Episode 41

The next day.

I had come to the smithy to make two swords.

First up is Ivas’s.

Ivas’s sword is somewhere between a dagger and a longsword. However, it needs to be as light as possible.

To make it lighter I’d have to reduce the amount of Magic Ore, but that causes issues with durability.

Ivas and Weather are still operating together. I expect Ivas will often fight recklessly, so I need to make his sword as sturdy as possible.

For that reason, I really have to focus on the forging.

I took out the Irea Magic Ore, melted it, struck it with the hammer, and formed the metal plate.

I melted more Magic Ore on top of that and repeated hammering. When it reached the desired length, I performed an Enchantment.

By inserting an Enchantment here, I repaired the internal magical information.

If I strike it with the hammer it will be damaged again, but I immediately repair it.

By repeating this, the internal magical information itself is strengthened. It’s like human muscles: injure and regenerate, and they grow.

I hammered it many times until it took the shape of a sword.

When I applied Water magic to the heated metal, steam sizzled up.

I swung it a few times to check its condition… Yeah, there’s no issue.

I made Ivas’s sword a single-edged blade. The image I had in mind was a falchion.

Ivas didn’t use double-edged weapons. So I figured a single edge would be sufficient.

It’s a moderate length, but not as long as a longsword. It’s heavier than a knife but lighter than a longsword.

I was able to achieve exactly the performance Ivas wanted.

All that’s left is to have him actually try using it.

I prepared Wind magic and sharpened the blade.

It’s usually a fairly instinctive task, but I did this carefully as well.

I performed a test cut with the finished sword. As usual I formed a compacted lump of earth and swung the sword.

It sliced cleanly… Its sharpness is sharper than I expected.

And I haven’t applied the Enchantment yet. I checked the internal magical information of the sword, and then applied the Enchantment.

Wishing it would help open Ivas’s path as an adventurer. Wishing it would prolong his innocence and brightness. With such wishes, I carefully, very carefully reinforced it.

—It is finished.

I let out a breath and wiped the sweat from my brow.

…I must have been really focused. A wave of fatigue hit my body.

It’s the first time I’ve been this exhausted from a single forging session.

I wanted to make Weather’s sword as well, but I couldn’t make a perfect sword in this state of exhaustion.

I made the scabbard for Ivas’s sword.

Finally, I adjusted the grip so it wouldn’t be taxing to hold, and it was complete.

It was when I looked at the clock that someone knocked on the smithy’s entrance door.

“Alicia?”

“Yeah. Is it done?”

“Ah, it’s done. For now, Ivas’s sword.”

I said that, drew it from the scabbard, and Alicia’s eyes widened.

“…It has a sense of power. And the magical information is incredibly clean. It’s like a work of art.”

“Thanks. I worked pretty hard this time… I’m definitely tired.”

“…Is that so. You didn’t come for lunch, so I got worried and came to check on you, you know?”

“…Ah, you’re right, it’s already that time.”

When I looked, it was past noon.

I had started work around eight, so I’d been engrossed for about five hours.

As I tried to lie down to rest my tired body, Alicia came over.

Alicia sat down on the smithy’s floor and tapped her knee.

What’s that?

“A lap pillow. If you’re tired, rest… i-it’s okay, right?”

Alicia’s cheeks were slightly flushed. I’m probably just as red.

“No… well.”

“Rest.”

She said it with an authority that left no room for refusal.

I resigned myself and laid my head on her lap. It was soft… When I opened my eyes and stared up, Alicia’s face was peering down at me.

I got a little nervous and my body tensed.

…Am I really resting my body? I couldn’t help but wonder.

Her big eyes peered at me curiously. Her fair, translucent skin was slightly flushed, and her cherry-colored lips were curved in a delighted smile.

“What are we doing after this today?”

“…For now, I think I’ll make a knife or a sword for the market and then call it a day.”

“I see. Then it’s okay to take it easy, right?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Forging for someone I want to support, and though it’s a pretense, being in this situation with a fiancée like this.

It felt like maybe the happiest moment in the world.