The next day.
We went out into town, but Licorice was acting as usual.
She seemed to be thinking about lunch, flying around with sparkling eyes.
Is she really feeling down?
I couldn’t help but wonder.
But...
This is probably just a front.
We've been together long enough for me to tell.
I have to do my best to help her cheer up for real.
"We’ll talk about lunch later. First, let’s head to the weapon shop."
"Oh, are you getting a new sword, Fate?"
"No. I want to see if they can repair it."
"Hmm... I don’t think that’s gonna be possible, though."
And Licorice was right.
"Sorry, but this is beyond my skill."
We went to the weapon shop and asked if they could repair the Snow Crystal Sword, but...
That was the answer we got.
"This is a fairy-made sword, isn’t it?"
"You figured that out quickly."
"Fairy swords are special. You can tell just by looking at them. Plus, you guys travel with a fairy, so it makes sense."
Right.
If someone sees me with Licorice, they’d probably figure that much out.
"Now that I think about it..."
How rare is the Snow Crystal Sword?
I’ve been using it without really thinking about it, so I never knew.
Sofia seemed to pick up on my curiosity and explained.
"A sword made by fairies is incredibly rare. It has an exceptional sharpness and durability that human-made swords can’t match."
"I didn’t know it was that amazing..."
"It doesn’t quite reach the level of a holy sword, but it still holds incredible power. Plus, its craftsmanship is so beautiful that some are traded as collector’s items. Depending on the sword, one could be worth enough to live off for several years."
"Heh!"
For some reason, Licorice looked smug.
"The young lady is right. Fairy swords are beyond our capabilities. Our technology won’t catch up for another hundred years, at least. So..."
"Repairing it is impossible?"
"That’s right."
"I see..."
My shoulders slumped.
I really wanted to find a way to fix it, but it seemed like that wasn’t going to happen.
Do I just have to give up...?
"Honestly... Come on, Fate."
Licorice, who had been perched on Snow’s head, floated over to mine.
Then, she started lightly patting my head.
"Ow, ow!?"
"How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t worry about it."
"But..."
"No buts. I said it's fine. Besides, it's a sword. Swords break eventually."
"That’s true, but..."
"It wasn’t meant to sit in a display case. It fulfilled its duty as a weapon in battle. I’m sure the Snow Crystal Sword was satisfied."
"...You think so?"
"I know so."
Licorice spoke without hesitation.
She seemed to feel a bit sad…
But even so, she had no doubts that this was the right thing to do.
Licorice is strong.
And yet, I kept clinging to the idea that there had to be some way to fix this.
"What’s the deal? Is this sword something special to you?"
"Yes, a little…"
"I see. If that’s the case, I’d love to help, but… A fairy sword is beyond my ability."
The fact that he was even considering it showed that he was a good person.
Maybe I shouldn’t trouble him any further.
Licorice had already told me it was fine.
And besides, we had no way to repair it.
If I kept insisting, I’d just be being selfish.
Maybe it was time for me to change my mindset before it turned into stubbornness…
"…Oh, that’s right."
The shopkeeper suddenly spoke, as if he had just remembered something.
"I can’t say for sure, but… there might be a way."
"Really!?"
A possibility.
Even if it was uncertain, if there was a chance, I wanted to take it.
"It’s beyond my skills, but someone else might be able to do it."
"If we go around visiting different weapon shops…?"
"That would just be a waste of time. Only a true master… No, someone even beyond that—someone with godlike smithing skills—might be able to fix it. I’ve heard a rumor that such a person once repaired a fairy sword."
"W-Wait, really!?"
"I wouldn’t joke about something like this."
Yes!
There was still no guarantee, and we didn’t even know if we could find that blacksmith.
But even so, a small ray of hope had appeared.
"Do you have any idea where we might find this blacksmith?"
"I’ve only heard rumors…"
At Sofia’s question, the shopkeeper frowned.
"But apparently, he’s called ‘the man blessed by the god of weapons.’"
"Huh?"
I couldn’t help but react, and Sofia gave me a puzzled look.
"Fate, do you know who that is?"
"Y-Yeah…"
That name…
"That’s what they used to call my father."
Comments
Post a Comment