By Zephyria Sparrows never pass by a mill, and martial artists never pass by a blacksmith shop.
Having seen and visited countless blacksmith shops in the Central Plains myself, I had a general idea of what Sierren’s blacksmith shop would be like in my mind.
However, the weapon shop in the capital city did not match any of the images I had envisioned.
The moment I saw the enormous building, I was overwhelmed.
Its dazzling white walls filled my vision.
Several white buildings stretched from one end to the other, forming a gentle curve. The sight resembled a bird with its wings folded in a circle.
A quick glance revealed more than ten entrances.
The building seemed to be two stories tall due to its height, but as I walked closer to one end and checked, I realized it was a single-story structure. Sunlight poured into the shop through long windows positioned high up near the ceiling.
Hundreds of sword blades, displayed in clusters, gleamed as they absorbed the light.
“It always makes my heart race when I come here.”
“Shall we order swords first and then look around?”
But what was even more surprising were the two boys walking through this incredible scene as if they were accustomed to it.
I followed them, dumbfounded, and surveyed my surroundings. Along the left wall, dozens of longswords were neatly arranged according to the color of their guards and blades.
The swords displayed were all well-oiled, giving their blades a bright sheen, and their edges were so sharp that I felt I could be cut just by touching them.
And what about those on the right wall? From short swords half the size of my palm to greatswords that far surpassed my height, they were displayed on the wall in order of size.
What was even more astonishing than being able to categorize them by such minute size differences was that each sword had a name.
Swords were also held in display cases covered with glass, and on shelves made of dark, well-crafted wood. When I casually asked why there were only swords, my companions answered as if it were obvious.
“It’s because this is Building 1. Buildings 1 through 3 are all for swords. I suppose it’s only natural since swords are the most popular item here in the capital. Longswords, heavy swords, short swords. Then there are separate buildings for shields, bows, maces, light armor, heavy armor, robes, and Artifacts, making a total of ten buildings.”
“If you give the employees a little extra, they’ll even deliver to the door of your dormitory. Young Master Ernhardt might want to buy a few if you find anything useful.”
Seeing my expression, Benjamin quickly added,
“But if you buy too many at once, it becomes difficult to manage the blades, so it’s best to order them as needed. They aren’t cheap, so think carefully before deciding.”
“Hmm.”
Suddenly, my affection for my uncle surged. I decided I should send another letter on my way in, and nodded.
When I lived in the Central Plains, throwing flying daggers was mostly considered a lowly technique used by assassins.
While it was a powerful method, launching them from blind spots unseen by the opponent, they were often easily blocked by masters with sensitive Qi senses.
They were frequently looked down upon unless they were something like Sacheon Danga’s cow hair needles
(needles as fine as cow hair)
or raining flowers
(Sacheon Danga’s secret technique of unleashing hundreds or thousands of hidden weapons or throwing knives in all directions).
I, too, had to look down on them due to wearing Namgung’s robes, but the palm-sized blades, shining with a faint glow, caught my eye like trinkets for housewives, and I coveted them.
Therefore, I always carried a short sword with me, making the excuse that it might be useful for unforeseen circumstances. Now, my old desires were sprouting anew.
The attendant who had been following me, upon hearing that I intended to purchase weapons on credit under my uncle, Oscar Valencia’s name, beamed from ear to ear and wrote down everything I said.
I was pleased by the clerk’s almost ticklishly friendly demeanor.
“Do you really need to buy so much, Mika…? Oh, are you doing short sword techniques too?”
“I don’t know. I’m thinking of learning now.”
“I think there was a related lesson during the Swordsmanship Department’s elective classes.”
“Do you happen to know the professor’s name too?”
“No. But it should be in the Academy’s handbook, so we can look it up together later.”
Yes, I should go find that professor sometime.
I pondered, weighing the thin, light daggers and those that were inseparable from their handles, resembling hidden weapons, tied with a leather strap. I decided to buy both.
The two boys, having already placed their own orders, were following me. One occasionally sighed, and the other occasionally burst into laughter, but neither of them scolded me further.
A sword that had to be carried by hand was enough with just one.
However, short swords were inherently easy to lose. Moreover, as I practiced the skill by throwing and tossing them, many would undoubtedly break.
It was better to order a month’s supply in advance than to keep coming out.
If my finances were poor, I would have hesitated more, but I already knew how much wealth was attached to the title my uncle inherited.
I also knew the extent of his love for his sister, my mother, and that this paternal affection extended to me, so there was no need to hesitate.
It struck me as rather peculiar that I was learning about my family’s affairs at the Academy, but it was better for me this way.
One must know what to be curious about to ask and learn, and I was not curious about their circumstances. It was enough that their conduct was upright and their relationships warm and sincere.
Without the teachings of Professor Calypse Agrigent, who taught the Nobility Yearbook, I would have lived every day in fear, unaware of how strong my roots were.
What to be curious about, what to know, and what not to know. Memorizing what was prescribed was frustrating at first, but now it was exciting, and I found myself eagerly awaiting the next lesson.
