Chapter 76

Episode.76 The Bowstring is Stronger than the Sword (2)

“Why do you have that?”

He was so flustered that he placed the magically treated hammer he was holding on the anvil and approached me.

“Do you know what this is?”

I asked the elf blacksmith in honorifics, taken aback by his sudden approach and his old-fashioned way of speaking.

To be honest, I didn’t know much about it either; it was just equipment that Harin had chosen for me from a weapon shop in the world outside the Gate.

It had a peculiar name, and interestingly, the blade of the sword was double-edged.

The elderly-looking elf blacksmith examined the sword I was holding closely.

“It seems I wasn’t mistaken.”

“Hmm… Uncle, did they really consider such a worn-out thing to be a weapon?”

Triche spoke bluntly to the elf blacksmith.

“It wasn’t like that originally… Have you perhaps met Verdium?”

“Excuse me?”

【This flow makes it seem like the story is going to drag on… Just tell him to fix it quickly.】

“The peculiar double-edged sword… is a weapon I crafted personally for Verdium.”

“… You made such a shabby weapon for Verdium? It’s a relief if he didn’t slap you.”

“I did say it wasn’t originally in such a shabby state.”

Both Triche and the elf blacksmith sighed.

“So, what’s the purpose?”

“Purpose… Well, I don’t have a specific purpose for you. However.”

He suddenly turned his head to me, looking as if he was tired of Triche.

“What I want to ask is just one thing: why are you holding that sword?”

The elf blacksmith asked me while stroking his long hair.

【But… is it okay for a blacksmith to have hair that long? Doesn’t it hinder work? But usually, dwarves are better at this kind of work, right? Why is he not a short dwarf?】

‘Oh, yeah, yeah, just shut up.’

I ignored Chaewon, who kept trying to interrupt.

“I don’t know the details, but one thing is certain: this sword I’m holding appears to be of better quality than a regular sword, but Verdium had a similar one.”

“Hmm… Is that all?”

‘And maybe…’

I theorized that this sword grows, so the form that Verdium is holding might be the state after it has grown.

This was the most important keyword from what Verdium had said to me when he hit me.

Excluding the parasite, if I were to select the one most related to the growth of the sword.

The soul of the queen contained in the weapon.

When I visited Verdium before, there were two thrones, but his wife was nowhere to be seen.

I speculate that he captured the soul of his wife, who died in some accident, in his sword.

And here is the red sword inside the Gate that reproduces past moments.

If I combine various pieces of information…

It would be a time frame just before the nation fell due to the parasite.

Then, it is presumed that a different hunter, who accidentally entered through the Black Gate, brought this sword of inferior quality from Verdium’s territory, which has already disappeared due to the parasite.

‘So the name is the sword of the king who lost his master… but that can’t be right?’

This is merely a hypothesis.

“Well, I don’t particularly care if the same sword gets mass-produced since I don’t interact with that guy anymore… If I meet Verdium again, convey my regards.”

“Yes… But when did you first meet Verdium?”

“… I met that guy when we were children… I didn’t like the laws of the elves, so I learned the craft from a ‘dwarf.'”

The elf blacksmith began reminiscing about the past.

At that moment, Triche quickly approached me and poked me in the side with her finger.

“Sigh…”

Then she whispered in a small voice.

“You foolish guy, can’t you tell how old he is just by the way he talks, no matter how young he looks? He’s already lived for hundreds of years… How can you ask him to recount old stories? This is going to drag on for ages.”

“What does it matter?”

“… Back then, I set out on a journey away from Heblron and happened to meet Verdium—”

Triche once again leaned closer to my ear.

“You idiot.”

“-and at that time, I created my life’s greatest masterpiece with the best skill I could showcase… that’s the double-edged sword you’re holding, and the one Verdium has.”

“Hmm… But why did you make it a double-edged sword?”

“You still don’t understand. Two blades on a single sword. At first glance, it can seem like a structure made to calmly cut through any crisis, but a double-edged sword is, in fact, a weapon specialized for stabbing. Thus, it is a reliable weapon for both cutting and stabbing. But… that also brings considerable risk.”

“Naturally, that risk is that you could injure yourself with your own sword, right?”

I asked the elf blacksmith.

