Chapter 54

Whenever he got drunk, he would always say the same thing: he regretted not completing the two swords that became his final works.

-But they seem to be already complete...

"No."

I narrowed my eyes as I reached out to the items inside the safe. I could see the bottom, wrapped in an old-fashioned cloth, and on top of it, two swords were placed. The warning I had sensed earlier, not to approach, was undoubtedly coming from these.

When I actually placed my hand on the blades, a strong sense of rejection flowed out, but perhaps due to the long time that had passed or because they were unfinished, the sense of rejection eventually failed to push my hand away and fell silent once more.

"The finishing touches haven't been done."

Indeed, that was the case. Surt had imbued each of the two swords with a will of their own. A blacksmith who could infuse his will into the swords, making them come to life, was a rare talent. If the proud blacksmiths who took pride in their skills heard about this, they would likely fall into despair.

The twin swords had a unique design similar to the Hwandudaedo I used. In the Tionis continent, where large and long swords were preferred, this design was not well-known. The swords, which had not even been properly assembled, were like unfinished pieces of steel, but the power and will contained within them were clearly perceptible.

The red sword that cuts the living.

The blue sword that cuts the dead.

He simply called the twin swords by these names. They had no names, as he would only name completed works. Since he never finished them, he never named them, and they remained nameless for thousands of years, sealed away.

In his life, Kaldiras was the finest sword he ever made, but he also admitted that it was tailored to its owner, Hares, and his physique. However, these two were different. They were his only works that he poured his soul into, creating ego weapons. They were not made with a specific user in mind; they were designed to find their own masters.

Surprisingly, these two swords fit me perfectly, as if by a stroke of luck. They were truly the best swords, crafted without any input from others, just following his own hands. Although he had made many weapons in the corridor, he often said that he had never made swords as excellent as Kaldiras and these twins.

While the basic performance might not surpass Kaldiras due to the materials used, "Even so, they are clearly on par with divine swords."

These swords were clearly of a different lineage from Kaldiras. There would be a commotion, no doubt. Divine swords, which made their owners stronger just by possessing them, were the reason many nations attacked the Palan Empire to obtain Kaldiras. With two swords instead of one, the situation could be even more intense.

Length: 80 cm. Width: 6 cm.

They seemed to fit well with elegant and smooth sword techniques rather than destructive ones. I quietly extended my hand, gently grasping the swords wrapped in the cloth. The sense of rejection that had been guarding me seemed to sense my careful touch and gradually fell silent, eventually dissipating completely.

But the sharpness remained. Perhaps because they were weapons, even a slight mistake could result in a finger being cut off without me realizing it. It was not just the sharpness from being honed but the inherent sharpness of the weapons themselves. They were ready to be used as weapons.

However, from the perspective of a blacksmith, these two swords were clearly unfinished. As I looked at the sword surfaces wrapped in the cloth, I murmured softly, "I need to make a fire."

-A fire?

"Yes. Not a regular forge, but a dwarven forge that can heat up several times hotter."

-But putting a sword that has already been honed into the fire...

"I said they're unfinished."

I gently caressed the sword surface as if handling a treasure. The slightly rough surface of the sword was palpable. Surt waited for the right moment but ran out of time before he could finish them. The last thing he did was likely to infuse the sword surfaces with mana, which would gradually become more concentrated over time.

While I couldn't tell what type of mana it was just from the name, after thousands of years, the mana infused in the sword surfaces had likely reached its maximum concentration. This was enough time, and the longer it took, the better the sword would be. Perhaps they would turn out even more impressive than he had expected.

This was the last unfinished masterpiece of the Thousand Night Blacksmith. Any ordinary blacksmith would have been too intimidated by the pressure to even touch it, but I felt a strong urge to hammer the swords.

Failure?

How could I fail with such a piece? At this point, I began to understand what he was thinking when he confidently claimed that he would never fail.

Chapter 23: Eat Your Shit

"Nice loot."

Technically, it was more like a recovery. Surt had transferred the ownership of the twin swords to me. Since the swords had never been revealed to the world, no one would question my possession of them.

