Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, I don’t think I have had a shower after midnight--other than the rare occasions I go drinking--or when I am really sick, with a fever. I usually had a quick, hot shower after waking up early in the morning.”

The nights have been cold for the past few days, so the couple are sleeping inside the wagon--I don’t care about Toruma, but it’d be troubling if Hayuna catches a cold and infects the baby.

Tonight, the combinations for night watch duty is different to usual.

Usually, Mia, Lulu and I are first; then Pochi, Tama and Nana; with Liza and Arisa for last--but today, I have switched Mia and Arisa’s watch order.

“What are you making?” Arisa leans against me as she asks.

“It’s Circuit Liquid.”

In most instruction books, it’s usually only called Magic Liquid, or just Liquid.

However, the one I’m making now, is different from the normal Liquid--I’m making one of the recipes hidden in that bundle of paper.

Yep, even though the raw materials are different, the way of making it is actually the same as normal Liquid.

“Huh? Doesn’t it usually shine red?”

Arisa really is quite observant, but I can’t answer her, since I’m concentrating right now--I continue slowly and carefully pouring Magic Power into the liquid, while watching the shining blue Liquid.

Finally, I pour the finished Liquid into the Circuit carved on one-half of the bisected wooden sword.

Since I remembered to let the Liquid cool down a little, not enough to solidify--but a little, the wood doesn’t burn.

“It’s black--is it really a wooden sword?”

Well, I have mostly finished the most concentration consuming part of my work, so I answer her with a nod.

I also notice that Lulu is just sitting next to me and carefully watching--she seems fascinated.

Spreading glue on the remaining other half of the wooden sword, then wrap strings around it. I carefully place the sword on the Magic Bestowing Stand, slowly manipulating the Liquid, drawing a small, but incredibly intricate pattern.

It seems that Arisa seems to have gotten bored of asking questions that I can only spare the attention to nod, or shake my head, at. She lies down and watches me.

Lulu gently wipes the sweat off my forehead, using a clean piece of cloth--saying nothing, just watching, and helping me how she can.

I try putting Magic Power into the now finished wooden sword--the flow of Magic is worse than Liza’s spear, but it’s still quite good.

The sword’s whole body is shining a brilliant blue--the light even remains after I stop pouring Magic Power into it, although it does get a bit dimmer.

“Hey, hey, isn’t a Magic Sword that shines blue--Th-That can’t be it right? There’s no way that could be made so easily.” Arisa sounds a little disturbed as she quickly gets up and comes over to me.

Good perception, it seems that she has noticed the true nature of this sword.

I pour more Magic into the wooden sword once again--I find the blue glow actually fairly nice--much better than the ones from legend and in stories that glow gold or an eye-burning white.

“Hey, is that really, that?”

I answer Arisa with a smile, “Yes. It’s a Holy Sword.”

***

“W-Wait, ‘Holy Sword’ you said?” She twitches a little in surprise.

“Well, to be exact, it’s a pseudo Holy Sword.”

What Arisa had discovered when she deciphered the vertical reading on those innocent-seeming notes--was a record of a certain man’s study into the creation of Holy Swords.

A lot of it is about how you need a special type of Circuit Liquid to make Holy Swords--you need rather rare-sounding materials like Dragon Powder, certain jewels had to also be powdered, and a gold nugget, etc. I used 15 gold coins to make this prototype.

If this was an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) most of the low level Players could do this; but end-game Players would find it interesting.

The originality in the notes is just the material required for making the Liquid--the rest is basically just how you make a Magic Sword.

There is, however, a reason why I call it pseudo.

The wooden sword I made earlier is a success, but I can’t make forged swords into Holy Swords. I am still unable to carve a precise Circuit onto a forged sword--since it’s made by striking and folding the hot metal.

“Pseudo? But it’s glowing the same colour as the Holy Sword that the hero has.” Arisa looks at me, after I give her an explanation.

“Well, it could exert the same power as the original, if the opponent is weak and without substance--but it’s still a wooden sword, after all. I don’t know the Circuit required to increase sharpness, or toughness, for now. So, for now, it’s nothing but a wooden sword with the Holy Attribute.”

