As they did not have anything urgent to do, Shin and Karin followed Kankurou to the Toudou house’s dojo .


    It was a separatepound, used only by Kankurou, Toshiro, and a few others .


    In the same way as the Saegusa house, the dojos were separated between teaching use and personal use .


    “Some wish to focus on personal training without being bothered by their surroundings . This dojo is also used sometimes for matches such as this . ”


    “… . I suppose they don’t want to be seen . ”


    “Well, yes, that would be better . ”


    Shin and Toshiro then both wielded wooden swords .


    As Kankurou had told Shin on their way to the dojo, Toshiro was close in level to the Hinomoto Brave Ten . The aura Shin felt emanating from Toshiro convinced him that it had to be the truth .


    While they were talking, Shin regarded Toshiro as a guy he couldn’t help but like, but now the man before him was nothing but a proud swordsman .


    “Here Ie . ”


    With this short deration, Toshiro stepped forward . Without any pre-emptive movements, he closed in on Shin as if sliding on the ground .


    Toshiro’s sword arm might have seemed to be moving leisurely, but an instantter it was already prating Shin’s space .


    “Shah!!”


    Shin swung his sword in response to Toshiro’s strike . The sh of the two wooden swords produced a dull sound that echoed through the dojo .


    “Hmm…”


    Looking at the two fighters, Kankurou was deep in thought, his chin resting on his hand . He felt that Shin’s movements had be much sharperpared to when they fought a few days before .


    (… . he’s already changed so much?)


    Even more so than Kankurou, Shin was surprised at his own movements .


    Karin’s teachings resulted in Shin eliminating unnecessary motions from his movements .


    They didn’t do any training for actual fighting, she had just observed him swinging his sword and re-enacting skills with his body movements .


    “I see you have grown damn well already . ”


    “I’m surprised myself . ”


    Shin was so surprised by the results that he answered exactly what he was thinking .


    Toshiro’s first strike was meant to be a test; the second and third strike that followed were much heavier and faster .


    They might have been inferior to Kankurou’s, but most Chosen Ones would have had trouble parrying them .


    Shin, however, deflected them all with ease .


    It was also thanks to the speed boost granted by his high stats, but more than anything, his body felt really light .


    He had not changed the 【Limit】 on his status, but he felt the distance linking each one of his strikes had shrunk . The speed of his swings had increased . Each strike’s weight had changed too .


    “To think that it can all change this much . ”


    He might have felt the change more clearly thanks to his high stats .


    Even so, the clear results showed that, he had to admit, his former movements were riddled with unnecessary motions .


    The sound of the impact between the two men’s wooden swords grew progressively louder, the pause between shes shorter .


    (sh downwards from the right, then sh up right away from the left…no, stop halfway and thrust forward!)


    Shin dodged, parried, blocked the wooden de attacking him .


    The two des shed again, this time locked, grinding against each other .


    “Fuuh!!”


    Toshiro tried to push forward by pressing his weight into the sword, but, after a brief moment, suddenly retreated .


    His rapid movements gave the illusion that the floor under Toshiro had slipped away . The distance he had retreated was the exact distance needed for the tip of his sword to reach Shin .


    The de formed an arc in mid-air and swung down, aimed towards Shin’s left side .


    “Not so fast!”


    Shin didn’t dodge or parry, but stepped in closer to Toshiro before his blow couldnd . He charged forward, with the intent of shoving Toshiro away .


    “Guh!!”


    Toshiro probably judged he couldn’t make it in time; he pulled back his sword at the same time as Shin’s tackle .


    Shin elerated his charge against the swing while Toshiro was retreating . Naturally, the former won .


    Toshiro avoided the fate of losing bnce and falling down, but because of that he couldn’t defend himself against Shin’s following attack .


    Toshiro tried to twist his body to avoid Shin’s wooden sword aimed at his neck .


    Shin, ready to intercept such struggle, brought down his sword on Toshiro’s neck, then stopped just as the de touched it .


    “… . what?”


    Toshiro regained his bnce and questioned Shin .


    Shin answered while looking not at Toshiro, but the dojo entrance .


    “Someone ising . Two people . ”


    “Hm, looks like it . ”


    Kankurou had also perceived it, and nodded at Shin’s words . Karin too felt the new presence, and turned to look in the same direction as Shin .


    After a little while, two men appeared at the dojo’s entrance .


    “Did we interrupt something?”


    “Brother! Why are you here!”


