Chapter 6: Tune-Up

Early the next morning, all of us ventured to the lake to bring back Samya and Diana’s spoils from the previous day—a ginormous boar. “Ginormous” had been Samya’s word choice, but she hadn’t been exaggerating. The boar was indeed a monster. Back in my previous world, boars could reach a weight of as much as seventy kilograms (or so I’d heard), but this one would easily weigh that much even after we gutted it. By the time we skinned and butchered it, the meat cuts would weigh much less than seventy kilos, but that supply would still easily last us two weeks.

We made a carrying pallet and loaded the boar onto it. It was heavy, but between the four of us, the weight was manageable. We worked together to drag it back home where we butchered it, yielding plenty for storage.

“We won’t have to worry about meat for a while,” I commented. We then moved on to preserving the cuts. Some of it we would cure and some we would dry. Of course, I also set aside a fresh portion for today’s meals.

“I won’t need to hunt again until next week, right?” Samya asked.

“Yeah, that seems perfectly fine.”

“Hmm, then what animal would be fun to take down?” Samya mused to herself. She was always in a good mood after a successful hunt.

“Besides boar and deer—and bears, I guess—what other big creatures are there in this forest?” I wondered.

“Those are all the large animals. A step down the game ladder, you might also see giant tanuki roaming around here once in a while.”

“Giant tanuki?”

“They’re usually around this big.” Samya indicated the size with her hands. Her palms were about seventy centimeters apart, which was certainly bigger than the tanuki in Japan. “They’re round and pudgy with cute faces.”

“How do they taste?”

“Could be better. They don’t taste bad, but definitely not good enough for me to go out of my way to catch one. Deer and boar taste better, and they’re more plentiful.”

“So the tanuki are a last resort.”

“Yup.”

For lunch, I grilled the steaks of boar meat that I’d set aside. I seasoned them with brandy, salt, and pepper. As usual, Samya and Rike generously complimented my cooking, and the dish was highly reviewed by Diana as well.

In the afternoon, Rike and I went to the forge while Samya and Diana mended clothing. Our clothes didn’t have any large rips or tears, but there were a few fraying edges and smaller holes here and there. Apparently. I didn’t know the full details because clothing, in this case, included underwear, which meant that it wasn’t work I could help with. I entrusted the task to Samya and Diana, and I would focus on smithing instead.

As far as the division of the smithing work went, I would be forging elite models as usual, and Rike was forging entry-level models. Although Rike didn’t work as quickly as I did, we would still have enough stock to sell off with her working alone today and tomorrow. She’d already been forging entry-level models for the past couple of days, so we would certainly have enough for Camilo.

The workshop was soon filled with the crackling of flames and the clanging of hammers. The heated iron was like a red stage for the hammers to dance on, and throughout the performance, the plates of metal were transformed into bladed weapons, one by one.

The next day, Samya and Diana went out to gather fruits and vegetables, taking bentos with them. Rike and I would be spending another day in the forge.

“Do you ever wish you were spending the day outside, Rike?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Samya and Diana often journey into the forest, but you’re always stuck here with me.”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to go out once in a while...but the forge is a dwarf’s home. It’s where I belong, and I enjoy my work,” she said.

“I’m happy if you are.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Boss.”

“Ah...don’t mention it.”

We settled into work without another word. It was a productive day, and we might’ve even made more than our usual amount.

Tomorrow, we can take a break.

As I was thinking about plans for the next day, a loud knocking came from the outside door on the other side of the counter. Rike froze in surprise. I’d turned toward the door when our mysterious guest shouted, “Eizo! Are you home?”

The voice was familiar.

And it was just as loud as I remembered.

I gave as good as I got and yelled back, “I’m coming! Wait a minute!”

When I opened the door, I came face-to-face with a tall woman sporting red hair standing on the other side of the threshold. A knife scar ran across her face, but it did nothing to mar her attractive looks.

Our guest was a mercenary named Helen, but her rapid style of swordplay had earned her the nickname Lightning Blade.

Helen grinned broadly. “Long time no see!”

“No kidding.” I held the door open for her. “Come in, come in. Sit.”

“Thanks,” she said, barging in and plopping down onto a chair. She wasn’t noisy per se, but her big and showy movements left a loud impression.

I asked Rike to bring us some wine cut with water, along with some tea. Then, I got down to business. “What brings you here today? Is something the matter with the swords I made you?”

“Not at all,” Helen replied. “At least, nothing major. I only came by for a tune-up. My next job is taking me out of the area to a faraway battlefield.”

“Sure thing,” I said. “Give them here.” Helen passed me her swords, and I turned them over this way and that, checking for any signs of warping or chips in the blade. “You use these blades regularly?”

“Hmmm. Let’s see. First, I trained with them for about a week. I’ve had a few small jobs taking down bandit groups. When I have the opportunity, I’ll practice with logs as my opponent. That’s about it.”

“All right.”

The blades were relatively undamaged and the metal hadn’t warped much, but they weren’t in perfect condition either.

How much power does Helen put behind her blows? She’s managed to cause slight damage to my custom model swords in such a short time... I suppose some things are hard to predict outside of actual battle.

