As the three of them walked through the town, a spring breeze blew through, reminding them that some warm weather was finally returning. Nic and Aria were walking hand in hand, enjoying their time together out in the city of Sanum.
They had just gotten through a set of Sanum Magic University Midterms and had a day off to relax. Nic himself had come quite a far way, passing most of his tests this time, compared to the complete failures he had on the entrance exams. To celebrate, Aria had invited him out to spend the day together in the city.
“Come on, the shop’s just over here!”
Walking a few mer in front of the two was an unusually jubilant woman. Her long black hair was swaying back and forth as she walked. The beanie covered head bobbed up and down with each step taken.
After hearing how Nic had done, Yuuki appeared before the two of them just as they had been leaving the campus. Apparently, she had a gift for Nic for doing so well.
“Just what kind of shop are we going to, Yuuki?”
Both Nic and Aria were completely in the dark as to what this gift was. It was some sort of surprise, but for both of them, the real surprise was how far out the shop was. Both had planned to stay somewhat near the campus while spending the day together, but now they found themselves near the base of the mountain.
“Oh, you know, it's the kinda shop where…” Yuuki kept her voice low as she avoided answering the question. She seemed to want to keep it a secret until they got there in person.
After turning a corner, the architecture around them changed in an instant. Nic had never seen this style of building before. They had far more angled roofs and everything seemed to be made out of different types of wood with very little stone. Of course, there was still stone, just not as much as most other buildings in the city.
The people around them also changed. Humans became far and few between as Demi-Humans became the dominant people on the street. On top of that, they were all wearing foreign clothes. They were longer, made of fabric, and had many different designs embroidered on them.
Being a human wearing normal clothes, Nic was starting to feel uncomfortable as they walked through. From the way that Aria got closer to him, he had a feeling that she was feeling the same uncomfortableness as him.
A large, open air building came up on their right. A large chimney was spewing out ash above it as a large fire burned near the back of the open air area. A sign hung out front with an anvil emblazoned on it.
It was a blacksmith.
And it was where Yuuki stopped and turned to face the two of them.
“The blacksmith here is an old acquaintance of mine. Nic, since you have grown a bunch as a Swordsman, and have passed most of your tests this time around, I went ahead and ordered a longsword to be custom-made for you!”
“Eh?”
“Huh?”
Both Aria and Nic stood there stupefied, mouths agape and staring at Yuuki. Sure, Nic had gotten better with a wooden sword, but he had never even touched a full longsword, let alone swung it around. Nic never thought that he would be given one as a gift.
“And to top it off, It’s gonna be a Magic Weapon!”
Nic looked at Aria, who in turn was looking at him. Neither of them had heard of Magic Weapons before, so they were looking to each other for an explanation. When it became clear that neither knew what they were, they both looked at Yuuki.
“Oh, Mrs. Ito. So you’re the one causing the ruckus out here?” A tall, slender man walked out from behind a curtain. His short brown hair was currently ruffled up and one could see dirt on it. His face, while showing signs of having been immaculately cleaned at some point that day, was covered in soot. Nice clothes sat beneath a very dirty apron that held multiple smithing tools through loops on its sides. A small dog-like tail could be seen swishing back and forth behind him. “If Mrs. Ito is here, then you must be Mr. Healstry. It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sora, the owner of this establishment.”
“Uh, hello there Sora…?” Nic held out a hand to shake his, but when the fair-skinned Sora held up two grime-covered hands as if to warn Nic, he rescinded his hand. Instead, he turned to look at Yuuki. “So why are we here?”
“Were you not listening to me at all!? We’re here because I ordered you a custom magic longsword!”
“Ah yes, Mrs. Ito, I have the weapon ready in the back if you want to see it.”
“Ooohhh Yes! Yes yes yes!”
Nic was unable to get a word in as Yuuki seemingly jumped for joy at the thought of getting to look at the sword. The blacksmith and the sword fanatic walked through the same curtain that Sora had walked out of before.
Dropping his shoulders in defeat, Nic led Aria into the back as well.
