Episode 49

When it comes to smithing, the first important thing is what kind of sword Reberto is seeking.

I glanced at him. He still had a sword hanging at his waist.

“Reberto, what kind of sword should I make?”

“Could you make one exactly like this?”

Saying that, Reberto held out the sword.

I drew the sword from its scabbard. His blade caught the light in the room and flashed.

It was a carefully made sword. The blade itself was solid, and its magical attributes were apparent without saying.

This sword already had more than enough performance, but Reberto seemed to be aiming even higher.

“A sword that combines Birea Magic Ore and Cirea Magic Ore, huh.”

“Exactly. Since I managed to obtain dragon materials and Eirea Magic Ore, I thought I might as well want an even better sword.”

“Can’t you just ask the smith who made this sword?”

“That smith is skilled, but… he caused some trouble. He’s in prison now.”

I wondered what he had done.

It piqued my curiosity, but it didn’t matter now. I suppressed it and carefully examined his sword.

Its weight, the blade length… I observed those and hammered them into my memory.

“Is it okay if I redo the magical attributes?”

“As long as it becomes a better sword, go ahead. Just keep the weight and length around that.”

“Understood.”

Reberto was a smith as well, so he immediately understood what I meant.

…If only I had a disciple this quick to understand, he could help with my work.

I began the forging.

First, I needed to melt and combine these Magic Ores.

To do that, I made a mold out of clay.

I poured in the Eirea Magic Ore that I had melted with heat.

Then I poured in the Birea Magic Ore.

As I confirmed the two were combining, I picked up the next material.

Dragon fangs and claws. Holding them, I felt a faint warmth.

…It was as if there were a heart inside the fangs and claws, giving them a powerful presence.

Like with the ores, I poured heat into melting the dragon fangs and claws.

…However, it didn’t go as smoothly as before.

I knew the processing would be difficult. The dragon species are resistant to heat, so the heat that melts Magic Ore wasn’t enough.

I gripped the materials and poured in even more heat.

…Only when I reached a very high temperature did they finally begin to melt.

A surprised sound came from Reberto.

“…Dragon materials are difficult to work with. Only a smith of your caliber can do it.”

…Indeed, the processing itself was difficult, to the point that some people specialized in handling dragon materials.

I reached toward the boiling Magic Ore and poured more heat into the fangs and claws.

With a sludgy sound, the fangs and claws lost their shape and flowed into the molten ore. They melted and blended.

Shall I try to complete it with this for now?

I covered the poured mixture with clay. Cooling the clay at once produced a sizzle, and a plate was completed.

“From here I’ll shape it into a sword… but I think it’ll take a while before it’s finished, you know?”

So I told Reberto he could rest somewhere if he wanted, but he shook his head.

His eyes shone like a child’s.

“…To witness such smithing up close. I want to learn from it for the future, so please show me until the end.”

I couldn’t refuse after he said that.

To perform smithing that wouldn’t embarrass him, I took a deep breath and refocused.