Just then, Helen seemed to remember something. “Oh, that’s right.”

“What is it?” I braced myself for her news.

“I meant to tell you—these swords are extremely tough, just like I was hoping they’d be, and they’re sharp to boot. They’ve saved my life over and over again.”

Aha! So she’s used them to block attacks from other swords. I’m sure she’s been reckless in other ways too. That’s a good sign that my blades can withstand rough treatment. After all, they’re only made of steel.

“Mere words aren’t enough to express my gratitude, but I’ll say them anyway. Thank you, Eizo, for all that you’ve done for me.” She extended her right hand out toward me.

“It’s my job,” I stated awkwardly. “I accepted your commission, so I was duty-bound to complete it properly.” I took her hand. Her grip was tight to the point that it hurt, but the flush of pleasure I felt from her words won out over the pain.

Off to the side, Rike gave a sigh. “It wouldn’t kill you to be honest once in a while, Boss,” she said with a chuckle. I stubbornly ignored her.

“There are only a few chips in the blade, and the metal isn’t all that warped, either. I doubt you’ll have any problems in the next half year, but I’ll repair these spots anyway since you’re already here.”

“I’m counting on you,” Helen said.

We broke our handshake. “I’ll get started on it right away. Can you wait a while?”

“So,” Helen started hesitantly, “I was thinking...” I hadn’t known that she had a single timid bone in her body, but it looked like I’d been mistaken.

“What is it?” I pressed.

“Can I watch while you repair them?” she blurted out.

Is that all? “Sure, I don’t mind.”

I didn’t think she’d understand much, even if she were to watch, but I didn’t have any objections. I might’ve been more hesitant if fire was involved. The furnace could reach temperatures of over 1000°C and was not anything to be trifled with. But in this case, I was only doing a touch-up; the furnace wouldn’t be needed for sharpening the blades and repairing minor dents. In fact, reheating the swords at this stage would be counterproductive—the excessive heat could cause the metal to denature and would undo the effort I’d put in during the quenching and tempering stages.

“Score! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Helen cheered enthusiastically, slapping my back. She’d returned to her normal, exuberant self and was every inch a Joan of Arc character, a true heroine.

“Boss, can I observe as well?” Rike asked.

“Yeah, of course,” I replied without hesitation. It was beneficial for Rike to watch me, which was likely why she’d asked in the first place.

I got to work immediately. First, I wanted to repair any distortions in the metal. I laid one sword on the anvil and jumped straight in. There were only minor flaws, and my cheat abilities told me precisely where to hammer in order to restore the metal to perfect uniformity. I put all my focus into the job, striking the blade carefully. The deliberate taps produced delicate tings, and the sounds were in stark contrast to the usual clanging that constantly filled the workshop.

Once I was done with the first sword of the pair, I handed it over to Helen for a look. “Give it a try and tell me what you think.”

“Will do.” Helen took the sword, walked over to an open space, and began to flow through a swordplay sequence. If she’d been anyone else, I would’ve worried about her causing damage to the room; it was a testament to her skill that I didn’t feel anxious about her movements at all.

“W-Wow. Just wow!” she exclaimed after trying out a few moves. “Eizo, you’re amazing! It feels exactly like it did when I first got it.”

“Right back at you. I’m impressed that you can feel a difference. It’s not like I changed much.” I meant every word of that sentiment. But it wasn’t flattery—it’s said that a skilled craftsman can tell the difference of a few micrometers by touch alone. Helen’s intuition as a swordsman was at an equivalent level.

“Good. So there are no problems?” I asked.

“None! It’s just like new!”

She returned the sword to me, and I looked over it again. The leather wrapping around the hilt seemed worn as well; I could tell that it had already been replaced several times. Like Helen had said, she’d been putting the sword through its paces.

“Shall I rewrap the hilt for you while I’m at it?” I offered.

“No, no need. I’m used to the grip. I wrap it in a way that best suits my hand.”

“All right, I’ll limit repairs to the blade then.”

“Thanks.”

I took up the second sword. The forge sunk into silence once again, but for the tinking of the hammer against the steel. Rike and Helen seemed to both be suppressing the sound of their breathing as if they were concerned that the noise would disrupt my work.

“Hey, Helen?” I asked, breaking the quiet atmosphere.

“Yeah?”

“Is it fun to watch me work?”

“Mmhmm. You really look the part of a craftsman with a hammer in your hand,” she said.

“I should hope so. After all, I am one.”

Well, insofar as blacksmithing can be considered a craft.

“I know that,” she said. “My pops was a craftsman, and I used to watch him work too.”

“Really? What did he do?”

“He was a farrier, but I left home a long time ago though.”

“Sounds like an interesting job,” I said simply.

A farrier, huh? Seems like work that truly requires technical expertise. Maybe I should give it a try too. Horseshoes and nails are within a blacksmith’s purview, right?

We chatted idly as I finished the repairs. When I was almost done, Helen brought up our earlier conversation. “Aren’t you gonna ask me why I left home, Eizo?” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

“Well, it’s not as though I’m not curious...but I have a policy: don’t pry into a woman’s past.”