I bought more short swords than I could count with my two hands, and chose three or four more longswords to repay Benjamin. My wallet wasn’t getting thinner; rather, I was generously spending.
It was endearing to see the child accept them without refusal.
When the attendant began using the second page of his notebook, I asked for the items to be delivered to the dormitory and wrote my uncle Oscar Valencia’s name and my own side-by-side on the order form.
I agreed to the delivery by Monday afternoon, as they did not deliver on weekends.
Seeing that I was still very interested in the building, Shayden suggested we look around elsewhere, and we moved on.
We toured the buildings sequentially, starting from Building 3.
The shields in Building 4 seemed to be participating in an art competition, boasting how finely the crests of each family could be engraved.
I mentioned a shield with a dragon head ornament in one of the families, which looked like it couldn’t easily deflect an opponent’s attack. Benjamin explained that the protrusions were designed to disarm opponents and make them drop their weapons, which surprised me.
Looking again, I was greatly impressed by how the ornaments were made from solid iron, firmly embedded.
While looking at the building filled with bows, I learned that there were dozens of types of bows, not just the single-piece bows I knew.
When I showed interest in the particularly beautifully decorated bows, I was told they were used for a pastime called hunting, which nobles engaged in at the age of fifteen.
It was a game where small or large beasts were released into the forest, and they would ride into the woods to hunt them. Although it was a decadent practice, the skill of shooting down small prey in the forest with a bow was astonishing, and I thought it would be beneficial for martial arts if practiced consistently.
We spent time touching and holding weapons with strange designs, and listening to Benjamin, who seemed to know everything, until we finally reached the last building.
Just before that, the building for wizards’ robes, while stocked with robes of various colors and textures, was mostly black and thick, offering little to see. In my past life, I had never found browsing fabric shops interesting.
Therefore, I had high expectations for the last building. Curious about how many diverse Artifacts they would display, I stepped inside.
It was pure coincidence that I met a familiar face there.
“Hello, Professor!”
“Professor, good day.”
Calypse Agrigent, the teacher of Imperial Genealogy Class and advisor to the Imperial Genealogy Yearbook editorial audit team, was looking at us with a peculiar expression.
Beside him, Walter Orgen stood leaning on Calypse’s slightly agitated shoulder, his arm casually draped over it.
Walter whispered something into Calypse’s ear, then pulled his hand away when our eyes met, stood up straight, and smiled brightly.
“Fancy meeting you here. Welcome, juniors.”
“Hello, Senior.”
Walter Orgen, who took advanced swordsmanship classes with me, was a graduate student with a friendly personality and a solid build.
To be honest, I didn’t recognize Walter Orgen immediately because he always came to class with his long hair tied back tightly at the nape of his neck, as if pulling at his scalp.
Even when he let his hair down, it was always curly, so I thought he was naturally curly-haired, not realizing it was so straight.
After class, he would let his hair down, laugh loudly and clearly, and shower us with sweet words like “You worked hard today” or “That was amazing.” This young man had already dueled with me, and most recently, he had a dramatic victory against Prince Rubel.
The cloak draped like a banner over his left shoulder looked quite stylish and suited him well, but I suddenly felt puzzled.
Why were a first-rate swordsman from the Swordsmanship Department and the professor of Imperial Genealogy out together on a holiday?
I wasn’t the only one puzzled; Shayden also looked a bit taken aback, but he soon smiled and cheerfully addressed Professor Calypse. He knew well that Benjamin and I wouldn’t be of much help in such matters.
“It’s even nicer to see you outside, Professor. Senior.”
“…Indeed. If you are here to purchase Artifacts, it’s best to avoid those marked with a light green indicator on the function description. That’s a sign they were made by novice wizards. Though you all probably know this already.”
“Gasp, no! We had no idea. Thank you for telling us.”
“Then we’ll be going now. Have a good weekend.”
“Yes, Professor! See you at the Academy!”
As Shayden bowed, Benjamin and I also bowed our heads in greeting.
Walter Orgen, who was leaving behind Professor Calypse, turned back to us with his usual smiling face and waved stylishly.
Although I was momentarily flustered by the sudden encounter with the professor, I didn’t dwell on it, as it wasn’t unreasonable for a professor to be out and about in the capital on a holiday.
We moved to the area where Agrigent had been looking just moments before and peered inside.
The description plate for a brooch, intricately carved with delicate patterns, stated that it had three enchantments: warmth, defense, and recovery.
As Benjamin and I marveled at how enchantments could be inscribed on such a small object, and how much more valuable it became by covering it with gems, Shayden asked,
“Guys, am I the only one surprised?”
“Hmm? No, I’m amazed too. How can they inscribe enchantments so small? Is it a button?”
“This isn’t just a button; it’s a cufflink. I’d like to have it, but the Mana Stone cost would be high…”
Shayden fell silent with a somewhat aggrieved expression. After a moment, he seemed to cheer up when I showed him something else fascinating, so I didn’t pay it much mind.