“Master’s sword, Me…?”
“Yeah, I remember that you are training to beat your own sword, right? Looking at your sword, I can understand there is a direction you’re aiming for. That’s why I dare to ask. Is that really the ideal perfected form you’re aiming for? “
“….”
I choked up when my Master looked straight at me with serious eyes.
Right now, the sword I was aiming for was, of course, the “Sword of Thin Life”. However, in the pursuit of the ultimate in sharpness, the sword’s blade could not be made to have even the slightest bit of durability, and instead of being used all the time, the blade itself must be disposed of with each swing.
Of course, the answer was no. That was nothing more than a sword that compromised everything but its sharpness. And since it required my blood and the banishment skill[ Master Smith] to use it, it may not be usable in a real predicament. Then that’s why I was again training under my Master to make a sword that would surpass it.
“You seem to know what you’re doing. Then, don’t you think it’s a good idea to try using my sword? You don’t have to keep using it, and seeing the work of someone better than you will help you with the swords you make. What do you think? It’s not a bad deal for you, right?”
“That’s true, but… but why are you suddenly hurrying me like that?”
“…for my dream”
“Master’s?”
Master slumped into a small chair in front of the anvil, and I pulled out my own chair and sat down in front of him. A slight silence passed between us as we faced each other across the anvil. … Eventually, he slowly opened his mouth.
“This isn’t limited to swords, but there are guidelines for making something. In the case of weapons, there are two major guidelines that are absolutely necessary. Namely, ‘Who will use it?’ and ‘What to defeat? ‘. The conditions to making an excellent sword is meeting these two guidelines as broadly as possible. In other words, an excellent sword is ‘can be used by anyone’ and ‘can cut any enemy’. Is this enough?”
“Ah, yes, yes”
Certainly, if you can make a sword that can defeat a dragon even if a child uses it, it would definitely be an excellent sword. However…
“Don’t look at me like that. Of course I know it’s impossible. So, this is the continuation of what I just said: … My dream is to make a sword that can defeat the Demon Lord. It’s not just me, this is the dream of my father, my grandfather, … our whole family. I’ve been swinging a hammer and honing my blacksmithing skills since I was a kid because I really wanted to accomplish this. But here’s the problem. Not only me, but even if you ask anyone in the world, no one knows what kind of being the Demon Lord is. Is it bigger than a cloud or smaller than a grain of sand? Is it harder than a dragon’s scales, or is it squishy like a slime? We don’t have any information, so in the end, the sword that can defeat the Demon Lord has to be a sword that can cut through anything”
“Well, that’s true.”
If one wants to defeat an unidentified enemy, one needs a sword that can cut through whatever entity it is. It was quite a rough opinion, apart from if it would be feasible or not… in theory it was correct.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know who the Demon Lord is, so I can’t help it! So, if we expand the conditions over here to that extent, the other condition … that is, ‘who can use it’ will become more demanding. For example, the sword that I gave you at the station was a sword that could cut through most things if used by a master swordsman. If one condition is “it can cut through anything” the other condition must be ‘super-class’ or ‘world’s best swordsman’, right? However, that’s also a problem. Whether or not there is a swordsman with great skills has nothing to do with my blacksmithing skills, and in the first place, most powerful people are sheltered by the Countries as heroes and controlled so that they don’t defeat the Demon Lord.”
After a pause, he picked up a cup from a nearby table and slurped down the contents in one gulp. The contents were just water, so there was no way he could get drunk, but for some reason, I could see the passion in his eyes as he looked at me.
(T/N: It ain’t BL)
“Then along came you. You’re not even a country bound Hero, but you’re stronger than any guy I’ve ever met. I can forge a sword that can cut through anything …. and defeat the Demon Lord, assuming you use it! How’s that sound? Won’t you let me make my dream come true?”
“Master ……”
He squeezed my hand tightly and I felt the thick palm of my Master’s hand. Ah, I see. I had trained until I had this kind of hand, but I had never had a chance to show it until now. I could never have guessed how regrettable it must have been.
If I could, I would make it happen. However, I must ask him this.
“Just to make sure, even if you forge a sword for me, I won’t fight the Demon Lord, okay? So I can’t prove whether that sword can really defeat the Demon Lord or not, is that still okay?”
‘Ha! I don’t care. Of course, it would be great if you actually beat up the Demon Lord, but I’m not so brazen as to ask you to break through the border security, become a wanted criminal, and fight the Demon Lord all by yourself.”
“Ah, do you really feel that way?”
“That’s right. The reason for this is “If the Demon Lord is inadvertently provoked and the Demon Beasts around the world are activated, it is likely to cause great disadvantages in the countries.” The main point is, they’re sealing the border to prevent some idiot bragging about his skills from defeating the Demon Lord. You’ll never get permission even if you apply for it, and if you go through without permission, you’ll be beheaded on the spot, you know?”
“That’s scary! They’re really going all out to protect the Demon Lord, aren’t they?”
“Hey, hey, hey, don’t be a prude, all right? That is the first and last wall to protect us. What it is protecting may be interpreted differently by different people.”
I replied with a wry smile to my master’s evil grinning face.
So, the barrier that protected mankind from the Demon Lord had become a cage to trap the Demon Lord for the sake of profits? It’s kind of hard to say, but if that’s the way this world works, then I can understand why we shouldn’t do anything unnecessary.
“Anyway, that’s the end of my answer. Now it’s just a matter of whether or not you will agree. ……”
“Hmmm, yeah. …”
I thought about My Master’s question as he looked at me with expectant eyes.
Even now, after hearing the whole story, it was still basically a win-win situation for me. If I could get a reference for the ideal sword I was aiming for, and also get a sword made by a top-notch craftsman, it was all win-win for me.
The only thing I had to worry about was that I might be harassed in some way by having a special sword in my hands that not even the Heroes could get, but since Tia and I had no family or friends in this world that would make us vulnerable, and it’s a place we’ll be leaving in the not-too-distant future, we could ignore all the medium- to long-term disadvantages of displeasing the authorities.
“I understand. Then I’ll accept your offer. Even if I say that, All I have to do is accept the sword and try it out.”
“Oh, Really! No, that’s fine. You don’t realize it because you are the one, but it’s a rare opportunity to have a skilled swordsman actually use my sword and hear what he thinks of it, you know? I’m so glad!”
I was pleased to hear my Master’s unusually excited words. I had never really thought about it since I trained and used it myself, but it’s a lot of work to find someone like Alexis and have him wield the sword, for example.
“All right, then, let’s get to work on the preparations! Woohoo, I’m more motivated than I’ve been in a long time!
As My Master shouted to the heavens, I also thought about the “ideal sword” that he would make.
(T/N: 100th CHAPTER LET’S GO!)