(Part 1)
The Crafting of The Sword And Surprise.
25: Chapter 0009
(Part 1)
The Crafting of The Sword And Surprise.
10 YEARS AGO, FALL MONTH 1, DAY 15, SAMURAI COUNTRY NAGASUKE
Aershi Daro now understood the woman’s fears.
For a Blacksmith, such a material would be enough to set them to heights of fame and renown because the Politicians could have tis at their fingertips.
Imaging the Daimyos, Vassals, Shoguns and Emperor himself hearing about such materials.
It would be ascending the skies in one leap; ant to god!
He then chuckled which made the Mistress even more wary.
“Hmmm, I seem to have made a promise to this young man.
“So, I guess when we are done, I will have to honor my word.”
“You mean…” She was frowning, “you mean you will really even give him techniques after the weapon is made?”
“Yes, heck I’ll even promise to train you; I’m quite the big deal around here, you know?”
“Don’t worry about the training, we will manage th-“
“No, I want the training.
Please sir, help me.
I just want to provide for my family, that is what brought me here in the first place.”
“Oh… are your parents dead?”
“Well, my father left but my mother and sister are waiting at home.
So, yeah.”
The man was silent.
“How far is home?”
“Well, I left home about 5 months ago.
And I stayed in their gathering for a month so, it is 4 months away from here.”
The Mistress face palmed because he was giving away too much information.
He had basically just told a stranger that he was all alone.
“Well, your story has touched me boy.
Tell you what, screw the payment the higher ups will understand.”
Skrylla Yokuta laughed at that.
“However, we have a problem though…”
Her breath caught and she was ready to pull her weapons.
Even though from what she sensed of the man’s cultivation she knew she would die if she tried anything funny.
So the least she could do as save the boy before she fell.
“… how do we melt it and add it if it wont burn?”
“Oh, that.” Skrylla Yokuta grabbed the weapon from his hand and hugged it.
Then he jumped down from Aershi Daro’s grasp and laid his hands atop the 15 swords on the ground.
“Hey, I need you to work with me right now.
This is the next step where we might actually improve ourselves and become better.
I can finally give you a name and always announce you to the world.” He laughed, “would you not like that?”
The Mistress watched the exchange and was just happy that she could now easier grab him and run if they ended up being conned.
“Okay,” he continued, “allow yourself to be properly fashioned into my weapon.”
Then, he handed it to Aershi Daro who looked at the same Wooden Sword and then tossed it once more into the compartment.
From 100 to 500 it had no steam on its body but light danced around its length which encouraged the Blacksmith who was more awestruck than impatient.
500 to 1,000 it let out light trails of smoke.
“Huh.”
1,000 to 2,000 the smoke increased a tiny bit.
2,000 to 4,000 and the smoke almost completely covered the blade.
4,000 to 6000 and steam covered the blade but it was still not burning.
Aershi Daro’s mouth hung open and tears filled them as he turned it up.
6,000 to 8000 and it turned first black at 7000 before going red at 8,000.
Aershi Daro shared a glance at Skrylla Yokuta who was smiling smugly.
8,000 to 10,000 and it finally worked;
At 9,000 it turned red and at 10,000 it began melting.
Lo and behold, it melted at 10,000 degrees.
And this was only because it listened to Skrylla Yokuta.
Aershi Daro turned to him as if he were staring at a treasure.
“This weapon has the potential to awaken… In fact, it does not seem to be far off from awakening.”
The excitement in his eyes was like a computer geek realizing he would be able to talk about gadget and appliances in successful desire to convince the world about them.
“I can see that you are trying to look honest and make me trust you but at least give me something that makes sense.” The Mistress words could jot dampen his spirit and he answered almost without thought.
“Oh, young talents and such are always useful because of potential investments.”
“Are you from an association, a school, an institute or the government.”
“When you trust me you will find out more but let me just add that if I was from the government you’d be dead.
If I was from an Institute your death would be less of a probability.
At least, until I ascertained your level of usefulness.”
