Chapter 18 Strongest Sage, Asked for a Magic Sword

 

The one making clamor inside the store was a girl of around 14 year old with beautiful silver hair.
She's still negotiating with the storekeeper.... Or rather, the girl is hounding him even though he already said he can't.

I ignore the two and check out the swords in the store.
Every one of them is well made. Their average price is around 15-30 gold coins (about three times the first store's swords') but if we consider the quality, even 10 times of that is still fair.

However, even though the normal swords are fine, the magic swords are a rip off. They're asking 300 gold coins for one but the magic augment is way too sloppy.
Well, I'm gonna use a normal sword for the exam though. Considering my power right now--.

"The boy over there!"

The girl called out to me when I was checking the swords. Maybe I should have erased my presence.... No. They'd mistake me for a thief if I did that in a store.

"What is it?"

I dunno her reason to call me, but for now, let's respond.

"Can't you do magic augment or the like?"

Magic augment.... Don't tell me, this girl is thinking of asking someone she just happened to see to make a magic sword?
I'm neither this store's storekeeper or blacksmith y'know?

"Oy oy, don't go and bother my customer now...."

The storekeeper seems like he can't believe it too.

Now then. How should I answer her.
If it's of the same level as the magic sword in this store, then even me and my Fourth Crest can do it.
However, judging from the mood right now, I'm pretty sure the girl is definitely going to ask me to make a magic sword.

Normally I should pretend that I can't--however, the girl said that she was going to an exam tomorrow.
And the Second Royal School entrance exam I'm going to is for tomorrow.

In other words, this girl is a potential classmate of mine.
Which means, I should accept her request.
I don't want to be a loner like my past life.

"You said something about an exam tomorrow.... Is it about the Second Royal School exam?"

After thinking a bit, I responded her question with a question.

"That's right! But we got attacked by monsters on our way to the capital, and when Rulii used her sword to protect me, it was..."

"Her sword broke?"

Swords are fundamentally a weapon for attacking.
It's not unusual for it to break when you forcefully use it to guard.
That's why I'm here, to obtain a good sword.

"Un. And that's why I was gonna get her a new one but Rulii's sword was a very high-ranking magic sword, no one's selling it."

"So you're trying to make one yourself. Does it have to be magic sword? The swords here are quite well-made, should be enough to clinch the exam..."

"It looks like a normal sword, around this long and weight 300 gram. Could she?"

The girl spread her arms, showing a length that was clearly mismatched with the 300 gram weight.
"....There's no substitute for that magic sword indeed."

It's a magic sword that was referred as 『Lightweight Longsword』 in my past life.
They're extremely long and thin swords augmented with magic such as 【Toughening】 and 【Iron Slash】, they're reasonably strong and powerful so they were popular among magicians and swordsmen that favored extreme speed.

It would be difficult to replicate its ease of use with a normal sword. In other words, the swordsmanship her friend has trained up until now has been rendered useless. I don't think her friend could pass the exam.
It's possible to make the same sword with a special kind of metal, but it's not something that can be gotten in a short notice.... alright.

"I can do it, augment."

"Really!?"

"No no, that's impossible. I understand if you feel sorry for her, but ya can't just lie about something ya can't do."

The girl was elated, the storekeeper smiled wryly at my reply.

"You're right, it probably won't go too well.... But if it's of the same level as the magic sword over there, I can probably manage."

I said that while pointing at the least shoddiest magic sword in the store (still run-off-the-mill though).
The storekeeper smiled wryly when he heard me.

"Oy oy, that magic sword is the best augmented swords we have in this store, it's the pride of the guy who did the augment y'know?"

"Yeah. That's the best one here, next is this one, after that it's.... this and that I think. They're more or less the same though."

The storekeeper who was smiling wryly had his eyes wide open when he heard me.

"Ya got it right.... By the way, which ones are the better ones among the non-magic swords?"

"This is the best, this one's the second, this one's the third.... but they're all of good quality so they're mostly similar I think. There should be no problem in buying any of them."

It's not a compliment, I really think so. The swords in this store are all good on the whole. It's just that the magic swords and the augment that are bad, but the base, the swords themselves, are well made.

"....Okay I got it. Lad, yer discerning eye is the same levels as a professional blacksmith. But, no matter how ya look at it, there's no way ya can augment magic swords at yer age. I don't like to say this, but it's a problem with yer Crest."

Looks like he recognize my judgment, but that has nothing to do with magic sword augmenting, is what he wants to say.
It's true that The Fourth Crest is unsuited for augment magic but that doesn't mean that it can't do it. If it's only of the same level as that sword, I've no need for the First Crest.

"No. If it's only at that level, even I can--"

I opened my mouth to tell him that, however....

"Beis-san!"

The girl interrupted me.

"What is it?"

The blacksmith storekeeper replied.
Apparently he's called Beis.

"I'd like to order a sword. It's this long and weights around 300 gram. And a hole that fits this magic stone.... Where do you think it should be?"

The girl turned at me after saying that much.

"Don't tell me, that means...."

"I'm going to bet on you!"

"Yer sure? Even though the sword can be reused, the magic stone will be gone fer' good if the augmenting fails y'know? And yer' asking that to a lad you just met...."

"But I have a feeling that he'll make it happen. My intuition is usually right on the money. Boy, I'm counting on you for the augmenting!"

I did say that I could do augmenting but I never agreed to do it.... I can't really refuse with this mood, can I.

"Leave it to me. Please make the hole at the center of the guard."

"You two are ignoring me huh. ...I'll finish the sword in 30 minutes. It'll cost ya 40 gold coins and you've gotta pay in advance. I'll guarantee the sword's performance, but I ain't got nothing to do 'bout the augmenting result okay."

"Okay!"

Looks like the blacksmith gave up arguing with her after seeing the girl's state.
He took the presented gold coins and went inside the store.
I could hear the sound of blacksmithing after a while.

"Oh I haven't introduced myself. I'm Alma. Alma Lepsius. I might have a family name but since I'm the third daughter of a small noble household.... Well, frankly speaking, I'm just a commoner! Un! I don't wanna get married off into some weird place so I left of the territory!"

What a terrible self-introduction.
Following after her, I also introduce myself.

"I'm Mathias. Mathias Hildesheimr. I might have a family name, but I"m the third son of a small noble household. In short, a commoner. I've got no field to plow so I went out of the village. Call me Mathi."

Mine is even more terrible.
Well, having no field to plow is the most whatever reason for me to get out of the territory though.
Truthfully, I just wanted to become an adventurer sooner.

"By the way, this Rulii who uses the sword in question is,"

"She's my friend, we left the territory together.... It's the girl over there!"

Alma pointed outside the store while she was talking.
Apparently, the person in question will make an appearance.




























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