14-3
The Lost History and the Blacksmith
Who Lives Eternally
Translator : PolterGlast
The treasury of the Fimbul
Duke House was vast enough to make one feel its endless history. Although named
a treasury, it was something like a junk yard. But to those with an eye for it,
it would probably look more radiant than a mountain of gold. Rather than gold
and jewels, it was a warehouse packed with a very dilettante taste, the kind
that hoards an inexhaustible amount of art and antiques.
「I
heard the Blacksmith-sama almost completely stopped speaking 500 years ago.
Even I have only spoken exactly two words with him so far.」
「That
goes a bit too far even for a stubborn and taciturn craftsman...」
「No,
the Blacksmith-sama isn't like that. His soul as a human is gradually
transitioning into the state of a soul as an object. I heard the
Blacksmith-sama said so.」
「No, I
don't really get it. What on earth is that thing?」
「You'll
understand when you see. Look, this is it.」
Even being told
"this," I didn't understand the meaning at first. Fenrieda
turned around in front of a pedestal in the back, and held her hand over a
hammer displayed there.
「Stop
joking around.」
「It's
not a joke. This is the legendary Blacksmith-sama who has lived since ancient
times and watches over us.」
「Even
if you say that, I'm at a loss on how to respond...」
「You're
the one who told me to let you meet him! I'm not making fun of you or anything!」
I stared intently
down at that hammer. She called it a hammer, but it didn't look like iron. It
was transparent like crystal, yet also possessed a metallic luster.
「I see.
And what do you think, Zirant?」
「It seems
to be the real thing. However, he doesn't seem to have any interest in Wagahai
and the rest. Oi, wake up, Wagahai has come, help with some work!」
「Blacksmith-sama,
please lend us your strength!」
It's a very strange
exchange, as if I'm being shown a play. Even though the two called out, the
forging hammer naturally gave no reply. An object is an object; there's no way
it would speak.
「Let's
go home.」
「You're
giving up too quickly, you idiot!」
「I
heard the last time he spoke was two years ago. He is that much of a very
taciturn person...」
Let me dare to
borrow a word from the other world. I don't feel like a blacksmith with such
communication disorder can be relied upon from the start. ...That said, it's
troubling. With this, there's no point in having made an expedition all the way
here.
「Then
I'll be resting outside. Call me if there's a reaction.」
「You
are Wagahai's Apostle, aren't the roles reversed then!」
Who decided that
just because I'm an Apostle, I have to serve my master. I have no intention of
submitting to you. I turned my back and put my hand on the door of the
treasury.
「Even
if you say that, in this state... Anyway, I'll be resting outside, so later—」
「Oi
kid, you planning on going home already?」
Just as I was
opening the door, I stopped.
A low man's voice echoed from behind me, making me reconsider my thoughts.
「Blacksmith-sama,
you have finally awakened!」
「No, I
was awake from the start. Good grief, what a noisy bunch...」
It wasn't just a
voice. In the midair above the forging hammer, the figure of a cross-legged
middle-aged man appeared. Half of his body was human, and the other half
possessed a lustrous crystal flesh just like the forging hammer—a strange guy
with a stubble.
「Are
you the legendary blacksmith. You're quite eccentric.」
「Yeah.
Even with this, I used to be a lively human in the past... I've lived too long,
and I've started losing track of whether I'm a person or an object... Before I
knew it, I ended up in this state.」
When I turned back
and stood in front of the middle-aged man, his body was faintly transparent.
When I reached out a hand, it was a mirage with no physical body.
「That
guy's main body is the forging hammer over there. You could say that man is an
Intelligence Hammer.」
「Nowadays,
I don't really feel like I'm thinking (Intelligence), though. So, you guys are
guests worth me speaking for the first time in a while, right?」
Even while saying
that, the man laughed somewhat happily and enjoyably. He seems to harbor a
strong interest in our appearance.
「Yeah,
there's something I want you to forge.」
「That
line, ah, it's nostalgic... Looking at you guys makes me feel like my heart
from when I was still human is returning. Those times were fun... Though
everyone has either died or gone to a distant world by now...」
The middle-aged man
says with a distant look, but unfortunately, it's a story I don't have much
interest in. My goal is not to chat with living history. I just need a
blacksmith who can process Demonic Spirit Silver to protect Aniue.
「I am
looking for a masterpiece that can fight against an Abyss magic sword. The
opponent is a sword that gouges out steel like clay.」
「Kakaka,
that's interesting, so the enemy is an iron-cutting sword, huh. Moreover, the
guys from the Abyss...」
It seems I've caught
his interest. So I showed him my trump card, the ingot of Demonic Spirit
Silver.
「Now
that's nostalgic again... Isn't that a bar of Demonic Spirit Silver.」
「I
encountered an Abyss Demon Noble, and I don't know what he was thinking, but it
seems he gave it to me.」
「Hmm...
Those guys have an eccentric side to them... Alright, I'll finish up one for
you.」
I wonder if the
middle-aged man knows about the Demon Nobles too; he smiled broadly and seemed
convinced of something. Was it just my imagination that his expression didn't
feel like hostility, but for some reason closer to sympathy?
「Phew,
good grief. But don't get sulky when you hear the details of the order, okay?」
「Hahaha,
you're going to say this anyway, right? 'A Shovel.'」
「No, if
possible, forge a sword too. The one being targeted by the Abyss magic sword
wielder is my Aniue.」
「Heeh...
The Ausar of this era is quite a reasonable guy. Alright. Then I'll
finish up a Shovel for you first.」
「That
helps. Then Yumil, guide us to A-Zir next.」
Ausar was the
name of the first Emperor, right. I wonder if the middle-aged man is seeing me,
someone of the same bloodline, overlapping with him. Anyway, one piece of
business is taken care of. Let's handle the remaining selfishness of Zirant.
「Oi,
you're going there...? But, that place is already...」
「I
know. But Wagahai has a plan, leave it to me.」
「It
seems she intends to make me maintain the ancient underground tunnels or
whatever.」
「Aah...
I see... Well, do your best at most. Look forward to it; I'll forge you the
strongest Shovel that can slash right back through an Abyss magic sword
instead. Hang in there, Ausar.」
「It's Ashley.」
「Names
don't matter. A descendant of Ausar is Ausar.」
The strange middle-aged man looked at me nostalgically, making me bewildered. Anything is fine. If he says he'll forge a sword to protect Aniue, this guy is the best craftsman.
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