Chapter 159
“Hurry, hurry! It’s already starting!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. They’re just doing the opening greetings.”
At last, the smithing tournament begins.
The number of visitors already in town rivaled that of Lindblum during the New Year Festival, and the town’s energy had reached its peak.
I securely placed the two daggers into their case and headed to the venue together with Melt.
There was no longer anyone trying to interfere with us.
After all, we already made it clear what would happen to anyone who tried.
Leaving the workshop district, the special venue soon came into view.
A large stage, rows of spectators seating.
And a newly prepared, expansive exhibition area where weapons and gear would be displayed for visitors to see up close. — “Now then, we will explain the rules! First, the judges will appraise each participant’s work! After all entries have been appraised, they will be displayed in the exhibition hall, where the audience will view them with their own eyes and cast a vote for one work! In addition to the judges’ scores, the number of votes from all of you will become that work’s bonus!”
The greetings were already over, and the rules were being explained.
I see. Simple and easy to understand.
— “Furthermore, only the creator of the work that loses in the final score will be given one last chance! That is…the right to challenge the winning work with their own item! If it’s a sword versus a sword, I will strike each blade once with the opposing blade. When one of the swords clearly loses its function as a sword, the match will be decided!”
Wha…!? What kind of rule is that…!? That’s overwhelmingly advantageous for the one who goes first, isn’t it?
Presumably, one sword would be set in place while the other strikes it… Depending on the weapon type, there’s a real chance of chipping or outright breaking in a single blow.
— “And…if it’s armor versus a weapon, the question will be whether the armor can fully withstand that weapon’s attack. If it’s armor versus armor, it will be how much of an attack of equal power they can endure. It is a rule of the underdog’s comeback… Naturally, the challenger who goes second will be at a disadvantage.”
I see… Well, in this world, equipment truly is a person’s lifeline. They probably can’t allow half-baked items to take the top spot in a contest like this.
Though if you don’t have confidence, you probably wouldn’t even consider using this loser’s revival system.
— “Then, we will begin the appraisal of the first work…”
And so, the judging began…
—————–
“Wow… everyone really did make swords, huh?” (Melt)
“Yeah. With the tournament period being as short as one month, anything newly made is going to be a weapon. With armor, the number of people who can actually equip it is limited, and it requires fine adjustments. Unless you already have a buyer lined up, you wouldn’t make it. Shields and gauntlets are easier to adjust, so you do see some of those.” (Shizuma)
Just as Melt said, the vast majority of participants had brought swords.
Among them, longswords were clearly the stars: beautifully ornate decorations, brilliantly gleaming blades, and even blades that shone such a vivid blue it couldn’t be explained just by reflecting the sky…perhaps due to special alloys. One eye-catching piece after another was being appraised.
…but the craftsman’s eye I had as Shijima saw through it clearly.
Most of them aren’t dull per se, but they’re nothing more than ordinary pieces.
They caught the eye with their beauty, but only a handful could truly be called outstanding swords.
“…With audience judging involved, I get that appearance matters too, but still…” (Shizuma)
At that moment, murmurs spread among the other craftsmen when a certain individual appeared on the stage.
If you listened closely, you could hear whispers like, “That’s the master from the Golha Workshop…” “I heard he moved his workshop to Lindblum.” “The traitor who abandoned this town…”
“I see. So that’s the man from the rumored Golha Workshop.” (Shizuma)
As expected of the leading favorite to win, the host’s introduction was full of excitement.
— “Last year’s champion! We present the work of Golha Workshop! It seems they’ve crafted a greatsword this time… Are there any particular points of pride or special features you could tell us about?”
In response, the man called master spoke in a somewhat intimidating voice.
“If I had to explain it so even amateurs would understand, that thing’s a magic sword. It burns whatever it cuts. Right now it might just look like a rust-colored blunt blade…but when it’s held by the right person, it becomes like this.”
With that, the intimidating-looking master effortlessly lifted and held aloft a greatsword nearly as tall as himself with one hand.
In that instant, the rust-colored blade shone as if it had been red-hot. It didn’t quite spew flames, but it seemed to reach such a high temperature that the surrounding air visibly distorted.
“…Hah. That’s its feature. If you’re going to appraise it, be careful.”
Saying that, the craftsman set the greatsword down on the judges’ table with a tired expression.
At that moment, the smell of scorched wood spread through the area.
“Wow… That’s an amazing sword! Most monsters would go down in one hit if cut by something like that!”
“…Yeah. It’s first-rate as a weapon. I’ll give it that.”
