Chapter 77

The day after the rapier itself was completed, I decided to make the scabbard since it wasn't ready yet. There were no specific instructions, so I thought I'd make it first, and if I didn't like it, I could have a custom one made. Rike and the others were working on the standard models today.

I went to the lumber yard outside and cut out two boards of appropriate length, then brought them to the workshop. The rest of the process was the same as making any other scabbard. I took the measurements, roughly cut out the shape, glued the pieces together, and then shaved them down. This time, I reinforced the tip of the scabbard and the part equivalent to the "koiguchi" (the mouth of a katana scabbard) with steel plates. It looked like a plain wooden scabbard with reinforcements. If I wanted to get fancy, I could have added deer skin or carvings, but I decided to leave it as it was.

Making a single scabbard doesn't take much time, especially since this one was just a temporary one. I spent the rest of the day working on the high-end models, dividing some of the standard models—short swords and long swords that had just been taken out of the molds—between us. Looking at them, both the ones cast by Sermia and the ones cast by Dian seemed to have improved in quality compared to before. This meant that the effort required to turn them into high-end models would be less than before.

I had been so focused on forging swords for a couple of days that I almost ended up eliminating all the imperfections. However, doing that would turn them into custom models. I have no hesitation about creating and releasing what I want, but that's a different story. After all, a single gold coin is a lot of money (the price is up to me, of course), and it's not something that can be sold easily. For the time being, the high-end models will be the top-tier products of this workshop.

As expected, the high-end models were completed quickly because the items that came out of the molds were of good quality. Maybe I should let Dian hold the hammer a bit more. We managed to secure a sufficient number of items in stock. At this rate, if we make knives tomorrow, we should have enough to deliver. I might even be able to take a day off the day after tomorrow. I haven't had a break since the Aimur family's troubles, and creating the mithril rapier was quite a challenge. I really need a break.

When I proposed taking the day off the day after tomorrow during dinner, it was unanimously approved.

The next day, Sermia and Dian went hunting, perhaps to prepare for the break. Dian was completely exhausted when she first came back, but recently she still had some energy left after returning. Walking and running in the forest must have built up her stamina.

This improvement was also evident in her daily training. She can now handle my strikes for a bit longer than before. I can't say for sure, but at this rate, she might be able to defeat an ordinary soldier by exhausting their stamina. If this continues, she might become the best in this region.

Rike and I started making knives. Rike worked on the standard models, and I worked on the high-end models. This was almost like an assembly line, and we both made knives quickly. I noticed that Rike's production speed had improved. While she still couldn't match my speed, there were times when she was close. Everyone is improving bit by bit.

We continued making knives at that pace and secured more than enough to deliver, finishing our work by the afternoon. The forge's bell rang, signaling Sermia and Dian's return.

"Hey, perfect timing."

"Yeah, I'll clean up here."

"Alright, thanks."

Rike and I quickly tidied up the forge and returned home. Sermia and Dian were just putting down their bows and other gear.

"Welcome back. How was it?"

"Back. Yeah, we caught a big deer."

"Really? That sounds exciting for tomorrow."

"Yeah, look forward to it!"

Sermia puffed out her chest proudly. On the other hand, Dian seemed a bit dazed, with a soft, dreamy glow around her face.

"Hey, Sermia. What's up with Dian?"

"Ah, well..."

Sermia sighed as if exasperated.

"While we were gutting the deer, we ran into a mother and baby wolf. Dian said the baby was cute, and she's been like that ever since."

"I see... I can imagine. A baby wolf wagging its tail like a puppy—no wonder she's smitten."

"What happened to the mother and baby?"

"I gave them the guts, and they took them and ran off. They must have been waiting for us to finish hunting."

Sermia added, "I buried the heart properly." The wolves in this forest are really smart. But if Dian found out that the baby could be tamed and kept as a pet, she'd insist on it. I have to make sure she doesn't find out. Sermia and I exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement.