Ch.15Chapter 15 – To Glesius Academy (2)

Serin placed her sword, Diamant, on the table in response to her relative Servona’s question.

Servona looked at Serin with a puzzled expression, not understanding why she had placed the sword on the table.

“Why are you putting Diamant on the table? Are you giving up the path of a swordswoman?”

“That’s not it.”

In response to Servona’s question, Serin drew the sword from its scabbard.

The confusion on Servona’s face gradually transformed into an expression of astonishment.

“This is… Diamant?”

“Yes. It’s the sword my grandfather used.”

“Impossible…”

Servona’s gaze remained fixed on Diamant lying on the table.

No matter how well it had been maintained, Diamant was a sword that had been handled by people for a long time.

Because of this, its original luster had dulled considerably, and the blade bore numerous scars.

However, the Diamant now before Servona showed no trace of any damage acquired throughout its long history.

If someone were to claim it wasn’t Diamant but rather an elaborate replica modeled after it, it would have been believable.

But Servona had developed a discerning eye from her work with the Black Feathers and from observing Diamant over many years.

Through this experience, she had gained the ability to distinguish whether a legendary sword was genuine or fake.

At first, Servona thought Serin was trying to fool her by showing a fake Diamant.

But the sword that Serin had drawn from her scabbard was indeed Diamant, the treasure of the Ecatos family.

Looking at the pristine Diamant, Servona recalled a piece of information.

A recent report from Oak Village:

‘A person with extraordinary abilities who can perfectly conceal their skills has been discovered.’

And that her cousin Serin had been assigned to guard someone who appeared to be the person indicated in that report.

Finally, the appearance of Diamant, restored to its original condition as when it was first completed by the master craftsman.

Servona combined these circumstances and reached a conclusion:

‘The man mentioned in the Oak Village report must have done something for Serin, who was assigned as his guard, and that something clearly affected Diamant.’

Although Servona had decided to take things slowly, her curiosity about what had happened to Diamant and Serin was too strong to contain.

“What exactly happened to Diamant?”

So she abandoned any roundabout approach and asked Serin directly.

Seeing Servona’s reaction, Serin responded as if it were only natural.

“You must know about the man called Patos who appeared in Oak Village.”

Serin recounted the events from Oak Village to their arrival in Belsarem.

Servona was angered when she heard that Diamant had been broken, but she couldn’t help but marvel when Serin described how Patos had used his ability to perfectly repair the sword.

“He fixed Diamant that easily? With just three hammer strikes?”

“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes, but I could hardly believe it.”

Serin nodded in response to Servona’s question.

Seeing this, Servona clicked her tongue in disbelief.

“That’s impossible. You know what Diamant is made of. It’s a sword forged from steel meticulously refined by a dwarf craftsman recognized as a ‘master.'”

In her excitement, information about Diamant’s nature flowed freely from Servona’s lips.

A sword made from steel meticulously refined by a dwarf craftsman recognized as a master.

This meant that there were very few blacksmiths skilled enough to repair such a sword.

To be called a master among dwarves, a race of artisans, meant that the craftsman was truly exceptional.

“Right. That’s why even skilled artisans said they couldn’t repair Diamant. They said it was too well-made for them to touch. Well, in my opinion, they simply lacked the ability to repair such a sword.”

“But even dwarf craftsmen can’t repair a sword when the blade is broken. Even the most skilled dwarf artisans said it was impossible to rejoin a broken blade.”

This was precisely why Servona was so surprised.

No matter how skilled the craftsman, they couldn’t seamlessly rejoin a broken blade.

Even if they managed to join it, it would only break again before long.

“If, as you say, this man Patos perfectly repaired Diamant…”

“Then his value would be immeasurable.”

Servona and Serin were thinking the same thing.

How many weapons, armors, shields, and other military equipment had appeared throughout history?

Yet most of them hadn’t survived to the present day because “perfect repair” was impossible.

No matter how skilled the craftsman, could they restore a blade that had worn down by a third through long use back to its original state?

The answer was no.

That’s why Serin and Servona couldn’t measure the value of a man like Patos.

They were Black Feathers—those who collected information on everything and assigned value to that information and its subjects.

Even from the perspective of Servona, who had risen to the position of deputy director of the Black Feathers after years of handling information, the value of a man like Patos was incalculable.

“So, what are you planning to do?”

“I’m going to invite Patos to our family and ask him to repair the ‘Storm Guide.'”

Serin revealed her plan to Servona.

She intended to entrust the repair of the divine sword “Storm Guide,” once used by the founder of the Ecatos family, to Patos.

“And the payment? How will you pay him?”

Servona pointed out something that Serin had overlooked.

Let’s say Serin brings Patos to her family and asks him to repair the Storm Guide.

Would he kindly agree and repair it with a simple “Yes!”?

“What if he asks for you in exchange for repairing the Storm Guide?”

“…”

Serin couldn’t respond to Servona’s question.

What if Patos demanded everything of Serin herself as payment for repairing the Storm Guide?

Serin realized she hadn’t considered this possibility.

She didn’t know what Patos might demand in exchange for repairing the family treasure and heirloom of their founder.

Although his combat abilities were reportedly nonexistent, Justin had warned that he was a formidable man who maintained his composure even under pressure.

If she failed to pay the price, she had to consider the possibility that her family could be ruined by Patos.

Justin, the branch director of Belsarem, possessed strength that could match even the vice-captain of the Imperial Knights, and if someone like him advised caution, Patos’s power must be tremendous.

“If he wants me… I’m willing to give myself for the sake of the family.”

After much contemplation, Serin expressed her true feelings.

“But Patos isn’t that kind of person. If he were so bad, he would have demanded me in exchange for repairing Diamant.”

“…”

“At least the Patos I saw wasn’t such a bad person. That’s my conclusion.”

Hearing Serin’s words, Servona sighed and said:

“Well, you’ve always been better than me at judging people…”

Since Servona acknowledged Serin’s ability to judge character, she nodded with a resigned expression.

However, there was something neither Servona nor Serin knew: Patos preferred people with great capacity for acceptance.

Of course, it wasn’t that Serin and Servona lacked this quality, but they didn’t possess enough to appeal to Patos.

Even if Patos visited the Ecatos family to repair the Storm Guide, and they offered Serin as a bride in return, he would refuse.

This was because Serin’s capacity for acceptance was very small in his eyes.

Mina, the heroine whom Patos liked, was among the top ten in the Erasto Chronicle in terms of her capacity for acceptance…

Unless Serin used the “Legendary Elixir” rumored to be hidden somewhere in this world to increase her capacity for acceptance, she was just “Heroine 1 of the Erasto Chronicle” to Patos.

“Thank you very much. Thanks to you, our business won’t be delayed. I’m truly grateful!”

“It’s the least I could do since I’m traveling comfortably by carriage.”

At that same moment, Patos—the man who had become the subject of Serin and Servona’s conversation—was firmly establishing his presence among the people around him by repairing the wheel of the carriage he was traveling in.