kscans

Chapter 17 - Let's Fix the National Treasure Sword

"You’re Dareth-san, right. Wow, it’s an honor to meet you."

"Please, teach us everything you know. We’ll do our absolute best."

"To be able to work under a man like you, it’s the highest honor for a blacksmith."

The next day, I went to the national army’s headquarters and found myself surrounded by a crowd of blacksmiths. It seemed the people Nanahikari had driven out had returned. They were all cheerful and pleasant, and I could tell they were skilled blacksmiths just by shaking their hands. Their palms were covered in calluses. In any case, I was glad they welcomed me. I was relieved they all seemed like good people. Militar, who had come by during a break from her work, was smiling as well.

"Just as I thought, everyone is so happy you’re here, Sensei. I’m happy, too."

"This is more than I deserve."

And then there was Shion, over in the corner of the room. It seemed he was not welcome at all.

"Hey, that’s him, right. The fake guild master who destroyed the national treasure."

"I heard he was in the Blacksmith Guild for thirty years and never even picked up a hammer. What a joke."

"I wonder what he was doing all that time."

The fact that he had broken the national treasure sword was already common knowledge. Senji-san introduced Shion with a look of annoyance.

"This man is Shion. He is the one responsible for breaking the national treasure, the Amatsurugi. Now, hurry up and greet him, you piece of trash."

"...Nice to meet you."

He offered a perfectly normal greeting, with not a shred of self-importance. But for some reason, Shion smelled absolutely terrible. His whole body was brown. What happened to him. Come to think of it, he did say he was staying in the stables. Which means… horse manure. That’s what you get for sleeping in a stable. As expected, the blacksmiths and the soldiers who had come to have their equipment repaired were completely put off. The women, in particular, looked as if they had bitten into a bitter bug.

"What is with… that old man. He smells bad enough to kill someone."

"Now that’s a literal piece of shit. Let’s call him Outhouse."

"Dareth-san has it tough, having to look after a pile of excrement…"

Shion looked down, trembling. Because of the smell, his seat was designated in front of a large, open window.

"Well then, Sensei. If you would, please begin the repairs on the Amatsurugi."

"Ah, right. Let’s get this over with."

I took the broken Amatsurugi from Militar. The more I looked at it, the more beautiful a sword it was. Did I really make something like this. My past self was amazing. I sat down on a stool while arranging my tools. For a moment, a faint unease crossed my mind.

Could I surpass my past self.

It wasn't that I'd been slacking off, but I couldn't help but wonder if I could still create a masterpiece like this. In the next instant, however, a single, strong feeling washed over me.

No, I will surpass it.

Just as the sword evolved, I must evolve too. For a blacksmith, growth stops the moment you do. First, I needed to organize the materials. The materials had returned along with the original blacksmiths. It seemed they had protected them so Nanahikari wouldn't use them.

Steel Ore. Rank A. Attribute, None. Description, Naturally occurring steel. Its high purity allows for the creation of strong weapons without special processing.

Hard Insect Fossil. Rank B. Attribute, None. Description, The fossil of an insect called a Hard Insect, which possessed a tough exoskeleton. It changes color due to light refraction.

Aqua Stone. Rank A. Attribute, Water. Description, An ore with water magic sealed inside. When broken, it releases water.

Lava Rock. Rank A. Attribute, Fire. Description, Ore formed from solidified lava from the Barfi Mountains. It is packed with the power of a volcanic eruption.

Harden Magic Stone. Rank S. Attribute, None. Description, An incredibly sturdy ore. It becomes harder the more severe the impact it receives, making it extremely difficult to process.

There were more than enough good materials here. I had the blacksmiths to thank for that.

""Dareth-san, would it be alright if we observed the repairs.""

"Hm. Oh, of course. Go ahead."

Before I knew it, soldiers and blacksmiths had gathered around me. They all looked intrigued. I was grateful for all the attention. With a feeling of gratitude, I began my work. First, I removed the blade from the hilt. Since this was a good opportunity, I decided to teach as I worked.

"Basically, you can’t glue a broken sword back together. Even if you insert another metal in between, heating it changes the composition. So, it’s better to just reforge it from scratch."

""I see…""

Everyone was taking notes with serious expressions, but I was sure they already knew this much. Maybe I didn't need to say it. This wasn't good. Maybe it was because I was getting older, but I couldn't help but sound preachy. I had to make a conscious effort to convey only the necessary information.

"For strength, using Steel Ore and Harden Magic Stone should be sufficient. An alloy made from these two should be quite sturdy."

""Yes, sir.""

First, I melted the Steel Ore and Harden Magic Stone until they were bubbling. I mixed them to create an alloy. So far, it felt the same as when I made the Kamina.

