The dwarves began tidying up the workspace while singing cheerfully.

No way...

No way, no way....

And sure enough, that "no way" became reality—they finished tidying up and immediately started a drinking party.

Is it that they just can't hold back when there's alcohol around...? Talk about having zero self-control.

"Here, you lot have a drink too!"

The master handed me a cup.

It seems the drinking party has his full approval.

Or rather, the fact that there are glasses casually sitting in the workshop says it all.

Etowa and Elepipi are still underage, though—what should we do...? Well, this world probably doesn't have any laws about alcohol...

The party progressed, and as expected of the Dwarven race, the booze disappeared before my eyes at a staggering rate. I'd brought quite a lot of whiskey, but they were tossing back 40% ABV liquor straight, one after another, while snacking on some jerky that had appeared out of nowhere.

The rest of us were a bit put off by this sudden party starting in the middle of the day during work hours. We exchanged looks and agreed through eye contact to just sip our drinks as a courtesy while we shared the table.

"Sorry about this. We Dwarves, when something good happens, just can't help it. We end up wanting to make a ruckus like this. Especially when we receive such fine drink and steel. Come on, make the most of it! Drink more, Danna!"

The red-faced master pressed me further. He held out the bottle with his thick, gnarled hand. Hmm... If it were beer, maybe, but I can't drink whiskey like that...

If only I had something to dilute it with... Ah. Right, I brought water. I had prepared some mineral water earlier, considering the possibility of water pollution.

Perfect. Let's use this as water for diluting. If I thin it out, I can at least drink a decent amount.

The dwarves hadn't just stuck to the alcohol I brought; they had already dragged out another barrel of their own and started in on that too. Are they simply heavy drinkers...? Is this that classic drunkard move where they use literally any excuse to start drinking...?

Well, even if so, I'm glad they're happy. Yeah. Surely, they'll make something good for me... Though we've completely lost the feel of discussing business!

"So... what kind of swords do you want me to forge?"

Just as I thought that, he brought up the business. He didn't seem like the type to get so drunk he couldn't talk shop. In fact, he seemed like the type whose communication only starts once there's alcohol involved. "Drink-munication," as we call it.

Well, it's not like I have anything else to do today. Ordering armor and weapons is a big purchase; it's probably better to take our time and align our expectations while we socialize.

In Japan, shopping tends to be fast-paced. But I've heard that in places like the Middle East, it's common to spend half a day negotiating and shopping. They say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." ...Though if I tried to keep up with the dwarves' drinking pace, one body wouldn't be enough to survive it.

"Um, to put it simply, what I want are portable one-handed swords. We're a very small group, but we're thinking of forming a knight order. So we need matching swords for the members. And armor too."

I told him about the knight order. Matching swords. And if possible, matching armor to go with them.

"A knight order? A private one?"

"Yes. Well, it hasn't even started yet... Anyway, I'd like to place a bulk order for weapons and armor. The weapons would be matching one-handed swords—positioned as portable sidearms. Since we run a shop in town most of the time, we need weapons that are easy to handle. As for the shape... I'd prefer single-edged ones that can be used for non-lethal strikes with the back of the blade."

Double-edged is fine, but being able to strike with the back of the blade is practical. I wasn't necessarily obsessed with a "katana" style, but I wanted something functional. Besides, my magic sword is already double-edged.

"...And the members of this knight order?"

"These girls here."

I gestured to the women behind me, who were sipping their drinks politely. The master's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Knights? A squad of female knights?!"

Ah, I guess it really is unexpected.

"Yes. An all-female knight order. Pretty cool, right?"

When I answered nonchalantly, the master broke into a huge grin without holding back.

"Fwaha ha ha ha! Knights! A knight order! Gathering women with the Knight Vocation, huh!"

Is it really that funny?

An old dwarf like him must be steeped in macho thinking—probably believes knights (or warriors in general) have to be men.

...Well, as long as he can do the job, his ideology doesn't matter.

If he said something like "I can't forge swords for women," that would be a problem, though.

"Is it that strange?"

I might have let a bit of my irritation leak into my voice.

That’s no good... I need to be more of an adult. If I’m going to seriously start a female knight order, the world's prejudice is probably going to be much worse than this.

"Sorry. Did I offend you? I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just... refreshing. There are all-female mercenary bands, so there's no reason women can't be knights. I just never thought someone would actually seriously do it."

It seems he didn't mean any harm. I forgive him!

