kscans

Chapter 34 - Divine Instrument

"Sensei, Bayonet and I will go retrieve the Calamity."

"Got it. I’ll get things ready here."

"I will have Iz serve as your guard, Sensei. We shall be on our way."

After our conversation with Her Majesty the Queen ended, we immediately sprang into action. Militar and Bayonet went to retrieve the sword. Iz and I would prepare for the repairs in the forge. The building hadn't suffered much damage, perhaps because the girls had defeated the evil spirits in this area. A part of the wall was destroyed, leaving a gaping hole, and there were some small cracks in the floor, but it wouldn't hinder the work. The materials seemed to be safe as well. I lit the furnace, carefully selected my materials, and laid out my tools.

"Sensei! We’ve brought the Calamity."

"It’s broken clean in two!"

Just as the furnace reached the right temperature, Militar and Bayonet returned. They gently placed the sword they were carrying onto the workbench. It was an incredibly beautiful sword, so much so that it captivated my eyes.

[Sword of Calamity's Seal: Calamity]
Attribute: Holy
Rank: SS
Ability: A sword that seals the evil spirits that attacked the Grossa Kingdom several hundred years ago. Said to have been crafted by a legendary master blacksmith.

"So this is the Calamity..."

It was more beautiful than any sword I had ever seen, and it exuded a presence so powerful I couldn't look away. It was as if the soul of its creator dwelled within it.

"Sensei, do you think you can fix it...?"

"Yeah, I’ll manage somehow."

I have plenty of tools and materials here. All that’s left is to repair it. Still... Rank SS, huh. It goes without saying, but I’ve never created, let alone repaired, an item of such high rank. A faint flicker of anxiety sparked within me, but I quickly extinguished it.

Believe in all your hard work, Dareth.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths, which calmed my nerves.

"...Alright, let’s begin."

I had already selected the materials.

[Flash Lightning Rock]
Attribute: Lightning
Rank: S
Effect: An ore containing the immense energy of a lightning strike. Requires careful processing, as applying force will cause violent bolts of lightning to erupt.

[Ocean Current Magestone]
Attribute: Water
Rank: S
Effect: An ore that exists only on the deep seabed. It contains a vast amount of water magic sealed within it by the pressure.

[White Gold Adamant]
Attribute: None
Rank: S
Effect: One of the three hardest minerals in the world. Armor made from this material can only be scratched by something made of the same material. It can store magic of various attributes.

[Fire Dragon's Eyestone]
Attribute: Fire
Rank: S
Effect: The eye of a fire dragon said to live in active volcanoes, which turns to stone after its death. It grows hotter each time force is applied.

[Wind God Stone]
Attribute: Wind
Rank: S
Effect: Said to be the same ore as the jewel set in the fan held by the god of wind. Processing it generates gales that can slice the body.

Using high-rank materials would save both time and physical energy. Though they were precious items, I would make full use of them. I would build a base with the four main elemental magics and then imbue it with holy attribute magic. Through my work here, I had gotten the hang of it. But these were all difficult materials to process. I couldn't let my guard down for even a moment. My concentration naturally sharpened.

"Everyone, please stand back a little."

""Y, yes.""

Since the blade was broken, it needed to be completely reforged. I'll use the White Gold Adamant as the base. I heated it at a high temperature to melt it down. Next came the Flash Lightning Rock and the Fire Dragon's Eyestone. I envisioned using the compatible attributes of lightning and fire to create a vessel for the next attribute. I ground them into a fine powder and dissolved them into the alloy.

"S, Sensei, is there anything I can do to help? Just watching feels..."

"Let's see... no, it's alright. I'll handle this myself. If I use a lot of my own magic, I can shorten the work time. Thanks, though."

I could prevent the loss of magic from the Ocean Current Magestone by crushing it in water. I would mix in the Wind God Stone once the base material cooled down to reduce any magical collision. After that, it was just a matter of hammering and polishing. Bursts of magic, sharp as blades, cut at my body. But I didn't care. The future of the kingdom rested in my hands. I swung the hammer with single-minded focus. I intended to leave not even the slightest impurity behind. After several tens of minutes of hammering...

"I, I did it...! It’s repaired!"

"You did it, Sensei!"

"As expected of Dareth-sama!"

"Papa, you’re amazing!"

Before our eyes, the beautiful sacred sword reappeared, its blade restored.

[Sword of Calamity's Seal: Calamity Kai]
Attribute: Holy
Rank: SS
Ability: A sacred sword with the power to seal evil spirits. Only a handful of blacksmiths can repair it.

Both the blade and hilt were perfect.

"It’s repaired, but what do I do next?"

"Please pour your magic into it, Sensei! That should seal the evil spirits!"

"A, alright, got it! O holy sword, seal away the evil spirits!"

As I poured my magic into it, the Calamity shone with a blinding light. It began to absorb fine particles of light that were flying in from all directions.

"I, is this working...?"

"Sensei, look outside!"

I looked out through the destroyed wall. The black, shadow-like evil spirits were bursting apart, turning into particles of light one after another.

"It seems the evil spirits are being properly sealed."

"Yes... It is your victory, Sensei."

"Dareth-sama, I have connected to Her Majesty the Queen."

Iz created that mirror with her magic again. Her Majesty was already on the screen.

"Dareth, well done. Thanks to you, the Royal Palace... no, the kingdom has been saved. On behalf of the Grossa Kingdom, I express my deepest gratitude."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I am also relieved that the evil spirits are gone."

She told me to remain on alert, and then the communication was cut.

"Thanks for connecting us, Iz."

"Not at all, it was nothing."

"I want Papa to praise me too."

"Bayonet, don’t cling to Sensei."

The evil spirits within my line of sight were disappearing one by one. It looks like everything is alright, I thought with relief, when people from the Royal Palace came rushing over.

"So the evil spirits disappeared thanks to you, Dareth-san! Thank you so much! You truly saved our lives!"

"You are our savior! I thought we were all going to die!"

"It seems not even evil spirits are a match for you, Dareth-san!"

The soldiers and palace staff raised their hands high in the air, shouting, "Banzai! Banzai!" As I watched them, filled with a sense of accomplishment for a job well done, Militar whispered to me.

"Sensei, aren't you going to carve your name into the sword? Your name would be remembered for generations to come."

...My name, huh. Come to think of it, I’ve never once carved my name into anything I’ve made. And this time is no different. Because...

"I won’t carve my name on it. I was able to create something I’m satisfied with. That’s more than enough."