“So what even is a Magic Weapon?”
Yuuki and Sora turned to look at Nic as he asked the question. In Sora’s hands was a beautifully crafted longsword. No part of it was extravagant, but every part was beautifully crafted in just the right way. At the center of the crossguard, where the blade and hilt met, was an opaque jewel.
“Have you never-”
“Let me handle the explanation, Mrs. Ito.” Sora cut Yuuki off with a gentle hand gesture before focusing on Nic. “Let’s start with the basics. You know what weapons are, correct?”
Nic nodded. Of course, he knew what weapons were. Who didn’t know what weapons were?
“Well Magic weapons, as the name implies, are weapons that channel magic through them. Once a magic weapon is crafted, as long as someone can sense the flow of magic, whether or not they are able to cast magic themselves, they can activate the magic imbued in the magic weapon as an attack.”
It really was that simple. Magic weapons were simply weapons that could channel magic if prompted by the wielder.
“But Nic is already a Mage as well. He can use magic. What benefit is there in him using a magic weapon over weaving his magic in with a regular weapon?”
Aria was the one who brought up the question and based on her fervor it seemed like something that had been bothering her since she first heard the term.
“Good question, Mrs…?”
“Aria Towsend”
“Mrs. Towsend! Good question indeed. For one, if he was to use a magic weapon that has a different magic than his own, then that would open up more possibilities in combat. But, if the weapon is made using his magic, then he will experience what I like to call a ‘magic feedback loop’.”
Another new term had been thrown at Nic and Aria, both of whom grew an even more confused face. Their reactions caught a chuckle from Sora before he continued.
“Basically if Mr. Healstry here were to use a magic weapon infused with his own magic, then they would complement each other. Mr. Healstry’s magic would be supplementing the swords, raising their power. And then the sword's magic would supplement Mr. Healstry, raising his magic. It’s a beneficial ability that raises one’s magical abilities.”
An all-encompassing way to boost someone's magical abilities. How this wasn’t public knowledge defied Nic’s brain. Something as simple as using it to learn a weapon, which could be something as small as a tiny dagger or knife, to get a boost in magical abilities sounded too good to be true.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Why don’t more mages use this? It seems like too good of something to pass up!”
Aria voiced Nic’s internal thoughts for him. Her face had changed from one of confusion to one of excitement. Even if she was considered one of the top magic users at the University, something of this power was still enticing to her.
“Well, there are a few problems that stop it from being widespread. First, the ability to make magic weapons is usually found only in those that can consider themselves master smiths. Your ordinary smith would have an intense struggle to make one, and even then it would most likely result in a failure. And second, the magic infusion process must be done during the forging of the sword. This results in most magic weapons being ordered by someone who already knows about them, thereby limiting the pool of people trying to order them. No matter how popular a smith might be, if their customers don’t know about magic swords, then they won’t be willing to buy them, especially once they see the price tags most smiths give them.”
Yuuki popped her head in front of Sora as he finished talking. She raised both hands expectantly and gave the two of them the biggest smile she could.
“Don’t worry about the cost. Sora here is making it to get rid of a debt he owes me, and I’ll pay the rest!”
Nic walked next to Yuuki and looked down at the table she and Sora had been standing next to. Sitting on a small pedestal was the sword that Sora had been holding. Or more accurately, a completely identical sword as Sora was still holding the other one. From what he saw, both swords seemed to be fully forged. If that was the case, why hadn’t they been brought there sooner if the magic had to be imbued during the forging process?
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but these swords look completely finished. How are they supposed to be magic weapons?”
Nic looked from the sword to Yuuki and finally to Sora. Sora had a mischievous smile on his face. Raising the sword in his hand, he brought the hilt up to his face and gently reached in and plucked the opaque jewel from where it had been sitting. He placed the sword back down on a raised part of the table before holding the gem out in his hand.
Looking down at the identical blade, Nic reached out and put his finger on the opaque jewel embedded in that one. Or at least, what he thought had been embedded.
