Noel gazed at a boy peering around the room.

　There were his swords, the hundred or so pieces he had struck in the past month.
　All of them are failures, though.

Hmm ...... doesn't look like you're cutting corners, but did you really hit all of these in a month?
"Of course I didn't cut corners and I didn't lie to you, okay?　I mean, have you forgotten what my race is?
"Oh, I see, you're using a magical aid.
Noel was known for his skill, as well as the speed of his order,
Yeah, that's why I couldn't believe my ears when I heard you were going to retire and head to the frontier, and I heard that you had a lot of pullbacks from all over the place.
"I'm not proud of it, but it was really awesome, right?　It's one step closer to being a threat, or nearly so,
I've heard that too at the time. I've heard that the Knights of the Order is now on the move ...... and, well, there are idiots everywhere and at any time.

　While saying this, the boy - Aren's hand never rested on his sword, looking at it carefully one by one, sometimes picking it up.
　It is a serious figure, and his throat gurgles under a slight strain.

"But then again, Noel was able to do magic, wasn't he?
"...... What does it mean?
'No, I did notice when I came to the house that it was a blacksmith that Rees and his friends were going to introduce me to, but I didn't think it was an elf. I wouldn't say that blacksmiths are the sole province of dwarves, but dwarves have the advantage because of their gifts, right?　And likewise, because of the gift, elves are skilled in magic.

　That's certainly true.
　For whatever reason, or lack thereof, many of the gifts given to dwarves are related to blacksmithing, which is why dwarves are said to be so good at it.

　And the same is true of elves, whose gifts are often related to magic--and the same is true of dwarves.

But I'm an elf and I'm a blacksmith because I can't use magic?
"Well, that's not the reason why you want to be a blacksmith, so I figured there must be a reason for that. At least I haven't heard of any other elven blacksmiths.
...... Well, that's true except for the part about me not being able to do magic, right?　But there are certainly circumstances, but it's no big deal, right?　I'm a straggle, and they picked me up as a dwarven straggle. But even though she was a stragglers, she was skilled at blacksmithing like a dwarf.

　Basically the elves live in a place called the elven forest and the dwarves live in a place called the dwarven mines.

　But not all of them live there.
　Some leave for whatever reason, or go out because they no longer want to live there.
　Those who don't come back are called stragglers.

　And Noel is that straggler.

　However, how Noel became a straggler is a bit unique.
　Noel does not know how she became a straggler.

　Noel's first memory is of waking up suddenly in the middle of nowhere in the middle of nowhere.
　Noel doesn't even know the faces of his parents.

　But that didn't bother him.
　When she woke up, her parents were gone, but someone else was there.
　That was the stray dwarf who had raised Noel.

　I honestly don't know why she raised him.
　Maybe there was a reason, or it was just a whim, but as a taciturn woman she never talked about it.

　In fact, I can only count the number of conversations I remember having.
　In everyday life, the only thing Noel remembered about her was the way she silently swung her sword.

Well, what do you care about me?　More importantly, how did it go?

　Allen was watching Noel's striking sword ...... or rather, Noel was showing Allen his own striking sword for a natural reason.
　It was mainly to show off his own skills, but--

Hmmm, well, yeah. I should say, I think you've got a good arm, don't you?　And it's so awesome. The whole thing would be just as good as a great sword, and even if most swordsmen held it, they would still be beaten by it. It's also possible that someone tried to blackmail you to keep you here.
"...... So, thanks.
But that's as far as it goes, to put it another way. I'm not even close to the holy sword at this level.

　That was a pretty harsh word.
　But it was Noel himself who asked for a frank opinion, and he was aware of it more than anything else.

　It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to feel anything when you're told that, but you can suppress the frustration that has been bubbling up by letting out a breath.
　Then I said the thing I wanted to hear more than anything else.

