Ch.176Fortress of Blades. Amarantin (1)

Among the words that describe Amarantin, perhaps the most famous would be “Fortress of Blades.”

This name comes from the history of the fortress located at the highest point of Amarantin. In the year 120 of the Extinction Calendar—almost more than 1,000 years ago—a monarch founded Amarantin here and spent enormous sums to build a fortress to solidify their rule.

When the basic structure of the fortress was completed—neither more nor less than what was planned—Amarantin rapidly grew wealthy through its steel industry, utilizing abundant and high-quality iron, chromium, and molybdenum. Before long, Amarantin had become the leader in steel production, exporting its steel to all neighboring cities.

However, prosperity inevitably breeds envy, and envy soon turned to jealousy directed at Amarantin.

Other city-states formed an alliance and began a siege against Amarantin, forcing the monarch and nobles to rally their citizens in what seemed like a hopeless defense.

For a full decade, the siege continued, with ten fierce major battles fought. Throughout it all, the citizens never laid down their shields and spears, fighting to the death. When there seemed to be no end to the war, the allied city-states quickly began to fragment.

They could only fight one more battle, and everything would be decided in that final confrontation.

On the day of the decisive battle, Amarantin’s monarch and the leaders of the allied city-states threw themselves onto the front lines for the final showdown.

In the end, Amarantin’s citizen army decisively defeated the allied forces, but in the process, they lost their true monarch to a spear.

As the monarch lay dying, they left these final words: “Gather the weapons of those who have fallen and build a fortress with them. The blades of those who killed and those who died shall now become shields to protect this nation.”

This is why Amarantin came to be called the Fortress of Blades.

Mourning the death of their monarch, the surviving citizens of Amarantin collected the weapons of the fallen, melted them down, and began constructing walls and a fortress not of brick or wood, but of steel. Moved by this, Karil bestowed a blessing that the steel would never rust, and thus history became legend.

As Amarantin gradually regained its strength, it annexed the weakened neighboring city-states and established itself as the preeminent power in the region. To this day, it remains a leading nation in steel production and is renowned for its sword craftsmanship, considered one of the great powers of the Miriam continent.

“…That’s the general history of Amarantin.”

“Hmm… quite instructive.”

“Which part do you find instructive?”

“What could be more instructive than learning that when you envy someone else’s growth so much that you try to tear them down, you only end up harming yourself?”

“…Now that you mention it, I suppose that’s true.”

They say no one is free from jealousy, but there’s a world of difference between harboring it in your heart and acting on it.

If your national power is lacking, you should work hard to become a better nation. The mindset of attacking a stronger country to break its legs won’t earn you good treatment anywhere.

“I can see the checkpoint.”

And finally, we reached the entrance to the Fortress of Blades.

*

“You. You’re a swordsman, aren’t you?”

“Is it that obvious?”

The guard looked at the sword at my waist with a welcoming expression.

As expected of a nation passionate about swords, all the guards were armed with swords.

I could see some wielding massive two-handed swords over two meters in length—the kind I once used—but there were no other close-combat weapons like spears or flails. They say Amarantin avoids using spears because they once lost a great ruler to one.

“This is a sword made of orichalcum. A very precious item. I’m looking for a master craftsman who can work with it.”

“…By the heavens! Karil preserve us! To meet someone carrying an orichalcum sword!”

When I casually showed them my adventurer’s certificate marked “Gold Rank” and the orichalcum blade, the guards’ eyes widened in astonishment.

“There aren’t many craftsmen who can work with orichalcum, even here in Amarantin. Look for the ‘Workshop of Dawn.’ It’s where the most skilled bladesmiths in the country gather.”

“The Workshop of Dawn… I understand. Can I enter now?”

“Of course. We couldn’t possibly detain someone carrying such a sword.”

“Hmm…”

Is this… what they call equipment privilege?

I wasn’t the type who liked to show off, but as envious gazes gathered on what I was carrying, my chin gradually began to point skyward.

It was a moment of understanding why women covet luxury brands so much.

I finally grasped the meaning of the saying “clothes make the man.”

“You’d better move quickly. Rumors spread fast. It would be troublesome if unsavory rogues started following you.”

“Hmm… that’s true. Alright, let’s head to the Workshop of Dawn. It’s time to exchange these twin swords for a greatsword.”

“Can’t you just give me one of your swords?”