    Toshiro yelled to one of the two men, who looked apologetic .


    ording to 【Analyze】, his name was Yaejima Shiden, a young man in histe twenties .


    He had ck hair mixed with white, red eyes, and was around the same height as Shin, about 180 cemels . In contrast to his soft speech and gentle expressions, both his arms and legs were very thick; to Shin they looked like bundles of steel .


    His job was samurai and his level, quite high, was 238 .


    “I thought that you would be here Toshiro . I have sir Tadahisa’s permission to move within the castlepound . Lord Kankurou, I am d to see you too . Lady Karin, I see you have returned from the search for Lady Haruna’s medicine . ”


    “I am d to see you in good health, sir Shiden . ”


    “It has been a long time . ”


    Kankurou and Karin each answered the man’s greetings . Obviously enough, the three all knew each other .


    “Sir Kanezuka, I trust you are well too . ”


    “Hmm . ”


    After greeting Shiden, Kankurou spoke to Kanezuka Araki .


    He was a man between histe thirties or early forties . He seemed to be of rather short stature, maybe because he was standing next to Shiden .


    His job was cksmith, as manifested by the very developed muscles on his arms . His level was 166 . His grey hair was cut short, his ck eyes fixed on Kankurou’s 『ck Moon』 .


    “This man is sir Shin, correct?”


    “That’s me, but why do you know my name?”


    Shiden looked at Shin and inquired about his identity . His expression was very serious as he did so .


    “I have been informed that you have assisted in the search for the medicinal herbs to curedy Haruna’s illness . Oh, I have yet to introduce myself, have I . I am the first-born of the Yaejima house, Yaejima Shiden . ”


    “Er, as you already know, my name is Shin . ”


    He was apparently aware of Shin’s status as guest, and had been informed about what Shin looked like .


    “What brings you here today then? As sir Shiden came in person, I can imagine what the matter might be though . ”


    “I think many are aware of the whispers that there are suspicious movements in the west . I would like to say that they are all groundless rumors…but I received a report that the Ichinose house, one of our vassals, is making suspicious moves . I came to inform sir Tadahisa that our Yaejima house, along with 3 other houses, are investigating this matter at the moment . ”


    After Shiden finished talking, Toshiro interjected .


    “The Ichinose house!?”


    “Yes, that house always sought to unify Hinomoto . But would they move only by themselves, I wonder?”


    Kankurou, after pondering for a moment, voiced his doubts .


    “Our investigation being still underway, I cannot say anything yet . However—”


    “Ehm, excuse me!”


    Shiden and Kankurou were continuing to discuss the matter, ignoring the surprised Toshiro, when Shin interrupted them .


    “Is anything wrong?”


    “Sirs, please, you know you can’t talk of such delicate matters with an outsider like me around!”


    Kankurou looked at Shin as if he had a question mark over his head, without the slightest concern on his expression .


    “I have heard from sir Tadahisa anddy Haruna that you are a man worthy of trust, sir Shin . You have no intention of talking about this to anyone, correct?”


    “That’s true, but…”


    Shin regarded this excessive trust with suspicion .


    “Sir Kankurou says that you are someone that can be trusted . I have no reasons to doubt you . Moreover, sir Shin is someone even sir Kankurou said he cannot win against…I would never want such a person to think of us as enemies . I know sir Kankurou’s strength very well after all . ”


    Both the eastern and western families trusted Kankurou’s word apparently . The reason for this trust came from Shiden’s own experience . No one would want to turn a powerful warrior into an enemy for no reason after all .


    “I see that you have crossed swords with Toshiro too . How did my brother fare?”


    “He was quite strong, I think . I wonder if it is wise to trust so easily though . ”


    “I have heard the sound of your swords shing . Your sword swings straight and true . Sir Kankurou’s words and the sound of those sword shes, as a samurai myself I cannot mistrust you . ”


    “…………”


    Shin was somewhat at a loss for words .


    He had heard that masters couldmunicate without words, through their fists or their des .


    During his battle against Girard, Shin had understood his feelings . But that time, his mental state was in a kind of extreme condition, and he managed to do it because he knew his opponent very well .


    To understand someone he never met before only through the sound of sword shes was something utterly impossible for Shin .


    “You are trusted, isn’t that enough?”


    “Well, it is better than to be suspected . ”


    Araki spoke to the speechless Shin . His expression told him to “stop sweating the small stuff . ”


    “By the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet, right . I’m Kanezuka Araki, a cksmith . Today I came here to admire sir Kankurou’s 『ck Moon』 . ”


    “Yes, here you are . ”


    Kankurou nodded, took 『ck Moon』 from his waist and handed it to Araki .


