I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 93: Test Cutting

I walked to the workshop, taking Jest for a stroll. He seemed very happy, perhaps because he found watching training or waiting in the room boring.

“I wonder if my scale has turned into a cool sword. Since it has perfect affinity with magic, it’s okay to imbue even more magic than before!”

“Affinity… Jest knows difficult words well. I think it’s a word that doesn’t come out of the mouths of most of my subordinates, except maybe Orel and Arnault.”

“Um, my mom told me!”

By the way, Jeanne offered her own scales to the dwarf village, didn’t she? It wouldn’t be strange to talk about that.

But still, craftsmen coming to the capital just because they can’t get scales anymore. Dragon scales must be such an attractive material to craftsmen.

“I see, she even taught you human transformation magic. Jest’s mom seems knowledgeable.”

“Yeah! But she doesn’t tell me about dad~”

“Huh?”

“Oh, Justin! Someone’s waiting in front of the workshop! Is that Bosco? Let’s hurry!!”

I feel like I heard something really unsettling just now. But the person in question found Bosco and ran ahead before I could stop him.

Come to think of it, I realized I didn’t know how long it takes for a dragon to become pregnant and lay eggs, or how long it takes for the eggs to hatch. Jeanne and the others seem to have already set off for the capital, so maybe I’ll ask when they arrive. There wasn’t any mention of Jest’s father in the novel, but he’s not dead already, is he? With my younger brothers having lost their father early, I chased after Jest, feeling unsettled.

“Commander Vandière! I’ve been waiting for you! My… my masterpiece is ready! Come on in!!”

Ignoring Jest as if he weren’t there, Bosco guided me into the workshop. He seemed very excited about showing me something.

“Oh, here it is! The sword made with my scale! Oh, and this dagger too.”

Among the swords lined up on a diagonally placed shallow wooden box-like platform, Jest ran up to the sword with an exceptionally beautiful gleam.

“Hey, kid. Swords are heavy, so come close with… my… scale…?”

Bosco tried to grab Jest’s shoulder to stop him, but his hand froze before it could reach him.

“Oh, that’s Jest, the one who provided the scale. He’s human now, but he’s a dragon. Yeah, Jest’s mother and him trained together in the dwarven village, and some dwarves are coming with us. Get along well with them.”

“Huh, um, dwarves…? And the mother of that child… is a dragon who provided a scale that only skilled dwarves can use… and she’s been alive for over two hundred years…”

As Bosco mumbled to himself, he started trembling. Leaving him like that, I picked up the sword that Jest was looking at and gave it a light swing.

“It’s lighter than it looks. Let me try test cutting in the courtyard. Jest, come here.”

“Okay.”

Since Bosco seemed unlikely to recover anytime soon, we moved to the courtyard, where there were targets for testing weapons. Each workshop had its own courtyard, so it was reassuring that no one could watch from outside.

When I tried channeling magic into it, I could move it freely as if it were an extension of my arm. I realized that it fit my hand and magic better than any sword I had used before.

Slashing diagonally at a scarecrow wearing a failed armor, it cut through as if slicing cake. The next moment, a loud noise echoed in the courtyard as the upper half of the scarecrow and the armor fell off. It’s natural for sharpness to increase when magic is infused, but this was on a different level.

Next, I tried slicing instead of slashing the scarecrow. While the armor was intact, cleanly slicing through wood horizontally is supposed to be difficult due to the nature of the fibers. Yet, once again, a loud noise rang out in the courtyard.

“So this is… the affinity with magic… It’s truly something different.”

“Well, because it’s my scale!”

Jest, who had been watching from a distance, said proudly. I understood that Bosco’s skill as a craftsman was also significant, but seeing Jest looking so proud, I couldn’t help but admire him.

“That’s right. It’s truly remarkable to be using Jest’s scale. This is an exceptional sword.”

“Hehe. Then, try this one too. It’s also made with my scale.”

Saying so, Jest offered a dagger that had been placed next to the sword. This one also felt lighter than it looked. This time, I aimed it at the target for archery and threw it, of course, infused with magic.

With a light sound, the thrown dagger pierced the center of the target. It wasn’t because of my control; it was manipulated by magic.

After throwing it several times, I confirmed that as long as the angle wasn’t too steep… even if it curved gently, I could hit the target in front of me even when I threw it backwards. While the attack power of a dagger isn’t high, being able to use it during combat is quite significant.

“Haha, this feeling is amazing. Jest, you’re the best!”

Feeling delighted, I lifted Jest up as if in a celebration.

“Hehe, right? But, you know, if you say that in front of Eleanor, she might sulk, so let’s keep it a secret, okay?”

“Got it. I’ll keep it a secret from Eleanor that I think Jest is so amazing and kind.”

After exchanging smiles, we thanked Bosco, who had returned to his senses, and walked hand in hand back to the dormitory.