I quickly left Surt's underground workshop and returned to the chaotic estate, borrowed a horse, and set off for the palace.

Although I had killed Count Gertha, his crimes were clear, and no one had the authority to question me about it. In such moments, the class system was incredibly convenient. No wonder the nobles were intoxicated by the sweetness it brought.

* * *

Name: None

Status: Unfinished

Completion: 90%

Details:

The first sword of the last unfinished masterpiece created by a great blacksmith who poured his fading life and all his strength into it, using mana in the forging process.

Unfinished, so no powers are manifested.

A self-awareness exists but is currently dormant.

This was the description of the red sword that cuts the living, as Surt had described it. It had been sealed away for thousands of years due to the 10% incompleteness, without a name.

The existence of self-awareness was not surprising. Even before entering the underground workshop, I had heard the low growl of a wary beast when opening the safe. This was likely a manifestation of the self-awareness within the sword.

"The other one is the same..."

I had brought out two swords from the underground workshop. As Surt had said, they were twin swords, identical in design except for the color.

And...

Their completion status and current situation were the same.

The first sword cuts the living.

The second sword cuts the dead.

Even among twins, there is a first and a second.

Since he had put more effort into these than into Kaldiras, the swords were filled with his passion and affection.

"We've arrived. Enjoy your visit to the capital."

Thanks to my continued disguise as a commoner, the low-level mage managing the mana gate did not recognize me. In a world where mass media was not well-developed, this was a natural outcome. I quickly arrived at a nearby major city, boarded the mana gate, and reached the capital in no time.

Normally, I would have arrived later with a carriage and entourage, but with the estate starting to get back on track, there was no reason to waste time at the palace.

"Why do you think the royal family called me?"

-On the surface, haven't you accomplished a great deal? They must be awarding you for your contributions.

"It's my money, after all."

-Taxes are not just a formality. You keep asking this, knowing the answer.

Indeed.

First, the contributions are contributions. In the Round Kingdom, as in any nation, a certain amount of income is submitted to the state when an individual or group earns money. This was the income tax. The current income tax in the Round Kingdom ranged from 5% to 30%.

Too high?

What was different on Earth?

Of course, most noble families evaded this tax and lived comfortably, but as a result, many were now being caught and executed.

-That's the general expectation.

"What's the hidden meaning?"

-Isn't it obvious? The leaves of the Moon Grass you cultivate are like golden eggs. In just one quarter, you earned more than the kingdom's annual expenditure.

The Round Kingdom's annual expenditure was between 100,000 and 150,000 gold. It was indeed a significant amount.

-If they nationalize your business and sweet-talk you, the Round Kingdom could become several times wealthier.

More accurately, the noble families' pockets would become wealthier.

Given that I was now the only estate in the eastern continent capable of producing Moon Grass, this was a bit unsettling.

It also meant that my achievements were significant. Cultivating Moon Grass was impossible, and that was the challenge.

After confirming a few pieces of information in the capital, I entered the palace, where a different, chaotic atmosphere greeted me. With the major conflict among the nobles, many servants had been killed, and it seemed they had taken this opportunity to completely replace the staff.

Perhaps because of this, I hardly saw the faces of the servants who used to look down on and ignore me. Of course, even if they were around, they no longer had the position to treat me however they pleased.

"Welcome, Your Highness."

Greeting me was none other than Vesperus, the head butler. He was the brother of Bernil, the head butler who had accompanied me to Haines Estate, and one of the king's trusted aides, even the nobles dared not touch him. Thus, he was a reliable person.

"It's been a while, Vesperus."

"Your Highness looks even more robust."

"Still looks scrawny to me."

"Your sense of humor has improved with the new year."

Bernil, the head butler, occasionally showed a smile, but Vesperus, the head butler, had a face like a terminator, showing no change in expression. As a child, I remember jokingly calling him a terminator and asking where John Connor was.

"You've succeeded in a major business in your estate."

It was a bit off-topic for a butler to ask, but he was a person who could do more than that.

"Well... it seems the heavens were moved. I received a big gift."

I laughed, and he seemed satisfied, closing his eyes quietly.