    Araki sat down on a corner of the dojo and, using a cloth to be sure not to touch it directly, stared intently at 『ck Moon』’s de .


    The user limitation had been removed apparently .


    “What is he doing?”


    “I am coborating with sir Kanezuka in order for him to forge a divine de like 『ck Moon』 . I suppose you have heard that I am looking for someone to inherit 『ck Moon』, yes?”


    “Only in passing . I know thatdy Karin, my host, is a candidate too . ”


    “At present, 『ck Moon』 is the only katana bearing the “divine de” moniker . I do not know who will inherit it, but there have been squabbles about it…if it will be kept by the eastern or western forces . Of course, it will be the side the inheritor belongs to, but many worry that it could tilt the bnce between the two forces . ”


    It might be just one de, but it was not to be underestimated .


    The stat bonuses given from the katana to the owner were high, but the long-range attacks it could unleash, paired with high stats, could easily surpass average skills in power .


    “Thus I thought that having another divine de could be a solution, but apparently even for sir Kanezuka, Hinomoto’s finest cksmith, forging an Ancient-grade katana is no easy feat . ”


    He observed 『ck Moon』 to find hints, researched documents and oral traditions and continued to forge, through a process of trial and error .


    “Do you know what the materials are? It’s quite difficult to obtain them . ”


    “We have some of the materials left by lord Jinkurou . We don’t know, however, how more than half of them should be used . I am aplete novice in the cksmith profession after all . ”


    Shin whispered to Kankurou, who he thought would be knowledgeable in the art of forging . Shin thought that it would have been a very difficult, if not impossible, feat; as expected, sess seemed very far .


    “Personally, I hoped we could receive some words of advice…”


    Kankurou, who knew of Shin’s real identity, hoped that Shin, a cksmith himself, could offer some advice .


    Looking at Araki’s bloodshot eyes, Shin had already understood that he was close to a dead-end .


    “If I just said something out of the blue, would he believe me? He looks like a hardcore artisan type, I doubt he’d pay any mind to a youngster like me . ”


    “Those of rtively high social status already know that you are a Returned Ancestor, what the Adventurers’ Guild calls Chosen Ones . Because of this, I think he will listen to you, at least a little . Even the tiniest hint would suffice . ”


    Kankurou wasn’t ordering Shin to show all his skills and knowledge as a cksmith .


    It would be far too easy if it was possible to forge an Ancient-grade weapon only after hearing some advice .


    Looking at Araki, desperately trying to draw the tiniest bit of information from 『ck Moon』, Shin felt solidarity as a cksmith . Thus he decided to give him some help .


    “I might be able to say something if I saw him forging . cksmithing techniques vary greatly from school to school, and the methods I know are influenced by one’s ability . I would at least be able to understand if there are techniques that could be used in this case . ”


    “Let us do just that then . ”


    Kankurou went closer to Araki and exined the situation . Araki looked at Shin first with surprise, then with a re so sharp Shin felt like he could be sniped down any moment . After staring at Shin for several moments, Araki gave a small nod .


    “… . . you’re knowledgeable about cksmithing?”


    Toshiro, who had been excluded by the recent developments, asked Shin .


    “I don’t think I can do anything special, but I might be of some help . ”


    Shin’s techniques were instinctive, born from his experience during the game era . It was difficult for him to exin crafting processes with words, so he decided to think after looking at Araki’s forging first .


    Shin was capable of forging strong weapons not only because of his technique, but also because of his magic powers, so he wasn’t absolutely sure he could be of help .


    “Our match ends here then . ”


    “Is that alright with you?”


    “I couldn’t care less about what that man said about bnce or whatever . But sir Kanezuka is betting his own life on the order he received . Holding you back here would mean being in his way . Who could do something so uncouth?”


    “… . I see . ”


    He was more reasonable than expected . Despite his frustration, he managed to keep his feelings under control .


    Shin’s opinion of Toshiro changed yet again .


    “What will you do now brother?”


    “Return to the Yaejima house of course . I have duly delivered father’s message to sir Tadahisa and could also observe your growth . I could say that my objectives are fulfilled . ”


    Shiden, saying that his duties were over, went towards the castle town with the Kujou soldiers waiting outside the dojo .


    Shin’s group of 5 moved to the smithy .


    Kanezuka Araki was the chief cksmith of the Kanezuka school; they would use his personal facility this time . It was equipped with the highest quality furnace and tools .


    They arrived at a smithy equipped with a single furnace . It was not very wide, and apparently had been built with the sole purpose of forging the divine katana .


    Araki told his disciples to not get close and beckoned Shin to enter .


    The other 3 were told to wait outside . The smithy is a territory with the sole purpose of passing down cksmithing techniques . When forging weapons, only the cksmith and those in the same field were allowed inside .


    “I will forge trying to create the divine katana . When I finish, tell me what you thought . ”


    After saying only that, Araki started swinging his hammer .


    Shin was looking at him silently, and realized that Araki used next to no magic power when swinging his hammer .


    As he had expected, the magic power contained in the katana came only from the materials and the slight quantity present in the surrounding atmosphere, the moment the hammer hit the materials .


    The speed at which the mass of iron changed shape was also much slower than that of Shin . Araki appeared to be using skills, but they weren’t at the level of Shin’s, who could make ingots change their shape at will .


    Looking at the way the man crafted, Shin estimated that Araki’s crafting level was around VII . If he could use the same techniques as Shin, he could easily create Mythology-grade weapons .


    Shin, however, had heard that Araki’s masterpiece was a Legend-grade weapon . The reason was the way he forged . If one focused only on the ability to strike iron, the stats of the produced weapon can only go so high .


    Shin didn’t know if the Legend-grade weapon Araki had forged was Higher or Lower, but to forge that sword without using magic, as Araki did, would have been impossible, at least in the game era .


    (Either he’s a genius, or it’s a product of his life-long focus on cksmithing and techniques…possibly both . )


    Some use the expression “to breathe life in one’s work”, but in Araki’s case saying “to pour one’s own lifeblood in one’s work” would have been more urate .


    The energy and aura he infused in every swing of the hammer was so powerful, one would think that he was shaving away his own lifespan to do so . “To work as if possessed,” an expression that fit him perfectly .


    After the whole process ended, what remained was only to polish the de .


    He would leave this work to an expert polisher .


    After the polishing waspleted, a katana with a beautiful de was born .


    Its appearance was average, but its grade was middle Unique . For Shin, to be able to forge such a de from imperfect materials made him understand how Araki forged a Legend-grade weapon .


    “… . I failed . ”


    Araki spoke with a sour expression .


    He was aiming at forging a de on par with the Lower Legend-grade katana 『ck Moon』 . Considering this, he had not only failed to reach the peak, but didn’t evene close to the foot of the mountain . Araki’s expression remained sour not only because of the katana’s quality .


    “What do you have then?”


    “A few things concerned me . I would like to ask you a few questions first, if that’s possible . ”


    “As long as you won’t ask me to teach you my secret techniques, say anything you want . ”


    “I will, then . First, why don’t you pour magic in the katana?”


    “What?”


    Araki’s eyes became slits after hearing Shin’s question .


    “If a cksmith pours magic power into the katana, its sturdiness and sharpness increase . As far as I know, there is no other way to forge a katana of Legend grade and above . ”


    “Just honing one’s skill of striking metal is not enough, you say?”


    “Yes . It is also not enough to simply pour in magic power . It’s difficult to put in words, but one must first pour magic in the hammer, then pour it into the katana as the hammer strikes it . That’s a very general way to exin the process . To be perfectly honest, being able to forge a Legend-grade katana in this situation makes you, sir Kanezuka, truly exceptional . ”


    Without a certain level of cksmithing skills, of course, one could not forge good weapons, no matter how they poured their magic .


    But if one considered only the ability in manipting magic power, Pixies and Elves would have been more apt at cksmithing .


    “… . that is probably a technique that was lost before being handed down . I hear that when Hinomoto was still engulfed in the mes of war, there were many more skilled cksmiths than today . There were also weapons with much higher quality than the present ones as well . ”


    Many techniques had been lost during the war apparently .


    cksmithing techniques never left their respective schools after all . If a whole school disappeared during the war, their techniques refined through the generations would vanish alongside them .


    “I would never have thought to hear about one of the lost secret techniques…I swear on the honor of the Kanezuka that I will speak of this to no one . ”


    “Sir, I have no intention of keeping techniques hidden; as long as you do not mention that you heard it from me, that is enough . It’s a technique that existed in the past, so someone, somewhere, could revive it at any time, or rather, it could be still alive somewhere . ”


    It would be not be strange if someone like Kankurou, formerly serving a yer, could use it .


