Episode 13: In Search of a New Weapon
“I’m ordering you to do it!”
“Who the hell are you? Sharp objects are dangerous for kids’ games. Get lost, I ain’t selling weapons to the likes of you. Not even a pot.”
“Don’t underestimate me! You dwarf!”
Ugh, I’ve stumbled into a troublesome scene. Bad timing.
Wait, isn’t that…
“Lord Zaid?”
“Hm? Who are you?”
“Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Cladfield, serving the Cybarossa House. We’re in the same class at the academy.”
“I see, you’re Heinrich, the young master’s guard.”
I wanted a replacement for my broken dagger. Or rather, I wanted a more durable weapon made, so I consulted Iserina-san at the Adventurer’s Guild. She recommended a weapon shop.
Then I ended up right in the middle of some commotion. And with someone I know, a classmate.
I called out his name without thinking, and the escort knight became wary. Of course, this is a different adult escort than the one he brings to the academy.
Guarding nobles and their families is usually a job for adult knights. There were various problems with bringing a whole bunch of adults to the academy, so people of the same age or close in age like me are chosen, but once you step outside the academy, it’s an adult world.
The carriages that take them to and from the academy are naturally escorted by adult knights. In fact, child attendants can be more of a hindrance, so they’re often dismissed. Thanks to that, I have quite a bit of free time after the academy ends. Well, I do get asked to do errands by the people at the mansion when I go out, though.
“Hey kid, can’t you stop the young master?”
“Nah, that’s your house’s job, right?”
I quietly replied to the escort knight who spoke to me in a hushed tone. Why should I get involved with another noble’s household?
“You came here for something too, right? Once he gets like that, our young master takes forever.”
“You can get glared at by the weapon shop, huh? That takes skill.”
If I did something like that in our village, I wonder what would happen to me…
“Hm? You’re from Miss Arianna’s place, right…”
“My apologies for the delay in greetin…”
“Excellent! More importantly, you tell him who I am! This owner is saying ridiculous things like he won’t make weapons for me!”
“I’m not saying ridiculous things. I’m saying it’s dangerous for someone like you.”
“I’m saying I’m bestowing the honor of making my weapon upon him!?”
“Listen to me.”
Wow, this is rough. I don’t have much time either, so should I come back another day? Ah, there’s something good… but is it okay? I glance at the dwarven shopkeeper. He averted his eyes, so he’s aware of it after all.
“Lord Zaid, Lord Zaid. Please take a look at this sword.”
“I’ve told you many times, hm? What’s this?”
“I believe this shop, which can only forge swords of this level, is insufficient to create weapons for Lord Zaid… The blade’s balance is poor, and the edge is slightly warped.”
“Oh, you’re right, kid. Young master, this isn’t good enough for you. If you choose a weapon shop like this, your skills will decline.”
“Hmm, indeed… It’s not a beautiful sword! I heard this was the shop of the best blacksmith in the Royal Capital, but is this all they can do!”
“Yes, that’s right. Let’s have Master make one in our territory! Weapons made in the town where you were born and raised will suit you better.”
“Hm? I, is that so? That’s right! From Miss Arianna’s place! Should I take care of your place too!?”
“Ah, no. Lord Zaid’s sentiment alone is enough. My hometown is different.”
“Indeed, that’s right! Then let’s go back!”
“Yes, sir.”
W, well, that was simple. As I watched Lord Zaid leave the shop, the shopkeeper called out to me.
“You have an eye for quality, huh?”
“I’m sorry for saying things that disparaged your shop’s wares.”
“It’s fine since you chased him away. Besides, that one isn’t for sale.”
“Is that so? Well, compared to the other weapons, its level is clearly lower, so I wondered what it was. But it’s a sword with a captivating luster.”
It’s not ordinary iron, so is some Monster Material mixed in?
“You can tell! No, that’s right! That’s the first sword my grandson made!”
“Huh?”
“He made it by mixing in Lightning Rabbit bones! I felt his talent right away! Since he said it was for grandpa’s shop, I had no choice but to display it!”
The cause of the luster is indeed Monster Material. Well, I’m definitely not buying it.
“…Well, never mind. Can I look at the other weapons?”
“Huh? Oh, right, you were a customer. Well, you can look if you want.”
