Chapter 11 - Magical Tools and Magic Swords
"Dahli-san, do you like magical tools?"
"I love them. I even work with them."
She replied instinctively, but it seemed to make Volf happy.
His beautiful golden eyes sparkled as he looked at Dahlia.
"Then, I’d like to ask you something. I’ve never seen one before, but are there magical tools for civilians that come in the form of swords?"
"I don’t think there are any. There are enchanted kitchen knife magical tools, but swords would probably need to be made by a blacksmith and enchanted by a mage or an alchemist."
In this world, Dahlia categorized magic tool makers into three main types.
First, mages.
From Dahlia's perspective, they were magic users skilled in offensive and healing magic, along with various other external forms of magic.
Those adept at offensive magic often found roles in the kingdom's Mage Division or took on the life of adventurers. Meanwhile, those skilled in healing magic might work in churches, serve as knights, or pursue careers as adventurers as well.
Some mages also created magical tools and often referred to themselves as magical toolmakers.
Next, alchemists.
Alchemists were skilled in creation magic, able to produce a variety of items, including potions, rare metals, and even golems.
Many alchemists were proficient in enchantment magic, and some even doubled as magical toolmakers.
Finally, magical toolmakers.
Their job was to use materials and techniques—sometimes incorporating enchantments—to craft magical tools. Most lacked the ability to use offensive or healing magic, or their magic power was limited.
Unfortunately, they were often seen as a step below mages and alchemists.
Besides these, there were scholars and hobbyists who dabbled in magical tool creation.
In this world, creating magical tools was not considered something particularly special.
"What kinds of enchantments are added to kitchen knives?"
"The most common one is rust prevention. Then there’s self-sharpening, but usually, it’s one or the other."
"Rust prevention and self-sharpening, huh? That sounds useful for swords, too."
"What kind of enchantments does the sword you use have, Volf-san?"
"The unit’s swords are generally reinforced for hardness. Even then, mine broke."
"Oh, right. Did you lose your sword?"
Dahlia grew concerned. Could he have lost it in the forest?
"It broke at the base when I stabbed a wyvern. So, I left it behind."
"Wait, what you hunted was a wyvern?”
Speaking of wyverns, they were a formidable dragon species, known for their powerful wings and the sharp claws on their feet.
Dahlia recalled the raw wound on Volf’s shoulder. That must’ve been the wyvern’s claw mark.
"Yeah, it was a red wyvern. After we took down one, another appeared. I injured it, but it swiped me with its claws and fled. Since I was in the way, the mages couldn’t attack it with magic, and the knights couldn’t use their enhanced bows. I’ll probably face a lecture and have to write a reflection report when I get back to the castle..."
"Wow... But getting clawed like that—you’re lucky to be alive."
"Not really. I stabbed it hard from below, and it went down easily. What scared me more was falling. I was fine, though, thanks to body reinforcement and the trees breaking my fall."
"That still sounds dangerous..."
"Not at all. With body reinforcement, injuries are rare, and we’ve got skilled healers. Deaths almost never happen."
"Almost never," Dahlia thought, wasn’t the same as never.
"Back to the topic—have you ever seen a magic sword, Dahli-san?"
"I’ve seen the ‘Flaming Magic Sword’ at the Merchant Guild. Only the exterior, though, since no one could draw it."
Magic swords—one of the items that made this world feel fantastical.
Spirits, holy spirits, or heroic spirits could inhabit weapons or armor, making them far stronger and granting them unique powers beyond the ordinary.
The Flaming Magic Sword once appeared at the Merchant Guild for sale.
Its red sheath and hilt were ornately decorated with gold. Unfortunately, no one could draw the blade, so its full appearance remained a mystery.
It eventually went to auction with a starting bid of 100 gold coins—a remarkably high price.
Dahlia remembered hearing that it was bought by a renowned adventurer after an exciting bidding war.
"The Flaming Magic Sword, huh? I would’ve loved to see that."
"Do you see magic swords often, Volf-san?"
"The one I see most is the Monster Subjugation Force captain’s magic sword. It's called 'Ash Hand.' When it pierces something, it burns it to ash instantly. It’s a bloodline-bound sword, passed down in the captain’s family, so it’s famous in this country. No one else can draw it, and anyone besides the captain who touches it while it’s drawn gets burned.”
That sword sounded like an advanced version of a flaming sword.
And most likely, the young man before her was someone who had experienced being burned by Ash Hand.
"There are also two well-known magic swords at the castle without owners. But no one can draw them due to incompatibility. I’ve tried them since joining the Chivalric Order, but I couldn't draw either of them."
"Is it a matter of magical compatibility? Or maybe there’s some special qualification needed?"
"The castle’s magic swords are said to judge things like moral purity and strong resolve. I have neither, so it’s no surprise I couldn’t draw them."
Volf laughed breezily after stating this so matter-of-factly.
"I haven’t seen it myself, but there’s supposedly a 'talking magic sword' in another kingdom."
"A talking magic sword? That sounds handy for lonely travelers or people without friends..."
"Dahli-san, isn’t that a bit harsh?"
"If only they could act as navigators, too."
Thinking of the GPS and smartphone maps from her past life, Dahlia couldn’t help but say it.
"Wouldn’t that make it more like a ‘talking map’ than a magic sword?"
That was spot on. Volf might unexpectedly have a knack for being an inventor.
Dahlia, half out of curiosity, decided to ask about other items as well.
"Are there talking shields or armor?"