“Sounds like you’ve had a bad experience before.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I replied. “Either way, I limit myself to benign questions these days. What kind of delicious food have you tried, and things of that nature,” I said. “Okay, I’m done.”

I passed the second sword to Helen for her to check the finish. She deemed that blade satisfactory as well. With both swords restored to good condition, I moved on to honing the edges. I concentrated my focus into my fingertips while I sharpened the first sword, and of course, I owed my hypersensitivity to the blessings of my cheats. I could feel Rike and Helen’s gazes on me, watching my hands intently. I continued working until there wasn’t a single nick to be seen along the blade.

“I’m done. You shouldn’t have any problems with these in the near future.”

I handed the sword to Helen once again. As she inspected it, we heard a clacking sound coming from the living area.

Hearing the noise, I glanced up. “When did it get so late?”

“What was that?” Helen asked.

“The wooden clappers alert us when the door to the living area is opened,” I explained.

“What about the door here?”

“It’s connected to another set of clappers in the living area.”

“Clever.”

“It’s very convenient since we often gather in one-half of the cabin,” I said. “I’m guessing that means the other two are home.”

As I predicted, Samya and Diana soon came to join us in the workshop.

“We’re home,” Diana said as she walked through the door. “Oh, we have a guest?”

“Welcome home,” I said. “And yes. She’s a former customer of ours.”

Helen tipped her head at Diana.

Samya had, of course, met Helen before. “If it isn’t Helen! How’ve you been?” True to her warm and open nature, Samya greeted her like they were old friends.

“Happy as a clam,” Helen replied.

“Helen...as in ‘Lightning Blade Helen’?” Diana asked. “The one you mentioned before?”

Helen intercepted Diana’s question for me. “Yeah, that’s me.”

Her hypothesis confirmed, Diana’s eyes were now sparkling with interest.

“Helen,” I interjected.

“Yeah? What is it, Eizo?”

“I won’t charge you for the repairs. Instead, I ask that you do me a favor—spar with the young lady over there?”

She quickly agreed. “Fine by me, if it’s all right with you.”

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “In the meantime, I’ll sharpen the other sword.”

“I’m fired up now! You can count on me!”

“Now, now, go easy on her,” I said mildly. I tossed Helen one of the wooden training swords that Diana and I usually used when we sparred. She caught the sword with an easy grace, then left the forge together with Diana, whose excitement was evident to everyone watching.

Is Helen really such a celebrity? The installed knowledge hadn’t come with any information about famous figures in this world.

I watched them go before picking up the sword I hadn’t yet completed and returning to my own work.

I’d finished the repairs on the second blade and had just begun to tidy up the workshop when Helen and Diana returned. As I’d expected, Diana looked like she’d suffered an overwhelming defeat. Helen wasn’t one to hold back in a fight.

“How did it go?” I asked, not directing the question to either of them in particular.

Helen answered me first. “Hmm, her movements are clean, but...how do I put this? She could benefit from having a few not-so-pretty moves in her repertoire.”

Diana’s shoulders heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. It didn’t look like she’d be able to answer me anytime soon.

Helen was a dual sword wielder, but she’d dominated Diana even with just one. She certainly lived up to her reputation as the Lightning Blade, and I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Diana. I doubted that Diana had even gotten a chance to respond to Helen’s attacks; rather, it would likely have been more accurate to say that Diana had been forced to react, pushed to the brink by strikes that seemed to come flying out of nowhere.

“You didn’t try anything dirty like going for her eyes, did you?” I asked.

“’Course not. Who do you take me for?” Helen protested. “I used plenty of feints though.”

It hadn’t been an “anything goes” kind of fight, but I was sure Helen had had a few tricks up her sleeve. I wouldn’t put it past her to have faked a kick. In my sessions with Diana, I always fought by the book. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine that Diana (who fought on the unspoken assumption that a sword was the only weapon one used in a duel), hadn’t been prepared for Helen’s attacks.

On the contrary, Diana might be so used to straightforward swordplay that she hadn’t even caught onto some of Helen’s feints. Diana had just started using feints herself when sparring with me, but needless to say, her repertoire was no match for a veteran of the battlefield, especially a mercenary famous enough to have earned a nickname.

“This young lady still fights better than some of the chumps I’ve met in the royal palace,” Helen said. “You trained her, Eizo?”

“Yeah, how’d you know? She learned her fundamentals elsewhere, but I’ve been sparring with her since she moved here.”

“I knew I was right! The way she feints reminds me of your fighting style. The resemblance was so strong, actually, that I knew just how to intercept them.”

Helen had remembered my habits from the one time we’d faced off. Her skills were honestly good enough to be cheats. Of course, on the battlefield, one had no choice but to deal with unexpected threats in real time. A split moment’s hesitation could spell doom. I was sure Helen’s experience in battle had honed her speed and instincts.

“Eizo, you lasted fifteen whole minutes against Helen?” Diana asked, finally catching her breath.

“Something like that. She was dual-wielding when I fought her though.”

Diana slumped in disappointment. “I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the saying ‘There will always be someone better.’”

Rike nodded along to Diana’s words and patted her back in consolation. A shared understanding passed between the two of them.

