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 68

“Meik, are you fine with conceding this one?”

“D-damn it… I have no choice…”

“Old man—”

Meik gritted his teeth, admitting defeat with clear frustration. After tasting the outcome himself, there was no choice but to acknowledge it.

Krueh, however, watched his father with a somewhat sorrowful expression. Winning against his own parent likely stirred mixed feelings within him.

Still, there are things only a parent and child can understand. This was a moment for Meik to realize that he needed to change.

“Now that we’ve settled the superiority of swords made from iron, what about the magic silver? If you’re ready to concede, I wouldn’t mind.”

“Are you kidding me? Sure, I lost with iron, but magic silver is a material where the skills I’ve honed truly shine! There’s no way I can lose with this!”

I expected as much.

“Mei.”

“Yes—”

Mei cleared away the straw bundles they used earlier for the iron swords and replaced them with a dummy clad in armor.

“No straw this time?”

“Exactly. What’s crucial with magic silver is whether you’re able to fully harness its properties. A sword forged from magic silver enhances its sharpness when infused with magic, allowing it to damage opponents resistant to magic. This armor has magic resistance. If the sword can’t fully manifest the qualities of magic silver, it won’t cut properly.”

This makes it the perfect test for evaluating a sword forged from magic silver.

“I see. That sounds intriguing. So, who goes first?”

“…I don’t mind either way.”

“Then let’s switch it up from before. The son should go first.”

“Understood.”

Hazan picked up the sword that Krueh had forged.

“…The blade emits a pale blue glow, and it’s remarkably light.”

After offering his assessment, Hazan stood before the armored dummy and, with a burst of concentration, swung his sword horizontally. There was no resistance—the dummy’s upper half slid cleanly off and dropped to the ground.

“…Not a single blemish. This is quite a sword. I wouldn’t mind owning one myself.”

“To hear that from a B-rank adventurer must be an honor for Krueh.”

“Y-yes! It makes me so happy!”

Krueh beamed with joy at Hazan’s praise, while Meik looked on with a stern expression.

“Next is my sword.”

“Ah, right.”

Mei prepared a new dummy, and Hazan swapped out Krueh’s sword for Meik’s.

“Hmm, this one feels heftier compared to Krueh’s.”

“…A sword isn’t something that’s better just because it’s light. Without a certain weight, its cutting power suffers.”

“…That’s a fair point.”

Indeed, weight can contribute to power. But… let’s see how it performs first.

“…If my son’s sword could cut through, there’s no way mine can’t—”

Meik muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself.

“Here I go.”

With that, Hazan readied himself and unsheathed Meik’s sword. Like before, he swung the sword horizontally. But—

“Hmm! What’s this?”

“N-no, it can’t be!”

Hazan’s eyes widened in surprise, and Meik’s eyes bulged in disbelief. His sword had failed to cut through the armor entirely—the blade stopped midway.

“…There’s no need to ask Hazan-dono. The result is clear.”

“Yeah, even with a magic silver sword, the one Krueh forged is superior.”

“That’s impossible! Why?! I forged this sword to perfection! I poured as much effort into the magic silver as I did into iron—no, even more!”

More effort than iron, huh…

“Meik, didn’t you notice?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Hmm, I see you don’t realize. Throughout our entire conversation, there have been countless hints as to why your sword falls short of Krueh’s.”

As I said that, Meik turned to face me, muttering weakly, “What do you mean by that?”

“What exactly are you implying?!”

“For example, you said you hammered this magic silver even more than iron, right?”

“Yeah, I did! So what?!”

“In other words, you just kept hammering away at it, just like you would with iron, correct?”

“…? Of course. That’s what forging is. This isn’t casting, after all.”

“Hmm, it seems you still don’t understand just from words alone. Fine, then. Take a look for yourself and see the difference between the sword you made and the one your son made.”

I pulled out the search lens from my bracelet and put it on.

“Why are you putting on glasses?”

“Just watch. First, let’s take a look at the sword you forged, Meik.”

I peered at Meik’s sword through the search lens, projecting its inner structure into the air.

“What… what the hell is this?!”

“This is thanks to my magical tool. The image you see floating in the air is an analysis of the inside of the sword you forged.”

“Inside, you say?”

“This is incredible.”

“Can magical tools really do things like this?”

Well, as long as you have a competent magic tool artisan, something like this isn’t too hard to make. But that’s beside the point.

“Still, even if I can see the inside, I don’t get what I’m supposed to be looking at. What exactly am I supposed to learn from this?”

“This tool allows us to see the detailed structure of the sword. So—”

“Huh? Detailed structure?”

“In simpler terms, it shows the internal makeup of the sword.”

