Chapter 103 : Witch Blacksmith (4)
Chapter 103: Witch Blacksmith (4)
The work that had supposedly taken only three days had somehow stretched into five.
According to Circe, every swing of the hammer sent new inspiration surging through her mind.
Leon didn't fully understand what she meant, but he didn't take it negatively.
From what little he had gathered, Circe seemed to be creating something far superior to the sword she had originally intended to forge.
That was good news for Leon.
After all, the sword Circe was making belonged to him.
The higher its quality, the greater the benefit would be for him.
Why would he be disappointed simply because it took longer than expected?
On the contrary, Leon had been delighted to hear Circe's explanation.
To a swordsman, a sword was no different from his own life.
What swordsman would dislike hearing that the companion destined to save his life was becoming even stronger?
Moreover, Circe was the very person who had forged the Holy Sword merely to pass the time.
Someone of her caliber was now pouring her heart and soul into forging a sword.
For the swordsman who would wield it, nothing could be better.
Leon watched Circe intently, his eyes filled with anticipation.
And so, fifteen days passed.
Even after half a month had gone by, there was still no sign that the sword would be finished.
Its overall shape seemed complete, but according to Circe, the sword still lacked a soul.
Was she planning to create one of those legendary Ego Swords?
Circe continued hammering the already-shaped blade over and over again.
Despite such bizarre behavior, Leon remained patient and voiced no complaints.
The reason was simple.
The aura of a true master flowed from Circe's back as she worked.
Thanks to years of relentless training, Leon's senses had developed to their utmost limits.
Those very senses were telling him not to question what Circe was doing.
Because of that, Leon found himself feeling somewhat bewildered.
His reason refused to accept the current situation.
That was only natural.
Leon was not a craftsman, so he had no idea what Circe was actually doing.
All he saw was Circe endlessly hammering an already completed blade.
To be honest, it looked like nothing more than repeating the exact same process over and over.
Yet his body perceived the scene differently.
Every time Circe struck the sword with her hammer, Leon's body tensed as though facing a transcendent existence.
His stiffening muscles told him that what he was witnessing was anything but ordinary.
That was precisely why Leon silently waited for Circe to finish her work.
His body, acting beyond common sense, was telling him to wait.
So Leon simply stood there, silently watching Circe.
“It's taking longer than I expected.”
Just then—
Bestie descended into the underground workshop carrying a large cauldron.
Groaning under its weight, she carefully lowered it onto the floor.
“Hup!”
After setting it down, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled.
“Phew! That was harder to carry than I expected!”
“What is that?”
“Pork. We're going to boil it.”
When she lifted the lid, Leon saw meat with all the blood thoroughly drained, soaking in clean water.
He asked curiously,
“You're planning to boil it down here?”
“Yes. Grandma hasn't picked up a hammer in a very long time. By the time she's finished, she'll probably be completely exhausted.”
“I understand your reasoning. But why boil it here?”
“Well... because it's hot enough.”
As she spoke, Bestie picked up the cauldron again and walked about ten paces forward.
She set it down once more before returning.
“Now just wait a little. You'll understand why I brought it here.”
Leon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the lone cauldron resting on the floor.
After about enough time to drink a cup of tea...
White steam gradually began rising from beneath the lid.
“Oh?”
A gleam appeared in Leon's eyes.
“It's boiling.”
“The place we're standing doesn't receive much of the heat. But if you go just ten steps farther, the temperature is on an entirely different level.”
“Oh...”
Leon let out a sound of admiration.
Heat failing to spread beyond a certain area...
Was that another one of the Witches' abilities?
Finding it fascinating, Leon spoke.
“May I eat with you later?”
“There won't be enough. You eat a lot, don't you? I'll make yours afterward.”
“I'd appreciate it.”
Quite a long time had passed since Leon began staying at the cabin.
During that time, he had eaten most of the food stored there.
To be honest, he felt guilty.
Having Circe forge him a sword was already more kindness than he deserved.
Yet he had also consumed nearly all of their food supplies.
Had he paid for it, that would have been another matter.
But everything had been given out of pure goodwill.
There was no way he couldn't feel apologetic.
To repay that kindness, Leon frequently accompanied Bestie outside the barrier.
For some reason, Circe was unable to leave the vicinity of the cabin.
Meanwhile, although Bestie was skilled in pharmacology and metallurgy, she possessed no strength with which to defend herself.
Because of that, she hadn't ventured outside the barrier for nearly fifty years.
Had they lived in a bustling city, it would have been different.
But this was a rugged mountain valley.
It was filled with dangers—demonic beasts, wild animals, and countless other threats.
It wasn't a place where an ordinary woman unable to use either swordsmanship or magic could safely wander.
Perhaps because of that, Bestie had been overjoyed when Leon offered to accompany her.
Apparently there had been many materials she had long wanted to gather outside.
The moment she heard Leon's proposal, she accepted without hesitation, and the two began venturing outside together.
Another fifteen days passed.
Before they knew it, Leon had been staying at the cabin for over a month.
During that time, he had replenished the cabin's food supplies.
There wasn't a single village anywhere near the mountain valley, so he couldn't buy food from a market.
Perhaps because winter was gradually approaching...
Wild animals preparing for hibernation had become increasingly common.
Leon hunted those animals and stocked the cabin with ample food.
Then one day, after countless ordinary days had passed—
“It's finished.”
Circe emerged from the workshop, holding a sword.
A blade so sharp that it seemed capable of cutting anyone who merely looked at it.
Its blade glowed with a deep blue hue, as though it contained the sea itself.
There were no patterns.
No decorations.
