This city was overflowing with merchants who were nothing short of swindlers.
Targeting those who admired knights, they overcharged as if it were a daily routine.
There were a few places that offered reasonable prices, but only a handful.
The shops along the streets crowded with tourists from other regions seemed to have colluded. They were selling their goods at double the price.
Well, that was just how specialties worked.
Let’s call it a desperate struggle to make a living.
But even so, it didn’t make sense that a dwarf with 200 years of experience wasn’t getting any attention.
Especially when the blacksmiths here were full of empty boasts and inflated prices, which only made them more irritating.
“Will the next challenger be able to withstand it?”
A knight apprentice gripped his sword tightly with both hands.
After drawing people’s attention, I swung Drevan’s sword.
“Aaagh! My swooooord!”
The blade snapped cleanly.
The knight apprentice let out a cry of despair.
Tempted by the promise of a thousand gold coins, he had taken the challenge, only to fail.
“Thank you!”
A wave of applause echoed through the crowd.
I didn’t stop at swords. I also cut through thick books and bricks, showing off the superior craftsmanship of the dwarven weapons.
“How’s it going? Everything on track?”
Jade pushed through the crowd and approached me.
“More or less. I didn’t have to hand over a thousand gold yet.”
“Thanks to you, the shop is booming. We’ve run out of weapons, so we’re taking reservations now.”
Like this, I continued promoting while Jade worked part-time at the store, helping Drevan.
I had only hoped for a slight increase in sales, but things were going far better than expected.
“Uncle Drevan keeps grumbling. Says business is going too well, and he’s going to collapse from overwork.”
“He’s got plenty of stamina, judging by the way he drinks. He’s just whining.”
Then, something suddenly bothered me.
“Why do you keep calling him ‘Uncle Drevan’? He’s over 200 years old.”
“He’s Mom’s friend, isn’t he? That makes him ‘Uncle’ to me.”
Did he refuse to acknowledge it because that would mean his mother was old too?
How complicated.
It was during the ongoing promotion of the shop.
“Are you the clown who cuts swords?”
A large man shoved through the crowd and appeared before me.
His face was marked by a deep scar from a blade, giving him a menacing look.
He seemed like a seasoned adventurer.
“I’m not a clown. Perhaps a promoter?”
“Hmph. Try cutting this, then.”
He unsheathed the sword strapped to his back and pointed it toward me.
“Ah, this one might be difficult. It’s too big and thick.”
It was a greatsword that matched his large frame.
Judging by its size, it must have used at least four times the materials of a normal sword.
Even though Drevan’s weapons were sturdy, everything had its limits.
The sheer difference in scale made it impossible to perform a cutting trick with it.
“So you acted like you’d pay out a thousand gold, but you’re just a fraud. Everyone saw that, right? This whole thing about that dwarf’s swords being amazing is a complete lie! This guy is just some trickster who knows how to handle a blade!”
The crowd began murmuring.
Some whispered that maybe he had a point.
I let out a dry chuckle.
This guy had planned this from the start.
He was deliberately twisting the challenge’s loose conditions to force an unreasonable demand.
What should I do?
As I was pondering, I spotted a familiar face in the crowd.
It was the weapon shop owner who had spoken to me before.
He was watching with a sly smile.
That bastard… Could it be…?
So that was it.
This brute had likely been sent by a rival store.
Their goal was to disrupt Drevan’s business and sabotage the promotion.
“Perhaps it might be possible with a different sword.”
I set down what I had been holding and gripped Shadow Fang in my hand.
“This isn’t for sale, but it’s a sword personally reinforced by Drevan. With this, I can cut it.”
The eyes of the people on the street all turned to the black blade.
“That’s a magic sword!”
“No matter how powerful it is, the difference in thickness is huge.”
“Wanna bet on whether it cuts or not?”
Everyone chattered among themselves, watching closely to see how the man would react.
“A magic sword, huh?”
“That’s right. If that makes you uneasy, you’re free to refuse.”
Its specifications were nearly identical to Drevan’s weapon.
With a bit of exaggeration, this was like trying to break a boulder with an egg.
“I accept.”
The man placed the greatsword onto a brick stand.
If I brought my blade down and cut through it, I would succeed.
If I failed, I’d have to pay 1,000 gold, and the store’s promotion would end right there.
“Well then, let’s do this.”
I took my stance.
Gripping Shadow Fang tightly with both hands, I raised it high. So high that the tip of the blade nearly went past my back.
“Hup!”
As fast as possible.
As sharp and precise as possible.
With my core tightened, I swung down toward the center of the greatsword.
The sound of air being torn apart echoed through the street—
Thunk!
With a heavy impact, the greatsword split cleanly in two.
For a brief moment, the crowd fell into stunned silence at the unbelievable sight.