"Now, I’m about to start processing it, but this alloy is mixed with Harden Magic Stone. Simply hammering it normally won’t work. So, you gently swing the hammer along the diagonal."

""Along the diagonal…""

Kotsu kotsu kotsu, I tapped gently at an angle. I’d read in a text that the Harden Magic Stone was easiest to stretch when struck in this direction, and it was true. I was glad I’d studied.

Once the base of the blade was complete, I moved on to processing the remaining ores.

"Using the Aqua Stone and Lava Rock, I’ll imbue it with the magic that will become the basis for its holy attribute. The Aqua Stone, after being crushed and cooled, will fuse with the sword, and the Lava Rock will do the same when heated as is."

""This is very educational.""

I was forging at a good pace. As I worked in silence, one of the blacksmiths asked me a question.

"Um, excuse me. How exactly do you bestow the holy attribute."

"...Hm."

A holy attribute. That was a tough question. My thoughts came to a halt.

Come to think of it, how do I bestow a holy attribute.

Looking back, it was the same with the Shinma, but I was so unaware of what I was doing that I couldn't explain it. I mean, I wasn't even using any holy attribute materials. The only thing I could think of was… passion.

"I guess the trick is to pour your earnest feelings into it."

""I see…""

The blacksmiths furiously scribbled in their notepads. I felt a little bad, but that was honestly the only thing I could say.

"Finally, I’ll crush the Hard Insect Fossil into a powder. Polishing with this should restore its beauty."

After polishing, a magnificent sacred sword emerged.

Sword of Angel: Amatsurugi Kai. Rank S. Attribute, Holy. Ability, Can summon beings from the heavenly realm and house them within itself. A supreme sacred sword capable of connecting the present world with the heavenly realm.

I’d made a sword nearly identical to the original Amatsurugi. With that, the repairs were successfully completed.

"Amazing. He fixed it in no time."

"As expected of the legendary blacksmith, Dareth-san. A world of difference from Outhouse over there."

"Please teach me how to forge, too. Every last detail."

I was surrounded by the excited chatter of the soldiers and blacksmiths. I placed the Amatsurugi on the workbench, and everyone erupted in cheers and praise. Militar leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"You really are a once-in-a-generation genius blacksmith, Sensei. I am so proud to have my weapons made by someone like you."

"You’re exaggerating, Militar. I’m really just an ordinary blacksmith."

"Please stay with me forever."

Militar casually took my hand. It reminded me of the old days. Thanks to her, I had found a new place to belong. I had to thank her. Oh, right, speaking of which, where was Shion… I looked behind me and saw him glaring at us with eyes full of hatred. Yikes, that was scary. Still, I had to teach him how to forge. It was an order from Her Majesty the Queen.

"Shion, let’s start by learning how to swing a hammer. As it happens, there’s a spare metal plate right here. You’re going to hammer this flat."

"Don’t order me around so arrogantly… Gwaaah."

"Dareth-dono is teaching you. You should be grateful."

The moment he tried to talk back, Shion was struck by Senji-san. Man, he was strict. But if we were thinking of what was best for him, we had to be tough.

"Be careful not to hit your own fingers."

"Keh…"

Muttering a curse so Senji-san couldn't hear, Shion raised the hammer. The instant he brought it down with force, he struck his own thumb hard.

"Uwaaaaaaah."

A scream echoed through the room. Shion writhed on the floor. Even I started to worry.

"H, hey, are you alright. Let’s get a healing potion right away…"

"Stay away from me. I don’t need your sympathy."

"Ugh."

Shion swung his hand and attacked me. Some kind of fluid flew out, and it was filthy, so I hurriedly dodged.

"Hey, hey, Outhouse, you hit your own finger. You really have never swung a hammer before, have you."

"Dareth-san is giving him one-on-one instruction, and that’s his attitude. I wish he’d just die already."

"It brings a tear to my eye thinking of all the trouble Dareth-san is going through. He’s such a kind person."

The soldiers and blacksmiths repeatedly praised me while cursing Shion. Even Shion must have found it unbearable.

"I’m fine, so please, that’s enough…"

"D, don’t make fun of meeee. I was the Guild Master. Take this, Shion Typhoon."

""Uwah. That’s disgusting.""

Just as he did with me, Shion flailed his hands, splattering fluid everywhere. W, what on earth was this guy trying to do. Acting like that would only make his own situation worse.

"Hey, what do you think you’re doing. My apologies, everyone. I’ll go educate him for a moment. Stop causing trouble, you bastard."

"Guaaaah."

Shion was dragged away by Senji-san, getting beaten along the way. This was… looking to be more difficult than I had imagined. Would he ever have a change of heart. I wondered about that as I cleaned the barracks.