CH 10

-Knock, knock.

After knocking lightly twice on the door, I opened the door in front of me, the strange and thud sound of that old door opening tickled my ears.

Inside, there was a lot of dust which made that house looks like an old abandoned house, and the eerie atmosphere made me wonder if it would be ok to stay here more.

“Is anyone there?”

I said in the hope of someone might have been inside, but there was no response as it was when I first knocked.

Reluctantly, when I went a little deeper, just like any other weapon shop, there were weapons and armor hanging out.

I couldn’t help but be amazed to see the weapons and armor hanging down as if they were decorations.

Picking up one of the hanging swords to gauge its sharpness, I forgot the purpose of coming here for a moment and stared blankly at the sword and said.

"It’s not a sword, it’s a work of art."

Although it was sad that, this sword was not born as a katana, its sharpness could not be compared with any sword I had ever seen.

The perfection of the blacksmith did not match the appearance of the store, and I even thought that this might not be a blacksmith’s shop, but a secret hiding place where weapons stolen from the royal palace were hidden.

“How long are you going to be watching?”

As I looked at the sword for about 30 seconds, I suddenly heard a voice from behind. Hearing that voice I turn myself in the direction of that voice and I saw an elderly man who was well over 70 years old standing there.

The old man wasn’t short, but seeing the thick beard that reached down to his chest, he seemed a rare dwarf.

“Ah, sorry. Because it was such a work of perfection that I could keep looking at unintentionally…”

“Huh!”

The old man, probably thinking that my words were obvious flattery, said with his snort.

“Since you have become such a flattered, tell me what sword you want me to make.”

“Ah really… Actually, I came here because I wanted to request a special Katana…”

But looking at the sharpness of the sword I held a while ago, I just realized that it was absurd given the budget I have now so I said before that old man could even reply.

“But looking at this sword, it seems that the budget I have is not enough. I will make more money and come back next time.”

“…”

And when I was about to go back, the old man grab me and asked.

“How much money did you bring?”

“Yes…! That’s 180 gold coins.”

As I spoke in a trembling voice, foreseeing a possible miracle, the old man nodded his head as if thinking for a moment, and then opened his mouth.

“I like the word “Special Katana”. So please tell me what kind of katana it is.”

“Yes. What I am requesting is a katana with no blade on the blade.”

I replied to the old man, barely holding back the corners of my lips that almost rose involuntarily.

“No blade? Are you going to use it for sparring? If that’s the case, any blacksmith would do it for you.”

As the old man said, up to this point, he confidently exclaimed that all the blacksmith and weapon shops could do it.

But in reality, they all sent me off with puzzled faces.

‘Incompetent fools..’

If it had only stopped at letting me go, I wouldn’t have thought like that. But when I said the second condition, I couldn’t stand the scornful eyes that looked at me like I was some kind of weirdo.

It was not that I made a strange request. It was just that they couldn't make the sword I wanted with their skill.

‘But this old man might be able to make it.’

Earlier when I looked at the sword and the armor around here, I could easily understand that this old man’s skills were clearly top-notch.

I said to the old man with confidence that he could do it.

“I want the back of the sword to be sharpened, unlike the blade!”

“What?”

The old man’s face contorted.

*****

In my lifetime as a blacksmith for about 70 years, there were countless times when I had received unreasonable requests.

I had also received a request to make a sword so thin that the blade can be seen through, or a request to make a huge sword over 5m tall.

There were a lot of unreasonable demands, and frankly, there were times when I couldn’t understand the meaning of making a sword like this, but that was only for a while.

By making swords and talking to the swordsman, I was able to understand their thoughts and the purpose of making these swords.

But this time around, I couldn’t seem to figure out why.

“First, let me ask you, why do you want to make such a sword?”

“Yeah, to use that kind of sword for non-killing purposes…”

“So, if it’s a sword for that purpose, there’s no reason to sharpen the back of the sword.”

If it is used for sparring, and furthermore, for the purpose of not killing, then what is the reason to sharpen the blade on the back of the sword?

As if trying to answer that question, that boy blushed and stroked the katana around his waist and said.

“I didn’t want to say anything because it seem like I am bragging about this, but in fact, I am a swordsman who uses Battōjutsu swordsmanship.”

“Okay, so?”

“Yes?”

If you work as a blacksmith for a long time, you will naturally become familiar with many swordsmanships.