    Shin also felt that Araki’s seriousness and focus were not inferior to theirs .


    “It would be hard for me to exin in detail with words, so I think it will be faster if you just watch me . May I borrow your tools?”


    “… . use anything you need . ”


    Practice more than theory, watch and learn . Techniques such as those could not be exined fully just through verbal exnations and theory .


    That is why Shin decided to show his craft .


    He only performed several strikes, using the “Tamahagane” steel he found in the smithy . Before it could be calledplete Shin heated it into the furnace, hammered it and gradually formed the katana’s shape .


    He was infusing his magic power in the hammer, so after every strike sparks of different colors burst from the Tamahagane .


    “…… . ”


    Araki stared at Shin’s movements, not missing the slightest motion . The aura he emitted was as if he was swinging the hammer together with Shin .


    “… . I’ve finished . Now it only needs to be polished . ”


    The de had beenpleted, at unnatural speed . Shin could havepleted it to the point that it didn’t need polishing, but that would go beyond simply being a capable cksmith, so he didn’t go that far .


    Through the work of the same polisher who had handled the katana that Araki forged before, Shin’s katana gained its shine . It was a middle Unique-grade, the same as the katana that Araki had just forged .


    “You forged this on purpose…?”


    “No, that’s just a coincidence . But it’s better for us . I would like you to see what’s different between them, but would it be alright if the katana you forged before became unusable?”


    “… . that is fine . Let me see just how worthy it is . ”


    Shin took his newly forged katana and held it still, with the de pointing upwards .


    He told Araki to stand back, then swung the katana that Araki had forged onto the de he had made .


    “!?!”


    Araki looked wide-eyed at the result .


    The katana Araki had forged, which Shin held firmly in hand, had been cut off in the middle . The katana Shin was holding still, on the other hand, did not have the slightest cut .


    “To be of the same grade, and yet be so different…”


    “Sir Kanezuka, you arrived to this level without using magic . I am sure you can forge much superior katanas . The weapons called “Magic Swords” are called such because magic envelops their des . ”


    After saying so, Shin handed the de he had held still to Araki . As Shin had said, its de was covered in faint magic power .


    ording to the game rules, Unique-grade weapons could not really be called “Magic Sword” or “Magic Katana” . It was probably because Shin had forged it, that the katana now in Araki’s hands had specs worthy of the “Magic” moniker .


    “A true Magic Katana, huh…it is true that both the katana I forged once and 『ck Moon』 have magic power shrouding their des . I felt something different than just a Magic Katana from 『ck Moon』 though . ”


    “I think that the materials might be the reason . I used Tamahagane as the material this time, so only the katana’s specs as a weapon increased . But I have heard that different materials can add all sorts of effects . I don’t know what that means in detail though . ”


    “That’s more than enough . Young man…no, sir Shin, I owe you very much . If you need my help in anything, just say the word . ”


    “First of all, as I said before, I would like you to keep the source of all this information a secret . Other than that, there is nothing I need at the moment . ”


    He had been seen by several Kanezuka disciples, so he knew of the possibility that they would guess that the information came from him .


    He didn’t think that Araki would bber about Shin being the source, but he wanted to be sure .


    “You may pass this technique to anyone you deem worthy, sir Kanezuka . It is not something I obtained on my own after all . ”


    “Is that really alright?”


    “Even if I hid it, someone might be spying, and it was a techniquemonly used in the past after all . I just hope that the katana built this way will be used to protect others . ”


    Katanas were nothing more than tools . Depending on the user, they could be des of protection or of ughter .


    Shin gave some more pieces of advice to Araki, who said he would forge another de, then left the Kanezuka residence .


    He returned with Karin and Toshiro . Kankurou had been called by Araki and stayed back in the Kanezuka residence .


    “… . did you teach him something?”


    “I told him about some techniques I know . The divine katana’s creation will progress a bit, I think . ”


    Toshiro inquired about what had happened in the Kanezuka residence while they were going back to the Saegusa house .


    “Uhm, I have heard that such techniques are kept secret though . ”


    “I do not belong to any particr school or tradition, so I do not have any intention of keeping techniques for myself . Though, I would not spread them to just anyone . ”


    Karin still flushed slightly when talking to Shin, but he tried to talk with her as normally as he did before .