“I’ll buy if I want to, though.”
I am a customer, you know?
“Hmm, as I thought, you don’t have any.”
“Don’t have any? What kind of weapon do you want?”
“I was wondering if you had a sword or dagger with some thickness that can channel Magical Power and is the right size. Ah, a Nata, perhaps? That might be just right.”
In carrying out the escort request, I want to avoid having my weapon break like it did during the War Orc battle. However, given my build, the only weapons I can wield are daggers. Ordinary swords for adults are too long. And ordinary daggers are too fragile and insufficient for fighting against regular swords.
What caught my eye now is the Nata. It’s single-edged, but not much different in length from a dagger, and sturdier than a dagger. In exchange, it’s heavier.
It varies somewhat depending on the material, but weight and thickness have a significant impact on weapons.
Also, I realized while living in the Royal Capital after leaving the village that ordinary iron daggers can’t withstand Magical Power enhancement. Unless the iron is mixed with Monster Material or the weapon is made by shaving Monster Material itself, the enhancement by Magical Power doesn’t work well, and the weapon gets fatigued.
“A Nata? It takes strength to swing it around, you know? It’s impossible for a kid like you… or maybe not?”
“I think I’m fine since I’ve been training.”
“Hoho, then come this way. I don’t display them much. I’ll show you some that I don’t have in the shop.”
“Thank you.”
The back of the shop, the warehouse area. There, iron products such as weapons and pots are lined up in rows.
“Oh, a Nata.”
“Of course, there’s a Nata. Well, it’s just an ordinary iron Nata, though.”
It’s a perfectly ordinary Nata.
When I hold it without taking it out of the sheath, it feels surprisingly comfortable in weight. I said a larger one, but this one is just the right length.
“How is it?”
“I shouldn’t channel Magical Power, right?”
“It’s fine, but it won’t last that long.”
“…I’ll refrain from it.”
I shouldn’t damage the merchandise.
“I could forge a new one for you if you want?”
“Really?”
You said no to Lord Zaid, though.
“It’s rare for me to refuse to forge one. I turn away those misguided types like today, but I sell properly to those Adventurers over there, and I even make them if they have requests.”
“Heeh.”
I thought he was a stubborn craftsman, but it seems that’s not the case.
“From the looks of it, you handle weapons carefully. You also had an eye for swords. Well, anyone can tell that one was dull.”
“Hahaha.”
How old is your grandson, I wonder?
“Wow, that’s amazing. Is that also a weapon material?”
“Huh? That one? That’s a weapon material, but I can’t process it.”
“Is that so?”
A huge fang is displayed as if fixed to the wall.
“That’s a tooth from a Flare Dragon, an incredibly monstrous creature. It’s an incredibly hard and fire-resistant Monster Material, so I can’t shape it by hammering. I can only shape it by grinding it down with a whetstone…”
“But?”
“I only have one of those, so it’s too precious to use. Gah hah hah hah hah.”
“Ah, I understand somewhat… Could you perhaps make something out of materials that I bring in?”
I have something similar to that fang stored in my Spatial Storage.
“I can’t say I can’t, but I’d have to see the item first. What kind of material is it?”
“I don’t know the name. It has a cow-like face, is muscular, and as big as a large dragon, and incredibly hard.”
“What kind of monster is that? Did you defeat it?”
“Yes. Not in the usual way, though.”
It was a rocket launcher barrage festival. Dad was just watching and laughing, so I ended up having to deal with it alone.
“I’m interested. Dragon-like materials are sometimes brought in, but I don’t remember any monsters with the characteristics you mentioned.”
“Well, if there were many of those, humanity would be wiped out. How many do you need?”
“You have a lot!?”
“I defeated it single-handedly, so I have fangs and claws. I think there are about 20 of each? Should I give you a few extra in case of failure?”
“I’d like to see the bones too, if possible.”
“Ah… I can’t tell which bones are which. And it’s so big.”
“It’s a dragon’s, and a large one at that. I guess that’s true.”
“Besides, there’ll be a commotion just bringing it into the Royal Capital.”
“Indeed, even the fangs are that size.”
“Well, I didn’t get a good look at it in the first place. The fangs might be even bigger than that.”