As soon as he put his finger on the jewel it started moving. It was just as loose as the one in the sword Sora had been holding. Nic gently plucked it out as well and held it in his hand.
“These jewels still need to be set in the sword's hilt. Me putting these in still counts as forging the weapon.”
“It does?”
Sora nodded. A small hammer, barely the size of Sora’s hand, appeared in said hand. He placed the jewel back inside the socket it would be fixed into.
“Oh, I should also mention. Lesser and Greater spirits can’t imbue their magic into magical weapons. So make sure any magic that you do use is Born Magic.”
Nic shot a quick glance at Aria, who in turn nervously looked at Yuuki before looking back to Nic. The only born magic that Nic knew currently was his ability to absorb Irradiation. If Yuuki were to see that, it was unknown just how she would react.
Nic himself turned to look at Yuuki. When he did, she gazed at him quizzically.
“Is something up, Nic?”
“Ummm, yea. I hate to ask this Yuuki, but could you wait outside during this?”
Yuuki looked shocked but mostly hurt, at Nic’s request.
“What? Why!? Aren’t you just gonna use your wind magic?”
A small green blob appeared in front of Yuuki’s eyes. She leaped back in surprise, landing on one of the tables. Nic thought he heard a pained cry come from behind him, but was too focused on Yuuki to look at Sora.
“Hey, buddy, come on. You don’t show yourself very often, how was she supposed to know about you.” Nic sighed as the blob floated itself over to Nic’s shoulder and plopped itself down. “Yuuki, this is the Lesser Wind Spirit that I have a contract with. As Sora just said, magic from a contract with a lesser spirit can’t be used for magical weapons.”
Yuuki pointed a shaking finger at the blob on his shoulder.
“You never told me it was spirit magic!” Nic wasn’t so sure that what she had said was true. He thought he had mentioned it at least once in passing. “Do you even have Born Magic to do this with then? Why don’t we just have Aria use her magic then?”
Yuuki threw out the suggestion that Nic and Aria had both been hoping for. This way, Nic wouldn’t have to use his own magic in front of Yuuki. But of course, his relief only spelled doom for him.
“I mean, I do have Born Magic, but this works better. Mine isn’t something to be used on offense.”
The second he uttered those words, Nic stiffened. He could feel daggers being forced into his back by Sora staring at him. At the same time, Yuuki had this look on her face like she was asking him what he was on.
“Ah! I’ll do it! Don’t worry, just like this right?!”
Aria quickly rushed to Nic’s side and faced Sora. She reached out and put a finger on the jewel in the sword he was next to.
Before Sora could answer her question, the room whipped into a frenzy as a strong wind, centered on Aria’s finger, began. Papers, a few chairs, and other bits and bobs sitting on the tables were lifted in the air and slammed into one of the walls in the second it took for Aria to gain control of the wind.
Once it was centered on the jewel, the jewel itself began to turn colors. What was once a clear opaque gem was turning into one vibrant green in color. It was so vibrant, that everyone in the room simply stood in awe for a bit.
“Y-Yes, just like that. Keep it there for a minute.”
Sora, ever the professional smith, was the first to start moving again. He quickly took his small hammer and began plinking away at the metal holdings for the jewel. It took nearly a full minute for any noticeable change to occur. The green glow of the jewel quickly spread, covering the entire sword in a transparent green coat. After another minute, the transparent layer was absorbed into the sword.
Sora’s plinking stopped. He swiped the sweat from his head as he stood up. He put down the hammer and picked up the sword. Turning away from the group in front of him, he gave it a light swing.
Nothing happened. It was just a normal sword swing. After which, Sora checked the area around the jewel intensely before swinging it again. This time, the cabinet sitting at the end of the room was split in two a second after the sword was swung. Both Aria and Nic stared at the damaged cabinet in awe as Sora grabbed a sheath for the sword and handed it to Nic.
“Here you go, one magic weapon just for you, Mr. Healstry.”
