Episode 108

I can’t help but doubt that the blacksmith who made this was really me.

The sword pointed out, “This isn’t the time to be standing still, is it?”

“Y-yeah, I know! I’ll have you meet your master soon!”

I ran across the battlefield. Bertie was in a somewhat distant inner area.

There she was, holding the Horned Dragon down all by herself.

…Yet there wasn’t a single wound on the Horned Dragon’s body.

Conversely, Bertie showed noticeable wounds.

I had to hurry.

I cut down the monsters blocking the road and pushed forward.

“L-Lord Faik! Th-thank you!”

A soldier I’d helped thanked me. He leapt at another monster and helped clear the path.

At last, I was almost to Bertie.

“Bertie! The sword!”

When I shouted, Bertie noticed me.

The corner of her mouth softened and she waved energetically.

“Faik! I’ve been waiting!”

“No, the Horned Dragon is closing in!”

However, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, Bertie dodged the attack with a graceful leap.

The Horned Dragon glanced at Bertie in irritation, then turned its gaze toward me.

And fear showed on its face.

“GAAAH!”

As it roared, the Horned Dragon charged at me.

…What an incredible presence.

Bertie had been holding such a monster back on her own.

“Hey, Horned one! How dare you ignore me!”

Bertie hurried over in a fluster, but I shook my head.

“One last strike… lend me your strength!”

I shouted at the sword, poured in every last bit of mana I had left, and swung it through.

A blow that sliced through the air was released at the Horned Dragon, diverting its charge.

This was probably my limit.

But the path to Bertie had opened.

She stood beside me.

“You did it, huh?”

“Yeah. This is the final Enchantment.”

I named the sword and handed it to Bertie.

Bertie, having received it, stroked the blade and it flared up red.

…With this, that sword was complete.

“Eria Ruler.”

That was the name the sword had wanted to be given.

As for the naming Enchantment, it hardly has anything to do with increasing a sword’s performance.

But well—naming it seemed to fire Bertie up.

Bertie took the sword in her right hand and slowly moved toward the Horned Dragon.

Bertie seemed to already understand how to wield that sword.

Step by step, she closed the distance.

The Horned Dragon facing Bertie did not move.

…No, it couldn’t move.

Bertie saw that and smiled.

A confident expression much like before.

However, it was a sharpened, utterly different kind of look.

It was the Horned Dragon that was terrified by that smile.

“Gah, aaaah!”

The Horned Dragon let out a roar and kicked the ground.

It tore up the earth and launched a desperate charge.

From the Horned Dragon’s bellow, I understood everything.

…That wasn’t meant to intimidate.

It was a scream.

“See you.”

Bertie said only that and swung the sword down.

…It was a single strike.

I was dumbfounded watching the Horned Dragon sliced in half.

Indeed, the Eria Ruler is a terrifying sword.

But when I used it, I hadn’t been anywhere near serious.

“Faik, you seem to hold up pretty well in a fight. That strike against the Horned Dragon was splendid.”

Bertie gave a firm thumbs-up.

“…Not really. I thought I was going to piss myself.”

“Heh, just charging at a Horned Dragon shows you’ve got guts. How about it? Want to become my apprentice?”

“I’m flattered, but I want to push my limits as a blacksmith.”

Saying that, Bertie stuck her tongue out playfully.

“Oh, too bad. Thanks for the sword.”

When Bertie stroked the blade burning red, it flashed for a moment.

It felt as if it had given me a farewell.

It’s a sword we poured so much talk and effort into making. I wondered if this was the kind of loneliness you feel when a child sets off on a journey.

There was a sadness different from the swords I’d made before.

After slinging the sword over her back, Bertie scanned the surroundings.

All the monsters had already been defeated, and the area was shrouded in silence.

So, is everything resolved now?

Somehow… I’m glad we made it in time before the damage spread.

As I let out a relieved breath—

“Oh, a hero…”

That’s right. Bertie is a hero.

She’d taken down the Horned Dragon, the boss of the monsters.

“Ah, truly you two are heroes. Lady Bertie and, and Lord Faik!”

Huh?

When one soldier shouted that, voices rose up one after another.

“Lord Faik! Lady Bertie! Lord Faik! Lady Bertie!”

N-no, you don’t have to shout my name too!

The cheers from those around me were relentless.

I wanted to bolt right then, but I was surrounded by soldiers and adventurers and couldn’t possibly move.