with some ice crystals and then remove the slime.”

Although the experience promised to be slightly unnerving, it was important that she made observations of this new creation and recorded them in a report. It wouldn’t take long, and Volf would be there beside her. She could have a nice drink before bedtime and leave her magical lantern on while she slept. She’d made countless magical tools before now, and not one of them had ever been haunted. She’d never heard of such a thing from her father either. Anyway, there were no ghosts here. None. Nada. Zip.

“I won’t just bring a sword for enchanting next time. I’ll bring one for protection too. Would you mind keeping it here?”

“Not at all; that’s fine. I’m not sure that any protection will be necessary, but...I’ll keep two bangles on just in case.”

An unsettling thought occurred to Dahlia then—would weapons like swords or the magic from a bangle even work on a ghost? What if they just passed right through it? Every time she tried to quash one of those scary thoughts, two more popped into her head. At times like these, the best thing was to speak them aloud and laugh them off.

“Honestly, if it turns out we’ve somehow created a haunted sword or some new species of monster, it won’t be funny.”

“New species of monster? Ha ha, it gets worse and worse. Say, since this thing likes to move around on its own, do you suppose we should call it the ‘Creeping Blade’ or something like that?”

“The Creeping Blade... I just hope it creeps toward monsters and not us.”

Both of them were smiling as they bantered, but their eyes were trained on the sword, not each other. Dahlia had hoped to laugh off her concerns, but she only found herself thinking up increasingly dire possibilities.

“In the teeny-tiny chance that we have created a new monster, we won’t just become enemies of the state, we’ll be the enemies of humankind.”

“True. We’ll have to rule over the forces of the darkness.”

“I think the title of ‘Dark Lord’ belongs to you.”

“Then you can be the ‘Dark Sorceress’ at my side.”

The pair gazed gloomily at the sword as it slowly but menacingly inched onward.