Nic gingerly picked up the now-sheathed sword. It was heavier than the wooden swords, but surprisingly not that much heavier. One side of the sheath had a small attachment that would normally be used to attach it at the waist. However, currently, it was attached to a much longer leather belt.
“What’s this for?”
“Ah, that. I just added it on so that you can simply put the swords on your back as you head back to the University.”
“Swords…?”
Sora gave Nic an evil grin as he spread his arms out over the identical sword still on the table. Nic quickly looked at Yuuki who simply shook her head in confusion. Just like him, she wasn’t sure what Sora was talking about.
“Well, I have a perfectly good sword here that I had made in case the magical implementation of the first one went wrong. And you said that you had born magic as well. I would love to see what this one is like. In return, I’ll give you this sword for free.”
Nic’s runny mouth was coming back to bite him in the ass. His heart was beating faster as he tried to think of a good way to turn down the offer.
He nervously looked towards Aria with his eyes, only to find her sighing as she held her head in one of her hands. She reached over and grabbed one of Yuuki’s hands before pulling her away.
“Come on, Yuuki! I think we should give them some space, yea.”
“Whaaaat?! But I want to see Nic’s born magic!”
“Look, he gets nervous using it around others, just let it be. You can see it later… maybe…”
Pulling the fighting swordswoman away, Aria gave Nic a final wink to let him know that it would be okay for him to use it. Seeing that, Nic shrank inwards. He didn’t want Sora to see him use his magic either.
“Nervous in front of a crowd, huh? Never would have pegged you as someone who had a fear like that Mr. Healstry.”
Sora gave him a smile as he talked. If looks could kill, Nic was sure that the smile would at least seriously harm him if he wasn’t careful.
“It’s not that… I just, look I’ll do what you want, but you can’t say anything about my magic or what the jewel looks like afterward. As long as you are fine with that, we can continue.”
Sora nodded.
Nic let out a long breath. He reached out and put a single finger on the gemstone. He closed his eyes and reached out. He knew what it was like to absorb Irradiation from another being. He remembered how he had done it before. So he reached out and pulled. Anything in front of him.
“That’s it. Just continue doing that for a bit.”
Plink. Plink. Plink. Sora’s tiny hammer started repeatedly hitting the metal casing, bringing it in around the jewel. If Nic just focused on that, he would be fine.
“That’s… an interesting color…”
Plink. Plink. Plink. Nic was unsure of how long it had been. It felt like ages, but Nic was sure it had only been maybe a minute in terms of time.
“Alright, we’re done.”
The Plinking stopped as Sora spoke up. Nic opened his eyes and looked down at the jewel beneath his finger. What had once been a slightly opaque, clear crystal was now pitch black. It was even hard to see the shape of the Jewel. If the rest of the blade wasn’t relatively lighter colors, Nic would have mistaken the jewel for nothingness.
“You know, I have never once seenmagic that is just black. What kind of magic do you have?”
Nic wasn’t surprised by the color himself. After all, Irradiation appears as black when it is visible. But to see it this black was astounding.
“You don’t want to know… Or well, more accurately, if you learn, then it’s already too late for you.”
Nic gave Sora a grave warning as he took the now-sheathed second sword from the smith. With both in hand, he swung them both over a shoulder before motioning to the flap that acted as a door for the building.
“Shall we go meet Yuuki and Aria?”
Sora nodded and quickly cleaned up his work area. Or at least the immediate area they were in. Some of the places would need a dedicated cleaning time later.
“I still need to get the payment for the one sword from Mrs. Ito. Follow me, Mr. Healstry.”
Sitting outside of the blacksmith were the two women, waiting on them. When they saw Nic and Sora come out, they rushed over. Aria quickly took place at Nic’s side and looked up at him. Her gaze was asking whether everything was alright.
Nic simply nodded and grabbed her hand. His heart was pounding a million times a minute. He needed to calm down, and her warm hand was the quickest way for him to do it. Aria seemingly understood what Nic was doing as she squeezed his hand lightly. The pressure helped soothe Nic’s heart even more.