I didn’t observe it closely while fighting, and I put it away in my Spatial Storage right away, so I can only talk about its size based on my senses.
“Alright, bring it next time. One will do.”
“Understood. But is one enough?”
“You can’t make good stuff if you worry about failure. I can’t judge until I see the real thing, but big monsters are usually hard and strong. I’ll have to put some spirit into it too. But if it’s the same level as that one, there’s a good chance I can only shape it by grinding. It could turn into a month or two of work.”
Oh, he really feels like a craftsman.
“If I can get something good out of it.”
“Yeah, and bring the weapon you’re using now too. I’ll give it a maintenance.”
“That’s a great help…”
Because it’s dull.
“Are you making fun of your weapon?”
“I knew I’d get yelled at!”
The next day, I was asked to go shopping, so the day after that. I had a whole day off from school, so I escaped from the mansion before I could be given any errands. I told the guard leader, so it should be fine.
“It’s a stopgap, or rather, a gift from my current employer.”
“Even so, isn’t this terrible?”
“If it’s a weapon that fits my body size, it inevitably becomes…”
That’s right. The weapon I have is still a short sword, but it seems like it was made by someone who mainly makes pots and knives in the domain capital, not a weapon craftsman.
“Haa, this one or this one then. It’ll be a stopgap, but buy one of them. Either way, it’s better to have a spare weapon. Do you have money?”
“How much are they?”
“I’ll give you either one for 150,000 Wica.”
“That’s expensive… Well, I guess this one is better.”
So I bought a short sword. It’s expensive for a stopgap.
“However, I was going to use it as a reference, but this won’t do.”
“Well, I thought that’s how it would go, so here you go.”
I took out the broken short sword that I used against the War Orc in the Black Forest. I’ve used this one quite a bit, and I was quite attached to it.
“Hoh, this is… How can a blade of this level break this much?”
“Probably when I was about to attack, they used some kind of enhancement.”
“I see. I’ll take this one too. The handle will be a little thicker, but I’ll put some irregularities in it to match your habits.”
“That’s a great help. And this is it.”
The giant monster claw wrapped in cloth that I carried on my back. It was still attached to the monster, so I went outside the Royal Capital once to take it out of my Spatial Storage, took out the teeth and claws, and checked them. The claw seemed more suitable for a weapon than the teeth, so I went with that.
It was a size that I couldn’t take out near the Royal Capital, so I used Spatial Jump to get to a mountain that was visible in the distance.
After that, I put it away again, and I took it out of my Spatial Storage at Iserina-san’s place at the Adventurer’s Guild. I didn’t prepare it, so I got the cloth and rope there.
“This is, amazing. The feel of it is beyond that of any dragon, a magnificent claw. The size is definitely that of a large species.”
“Even though it’s just a claw, I can feel an aura-like thing. I chose one that seemed sturdy rather than sharp.”
“Well, Nata will be making it. Of course, I’ll put in a blade, but you’d rather have a sword blade than a Nata-like blade, right?”
“If possible.”
“The thickness will inevitably increase, so the sharpness will be less than a normal sword, is that okay?”
“I think I can manage that with enhancement magic.”
“Enhancing sharpness, huh? If you apply that to this, it’ll become something incredible. Well then, I’ll take it. Take it to the workshop.”
“Yes.”
As I was told, I stepped into the workshop for the first time. It’s incredibly clean and tidy.
“Is this your workplace?”
“I cleaned it up for today. Put it on the desk.”
“I see.”
He’s putting in a different level of effort.
“Oh, and give me your contact information. Not only when it’s finished, but also if something goes wrong, or if I need to charge extra money.”
“Ah, speaking of which, how much will it cost?”
I wonder if I have enough money? Depending on the case, I might have to have Iserina-san buy something.
“I don’t need it. I’m getting to touch materials like this.”
“…That’s a great help, but is it okay?”
“Yeah, but as I said earlier, I’ll contact you if I absolutely need to charge extra money.”
“Understood, thank you.”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
The next day, I got a call right away.
“I tried various things, but ordinary whetstones can’t grind it. I said a month or two, but it might take longer.”
Yeah, I wish he would tell me directly instead of through a message. Shirley-san, the maid, was tilting her head.