Fun Territory Defense Chapter 123 (Patreon)

[Another Viewpoint] Habel's Surprise

[Habel]

I don't know what happened.

I just see in front of me the dismembered form of the sword with which I have shared many years of hardship.

I was once chosen as one of the five craftsmen of the dwarven nation. The actuality that the actual sword is not only a good sword, but it is also a very sharp sword.

Or perhaps the long journey had taken its toll on it.

Otherwise, even the Dwarf King's Orihalcum sword would not have been able to cut so easily.

Thinking so, I checked the cross-section of the sword. But what I saw in front of me was, in a sense, a familiar sight.

It was a smooth cut surface, the kind you see when you cut a piece of iron, which is too poorly made to be called a weapon, in two cuts.

"...Stupid, my sword..."

This means that it performs so differently.

I am so shocked that I don't even know what to say.

"...Ah, could it be that it was something quite important? Shall I fix it?"

The boy called Van says this apologetically. Normally, I would have yelled at him for sure. But right now, I am in no mood to do so.

"Hey, you said you're going to fix it..."

Once broken, it cannot be restored no matter what. Even if you try to restore it by forcing a core rod into it and heating it up, you can only restore it to the way it looks.

If you hit it with a sword against a sword, it will deteriorate in no time at all. If you do a bad job, it will break from the same place and that will be the end.

Therefore, rather than repairing it, the correct term would be to melt it down and rebuild it.

But the kid in front of me said it as if this broken sword could be put back together.

Without understanding why, I handed him the broken sword.

"Hey... Do you know what the name of the Dwarf made that sword? Please. Don't tell me it was made by a human blacksmith. We're in a crazy situation here where we can't even talk about Orihalcum ore."

I look at Van's movements as I speak words I don't understand myself. Then, Van silently picked up the broken edge of the sword and held it as if overlapping the hilt of the sword he had received from me.

Then, he meditates and makes a gesture as if he is concentrating on something. As I was wondering what he was going to do, the broken sword changed its shape in his hand.

"Wha, wha...?"

Not only me, but the guys in the guild are speechless. But none of those standing behind Van were surprised.

In just a few seconds, after Van had meditated, my sword had regained its original shape.

"Oh, oooh?"

I couldn't even realize my voice was coming out.

"Hey, can someone give me a sword...yeah, thanks."

Grabbing the newly formed sword, Van called out to the guys standing behind him and received one of the swords.

Holding it, he swung my sword straight down. With a high-pitched metallic sound, the sword he received was sliced in half.

"Oh!?"

Another startled cry came out of my own mouth. It was like cutting a radish with a kitchen knife. I don't know if my original sword could do that.

"Yes! It's good. Maybe it's because the original was so good? It's thick, but it's sharp enough."

Van said this with a smile, as if he didn't see how distraught we were.

"Here you go. I'll give it back to you."

I accepted it reverently with both hands. I haven't seen anything like this since my master handed me a masterpiece to serve as a model.

The blade is a little heavier than the master's. The thickness and length are the same.The handle is different from the master's, but the blade is the same.

Until now, I had dismissed this part as nothing more than a waste of time, but after seeing the perfection that has now been displayed before my eyes, this over-the-top decoration seems like an important element.

"Oh, hey..."

"Habel, about that sword..."

I think they already know what I'm talking about, but my friends behind me ask me what I think of it.

I looked up and saw Van's face, which looked as if nothing had happened.

"...! Gnnnnnnn...!"

I clenched my teeth and looked up to the heavens with my sword in both hands.

I can't believe it. No, I don't want to believe it.

But when it comes to blacksmithing, I can't tell a lie.

I groaned for a while at the conflict within me, but eventually the feeling of resignation overtook everything.

I thrust my sword into the ground with the tip of the blade down. To his horror, the sword pierced through the stone slab as if cutting through paper, and stopped with a hard thud at the brim.

"Ha! Hahaha!"

Involuntarily, a laugh escaped from the pit of my stomach.

"Oh no! I can't even make this work of art! No, it's an item that's not inferior to any of the treasured swords in the land of the dwarves! If they can produce something this good, any excuse would be ridiculous...!"

Declaring defeat, I sat down on the spot. Then, I glared up at Van.

"I'll do anything. I'll do whatever it takes. Help me recreate one of these swords."

I really think I'm an idiot, but those words came from the bottom of my heart. I don't care what that sword looks like. As a blacksmith, I was simply fascinated by the wonderful performance of the sword.

I certainly forgot all about the Orihalcum ore and the Dwarven country at that time, and was overjoyed at the new possibilities of blacksmithing.