Chapter 48

"Hey, Loid, what's with you... How did you get so many monster cores?!"

Dian, facing the large number of cores, widened his eyes in surprise.

"It was thanks to Shiro and the others."

"Oof!"

"Wow! Thanks a lot!"

Dian tried to place his hand on Shiro's head, who nodded proudly.

"Vrr...!"

But Shiro growled and refused. Dian, momentarily taken aback, soon grinned at me.

"Oh, so you only get close to your master, huh? Tsk, what a proud pup."

"Sorry, Dian-nii."

"Don't worry about it. More importantly, it looks like we can start mass-producing the magic swords now."

"Yeah, a Magic Sword Unit sounds great. Let's do it."

Thanks to Shiro and the others bringing back the monster cores, we can mass-produce the magic swords without any issues. We have enough materials, so let's give it a shot.

After that, I worked hard on magic sword production under Dian. After failing dozens of times, my approach to enchanting changed. First, weapons become incomparably strong once enchanted. However, enchantments can easily wear off. Deterioration from combat is inevitable, but wear and tear from drawing and sheathing the sword is also significant. Some enchantments wear off in as little as ten days. Therefore, maintaining the enchantment is far more important than increasing attack power or sword strength. Especially with magic swords, even a small part of the enchantment missing can prevent the magic from activating, turning it into a regular sword.

"Anyway, I need to engrave the enchantments accurately and strongly...!"

I carefully and meticulously engraved each character, not weaving but carving them. To ensure durability, I added a double maintenance enchantment. It should last about a year, I hope. After all, each sword takes a lot of effort and money to make.

"Woof!"

Mini-Shiros entered the workshop, carrying monster cores in their mouths.

"Hey, you guys are here again today. Thanks a lot!"

"Woof woof!"

"Good, good, it's feeding time."

The Mini-Shiros placed the monster cores nearby and gathered around the food Dian provided. I wonder where they find them... Probably by defeating nearby monsters. They bring a considerable amount, allowing us to make one magic sword and two enchanted swords per day. And then—

"Al-nii, we've completed thirty magic swords."

"Wow! So many magic swords... Amazing!"

Albert's eyes sparkled as he looked at the lined-up swords.

"With these, the unit should function well. Dian, Loid, you both did a great job!"

"Hehe, I just did what I love."

"Right, I learned a lot too."

Thanks to this, I gained a lot of knowledge about fixing enchantments and applying them to materials. I might try applying it to something else later.

"I'd like to thank you somehow..."

"Yeah, Al-nii, we should give Loid something as a reward!"

"Sure, what do you want? Just let us know."

After thinking for a moment, I responded to Albert's question.

"Well... I'd like Dian-nii to make me a magic sword. One for myself."

At my words, the two of them looked at each other and laughed.

"Right, Loid doesn't have his own magic sword yet."

"Haha! After making so many, you'd naturally want one for yourself! Sorry about that. But if that's what you want, leave it to me. I'll make you the best magic sword!"

"I'll help with gathering materials. I promise to get the best materials."

"Wow! Then, Al-nii, let's go all out and make an incredible weapon! How about getting some tamahagane?"

"Hmm, the best magical steel for making magic swords. Alright, I'll use my connections to get the highest quality materials."

"Hehe, this is going to be an amazing magic sword. I'm getting excited!"

The two of them were hyped up, ignoring me. But as long as they make a good magic sword, it's all good.

The next day, I headed to the workshop after receiving a message that the materials were ready.

"Hey Loid, you made it."

"I've got the best materials as requested. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Let's get started."

So, the production of my magic sword began. Dian hammered the sword, and I engraved the enchantments along with the magic marrow fluid.

"By the way, what kind of magic are you planning to put in? One of the top-tier spells, maybe?"

"That's for me to see and you to find out."

I continued working without answering Grimo's question. Finally, my magic sword was completed. A slightly shorter sword, just right for my height, with a good weight that fit my hand perfectly. When I held it and changed the angle, the silver blade reflected light and shone.

"Alright, Loid, it's time to reveal what magic you put in, right?"

"Yeah, Loid, don't keep us in suspense."

I had kept it a secret from them. Grimo was also listening intently. I had felt like keeping it a secret, but it wasn't that big of a deal... and now I was feeling a bit embarrassed.

"It's not that big of a deal... but let's go outside and test it."

Outside, I gripped the sword, and the blade began to glow white. I waved to Albert, who was standing a short distance away.

"Albert-nii, can you cast a spell for me?"

"Sure."

Albert cast a 'Fireball.' I aimed the sword at the fireball flying towards me. The fireball disappeared, and the sword turned a faint red.

"Alright, it worked."

Seeing my victory pose, Dian looked puzzled.

"I'm surprised. The fireball disappeared. What kind of trick did you use?"

"Ah, I see, 'Absorb Magic.'"

I nodded in response to Albert's words. 'Absorb Magic' is a spell that absorbs magic and converts it into one's own magic power. It's one of the anti-mage spells, which looks powerful but requires the user to see the spell and activate the enchantment, always maintaining the spell's structure. This makes it difficult to attack and limits other movements.

"Haha, you thought this through, Loid. As a spell, 'Absorb Magic' is hard to use, but as a magic sword, you don't need to maintain the spell structure. Just swinging the sword can nullify the opponent's magic and absorb their magic power. This will give you a huge advantage in battles against mages. With magic battles becoming the main focus, you've already thought this far. Impressive, Loid...!"

"'Absorb Magic'... Haha, you really thought this through. This spell is not well-known, but it can be used for both defense and offense. Once absorbed, the magic can be cast back without incantation. Combined with your own magic, it can be a double spell. Add another layer, and it becomes a triple spell...! Hehe, I'm sure you calculated all of this. You're quite something...!"

"Diald, or should it be Rodibert? Or Alldiald...? Hmm, all the names are good..."

The three of them were muttering to themselves. By the way, the reason I chose 'Absorb Magic' is that it allows me to capture and study unknown spells. There are many spells I haven't seen before. This sword is designed to expand the enchantment, increasing the amount of magic it can absorb and maintaining the enchantment. This way, it can capture any spell. I think it's a great idea. Maybe I'll call it the 'Absorb Magic Sword.'