The creator of this recipe isn’t from the Saga Empire, but the Shiga Kingdom, and seems to have been the former researcher from the Royal Institution who lost in a dispute and was driven out.

This story was also hidden in the vertical writing.

A lot of the notes contain a lot of complaints--but one of them details his success of the creation of the Holy Sword Liquid with the help of a person called the ‘Elf Sage’.

As for this wooden Holy Sword, it’d break in one hit if it clashes against even the weakest of the Holy Swords in my Storage--Gjallarhorn.

It’s probably not quite as strong as Liza’s spear, and about equal with Pochi and Tama’s shortswords.

This blue Circuit Liquid--which the creator refers to simply as ‘Blue’--doesn’t only possess the Holy Attribute, it also draws Magic Power from Nature, even if the wielder isn’t putting any Magic Power into it.

When I mention that function to Arisa, she remarks with a grin, “So, perpetual motion is possible, huh.”

Rather than perpetual motion, it’s closer to wind or solar power--but it’s still quite convenient. However, making a large-scale version would be impossible, because it would cause destruction--like what was done to the mountain where the Dryad is.

“Please let me borrow it.” Arisa holds out her hands as she asks, and I give it to her--hmm, let’s make her a matching wooden Magic Sword later.

Arisa is enjoying the blue light while putting Magic Power into it, waving it around like a lightsaber.

After a short time, she has a contemplative look appear on her face--before beginning to rapidly pour Magic Power into it; I don’t know what she’s thinking.

I take it from her before Danger Sense kicks in.

“That was rather dangerous, what would you do if it explodes?”

“I’m sorry, I was curious how much it could absorb, and I couldn’t stop. I didn’t reach the limit--even after putting 100 MP into it.”

I’d like to find out that limit as well, but it looks like Arisa wouldn’t let me walk off with the sword right now.

Feeling a creative urge appear.

I paint the wooden Holy Sword’s surface with golden paint, then carve a rose pattern on the hilt and apply powder from a crushed sapphire to it; in addition, I carve a sapphire into the shape of a flower petal and place it onto it.

Since I have a lot of leftover Blue, I paint a thin coat of it below the sapphire, and when I put some Magic Power into it--a brilliant blue light shines through the sapphire.

Since the blade part now looks desolate, I draw a arabesque pattern on the wood with the golden paint, and a little more Blue.

When Magic Power is put into it, the golden blade glows with blue light--glittery and mysterious looking.

“Master, it’s lovely!” Lulu looks transfixed as she stares at the weapon.

“Wow, uhh--Master, I didn’t know you swung that way as well.” Arisa smirked at me with a grin.

Lulu tilted her head in confusion at Arisa’s words, though her eyes were still fixed on the blade.

I rolled my eyes and gently bopped her on the head with the sword.

 

 

***

Now, since I have verified that I can make Low-Grade Magic Tools, I decided to try to make a tool from scratch--the first time, without using instructions, is always the hardest.

I finish drawing up designs during my leisure time, while the wagon was moving; I carved a few of the wooden components, as well as some of the simpler parts--I just need to wait until the wagon stops, so I can join them and draw the Magic Circuit.

When the wagon stops for lunch, I draw a Magic Circuit designed to generate heat on a thin copper plate, which I made from a few copper coins.

I pick up the wooden propeller blade that I had carved while the wagon was moving, and carve in a simple Magic Circuit that will make it rotate when Magic Pour is poured into it--the Magic Circuit was easy than I thought, I discovered it when I disassembled the spinning top.

I insert the completed copper plate and propeller assembly into a wooden cylinder that I had carved earlier--and attach a simple handle as the last touch.

“It can’t be!” Arisa is shocked, she sounds pleased as well.

“Yes, it is what you think.”

I leave the trial run to Arisa.

The propeller begins spinning as she pours in Magic Power, and heat is generated, forming a warm breeze.

“I didn’t think that the day that I could use a hair drier would happen again--” There are actually small tears in the corner of her eyes, her lips pulled back in a joyous grin.

Well, since it’s going to get very cold soon, I should probably make a heater for the wagon--and making something to heat more water, to stop Lulu’s hands from hurting when she washes laundry in cold water.

The small heating plate doesn’t hear up enough for that, though it does work for cleaning dishes.