Chapter 33: New Katana

When I looked up at the sky, I saw a cloud drifting lazily in the blue sky, much like myself.

While other students were busy with their studies or training, I, who had been placed on probation, returned to that secluded spot away from the dormitory.

Standing under the tree, I drew my sword towards the falling leaves and the empty air, feeling nostalgic as if I had returned home.

-Whiiing!

A strong wind blew, causing a leaf to flutter in the air and fall from the branch.

When I drew my sword towards the leaf, it didn’t slice it but broke it into two pieces.

“Phew….”

Just a bit more and I could cut without the blade, but it was still too much for now.

From my experience fighting Peter, where my draw was blocked before I could even strike, I realized something.

My physical ability and skill were far too lacking compared to the flawless technique of Baldo.

Since that day, I had been cutting down on sleep to train harder, but it wasn’t enough to get stronger in a short time.

Though I preferred fighting with this reverse-blade sword, it was not the time to be stubborn.

I sheathed Shadowstrike and left the spot, heading to the forge where Otar was.

Though he mentioned moving the forge after I broke the metal ball a few days ago, he probably hadn’t finished moving everything yet.

When I reached the forge, the door, which seemed even more rundown than before, greeted me.

I opened the creaky door and went inside to find most things packed, with a few swords and tools scattered on the floor.

It looked like someone had fled in the night, and I wondered if I was too late. But as I went further inside, I sensed someone’s presence.

“Master? Are you here?”

“Hm…?”

With a familiar voice, the door opened, revealing a familiar face from inside.

It seemed like he had been sleeping here, as Otar, with a sleepy face, rubbed his eyes and spoke.

“…Why are you here now? What about your classes…?”

“I was put on probation unfairly.”

“So, you were put on probation for a reason even your parents would nod their heads at. Come on in.”

Inside, there was a simple bed and blanket, suggesting he had been lying down until recently.

“Why are you sleeping in a place like this when you have so much money?”

“Don’t call it ‘a place like this.’ This forge has been my workplace since I was born.”

I wondered if he wanted to stay in this cherished forge a bit longer before parting with it.

Contrary to his appearance, he had a sentimental side that made me smile unintentionally.

But I was a bit worried. If he slept in this rundown place, the roof might collapse and turn it into his coffin.

Maybe he wasn’t afraid of anything because he was old enough that it wouldn’t be strange if he passed away anytime.

“…You’re thinking something disrespectful right now.”

“No way. Actually, I came here to ask a favor.”

“What is it? Don’t tell me you want another reverse-blade sword….”

“No, not that….”

When I asked for an ordinary katana instead of a special reverse-blade sword, Otar looked surprised.

“What made you change your mind?”

“…I almost lost recently.”

Though I won in the end, it was more due to my Baldo technique and Peter’s momentary carelessness than my own skill.

If we had fought outside or if Peter hadn’t acted as I hoped in the end, the result would have been different.

“What happened?!”

I told Otar about what had happened the day before, and he laughed happily.

“Hahaha!! Even if he was careless, you managed to beat that guy! You’re more absurd than I thought!!”

“I know he’s a former commander of the Royal Knights, but is he really that great of a knight?”

“Yes, he is. Probably, the only ones who could match him in blunt weapon skills are the current head of the von Grund family and the previous head, who is now deceased.”

He added that strictly speaking, the current Sword Saint and the next Sword Saint could also handle blunt weapons with ease, but they didn’t primarily use them.

There weren’t many knights who specialized exclusively in blunt weapons in the first place, so ranking them was a pointless exercise.

“Anyway, it’s lucky you didn’t fight outside. If you had….”

“You think I would have lost because of the ley lines?”

“You know about ley lines?!”

Ley lines.

Literally translated, it means the dragon’s veins, which in this novel referred to the pure natural energy flowing through the earth.

In the novel, the power of the ley lines was described as different from a wizard’s magic or a warrior’s aura—a pure essence of power.

Its uses were vast, such as drawing power from the ley lines or channeling the impact one received into the ley lines, as Peter had done.

However, to use ley lines, one had to be in contact with the ground, even if wearing shoes, so it couldn’t be used indoors.

When Peter had channeled the impact into the ground, showing a tremendous technique not seen indoors, I suspected it was the power of the ley lines.

Seeing Otar’s wide eyes now confirmed my suspicion.

“That’s not common knowledge. How did you know?”

“Let’s just say I read a lot of books.”

Indeed, I read a lot of books. So many that I ended up in one.

The result was that I could now perform Baldo against people, which was good, but I couldn’t shake off a lingering unease.

“It’s a bit disappointing that the fight ended like that.”

I wanted to see Peter use the ley lines a bit more for future reference.

If I saw it a few more times, I felt I could somehow learn to use the ley lines myself.

Perhaps understanding my meaning, Otar chuckled and said to me.

“Who learns to use ley lines that way?”

“I think I can do it…. By the way, can the next Sword Saint use ley lines too?”

“Of course. They learned the sword directly from the Sword Saint.”

“I thought so. Haha….”

I had guessed it when I heard she had enrolled a year earlier, but as time went on, I became more eager to meet the next Sword Saint.

She would undoubtedly provide even more thrilling experiences than Peter.

More than just demonstrating Baldo, I wanted to face her as a fellow swordsman.

To prepare for that time, I redirected the conversation to Peter.

“So, I’d like to ask for a katana….”

“A normal katana, right? What exactly do you mean by that? Should I just make one with the iron lying around?”

If I nodded here, he would probably just throw together something sloppy.

“I want a strong katana, not just an ordinary one….”

“Then we need to decide on the material first.”

Materials for making swords are broadly divided into two categories.

One is rare metals with special properties, like the white steel used in the White Rose.

Unlike the defensive properties of white steel, some rare metals enhanced sharpness or emitted flames in response to aura.

The other category includes materials obtained from the bodies of powerful monsters, like their fangs.

A sword made from such a monster’s body would be on par with or exceed those made from rare metals, due to the monster’s inherent strength.

Ideally, using both types of materials would be best, but unfortunately, I didn’t have enough money for that.

“The rare metals are easier to obtain.”

Unlike the uncertain supply of monster materials, rare metals were semi-monopolized by high-ranking nobles, making their supply relatively stable.

However, that was only if one had the money, and without it, even if the materials were available, they couldn’t be acquired.

Otar said he wouldn’t charge for making the katana, but I couldn’t let him cover the material costs as well.

Having no choice, I gave up on the metal option and turned my attention to monster materials.

With the right information, these could be obtained without money.

“Just in case, do you have any information on powerful monsters?”

“Yes.”

“…You do?”

Without much expectation, I asked the question, and the old man pulled out a bundle of papers from one of the remaining boxes and handed it to me.

Flipping through the visibly old bundle, I saw impressive drawings of monsters along with sighting information.

“What is this?”

“It’s something I received in lieu of payment from an adventurer’s request long ago. It’s information he gathered on monsters.”

Otar said that he had cross-referenced it with sighting reports from the adventurers’ guild and found it to be reliable.

Examining the papers closely, I saw that someone, perhaps Otar, had added details about the monsters’ danger levels in a different handwriting.

“Why did you ask for this?”

“It’s never bad to be prepared. There might be useful materials. So, which one will you choose?”

Even if I went hunting, it had to be a monster within three weeks’ travel distance.

After narrowing it down to something I could hunt within three weeks and with abundant sighting information, I found a suitable candidate.

“I’ll go with this one.”

[Ruler of the Sage’s Forest: The Demon Wolf]

[Danger Level: 10. Its danger level is comparable to that of a young dragon, so caution is advised.]