Chapter 142: Grave of Swords (1)

“…I’m going to the blacksmith today.”

At my sudden declaration during the meal, everyone paused and looked at me, but only for a moment before they resumed eating.

Strange. This was supposed to be a touching moment where I faced reality, overcoming my fears, but the reaction was colder than I’d expected.

I thought they’d all be in tears, cheering me on, but judging by their response, it seemed like just another everyday conversation.

“Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m going to the blacksmith.”

“We heard you. Why are you making such a fuss over a broken sword? Just go get it fixed or buy a new one, and then… and then…”

Thinking about what would happen next, Jessica seemed to get worked up. She put down her utensils with a clatter and abruptly stood up.

“Jessica! What’s with that lack of manners!! Didn’t you say we shouldn’t do that?!”

Ignoring my sarcasm, Jessica left the dining room with steps that I couldn’t tell were graceful or not.

I thought she’d improved today, eating without her usual hostility, but Jessica was still Jessica.

“You’re going to Master Otar’s forge, right? I’d like to greet them both after so long, so I’ll come with you!”

“Sure. What about you, Elaine?”

“…I’ll go.”

Elaine, who had been chewing her food, nodded briefly before resuming her meal.

Come to think of it, hadn’t I once destroyed armor meant for Elaine at Otar’s forge?

So much had happened since then, considering we were now discussing matchmaking.

After finishing the meal and changing clothes, I left the mansion, cradling the broken Shadowstrike as if it were a baby.

As soon as I stepped outside, a carriage was already waiting, though I hadn’t asked the butler to prepare one.

Wondering if Hori or Elaine had arranged it, I climbed into the carriage to find Jessica already seated with the other two, wearing a displeased expression.

“What’s this? Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?”

“…I never said that. Or what, are you unhappy that I’m coming along?”

“No, that’s not it.”

In fact, having more people along might help ease this anxiety.

As the carriage set off, my heart began to race like the bumpy carriage the closer we got to the blacksmith.

For a sword, being beyond repair was essentially a death sentence.

The thought that I might be saying goodbye to Shadowstrike forever made the knot of anxiety in my chest writhe, unsettling my mind.

When I parted with my old swords in the past, I just felt a bit of regret. But this being my first specially crafted sword, I felt particularly attached to it.

Though not a long time in absolute terms, considering the affection I’d poured into Shadowstrike, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it my lover.

Ah, if only I could turn back time, I wouldn’t have used Shadowstrike as bait.

Regret washed over me belatedly, but no amount of regret would mend a broken sword.

Soon after, as we arrived right in front of the forge, my heart pounded even harder.

The sound was so loud that even Hori, who had been quiet beside me, turned to look, wondering what it was. Jessica and Elaine must have heard it too.

“Jessica… I’m so nervous. Could you hold my hand?”

“Stop talking nonsense and hurry up!! We’re just here to repair a sword, for heaven’s sake!”

Saying this, Jessica ignored my outstretched hand and headed towards the forge.

To ignore her future husband’s anxiety and just go about her business – had Jessica’s talk of revenge already begun?

“Haah…”

As I sighed, looking at my rejected hand, I suddenly felt a warm touch.

“Elaine?”

“I’ll hold it. Let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

It was truly lamentable that someone I hadn’t even had a matchmaking meeting with felt more like a wife.

Holding Elaine’s hand in one and the broken Shadowstrike in the other, I steeled myself and knocked on the forge door.

Jessica glared at us disapprovingly midway, but being in public, she only glared without raising her voice.

“Come in!!”

A moment later, hearing Otar’s permission, we entered.

The workshop was as chaotic as ever, presumably due to commission requests from various places. We had to walk carefully to avoid stepping on anything, as there was barely room to move.

“Master, it’s been a while.”

“Indeed it has, lad. I’ve heard about your situation. But…”

Otar glanced at Elaine, whose hand I was holding, and made a complicated expression.

“When did you two become an item? I did recommend her, but…”

“We’re not like that yet. The one I’m involved with is her.”

