Chapter 14 - 014＿Rodney's Weapon
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014＿Rodney's Weapon
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Rodney visited Great Eagle Castle, the residence of Count Banyusas, and presented Galim Syrup. Even in this Zabalujeen Territory, Galim Syrup was well-regarded, and Count Banyusas was very pleased.
After leaving Great Eagle Castle, he immediately visited a highly skilled blacksmith said to be the best in Bassam. True to his reputation as the best in Bassam, many disciples were training at that blacksmith's workshop.
"My name is Rodney Elias Forbas. I am the lord of the Dedel Territory."
"I'm Dread. So, what does a noble want with me?"
It was a very blunt tone, but Rodney thought it was a sign of the craftsman spirit. However, Keldo's gaze turned stern toward Dread, who spoke insolently to the noble Rodney.
That Dread thought that despite being busy, nobles came to mess around. True to being called the best in Bassam, nobles came asking him to make rare things, demanding to see his workshop. He was fed up.
"I want you to forge a weapon from True Ore, Dread."
"Oh, True Ore? What did you bring? Red or yellow? You're not telling me to craft without bringing True Ore, are you?"
The well-known True Ores are gold, blue, green, yellow, and red. And gold is quite rare, becoming harder to find in order of red, yellow, green, blue, gold.
"It's neither red nor yellow, but I did bring True Ore."
"Then which color is it?"
"White."
"What?!"
Dread stood up with such force that he knocked over his chair.
"You really have white?"
"That's what I'm saying."
"Where? Where is it?"
Overwhelmed by Dread's momentum, Rodney produced the white True Ore.
When he showed this white True Ore to the blacksmiths of Dedel Territory and asked them to forge a True Steel weapon, they said it was impossible. He was told that those who could process True Steel numbered less than the fingers on both hands even in this Kuodo Kingdom.
For that reason, he brought the white True Ore to Dread, who was known as the most famous master craftsman in the north.
"It's genuine... I never imagined I'd get to see white."
"Then forge my weapon."
"Very well. I'll take the job!"
Dread, who had been wearing a displeased expression until just now, broke into a full smile. It seemed his craftsman spirit had been ignited.
Rodney showed his iron club and ordered that since normal swords couldn't withstand his strength, any weapon that could withstand intermediate Origin Power would be fine. Dread looked puzzled at the order but said "Understood."
The gold, blue, green, yellow, and red True Ores could be mined within the labyrinth. In contrast, the white True Ore was not mined but dropped when defeating Cerbanui. Upon hearing that from Dread, Rodney nodded in understanding.
This white True Ore was left by a White Lulmil. Since it was larger than a normal White Lulmil, he thought it might have been a special individual.
On the way back, Keldo walked behind Rodney with a dissatisfied face. Even though Rodney was only the lowest-ranked knight peerage, he was still a noble. He felt Dread's attitude was extremely rude.
"Don't be so angry. Just as nobles have the pride of nobles, craftsmen have the pride of craftsmen. Even you, Keldo, have the pride of a soldier, don't you? Everyone has something like that. I don't like imposing one-sided values."
Keldo thought it was soft. But he also thought that was characteristic of Rodney. The gaze following Rodney's back naturally softened.
"Is that how it is...?"
"That's what I think. Though, in front of other nobles, I'd appreciate it if you refrained."
When they returned to Hacklehoff's mansion, Emilia and Shima were chatting happily. Seeing Rodney's face, Shima suddenly said she wanted to enter the labyrinth too, surprising Rodney.
"Please, Rodney-san. Take me to the labyrinth."
It was a line he'd heard somewhere before, but more than that, he was troubled. If he took Shima to the labyrinth, her grandfather would likely resent him. If she got injured, it would become quite troublesome. Her grandfather doted on her that much.
Rodney answered that he could take her if she had Hacklehoff's permission. He thought that way, Hacklehoff wouldn't complain endlessly.
"No! No no no no no no no no no no no no. What if Shima gets injured?!"
Grandfather Hacklehoff reacted as expected.
"Even Emilia enters the labyrinth."
"Emilia has been training with the sword since she was a child. She's different from Shima."
