18-2
The Old Man and Georg
Translator : PolterGlast
・The
Empire's Strongest General
A little while after
Ashley departed on his expedition, a
letter arrived at the study in the Imperial Capital's palace. The sender was
Princess Yumil. It stated that the
sword was finally completed, so she requested him to take the trouble to come
to Erin.
「Heh...
It has finally come.」
Ever since Ashley obtained a new weapon, I have
continuously been envious. That black Shovel is the strongest and hardest
weapon, utilizing ancient wisdom and materials that the Empire's technological
capabilities cannot match. It was a report I had been waiting and waiting for.
However, work
remains. Being in the position of a General, I couldn't just swing a sword all
the time at the training grounds. I downed the cold tea in one gulp, and paused
my hands from the work that had grown dull.
Work won't disappear
just by wishing. I just have to do it. I'll clear this mountain of paperwork
within the morning, cancel the military training, and head to the blacksmith in
Erin. As long as my willpower
lasted, I proceeded with the paperwork as an urgent matter.
◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇
If I make my beloved
horse gallop, it's a short trip to Erin.
Managing my schedule, I somehow managed to reach Erin before evening.
「You
finally came!」
「I'm
sorry to have called you out here. But, I couldn't exactly take this person to
the palace, right...」
When I headed to the
blacksmith workshop in Erin, the
figures of Blacksmith-dono and Lady Yumil
were there.
「What's
with that way of saying it! Ah, more importantly, look, it's finally done! To
think someone like me had to remake it 5 times!」
「I was
made to tag along for 5 times... My arms are already completely pumped out...」
That blacksmith
workshop had only recently been newly established. Inside the building that
smelled of new construction, the smell of iron and coal filled the air. I
received the long-awaited sword from Lady Yumil's
hands.
When I pulled it
from its scabbard, the darkened brilliance of the Demonic Spirit Silver appeared. I can tell just by looking. This is
an incredibly fine piece of work.
「Magnificent...
But, you made this?」
「That's
right. Because it couldn't be helped, right? Everyone was afraid of this person
calling him a ghost, and wouldn't grasp the hammer for him...」
「Kakaka,
if they're afraid of a ghost, they should just quit being a blacksmith who
holds people's lives in their hands!」
By the way, a
strange decoration is attached to the hilt part. It is something like a round
ring. That too was of a strange material, neither iron nor copper.
「That's
the Ring of Lauril. It seems it was
sleeping in that bastard Ausar's
storehouse, so I incorporated it since it was a good opportunity.」
「This
is the legacy of the first Emperor, Ausareus...?」
However, what kind
of power this holds, I do not really understand. Perhaps owing to the great
Emperor's luck, it feels as if power is welling up.
「Kakaka,
he was given a weird name too, huh!」
「That's
something Dark Elves and Light Elves created by joining forces. When you insert
a special jewel into the slot inside the ring, you can imbue the tool with
magic power. Or so this old man was saying.」
I don't really
understand. Even if told it's magic power, I have never seen magic or the like.
「You're
such a stubborn bastard, it's hard to believe you're Shinza's actual older brother... In other words, fire or ice comes
out of the sword. That being said, because it consumes synthesized jewels, the
drawback is that it costs a stupid amount of money.」
「Anyway,
you'll understand if you try using it. Try inserting this.」
I received a red
jewel from Lady Yumil. It is a stone
similar to a ruby, about the size of a thumb. When I brought it close to the
ring as told, it fit in perfectly with a click.
「Here,
try swinging it. Ah wait, don't swing it towards people, aim it around there.」
「A
normal sword is sufficient, though... Like this?」
This sword seems to have a higher mass
than steel. But it is just right for my body. I swung it down with all my
might. Then, a wave of flame was born from the sword, lightly scorching the
white wall of the workshop.
「Oh,
it's stable.」
「Right,
I think it's just the right level of heat for Georg-sama.」
I am a serious,
stubborn man. My understanding cannot catch up with reality. I swing the sword
one more time. Again, the flame became a wave and roasted the wall.
「...Muu.」
I returned the sword
to its scabbard and removed the jewel. Then, I stood by the window and slapped
both my cheeks to confirm that this was not a dream.
「Normally,
the weapon would break first. But I am a genius; I created a masterpiece that
simply won't break! In short, until you use up the jewel's magic power, you are
the strongest General, and a magic swordsman!」
「Georg-sama, do you have some
dissatisfaction...?」
「No,
having witnessed a situation I cannot fully process, my mind is simply not
working. Even as a sword, a range longer than a spear, huh...」
「That's
not all; alright, try cutting this!」
「Kyaa!?」
Lady Yumil threw something this way. Told to
cut it, the sensation of training unable to fade from me, I unintentionally
unleashed a flash of the Demonic Spirit
Silver blade toward that something. Then, a light feedback occurred, and
the thrown iron ore split perfectly in two.
「Wait,
didn't I tell you not to move a person's body without permission!」
「My
bad, my bad, it was a pain to explain. So, are you satisfied, Strongest General
of the Empire-sama?」
A blade that severs
even iron in two, huh. With this, I probably won't fall behind Ashley or Yord either. Unbelievable. To think something like this exists in
this world...
「Yes,
it is so magnificent it's truly beyond description... I feel as if I have
become a god of war or something... Blacksmith-dono, can you not make more of
this Demonic Spirit Silver sword?」
「No,
just that one took quite a lot of effort, see... But well, past the east
entrance of the underground empire, beyond the white underground tunnel, there
should be an old Demonic Spirit Silver ore
deposit. If you search, you can probably still find some.」
「I will
send people immediately. I want to have my subordinates hold onto a few of
them.」
「Wait,
my body won't hold out for that many, you know...」
Yord. Once, you made my younger brother a hostage, but it won't go like that next time. I will definitely turn the tables on you, and pass the judgment of the law upon you. This sword, I like it. So much so that when I stayed over at the mansion in Erin afterwards, I was told by Atomina that it was creepy how I was doing nothing but smiling.
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