Then, a heartbeat later, a thunderous cheer erupted, filling the street.
“No way, did that really just happen?”
“Drevan isn’t just any ordinary blacksmith, huh?!”
Thank goodness. I actually pulled it off.
I hadn’t been sure it would work myself.
As I marveled at the perfect performance of the sword that was now fully tamed, the man angrily stepped forward.
“What trick did you pull this time?! There’s no way my sword would break that easily!”
How pathetic.
He didn’t even know how to accept the outcome gracefully.
“That bastard’s a fraud! He used a magic sword made from rare materials!”
“You shouldn’t make baseless accusations. You agreed to this yourself, so I’d appreciate it if you refrained from making misleading claims.”
“Shut the hell up! You owe me a new sword!”
Just as the man lunged to grab me by the collar, Jade caught his wrist.
“You think you can act up here?”
His wolf-like, piercing gaze made the man hesitate.
“And who the hell are you?!”
“A man with a nasty reputation in this town.”
Without warning, Jade yanked his arm, sending him sprawling to the ground, then drew his sword and pointed it at him.
It was meant as a warning not to do anything reckless, but it only added fuel to the fire.
The man snatched up Drevan’s sword, which I had set down, and charged straight at us.
“Die!”
He was as reckless as his vicious expression suggested.
But he had chosen the wrong opponent.
Jade was strong enough to defeat most knights in this city.
The two of them crossed paths in a blur.
“Aaargh!”
The man collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain.
Jade hadn’t cut him.
He had merely struck him over the head with the flat of his blade.
“Hm…”
Jade looked down at him.
For a moment, he considered tormenting him the way he had during the duel.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he extended a hand toward him.
“What the hell…! Damn it!”
Perhaps unable to bring himself to accept Jade’s help, the man scrambled to his feet and bolted.
He abandoned his broken greatsword and fled at full speed.
“I thought you’d tease him like you did during the duel.”
“I don’t do petty thug stuff like that anymore.”
Jade let out a wry smile.
Losing that duel really did change him.
Feeling somewhat proud of him, I was about to wrap things up when—
“You’ve changed.”
A deep voice spoke. It was directed at Jade.
A stranger was watching him with an intense gaze.
He appeared to be in his mid-forties, with broad shoulders and a warm and friendly face.
His tone was friendly, but Jade seemed puzzled as if he didn’t recognize the man.
“Do we know each other?”
“You bastard… Have you already forgotten me? It’s Logan. I’m off duty, so I’m in casual clothes.”
“Oh.”
I was just as surprised.
I hadn’t realized it before because he was wearing full plate armor.
Logan was a middle-aged knight.
With a satisfied grin, he lightly tapped Jade’s chest with his fist.
“See? You have the heart of a knight too.”
Leaving those words behind, he strolled away without a care.
***
Despite the trouble, the shop promotion went well.
Everyone had come to recognize Drevan’s skill, and in a market full of exaggeration and empty boasts, we had secured a foothold.
Afterward, I returned to Rain’s cabin and told her everything that had happened.
Relieved to hear that an old friend was doing well, Rain said she should visit him soon but who knew if “soon” meant a few years from now…
“Now that you’ve gotten the hang of taming the magic sword, how about we raise the difficulty a little?”
Near the valley where we always sparred, I stood a few meters away from Rain, facing off against her.
“How much?”
“As close to real combat as possible.”
She lifted her rapier to her side.
“Use whatever techniques you want. They don’t have to be swordsmanship. Just show me everything you’ve got.”
Her gaze sharpened.
But there was no trace of youthful innocence, nor was there madness.
She stood with the dignified poise of a master ready to teach her disciple.
“All of it, huh…”
That overflowing confidence wasn’t mere bravado.
She had survived on the battlefield for at least a hundred years.
As an elf, her youth lasted longer, and so did her prime.
And she had never shied away from life-or-death battles.
There were few in this land with a record as impressive as hers.
“I’ve decided.”
I poured my mana into Shadow Fang.
A dark haze rose from the entire length of the blade. It was thicker and more vivid than ever before.
I felt as if my sword and body had become one.
“Here I come.”
The strategy was simple.
Close in and strike.
But at my absolute fastest speed.
Like I had been blessed by the spirit of the wind, I shot forward, closing the distance in an instant.
Kiieeeeng!
My full-powered strike scraped against Rain’s rapier.
A flawless deflection.
In previous duels, she had always defended against my attacks in this way—but today was different.
I condensed the aura surrounding Shadow Fang in an instant.
And for the briefest moment, I saw it.
The look of shock spreading across Rain’s face.
Clang!
Her rapier snapped.
Shadow Fang followed through on its trajectory, striking down without hesitation.