“You know that part well. If a double-edged sword is used properly, you can actively apply both edges in combat, allowing for diverse and tricky techniques, making it a highly effective weapon… but it is certainly more difficult to use compared to a single-edged sword. You are aware of the inherent dangers when mishandled, of course.”

The elf blacksmith spoke to me as if giving a warning.

“Of course… maybe.”

“The nature of double-edged swords makes them rather susceptible to breakage and can easily cause you significant injury if your skills are lacking, as both sides have blades. They lack a thick back to absorb shock and support the blade’s structure. As a result, double-edged swords are somewhat more disadvantaged in terms of durability compared to other swords.”

“Is that so.”

“What they say about you is true; you are foolish.”

Triche spoke, making her remarks loud enough for me to hear, as if talking to herself.

“While at first glance it may seem like a weapon with only drawbacks, as I mentioned earlier, if you have exceptional skill, you can break through those many disadvantages and utilize the strengths to their fullest potential.”

The elf blacksmith picked up the magically treated hammer from the anvil again as he spoke.

“So I created that double-edged sword for Verdium, seeing through his skill. The best weapons belong to the best. That’s my principle.”

【So, that means it’s not a weapon suitable for a rookie like you? Heh heh.】

Chaewon mocked me as if seeking revenge for not paying attention to her words until then.

‘Wow… does that mean I have to hide this weapon away at home for a while? Let it accumulate dust?’

But I wasn’t one to just let ridicule slide without response.

【… Accumulate dust? In the house that contains my precious soul? That’s too much! No, I’m sorry! I was being too presumptuous, wasn’t I? I can’t help it… then I’ll specially serve you at night… since it’s something I do only for you, it’s okay for you to be grateful for that…?】

‘Forget it.’

【You bad guy. Just die already. Shall we both become ghosts and wander forever? When that time comes, I’ll kindly feast on you like a dog with this body…】

Chaewon clung to me.

‘… Why are you being so creepy all of a sudden?’

I pushed Chaewon away, who was acting a bit strangely.

【No… instead of this, wouldn’t it be nice for you to come inside this sword and be together in a place where nobody finds us until the dust gathers? Right? You think so too, don’t you?】

‘Oh, just get away from me. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?’

Just a little joke turned into a complete 180-degree turn in Chaewon, making my entire body shiver.

“So… can this weapon be repaired?”

“… I’m sorry, but this cannot be fixed.”

“Oh… so there are weapons that even the blacksmith can’t repair, huh, this is… unexpected.”

Triche said as if genuinely surprised.

“Why? Why can’t it be repaired?”

I questioned regarding the unclear part.

Well, it was a weapon he made himself; I couldn’t understand why it would be impossible to repair.

“Is it due to a lack of materials for the repair…?”

“No, it’s not that. The reason this weapon can’t be repaired is simply because it was made from the beginning to not require repairs.”

“A weapon that doesn’t need repairing? What do you mean…”

“A weapon that doesn’t need repair means it is that strong. That’s why I’ve been working on making weapons from everlasting snow… No, I should call it eternal ice, but anyway, I’m making that. It’s quite a difficult task, so I still haven’t been able to create even the mold for the blade, but I believe I’ll eventually succeed and find a master for it. By the way, isn’t the sword of extreme cold cool? It’s also a weapon that doesn’t need repairs. Originally, it’s something that cannot be repaired.”

“Hey, uncle, your explanation is too long. Keep it shorter. I’m embarrassed for recommending this place. All the skills are good, but that’s the problem. No need to say things beyond what’s useful.”

Triche caught onto the elf blacksmith’s TMI as he rambled on.

【Huh? Is the sword of extreme cold… associated with the one used by that guy in a black armor who we encountered in a place swarming with skeletons?】

‘No way, right? That the person I saw with the same weapon, who accidentally came into this past world through a thunder strike from the Gate, is the one who made the weapon for the guy in black armor I encountered when there were skeletons? That’s nonsense.’

It’s not like we’re in a scripted novel, such things wouldn’t happen by any means.

It’s more likely to win the lottery than for that to occur.

‘Then, how do I fix this broken weapon I’m holding… what on earth is it made of?’

【It’s just that.】

‘What is it again? If you’re talking nonsense, I won’t let you off easily.’

Chaewon continued with a puzzled expression.

【Can’t you just tinker with that system or whatever to fix it?】

‘Oh? Are you a genius? Honestly, I’ve never thought about that before.’