Chapter 72

"Since there's almost no chipping or warping, I think it should be fine for about half a year, but I'll fix it just in case."

Holding hands, I called out to Helen.

"Sure, thanks."

"Alright, I'll fix it, so just wait a moment."

"Hmm?"

Helen timidly spoke up. I had thought she was all about toughness, but apparently not always.

"Can I watch you fix it?"

"No, it's fine. I don't mind."

I don't think she'd understand the work, but it's not something I'd refuse. When using fire (which can reach nearly 1000°C in some cases), I might need her to keep her distance, but for sharpening and minor warping, no fire is needed. It would be scary if the meaning of quenching and tempering were lost.

"Alright! Thanks a lot!"

She patted my back vigorously. She's definitely tough. The term 'female hero' suits her well.

"Master, can I watch too?"

"Sure, of course."

Rike also wanted to watch, so I readily agreed. It's better if Rike observes carefully. I think she knows that too.

First, I started by removing the warping. It wasn't significantly warped, so I just placed it on the anvil and tapped it. With my cheat ability, I knew exactly where and how much to tap to correct the warping, so I did it carefully. A clear, resonant sound echoed, different from the usual forging work.

After finishing the first one, I handed the sword to Helen.

"Check it out for me."

"Sure thing."

Helen took the sword and swung it a bit away from us. The lack of any dangerous feel was a testament to her skill.

"Whoa, wow!?"

Helen exclaimed in surprise.

"Amazing, Eizou! It feels just as good as it did at first!"

"Fixing that level of warping and you can still tell the difference, you're pretty impressive yourself."

This was a completely honest assessment. A skilled craftsman's fingers can detect errors of a few micrometers, and I felt the same.

"Is everything okay, then?"

"Of course! It's like new!"

When I took the sword back, I could see that it had been used a lot, with the leather wrapping on the hilt showing signs of being rewrapped several times.

"Should I fix the leather wrapping while I'm at it?"

"No, it's fine. It's already well-suited to my hand. I wrapped it this way on purpose."

"Alright, I'll just fix the blade then."

"Sure."

I carefully corrected the warping on the second one. The clear sound of the hammer echoed again in the quiet forge. Rike and Helen watched intently, holding their breath as if they thought it might disturb my work.

"Hey, Helen."

"Hmm?"

"Is it fun to watch?"

"Yeah, it makes me feel like a craftsman."

"No, I'm definitely a blacksmith."

I'm still pretty new to the trade, though.

"I know, but my dad was a craftsman, and I used to watch him make things."

"Really? What kind of craftsman was he?"

"Leatherworker. I left home for various reasons, though."

"A leatherworker, huh? That sounds interesting too."

It feels like a specialized profession. I could do horseshoes and nails, which are part of a blacksmith's domain.

While chatting, I gradually corrected the warping. When I was almost done, Helen said softly,

"Eizou, you don't ask why I left home, do you?"

"I'm not completely uninterested, but I generally don't ask women about their past."

"Did you hear something terrible happen to someone before?"

"Maybe. I'll listen to anything about delicious food from the past, though. Alright, this one's done too."

I handed the recently fixed sword to Helen to check. There were no issues, so next, I started sharpening.

I sharpened the blade, focusing intently—though my cheat ability was a significant help. Rike and Helen watched my hands with serious expressions. I stopped when the chipping was gone.

"It should be fine for a while now."

I handed over the finished sword. As Helen checked it, the workshop's wind chime jingled.

"Oh, it's that time already?"

"What's that wind chime for?"

"It rings here when the door at home is opened."

"What if you open the door here?"

"The wind chime at home will ring."

"Interesting."

"Sometimes we leave one open, so it's convenient. Someone from home must be back."

Sure enough, Sermia and Diana soon arrived at the workshop.

"We're back. Oh, a customer?"

"Welcome back. Yes, it's the person who had a sword made here before."

Helen bowed to Diana.

"Oh, it's Helen. How have you been?"

"Good, I'm doing great."

Sermia had met her before, so she knew her. Helen is friendly and greets people easily.

"Is Helen the 'Thunder Sword' Helen you mentioned before?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, that's me."

Diana asked me, but Helen answered. Diana's eyes lit up.

"Helen."

"Hmm? What is it, Eizou?"

"Instead of payment for the repairs, could you train with Diana... the young lady over there?"

"Really, that's fine?"

"Sure. I'll finish another one during that time."

"Alright, I'll take care of it!"

"Be gentle."

I threw Helen the wooden sword I usually use. She caught it beautifully and went outside with Diana. Diana was visibly excited. Helen must be quite famous. I don't have information on famous people from this world in my installed knowledge.

I watched them go and then picked up the sword I hadn't sharpened yet, ready to get back to work.