Chapter 22 – Reverse-Edged Sword (1)

‘…I don’t understand.’

As I dragged the unconscious Hawkins and the others, I couldn’t help but wonder.

Why couldn’t they accept the art of Baldo?

If it was because they were too stupid to grasp the theory, experiencing it firsthand should have made them understand immediately.

Even after Hawkins collapsed, I made sure to teach the two who stood up again the greatness of Baldo, but none of them got it.

As a result, I was now dragging three unconscious bodies to the temple.

If even one of them had understood the power of Baldo, things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

Swallowing my disappointment, I walked on, attracting the attention of passersby.

Well, dragging three unconscious people around was bound to draw attention.

At first, I considered carrying them, but seeing them drooling in their sleep quickly changed my mind.

‘Well, it’s just a little farther….’

The temple wasn’t far. It sounded like some cult nonsense to say I was taking them there to heal their wounds, but in this world, injuries were mainly treated at temples.

There were potions and medicines for healing wounds, but unless they were of very high quality, they were considered inferior to a priest’s healing.

‘Come to think of it, this is my first time going to a temple.’

Our small territory didn’t have a temple, so if someone got sick or injured, we had to make do with herbal remedies.

If someone suffered an injury that couldn’t be treated with herbs, they would die.

Of course, even if there had been a temple, the peasants in the village wouldn’t have had the gold to pay for it.

Following the path described in the novel, I dragged Hawkins and his lackeys to the white temple that looked like a fortress at the academy.

Perhaps because it was the first day of the new semester, there were no other injured people, and we could enter without waiting.

“Welcome…….”

As I entered, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a priest greeted me but paused when he saw me.

His eyes weren’t on me but on the three people I was dragging.

“Why did you stop greeting us?”

“Uh? Oh, no, it’s just… the people behind you? I mean, the ones you’re dragging…?”

“They’re seniors. They got injured during a duel, so I brought them here.”

I didn’t lie.

We did have a duel today, and an unfortunate accident happened during it.

A disastrous accident where they couldn’t understand the greatness of Baldo.

The priest, who seemed to have seen this kind of thing before, frowned and said,

“Judging by your badge, you’re a new student. Causing such problems with seniors on the first day will make your academy life difficult.”

“I prefer it that way.”

“…Pardon?”

The priest, not knowing the circumstances, looked puzzled at my response. Ignoring him, I left the three behind and exited the temple.

I didn’t have any plans, but I had wasted enough time on useless matters.

I could have spent this time practicing true Baldo with a proper scabbard instead of a pseudo Baldo without one.

As I thought about this, I glanced down at my waist and noticed the practice sword I had brought from the training hall, along with my katana.

‘I never want to do pseudo Baldo again.’

I needed to get my reverse-edged sword as soon as possible before official classes started.

The old man hadn’t given a specific time frame, but it should be ready by now.

With that in mind, I left the academy and headed to the old man’s smithy.

The closer I got to the smithy, the more the shabby buildings around contrasted with the old man’s skill.

Passing by these buildings and reaching the smithy, I heard the sound of heated metal being struck.

Could that be the sound of my reverse-edged sword being made?

I opened the door and walked deep into the smithy, soon spotting the old man crouched down, hammering away at heated iron.

“Master.”

He was so focused that he didn’t respond, continuing to pound the iron.

-Clang! Clang!

The rhythmic sound echoed through the smithy, like a percussion instrument.

At first, I was impressed by his concentration. But as time passed, I started to get irritated.

Seeing that the iron he was working on didn’t look like my reverse-edged sword, I realized there was no reason for me to wait quietly.

“Master!! Master!!!”

Even when I raised my voice, he didn’t respond, hammering away like he was deaf.

Unable to stand it any longer, I tapped his shoulder, but he still didn’t react, so I moved behind him.

‘Baldo…!’

In my mind, I envisioned a precise strike to the top of his head.

As the imaginary blow landed, the old man flinched, dropping his hammer and finally turning to look at me.

“…I first set foot in a smithy at the age of seven, so I’ve been a blacksmith for about 63 years.”

“That’s a long time. But why are you telling me this now?”

