49 Fool and Hermit
*Whoosh!*
A silver arc flashed through the dim workshop, cutting the atmosphere in half with a chilly gust.
Riezel took a dark silver sword into his palm, gripping this gorgeously forged weapon like a work of art. With just a gentle swing, his expression revealed surprise.
"So light..."
Despite being a sword crafted with precious metals and refined materials, he felt as though he were holding a feather—weightless.
In theory, a sword this light would likely lack significant power. However, this sword seemed to defy that expectation. The thin blade edge was incredibly sharp, effortlessly slicing through the air.
"How's that? Not bad, yeah?" Tsubaki looked at his surprised expression with a hint of pride on her face. "Because you said you wanted it as light as possible, I threw in a wind beast's tooth and mithril, combining three rare materials to forge it. Ordinary master blacksmiths couldn't pull off something like this, ya know."
If one wanted to forge equipment with the Durandal attribute, using orichalcum as the main material alone was enough. Orichalcum, as the hardest metal, was designed for creating equipment with the Durandal attribute and served as their primary material.
Using only one main material for forging would undoubtedly make the process easier. However, for Riezel, Tsubaki unexpectedly added two more precious materials.
"Wind beast's tooth lightens the weapon without messing with its sharpness or toughness."
"Mithril, on the other hand, enhances the sword's magical energy conductivity. I heard from Finn that you excel in wind element enchant magic and can enhance your weapon with it, so I figured why not toss in some mithril?"
"In this way, this sword's got crazy sharpness and endurance, excellent magical energy conductivity, while also lightweight. Of course, the most crucial aspect is that it doesn't interfere with Durandal."
As Tsubaki explained, she grew more excited and proud, eventually bursting into laughter.
"For this sword, I've gone without sleep for several days, sparing no effort. Among all the equipment I've forged, this one's easily in the top three, if not my most proud creation."
For Orario's strongest blacksmith to be this proud, the quality of the sword could be easily imagined.
"The quality of this sword should surpass even Ais's Desperate." Finn, after observing the sword for a while, said with a serious expression.
Ais's Desperate, despite being first-class, fell slightly behind other first-class equipment due to its focus on endurance and its affinity with the Durandal attribute.
Riezel's sword, on the other hand, was different.
While it also focused on endurance and the Durandal attribute, as top-notch first-class equipment, even if its performance and power did not reach the highest, it still ranked among the best in first-class equipment.
Adding to its extremely low weight, which allowed 'Lightweight' to be pushed to its limits, and its excellent magical energy conductivity, which could make 'Ariel' usage smoother and more powerful, such a top-tier weapon already surpassed Ais's Desperate in every aspect.
No wonder creating this weapon took Orario's strongest blacksmith, Tsubaki, an exhausting seven days. Considering its overall excellence, it was not strange for her to claim it could rank in the top three among her creations and even say it was her proudest creation.
Without a doubt, it was the perfect weapon for Riezel.
Tsubaki kept her promise and forged the best sword for him.
"Oh right, got something for you too." Tsubaki remembered something, darted into the forging workshop, and emerged with another weapon.
It was a short sword.
"Upon your request, I've forged this secondary weapon for you. It's not as complicated as it's crafted mainly from orichalcum, a pure Durandal attribute weapon and second-class equipment. It's kinda basic compared to other second-class equipment, like a lesser version of Sword Princess's Desperate."
Tsubaki's attitude towards this weapon seemed somewhat indifferent as she tossed it to him casually.
Riezel weighed the short sword and found it to be heavier than the main weapon. As for its appearance, unlike the glamorous main weapon, it was a simple, bright silver color. Yet, as a secondary weapon, it was considered decent.
"Okay, I've completed the order as promised." Tsubaki glanced at his face. "Now, it's up to you to give them names."
Hearing her words, Riezel was slightly surprised.
"Didn't you say it was your proudest work?" Finn asked strangely. "Why don't you name it yourself?"
"Nah, forget it." Tsubaki shook her head. "This sword is custom-made for your monster rookie here, ya know? Apart from him, I bet there's no one else in all of Orario more suited to wield it and unleash its full potential."
Perhaps Ais, who also possessed 'Ariel', was suitable for this sword. However, she lacked 'Lightweight'. Using such a light sword all the time wouldn't have made much sense for her.
