Published: September 9, 2025
This is not from Satou’s point of view. (It’s from Kuro’s subordinate captain’s point of view)
Correction made on 2/11 for typos.
“Hello~ Master craftsman, are you here?”
“Sumina! So you’re alive after all.”
The proprietress of the weapons shop was crying tears of joy at my safe return. To be honest, I never thought she’d remember someone as poor as me. Even though it’s been nearly ten years, I’m by no means a valued customer. Over these ten years, I’ve only bought six weapons. The spear I first purchased—I didn’t have enough money, so I had to stand watch by the forge for nearly half a month to pay off the difference. Maybe that’s why she remembers me, since I came by so often not knowing how to maintain my weapons.
“Oh, if it isn’t the snapping turtle girl.”
“That’s not a girl anymore. People call me a spinster nowadays.”
I corrected the master craftsman’s rude nickname as he came out from the back. Saying it myself makes me feel down, but at 27, I’m definitely past the age of being called a girl—more like a spinster. I wonder if Lord Kuro would at least take me as a concubine.
“So, what brings you here today? You’re not the kind of Tama who would come just to report safely coming back, right?”
The master craftsman was as rude as ever, but he hit the nail on the head.
“Hehe, Master craftsman, you see right through everything.”
“I don’t know everything, you know.”
Don’t get bashful, fifty-year-old man.
“Anyway, I wanted to ask how to care for this sword.”
I pulled the sword from my waist and showed it to the master craftsman. This is the “Silver Sword of Antwing,” a Demonic Sword given to me by Lord Kuro. It’s a translucent silver blade that, when channeled with magic power, displays a terrifyingly sharp edge. It cuts many times better than the Black Iron Sword the master craftsman once let me swing. After all, it can easily slice through even the extremely tough shell of labyrinth ants.
“Hey, Sumina. Where did you get this sword?”
The master craftsman stared at the Silver Sword with a serious, almost scary expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“Just answer.”
His tone was tenser than when working. Since there was no need to hide it, I answered honestly, “Lord Kuro gave it to me.”
“Did he make this sword?”
“I don’t know who made it.”
“I see.”
“You made one before, didn’t you?”
“The one I made was the Silver Sword of Antwing, but this isn’t the Silver Sword of Antwing.”
The master craftsman started saying something suspicious, like a riddle.
He’s not at the age to start losing his mind yet, right?
“Surely, the real Silver Sword of Antwing wasn’t this pretty silver color?”
“Right. The Silver Sword of Antwing is expensive but the crafting method is widely known. In this Labyrinth City alone, more than ten are made each year. Compared to other Demonic Swords, it’s relatively common.”
That makes sense.
“But all of those are gray swords. They don’t have this kind of beautiful silver color.”
“Hmm?”
“The secret of the Silver Sword of Antwing is temperature control. If the temperature shifts even a few degrees during the process where silver attaches to the antwing soaked in the solution, the blade turns black and dull, becoming useless. Long ago, the honorable sage who taught us this Demonic Sword’s crafting method made a blade that was translucent silver. Could this be the sword left behind by that sage?”
The old man’s story was long indeed.
“I don’t think so. When I received this sword, it was practically brand new. Not even a chip or a single scratch.”
There’s a few scratches now—those labyrinth ants are tough.
“I see... Sumina, would you be willing to sell this sword? I’ll pay up to 100 gold coins. If you want, I can even throw in the Great Sword of the Mantis I made before.”
What? 100 gold coins? And that great sword is the master craftsman’s masterpiece he once boasted he wouldn’t sell no matter how much money was offered.