"I haven’t heard of shields, but if someone’s hiding one, maybe. As for talking armor, there’s the Dullahan. I wouldn’t want to wear that, though."
"Have you ever seen a Dullahan, Volf-san?"
Dullahan—a distinctly fantastical monster.
She wouldn’t want to encounter one accidentally, but she’d love to observe it safely. How did it even move?
"When we went on a subjugation mission, there was one alone in a cave. It warned us, saying, 'Leave if you value your life.' It was pretty intimidating, but since a high priest was with us, the purification only took five minutes."
"That sounds a bit sad. So, what was the Dullahan like? Was there anything inside it?"
"It was a big black suit of armor without a helmet, wielding a longsword. Both seemed of decent quality. Also, it was empty inside. After the priest purified it, a court mage brought it back with great care, but neither the armor nor the sword had any hidden mechanisms. They were really disappointed."
"I see..."
She could totally understand how the mage felt.
The intricacies and mechanisms behind such things were undeniably something one would long to unravel.
Was the power behind it driven by something akin to soul and spirit, or was it simply a matter of using magic to create a personality-less headless armor?
Even if it was just armor and a sword, she would want to disassemble everything and examine every detail, inside and out. If possible, she'd like to check the materials in detail as well.
"I wish I were in a position to show you that armor, Dahli-san..."
Apparently, she had gotten lost in thought and ended up troubling Wolf.
Realizing her second blunder of the day, Dahlia shook her head vigorously.
"No, it’s fine. Even just hearing about it was so interesting. It’s really helpful—it gives me ideas for work."
That was when it hit her.
She’d been so absorbed in the conversation that she forgot Volf’s eye injury. He should probably see a doctor soon.
"We should get moving. It's going to take quite a while to reach the capital from here."
"Sorry, I got caught up in the conversation."
"No, I’m the one who kept it going for so long."
They completely extinguished the campfire, covering it with soil to restore the ground to its original state. Then, they returned the supplies to the carriage.
Volf’s clothes were still only half-dry, so they were hung on the carriage to let the wind finish the job. Meanwhile, the armor was loaded onto the back of the carriage.
Once they both sat on the coachman’s bench, Volf stretched broadly.
He hadn’t slept at all. He must have been really tired.
"It’s going to take some time, so get some rest until we reach the capital. I’ll wake you near the city walls so you can change there."
"I’m fine. Maybe it’s the potion, but I’m not that sleepy. If you don’t mind, I’d like to keep chatting a bit longer."
"Of course."
As Dahlia adjusted her grip on the reins, she suddenly recalled the white wine she had been sipping earlier on the way there.
She opened the bag and saw that the movement of the carriage had made it slightly frothy.
She could have drank the white wine herself during lunch and given all the red wine to Volf. A small pang of regret tugged at her.
"Something wrong?"
"I forgot I had some leftover white wine."
"Can I have a sip?"
She had given Volf water and red wine, but considering he had gone two days without food or drink, he was likely still quite parched.
"Sorry, it’s already been opened! If you’re thirsty, you can drink the rest."
"Sorry to mooch! But the truth is... white wine is my weakness."
With a serious face, he said those words and began drinking directly from the bottle. Dahlia couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight.
The rest of the journey, they talked endlessly about magical tools and magic swords.
Dahlia shared stories about the magical tools commonly available to the public in the capital, while Volf described the magic swords and magical tools in the royal castle.
They excitedly introduced each other to things they didn’t know, and the time flew by before they knew it.
When they neared the capital’s gates, Dahlia stopped the carriage so Volf could change in the cargo area.
Unfortunately, his clothes were still half-damp. Since it was a bit chilly, she let him keep the coat on.
In the end, Volf didn’t sleep at all.
Even though he seemed to be enjoying the conversation, he must have been on alert the entire time, keeping watch over their surroundings, as one would expect from a knight. Dahlia came to this understanding.
Inside the gates, there was a building staffed with guards.
Volf said he would report there first before heading to the royal castle.
Naturally, a commoner’s carriage couldn’t simply proceed to the castle, so this was where they would part ways.
As they stopped the carriage in front of the building, rain suddenly began to pour.
Volf got down from the coachman’s bench and started to take off the coat, but Dahlia quickly stopped him.
"It'll be bad if you catch a cold. Just wear it—it’s made from sand lizard hide, so it’s waterproof."
"Thanks, I’ll borrow it. Thank you for today. You really helped me out. Tell me your address, and I’ll come by to pay you."
"It’s fine. Consider it support from a commoner for someone who fights monsters."
"At least let me treat you to a drink at a tavern sometime."
Was this an invitation to build a friendship?
Dahlia really enjoyed talking with Volf. If possible, she’d love to meet and chat with him again.
But no matter the reason, deceiving him by pretending to be a man was still rude.
It was disappointing, but it seemed like this was where it should end.
"If you see me in town, call out to me. Then I’ll let you buy me that drink."
She said it cheerfully on purpose.
In a city as large as the capital, the chances of a knighted noble like Volf crossing paths with a commoner like her were slim to none.
As the rain intensified, Volf said something, but Dahlia couldn’t make it out.
Just then, another carriage approached from behind.
"The road’s getting blocked, so I’ll be off!"
Apologizing silently, she used the approaching carriage as an excuse to end the conversation and urged the sleipnir forward.
"...See you, Dahli!"
His voice calling out to her was perfectly clear.
Volf's beautiful smile lingered in her mind for some reason.
For Dahlia, it had been a meaningful day off.
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