This actually made more sense to Hashna Drisnyl Tsuyo-ya and she was less wary than before as Aershi Daro continued.
“And a school would openly pick him up just from the level of his passion to not only use such a material simply for his weapon but expose its existence.
Obviously, that depends on the politics within the school itself and the inclinations of the Schools.
However, you missed asking if I am also a representative of a larger Gathering which would also have the same problem as a school…”
He let the words hang, though she realized he had not answered the most vital part of the question.
“Still, you would have to trust me first.”
Letting out a breath, she found a bench before he smiled and pulled out tweezers out of thin air.
Then, he pressed a part of the wall that sprung up a hole in one of its sections and draining the liquefied wood into one a bucket.
Next, he emptied the remaining swords in the container in bulk this time.
Finally, he repeated the process with the TombSteel that made his hands shake like a leaf in turbulent wind.
“How did you do that?”
“What?”
“You brought those materials out of Mid-air.”
The Mistress interrupted, “that’s called a Soul Space.” She crossed her arms and tried to feel comfortable.
“It’s a space somewhat between the Spirit, Soul And Body.
Usually, over time it becomes roomier.
Everybody eventually has it.”
His eyes opened like the letter ‘O’ “Really,” he smiled in great anticipation, “how can I get mine?
I want mine.”
“Well,” she laughed, you’d have to cross over your 2nd tribulation, then I’ll teach you.”
He looked excited then caught himself.
“I might be with my family.”
“Of course, you’ll be with us we are family.”
“No, I me-”
“Oh,” he noticed her silence and immediately spoke up.
“Don’t worry; I’ll come again by that time and you can teach me all you want.”
She still didn’t say anything, so the Blacksmith tapped on his hand before pointing to the furnace to distract him.
Then placing another bucket where the liquid TombSteel will fall into, he pressed the wall again, and emptied out the contents of the Potent Artefact.
Skrylla Yokuta then randomly pulled open its lid and it swung on its hinges until it reached a 90-degree position.
He couldn’t still tell the bottom of the Potent Artifact as his face glowed a bright red with heat wavering his features to a regular eye.
“Step back,” Aershi Daro warned as he got an even bigger bucket which he planned mix both steaming liquids into to, it was quite evident to see his arms were trembling like a leaf in a hurricane so Skrylla quickly obeyed and he hurled the TombSteel material in before the melted Wooden Sword.
And in doing so, the bucket rumbled as the mixture did not seem equal.
The coloration of pure black of the TombSteel contradicted the pure red of the Melted Steel.
So, without thought, Aershi Daro hurled more TombSteel in and added it all until the mixture was completely dark red.
In fact, it was more of red with dark hairs or stripes.
“Is that a problem?” The Mistress asked because of the troubled look on the man’s face.
“See, I would prefer it balanced because that would mean it has the best of both worlds.”
“And?”
“And I have already used 10 tons of TombSteel.”
“Try adding another 5 tons more.”
Skrylla Yokuta’s voice came between their speech.
“Oh you think it is one ton for every Wooden Sword?”
He shrugged, “I just have a feeling.”
The man stood up and grabbed 5 more tons so effortlessly that the Mistress was almost impressed.
No, she actually was.
But it was just that she did not want the man to get the wrong idea as she did not only not trust him but this was their first meeting.
Anyway, 5 tons of TombSteel and the Red was darker, only ever slightly.
Sighing, Skrylla Yokuta kicked the bucket.
“Play nice.”
Shockingly the mixture balanced itself out and Aershi Daro looked in shock at the boy before laughing and then pushing Ko-jin into the bucket that apparently was actually a Potent Artefact.
In fact, his hands seem to have melted into it.
However, it was only after a minute that a small spiral began to form in the middle of the bucket.
Squeezing his face, the spiral extended to the edges of the Bucket and the mixing process began as the bucket was now making sounds like it was an archaic industrial machine.
In fact, at some point, the bucket rumbled slightly and the bottom-most of the bucket glowed an intense red before a scalding orange, and then smoke began billowing into the ceiling which seemed to absorb it.