episode_0076

Episode.76 The bowstring is stronger than the sword (2)

“Why are you holding that?”

He was so embarrassed that he put the magically treated hammer he was holding on the anvil and came towards me.

“Do you know what this is?”

I asked the elf blacksmith with a respectful tone due to his sudden approach and his young-old-like tone.

To be honest, I don’t know the details because it’s just equipment Harin picked out for me at the Mugu store in the world outside the gate.

It has an unusual name, and unusually, the sword has blades on both sides.

An elf blacksmith who looked quite old and spoke closely looked at the sword I was holding.

“You didn’t see it wrong.”

“Hmm… Uncle, did you treat this old thing as a weapon?”

Triche spoke bluntly to the elf blacksmith.

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

“Yes?”

【I think the story will get longer if this continues… Just tell them to fix it quickly.】

” That sword with a unique double edge… It is a weapon that I made for Verdium myself. ”

“… You made such a crappy weapon for Verdium? Owner, it would be nice if you didn’t get hit in the face…”

“So, didn’t you originally say that it wasn’t such a tattered weapon?”

Triche and the elf blacksmith sighed to each other.

“So, what is the purpose?”

“Purpose… You don’t have any particular purpose. But.”

He turned his head and looked at me as if he was tired of Triche.

“There is only one thing I want to ask you about, that sword… I want to ask you why you are holding it.”

The elf blacksmith asked me while stroking his long hair.

【But… is it okay for a blacksmith to have hair that long? Isn’t this going to interfere with your work? But aren’t dwarves usually better at this kind of work? Why aren’t you a short dwarf?】

‘Oh, okay, keep your mouth shut.’

I listened to Chaewon’s words as she kept trying to break the flow.

“I don’t know the details, but one thing is certain: Verdium was holding the same sword, although it looked to be of better quality than the sword I was holding.”

“Hmm… Is that all it is?”

‘And maybe…’

Perhaps, since this sword grows, the form that Verdium is holding is probably what it looks like after it has grown?

guessing.

Among the things that Verdium, the fan who slapped me back then, said, this was the keyword that I thought was the most important.

Excluding parasites, if we were to select only those most related to the growth of the sword.

The queen’s soul contained in the weapon.

When I visited Verdium before, there were two things that looked like thrones, but I couldn’t see his wife.

It is presumed that he put the soul of Verdium’s wife, who died in some kind of accident, into his sword.

And here, inside the dark red gate that recreates moments from the past.

Considering various information…

This is the time period before the country fell into ruin due to parasites.

In that case, it is expected that the territory of Verdium, which has already disappeared due to the parasite, and another hunter who entered there by coincidence through the Black Gate, brought this sword of poor quality.

‘So the name isn’t the Sword of the Lost King… is it?’

This is just a guess.

“Well, since I don’t really interact with that guy anymore, it doesn’t matter to me if the same sword is mass-produced… If you meet Verdium again, give him my regards.”

“Yes… Well, by the way. When did you and Verdium meet?”

“… Verdium and I met when we were young… I didn’t like the laws of the elves, so I learned the trade of a craftsman from a ‘dwarf’.”

The elf blacksmith began his story by reminiscing about the past.

At that time, Triche suddenly came next to me and poked my side with her finger.

“Ha…”

And he whispered in a low voice.

“Stupid guy, no matter how young he looks, can’t you tell by the way he speaks? They’ve already lived for hundreds of years… What would you do if you asked someone like that to tell you about the past? This will brighten me up.”

“What do you think?”

“… At that time, I left Heblon and went on a trip… and happened to meet Verdium-”

Triche once again brought her mouth close to my ear.

“Stupid.”

“-So I created the greatest masterpiece of my life with the best skills I could show off at the time… That is the double-edged sword you are holding now, and the sword that Verdium holds.”

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

“You still don’t know what. Two blades in one sword. At first glance, it may seem like it was designed to calmly overcome any crisis situation, but the double-edged sword is actually a weapon specialized for stabbing. Therefore, it is a reliable weapon for both cutting and stabbing. Well… it comes with a lot of risk, but…”

“Of course, the danger is that you could get hit by your own sword?”

I asked the elf blacksmith.

“I understand that part well. A double-edged sword, if used properly, is a very effective weapon in combat as both blades can be actively used in attack and defense, allowing the use of more diverse and difficult techniques to deal with, but… it is a single-edged sword, not a double-edged sword. In other words, it is more difficult to use than ordinary swords. Also, of course you are aware of the dangers of handling it incorrectly.”