Was it definitely a technique to draw a sword at high speed and surprise the enemy? But what the hell that skill has to do with that bizarre sword?

“uh… I think you don’t know, but is a state rule that a swordsman who originally uses Battōjutsu, should use a reverse-bladed sword.”

“Reverse-bladed sword? Sate rule?”

Whether it is a reverse-bladed sword or something, the name of the sword this kid wants. But State rule? what else is this…

It felt like I am talking to a foreigner whom I couldn’t understand, so my head hurts.

Didn’t I just grab him when he was about to leave?

“First, let’s check what that reverse-bladed sword is. Is it true that the sword you want is a sword with the blade and the back of the sword changed?”

“Yes! Exactly!”

“Then… Why do you need such a sword? I think it’s a sword that will only put you at a disadvantage.”

I can’t make it because he just wants the back of the knife and the blade to be reversed. For other blacksmiths, durability and other issues would be a bit of a headache, but for me, that wasn’t a problem at all. The problem is self-esteem.

It is absolutely unacceptable for the user to die as a result of a bizarre failure sword made by me.

“If there is a blade on the back of the knife, you can’t press the back of the sword to give it strength, and it will result in cutting yourself.”

“You just have to cover it with your skills so that it doesn’t happen.”

“That’s a lot of confidence… Then why do you want to use a reverse-bladed sword while taking such a risk?”

“… The swordsman I respect and admire used it.”

Listening to the kid, I heard that the reverse-bladed sword was the last sword used by a swordsman who made countless sacrifices for the country.

Although it was for the sake of the country, the fact that he took the lives of many people does not change.

In order to atone for that sin, the swordsman said he set out on a journey of atonement to protect the weak with a reverse-bladed sword that could not kill.

“The reason the sword has a blade on the back is so that he will not forget his sins and atone for the rest of his life.”

“Well… That’s a good story. What’s the swordsman’s name?”

“… His name is Himura.”

[TL NOTE: Himura is the anime charter that uses Battōjutsu and reverse-bladed sword and his full name is Himura Kenshin.]

…Himura, I don't know him but since he said he was using a katana so maybe he was a swordsman from the East, not here?

In any case, it was clear that he was a man worthy of respect.

“Then, are you going to follow that swordsman and swear not to kill anyone?”

“Yes? No, why would I quit doing something that feels so good?”

“What? Then why…”

“I respect him, but I don’t want to live like that. The reason I want to use a reverse-bladed sword is simply because of the swordsman’s special move in Battōjutsu. The reverse-bladed sword will only be used in sparring.”

“Hahaha… I see.”

I got up from my seat and pointed to the door.

“Get out of my store right now.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a notice, get out of my store right away, how dare a pretentious bastard like you make such an untenable request from me!!”

If a truly talented prosecutor had made the same request in the White Paper Concession, I might have given up on his pride.

But for a swordsman who made a living by fighting, the oath of not killing was not an easy task. However, this kid wants to use that sword just for the absurd reason that his special move in Baldo.

It was like insulting the life of me and that swordsman named Himura.

Unexpectedly, the boy walked towards the door without saying anything. And just before opening the door and going out, he turned his head and said to me.

“Ha… An old man is just like any other blacksmith.”

“What? What do you mean the same?”

“A person who cannot admit his lack of skill. So you are letting me go.”

When I came to my senses after hearing those words, I said in response.

“…What are you talking about now?”

“What did I say wrong? Aren’t you saying that because you don’t have the confidence to make one!!”

“Shut up!! It’s not that I don’t have confidence, it’s that I don’t want to make such a sword for a kid who doesn’t have the skill!!”

“I have no skills? Have you ever seen me wielding a sword?”

“You look like a freshman at the academy, but I don’t know if it’s the village you used to live in, but do you think your skills will work here!!”

“Here!”

The boy who snorted at my words said with a sad expression.

“I wasn’t going to say this, but my skills are already at the level of a swordmaster.”

“Swordmaster?!”

Hearing those words, I couldn’t open my mouth easily because it was ridiculous.

Swordmaster, that’s not a title anyone can call himself.

Swordmaster is a title that a talented person can barely get after decades of training.

At a young age, it was only the undisputed geniuses who left their names in history and acquired the title of Swordmaster.

But how dare this kid, call himself Swordmaster that easily. So I said in anger.

“If you are so confident, prove it!”