Chapter 1031 - The One Who Walked Beside Us
"... My, my... This is quite something."
"Now that I think about it, I never did invite you here."
There was no winning against the master's word. After Samidare-zuki was temporarily confiscated, I found myself led deep into the dojo. We arrived at a room located at the very heart of the building.
While the dojo functioned as a safe zone, this area clearly received special treatment. Perhaps it was to ensure that avatars didn't end up rolling around on the floor of the void while logged out, as per the specifications of Yueltemis, Cradle of the Divine Hall. Ui-san had prepared several guest-like rooms within the building.
I knew that much, had seen them, and had even stayed over before. However, I never had the chance to see what lay further inside.
Until today. This was a first for me.
"It is quite the impressive bladesmithing workshop... though I suppose I do not have much real-world knowledge to compare it to."
This was the place where the Sword Saint forged her blades.
"Fufu... To be honest, my actual knowledge is practically non-existent as well."
She watched me with a soft smile as I stood there agape, letting out a dazed voice. With a practiced ease that made her look perfectly at home, she stepped into the space, which radiated a solemn atmosphere.
"If I am being honest, all of this is just for show... decorations to set the mood. You could say they are like furniture used to help steady one's heart for the task."
Despite her humble words, a clear affection lingered in her eyes. She brushed her gaze and her hand over tools whose names I couldn't even guess, before stopping at the center of the room.
"Shall we begin?"
It was not an anvil... no, that was the smaller thing on the far end she had admired and then bypassed. This large object was more like a sturdy table or a workbench.
True to her words, this process was clearly something entirely different from real-world bladesmithing.
"Yes. ... No, wait, not 'yes.' Ui-san, I need an explanation."
"Ah... Fufu, I apologize. I got a little ahead of myself."
I needed to know exactly what she was about to show me. I gently chided her, sensing that the master was currently running on pure excitement. Sensing my desire for clarity before I entrusted the task to her, Ui-san composed herself with a thin smile.
"I made Haru-kun anxious earlier with my poor choice of words."
"That is a regular occurrence. I am not particularly worried about that."
"... My, I am not sure whether I should be offended or reflective about that."
She shared a small joke before her expression turned serious.
"... I have actually been thinking about this for some time."
Ui-san spoke while touching the emerald blade of Samidare-zuki. She laid it on the table with a gentle touch that practically bled affection.
"Reforging this child in the future."
Perhaps she was worried about causing another ripple in my heart. She explained her plans with extreme care, as if guarding against her own tendency to leave things unsaid.
"Looking back, the flow of events was so frantic it is almost laughable."
"That is true... I was really in your debt back then, or rather..."
I was still in her debt now, without a doubt. But the period she was referring to was truly the most tumultuous time of our beginning.
Therefore...
"While there was no issue in forging a blade for my disciple... we had known each other for less than a month. At that stage, I could not yet see the blade meant for Haru-kun."
That was the reason.
"I see... So, a remake... Wait, I have a simple question."
Once she said it, a doubt surfaced.
"I understand things like mending clothes. I have experience with that, and it makes sense. But as far as I know, if I am not mistaken..."
Even as a novice in Mako (Magic Craft), I had picked up some knowledge.
"Fundamental remakes of weapons are basically impossible, right?"
It was a natural question to ask.
Equipment composed of multiple parts, like clothes or armor, could obviously be modified. You could upgrade them by swapping out specific materials for newer ones. The same could be said for certain weapons, but...
When it came to a katana, things were different.
If you swapped out the blade, which was the life and 99.9 percent of the whole, it became an entirely different work. Even if the parts like the guard or hilt remained the same, it was like a different person wearing the same clothes.
You could not simply tweak a part of it for a simple power-up.
If that were possible, Anima or Terror Armaments would not be so highly prized as special growing equipment.
"Yes, you are correct."
Even the Sword Saint could not cut through the absolute logic of the system. Ui-san nodded in agreement with my doubt, but then...
"That is why I purposefully left it as an incomplete item from the start."
"Wh-what?!"
It was a complete bolt from the blue. She declared it proudly, revealing a secret I could never have known.
"Fufu."
And there it was. That mischievous Yamato Nadeshiko smile. Even if she suddenly slapped someone without warning, most people would probably forgive her if she showed them this face. She was a dangerously sinful woman.
"No, there I go again, being vague. To be precise, I prepared the completion stages in two parts from the beginning... so that it could reach its true form after we had gained experience together."
As she spoke, she gave her small hand a light flick. She skillfully navigated the systematic game windows that always seemed to contrast with her traditional aura, and then...
A heavy thud followed. A material that must have been in her inventory appeared before us.
The moment it appeared on the workbench alongside Samidare-zuki...
"...! ..."
I was struck by a sense of déjà vu for something I shouldn't have remembered. At the same time, I was lost for words as a numbing pressure of information surged through my virtual senses.
I understood. I knew this. This was the companion that had been walking beside me all along.
It was green... No, a solid emerald.
I could tell instinctively it wasn't a type of ore, yet it emitted a dull luster that suggested it would shine if polished. I knew it wasn't a type of wood, yet it possessed a living weight and felt as though it had layered years upon itself like tree rings.
It must have been roughly oval in shape originally. It was about as thick as a human fist and no less than a meter in diameter. However, this piece had been cleanly cut in half down the middle.
"... What... What is this?"
The master smiled at her disciple's question.
She likely saw right through my internal shock. Even before she spoke, from the moment I saw it, I already had a mysterious sense of certainty.
She had a truly unfair, mischievous expression on her face.
"Green Connect."
Ui-san smiled, looking genuinely delighted.
"It is a gift I received from that great existence."
[Samidare-zuki] Crafted Weapon: Katana
Grade 51 | Weight 88 | Durability 10100/10100
Polish the green to become emerald. Unbreaking, unyielding, it carves the path forward. Drive on, those who drive. Suffice, those who are sufficient. If you intend to journey together through the endless and the infinite.