    “I have never seen sir Kanezuka make that expression before though . It must have been quite an impressive technique . ”


    “… . is that so? I couldn’t tell, to be honest . I just meant to give him some advice, but then I saw him swing his hammer so intensely…as a cksmith myself, I couldn’t stop at just a word or two . ”


    Shin could have given a usible exnation, but chose not to .


    For someone who had seriously trained in the art of cksmithing, the techniques that Shin acquired through the game would seem like cheating . That was partly why Shin respected the cksmith Kanezuka Araki, who had reached that level of skill while being a normal person .


    “What are you, anyway?”


    “Just an adventurer and a busybody, nothing more . ”


    “I, I think he’s a good man…”


    “What the…ggh… . ”


    Karin’sment following Shin’s words made Toshiro’s teeth grind . He must have realized that Karin looked quite different from the usual .


    “Then, can I ask something too?”


    “Hm… . what?”


    “Sir Toshiro, you belong to the Yaejima house, correct? I have heard that the Yaejima are a great n ruling over west Hinomoto . If so, why do you stay alongside Kankurou, a servant of the Kujou house?”


    Shin felt this after hearing about the two forces ruling over Hinomoto .


    Shin, who had studied Japanese history in school, for a second thought that he might have been a hostage, but Toshiro seemed far too free to be one .


    “I am one of sir Kankurou’s disciples . He’s a man who imparts his teachings without care for social status, and lord Tadahisa gave his approval as well . ”


    However, if the Yaejima house did something to stir conflict in Hinomoto, Toshiro’s life would be forfeit .


    “I believe that neither my father nor my brother would ever do something so foolish . But if it ever happened, I would simply offer my life . ”


    Toshiro spoke every word with conviction, without turning away his eyes .


    If they were nning something, having him go on a rampage within the Kujou house would be an ingenious n .


    In case of real danger, one might suddenly hold on to dear life .


    Shin, however, did not think Toshiro capable of any such things . That could be said of everyone following Kankurou, too .


    In Hinomoto, there was a trust that went beyond reason . That’s what Shin felt looking at Toshiro .


    After Shin left, in the smithy where now the furnace did not burn anymore, Araki and Kankurou were talking .


    “Did sir Shin say anything helpful for crafting a divine katana?”


    “Yes, I can tell you because I feel you know already…but he imparted to me one of the techniques that had been lost in history . ”


    Thanks to his experience as a support character, Kankurou knew of such techniques, even without detailed exnations from Araki .


    “With this, I will probably get closer to the divine katana, however…”


    “Is there any problem?”


    Kankurou noticed that Araki’s expression looked even more bitter than usual .


    The cksmith’s reply arrived in a feeble tone .


    “The divine katana is not something I can forge . Not only me, but no other cksmith in Hinomoto could I fear . ”


    “And for what reason would that be?”


    “Probably…no, definitely, sir Shin knows techniques we do not possess . And not only one or two…sir Shin would surely be able to forge a de on par with 『ck Moon』 . I heard he’s a samurai, but I know that he is not a man on the side of those who “use” weapons . He’s someone who “makes” them . ”


    Araki, thanks to a life spent crafting weapons, understood .


    During the game era, in fact, Shin’s nickname was “Dark cksmith” . The other Rokuten members also had aliases such as “Red Alchemist”, “White Cook”, and “Golden Merchant” .


    They all came from the fact that, like Shin, their true nature was that of “creators” .


    “Even among Returned Ancestors, only very special individuals could manage it . He might think he was only forging something simple, but his craft was so refined that I clearly understood how I could neverpare with him . ”


    “Is that so . In that case, we can not postpone the inheritance ritual any more than this . ”


    “Yes . Discounting the miraculous birth of a Returned Ancestor extremely specialized in cksmithing, I conclude that the divine katana could not be forged even 100 years from now . It would be pointless to dy the inheritance further . ”


    Araki gave his conclusion with an expression void of spirit, as if what possessed him had now left him emptied .


    Then, without thinking, his hand grabbed his hammer .


    “Oh, even if you reached the conclusion, you temper swords again?”


    Kankurou spoke to Araki as if to a young warrior focused on his harsh training .


    “Because I could catch a glimpse of the peak . Even if I know that I will never be able to reach it, I cannot stop climbing…that’s what a cksmith is . Haha, to think that I would be a challenger again even at this age…I would have never expected it, that’s for sure . ”


    Araki lit the fire in the furnace, with apletely serene expression on his face .


    “Well well, looks like I need to thank sir Shin again . ”


    After this, the sound of hammered iron echoed from the smithy for a while .