Helen then turned her sights toward me. “Your turn, Eizo! You and me, one on one!” She seemed high on adrenaline from sparring with Diana.

“No way,” I protested. “Why should I?”

“Why not?!”

“I’m a blacksmith...no match for an active mercenary.”

“You’ll be fine. Come on.”

“Not a chance,” I said with finality. “Instead of that, I’d like to ask—what are you planning to do tonight? It’s already late. You’re welcome to stay here, of course.”

“It’s gotten dark, huh?”

“We’re a long way away from the city, and I wouldn’t feel right letting you go back through the forest when it’s pitch black. Stay the night.”

We’d just finished constructing Diana’s room, so the guest room was available again. It was perfect timing. The three women also nodded their agreement to my plan. Helen may have been the strongest person in the area—not an exaggeration—but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I were to turn a woman out in the dark.

“I’ll take you up on that,” Helen said.

“The four of us will be heading into the city tomorrow too, so we’ll see you back,” I added.

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s not as if we’re going out of our way or anything.”

We would be using up two extra portions of food for Helen’s dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow, but it was hardly anything to concern ourselves over.

Now then, shall I put a little extra effort into cooking?

Our dinner tonight rivaled the lavishness of the meal I had prepared when I’d come back from the capital. I was generous with the meat portions and everyone complimented the dish. Helen even said, “The meat tastes extra delicious because of the pepper you used.” Her praise really stuck with me.

She has enough money to buy pepper herself if she wanted to.

While we ate, Helen told us about the different cities she’d been to. Her job as a mercenary took her far and wide, and she knew places that were off the map too. Her stories were fascinating to listen to.

At one point, drawn into one of her tales, I uttered without thinking, “What was that about a brothel?” Everyone started needling me, so I quickly backpedaled. “No! Who’s interested? Not me! But...is what you said true?”

⌗⌗⌗

The next morning, I went to the lake and retrieved water. Helen also joined us for our morning chores. With the five of us working together, the basin we used for washing suddenly felt quite small. While I prepared breakfast, Helen joined the other three to do laundry. She seemed to enjoy herself.

After we ate, we packed for the day’s journey and departed without any delay. Rike and I were on cart duty as usual. The other three kept watch. With just one extra pair of eyes, I felt much more at ease. As we hiked through the forest, Helen told tales of the times she’d had to guard merchant wagons in her job as a mercenary.

Once we were out of the trees, the landscape opened up. The sky above us was like a giant blue canvas that was splashed in places with white paint, and a green carpet extended out toward the horizon. The scenery was as beautiful as always, however, the terrain’s openness was a double-edged sword; we could see far out into the distance, but we would also be visible to anyone else (like bandits) who wished to try their luck.

Fortunately, we learned from Helen that the leader of the bandits had been deposed of a while back. I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the news. Without a leader, the crooks and bandits were unlikely to be a big threat, but there could still be small fry lurking around that the guards hadn’t yet cleaned up.

We kept only minimal watch as we continued onward, though we didn’t drop our guard completely. Our group would’ve made for a tempting target since I was the only man traveling with four women, and we were dragging along goods for sale.

Nevertheless, we arrived at the capital without encountering any trouble. This was partially due to the specific women I was traveling with since they all projected strength. However, the primary reason we went by unmolested was probably due to the diligence of the city guards.

The guard on duty at the entrance gate today was the same one who’d checked Diana last week. When he caught sight of us, I saw him smirk before quickly schooling his expression into a mask of professional disinterest.

“I see you’ve added another member to your, ahem, harem...and not just any member either. Do my eyes deceive me, or is that the infamous Lightning Blade?”

“Yes, she’s an acquaintance,” I responded politely.

Of course, she was Camilo’s acquaintance originally. She seemed to know Marius as well, though how she became friends with the third son of a count was a mystery to me.

“Who are you really?” the guard asked me.

“I’m just your run-of-the-mill blacksmith.”

“The Lightning Blade isn’t one to associate with just any blacksmith,” he replied. “Well, I guess I won’t pry any further. Do me a favor and try not to cause a scene.”

“We wouldn’t dream of it.”

With our goodbyes said, we entered the city. Here, the four of us parted ways from Helen.

“I don’t have any business with Camilo, so I’ll leave you here,” she said. “But I’ll visit again when I’m back so you can check on the condition of the swords. I’ll make sure to bring you gifts from my travels too! In the meantime, take care of yourselves!” And with those parting words, Helen headed off in the direction of the Open Market.

A sentiment came to me unbidden—all I wanted was for her to come back safe and show up at our doorstep again, swords in hand. Forget gifts...that would be the greatest present of all.

After we split off from Helen, we went straight to Camilo’s store. Other than the addition of one new weapon to our product lineup, today’s visit was no different than usual. We left the cargo in the storehouse, greeted the workers there, and quickly made our way to the second-floor conference room. Before long, Camilo and the head clerk came to meet us.

“How’s business?” I asked as they walked in.

“Can’t complain,” Camilo replied. “Now that I’m known as an official supplier of the Eimoors, people are starting to put more trust in my business, so sales have been picking up.”

“That’s great news.” I don’t know how the partnership was working for Marius, but the outcome couldn’t have been better for Camilo.

