Published: January 13, 2026
This is the content posted on the 25th!
I accidentally posted the chapters out of order…!
I’m reposting it properly now!
[Havel]
I don’t know what happened.
All I see before me is the shattered remains of the sword that has been through thick and thin with me for so many years.
Even so, I was once chosen as one of the five master blacksmiths in the Dwarf kingdom. Since I used it for traveling, I made it especially sturdy, and I’m sure I crafted a fine sword that didn’t compromise on sharpness.
Could it be that the long journey finally took its toll?
If not, then even a precious sword made of Orichalcum belonging to the Dwarf king shouldn’t have been cut so easily.
With that in mind, I inspected the cross-section of the sword. But what I saw was, in a way, a familiar sight.
It was a smooth cut surface you see when an awkward lump of iron, hardly worthy of being called a weapon, is sliced cleanly in one stroke.
“...Impossible, my sword...”
In other words, the performance difference was that significant.
I was so shocked that I didn’t even know what to say.
“...Um, was that a really important item? Should I fix it?”
The boy called Van said apologetically. Normally, I would have surely yelled at him. But right now, I just couldn’t feel like getting angry.
“F-fix it, you say...”
Once a sword breaks, it can never truly be restored. Even if you hammer a core rod in and heat it to forcibly reshape it, you’re only fixing its appearance.
If you try hitting swords together, they degrade in no time. You might even end up breaking the same spot again.
So rather than fixing it, the proper term is melting it down and making it anew.
Yet this kid in front of me spoke as if he could just restore the broken sword.
Without fully understanding, I handed over the broken sword.
“...Hey. Do you know which Dwarf forged this sword? Please, don’t say it was made by a human blacksmith. This is an abnormal situation where we can’t afford to be talking about Orichalcum ore.”
I said words I didn’t quite understand myself, watching the boy named Van carefully. Van silently picked up the broken sword’s blade tip and held it overlapping the hilt I had handed him.
Then he closed his eyes and seemed to focus on something. Suspicious of what he was about to do, I watched as the broken sword in his hands bent and changed shape.
“N-no...!?”
It wasn’t just me—voices of astonishment rang out from those inside the guild. But none of the people standing behind Van looked surprised.
In just a few seconds. Van’s eyes were closed for only a few seconds, and my sword had regained its original shape.
“W-what!?”
My voice slipped out before I even realized it.
“Hey, someone give me a sword... yeah, thanks.”
Grasping the newly made sword, Van spoke to those behind him and received another sword.
Holding that sword, he swung mine straight down. With a sharp metallic clang, the sword he received was cleanly cut in two.
“Whoa!?”
Once again, I was caught off guard. It had sliced through as cleanly as cutting a radish with a kitchen knife. Even my original sword might not have been able to do that.
“Yeah! Looks good. Maybe it’s because the original was so good? Despite its thickness, the sharpness is more than enough.”
Van smiled as if he hadn’t noticed my flustered state and said that.
“Here you go. I’ll give it back.”
When he said that, I couldn’t help but receive it respectfully with both hands. It was the first time since my master handed me a masterpiece as a model.
It had a solid weight, and the center of gravity was slightly heavier toward the blade. The thickness and length were exactly the same. The only regret was that the guard, hilt, and spine of the blade now had much more elaborate decorations.
Until now, I had dismissed such parts as unnecessary, but after seeing this level of perfection before me, these extravagant decorations seemed to be an important element.
“H-hey...”
“Havel, so, what do you think of that sword...?”