Chapter 117: Line And Loop
Shiron could proudly claim that he played the game Reincarnation of the Sword Saint with more passion than anyone elsealmost obsessively. However, he was no madman who memorized every backstory linked to each piece of equipment.
Thus, Shiron had no idea why Atmos bore the nickname the blacksmith who hammers the stars, nor did he understand why holy swords, including Sirius, were dubbed swords that were forged from the stars. That was, until he witnessed the process of their creation firsthand.
Who wouldve thought they were made from meteorites and called holy swords.
Deep in a desert, far from the forge,
Shiron examined a rock in his hand with intense focus. Unlike ordinary stones, it was a meteorite, smooth as though it had melted and solidified once more. This meteorite was a byproduct of the meteor magic cast by Dolby.
After collecting hundreds of such rocks, Shiron turned and made his way back to the forge.
What kind of magic tool is that?
Magic tool?
You kept putting big rocks into your clothes.
Perched on Shirons shoulder, Dolby inquired with eyes brimming with curiosity. Despite being drained of the energy to even flap her wings after casting 9-star magic, her curiosity as a magician overpowered her exhaustion.
However, Shiron couldnt share her curiosity.
Neither Lucia, Siriel, nor even Berta had remarked on Shiron stowing items away in his clothes. Magic storage tools werent commonplace in this world, but they were known, so such observations werent novel.
But explaining the storage ability was another matter. Shiron found the prospect of explaining it tedious, so he simply showed her the inside of his priests robe.
This is a storage magic-imbued Rosary. Its hard to find, even in Lucernea very expensive magical tool.
Really?
Yes.
Shiron nodded at the fairy, whose eyes sparkled with childlike wonder. Yet, his next words were devoid of any such innocence.
Lies.
The one-eyed fairy chuckled, a strange light flickering in her sole remaining eye.
I dont feel anything there. No mana circuits are engraved, nor is there a magic stone acting as a pivot. Its just an ordinary Rosary.
Why lie? Is there a reason you cant tell me? Or did you think I would be fooled?
She must find him to be an interesting human.
Huh
Shiron laughed in disbelief, not because he got caught off guard, but because of her overly frank attitude.
What? So direct?
Narrowing his eyes, Shiron glanced at Dolby. It hadnt even been a week since they first met, and he was taken aback by her attitude of judging and looking down on others.
So,
Shiron grabbed Dolby by the shoulder and threw her down. He threw her so hard that her head buried itself in a sand pit. Observing her stuck bottom, Shiron hastened his steps.
Wait, wait! Dont leave me!
Ah, you jerk, why did you do that if you were going to apologize so quickly?
Shiron dusted off his shoulder where Dolby had sat. He heard her whining from behind but had no intention of lending his shoulder to a fairy who didnt know manners.
Dolby ran after the departing Shiron.
Fairies and humans have a height difference of about ten times. Moreover, with Shirons long legs, he naturally widened the distance without even running.
I was wrong! Sorry! I wont dig further!
Apology and promise. At that, Shiron stopped and looked back. He saw a pale face with a relieved smile in the distance.
Ah, Aaah!
Boom-
Just then, Dolby, who was running, tripped and fell. Perhaps due to mana exhaustion, she looked dizzy, and her eyes rolled back as she collapsed.
What a situation.
Shiron chuckled at the sitcom-like scene and approached Dolby, picking her up by the nape of her neck.
What are you doing?
Mo, motion sickness.
Dolby retched, her eyes spinning. Shiron held her at arms length, waiting for her to recover. After a sufficient wait, Shirons lips twisted into a smirk.
Hey.
Why, why?
Dolby awkwardly responded to the smiling face that had come close. It seemed that throwing her had an effect; her attitude had become more subdued than before the scolding.
Are we close?
No?
Then why are you prying into my affairs? Youve seemed to look down on me since earlier.
Yes, you. You deceived me? And Im hundreds of years older than you
That wasnt my question.
Dolby covered her mouth with both hands, and Shiron stared at her silently. Suddenly, the image of an immature magician overlapped with that of the fairy.
What. These beings whove lived for hundreds of years Lets just stop.
Though many thoughts crossed his mind, Shiron couldnt bring himself to utter such blasphemy to one who would forge the holy sword. He suppressed what he wanted to say. However, that didnt mean Shiron stayed silent.
Could it be
Was this person also a fate-changing encounter?