“I’m assuming you brought the usual wares with you today?”

“The usual plus a new product. Today, I brought five halberds for you.”

“Halberds, you say? What for?” Camilo asked.

“To arm the city guards actually. I was hoping for your help arranging a sale with our dear Lord Eimoor.”

“I see.”

“Do you think they will sell?”

“I don’t see why not. Besides, there are always other buyers if it doesn’t work out. I’m happy to take them for you.”

“Thanks. That’d be a great help,” I replied. That closed up our business negotiations.

Camilo seemed to agree that Marius would buy the halberds. Even if he didn’t, I wouldn’t mind if they were sold to a different buyer.

“Now then, I have another matter to discuss with you,” Camilo began, lowering his voice. “You said you were interested in rare minerals, did you not?”

“Yes. Have you procured any?”

“Nothing physical, but I have info that may interest you. I heard it straight from the mouth of our favorite lord himself. A supply of appoitakara has made its way from the north to the capital. I can obtain a portion for you if you’re interested.”

My installed knowledge had come with an overview of appoitakara. According to the lore, appoitakara was this world’s equivalent to hihiirokane, which was a legendary metal, known in Japan to gleam scarlet like the color of burning flames. Appoitakara was harder than iron and was mined in the north. Once it was refined, the metal gave off a blue luster. It was apparently softer than hihiirokane, but no less rare.

“Count me interested. Can I leave the matter in your hands?”

“Of course. My apologies if I’m too late though.”

“I’m already impressed that you found out the location,” I replied. “What’ll it cost me?”

“Three gold coins.”

“That’s not cheap.” I had enough to afford it if I dipped into the gold that Helen had paid me for her commission as well as the reward I’d received for my role in the Eimoor family dispute. However, it wasn’t an amount a normal blacksmith could easily drop.

“I could discount it to two coins for you if you do me a favor,” Camilo offered.

“Not anything too troublesome, I hope.”

“Nothing like that,” he said. “You see, I’ve gotten my hands on a supply of mithril—this has no connection to the count—and I’ve received a commission for a mithril rapier.”

I grasped his meaning immediately. “Aaah, the discount is a substitute for the fee to smith the rapier.”

“Yes, precisely.”

Since I wouldn’t have to pay anything for the cost of the materials, the gold coin would purely be payment for the forging itself. Not bad at all. As a bonus, I’d get the chance to play around with mithril.

“Can I put our forge’s insignia on the rapier?” I asked. “I’ll make it inconspicuous.”

“Sure, you’re free to do as you like.”

“Well then, I’ll take on this commission.”

“Looks like we have a deal.”

Camilo looked over at the head clerk, who caught his signal, nodded, and left the room. While our cart was loaded with the supplies, I chatted with Camilo about the state of affairs in the capital and news he’d heard about other cities. Once everything was ready, we headed back downstairs and retrieved our cart from the storeroom.

The guards at the city fence had rotated while we’d taken care of business. As we left through the gate, the four of us exchanged curt greetings with the guard on duty and then set off on the road back home.

The journey home was more nerve-racking than the journey into the city had been. This time, we had a supply of mithril stashed away in our cargo. Four members made a sizable group, and both Samya and Diana were on guard duty. Still, it was impossible to relax knowing that we were carrying such a valuable commodity. There were surely bandits who were smart enough to realize that an object’s size had no correlation to its value, ones who sought to get rich quick off of rarities. I found myself more alert than usual.

Occasionally, I’d hear rustling in the thickets along the side of the road, but Samya reassured me every time that it was only the wind or a stray critter. Once we’d made it safely to the forest, I relaxed a fraction. I felt more at ease among the trees, where the biggest threats were bears, rather than on the road where we could be ambushed by bandits.

Our hike through the forest was uneventful as well. Soon, we emerged into the clearing where our cabin stood.

Home sweet home.

As usual, we divided up the cargo duty. Samya and Diana brought the food and perishables into the kitchen. Rike and I handled the ore, charcoal, and mithril.

The mithril gleamed silver in the light of the forge, but appearance-wise, it looked similar to other metals. Once it was refined, it would take on an almost luminant quality, but the supply we received from Camilo was raw ore.

For now, I steered my thoughts away from the metal and focused on storing everything away.

The next day, I couldn’t help but be preoccupied with thoughts of the mithril, but replenishing our stock of plate steel took precedence. We split the work among the four of us, and by the end of the day, we had a full stock of metal plates once again.

⌗⌗⌗

On our second day back from the city, I finally had the chance to work with the mithril. An opportunity like this didn’t come around every day, so Rike and the others would be observing and learning. Rike would be helping out occasionally as well.

To start, I heated the firebed, grabbed the mithril with the tongs, and slid it into the fire. The heat of the flame slowly coaxed the temperature of the metal higher and higher, until it was nearly at the forging temperature of iron. A normal bar of silver would’ve already started melting, but mithril wasn’t normal silver—it became malleable at almost the same temperature as steel.

Once I judged it to be hot enough, I transferred the metal to the anvil and struck it once, hard, with my hammer. The sound of the mithril was clear and resonant; the pure tone reminded me more of glass than iron or any of its alloys.