"It was partly just how things turned out. By chance, I ended up with deep ties to several women who have the Knight Vocation."

"That's fine. There's rarely any actual difference in performance between men and women, from my experience. Besides, the only place where women can't be knights is this country. Whether it's for 'efficiency' or 'tradition,' I don't know—especially for a country that doesn't even have much history to speak of. It's the kind of place that does bureaucratic work, deciding things about iron without ever consulting a blacksmith. I get that they need mass quantities for war, but trying to win by choosing quantity over quality..."

Uwaa, we're back to the iron topic.

He really has a lot of pent-up frustration toward the state. Or maybe he's just already drunk. Personally, I think "quantity over quality" is a basic fundamental of war, but I decided to keep that to myself.

After venting his grievances about the country's ways, the master glanced at my waist and muttered.

"So, what about that sword of yours, Danna? If you're making swords for the order, you'll need one too, right? Are you going to carry both?"

Oops, he spotted the magic sword.

I wasn't exactly hiding it, but coming to a blacksmith to ask for a sword while the truth was "this is my main, please make me a sub-weapon" was a bit awkward to admit.

"Yes. But this one is a bit special. It's not a sword to be used carelessly. Especially not against humans."

"Umu... It certainly has an aura. Mind if I have a look? It's just professional curiosity."

Well, I figured this would happen.

"It's heavy, so be careful."

I handed the magic sword to the master.

When anyone other than me, the owner, holds this sword, it apparently feels unnervingly heavy.

"Ooohh, it really is heavy. What the hell is this thing?"

"Heh heh heh. It's a magic sword that chooses its owner, you see..."

I was trying to sound cool, but I just happened to find it by chance!

"A magic sword?! Did you say magic sword?! This thing!? ...No, it couldn't be..."

He seemed strangely excited. Does he know something?

"Do you know about magic swords?"

"Yeah. It's an old legend passed down among the dwarves. The Seven Blood-Stained Magic Swords. Blades that slaughtered seven races and were drenched in seven colors of blood. It's said that whoever holds one is cursed for generations."

Cursed...

Getting attacked by that weird bear could count as a curse. I'd like to think there isn't anything more than that.

"Now, let me see the blade."

With one motion, the master drew the sword from its sheath.

The black blade appeared.

As the name "Nuregarasu (Slick Raven)" suggests, it has a glossy, soaking-wet black color.

For reference, the info shown in the Mirror of Truth is this:

【Type】

Melee Weapon

【Name】

Demon Sword of the Slick Raven (Nuregarasu): Heart of Blood

【Description】

A magic sword dyed red after drinking the blood of a thousand magic beasts.

A sword equippable by melee combat classes.

Grants the blessing of increased evasion via the magical color "Nuregarasu". 

Inflicts the curse of the unique magic sword skill "Absorb" on attack targets.

Increased critical hit rate against magic beasts.

【Magic Properties】

Evasion Up: B

Absorb: C

Anti-Magic Beast: A

【Spirit Blessing】

None

【Owner】

Jiro Ayase

※Non-transferable

The master's eyes were glued to the magic sword, and he let out a sharp, audible gulp.

"What in the world is this..."

"It's incredibly black, right?"

"No... the color is certainly incredible, but... Can something like this even be forged by human hands...? That knife earlier was already beyond imagination in craftsmanship, but this is on another level... I, of all people, can't even tell what material this is... And this contained demonic pulse..."

The master spoke in a trembling voice. He looked almost possessed by the sword.

Looking at him, I said with a smug face:

"The black part seems to be an after-effect. Apparently, the blade was originally red. Oh, and by the way—it's a genuine magic sword."

The master looked up.

"Genuine... huh? ...Makes sense. The inherent magic power is denser than anything I've ever felt. No... it's not an exaggeration to say the magic power itself became the sword. This explains it... I thought you were an odd customer, but I never imagined you were a swordsman acknowledged by a demon sword. You don't look strong at all, but you really can't judge a person by appearances..."

The master muttered to himself, finally making sense of it. Hey, the "don't look strong" part was unnecessary.

He exhaled and returned the sword to its sheath.

"Whew, that was something to see. Indeed, this shouldn't be used carelessly. I can't forge a sword of this level, but I'll forge you one perfect for everyday use... No, please let me forge it. Being able to make a sword for a swordsman recognized by a magic sword is the highest honor for a smith."

Somehow, I'd suddenly earned his full respect.

Just for owning the magic sword, I was being treated like a hero.

Seriously, I just found it by accident... Well, no need to explain that part.

