Custom Sword and Heroine Gifts
Stepping inside after ditching Matty, the inner workshop felt far more like a proper weapon forge than the outer shop area. Or rather, it screamed "bladesmith's lair" more than any retail spot. They measured me like I was at a physical exam—height, weight, arm length, grip strength, the works. It was all geared toward crafting a sword perfectly suited to me, and I couldn't help but feel my heart pounding. I'd only ever swung wooden swords before, so not knowing what steel would feel like in my hand only amped up the excitement.
"Hmm, you said you usually use a wooden sword, right?"
"Yes."
"You still have it?"
"Ah, yeah. It's back at the dorm."
"Bring it here."
What? Just like that?
"I could have you test with any old sword here, but you'd get better data from the one you're used to."
So, to make the perfect fit, my old sword would help calibrate things. Makes sense.
"If you had prior custom records, we'd just measure the changes and adjust. But you don't, so..."
They keep records for repeat customers, apparently. It really hit home that this wasn't some medieval fantasy world—it was modern fantasy. A blacksmith punching my specs into a holographic smartphone interface? Wild and kinda hilarious.
"Got it. I'll grab it and come right back."
"Shop closes at 6 PM, so be here by 3 if you want it today."
Takes a few hours to forge, but not days. Three hours? Damn, this world rocks. In a pure medieval setup, it'd be a week-long wait.
Heading back to the main shop area with the blacksmith...
"Theo!"
"Theo!"
I'd expected chatty Matty waiting, but nope—there stood Iris and Estelle.
"Huh? Iris, Estelle. What brings you here?"
They'd shown up unannounced, so I couldn't hide my surprise.
"Ah, we heard you were at a weapon shop and got curious... Sorry if we overstepped."
Iris blushed as she apologized, which was oddly cute.
"No, no, I'm not upset. Sorry I didn't mention it. Matty dragged me here—dorm buddy thing."
Someone like Iris had ears everywhere, especially at Ermunt Academy in the Ermunt Empire. Everyone here wanted to curry favor with the crown princess. And word of her calling a commoner like me "nim"? They'd spill my location for any scrap of her attention, even without orders.
But knowing Iris, she'd feel bad about every little thing. In the game, there was an event where her informants ratted out Estelle's location. Iris was thrilled to find her but warned them not to do it again.
"Ah, so the guy outside shares your dorm."
Estelle, who'd been listening quietly, piped up like she'd just connected the dots.
"Yeah, that's him. He take off?"
"Mm. He saw us, looked panicked, bowed, and bolted."
Yeah, figures. Crown princess and saintess combo? One wrong move and you're toast. But Matty? The guy dying for noble connections? This was a golden opportunity—he blew it by running.
"I'll apologize to him next time. He was waiting for you, and we scared him off. Sorry."
Iris apologized again, but I waved it off.
"Nah. Guy's a motormouth. I was hoping he'd scram anyway."
Matty's noise was fun in doses, but today? I'd hit my quota.
"Anyway, gotta hit the dorm quick. You two coming?"
"We'll tag along!"
"Same here!"
They answered in eerie unison—like they'd rehearsed. I just nodded and led the way to the dorms.
No girls allowed in the guys' dorm, so I left them at the door, checked our room—empty, no Matty. Grabbed my wooden sword and headed back with them.
"Ah, welcome back."
The gruff shopkeeper from before suddenly turned polite as pie. Heh, yeah. Even a blacksmith watches his step around Iris and Estelle—no matter if we're students.
"Anyway, if you've got the wooden sword, step inside. Ladies, may I ask why you're here...?"
"Escorting Theo."
"Ditto."
"Ah, I see...! Tea while you wait, then...!"
His face twisted in confusion. Fair. I scream commoner, yet these two keep "nim"-ing me. Trust me, mister, I'm still wrapping my head around it too. Adaptation's the only cure.
"Take good care of Theo's sword. Though you're top-tier in Ermunt, so no worries."
"Appreciate it. Oh, can you fit a magic staff too? Theo's magic is killer—I wanna gift him one."
A staff? Those ain't cheap.
"...Estelle, that's cheating."
"Cheating? I'm just gifting what I want."
"Fine, then I'll cover the sword, Theo."
"Whoa, both of you, chill."
How'd it escalate like this? But they'd decided to splurge, racing to pay the blacksmith first.
"Y-yes, right away...!"
"No, mister, I'll pay for the sword...!"
No dice—they wouldn't take my coin. Ended up with Iris gifting the sword, Estelle the staff. Geez, these girls and their money-burning itch. Buy your own stuff! Still, their generosity was game-accurate—then and now.
"I'll craft the finest sword and staff tailored perfectly—no worries!"
The blacksmith boasted confidently while Iris and Estelle clapped excitedly. Fine, whatever. Can't back out now. They're like this, so I'll accept and return the favor lightly later.
"This way, then."
Back inside with him, his tone buzzed with excitement.
"You really are tight with the crown princess and saintess, huh?"
Rumors from after the entrance ceremony—me glued to them—had spread, but folks were split on believing it. Fair enough. Commoner + royalty + saintess? One oddball ruins the vibe.
"But why do they 'nim' you? You some hidden expert or something?"
"Beats me. They just do."
"Hmm, wild. Anyway, swing that wooden sword a few times."
Whoosh—
No sooner said than swung.
"Nice. A few more—right there. Thrusts too."
I swung and stabbed as directed, repeating motions.
"Can't use Aura anyway."
"Actually, I can."
Word of my entrance exam Aura stunt had leaked to the staff. No point hiding it—and a mismatched durability could snap the blade.
"What? You wield Aura?"
"Yep."
"With that wooden sword? Show me."
Easy enough—I coated it in Aura. The blacksmith's eyes bugged out.
"Holy hell, you're not just 'special excellence' on paper. Alright, let's scan the perfect ore for you. Won't take long."
Smartphone for optimal alloy, syncing my swing/thrust data and Aura readings. Tech's a beaut—round pad feeds straight to phone. More advanced than my old world, honestly.