When I worked with steel, the metal always bent readily under the hammer. In comparison, my heavy blow had barely left a dent in the mithril. It was sturdier than I’d anticipated.

“This is going to be tricky,” I muttered.

“Even for you and your talents with the hammer, Boss?” Rike asked.

“Yeah. Have a look at the metal—it’s more or less unchanged where I hammered it. I should’ve charged Camilo more for my time,” I grumbled, prompting a round of snickering from the others.

I struck the mithril four, five more times, covering the sound of their laughter. In just a few hits, the temperature of the metal had already dropped past the point at which it was workable. I transferred it back into the firebed.

“I’ve met my match,” I declared. “This is going to be an uphill battle.”

“Mithril has that reputation,” Rike said. “A normal blacksmith wouldn’t be able to work with it at all.”

“That’s true.”

Up until now, I’d only worked with steel, which I could shape to my will with my hammer. Since coming to this world, this was the first time I’d been confronted with a material I couldn’t easily handle. It was going to be tough...but this challenge made my coming here feel all the more meaningful. I felt that it was worth having requested the cheats from the Watchdog, just so I could forge a life for myself as a blacksmith.

I removed the mithril from the fire and began to strike it once more.

My hammer collided with the mithril, stretching it longer, centimeter by centimeter. The work took me two, maybe three times as long as when I worked with steel. However, there were upsides to working with mithril. Compared to steel, the atomic composition of mithril was more pure; the deformities and contortions that appeared during steelwork were nowhere to be seen. Thank god. Instead of worrying about the metal’s uniformity, I could give my full attention to hammering it out to the length I wanted. The low density of mithril was another blessing, considering how often I had to move it back and forth between the furnace and the anvil.

No one could deny mithril’s superiority as a material, but the work was also more nerve-racking than usual. I couldn’t help but feel like I would ruin the metal if I struck the wrong spot even once. I dialed my cheats all the way up as I hammered the metal into a long and thin rhombus, putting in extra care to refine the end into a sharp point. One mistake could spell disaster. The level of concentration required was far above what I was used to.

This wasn’t a project that could be rushed, and though the work ticked along, it wasn’t at all tedious. The pure tones produced by the mithril were enthralling and made the process more enjoyable.

I wasn’t the only one who appreciated the metal’s surprising musicality. Amid my hammering, Samya commented, “What a stunning sound.”

“It almost sounds like an instrument, doesn’t it?” added Rike.

“I think it’s lovely too,” Diana said.

Seeing their obvious pleasure, I received a fresh burst of motivation. Their words of appreciation fueled my movements, so I started working faster. The metal grew longer and thinner at a pace that was still slow, but quicker than before.

We took a short lunch break, but I still had a long way until the finish line, so I continued smithing well into the afternoon.

Eventually, I asked the other three, “Aren’t you all bored?”

“What is there to be bored by?” Samya asked. “Just watching you is plenty fun for me.”

Rike agreed. “I think so too. It’s a valuable learning experience for me. I’ve never seen anyone work with mithril before, not even back in my family’s workshop.”

“Plus, the mithril makes a beautiful sound when you hit it. It’s mesmerizing watching the metal grow longer and longer under your hammer,” said Diana.

“Good to hear,” I replied as I brought the hammer up for another swing.

Over the course of the day, I turned the mithril into a meter-long rapier that was a mere 2.5 centimeters across at its widest point. The rhombus-shaped blade tapered on one end into a delicately pointed tip, which I’d hammered out as sharp as I could; on the opposite end was a slim cylinder that would become the rapier’s grip.

For this project, I skipped the quenching and tempering and moved straight to sharpening. The former two stages were necessary when working with steel, but not with mithril since it was fundamentally a more durable metal and thus impervious to change. The metals I was familiar with from Earth were no match for the (literal) otherworldly metals that were native to this world.

Given the superior quality of mithril, it would’ve been worth processing the metal in bulk. Of course, this assumed that one had the right equipment and sufficient skills. The limited supply of the metal was one problem, but heating and shaping it was also exhausting. Bulk production might’ve been possible for a machine, but that sort of advanced technology hadn’t yet been invented in this world. The day when mithril weapons became a common commodity was a long way away.

I’d been worried about whether my normal whetstone would be sufficient to sharpen the mithril, but using it, combined with my cheats, I managed to make things work. However, I could tell by the sensation of the rapier sliding across the whetstone that if the blade wasn’t angled exactly right, it would be ruined.

I didn’t break my focus for even a moment. The sword sang as I slid it back and forth, entertaining my audience. I kept my movements languid, guiding the blade in a slow waltz with whisper-soft steps.

The process of honing the rapier’s edge took a long time, but I finished before the day was out.

“I’m finally done with the sword body.”

“Is it ready to be wielded?” Diana asked right away, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

“I still have to wrap the grip in leather and install a cross guard, but you can test it out if you promise to be careful.”

“Can I?” she asked eagerly.

“Yes, but why don’t you take it outside?” I suggested. “It’ll be dangerous in here if you accidentally lose your grip.”

“All right,” she agreed. I handed her the rapier. “It’s so light!”

