Bathed in magma's glow, Sawada Tsunayoshi gripped a short, curved blade whose guard was inlaid with two different crystals—one blue, one green.
A hard, icy sheen ran along the edge. It wasn't just a "Magic Sword"; the blade itself carried real killing bite.
"This dragon fang is sharper than I thought. Even without magic, this Magic Sword isn't inferior to an ordinary Tier-2 weapon."
"And then there are the two completely different spells it holds: a red mist that blocks and weakens magic, and flames capable of extreme temperatures. No hard use-limit either… but it still needs to store power, right? Otherwise where would the energy come from?"
"That," Hephaestus said with a small smile as she came to his side and tapped the two differently colored crystals on the guard, "is why this Magic Sword breaks the usual rules."
"These crystals formed around Amphisbaena's heads and naturally function as power reservoirs. Fused with the rest of the materials and further elevated by 'Great Work,' the pair can both generate and store energy at very high efficiency. Each spell can be stocked with three charges."
"When fully drained, the crystals dim to their lowest glow. Recharging back to full takes thirty minutes."
"So fast? Only half an hour to refill the energy? Do these crystals draw ambient energy from the air?"
"That's why I said this Magic Sword is beyond ordinary," Hephaestus replied. Even she rarely forged such an unusual sword, but there was no law that said a Magic Sword must have a strict use limit. And with a special material like 'Great Work' involved, stretching the design made perfect sense. "Besides passively recharging while idle, it can also be topped up on the spot with mana injection or by feeding it Magic Stones."
"However, its mana demand is hefty. You'd need at least a Lv. 4 professional mage to sustain on-the-fly charging."
"Regular adventurers," she added, "should just wait the thirty minutes."
Tsunayoshi chuckled—he had been a bit too optimistic. A Magic Sword that could bank six total spells would chew through mana that most mages simply couldn't provide. Even so, with autonomous recharge and only half an hour to refill six shots, this thing was absolutely overtuned.
"I was thinking in the wrong direction." He studied the curved blade and voiced the idea in his head. "Tsubaki, Lady Hephaestus—since 'Great Work' can elevate a weapon by harmonizing with its materials, then the amount of 'Great Work' used and the specific forging stock should steer the weapon's evolution, right?"
Even this Magic Sword told the story: materials taken from Amphisbaena had clearly shaped the spells the blade could use.
Tsubaki exchanged a glance with Hephaestus, both of them smiling.
"We thought the same thing," Tsubaki said. "So the plan is to do more experimental forging with different materials. This time we also want to try some ultra-hard alloys and incorruptible stock."
That didn't surprise Tsunayoshi; if a newcomer like him could reach the idea, of course these two had already arrived there. From the look they gave him, he also knew the next part was about to become his problem.
"So… there's something you need me to do?"
Tsubaki's smile grew a shade sweeter, even a little ingratiating. "Hehe~ all those test pieces mean a lot of forging… and we're short on 'Great Work.'"
"Oh, that's all?" For a second her fawning had made him think it was something serious. In the end, it was just collecting more 'Great Work.'
"'Great Work' is gatherable," he said, "but right now the dungeon only has Goliath left. Amphisbaena is still respawning, so the available 'Great Work' will be limited."
It was a point worth setting expectations on. In the near term there wasn't much 'Great Work' left to squeeze out of the dungeon. Goliath was the next-up floor boss and the easiest target to farm.
"That's plenty!" Tsubaki wasn't worried about yields. Even if Goliath produced less 'Great Work' per kill, its respawn was fast. Amphisbaena needed a month; Goliath came back every three weeks. She did the math—before the "Joint Expedition" kicked off, she could probably catch at least two Goliaths. That stock would be enough to forge several test weapons.
Just imagining brand-new arms being born under her hammer had her itching to start. Tsunayoshi could feel her excitement; for Tsubaki, nothing beat the joy of forging and pushing her craft.
He paused, then lifted the Magic Sword in his hand. "Tsubaki, what are you planning to do with this short blade?"
"Sell it. Better in the field than gathering dust behind glass. It should go for more than a typical Tier-1 weapon. Unlimited use with self-recharge—price it higher and it'll still move."
She was confident the Magic Sword would be graded as "Tier-2," and rightly so. Blade quality plus attached spells—this was easily worth Tier-1 money and then some.
"Oh—right." Meeting Tsunayoshi's eyes, something seemed to occur to her. She stepped in close, rose on her toes, and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. When she pulled back, a blush warmed her bronze skin.
"This is my thanks."
(End of Chapter)
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