“Oh, I see, that’s what you meant.”

Hazan nodded as if he understood, though I had my doubts about how much he really grasped.

“Anyway, take a look here. This darker area represents the iron content. As you can see, there are no gaps in the sword Meik forged.”

“Gaps? You mean air pockets? Of course there aren’t any. I wouldn’t make such a rookie mistake.”

Hmm, so he at least understood that air pockets are undesirable.

“Now, let’s look at Krueh’s sword.”

I then projected the analysis of Krueh’s sword for everyone to see.

“Huh? This looks different from the last one.”

“Yes, indeed. These black areas… they’re gaps, right?”

“Exactly.”

“Gaps… So that’s why Krueh’s sword felt lighter when I held it.”

“W-wait a minute! Are you saying that Krueh’s sword is filled with air pockets? That makes it worthless! It’s a failure!”

“No, it’s the opposite. These gaps are what make it a good sword. If you ask me, a sword with no gaps like yours is the real failure. It wouldn’t sell at all.”

“W-what?!”

Meik rushed toward me, his face contorted in anger.

“Don’t mess with me! Are you mocking the craft of smithing?! Are you seriously telling me that a sword full of air pockets is better than mine? You’re a complete amateur!”

“…But the results Hazan got prove it. Krueh’s sword had better cutting power.”

“Th-that’s…”

“Your mistake was thinking of magic silver as if it were the same as iron.”

“…What are you saying?”

“For example, when I make magical tools, I don’t use the same method for every material. That’s because each material has different properties. And of course, the same applies to smithing, doesn’t it?”

“P-properties…?”

Meik’s voice grew quieter.

“Listen carefully. Magic silver is a mineral infused with magic. To fully utilize its properties, it’s crucial that magic can flow through the item. That’s why these gaps are necessary. If this were iron, gaps would be a sign of poor quality, but when it comes to magic silver, they are essential. However, it’s not as simple as just leaving gaps. You have to forge the blade in a way that considers the flow of magic. That’s why forging magic silver requires far more skill than forging iron.”

After I explained this, Meik’s shoulders slumped.

“Ugh… I didn’t know… Th-that’s right! I had no idea! But my son knew! You must have told him! That makes this unfair!”

“Father…”

Krueh looked at Meik with deeply saddened eyes. Honestly, this was getting ridiculous.

“You fool. Take another look at this sword, as a smith. Does this look like a sword forged by someone who would cheat and take shortcuts?”

I took Krueh’s sword and pressed it into Meik’s hand. He blinked in surprise and then took the sword from me, staring at it intently.

“…This… This is a good sword. Yeah, no doubt about it. It’s a fine blade. Haha, seems like I’ve lost my eye as a smith…”

“Hmph, finally realized, have you? Let me make it clear: your son didn’t learn any special techniques from me or anyone else. He observed the craftsmen while handling odd jobs, used his free time to experiment, and honed his skills through trial and error. He put his heart and soul into creating a better sword. That sword you’re holding is the result of that.”

“…Putting his heart and soul into it, huh? Haha, I see. That’s something I’ve lost. I thought this sword was my best work and became satisfied. But your sword is different. You’re not satisfied yet. That’s the difference between us. I never even considered the properties of magic silver.”

Meik’s shoulders sagged. Krueh didn’t seem to know what to say to his father.

“…I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to retire.”

“Huh? W-wait a minute, Meik, what are you saying?”

“No, it’s fine. My son has surpassed me. There’s no place for someone like me who’s reached their limit.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, you damn old man!”

Meik, looking defeated and ready to retire, was stopped in his tracks by Krueh’s furious shout.

“Who gave you the right to decide your own limits?! Do you seriously think that after a week of slacking off and drinking, you’d be back at full strength? Don’t be ridiculous!”

“K-Krueh?”

“…Besides, my master told me the same thing: I’m still inexperienced, so I shouldn’t get cocky. There’s no way I’m ready to take over the workshop yet. So, hurry up and get serious and make something that’ll blow me away, old man!”

“Hmph, he’s right. And by the way, after only a week, there’s no way the effects of alcohol have fully worn off. Your mind is still as foggy as magic silver.”

“Huh? Magic silver? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Haha, he’s calling you hollow-headed.”

“Oh, I see. That’s a good one.”

“Master, your analogy is brilliant as always.”

“Wha—!”

Meik looked startled, trembling with clenched fists.

“Y-you bastards! Fine, I get it! I’ll show you, and I’ll get back my pride as a father! Just you watch, damn it!”

Hmm, it seems he’s finally found his resolve again. Good. Now it looks like I’ll be able to secure that smithy at last…