The Sword Master’s Son-in-Law

– Return

Two days after Lord Ailer and Lily departed.

Rednil summoned Asia and me to the workshop, claiming the swords were finished.

And so, we visited the Hephaike Workshop,

where Rednil stood, looking triumphant.

Before him were two long objects, wrapped in cloth, presumably swords.

Rednil first unwrapped the shorter of the two.

Revealing a pristine white blade.

A clear blade, without a single blemish.

“Well, there’s no need to mention its sturdiness, of course. I’ve made it as light as possible.”

I examined the sword Rednil had shown me closely.

The area around the hilt seemed a bit elaborate.

So much so, that someone might mistake it for a decorative piece.

But still—

“I am deeply satisfied.”

The performance itself would be good, so it was of no concern to Asia.

If anything, the better the performance, the more ornate the appearance for display, the better, right?

“For the sword’s name… how about slightly twisting ‘White Blossom Sword’ to ‘White Snow Sword’?”

“I really like it!”

White Snow Sword, huh….

To my eyes, it felt like a name dripping with sweetness, but since Asia was content, I didn’t particularly nitpick.

And the moment of truth—

Rednil untied the cloth from the remaining sword.

And revealed was—

“Huh?”

I’d thought it would be a pure white blade, but it was dark.

I thought swords made with mithril were all supposed to have pristine white blades…?

The old man’s White Blossom Sword had been like that, and so had Asia’s White Snow Sword.

Rednil seemed to pick up on my unease.

“Looks like you’re a little taken aback.”

Taken aback.

Honestly, I was.

“Ah… yeah.”

Could it be—

That Rednil had skimped on the materials…?

I quickly banished that thought from my mind.

Rednil’s dwarven master craftsman.

Skimping on materials?

There was no way a master would do such a thing.

Besides, there was no way he would’ve done anything shady to his friend’s sword either.

“Well… the golem guarding the workers, its core was intact, so I used it to make this…”

“And using that made the blade turn black?”

“Honestly, I don’t know either. It’s normally supposed to be white.”

“Hmm… well, how about the performance?”

The sword’s appearance wasn’t really my concern.

If anything, I kind of liked that the blade was black.

It looked special, somehow.

From a personal aesthetic, it looked clean.

Blood and stuff probably wouldn’t be too noticeable, either.

Anyway, honestly, what was more important was whether the sword could handle my mana.

A smile crept onto Rednil’s lips.

“Give it a try.”

He wore a confident expression.

Rednil was one to always harbor a slight dissatisfaction with the swords he forged.

To see him so confident like this…

I couldn’t help but feel a stirring of anticipation.

I grasped the sword’s hilt.

It fit my hand perfectly, a seamless connection.

A good omen, right from the start.

I began by infusing mana into the blade.

It remained unmoving, undisturbed.

‘First test: passed.’

Now then, for the next.

I shifted the mana into aura.

“Oho…!”

An exclamation escaped me unbidden.

Just as before, not even the slightest tremor.

“Heh heh… I might even call this my masterpiece. You should be grateful.”

Finally.

‘Would it withstand a Sword Master’s aura?’

I had become capable of, at least fragmentarily, channeling a Sword Master’s aura.

And so, I drew my power up to its utmost.

Then-.

*Whoom*. *Whoom*.

The sword resonated.

Rednil’s expression instantly tightened.

“Uh, wait? Don’t tell me…?”

But thankfully, the resonating was all it did.

It didn’t feel like it was on the verge of shattering.

‘…Is it because the energy permeated the blade without a single gap?’

It wasn’t breaking.

More like the peculiar rotation of my mana was influencing the sword as well.

Simply put, it felt as though only the cutting power had increased.

Rednil let out a relieved sigh, seeing the sword unscathed.

“Hah… you saw that!”

“It’s good. Really good.”

“So, I’ve been thinking about a name for the sword… how about Seolihan?”

Seolihan, you say.

Unequivocally, I hated it.

It felt somehow… counterfeit.

I shook my head, conveying my refusal.

Rednil then offered another name.

“How about the Black Eclipse Blade?”

“It suits it well.”

A clean name it was.

I decided to choose that name.

“Truly, I thank you. Rednil.”

“I am more grateful.”

I had obtained a good sword,

and Asia’s sword was made, so it was time to slowly return.

More time than expected had been spent, so I hurried the departure.

For that reason.

“I thank you. Farewell, Rednil.”

Taking this opportunity, I bid farewell to Rednil.

Rednil, as if guessing I would soon leave, didn’t show any signs of holding me back.

Merely…

“If the sword has any problems, come find me.”

