Chapter 22. Clothes That Fit the Body (1)
Bang, bang──!
The sound of a blacksmith's hammer striking metal. And the sight of red-hot iron being quenched in cold water.
Beyond the divided glass pane, the scene of a typical fantasy forge unfolded.
Though my heart swelled with excitement at the sight...
"That's not a sword; it's merely a craft piece. My pride won't allow me to make such a thing!"
The harsh reality hit me again as I looked at the old man sitting in front of me with a scowl.
The old man, whose white hair was prevalent, was named 'Luger Orland.'
He was the owner of the most renowned forge 'Twilight Flame' in the capital.
And he was the blacksmith who crafted the sword for the Sword Saint 'Hayden Reich'.
"It's not a craft piece."
"No, it's nothing but a craft piece. Look at the design you brought!"
Bang──!!
With a slam of his palm on the wooden desk, Luger made my design flutter slightly.
Frankly, it was embarrassing to even call it a 'design.' It merely detailed some considerations for making a sword using 'moonstone'.
"If you go by this design, what you want to make is indeed not a sword, but a craft piece. A sword made out of jewels... how could you call that a weapon!"
Luger's sharp eyes fixated on the design I had laid on the table.
"At 'Twilight Flame', we make weapons purely for knights. As I said before, if it's a craft piece you're after, please go elsewhere...."
"I've mentioned several times that I didn't come here to make a craft piece. I'm here to make a weapon."
A sharp tension filled the air as Luger's eyes grew even more piercing.
"A weapon? If you look at your design... you're embedding moonstone at the sword's core?"
"Yes."
"Moonstone is a gem. It lacks the strength of conventional metals. By the look of this design, it seems intended for carving 'mana veins', but it will easily break with just a single swing."
"It doesn't matter. Please proceed."
Luger's face twisted with frustration at my unwavering attitude.
Then, the beautiful woman sitting beside him intervened with a troubled expression.
Lupina Orland.
The granddaughter of the grumpy old man, Luger Orland, before me.
"Sir Yulian... We engrave our forge's logo, albeit small, on our crafted weapons. However, if those weapons were to break easily, our brand's value would be damaged, wouldn't it?"
"Hmm...."
"Moonstone is a gem. A sword with a jewel core is bound to break easily. I'm sure Sir Yulian understands what we're getting at..."
It was a reasonable argument.
When it came to weapons for knights, the most crucial factor was undoubtedly durability.
If a sword made by 'Twilight Flame' broke while I wielded it, what would the onlookers think?
'That brand is garbage.'
Moreover, with a logo engraved prominently, albeit small, it would be easily recognizable.
I considered, for a moment, whether it might be better to assign the task to a different forge.
But this 'Twilight Flame' was a place that left quite the impression on me.
'After all, it's the forge that crafted Hayden Reich's sword.'
In other words, the quality assurance was certainly guaranteed.
What to do?
As I pondered for a moment, a thought suddenly lit up in my mind.
Ultimately, what this person wished to protect was the brand value.
"Then, wouldn't it suffice if I used the sword without breaking it?"
"What?"
The solution was simple.
I needed to show that I could use the custom-made moonstone sword without damaging it.
"As you said, it's a matter of whether I can handle the moonstone sword without any damage."
"Yes? Oh yes... Certainly, if that's the case."
"Do you think it's possible? Moonstone is weaker than most jewels. Even if someone were a master swordsman, using it as a sword...."
"If you're worried, we could do it this way."
Lupina looked uneasy about the situation.
Luger eyed me as if to say, 'Go ahead and try.'
I pulled out my wallet, laying the amount for the custom order on the table.
"Please begin the custom order."
"Haven't you been listening to a word I've said...."
"Then, afterward, I shall test whether I can wield the sword without breaking it."
"What did you say?"
Ignoring the startled Luger, I continued.
"Should it break during the testing process, I will not ask for a refund on the custom order cost. How about it?"
"... You're speaking very confidently."
"Oh, there will be costs for the test too, right? I'll cover those as well."
With that, I took out more currency from my wallet and placed it on the table.
It was half the amount needed for the custom order.
If the sword were to break, it would be money thrown away, but I wasn't worried that a sword with a moonstone core would break.
I had that much confidence.
***
"Sir Yulian, the sword you've ordered has been completed, but..."
A few days later, when I returned to 'Twilight Flame', Lupina, who I had seen with Luger, was waiting for me.
In her hand was a beautiful scabbard.
"As suspected, the durability is lacking. The blacksmiths broke it several times during the creation process. They barely managed to shape it."
"I see. It's fine."
As I approached, she handed me the sword.
No sooner did I grasp it than a cool sensation traveled up my fingertips.
'This is it.'
The moment my mana flowed through the sword's grip, I felt a surge of energy.
I immediately drew the sword from its scabbard.
It revealed itself, too beautiful to be called a sword, yet too crude to be called a jewel—a 'moonstone sword'.
"As you can see, it certainly has value as a craft piece. However, as a weapon, as I mentioned before..."
"It would easily break."
"Yes."
Lupina nodded, her eyes carrying the firm belief that this sword could never be used as a 'weapon.'
"Where is Luger?"
"He mentioned he would be waiting at the testing grounds."
"Perfect. Lead the way."
The staff nodded their head, stood up, and headed towards the inside of the forge.