* * *

After that, we got down to business and filled out the formal order forms.

Despite the alcohol, the Grandmaster didn't seem drunk at all. He took quick measurements using the width of his hands and noted the requests down on thick cardstock. It looked like he was going to personally handle everything—both weapons and armor—from start to finish.

He even gave us a massive discount. Since he's technically retired, he said he'd only charge for labor and materials. I'm not sure if it was the "Magic Sword effect," the high-quality steel, or the whiskey, but the treatment was incredibly generous. You could call it pure luck.

Rebecca-san was measured first.

Even though it was a measurement, the master just measured roughly with his hands and looked at her palms. Apparently, he can tell a person's strength just by looking at their hands.

"Hm? Is this ring the work of a Lindenrobe?"

While he was muttering about Rebecca-san's strength not matching her appearance, the master noticed the ring I had given her.

"Lindenrobe?"

"A craftsman from Erische. We occasionally send work to him. He's skilled but stubborn. He shouldn't have been taking jewelry commissions for a long time now..."

Now that he mentioned it, Bill-shi's surname was indeed Lindenrobe.

Bill Lindenrobe, the craftsman from Erische and husband to the mayor, Milkpearl-san. We met through a strange series of events, and through that connection, I had him make the ring for Rebecca-san.

I had provided the garnet myself. It was impressive that he could identify the maker just by looking at the ring; I guess that's what a master craftsman is like. Maybe I'll have Bill-shi do the ornamental work on the swords we're making this time.

Because Rebecca-san said, "I prefer something a bit heavy," we decided on a heavy, double-edged straight sword for her. She has a long history as a mercenary, so her preferences are very clear.

Next was Marina.

Since most of her armor besides the chest piece was still usable, we decided to just refurbish that part. Before deciding on the sword's shape, the Grandmaster looked at her halberd.

"Oh, this is another strangely colored polearm."

"Master-dono gave it to me de-arimasu!" Marina replied.

Marina's halberd was in an "Extinction Purple" color. It's better known as "deep purple," but basically a rich purple.

Just as my sword is black, items in this world sometimes have special colors that signify some kind of special effect. The effect on Marina's halberd is [Destruction]. I haven't been able to fully verify what that does yet, but in that sense, Marina's halberd is also a weapon that's difficult to use casually.

"Umu. This also seems to be quite a fine piece. It's not as much as that magic sword earlier, but there's magic inside it too. You lot must be quite wealthy."

Apparently, weapons with these kinds of attributes are normally traded at very high prices. I had just bought it cheaply at a junk shop, but it turned out to be a real find. Since Marina wasn't sure about the sword, we decided to forge one in the same style as mine.

Next was Diana.

"An elf-sama!?"

He hadn't noticed because she was wearing her hood.

I had an image of dwarves and elves being races that didn't get along, but that wasn't the case at all; he seemed to respect her normally.

We settled on making an elaborately ornate rapier. When you think of an elf, you think of a rapier. I'm a man who sticks to the classics! Or rather, I just didn't feel like giving a heavy sword to Diana, who seems a bit fragile. She's the magic specialist, after all.

Her armor would also be heavily decorative. The master really understood. He was far too understanding of fashion equipment.

Elepipi was next.

"...Please look after me."

She bowed slightly, still giving off her usual low-energy vibe.

She had some alcohol in her system, but I didn't see much change. Maybe she's surprisingly strong with booze?

Now that I think about it, Rebecca-san and Marina were pretty strong too. Maybe having the Knight Vocation makes you highly tolerant of alcohol...?

"Ah, for this girl, the one-handed sword will be her main weapon, so I want you to prioritize practicality."

Elepipi alone would not be using a portable sidearm—it would be her primary weapon.

A one-handed sword and shield—the classic hero style.

For some reason, among our members who mostly specialize in offense, she's the only one with a shield.

I want Elepipi to become a stable fighting force.

After all, she's someone else's daughter. I can't let her get injured carelessly.

So, taking into account potential battles with monsters and magical beasts, we settled on forging something a bit rugged.

Well, Elepipi is just starting out, so it's fine if her training adapts to the sword.

For the shield, the master said he'd prepare a light and strong one. Apparently, it would be made by skillfully combining mithril, magical beast leather, steel, and wood.

Next, Etowa.

"You'll make something for me too?"

Of course. You're part of the knight order. I won't leave you out.

"For this girl, I think two daggers would be good. What do you think?"

