Chapter 55

"Wait, hold on a moment. If this is the new family heirloom sword, does that mean my sword will become the Aimur family's heirloom?"

"Yes, that's how it will be. The stolen one is a 'fake,' so naturally, the 'real' one that Marius has will be the heirloom. And that 'real' one is the one you made."

"Is it really okay for the sword I made to become something like that..."

"Well, it's not a national treasure or anything. It's not like it was made by a god or an elf; there was a human who first forged it, so it's the same thing, right?"

"I guess you're right, but..."

"Just think of it as helping Marius and accept it."

"Hmm..."

After all, even if it's called a family heirloom, it's just an exceptionally well-made sword. If I make an even better one, people will say, 'Excellent, it's fitting that it's an heirloom,' and it will indeed be worth it. If it were a national treasure or an heirloom of a family of higher rank than a count, the materials and craftsmanship would exceed what mere steel can handle. But for a count's family, it might just be extremely high-quality steel, so it might be possible. I should at least ask Mr. Marius about the sword's material...

"I saw the sword you forged for Helen, and even I could tell it was of exceptional quality. If you can forge something like that, you'll be fine."

Camillo spoke to me as I was deep in thought.

Ah, he saw the only one that has been out in the world. If he says it's fine, then it probably is. Still, I can't shake off my unease. But there's no turning back now; I have to do it.

"Alright. But it will be tough if several conditions overlap. For example, if the material is better than steel, it will be risky. I'll do my best to make a good one, though."

"Alright, that's fine. But, can you hide in that box over there?"

"This one?"

Indeed, there was a large box there. But it seemed a bit small for me to fit in.

"Yeah, that one."

Camillo glanced back at me. I removed the lid as instructed and peered inside. It was deeper than I thought, and the depth was clearly not physically possible. Ah, I see. The cart must have been modified to carry more than it looks. This should be enough to hide me. I crawled inside and closed the lid myself.

A considerable amount of time passed while I was hidden in the box. At least enough time for a light nap. I think the carriage, being faster than walking due to the well-maintained roads, must have traveled a considerable distance.

After a while, the carriage jolted and stopped. The surroundings were noisy. It seemed we had reached the entrance to the capital.

I could hear voices calling out, "Next!" from all around, like border control at an airport in my previous world. It was frustrating not being able to see clearly from inside the box. The carriage moved forward and stopped intermittently, and the voices of the guards grew closer.

Eventually, it was our turn.

"Are you a merchant?"

"Yep, I've brought a few items."

"I'll need to inspect them."

"Sure thing."

The sound of two people walking approached the cart—where I was hiding. The footsteps of what seemed to be guards climbed onto the cargo area and started opening the lids of the crates on the opposite side. The footsteps and the sound of opening lids gradually came closer, and I was quite nervous, but they never reached my box and eventually left the cargo area.

"Alright, you're good to go."

"Thank you, sir."

Camillo responded politely and moved the carriage forward. Soon, the noise of the city and the change in the carriage's vibrations indicated we had entered the city. The sound of the wheels changed as well. Still, Camillo didn't tell me to come out. The situation hadn't changed; I couldn't be careless and make any noise.

After entering the city, we turned corners, climbed hills, and stopped occasionally, traveling a considerable distance. Eventually, after stopping and moving a bit, I felt a different vibration, and the carriage stopped again. We must have reached our destination.

"Hey, you can come out now."

Camillo's voice called out. I opened the lid eagerly and climbed out of the box, stretching on the cargo area. My back cracked. If I were still the age I was in my previous world, I might have been too sore to stand.

"Ah, that was tough."

"I know. Sorry, but we couldn't let anyone know you were here."

"I understand."

I replied with a wry smile.

"So, where are we?"

"This is the Aimur family's forge. They make and repair weapons for their private army here."

"Hmm. It's surprisingly quiet for a forge."

I thought there would be noisy hammers powered by waterwheels.

"They've stopped operations and only a few trusted craftsmen are left, apparently."

"I see."

They can't let a lot of people see the 'real' one being made.

"Alright."

I jumped down from the cargo area. This seemed to be just a place for unloading, with no forges. I hadn't noticed, but the sun was starting to set. We must have traveled a considerable distance by carriage since we left early in the morning.

"Well, let's get ready quickly."

"Right. I've already sent someone to inform Mr. Marius that we've arrived, so please start as soon as possible."

"Got it."

I opened the door Camillo pointed to. Well, let's get started on this once-in-a-lifetime task for Mr. Marius.