“Do you want to die?”

Ignoring Lucia’s whining, we began wandering the streets in search of the Workshop of Dawn.

The streets were incredibly complex. Even when we asked locals, we only got “I don’t know either” as a response. After searching through nearly half the city, following scattered signposts, we finally arrived at the Workshop of Dawn.

*

“This looks more like a factory than a workshop. Do they handle everything from smelting to processing…?”

I muttered, looking at the numerous chimneys and the blast furnace spewing slag (the waste material produced during iron processing).

I was thinking that a facility of this scale could hold a significant share even in Parcival’s industrial sector when—

“You have a good eye. That’s right. Our workshop handles everything from smelting to processing. We’re the largest and finest industrial facility in this country.”

A craftsman with hands covered in soot approached and pointed to a tattoo on his neck.

“I’m Reynald, a junior master at this workshop. We don’t usually take custom orders unless it’s something exceptional. So if you’re not here for a tour…”

“Wait.”

Sensing this conversation might drag on, I drew my twin swords and presented them to Reynald.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“So you really are a junior master. You can’t even recognize what these swords are made of.”

“W-what?”

“These swords are made of orichalcum.”

“What?!”

At the mention of orichalcum, Reynald’s expression changed instantly.

He took the sword I had drawn with trembling hands and examined the golden blade as if an earthquake had struck.

“It’s not painted… not acid-treated… not an alloy either… Good heavens…!”

“Now bring me the most skilled master craftsman in this workshop. I’ll be waiting.”

I sheathed my sword again and dismissed Reynald.

I wasn’t sure if a junior master had such authority, but it was better than us wandering around looking for someone.

“P-please wait just a moment! I’ll gather all the master craftsmen of this workshop!”

“Do as you please…”

Reynald couldn’t take his eyes off my sword until the last moment, and only when the blade’s radiance disappeared into the scabbard did he come to his senses and run toward the workshop.

Indeed, it seemed that a person needed impressive equipment to receive proper treatment.

“Now you’ll evolve from a twin-sword maniac to a greatsword maniac. Congratulations, boss.”

“Would it kill you to use a positive word like ‘evolution’ instead?”

“Whether you’re obsessed with twin swords or greatswords, aren’t you just fodder for my kill count anyway?”

I smacked Lucia’s head with a half-swing.

*

“Orichalcum!!! ORICHALCUUUM!!!”

Before long, craftsmen who looked more beast than human began to gather in droves.

If I threw a 1kg ingot of orichalcum at these people, would a battle royale break out?

With that thought, I detached my two swords from my waist and handed them to my wife.

“I am the owner of the orichalcum. Who among you is the most skilled craftsman?”

As I stepped forward, the gathered crowd murmured among themselves, and then ten craftsmen with appearances that screamed “I’ve eaten well from this trade” came forward.

Their hands were more like tongs than hands, covered in calluses, and their faces had lost their original color, taking on a dull hue from metal deposits.

In short, they were tough, formidable master craftsmen.

“We are the ten most skilled craftsmen in the Workshop of Dawn. It’s a bit embarrassing, but people call us the Ten Masters of Dawn.”

“There must be a reason you brought that sword to us. What do you desire?”

As the craftsmen introduced themselves and asked about my purpose, I gestured to my wife.

She handed my orichalcum swords to them, and one of the masters unsheathed a sword with a gulp. Immediately, a brilliant light began to flow from the blade, imbued with the radiance of the sun.

“Ah….”

“Orichalcum… the sun’s iron! The metal of light!”

“I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime…!”

The craftsmen who weren’t among the Ten Masters wept with emotion.

They were overwhelmed as craftsmen to see with their own eyes the orichalcum that, without exaggeration, literally required going into space to create.

“I want to melt down these swords and forge them into a single greatsword. Will you accept my commission?”

When I stated my request, the oldest of the Ten Masters gathered the looks from the other nine and then returned the sword to its scabbard.

“We accept your commission. Please tell us your name.”

“My name is Victor Walker. A Gold-ranked wandering knight and the standard-bearer of Nariakira Saburo, who spreads the gospel of the sun.”

“Alexander Chekorbich, representative of the Ten Masters of Dawn from the Workshop of Dawn. On behalf of all Ten Masters, I accept the commission of the Knight of the Sun.”

And so, the contract to melt the sun’s iron with human heat was sealed.