At that, Otar turned to Jessica and sighed deeply, wearing a genuinely sympathetic expression.

“Miss, you seem perfectly fine. Why on earth would you choose this madman…”

“…Well, I got caught up in the moment back then… And he’s not all bad.”

“This is a complete mess…”

“Let’s talk about that trivial stuff later… I came here today on important business.”

Saying this, I held out the broken Shadowstrike to Otar.

Though it was now broken and no longer had its former lovely appearance, Otar immediately recognized it as Shadowstrike just by looking at the hilt.

“So it’s Shadowstrike. Broken, is it? It’s not a demon sword or made of special metal, yet it survived this long in your hands.”

That’s right. It wasn’t a demon sword made of special materials like Wolffang, just a fragile sword made of ordinary iron, yet it had survived until now.

Thinking of how Shadowstrike must have suffered until now, I almost shed a tear without realizing it.

“Can you fix it…?”

“Impossible. The blade is broken, so it can’t be repaired.”

“What?! If it’s just the blade, couldn’t we replace it…”

“You could use it if we replaced the blade, but could you really call it Shadowstrike after that?”

“……”

This was like the ship of Theseus problem.

Suppose a plank on Theseus’ ship returning to Athens broke during the arduous journey, and they removed it and nailed in a new one.

Up to this point, it could still be considered Theseus’ ship, as it falls under the category of repairs.

But if this process continued until all the planks were replaced, could it still be called Theseus’ ship?

Similarly, if we replaced the blade, which is almost everything to a katana, could we really call it Shadowstrike?

The hilt of Shadowstrike remained, but it’s not like there was any special magic imbued in the hilt that we needed to insist on keeping.

In fact, I thought it might be more effective to change the hilt as well if we were going to change anything.

“At the point where it’s lost its meaning to repair, that sword is as good as dead. I’d rather not make another ridiculous reverse-edged sword… But judging by the hilt, it seems you didn’t just carry it around for show. I’ll make you another one…”

Otar’s words were truly kind, but I wasn’t ready to part with Shadowstrike yet.

Above all, getting a new sword so soon after losing one felt like remarrying right after being widowed, which didn’t sit well with me.

“Widowed… I’m not sure whether to be happy or offended as a blacksmith. If that’s how you feel, why don’t you try going to the Sword’s Grave?”

“…The Sword’s Grave?”

The unfamiliar term made me wonder if a possessed person had intervened to create something strange again, but upon closer explanation, it turned out to be unrelated to the possessed.

The Sword’s Grave, managed by a spirit born not from nature but from a swordsman’s sword, was called a grave for swords but was actually the final resting place for weapons that had long been in use, including swords.

However, not all weapons could rest there. To rest in the Sword’s Grave, one had to pass three tests set by the sword spirit.

“What are these three tests?”

“I don’t know. It doesn’t seem to be strictly forbidden to disclose, but why would I ever go to such a place? Anyway, would it ease your twisted heart a bit if Shadowstrike could rest in a place revered as holy by swordsmen?”

“……”

If Shadowstrike could rest in a place revered as holy by swordsmen, I felt I might be able to let it go a little.

“…I think that might ease my mind a bit.”

“Then you’d better go quickly. The Sword’s Grave is quite far from the academy and crowded with pilgrims, so it’s best to go early.”

“Good grief… All this fuss over a single sword…”

“Then do you want to stay home and look after the house, Jessica? We can go by ourselves.”

At those words, Jessica glanced at Elaine and shouted with a fierce expression that looked like she might hammer someone.

“I’m coming too, so don’t even dream of anything funny!! Really, why did I end up with someone like…”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s good to see. But are you all okay with your attendance?”

“Huh? Atten… what?”

“Attendance. I doubt you’ll get your attendance recognized for this, unlike the barrier collapse incident…”

“…Ah.”

I had momentarily forgotten, due to my lack of presence at the academy, but I was a student.

But… it doesn’t seem like there’s much point in attending the academy anymore…

‘Should I just drop out?’

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