…Flashy, massive, and making anyone who sees its destructive power imagine its lethality… Without question, a sword that seizes the audience’s hearts.
But…to me, it looked less like a magic sword and more like a cursed sword.
After that, more works were introduced, but compared to the impact of Golhar’s greatsword, they all seemed to fade into the background. The audience reactions, too, felt slightly less enthusiastic.
And then…it was my turn.
— “Now then, our final participant is the much-talked-about wandering craftsman, Shijima! It seems he’s made two daggers! Could you please explain what kind of items they are?”
I took two sheathed daggers out of the wooden case I was holding.
“These are magic swords. But they ain’t cheap imitation magic swords. They only activate through the wielder’s will. You could say they also act as magic catalysts. The blade structure and processing are my own. I’ll leave it to you to judge whether they meet the standards of this town’s craftsmen.” (Shizuma)
The two sheathed blades were carried to the judges’ table.
The blades themselves hadn’t been shown to the audience yet, but they would be displayed later, so that was fine.
“Hoh…even just the scabbards are works of art.”
“Leather carving… and even each reinforcing fitting has exquisite engraving. They stand out beautifully against the white leather. But…”
“Yeah, we’re not judging art here. Let’s see the blades. Those ‘real magic swords’ you’re so confident about.”
The three judges drew my works from their scabbards.
In that instant…blades with an overwhelming black luster were revealed.
From pure white scabbards, darkness seemed to slice through the light itself, and I could feel the three of them catch their breath.
“W-What is this blade…? I’ve never seen blade waves like this…!”
“Even among the swords passed down in the far west, you don’t see wave patterns layered to this extent…and more than anything, it’s this.”
“…This ain’t dye. You’ve woven in materials of different colors. And it’s clearly not just for design. And even though you’ve polished the blackening treatment this cleanly, the waves and the gold aren’t dulled at all.”
“…There’s a real sense of weight across the entire weapon, despite its size. And yet, once you grip it, it doesn’t feel heavy. The balance is very well thought out for the user.”
“…Damn it, I can’t take my eyes off the blade’s pattern. A sky with layers of thin clouds, and gold like shooting stars across it… If this really is a magic sword…if it’s truly first-rate as a weapon…there’s no need to even continue the appraisal.”
They were completely captivated.
Because they understood weapons better than anyone -the differences, the care in the work, the techniques- they could tell that the daggers I made were on a completely different level from a ‘weapon that simply absorbs the wielder’s mana indiscriminately and heats up’.
Yes, Golhar’s sword…is just a weapon. A killing implement.
Some people might value its ruggedness, and as a sword it likely meets the bare minimum of performance. Its ability to reliably kill would surely appeal to many.
But I could say with confidence that, as a completed sword, it fell far short of my work.
And so, after the judges’ appraisals ended, all the items were displayed, and judging by the general audience began.
—————–
At my booth in the exhibition hall, a stand was set up, and the two unsheathed daggers were displayed upon it.
Beside them, the scabbards -crafted to suit Melt- were also properly displayed.
When not in combat, equipment that would suit her.
In combat, colors completely opposite to her own.
A masterpiece conceived and created solely for Melt was laid bare before the public, drawing sigh after sigh.
“Whoa… Incredible… What beauty… And it’s a magic sword on top of that…?”
“You can tell just by looking. It’s top-class as a sword… How in the world was this made?”
Adventurers from outside the town murmured their thoughts, eyes glued to the display.
“Wow… wow… it’s so beautiful… I’ve never seen a sword this amazing in any shop.” (Melt)
“Indeed. Was it Shijima-san, you said? Splendid work. I’m truly impressed. Because of my family’s circumstances, I’ve seen magic swords, holy swords, famed swords and blades from all eras with my own eyes. Compared to those, this doesn’t fall short… No, you could even say it surpasses them.” (Shuris)
The surrounding crowd stirred when Melt and Shuris-san appeared.
“I see. It seems it’s met the standards of one of the Thirteen Knights.”
“Yes. Without a doubt. This is…already decided, isn’t it?”
I thought so too.
Most of the general audience had concentrated either at my booth or Golhar’s, but the flow of people was clearly leaning toward mine.
“That’s incredible, Shijima-san! You really might take first place with this, huh!?”
“It’d be a lie to say we weren’t aiming for victory from the start. But…right now, I’d gladly surrender my fighting spirit. After seeing something this amazing, all I can do as a fellow smith is bow in admiration.”
“I see. Well…it looks like there are still some who aren’t convinced… Guess I can show them something a bit more interesting.” (Shizuma)
Looking around, I saw not just the master, but many craftsmen gathered at the Golha Workshop’s booth, glaring at us with resentment.