Along with the blade, her technique shattered as well.
Realizing she couldn’t block the attack, Rain leaped backward and put some distance between us.
“…You got me.”
She let out a hollow laugh as she stared at the hilt left in her hand.
I felt a little guilty.
It looked like a rather expensive sword.
“Relying on equipment too much was a mistake, after all?”
“No, that’s a misconception. Drawing out a weapon’s full potential is part of a swordsman’s skill. If anything, depending only on technique is what you’d call arrogance.”
Since my master put it that way, I decided to take the compliment at face value.
That day’s duel ended earlier than usual.
***
When Shadow Fang’s aura spread outward, it absorbed magic.
That alone made it a useful weapon, but a true magic sword showed its worth in offense.
By condensing its aura within, the blade became stronger, surpassing physical limits through magic.
It grew denser, heavier; and capable of striking with far greater force.
There were even higher levels to reach beyond that, but attempting them now was premature in many ways.
And in a simple spar, such power was unnecessary.
“You know, this isn’t a good look for me as your master. There’s really nothing left for me to teach you. Even if you keep training under me, you won’t gain much from it.”
During our meal, Rain suddenly brought up the topic of my departure, as if it was time for me to leave.
“But Master, you went easy on me.”
“I did?”
“You didn’t dodge my attack. You took it head-on so I could test my magic sword, didn’t you?”
Rain blinked in silence for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.
“Haha! Theo, you’re funny. You finally managed to beat your master, and yet you’re doubting it?”
But calling it a victory still didn’t feel quite right.
I had only broken the sword; nothing more. But that aside…
“I want to hear your honest thoughts on my skill level.”
Rather than lip service, I wanted the truth.
So there would be no mistakes due to misconceptions.
“If your first sparring match was a seven out of ten, then now… I’d say you’re at a nine.”
“That seems a bit generous.”
“I judged it objectively. But be careful; there’s still a big gap between you and a swordsman who scores a ten.”
Rain spoke in a joking tone.
Was she referring to the gap between us? The difference between master and disciple?
“By the way, it’s good to take on a disciple.”
“…..…?”
Rain tilted her head and looked puzzled.
Her expression seemed to ask what I meant when her disciple was standing right in front of her.
“I don’t mean a troublemaker like me. I mean a disciple who will follow you to the end. Someone like that guy.”
“W-What are you suddenly talking about?!”
When I pointed at him, Jade flinched and shouted in surprise.
“Stop trying to learn by watching from the sidelines. It’s time to train properly.”
“Mind your own business…! I have my own way of doing things….”
To have the greatest master by his side yet refuse to learn; it was almost tragic.
Letting talent go to waste would only harm the kingdom’s future.
“If he’s trained properly, Jade could become a skilled swordsman. You, of all people, should know that best.”
I made his suggestion to Rain, adding a bit of a spoiler for good measure.
I had unintentionally given Jade a lesson in character, so all that remained was to teach him swordsmanship.
***
“I said nine points earlier, but that’s not your limit. You’ll have to earn the last point in real combat.”
Just as he had shown up suddenly, the disciple decided to leave just as abruptly.
At Rain’s final piece of advice, Theo raised a thumbs-up.
“I’ll come back when I’m as strong as you.”
“Don’t bother. I won’t be able to hold back when we spar next time.”
“Haha, so you were holding back after all.”
Their farewell was a warm one.
Jade and Rain watched as the figure disappeared into the distance.
“What a fascinating person.”
Even for Rain who had met no small number of adventurers, Theo was special.
He was bold yet cautious which was a rare combination.
“Oh, Uncle Drevan told me to stop by sometime.”
“I was planning to anyway. I should visit soon.”
“Mom, your ‘soon’ usually means at least a few years. Let’s leave tomorrow.”
“But I’m not mentally prepared yet…”
“At this rate, Uncle will grow old and die. We’ll be staying there for a few days, so pack your things in advance, got it?”
No parent could win against their child.
Reluctantly, Rain agreed.
“…I guess I have no choice. It’s been a while since we took a trip as a family.”
***
—There was an unusual aura of magic surrounding the Crimson Magic Sword. Its original owner has probably taken it.
That was what Drevan had said before we parted ways.
Such magical artifacts were rare, but sometimes, their presence could be sensed from afar.
In the end, it was just speculation, and there was no way to track its whereabouts.
“I’ll look into it when I have the time.”
I already had the Black Magic Sword, so there was no need to be greedy.
If fate willed it, I would find it eventually.
[The fifth regression of Claria has been completed.]
[A new timeline has been activated.]
So she died again?
Even during training, she had regressed once. This time, it was a bit faster.
“Wait for me, Claria.”
I would show her that struggling was pointless.
She wasn’t the only one who had gained experience.
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