Staring at the sword, Leon murmured,
“It's beautiful.”
“I thought you'd like it. You looked like the sort who hated flashy things.”
“I do appreciate that aspect as well. But more than that... the sword itself is beautiful.”
At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary, unremarkable blade.
Yet the razor-sharp killing intent contained within it possessed a beauty capable of captivating any swordsman.
“A single sword contains far too much. My eye for beauty isn't refined enough to grasp everything within it. If I had to describe it... it feels as though the universe itself resides inside.”
“The universe, you say... That's quite nice. I hadn't decided on a name yet. I suppose I shall call it the Universe Sword.”
“The Universe Sword... the Universe Sword...”
After repeating the name several times, Leon smiled in satisfaction.
“I like it. It feels perfectly suited to my Star Cloud.”
“Hohoho. To be honest, your swordsmanship was exactly why I wanted to name it that. In any case... why don't you try swinging it once?”
As she spoke, Circe appeared unusually restless.
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
It was hard to believe those were the eyes of an elderly woman who had exhausted herself forging a sword for over a month.
Leon understood exactly how she felt.
Even the Holy Sword she claimed to have forged merely to pass the time had become the Holy Kingdom's sacred treasure.
Naturally, she would be curious about the performance of a work into which she had poured every ounce of her effort.
Leon slowly assumed the opening stance of the Twelve Celestial Sword Styles.
Flaaash-!!
The next instant, his sword left its sheath with lightning-like speed.
Slash-!!
As it swept through the air, it produced the unmistakable sound of cutting something.
The sensation transmitted through his hand felt exactly like slicing through fine silk.
Confusion spread across Leon's face.
He had merely swung through empty air.
So why did it feel as though he had actually cut something?
Leon stared blankly at the space where the sword had passed.
Then he exclaimed in astonishment.
“It split the Grain of the air!”
Everything in existence possessed its own Grain.
Within martial arts, however, understanding Grain belonged to a realm that only those who had reached the highest levels could comprehend.
‘Even masters who have fully matured within the Transcendent Master Realm haven't completely comprehended Grain. Yet I actually did it!’
Of course, this had only happened because of an unimaginably unlikely coincidence.
To begin with, Leon had only just entered the Transcendent Master Realm.
So how had someone like him managed to split the Grain?
It didn't take Leon long to realize the answer.
‘It's the Universe Sword. All I did was swing it. The one that cut the Grain was this sword.’
Perhaps sensing Leon's gaze...
The Universe Sword emitted a low hum.
Uuuung-!
Its faint sword cry echoed through the room.
At that moment, Leon realized the Universe Sword was no ordinary blade.
“Circe... what exactly is this sword?”
“Have you heard of Atilans' Tear?”
“Atilans' Tear? I believe I've heard the name somewhere before.”
“In the beginning, the Supreme God Solar cherished a giant named Atilans. Your sword was forged from the tears shed by that very giant.”
“This was made from tears?”
Leon asked in disbelief.
He truly found it impossible to believe.
The chilling cold and incredible hardness radiating from the blade reminded him of Cold Iron from the Martial Alliance.
Just what kind of being was this Atilans that tears like these solidified into such a mineral?
It must have been agonizing every time he cried.
As Leon continued staring at the sword with a strange expression, Circe shook her head.
“Tsk, tsk. I know exactly what you're thinking. Let me explain. Your sword wasn't made directly from his tears. It was forged from the crystals that formed after Atilans' tears solidified.”
“Oh... so his tear glands weren't made of minerals.”
“Do you really think something like that is possible? Honestly... you warriors.”
Circe clicked her tongue and shook her head.
“Anyway, just remember that it's an incredibly rare material. It's something that can never be obtained again.”
“Because Atilans is dead?”
“What other reason could there be? These are the tears of someone said to have lived thousands of years ago. The surprising part is that they're still being used even now.”
Hearing that, Leon let out a sigh.
A sword forged from a material that could never again be obtained.
Leon wasn't foolish enough to miss the significance of those words.
‘Could I ever repay this kindness, even if I devoted my entire life to it?’
No matter how much he thought about it, the answer remained impossible.
Perhaps if he lived three more lifetimes...
No, maybe five.
That was just how immeasurable the value of Atilans' Tear truly was.
‘Even in the Martial Alliance, although Cold Iron was incredibly difficult to obtain, it wasn't impossible.’
Leon's expression grew serious.
Nothing in this world was truly free.
Especially not kindness offered so sincerely.
Leon stared directly at Circe.
Sensing the meaning behind his gaze, Circe chuckled.
“Hohoho. Do I really look like I'm about to eat you? It's simply a gesture of goodwill. Go ahead and take it.”
“Mmm...”
“Does it weigh that heavily on your conscience? Then simply grant this old woman one request someday. How about it? Does it still trouble you now?”
“…To be honest, yes. But I can't exactly refuse such kindness. I'll accept it with gratitude.”
“Hohoho. Think of it as my own investment. You know that already, don't you?”
Circe tapped her temple with a finger.
“I know what the future holds.”
“…!!!”
Leon’s eyes widened.
Come to think of it, Circe possessed the ability to foresee the future.
He had completely forgotten because the sword she had given him was simply too extraordinary.
Only then did the tension leave Leon's face.
He finally understood why Circe had called it an investment.
‘She'll need my help someday. I don't know when, but that must be why she gifted me this sword.’
The burden weighing on his heart disappeared completely.
Yes.
Kindness mixed with a little calculation was much easier to accept than pure, unconditional generosity.
Just as Leon was about to thank her—
Shiver-!!!
The aura of a Demon Beast emanating from far away caused Leon's eyes to widen.