“Understood.”

He guaranteed repairs, finishing the farewell.

And I exited Hephaike’s smithy.

Four people were waiting in front of the smithy.

Commander Retid and Commander Bertnia, and then Melia and Teddy.

They had finished preparing to depart and were waiting.

Thus, Asia and Melia boarded the carriage.

I stood beside it to escort the carriage.

And then-.

“Ah, would it be alright to touch it just once?”

Teddy stuck close, showing interest in my sword.

I decided to be generous.

Frankly, I also wanted to show it off.

I handed the Black Eclipse Sword to Teddy.

Teddy examined the Black Eclipse Sword several times carefully.

He muttered as if to himself.

“Someday, I want a sword like this too…!”

I guess it felt good to have my sword acknowledged,

my mood became strangely pleased.

*

The Messiah Count’s manor.

Currently, a banquet was being held there.

The reason being Asia’s return.

Count Messiah, overjoyed by this, had thrown it.

The knights and all the household rejoiced, enjoying the banquet.

Within that boisterous banquet…

Bertnia, who had been among them, quietly shifted her position.

The place Bertnia moved to was the lord’s chamber, where Count Messia resided.

The lord’s chamber of the Messia estate.

Count Messia, who had been waiting for Bertnia there, spoke.

“Did something perhaps occur with Asia?”

The reason Count Messia had sent Bertnia.

It was a kind of watchfulness.

A contingency plan, one might say.

But-.

‘Oh… what to do?’

Bertnia was one to quickly discern matters of the heart, having encountered many men.

And so, she had noticed that something had changed within Asia.

However, she couldn’t truthfully relay this to Count Messia.

Bertnia paused, hesitating.

She reminded herself that she had no choice and decided to lie to Count Messia.

In truth, their time together had been brief, and she hadn’t been able to observe much.

Therefore, Bertnia was also genuinely unsure.

“Ah, nothing at all occurred.”

At Bertnia’s words, Count Messia was relieved.

For some unknown reason, ever since Asia had departed,

Count Messia had been unable to fall into a proper slumber.

An ominous feeling.

It was as though his home had been burgled.

He even had a dream.

A dream where Asia abandoned him and went to Arthurs.

Therefore, Count Messia’s worries were considerable.

But thanks to Bertnia’s words, he felt a wave of relief.

“That is most fortunate. You may leave now.”

Bertnia took her leave,

And Count Messia was left alone.

A certain curiosity arose within him.

His daughter, who had embarked on a journey for a considerably long time, not just a fleeting moment.

How had his daughter’s perception of her fiancé candidates changed during that time?

That was what he wondered.

“Have Asia brought here.”

Count Messia summoned Asia to the lord’s chamber, intending to inquire about this.

.

.

.

The sense of relief that Count Messia had felt just moments before vanished without a trace.

A Daughter’s Heart.

He sought to understand that heart.

Of course, he expected little change from before.

But –

“That is…”

Asia’s cheeks flushed crimson at the name Arthas.

Seeing his daughter like that, the relief he’d felt vanished in an instant.

And in its place settled a disquieting unease.

Asia hesitated to speak for a moment.

Then, she opened her mouth.

“I’ll just be honest with you.”

“Wha… what is it?”

“I’ve come to care for Arthas. But I don’t think there will be a change. I have no intention of deciding anything lightly before my coming-of-age ceremony.”

Come to care for him?

Those words drained the Count Messiah of his strength in a single breath.

He nearly collapsed.

Fortunately, there was a chair behind him, saving him from the indignity of falling to the floor.

Slumping into the chair, Count Messiah recomposed himself and asked,

“Did… something happen during the journey? Why such a sudden shift in your feelings…”

Something had clearly occurred.

Count Messiah asserted it to himself.

There was no other explanation for the change.

And as if to prove that something had happened,

Asia’s cheeks burned a deeper red.

However, Asia said nothing further about that something.

She simply blushed with embarrassment…

“It’s difficult to say.”

…and left the Lord’s Chamber.

Count Messiah stared blankly into space for a long while.

He felt utterly drained.

Why was this happening to him?

A certain person flashed through Count Messiah’s mind.

‘Ah, nothing at all happened.’

Bertania, the memory of her face rising before him.

Nothing at all, my foot.

Something definitely happened.

Infuriated, Count Messiah bellowed out to the hallway.

“Summon Commander Bertania to the Lord’s Chamber at once!!!”

And so –

Bertnia, the commander, faced a severe penalty under the guise of ‘failure to fulfill duties’ – a salary reduction coupled with house arrest.