They would surely exercise the ‘loser’s revival’ right.
By the rules, that meant my work would attack that greatsword first.
…Well, I don’t plan to let it play out that way.
—————–
After a while, it was time for the audience vote.
I watched alongside the other craftsmen as a participant.
— “Please take one of these plaques and proceed to the ballot box. There are orbs with each participant’s name written on them…after holding it up to the orb, place it in the ballot box.”
Apparently it was some kind of magical system, saving the trouble of counting and tallying.
It felt a bit like an item with a microchip embedded. Somewhat modern.
Though it was far more convenient than modern systems.
“…So you already think you’ve won? Shijima, was it?”
“Hm? Ah…Golha Workshop. You did good work. If this were wartime, it would’ve seen plenty of use.” (Shizuma)
“Hmph. I suppose.”
“You’d have to treat soldiers as disposable, though… I can’t see top-tier adventurers choosing that. Maybe as a sub-weapon, but it’s too big.” (Shizuma)
Since he spoke to me, I returned the favor.
After all, this was someone who might have been involved in trying to interfere with us. I had no intention of being friendly.
And that flaming greatsword…its blade was just the right size to fit in the bathtub stolen from my workshop.
Well, there’s no proof, so I won’t bring it up.
“…Tch. You hit where it hurts.”
“But it’s not bad. It could be deployed with extermination units or knight orders as a weapon against large monsters.” (Shizuma)
“…Yeah.”
There was no doubt this man was also a first-rate craftsman. He immediately grasped his own work’s weaknesses and how it could be used.
Eventually, all voting ended, and the host took the stage.
— “The results are in! …This time, the vote distribution was quite uneven, so we will announce only the winner’s name!”
…I see.
— “The winner is…the work of the wandering smith, Shijima!”
It was obvious to anyone who looked.
There was excitement, but everyone’s faces clearly said, “Well, of course.”
But…yeah. Of course they’d exercise that right.
“I invoke the loser’s revival right!!!!!”
The venue erupted again after Golha Workshop’s declaration.
If my sword failed to damage the flaming greatsword, and the greatsword shattered my dagger, the tournament result would be overturned.
Fine by me. Then I’ll add even more conditions.
“Host! I have a proposal as well!! I’ll give the first strike to Golha Workshop! Use that magic sword and try cutting my magic sword! If you chip even one blade, I’ll accept your victory!” (Shizuma)
I shouted so the entire venue could hear.
…This was deliberate provocation.
The master of that workshop probably wasn’t a bad person to the core.
More likely…he couldn’t defy the wishes of his noble patron, and ended up making a half-flawed weapon like that.
Same with the interference earlier. To me…this man just didn’t look that irredeemably cruel.
So I’d give him a reason. I’d crush him completely, and help provide that justification.
That was why I made this proposal.
— “Are you sure!? There’s quite a difference in weight…”
“It’s fine. Do it… That sword chooses its wielder. If so, why not let a first-rate wielder use it?” (Shizuma)
As I said that, I called out to Shuris-san in the audience.
“Thirteen Knight-dono! Can I ask you!? That thing’s not a sword an amateur can handle. The Golha master already ran out of mana during his demonstration!” (Shizuma)
“…You noticed, huh.”
“Yeah.” (Shizuma)
The audience parted smoothly to either side at that call, and Shuris-san stepped forward.
“Well now…greatswords aren’t exactly my specialty, you know?” (Shuris)
“Can’t do it? It’s a bit of a stretch, but I’ve heard you’re used to unreasonable requests… Our former vice-captain, right? Think of it as part of the compensation.” (Shizuma)
“Haha. That’s a weak point for me. Fine, I’ll take the role of test-cutter.” (Shuris)
Perhaps because they never expected one of the strongest figures in the country to cooperate, the venue’s excitement reached its peak.
My two daggers were laid out bare on their stands on the steadily prepared stage.
Then Golha’s flaming greatsword was brought over and handed to Shuris, who stood before the daggers.
“Kuh… It really does drain quite a bit of mana. And it’s fairly heavy too.” (Shuris)
Though slightly slender, it was still a greatsword. I thought it might be heavy for Shuris-san, being a woman…but to my surprise, she moved with ease, raising it into a high guard with both hands.
…If she swung it down with full force, it would undoubtedly strike my dagger.
The blades were set so they would clash directly. One of them would definitely chip.
The cheers and excitement fell into a hush the moment she assumed her stance.
The scorching greatsword, wielded by one of the Thirteen Knights, a first-rate swordswoman, was swung…
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