Entry-Level Magic Weapons, Part 1
I looked up and glanced out the window to find that darkness had already fallen.
I must have been so absorbed in my work that I completely lost track of time.
"Should we call it a day?"
When I spoke, Chloe and William let out heavy sighs of relief.
"Phew, finally... I feel like my arms are going to fall off."
"We finally get to rest..."
Both of them collapsed onto the floor, grumbling.
I had no idea how many hours had passed since we left the cafeteria and started practicing in the forge.
But their efforts hadn't been in vain; they seemed to have finally grasped the basic principles of mana engraving.
"It's late. Let's head back to the dorms."
At my words, their faces lit up instantly.
"Ah, finally! I can't wait to soak in a warm bath," Chloe said, her voice bright.
"I'm going to... pass out the second we get back," William muttered wearily.
"Huh? Rest? What rest?"
I pulled two books from my bag and handed them over.
The title of the book was The Fundamentals and Practice of Magic Engraving.
While they were practicing, I had slipped out to the bookstore to buy them.
It was the very same text I had purchased when I first started learning these techniques.
I was certain it would help them too.
"Read the highlighted sections and write a summary by tomorrow."
Chloe and William reluctantly took the books with trembling hands.
"Edward... can't we study magic after classes tomorrow?" Chloe pleaded.
"Yeah... I feel like I'm going to collapse the moment I get back," William chimed in.
"What do you mean? You're coming straight back here after school tomorrow."
Both of them looked utterly dumbfounded.
"What?! You didn't even give us a single break earlier!" Chloe protested.
"Why would you need a break? The potions are right over there."
At my words, the two of them turned around. Behind them stood a massive pile of empty mana potion bottles.
Personally, I couldn't understand their complaints.
If you ran out of stamina, you drank a stamina potion. If you ran out of mana, you drank a mana potion. It was that simple.
If you rested whenever everyone else did, when would you ever increase your skill proficiency?
I might skimp on other things, but I never spared any expense when it came to potions and materials for leveling up my skills.
Providing an unlimited supply of potions—what employer offered better welfare than this?
Isn't this actually a pretty great benefit package? I smiled to myself.
But Chloe and William's faces were still etched with exhaustion.
A tearful look crossed Chloe's face.
"No way! We have human rights, you know! You're too cruel, Edward!" she whined.
It's only the first day, and they're already showing weakness.
I couldn't help but worry about the days ahead.
"Chloe, catch!"
I tossed a sword to her.
"Give it a try."
"What... try what?"
"What else? Magic engraving."
Chloe hesitated for a moment before gripping the sword with determination.
As she focused and gathered her mana, a faint blue light enveloped the weapon.
Though highly crude, a single line of a mana circuit was drawn onto the blade.
"See? It's still rough, but you already know how to engrave a mana circuit onto a weapon."
At my words, Chloe's eyes sparkled.
"...Yeah."
"What did you say you felt when you saw my demonstration in class today?"
Chloe fell into thought for a moment before answering.
"I wanted to be like you. And... I want to reach an incredible level someday, establish my own brand, and revolutionize weapon crafting."
I nodded and continued my explanation.
"Whether you can enchant a weapon or not sets a blacksmith apart on an entirely different level. It's crucial."
Turning my gaze to William, I went on.
"You're only in your first year, and you're already learning mana engraving. Just imagine. Aren't you excited for next month, the month after, or next year? What level will you reach? What kind of weapons will you be able to make?"
As they listened, the look in Chloe and William's eyes began to shift.
The exhaustion faded, replaced by a slowly kindling passion.
"You're right, Edward," William said slowly.
"I forgot for a moment just how amazing it is, what we're learning right now."
Chloe nodded in agreement.
"Yeah... If we keep working this hard, maybe we really can achieve something incredible."
Seeing their reaction, I smiled with satisfaction.
Finally, things were moving in the direction I wanted.
The moment I opened the forge door and stepped outside, the cool night air brushed against my face.
Stepping out of the heat-filled room after a whole day, the refreshing breeze felt wonderful against my skin.
Just then, I ran into a woman.
Her brown eyes widened in surprise.