“I wanted to say that in those 63 years, I’ve never met a swordsman like you!! You madman!!!”

“There’s no need for such praise.”

As vast as the world is, there aren’t many who can use Baldo as well as I do.

“So, is my reverse-edged sword finished?”

“…Yes.”

When I shifted the conversation to the reverse-edged sword, the old man frowned and led me further into the smithy.

Following him to the back, we arrived in a calm room where completed swords were neatly laid out.

“There it is!!”

Upon entering, I immediately pointed to a katana wrapped in black cloth on the table.

“How did you know it was that one when it was wrapped in cloth?”

As the old man asked with a bewildered expression, I confidently replied.

“I could tell by the outline of the cloth! If it’s a katana, I could recognize it even if it were in a box!!”

“Madman…”

I wasn’t sure how I knew either, but it was true.

Ignoring the old man’s mixed look of disdain and awe, I eagerly approached the table, excited to finally use the reverse-edged sword.

Like a child unwrapping a gift, I tore off the wrapping to reveal a katana sheathed in a black scabbard.

“Oooh…!”

From the moment I grasped the hilt, my instincts as a swordsman sensed the exceptional quality of the katana.

I slowly drew it from the scabbard to inspect the blade of the reverse-edged sword.

“…This is great. Truly amazing.”

The quality of the reverse-edged sword was so impressive that I was momentarily lost for words.

The blade was so solid that it seemed it wouldn’t get a scratch even if I struck it with all my might using the katana at my waist.

Conversely, the back of the blade felt like it could easily cut through any material as if it were tofu.

It seemed strange to describe the blade and the back of the sword this way, but it was only natural for a reverse-edged sword.

“With this, I can quickly…”

“Kill someone?”

The old man asked with a sly smile, to which I shook my head with a smirk.

“Killing someone with a reverse-edged sword would defeat the purpose of creating a non-lethal blade.”

You shouldn’t kill with a reverse-edged sword. Doing so would render it meaningless.

However, breaking bones, dislocating joints, or causing severe brain injuries with lasting effects was acceptable.

Anyway, as long as I didn’t kill, it was fine. If you don’t kill, anything goes.

“Ah~ I really want to smash something!!”

“I don’t have any people for you to hit, but there is something suitable. Want to test it out?”

“Another commissioned armor or something?”

“No, I won’t do that again. Follow me.”

We headed back to the clearing where I had destroyed the White Rose. Since that day, the area hadn’t been cleaned up at all. The ground was half-collapsed, and sword fragments were scattered around, making it even messier than before.

“Is that what I’m supposed to cut?”

I pointed at a large metal sphere in the center of the clearing, which hadn’t been there before.

The old man nodded as he saw me looking at the massive iron ball, which must have weighed several tons.

“I asked a wizard I know to move it here for today. It weighs about 8 tons. What do you think?”

“What do I think?”

Understanding his implied question of whether I could cut it, I chuckled and approached the iron ball.

Exhaling deeply, I infused my reverse-edged sword with even more aura than when I had destroyed the White Rose.

-Clang clang!

As expected, the scabbard was crafted with as much care as the sword itself. It rattled but showed no signs of breaking.

When I felt the aura was sufficient, I lightly jumped and struck down on the iron ball as if pressing down with the sword.

-Screech!!

The iron ball started to crush with a tremendous sound, as if it were a plastic ball rather than metal. It then sank into the ground, causing a massive amount of dust to rise and a sound resembling an earthquake.

Fearing that further strikes might cause the entire ground to collapse and the smithy to crumble, I quickly sheathed the reverse-edged sword.

“Whew….”

As the dust settled, the old man and I approached the spot where the iron ball was buried to inspect it.

Seeing the ball, which had lost its shape, crushed, and split in two, we both exchanged proud smiles, satisfied with our respective skills.

“What will you name that reverse-edged sword?”

“I’ve already decided on a name.”

Shadowstrike. That is the name of my new sword.

“And Master, if this reverse-edged sword breaks, then I’ll need a new reverse-edged sword….”

“If you ask me to make another reverse-edged sword, I’ll kill you.”

“Ah…”

Even though he said that, I knew he would probably make one for me anyway.

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