That Time a Shut-in for 300 Years Continued to Make Antiques , but All of It Turned out to Be Cheat-Level Magic Tools - Chapter 66

“Hmm…”

“How is it?”

Right now, I am intently gazing at the swords—two in total, one made of iron and the other of magical silver. Watching me with a curious look is Krie, the only son of Meik Adamant, who runs the Adamant Forge.

Actually, I’ve been dropping by occasionally to check on the progress, but tomorrow is the promised day. I came to see how the swords turned out.

“…Yes, I think they’re well-made. Well, Benz might know better, though.”

“Of course! I said it was good enough to make, so it meets the minimum standards. There are still some rough edges, though. I’d say it’s C-rank, but it’s decent for the time we had.”

“That’s still considered decent?”

Krie gives a wry smile. In the world of dwarves, who pride themselves on their forging skills, Benz, the Overdwarf, is revered almost like a god.

His judgments are quite strict. A C-rank from Benz? That’s probably quite impressive among humans.

“Yeah, Krie-kun, you did well.”

“Lo-Lo-Laurel-san, hearing you say that makes me… happy!”

Hmm, Benz’s daughter seems quite pleased, even flattered by the compliment. Oh, they seem to have grown quite close while working here.

“Benz, isn’t there a problem with this part of the sword?”

“That’s right. Throwing it back in the furnace might improve it.”

“Why do I have to go in too?”

“In the old days, they used to throw people in the furnace when forging cursed swords.”

“That’s terrifying!”

Well, that method was indeed a foolish and meaningless mistake.

“Remember, you’re here as an apprentice blacksmith. Don’t forget that.”

“Of course, I understand, yes…”

Yes, that’s quite intimidating. But Benz gets especially serious when it involves his daughter. His already stern face turns even fiercer, almost demonic.

“Phew, it’s as if I’m destined to meet no one.”

“Rest assured, Master. You have me.”

Out of frustration, I muttered those words, but Mei responded, likely trying to comfort me.

“No, you’re not what I meant by that.”

“…”

“Ahh, Edson-kun, that’s harsh.”

“Huh? Eh, Edson-kun?”

“GAHAHA! You only look like a child!”

“Eh? I’m not a child?”

“Huh? Oh, uh.”

“No, no, Edson-kun is still a child, right?”

Ah, that’s right. Krie doesn’t know my true identity…

Benz looks embarrassed, but Laurel covers for him.

“But I don’t think it’s right for Mei-san to speak like that.”

“Huh? No, even so. Mei surely doesn’t mind, right?”

“—Tsundere.”

What? She turns away… Did I say something to upset her?

“Me-Mei, what I meant was, um…”

“…Haha, just kidding, Master. You looked so flustered, I couldn’t resist teasing you.”

“Ah? Oh, so that was it…”

Phew, good. Good, was it?

Well, let’s not sweat the small stuff. Rather, it’s good to see she’s become more human-like.

“Then, I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow.”

“Yes, I’ll adjust it further and make it even better!”

Good spirit there.

And the next day, I went to pick up Krie, and Hazan joined us as we headed to the Adamant Forge.

“You did well to come without running away, even if you are my son.”

“I’m not running away. I don’t think I’ll lose to dad as he is now.”

“Ha, it seems you’ve become quite the talker, wherever you’ve trained.”

The battle between father and son begins with a war of words. Well, mere words won’t make a difference.

“Really, to think father and son would end up competing.”

An already present guard says this, seemingly exasperated.

“Sometimes, that’s important. I used to clash with my old man all the time.”

“Ahh, I can imagine that.”

Hazan speaks nostalgically, but I can easily picture it in his case.

“Well, arguing forever won’t help. Let’s get started. Bring out your swords.”

“Here’s mine.”

First, Krie places two swords on the stand. I had checked them yesterday, and their condition has indeed improved.

“This is mine. I’ll tell you, this is the best I’ve ever made, a masterpiece. You can’t beat that with just a week of training!”

He’s quite confident, but indeed, the sword he places looks exceptional. Not cast but forged, and certainly better than the first sword I saw here.

“He quit drinking and has been working seriously, I guess.”

“Hmm, both look pretty good to me.”

“Indeed… Meik’s craftsmanship has improved beyond compare, and his son Krie’s work doesn’t fall short either. Anyway, both could fetch a high price as they are now.”

Hazan and a guard each pick up a sword, scrutinizing and even swinging them.

“Feels like there’s a difference, but just swinging them isn’t enough to tell.”

“That’s why I prepared this, to clearly demonstrate their cutting ability. Mei.”

“Yes, Master.”

Mei begins to set up, arranging a target for a cutting test on the stand.

“What’s this? Just straw?”

“Yes, it’s bundled straw. But not just any straw—it’s ‘Yawarakaine’, a type of rice grown in eastern countries, known for its flexibility and toughness.”

“…Is it okay to use something with such a name as a material?”

“Actually, soft things are harder to cut than hard ones. It’s harder to cut a single sheet of paper than to cut through wood.”

Just as Hazan says. This will test not only the swords but also the skill of the wielder, but Hazan, a B-rank adventurer, should handle it without issue.

“For iron swords, we use this straw. For magical silver swords, we have something else.”

“Huh? What’s that? You’re not trying to give an advantage to your son, are you?”

“I wouldn’t do that. But if you’re so worried, feel free to check the straw bundles thoroughly. Choose whichever you prefer. Do you want the first or the second? And you can check the setup for the magical silver as well.”

“…Hmph.”

Meik scrutinizes the straw bundle closely, and then—

“I’ll go first. Let’s cut this one.”

“Got it. Hazan, please.”

“Leave it to me.”

Here it goes—