"Ah, I'm sorry."
She apologized, flustered.
There was a slight tremor in her voice.
"Oh, no, it's fine."
Exhausted, I answered half-heartedly and tried to walk past.
"Excuse me!"
The voice from behind made me stop in my tracks.
I turned around to see her standing there with a hesitant expression.
After a moment's hesitation, she gathered her courage and spoke.
"I run a weapon shop nearby. I happened to catch a glimpse of your skills just now... and I was truly amazed!"
Her words were unexpected.
Only then did I take a proper look at her.
She was neatly dressed, but the wrinkles around her eyes spoke of recent worries.
"I see. A weapon merchant..." I muttered.
She took a deep breath.
There was a desperate edge to her sigh.
"By any chance! Would it be possible to sell the weapons you make in my shop?"
Though caught off guard by the sudden proposal, I gave it some thought.
I quickly gave a realistic answer.
"No, we're quite busy with a project right now. I don't think we'll have the time to manufacture weapons."
A look of disappointment washed over her face.
I could sense her desperation from that expression.
"Well, then..."
I turned to leave, but her urgent voice cut through the night air once more.
"Please! I beg of you! You can even use the weapons from my shop. Just a simple engraving, even a minor enchantment is fine! Please, I need this!"
Wait...
I stopped.
Her words echoed in my head.
Well, that changed things.
Her offer suddenly sounded very intriguing.
I slowly walked back to her.
Under the moonlight, her face was filled with earnest hope.
Lately, I had been consumed by a single concern.
Night after night, I lay awake in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Tonight was no exception.
A single question constantly circled my mind.
How can I elevate the status of the blacksmith profession?
Simply crafting excellent weapons wasn't enough.
While that might draw temporary attention, it was far from enough to bring about real change.
The innovation I dreamed of was changing the game for the entire blacksmithing industry.
.
.
.
The next day, I left the kids to their basic practice at the forge and stepped out.
With my unresolved dilemma still weighing on my mind, I decided to look around the weapon shop district.
As I walked down the street, I naturally found myself standing in front of the Mystic Arts store.
The scene beyond the glamorous glass window looked like a completely different world.
It was teeming with people decked out in luxury, holding expensive magic weapons in their hands.
Then, a few students gathered in front of the store caught my eye.
Judging by their worn-out school uniforms and ordinary gear, they were clearly of commoner origin.
They stared through the glass window, letting out sighs mixed with self-deprecating laughter.
One student nudged his friend's shoulder and joked.
"Hey, if we had the money to buy just one of those, we could live comfortably for the rest of our lives."
They all laughed, but there was a distinct bitterness in their voices.
A moment later, they turned and walked away.
For some reason, their shoulders looked slumped as they walked.
In their figures, I saw a reflection of my own impoverished self from not too long ago.
At that moment, my thoughts began to race.
One reason magic weapons were so expensive was the extreme rarity of experts who knew how to engrave them.
They were elite specialists, scouted by major brands like Mystic Arts and various other factions.
But the biggest driver of the exorbitant prices lay elsewhere.
It was the cost of materials.
Specifically, the mana stones specially crafted to act like rechargeable batteries.
They were not only difficult to manufacture but also, quite literally, obscenely expensive.
Then, a sudden flash of inspiration struck me.
If we don't need these mana stones, then magic weapons don't necessarily have to be expensive!
Returning to the forge, consumed by passion, I began sketching out a blueprint.
Creating high-end weapons with rare and expensive materials wasn't true innovation.
Such weapons could only ever be enjoyed by a wealthy minority.
To shift the weapon-crafting trends of the entire Empire, the product had to be able to spread rapidly and widely.
True innovation was creating something out of nothing.
I had to utilize common, inexpensive materials to produce weapons of remarkable performance.
That was the direction we needed to take.
In other words, I was going to rewrite the fundamental framework of weapons.
As the night deepened, my blueprint neared completion.
Finally, at dawn, I wrote the last words on the paper with a satisfied smile.
Entry-Level Magic Weapon Blueprint
[Auto-recharge function: No mana stone replacement required]
Now, it was time for real change to begin.