“It is, isn’t it? I wouldn’t say it’s light as a feather per se, but it feels more like a wooden staff than a metal sword.”

“Yes. Rapid thrusts will be no problem with this rapier.”

“I agree. Now let’s go out and put it to the test.”

We piled out the door. All of our eyes sparkled in the exact same way. Needless to say, this was my first time seeing mithril in all my life, so I could barely contain my enthusiasm.

Diana started with a simple routine to test the blade’s moveset. She flicked the rapier up and down, left and right, and tested out a series of quick thrusts. Because of the rapier’s light weight, Diana’s movements were nimble and sharp, but there seemed to be no danger of losing her grip. When compared with a shortsword, the rapier’s superior speed became immediately evident, and that difference was clear in Diana’s performance. She looked as if she was dancing. Samya and Rike watched with rapt attention.

Rapiers were weapons used for slicing as well as piercing, though they couldn’t execute a brutal chop like a greatsword could. Diana started to intersperse clean slices among the thrusts she’d been trying out before. Her movements looked faster than they normally did when we sparred.

“You’re quicker than usual,” I noted. “I wonder if it’s because of how light the rapier is.”

“To be honest, I was thinking that too,” Diana replied. “Somehow, it feels as if my whole body is more buoyant. Perhaps it’s because the rapier takes less energy to wield.”

“That makes sense.”

Having a light and nimble weapon was truly ideal. Well, there were some, like hammers, which depended on weight to produce power, but weapons made for stabbing and slicing didn’t need to be heavy.

“Next, let’s put you in front of an enemy,” I said. The “enemy” was no more than a thick plank of wood that I stood on its side.

“Should I try to pierce through it?” Diana asked.

“Yeah. It’s not very stable though, so be careful.”

“Got it.”

Diana held the rapier out, tip pointing toward the enemy stand-in. She inhaled deeply and slowly breathed it out. Our surroundings were quiet but for the whisper of the wind. Time slowed and stretched. What must’ve been only a few seconds felt like minutes.

Suddenly, Diana sprang forward, yelling out with zeal as she thrust the sword through the wood with all of her power. The rapier did not fail to pierce its target, and its tip slid silently into the wood. From the sidelines, it looked as if the wood had absorbed the rapier into its very composition.

Diana withdrew the blade as quickly as she had thrust it in, leaving behind a hole in the shape of the rapier’s tip. Judging from that mark alone, it didn’t seem as if anything extraordinary had happened. The wood only appeared as if it had been stabbed by something, and it was our job as the onlookers to tell the true story of what we’d just witnessed.

“That was...unbelievable,” Diana said in amazement. “I hardly felt any sensation at all.”

“Did it feel like you were stabbing the air?” I asked.

“Pretty much. There was barely any difference.”

“Good. Then this should suffice. Can I see it?”

Diana handed me the rapier and I inspected its tip. The thrust hadn’t bent or chipped it, and the blade remained unblemished. I concluded that I could leave the sword’s blade as it was.

Then, I had another idea. I handed the rapier back to Diana and went into the workshop to grab a plate of metal and a length of rope. When I returned to where everyone was waiting, I tied the metal to the wooden plank.

“All right. Can you try to pierce through this?” I asked Diana.

She nodded. “Sure, no problem.”

She readied her stance once again. This time, she stayed loose and relaxed as she thrust toward the metal and wood rig. There was a quiet shnick as the rapier pierced the metal plate, and the sound echoed through the silent clearing. When Diana removed the blade, I saw that a conical hole had been punctured clean through the metal plate. I inspected the blade again to make sure it was still free of nicks and deformities—the mithril was perfectly unmarred.

“Could I have accidentally made something that’s batshit insane?” I mused out loud.

The other three stared at me wide-eyed and nodded.

Though I’d successfully completed the mithril rapier, I found myself hesitating.

Can I really unleash a blade of this caliber on the world? But...it’s not as if one rapier could alter the course of the world...could it?

No matter how good this sword was, it wouldn’t be able to ensure the safety of its wielder against a hundred enemies, not even if the opponents were only using mass-produced shortswords.

However, if the outcome of the battle wasn’t decided by one person’s strength, but say, a trick of the environment, then my rapier alone might be sufficient to turn defeat into victory. For example, if the opposing army blocked off a strategic road with a boulder, my rapier could be used to slice through the rock—should its wielder think to do so—and literally clear a path to victory. It wasn’t out of the question.

Can I really hand over this weapon to someone else?

In the case of Helen’s commission, I had forged her shortswords out of steel. The Eimoor family sword was made for ceremonial use rather than for the battlefield. However, this rapier was destined for the front lines. I could hardly imagine it languishing in storage somewhere.

Then, there was the matter of my general principles. Supposing I decided to complete this job...was I going to have to agonize over this same dilemma for every other commission? I should make a clear decision right now, once and for all.

“Hey, everyone,” I called.

They all responded immediately, their words mingling together:

“What’s up?”

“What’s on your mind, Boss?”

“What is it, Eizo?”