"Right. The Caanan race is physically weak. Winning through speed and number of strikes seems good."

Then that's settled.

Finally, it was me.

"...Umu. Judging by your hands, you don't seem like that much of a user."

"T-That's because I'm the genius type... Ah, I don't have much strength either, so practicality is fine, but please make it look cool, light, and single-edged."

"Got it."

—And with that, everyone was examined, and orders for armor were placed as well.

Now we're just waiting for the estimate. Since the master is doing this partly as a hobby, it probably won't be that expensive. I had considered having him forge swords for future members, but since it's the kind of thing you forge specifically for the person, I decided against it.

Anyway, I achieved my initial goal. I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out. I felt like I was forgetting something, though...

"Oh, that's right. I remembered."

I pulled out [Rusted Sword -2] from my inventory.

When I showed it to the blacksmith in Erische, he turned me down, saying, "It's impossible for something this rusted," but I brought it here thinking a dwarf might be able to do it.

I handed the heavily rusted sword, which seemed completely beyond repair, to the master. It was past the point of just being rusty; it looked like a literal lump of rusted iron, like something that had been excavated from the mountains.

I possess an appraisal ability called [Mirror of Truth]. That's why I know that even a sword this hopelessly rusted can be restored—but normally, anyone would just say, "Throw that away."

Well, even if it couldn't be fixed, I got it for free, so no big deal.

For reference, this is how the Mirror of Truth displays it:

【Type】

Melee Weapon

【Name】

Rusted Sword -2

【Description】

A heavily rusted sword

Its true form is either a famous sword or a junk sword

【Magic Properties】

???

【Spirit Blessing】

???

【Owner】

Jirou Ayase

It's blatantly suspicious.

The master took the super-rusted sword, flipped it over, checked for bends, and after a full inspection, turned back to me.

"...This one's beyond my skills."

Ah, so it was impossible after all.

No matter how skilled he is, there are limits.

"...No, don't misunderstand me. I can handle normal rust, but this isn't normal rust. It's soaked with magic. At this point, it's beyond a blacksmith's domain."

"Magic… soaked into it?"

I don't know how it looks through a dwarf's eyes, but it's apparently not ordinary rust. Guess that's what the "-2" signifies. It won't be simple.

"Does that mean it's impossible?"

If it was impossible, that was fine. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for that fantasy cliché where removing the rust reveals a legendary sword, though.

"No... For magic, use magic. It's not completely impossible, but it'll cost a bit of money. You'll need a magic crystal."

"A magic crystal?"

I have enough money, so that should be fine, but I hadn't brought any magic crystals. I had a small one and a large one back at the mansion.

"I know an acquaintance who can probably fix this. But what do you want to do? You'll have to buy a magic crystal, so it'll be a considerable amount of money."

How much did a magic crystal cost again? It should depend on the size. But whatever, let's prioritize romance.

"If it can be fixed, I want to fix it. Is your acquaintance not a blacksmith? What do you use the magic crystal for?"

It didn't feel like he was suggesting a professional polisher. It didn't seem like processing the crystal into a whetstone would fix it either.

"...It's not exactly a secret, but I have a demon (Mazoku) acquaintance. With demon arts, it might be possible to revive this sword. Handling and purging magic energy is that race's specialty."

A demon!

Come to think of it, I'd heard they existed. I wonder if they have green skin and lay eggs from their mouths...? That's scary. Then again, they might do things like give you clothes and swords as a bonus; maybe restoring a rusty sword is a piece of cake for them.

Wait, if they're a demon, doesn't that mean they can use magic? Oh, is my Mage Vocation finally going to see the light of day? I wonder if they'll teach me magic.

"What kind of person are they? If it's okay, I'd like to meet them once."

"Meet a demon?! You're a strange one."

Is it strange? Are demons a particularly scary race after all?

"Well... I don't mind introducing you, but there are some circumstances. Are you a devout follower of the Great Spirits? No, considering you're keeping an elf like a slave, you're a scoundrel."

A scoundrel... You're absolutely right.

"I am a scoundrel. The spirits are always stinging me with insults, too."

"Umu. Then... it should be fine. But only you, Danna. If that's okay, I'll introduce you."

"Fumu. So there are some 'circumstances' involved."

"......"

Well, whether there are circumstances or not doesn't matter much. I might as well meet them. I want to cherish the encounters I have while traveling.

So, we decided to go see the demon to show them the rusty sword. The demon apparently lives about a thirty-minute walk from this workshop.

That's surprisingly close.