Shiron lifted Dolby to eye level.
From your words, it seems like you can see mana circuits or something. Is that right?
Yes.
Then, take a look at my body.
Shiron took off his top.
Wow
An unexpected display of physical beauty in the desert. Dolbys eyes widened at the sight of his well-defined, muscular body. Then, her eyes narrowed as if she had spotted something.
Youre a Prient.
Why?
Have you ever been cursed or undergone body modifications while asleep?
Cursed?
As Shiron echoed the question, Dolby put on a serious face, seemingly worried.
Like a curse, or maybe you were modified in your sleep. Your blood vessels, which should extend in long threads to your limbs, are forming a circle around your heart, spinning round and round
Dolby shifted her gaze from his chest to his face, her small mouth moving as if she had something to ask.
Can I ask you one thing?
Go ahead.
Shiron nodded. The recent commotion seemed to have taught Dolby the courtesy of asking for permission before questioning.
You cant use magic mana at all?
Thats right.
Dolbys eyes widened again at the brief answer. How could someone who couldnt use mana even consider fighting an Apostle? Even though the people of Prient were designed to possess extraordinary physical strength, their basic structure was still human.
Can I ask you one thing too?
Shiron dressed himself and grasped Dolbys shoulder.
I want to use mana. Is there no way to fix this?
Do you know about the dragons heart?
I know. Its an ingredient for an elixir. Does an elixir made from a dragons heart cure this?
No.
Dolby swallowed. The hand holding her body trembled, revealing the pressure she felt about the situation.
Mana core transplant. It involves replacing your heart with a dragons heart to make it function.
Thats a headache.
Dolby nodded, observing Shiron as he stroked his chin. She understood his predicament. In the current situation, finding someone to perform the transplant surgery was impossible, let alone obtaining a dragons heart.
If Im going to do it, do I need to revive a dragons corpse?
As far as she knew, dragons had been extinct for 500 years.
Giants Forge.
Let me be clear, metallurgy magic isnt some cheap skill you can pick up by watching once or twice.
I know.
Shiron dumped a pile of meteorites in a corner of the forge.
[Lets start.]
At Atmoss signal, Yuma blew hot flames onto the pile of meteorites. To expedite the creation of the holy sword, Yuma took over for the exhausted Dolby.
As the hot flames engulfed the meteorites, they began to emit various colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet among the stones displaying random colors, Atmos specifically selected the ones shining brightly white with his tongs.
From that moment on, the process was one Shiron knew well.
He placed chunks of rock into a crusher, pushed the powdered pile into a giant furnace, and, after separating the impurities with mana in a blast furnace, tens of thousands of forging and heat treatment steps later, the holy sword was completed.
Not very fantastical.
Holding the holy sword, Shiron clicked his tongue in disappointment. He had hoped for something magical, like drawing a sword imbued with the mysteries of the universe from another dimension. Such fantasies, however, remained only in his imagination.
Yet, the swords appearance was quite surreal.
The holy sword Spica appeared to have been carved from a single crystal, clear and transparent.
Ting-
Even when flicked with a finger, Spica emitted a clear, refreshing sound, confirming its metallic nature.
The sword for Siriel is ready.
Shiron turned his head to look elsewhere. There, Lucia was staring at Sirius with eyes that sparkled.
Do you like it?
Uh very much, I like it
Lucia wiped away the drool leaking from her open mouth.
Is this what they call forging stars? The sword in her hand shone with a brilliance that rivaled the white sword Shiron held.
Maybe as much as a real holy sword.
The sword in her hand was as impressive as the holy sword Yura had offered to Kyrie, which, having served its purpose after beheading a Demon God, was cast into a volcano.
It wasnt just its aesthetic form. Lucia felt mana being drawn into her palm. The radiant sword absorbed mana with ease, cloaking itself in sword energy.
Lucia was eager to test the swords capabilities.
Shiron, can I try something?
What do you want to do?
Extend that white sword youre holding. Let me strike it once.
Are you crazy?
Why? Youve broken two of my swords, right?
Comparing those cheap blades to a holy sword?
That doesnt really seem like a holy sword to me.
It is a holy sword, regardless of what you say.
Shiron turned his back and walked away from Lucia after speaking. He wrapped the broad sword with a leather strap, much like one would wrap a gift box.
I hope Siriel will like it too.
After adding a pretty ribbon and some decorations, Shiron finally stored Spica away.
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