“Do you think I should turn this rapier out into the world? If misused, it could become a source of misery and pain. A blade that won’t bend or break... A blade that is sharp enough to cut through metal and slice through boulders... To be honest, I’m scared,” I finally admitted. “I’m afraid of what’ll happen if I yield this rapier to someone else. I’m scared I’ll end up bearing the burden of an unthinkable disaster. One awful scenario after another keeps popping into my head, and they just won’t stop coming.”

I poured my heart out to my family. On the outside, I was a strong and tough man with over forty years of experience, but this burden was too much for me to bear alone.

The three of them stared at me fixedly. What if one of them decided to abandon me here and leave this cabin forever? In that case, there would be nothing I could do. I would’ve reached the limit of my abilities.

A thick silence fell over the glade, unbroken, once again, but for the rush of the wind.

The next sound that reached my ears was a muffled giggle. I looked up. A gentle smile had broken over Diana’s face. “So you’re human after all, Eizo. Considering your skills, I thought you were immune to such mortal dilemmas.”

“Boss, I thought the same as Diana. To me, your presence is larger than life. I didn’t think you’d worry over problems like this,” Rike said with a smile. “I was told that the wielder carries responsibility for a sword’s actions, not the creator. Most blacksmiths are taught the same. I understand why this problem may worry you, though. Your swords are more powerful than most.”

“Rike’s right!” Samya exclaimed. “Whether a sword is used to protect one’s own country or destroy someone else’s is up to the person who uses it. You’re not responsible for the outcome at all. You’re too honest for your own good, Eizo... And if the weight is too heavy for you alone, then we’ll help you carry it. We’re your family, after all.”

She heartily slapped my shoulder. Mysteriously, the pain of her slap healed me more than it hurt.

“You’re right. All of you are right. Thank you.” I bowed deeply toward the three women and quietly wiped my eyes. I felt a pair of arms encircle my head and shoulders. Someone else hugged me around my legs. The last person draped themselves over my back.

All four members of our little family came together in a tightly entwined ball for one peaceful moment.

I straightened back up from my bow and said, “I can do this!” before using both hands to give my cheeks a hearty slap.

I won’t stray from my path anymore. My purpose in this world is to craft whatever I want and to send those items into the world without hesitation. And what I want is for my blades to be used to help people.

“Determination is a good look on you, Eizo,” Samya said.

“Only because I’m so handsome, right?” I joked.

“Yup!” Rike and Diana chorused.

The four of us broke into smiles and laughter.

We’re going to be all right. Together, as a family, we can go anywhere.

“Enough worrying. Let’s go eat!” I declared.

“Score!” Samya yelled. “Bring out the food!”

Immediately, Rike snapped back, “Samya! What did I say about watching your manners?”

Samya paid no attention to the rebuke and skipped back toward the cabin. Diana had a fond smile on her face as she watched the others’ antics.

At last, my peaceful days had returned. The clouds swirling around my mind had disappeared. In a good mood once more, I hurried after my family into our home.

⌗⌗⌗

The next day, I worked on the quillon (crossbar) and the knuckle guard of the rapier. Rike had her hands full forging entry-level models, so she wouldn’t be observing.

For the guard, I decided on an intricate series of overlapping arcs that would be, overall, shaped like a spherical cage. I also switched to steel instead of mithril. Each individual bar of the cage would be extremely slender, which would make it prohibitively difficult to construct out of mithril.

Another benefit to using steel was its ubiquity. After all, even a metal as strong as mithril would deform if it were put under too much stress, and the owner of this rapier could separately commission an artisan to repair or replace the steel guard. It’d be expensive but feasible. I could rest assured that my work would be in good hands even after it left my possession.

Before I began to craft the knuckle guard, I first carved our forge’s insignia, the fat sitting cat, into the hilt where it would be obscured by the guard. I retempered and whetted the chisel to give it a better chance against the mithril. I had to put a fair amount of power behind every stroke of the design, but the chisel did hold up.

Then I got to work on the knuckle guard. I heated a bar of metal and shaped it into a long, thin rod. Since I’d worked all day with mithril yesterday, shaping the steel was a breeze in comparison. Of course, the cheats helped too. I was able to finish the rod in what felt like the blink of an eye.

Next, I cut the rod into small pieces. I twisted the pieces into ∫ and § shapes and linked them together to form a sphere. This cage-shaped guard would extend down from the base of the blade, covering the grip to protect the hand of its wielder. As I worked, I imagined the spherical jungle gyms in the playgrounds back on Earth. They’d been popular when I was a kid, but sadly, they had largely disappeared by the time I’d left that world.

Once I’d finished that, next up was the quillon. I forged another rod as slim as the bars that made up the guard. Then, I shaped the ends of the rod into small spheres. Overall, the quillon looked like a miniature, thin barbell. I welded the quillon to the knuckle guard to finish it off.

Before I welded the guard onto the hilt of the sword, I first wrapped the hilt in leather. I also affixed a pommel to the grip. That work would’ve been a pain to do after the guard was in place.

Once I installed the guard, the rapier was complete, and I stepped back to survey the results of my work. It was nothing less than exquisite, a blade I could take pride in no matter what it was destined for.

I no longer had even a shadow of a doubt as to whether I should send my work out into the world, and that doubt was not welcome back either.