The elf blacksmith spoke to me as if he was asking me something.

“Well, of course… maybe.”

“Unlike ordinary single-edged swords, which have an edge on one side and are therefore relatively safe to use, if you lack skill, you can easily get seriously injured by your own sword due to the characteristic of the edge standing on both sides, and it is also easy for the sword to be damaged. . This is because there is no thick back to absorb shock and support the blade structure. That’s why double-edged swords are a little more disadvantageous in terms of durability than other swords.”

“I see…”

“What did I say? That’s stupid.”

Triche spoke as if she was talking to herself so that I could hear everything.

” If you look at it this way, it appears to be a weapon with only shortcomings, but as I said before, if your skills are outstanding, it is a weapon that can overcome its many shortcomings and utilize its strengths to the maximum.”

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

“That’s why I saw Verdium’s skills and made him a double-edged sword. The best weapons are for the best. That is my iron rule.”

【So, you’re saying it’s not a useful weapon for a novice like you? Phew.】

Chaewon laughed at me as if she was taking revenge on me for not listening carefully to what she said.

‘I see… Then do I have no choice but to leave this weapon at home for a while? Let it gather dust.’

But that doesn’t mean I’m someone who will just ignore the ridicule like a brat.

【… Let it collect dust? This is the house that contains my precious soul? too bad! No, sorry! Was I too presumptuous? I can’t help it… In that case, I’ll serve you on a special night… It’s like a special event just for you, so it’s okay if I thank you…】

‘it’s okay.’

【bad guy. Just die quickly. Let’s become ghosts together and wander around forever? When that time comes, I will be kind and eat you like a dog with this body…】

Chaewon clung to me.

‘…Why are you acting so creepy again?’

I pushed Chaewon away, whose mood had changed a little strangely.

【Hmm… No, rather than doing this, wouldn’t it be okay for you to just come inside this sword and let the dust accumulate in a place where no one will find you forever? yes? You thought that too, right?】

‘Hey, get away from me. ‘Why is this happening all of a sudden?’

It was just a prank, but the sight of Chaewon suddenly turning 180 degrees gave me chills.

“Um… So, can this weapon be repaired?”

“… Sorry, this can’t be fixed.”

“Hoo… It’s surprising that there are weapons that the owner can’t fix. ”

Triche said as if she was really surprised.

“Why? Why can’t it be fixed?”

I asked questions about things I didn’t know.

That’s right, it was a weapon he made, but he couldn’t figure out why it couldn’t be repaired.

“Perhaps repair is not possible due to lack of materials…”

“No, it’s not like that. The reason the weapon couldn’t be repaired in the first place… It was simply made to be a weapon that didn’t need repair from the beginning.”

“A weapon that doesn’t need repairs? What is that…”

“The fact that a weapon does not require repairs means that it is strong. So, these days, I’ve been making weapons out of ice… No, I should say ice because it’s ice that doesn’t melt, but anyway, I’ve been making weapons out of it. It’s quite a difficult task, so I haven’t even been able to create a frame for the sword yet, but I believe that one day I will succeed and find its owner. By the way, the sword of extreme cold… isn’t it cool? It’s also a weapon that doesn’t need repairs. It can’t be repaired in the first place.”

“Hey, man, I’m talking too long. Make it a little shorter. I’m ashamed of myself for recommending this place. The skills are all good, but that’s the problem. There’s no need to say such useless things.”

Triche hesitated to mix up her own story and caught the essence of what the elf blacksmith was saying, saying TMI.

【uh? If it’s a cold sword… it’s the weapon used by the guy wearing black armor that I met in a place full of skeletons, right? Does it have something to do with that?】

‘Is that really possible? Lightning struck the gate by chance, and in the past world of the Black Gate, I happened to see someone using the same weapon, and the person who made that weapon happened to make the black armored weapon that was in a place full of skeletons before. Are you the one who made it? ‘Don’t talk nonsense.’

It’s not a novel with a structured script, and something like that never happens.

Wouldn’t it be more likely to win the lottery?

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

【excuse me.】

‘What else? If you’re talking nonsense, I won’t leave you alone.’

Chaewon continued her sentence with a puzzled expression.

【Just, can’t you fix it by fiddling with the system or something?】

‘uh? Are you a genius? To be honest, I’ve never thought about it like that.’