Watching the sword being swung down, Noel's eyes narrowed.
　You can't take your eyes off the scene for a moment, as you pore over the scene with a single blink of an eye.
　You'll be able to see the sword you struck effortlessly slicing through the skin and flesh of the demon, but you don't even relax your mouth as you continue to stare.

　It was natural for Noel to be able to do that much.
　This was something he could have done with his sword before.

　So there is no reason to rejoice when you see it.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get the best out of it.

...... phew.

　As I watched, nothing moved from the scene except Allen.

　Letting out a light breath, Allen took a look around, but he didn't see any other signs of the demon.
　He shook his sword once to get rid of the blood and then sheathed it.
　A clear, high-pitched sound echoed softly in the place, and Noel also (・・・・・) jumped down (・・・・・) from there and walked over to Allen.

Good job. How was that sword?
Yes, it was a good sword, as always, easy to use.
"So ...... compared to the other two?

　The fact that the compliment was given and Noel's curt reply was not out of embarrassment, but simply because he wasn't focused on it.

　It is obvious that there is no such thing as a good sword.
　What's important is beyond that, how it was used.
　Everything else was currently unimportant, and was just a matter of listening from left to right.

　Especially this time, this was the third one.
　It's a good thing that you've tried everything and now it's time to work on a sword that suits you better based on Allen's opinion: ......

Hmm ...... To be honest, I didn't really notice any difference, did I?　They were all equally easy to use, right?
"............ so

　It was a half-expected answer.
　Because Allen had given me the same answer as before.
　When he tried the second one, it was just as easy to use as the one he tried on the first one.

　If that were a compliment, Noel would have been angry.
　But.

"May I have a look at that?
"Hmm?　Yes, please. But, well, I'm in a situation where I'm borrowing it, so it's originally Noel's.

　Instead of listening to Allen's flippant comments, Noel took the offered sword and pulled it from its sheath.
　The sunshine reflected the dull light from the sword's barrel, giving it a new-like luster.
　If it were offered as a product, it would be treated as new without a problem.

　That's not bragging.
　It was a compliment to Allen.

　Noel's sword is certainly a good one, and it is certainly his masterpiece.
　But a sword is only a consumable.
　While it will not visibly diminish, it will certainly wear out with use.
　It will eventually come to an end as it is scratched, scraped, and bent, and the accumulation of these little bits and pieces comes to an end.

　No matter what material the skilled blacksmith uses to strike the sword, there is no way to avoid it.
　No matter how diligent and careful one's care is, no matter how much time is prolonged, it cannot be avoided.
　The rest is up to the skill of the swordsman using it.

"...... haha
"Huh, sigh?　Maybe I didn't use it right?
Backwards and backwards. So how can I use it in this way: ......

　Even though he had killed them almost exclusively with a single sword, he was still able to slay dozens of demons.
　Normally, it would not be surprising to see countless scratches on the surface.

　And this isn't just about the outside.

　--The Eye of the Fairy King, Gramsight: Appraisal.

　You'll be able to concentrate on your eyes and let out another sigh at what you see.

　Noel's eyes are a bit special, allowing him to see things that are normally invisible to the eye.
　When used against a weapon, it gives you not only a vague idea of its strength and sharpness, but also how it has been used.

　Noel's blacksmithing skills are in fact half thanks to his eyes.
　Maybe it's because he has always watched "the man" blacksmithing, but he has an inkling of what to hit.
　About half of Noel's work is just waving his arms around as he sees it.

　Still, the other half is done by relying on his own experience and intuition, and above all, this is a power that has been in his hands since he was born.
　It's not uncommon for people to use the gift to forge, although I later learned it's called the gift.
　That's why Noel was rather proud to use the eye.

　But maybe that's why he used it so much for blacksmithing, so that when he turns his eyes on a weapon in particular, he can learn more about it.
　That's how I know.
　There really is not a scratch on this sword ...... and that's because Allen has used it to its fullest extent.

　I knew that Allen's slashes were sharp, and Noel was up in the trees to get a better look at how he used the sword.
　The other reason is that elves can assimilate the forest and its atmosphere when they enter it, so if they climb up the tree, they won't be attacked by demons. ...... In the end, that was also to get a better look at Allen.

　But at the end of the day, Noel is a blacksmith.
　You will be able to get a good idea of what you're looking for.
　I'm sure that Noel's eyes knew that Allen was a skilled hand. ...... Conversely, that was all he understood.

　But based on the information that can be gleaned from the sword, this was far from the case.
　Or rather, it's just crazy to say the least.

　The optimal use of a sword depends on the combination of materials, weight, length, center of gravity, sharpness, strength and other factors.
　And yet, Allen had mastered this sword to perfection.

　Starting with the speed of the sword, the amount of force you put into the swing, the angle at which the sword penetrates, and the position.
　He could swing the sword precisely where his opponent was weakest, with certainty and optimality.
　Allen has done this, and the result is a sword that is no different from this new one.

　Moreover, he did the same with not only this one, but the other two as well.
　That's why I never doubted Allen's words.



　But as great as that was, it was also troubling to Noel, because he didn't know how to adjust from here.
　I don't know how to adjust from here.

　These three shots were made with the assumption that you would adjust them.
　I made the best one I could, but I had a little bit of room to play with it because it was supposed to be adjusted.
　It is only when I adjust it for Allen that I can truly create what I call my masterpiece: .......

...... Hey Allen, I'd like to make a suggestion: ......Why don't you go further into the woods?
"Further back at ......?

　At Noel's words, Allen's brow furrowed.
　Well, of course he did.

　The reason why I'm going deeper into the forest is because there's a good chance that more powerful demons will come out at the back.
　And if that happened, he thought that Allen would be able to determine the superiority of the three swords.

　That's enough for Allen to feel that all of the swords of slightly different specifications are of the same use, even if they are definitely different.
　The fact that the skill of Allen's sword is so great that he can draw the full power of his sword, there is no need to use his power against the demons in this area to feel the difference.

　The slashes that Aren delivers are all optimized, so they never draw too much power from the sword.
　The only way to get them to truly use all of it is to have them fight an appropriate opponent.

　I've heard that there's something behind here that looks dangerous.
　But that's only if it goes there.
　Just stop where you'll encounter a moderately strong monster just before that.

　When I told him that, Allen pondered for a moment - but eventually nodded.

I'm sure you're right about that.　And to be honest, it's not even close to being enough: ...... No, it's really not what I expected, in a good way. I didn't expect it to be this good.
That's just the way it is. Well, you were going to go in there anyway, weren't you?　The forest is like a home to the elves. Maybe now you can find out more about it than you could alone?
You're good at putting ...... on.

　With a wry smile, Allen seemed to be on board.
　As he watched, Noel's mouth relaxed.

　--The truth is, Noel knew about the "thing" in this forest before Allen and the others told him.

　But Noel's eyes narrow softly as he hides this fact behind a smile so that Allen doesn't notice.