Before long, we arrived at a broad clearing.
It seemed to be a place for displaying the weapons made by the forge.
"There are quite a few people gathered."
The odd thing was that the smiths who worked at the forge were gathered at the clearing. And, of course, the ever-frowning Luger was staring over at me.
"Yes, well... They said they wanted to see if Sir Yulian could actually wield that sword."
"Is that so?"
Though it seemed like I had become a spectacle, I didn't mind so much.
Knowing the moonstone sword would be fragile, they were, however, curious enough to wonder about the outcome—about whether 'Yulian's' swordsmanship concealed any surprises.
If it were right after I'd become 'Yulian', the nervousness might have choked me. But over time, I grew accustomed to being the center of attention.
In fact, my strong sense of self-assertion in this body made me consider putting on a performance.
"If Sir Yulian can cut through that armor with the moonstone sword, then we have no issue submitting our custom-made sword."
I nodded at Lupina's words and moved towards the place where the armor was displayed.
I brushed my hand over the armor, feeling the hardness of it.
The seams where the steel plates were overlaid were meticulously sealed, indicating it was definitely high-quality equipment provided by the forge.
"... Hmm?"
Around the stand, scattered iron fragments were visible.
Upon closer inspection, there were slight scratches on the armor here and there.
"That armor's thickness alone is 1cm. Considering a typical plate armor is 2mm, it's more of a steel block than armor."
Armor with a thickness of 1cm.
Which meant the scattered iron fragments around were likely shards from testing a sword on this armor.
"Well, the test is prepared. As per your stipulations, if the sword breaks...."
"I won't ask for the refund I paid. And if it breaks, there's no point in taking it."
I turned slightly, offering a faint smile.
"Not that I expect that to happen."
Although, usually, I avoided sounding too confident, even when playing 'Yulian'.
Yet gripping the moonstone sword stirred a peculiar itch within me.
A yearning to test it as soon as possible.
"Sss..."
A simple deep breath.
I brought the drawn sword towards the armor.
If I simply swung it like this, the moonstone sword would undoubtedly shatter from the center in an instant.
However, the purpose of creating this sword was solely for utilizing the Moonlit Sword technique. Of course, infusing it with 'Aura' was imperative.
To activate the Moonlit Sword, I initiated six major mana veins out of the 38.
The 'Opening Gate' connected to the heart.
The 'Resting Gate' leading from the heart to the head.
Next, the two 'Meridian Gate' reaching both arms.
And the two 'Main Gate' stretching down to both legs.
Once all major mana veins were activated, a gentle glow began emanating from the moonstone sword.
"Is that the rumored...."
"But its durability is just too poor. Even for Sir Yulian, it's inevitable..."
Ignoring the murmurs from behind, I focused on the sword.
Previously, the 〈Moonlit Sword〉 had the appearance of a small crescent moon. Activating all mana veins would cause any ordinary sword to shatter, unable to handle 'Yulian's' mana..
But the mana veins engraved within the sword prevented such an overload, enabling easy distribution through the entire blade.
What was needed to perfect the 〈Moonlit Sword〉 was a pathway. This moonstone served as that channel.
'So, unlike last time, it means the sword can withstand it even if I use the smaller veins along with the major ones.'
I opened two of the four 'Golden Lines' that were minor veins of the head.
Three out of six 'Arc Lines,' which were minor veins of the heart.
And the four 'Road Lines' reaching to the right hand gripping the sword.
'Ugh.'
As I swung open the passages for the mana to flow into the moonstone sword from the heart, a sensation akin to water pouring into a bottomless pit overwhelmed me.
But it passed quickly.
"Ooh..."
I heard exclamations of awe around me.
'Finally, I've completed it.'
The 〈Moonlit Sword〉 Yulian wielded.
The gleaming blade, almost deserving to be called the original, came into view.
==
⇒ The trait, 「Incomplete Moonlit Sword」 has evolved into 「Moonlit Sword」.
==
An aura among the TOP 5 within the world of 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉.
Feeling that I had perfected this ability, my body felt as though it was boiling over, much like the blast furnaces scattered around me.
I slowly brought the sword to the armor. Not with force or effort, but naturally, like the wind blowing across a wheat field.
From one end of the armor to the other.
Clank──!
Where the sword made contact, it sliced straight through, and as it reached the opposite end, the severed armor clunked to the ground.
"Unbelievable..."
"He cut through the armor as if exerting no force at all..."
A signature move of Yulian, the 〈Moonlit Sword〉, featured an overwhelming slicing power, with the ability to trap abundant mana within the sword, causing it to spin incessantly.
In essence, comparable to a buzz saw.
Why someone like me, who despised Yulian, was so well-versed with this ability was simple.
'I died from it numerous times.'
Having been the former disciple and nemesis of 'Hayden Reich', the protagonist of 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉.
Served as the axis of evil, clashing with the protagonist in most routes.
As such, due to being a formidable foe I'd despised, I had a comprehensive understanding of Yulian's abilities.
"Then Sir Luger, may I take this sword?"
I asked, glancing at the fallen armor and then back at Luger, who was watching from the sidelines.
The still grim-faced blacksmith showed no signs of relaxing his scowl.
Clacky's Corner:
A bit of aura farming ain't gonna hurt anyone.