Chapter 73

I can use humans… Unfortunately, among the cards I can play, the only ones suitable for hunting strong monsters spread across the world are humans.

Ah, excluding dragons. Those kids possess enough strength to make other monsters seem trivial, but they’re like a double-edged sword—not something you wield carelessly.

If those kids go berserk, the very terrain changes—using them recklessly is risky business. Things could get out of control easily.

Excluding dragons… The race that follows my commands most obediently would undoubtedly be the lizardmen. But they’re heavily influenced by their environment.

And if they were to roam the world unaffected by their surroundings… Well, that would mean one of the restraints keeping them in check has been lifted.

Lizardmen unfettered by environmental constraints? They’d likely displace humans as the world’s dominant force without any fuss!

Plus, they lay several eggs at once, so their numbers are quite substantial. Their physical abilities rival those of giants—strong and resilient.

With their innate spellcasting abilities, it’s like giving a tiger wings. If they weren’t inherently good-natured, they’d definitely become terrifying reptilian overlords threatening the world. Terrifying stuff.

Still, their susceptibility to the environment and preference for obsidian-based weapons are minor drawbacks. But these guys can take down predators with their bare hands, so weapon preferences aren’t really an issue.

Anyway, removing the environmental restrictions on lizardmen isn’t an option. Maybe for short expeditions, but having them continuously hunt monsters worldwide would be too much.

Elves and dwarves? They’re basically hermits who don’t leave their strongholds easily, and there’s no guarantee they’ll follow my plans anyway, so they’re out.

We could control them through Yggdrasil or Sagarmatha, but indirect control like that wouldn’t be simple.

Giants? They’re dumb brutes—off the table from the start. Plus, they’re heavily dependent on environmental factors too.

They struggle in cold places, consume vast amounts of food—it’s just not practical.

Their raw power is undeniable, but they’re hard to manage. No real way to control them effectively.

So, we’re left with beastmen or humans… Humans can travel the world without much discrimination, making them the more convenient choice.

Only under difficult circumstances would national restrictions be a problem. Right now, with loose city-state governance, merchants and travelers move freely.

Thus, equipping humans with powerful weapons to hunt tough monsters seems like the best course of action.

Of course, we need to keep the purpose hidden. If people knew the goal was to collect dark shards from mana stones, it might sound like some ancient demon king resurrection plot.

Let’s see… Crafting a fine sword, imbuing it with various magics to enhance its performance, embedding a diamond to absorb dark shards from slain monsters…

Hmm… Would that work as a specialized anti-monster sword?

Oh, what happens if we extract a dark shard from a living monster? Hmm… This calls for testing. Let’s revisit that later.

And… Should we create a hero to wield this sword?

No, ‘create’ sounds off—it implies making a human.

The correct approach is to establish the role of a hero.

As long as monsters continue to appear and grow stronger, they’ll pose a great threat to humanity. Having someone fight in my stead to protect all races would be ideal.

Selecting a person of exceptional talent and character, granting them the Sword of the Hero from the Temple of Life, and sending them on a journey to hunt monsters worldwide—that sounds like a solid plan!

It could even become a heroic tale!

When the hero isn’t around, the sword could remain safeguarded at the Temple of Life, allowing them to accumulate dark shards.

This seems reasonable. Let’s proceed with this plan.

Speaking of which, should the hero have a supporter?

Maybe assign someone from the Temple of Life? Or a dragon companion wouldn’t be bad either.

Would me personally supporting them work? Nah, I’ve got enough on my plate already. There’s no need for me to get involved.

Creator Dragon God duties, Goddess of Life responsibilities, and countless other tasks—I’m not about to add more hardship! What am I, an idiot?! Get a grip!

Alright, let’s focus on the hero’s sword first. That’s the priority.

Let’s consider its form. Naturally, it should be a sword since it’s the hero’s weapon…

What size? A standard one-handed sword, or a grand two-handed sword? Both options are appealing, making it hard to choose.

Or maybe a bastard sword that works as both? Though… the name feels off. Bastard sword? Sounds disrespectful.

No, wait. There’s no reason the sword can’t change forms. A transforming sword would work, right?

At that moment, an image flashed through my mind.

A massive greatsword that transforms into armor, then further morphs into a thin blade reminiscent of a certain comic series.

This could allow us to achieve both a one-handed and two-handed sword—a two-for-one deal, wouldn’t you say?

Great! Let’s make it. With ideas flowing, there’s no hesitation! First, we need materials!

What material should we use? Silver transformed by magic? Or steel altered by magic?

Silver altered by magic absorbs mana, while steel repels it. Hmm…

Complicated. To enable transformation, we need magic interaction, so steel won’t work. Perhaps silver is the better choice?

No, we can try other metals. Let’s test them.

—

After experimenting with various metals infused with magic, only a few proved useful.

Notably, gold transformed by magic showed promise. Its yellow hue softened into a pale golden color, creating a metal slightly weaker than blackened steel but still quite durable.

It absorbed mana efficiently, similar to mithril, and had the added benefit of enhancing other metals when alloyed.

Most importantly, this gold served a specific function.

Magic-transformed gold possessed the peculiar ability to remember and alter shapes using magic.

Think of it as shape memory, though unlike thermal shape-memory alloys, this relied on magical patterns.

After numerous trials, I discovered this metal could retain specific magical patterns.

For instance, forming a long rod, imprinting a pattern, crumpling it, then reapplying the stored pattern restored it to its original rod shape.

The downside? It could only store three patterns, and the transformation force wasn’t very strong—easily halted by hand pressure. Still, it resumed transformation once released!

Despite these limitations, the sword would only be vulnerable during transformation. Afterwards, it regained its strength. Such a wondrous metal would be foolish not to use!

Let’s dive into crafting.

Even if the transformation feature proves imperfect, continued experimentation will surely yield results.

—

The hero’s sword, Chloive Solais, also known as the Sword of Light.

Passed down as the sacred blade wielded by a chosen hero in times of great crisis for humanity, blessed by the Goddess of Life.

Legend holds an ancient darkness is sealed within, granting the sword prowess against monsters through its power.

Its basic form is a massive two-handed sword, famous for its ability to transform to suit the user.

In its transformed state, it becomes Agathlam silver armor, where parts of the greatsword envelop and protect the user.

In this armored state, the sword morphs further into a thin-bladed one-handed sword, enabling swift swordplay.

Additionally, the sword can break down magic, converting it into pure mana for absorption, using this energy to empower the user.

Truly, it embodies the epitome of legendary weapons.

—

When no hero is chosen, the sword remains sealed within the Church of Life. Legend says the seal breaks when a Dragon Priestess appears during a global crisis.

Should this sword resurface, it signifies immense peril for humanity.

Though I wish to witness it firsthand, knowing its appearance heralds catastrophe makes me reluctant.

Even requests to the Church of Life proved fruitless; even cardinals cannot locate the sword while its seal remains intact.

Such is the lamentable state of affairs.

– Encyclopedia of Legendary Weapons.