And then I said the thing I wanted to hear more than anything else.　Do you think I can strike a sword beyond the Holy Sword?
Well, it's not going to happen. You really went for it with these swords, didn't you?　So, if this is the case, I think we can keep going (・・・・・・・) and get the same result no matter how many times we repeat it.
"...... so

　I'd be lying if I said there wasn't discouragement.
　I was showing them to you because I wanted to know, after all.

　And Noel is not strong enough or lighthearted enough to remain calm when he finds out it can't happen, nor is he lighthearted about his goals.

　But there is no doubt in my mind that he said that.
　That must be accepted.

　The reason why Noel believes in Allen so much is of course not because he is the one that Rees and the others have introduced .......
　It's just that when I heard that he broke his sword earlier, I was extremely suspicious.

　It's not a matter of course, but a sword is not something that can be broken so easily.
　In fact, it's safe to say that a sword will not break if used normally.
　It is not something that can be broken as long as you take care of it properly and do not use it in a reckless manner.

　However, when it breaks off, it is almost always because of a problem with the handler, such as mishandling, reckless use of the tree, or a fundamental lack of skill on the part of the bearer.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with the company, and it's a good idea to have a good time with the company.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the article.


　Anyway, Noel looked closely at the sword and knew that it had been carefully cared for and used for ten years.
　It had been carefully cared for and used for ten years.

　At that point, his suspicions were gone.
　At some point, when I was shown the broken sword, it's fair to say that my mind went into reverse.
　I was fascinated by the way it broke.

　The sword was completely dead.
　No blacksmith or gift could have brought it back to life.
　for the sword had been used up.

　I don't know how that was possible.
　But Noel's eyes told me that this was because the sword had been drawn out and exhausted.

　No matter how good a swordsman Allen was, if he could only use his sword in an inexperienced manner, Noel would not have dealt with him.
　But after being shown something like this, I would have asked for it.

　I will strike the sword that surpasses the holy sword.
　This is Noel's dream and goal, and it is something he must fulfill.
　as soon as possible.

　But the one thing that was missing was the bearer.
　No matter how good a blacksmith you are, you can't make a great sword that you don't even know who will wield it.
　If you want to make a truly great product, even if it's just a mass-produced one, you need an appropriate partner.

　And Noel has never been able to find anyone worthy of that.
　They are not in King's Landing, and there is no sign of them even if they come to the frontier thinking this is the place to be.
　There's not much time left, though.

　So, to be honest, it was nice to see Leeds for the first time in a long time, but it was also annoying.
　The current Noel didn't have the time or mental capacity to see the girls and chat with them fluently.
　But they brought what he lacked most in his life right now, so you never know with people.

　You will be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for, and you'll be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
　As I said before, this was struck without assuming a bearer.

　That's what Allen knows.
　That's why I said this is not the way it should be.

　But unlike in the past, we now have a bearer in Allen.
　The real test of Noel's skill is how close he can get to his ideal from here.

Now, ...... I'm going to go hit it right away.
What, now?
You were typing just now, weren't you ......?　Shouldn't you get some rest ......?
I'm fine. This happens all the time.
As we all know, things haven't changed. ......
Oh, it's a shame that you have to share me with the old me. Because now I have someone I have to look out for.

　Then I turned my attention to Allen and was met with a wry smile and a shrug of the shoulders.
　But right after that, he narrowed his eyes and said, "If you can do it, do it.

　It's a cheap provocation, but that's just the way it is for both of us.
　Let's do it.
　With that thought in mind, you lift the corners of your mouth as you head toward the workshop.

　A moment later, Noel suddenly saw the figure of the man who had been striking his sword incessantly.
　And the time when she had a frustrated face, yet still looked somewhat happy.

　And.
　The brave man, the holy sword and--

...... three years, huh?

　Muttering, it feels like it's been so long, or only that long.
　But at any rate, that doesn't change what I'm going to do.

　--I will definitely strike the sword that surpasses the holy sword.

　With a renewed sense of purpose, Noel stepped into the workshop.