Therefore, the true power and performance of this sword could only be brought out by Riezel.
"It feels like this sword was born solely through my hands and passed it on to you." Tsubaki scratched her head, seemingly helpless while spreading her hands. "Given that, it's on you to give it a name, no?"
With her saying so, Riezel naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Name, huh...?"
Riezel fell into contemplation. Various thoughts flashed through his mind, eventually settling on his most powerful skill—Fool's Obsession.
"Well then... Let's go with 'Fool'."
He made up his mind.
His persistence and his desire—if they were truly just a fool's obsession, then let himself, this fool, foolishly go to the end.
"Fool, huh?" Tsubaki pondered, then nodded. "What about the secondary one?"
Without much thought, Riezel decided.
"Let's call it 'Hermit'."
Fool and Hermit.
Riezel's main and secondary weapons finally found their place.
"Thank you, Tsubaki." Finn approached as matters were settled.
"Oh, no problem, I had a blast too." Tsubaki chuckled. "Forging weapons for a rookie who's breaking Sword Princess's records, getting called as a monster even by gods—it's a win-win for me too, y'know."
For adventurers, if they gained fame, their weapons would often become famous as well. Therefore, blacksmiths preferred forging weapons for adventurers with potential and strength. If the adventurer gained significant fame, the creations of those blacksmiths would also attract attention.
This was the main approach to attract customers and the best way for a blacksmith to become famous.
In this situation, Tsubaki naturally had no objections to forging weapons for Riezel. In fact, she was more than happy to do so. After all, he seemed destined for greatness, a future hero known throughout the world.
As long as he could make a name for himself, even leave a mark in history, she would be riding on his success.
"If your monster rookie becomes a hero remembered for generations, his sword might end up in a museum. By then, my name as a blacksmith would truly go down in history."
Tsubaki hugged Riezel's neck and patted his back while laughing.
"Don't disappoint me, okay?"
Listening to her words and laugh, Riezel smiled in response.
"I'll do my best."
Afterward, he stored away his two new swords, one long and one short.
===
Riezel's weapon problem finally found its solution at Tsubaki's place.
With two special weapons featuring the Durandal attribute, he would no longer need to worry about his weapons getting damaged in battles.
Finn also confirmed the backup weapons order for the expedition with Tsubaki. Once they had discussed and agreed upon delivery for the following day, Finn and Riezel set off for home.
It was worth mentioning that, based on the price provided by Tsubaki, Riezel learned the pricing for his main and secondary weapons, totaling 180 million valis.
Yes, 180 million.
This left him silent for a long time. It wasn't until the journey home that he expressed his gratitude to Finn.
180 million valis was definitely a price he couldn't afford at this moment. If it weren't for the familia's support, he would at most plan to get a main weapon at the level of Hermit.
As for Fool, with his current fund, it was definitely out of his reach. The debt he owed to the familia was indeed quite significant.
Finn, however, shrugged it off with a carefree smile.
"As long as it helps you."
Finn spoke while looking directly at his face.
"Though mentioning this might add some pressure, we do have high expectations for you. We hope you can take our familia to greater heights, reaching places that even we haven't stepped into."
"Just keep pushing forward, and we'll handle the rest for you. Don't let us down, okay?"
Every word of Finn was deeply etched in his mind.
In response, Riezel nodded with a solemn expression; everything was understood without the need for more words.
===
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed.
On this day, Twilight Manor was unusually quiet.
All the members seemed to be silently gathering their strength, preparing for something. Each one was fully armed and assembled at the entrance of the manor.
Riezel also had prepared early in the morning. He didn't wear any armor, only a battle suit for easy movement.
Draped in a dust-resistant cloak and armed with two swords, he walked out of his room.
Before leaving, he paid a visit to Loki's divine room. When he came out, he had an additional piece of parchment in his hands.
...
Riezel Brynhart
Level 4
STR: I0 → A847
END: I0 → A825
DEX: I0 → S969
AGI: I0 → S971
MAG: I0 → S933
Lightweight: H
Swordsman: H
Mage: I
...
Looking at the content on the parchment, Riezel quickly smiled.
Shortly afterward, he crumpled the parchment containing his latest status and headed towards the manor's entrance gate.
