Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?

The next morning, I woke up feeling great. I washed my face and brushed my teeth, then when I went to the dining room, Maribelle promptly served my breakfast.

Sophia, Maria, Marnie, Laeva, Akane, Lulu-chan,, and Kaede gathered in the dining room. We normally eat together with our employees, but Charlotte and the others were taking a little longer.

「You were confined to your smithy the entire day yesterday, weren't you?」

「Yup, you were so into it that you forgot about the time.」

「Please make sure to take proper meals.」

「Gotcha.」

It seems I've worried Sophia and the others. I should keep that in mind.

「So how is it going?」

「I still haven't enchanted it, but one sword is complete.」

「I asked Golan-san and Doganbo-san to do its fittings, so it's not with me right now.」

「Is that so? Then I will pay Golan-san a visit at his workshop.」

Laeva showed interest in the sword, so it seems she would make the trip to Golan-san's house.

I quickly finished my meal and headed to the smithy.

Gnome hadn't arrived yet. Salamander said he was coming in the evening. Since Doganbo-san and Golan-san were busy in their own workshop making the fittings, I was alone in the smithy right now.

Continuing my work from yesterday, I wouldn't use the magic furnace. I lined up the three types of orichalcum alloy ingots on the workbench, then brought out mana potions that I could drink at any time.

And in front of the ingots, I visualized the single-edged sword I was about to forge.

The image I had in mind was a sword that had the same parts as a kabutowari, a type of jitte[1].

The Kabutowari has no edge to kill with, but it is extremely thick. It wasn't as short as an armor piercer, but because it was shaped more as a sword than a kabutowari[2], it may as well be called an armor piercer.

I solidified the image my mind and shaped the ingot.

Combining the core steel, skin steel, and edge steel, I used Smithing magic and Synthesis into the shape of a thick sword with a wide body.

I took breaks to my magic power using mana potions and continue with the process.

Midway through, Sophia, Maria, and Marnie brought my lunch.

The reason why the three of them came was because they had brought Etoile, Haruka, and Flora with them.

As could be expected from having been holed up in my smithy for a while, I missed seeing my children. I couldn't be happier.

Now then, the shape was nearly complete. As with the armor piercer, the tang was made longer.

I designed this with the hope that it wouldn't lose in toughness against swords, but even though this form prioritizes sturdiness over sharpness, it's a sword made of orichalcum alloy, also known as god steel. I'd be glad if its sharpness was out of the ordinary too.

I adjusted the shape using Smithing magic, and by the time I finished the rough polish, Gnome and Salamander arrived at the smithy.

「Ou! We're right on time.」

「Fumu, that's quite the interesting sword. Shall we start with the tempering right away?」

Before I knew it, the sun had already set and darkness descended.

Since appearances matter, I used the same type of clay to draw another blade pattern to match the previous sword .

「Then, if you would.」

「Ou, then I'll heat it up.」

Once the clay had dried, I asked Salamander to heat up the second blade.

Salamander began heating up the thick sword blade.

Gnome watched intently, as if it ascertain the color of the blade.

「Now!」

Kshhhhh!!

I dunked the blade into Spirit Spring water and steam rose.

I pulled it out of the water and inspected it.

Then I silently showed it to Gnome and Salamander.

「Umu, it's well made.」

「Ou, it is worthy of the assistance we have provided.」

「Thank you. It would have been a lot harder without you guys.」

「What, you would have been fine by yourself too if you had enough time.」

「Indeed. It might be challenging with this magic furnace, but you could have probably made your own.」

After checking to make sure there was no warping on the blade after the quenching then sharpening it with Smithing magic, a sword of the same tinge as the one I had left in the care of Doganbo-san and Golan-san became apparent.

Even though it should have a rugged feeling because of its function as an armor piercer or helmet breaker, it felt refined and beautiful, likely because of the god steel.

「What are you going to do with its fittings? Leave it to Doganbo and Golan?」

「No, I will make it. I plan for this to be on my waist at all times for self defense. I don't want it to stand out too much.」

「Then all that's left is what to enchant it with.」

「Yeah, that's the thing. ……I'll have to think carefully about that.」

「Umu, that's fine.」

「Well then, we will head back.」

「Yeah, thanks, you two.」

Gnome and Salamander vanished from my workshop. I stood in front of the complete, still bare blade, wondering what I should enchantments I should apply to it.

Well, whatever it may be is a matter for tomorrow. I'm tired today, so I'll go take a bath and sleep.

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Footnotes

1. A Jitte is a blunt melee weapon that was used by police in Edo-period Japan.

2. Kabutowari translates to a helmet breaker or skull breaker.