Chapter 47: Practice

The next day.

Yesterday, me and Rike both made general model ones so for today, I’ll be making the high-end model and Rike will make the general model. That said, the procedures and personnel (including Diana), remains the same. The work will be shared by four people. Diana’s skill is much better than yesterday, probably because she did it several times yesterday. I looked at the short swords that Diana practiced on and things like the uneven parts have decreased considerably. All I have to do is carefully hit those uneven parts to eliminate it.

The troublesome part is that if I seriously erase it, the item gets closer to a custom model one. It can’t be sold within a short notice (that somehow its power approaches the thing that I seriously made), so I need to keep it within the range of a high-end model one. I stopped hitting it after a while then finish the quenching, sharpening, and polishing part.

“Hmmm”

When I checked the finished product, it looks like that of a high-end model. The material of the sword made by Diana is much better than yesterday, but of course it is still an amateur’s work. However, if I applied my cheat ability from there, I can typically bring it to the quality of a high-end model one. That’s great.

Diana talked to me as I was checking the quality of the high-end model short sword.

“Oh my, that is?”

“Ah, this is different compared to the one I made yesterday, this short sword is slightly better. It sells at a higher price than that one from yesterday.”

“Can I look at it?”

“Hn? Yeah, no problem. But I haven’t finished its grip yet.”

Diana scrutinized the high-end model short sword. If I’m not mistaken, it was also like this when I first showed it to Rike before.

“This… it’s amazing.”

“Right? I was surprised when I first saw it too.”

For some reason, Rike feels proud.

“Yes, there are only a few blacksmiths in the city that can make it.”

Diana says so full of admiration. To put it the other way around, there are some people who can make it so even if it goes to the market, it’s just a “good weapon”. In fact, Helen had something close to our high-end model ones. The one I made is just slightly better… maybe. That said, if in the future I increase the number of times I hit my works, it may mean someone will say “Who crafted this?”, so let’s just do it moderately.

When we made about the same number as yesterday, Diana start talking.

“Eizou-san”

“Hn?”

“Can I ask for a match?”

“Hn? With me?”

“Yes”

“Using swords?”

“Of course”

Is Diana also a battle junkie? Well, it’s fine if it’s for recreation. When I glanced at the window, the sun is about to set.

“All right then. It’s about to get dark so we’ll do it only once.”

“Thank you!”

Why does she look so happy…?

We can’t afford to have any mishap here so we’ll use the general model swords. Well, if you got seriously hit even by an iron rod, you won’t get away unscathed. I can’t argue if others say that it’s just for my peace of mind but still, the degree of injury when you are hit would be completely different.

As expected, there are various problems if we do it inside the workplace so we went outside before facing each other. Samia and Rike also came out to serve as spectators.

We match the tip of our swords, bow and took distance from each other.

“You can come at me anytime—”

I called out comfortably but Diana had a serious look. She puts up her sword and gradually shorten the distance between us. I also languidly take my sword stance and wait for her move. Diana suddenly rushes forward at a speed that makes her seem to disappear. With that momentum, she swings her sword aiming around my neck. I flipped up my sword that I loosely lowered then using its return force, I aim at Diana’s shoulder as she rush towards me.

 “Urg!”

This time Diana uses the returning force of her repelled sword to hit mine and somehow dodge my attack. I move my body to the side where my sword was flicked to slightly widen our gap. Diana also comes chasing after me. Diana’s every movements are agile and accurate. Looks like this isn’t the place for a simple swordsmanship. Guess it can’t be helped then.

 “Oh, Eizou is getting a little serious.”

I could hear Samia saying that. Yeah, just a little.

“Fu-!”

From there, I keep on striking Diana, on the shoulder, on the torso, on the head and on the legs. Diana, who was able to respond at first, is gradually becoming unable to keep up. Seeing that chance, I set up a feint and aimed at her torso.

“Ah!?”

I barely did it but she somehow falls for my feint. I then aim at her neck just as her arms were lowered. –I stopped just before it touches her.

“It’s my win. You’re fine with this right?”

“……Yes”

With this, our match ended with my victory.

“I haven’t moved my body this much for a long time.”

I’m rejuvenated at the age of 30, and although I just usually move my body by fetching water and blacksmithing, this old body of mine can still endure almost all of my strength after all. This time I also moved the parts that I don’t usually use. During the attack the day before yesterday, I was concentrating to kill so there was less unnecessary movements so it wasn’t up to this point.

 “Eizou-san, you’re still not completely serious, right?”

Diana looks at me grudgingly.

“Hn? Well, yeah. I only get completely serious when there is a life threatening situation you see.”

“You were not that serious but I couldn’t fight evenly against you at all…”

“No. Diana-san did quite well too.”

That is my honest impression. I think it is enough if you’re learning more than you can.

“When I get associated with Eizou-san, I who was called as the “rose of the swordsmanship” now went to just “fairly skilled”.”

Eh? I feel like there is a misunderstanding somewhere here.

“Samia”

“Hn, What?”

“Am I that strong?”

“What are you talking about? I think you’re insanely strong you know? I’ve tried at least a hundred times and never won.”

“Yup”

Then Rike spoke too.

“In the first place, I think you have a considerable skill especially at the time when you parried Helen’s sword.”

“Eh? Is that so?”

I always thought that Helen was just going easy on me. I also thought that the cheat I got was only the minimum for self-defense… But, was there a story about self-defense that is enough to defeat a bear? Well, I can’t live in this forest without that much power though.

“Is that Helen perhaps that “Lightning Sword” Helen?”

While I’m still shocked, Diana asks that.

“Y-Yeah, I’m sure she did say that.”

“You were able to stand against Helen’s sword?”

“I think our match took about half an hour…”

“T-That long!?”

What that long? Is Helen such an insanely strong child? Though I thought that she is strong too.

“Lightning sword Helen, her sword’s speed is too fast so she got that alias. That was also why she is famous as a mercenary, even among nobles you see.”

Diana explained. I haven’t even recovered from my shock yet.

“You are fine even after receiving Helen’s sword, and you even have a match…”

Diana seems to be experiencing another surprise. She looks down and is thinking about something.

“W-Well, since it’s over, let’s go back inside the house, okay?”

I tried to put my hand on Diana’s shoulder to encourage her to go back inside but there was no shoulder there…

When I looked down, Diana is there with her legs fold, bowing down with her hands touching on the ground. I’ve seen this posture before.

It’s Dogeza! There’s dogeza in this world after all…

I don’t want to think about what could be expected after this so I focused on looking away from it.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

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