Shima made various excuses and sought permission, but Hacklehoff didn't budge. Even the doting grandfather Hacklehoff, who would grant his granddaughter any whim, was unwaveringly obstinate on this alone.
"Grandpa, you idiot---!"
Leaving that parting shot, Shima shut herself in her room. Rodney, watching the scene while drinking tea, wore an expression of understanding, as if he had expected this.
Receiving word from Dread that the weapon was finished, Rodney headed joyfully to Dread's workshop. He was guided to the reception room by one of Dread's disciples, and before long Dread appeared, followed by two disciples carrying what seemed to be a weapon wrapped in cloth.
"I kept you waiting. But I made something good."
"I'm looking forward to it."
When Rodney removed the cloth from the weapon placed on the table, a sword appeared, its blade in a narrow scabbard about fifty cerums long.
The scabbard's decoration was not luxurious but rather plain, and from the length of the hilt, he could tell it could be used with both hands or one hand.
When he picked it up, it was not as heavy as the iron club, but it felt surprisingly weighty for its size.
He drew the sword from its scabbard...
"!"
He had expected a whitish sword. But the sword that appeared was a color close to pink gold. Moreover, it was translucent, and he could faintly see through the sword.
He thought the shape of the sword resembled what was called a "katana" in his past life memories.
"So this is a True Steel sword..."
"It's beautiful, Rodney-sama."
Yulin's gaze was fixed on the sword. It was that beautiful.
"Ah, it's as if it were made of crystal."
Dread explained that to achieve sharpness and durability, he had made it single-edged with a slight curve. From there, a long, boastful explanation continued, but Rodney and Yulin understood less than half of it.
"Anyway, this White True Steel Sword (Byakushingōken) is an amazing sword."
"So it's called the White True Steel Sword (Byakushingōken)?"
"Because it's a sword made from white True Ore, it's the White True Steel Sword (Byakushingōken). Easy to understand, right?"
When he told Dread he wanted to do practice swings, he was guided to the courtyard. When he swung it down from an overhead stance, he felt a weight that made his arms creak.
No one would think this White True Steel Sword, which was neither large nor long, could be this heavy.
"It's unbelievably heavy for its size. Is there a reason?"
"True Steel increases in density several times its original during forging. The more it's forged, the denser it becomes. Being heavy means it's that much denser."
If the density increased several times, it was understandable that it became quite heavy.
"I understand it's heavy. It's durable, right?"
"Of course. White is the toughest among the True Ores I know. And I've added my skill. There's no way it's brittle."
Dread answered with a cheerful smile, so Rodney paid the fee and took delivery of the sword. It was much smaller than the iron club and looked like a sword, so it was good. Carrying the iron club around town drew surprised looks, so he was surprisingly happy to be rid of it.
When Rodney returned to the Dedel Territory, he immediately entered the Abandoned House Labyrinth. When he test-cut a Godris on the first floor, it cut through without any resistance. The Ganrou on the second floor, said to be tough, also offered no resistance. When he cut a Green Lulmil on the third floor, it felt like just a practice swing.
"Amazing. I don't feel any cutting sensation at all."
"Is it that impressive? I'm starting to want a True Steel sword too."
Yulin wielded a considerably large sword. Its weight was lighter than Rodney's White True Steel Sword, but still quite heavy. The reason she used such a large sword was because of the Cerbanui from the fourth floor onward. From the fourth floor, the Cerbanui became much stronger. Normal weapons wore down considerably. So soldiers exploring deeper than the fourth floor carried multiple weapons. That was how harsh a place it was.
Rodney and his party set foot on the fourth floor. He wanted to search for the Black Lulmil he hadn't defeated on the third floor, but his desire to test the White True Steel Sword's sharpness more won out.
The fourth floor had many abandoned houses, several times the size of the first floor. The Cerbanui that appeared were Headless Knights. These Headless Knights were armor without heads, holding swords and shields. Their movements were exactly like knights, Yulin said.
Any soldier could reach the third floor. But not many soldiers could explore the fourth floor. This fourth floor was also a boundary that separated those who could become stronger from those who could not.
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