The Budget Magic Weapon, Part 3

Lisa cut through the dawn mist as she headed toward the Song of Steel.

Hurrying to open the shop, her footsteps suddenly ground to a halt.

Her jaw dropped at the sight before her.

"What in the world..."

A long line stretched from the front of the shop all the way to the end of the street.

It was the queue that had formed after she announced a limit of forty swords per day, just as Edward had advised yesterday.

Some people were sitting on blankets they had spread out, while others had gone so far as to pitch small tents.

A diverse crowd mingled together, ranging from those dressed in lavish noble attire to commoners in simple clothes.

Lost in emotion for a moment, Lisa recalled the events of a few days ago.

The day she first set up the standing sign in front of the Song of Steel was still vivid in her mind.

At first, passing students merely glanced at the sign with curious eyes.

But once they saw the price, most of them showed clear hesitation.

After all, compared to ordinary weapons, it was still quite expensive.

Lisa bit her lip anxiously as she watched the students' reactions.

She let out a sigh as she watched most of them peer through the glass window before turning away.

"Edward, I don't think we'll sell a single one at this rate. Everyone just looks at the price and walks away."

Edward replied to Lisa's worried voice with absolute confidence.

"Ah, is that so? Then let's put out a test model. People need to try a good product to recognize its value."

Lisa hesitated for a moment.

"Really? But... Mystic Arts always displays their weapons inside glass cases..."

Edward grinned.

"That's exactly why this will be special. You have to handle our weapons yourself to truly appreciate their value."

Lisa still looked unconvinced, but drawn in by Edward's confidence, she decided to take a leap of faith and placed a test weapon on the display stand.

Then, like bees drawn to honey, curious students began to gather one by one.

The moment they gripped the test weapon, the students' expressions changed dramatically.

Astonishment and wonder flashed in their eyes.

As the Kraken's Sword activated, blue flames began to flicker along the blade.

Like waves on a stormy sea, the blue energy danced across the metal.

"T-This... Is this for real..."

One student couldn't even finish his sentence.

Everyone stared slack-jawed at the overwhelming energy radiating from the sword.

With every flicker of the blue flames, even the surrounding air seemed to vibrate.

"We can buy something like this for only ninety-nine gold?"

A student asked in a trembling voice.

When Lisa nodded, the student shouted without a moment's hesitation.

"Give me a Kraken's Sword! Right now!"

Since that day, a new wind had begun to blow through the Academy's Swordsmanship Department.

The Kraken's Sword, with its flickering blue flames, was regarded as more than just a weapon—it was a work of art, a revolution.

A student from a commoner background was spotted spending his entire life savings to purchase a Kraken's Sword.

"Here... this is all the money I have. Thank you so much! This isn't just a weapon, it's a revolution."

"Haha! I finally have a magic sword of my own!"

Tears of deep emotion welled in his eyes.

Another student watching from the side cheered aloud.

Word of mouth spread the Kraken's fame in an instant.

Before long, the Kraken had become an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠entire subculture within the Academy's Swordsmanship Department.

"Hey, are you guys still not using a Kraken?"

"What even is that? Isn't Mystic Arts the best?"

"Tsk, tsk. You haven't been enlightened yet."

"What? You bastard! I challenge you to a duel!"

Even the reputation of Mystic Arts began to waver.

"What? You bought a sword from Mystic Arts? Are you a sucker? You could buy three Krakens for that price."

"Heh, I already asked my friends to help me buy three. I'm rocking the Kraken Three-Sword Style!"

The popularity of the Kraken showed no signs of cooling down.

A group of die-hard fans, dubbed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the "Kraken Cult," emerged. Worshipping the sword's overwhelming performance, they even began researching new swordsmanship styles tailored specifically for the Kraken.

Naturally, interest in the artisan who created this revolutionary weapon exploded as well.

"The Kraken! I don't know who the artisan behind this incredible weapon is, but he's truly the best!"

"Ah, he is a god... the god of blacksmithing!"

Amidst the students' wild enthusiasm, the Kraken was transcending the status of a mere weapon to become a legend.

And at the center of that legend was a mysterious blacksmith who had yet to reveal himself.

Toward evening, the heat in the smithy intensified even further.

I immersed myself in my work without a moment's rest.

A blue liquid bubbled inside a massive cauldron.

Kraken tentacles floated inside, while slimes and more Kraken tentacles were piled like mountains next to the pot.

"It should be about ready now..."

I muttered, checking the state of the liquid.

The process of making the special Kraken alloy was both complex and delicate.

First, I placed the Kraken tentacles and slimes into a specially crafted low-temperature extractor to slowly draw out their essence.

This allowed me to extract only the core components without damaging the materials' inherent properties.

Meanwhile, in another vessel, iron ore was melted by heating it to exactly 1,500 degrees Celsius.

Temperature control was paramount.

A deviation of even a single degree could completely alter the alloy's characteristics.

"Alright, now the real work begins."

Taking a deep breath, I carefully poured both liquids into a special alloy container.

Instantly, a plume of blue steam billowed up.

"Good, this is enough."

As I cooled it slowly and added the final magical treatment, the Kraken alloy—bearing its signature dark blue hue—was complete.

There was no time to waste.

Before the alloy liquid could cool, I quickly and meticulously coated the surface of the pre-forged swords.

The moment the hot liquid touched the blades, it wrapped around them like a living organism.

I couldn't help but marvel as it flowed smoothly and hardened into a solid shell.

"Wow. Even though I made it myself, it's unbelievably beautiful."

A thin, uniform film began to form.

Once the coating dried, the sword took on a mysterious blue glow.

Next was the mana engraving stage. I took a deep breath and focused.

"Alright, here we go."

A blue light flared at my fingertips as I checked the basic flow of mana through mana sensitivity.

Soon, the microscopic structures that converted atmospheric energy into mana revealed themselves.

I verified each one and meticulously linked them together.

By organically connecting these structures, I created a large circulation loop.

This allowed mana to circulate continuously and store a set amount within the sword.

Next, I added an energy amplification circuit to this circulation loop.

With this, the stored mana could be drawn out explosively whenever needed.

As the final step, I engraved the magic circuit for Dance of the Stormy Waves.

With this circuit, blue flames would surge like waves every time the sword was swung.

"It's finally finished."

I finished by engraving a Kraken emblem just below the sword's hilt.

As I lifted the completed sword, a soft blue light radiated outward.

I continued my work, chugging potions without pause.

Seeing the mountain of materials transform one by one into Kraken's Swords filled me with a sense of pride.

Even though sweat poured down like rain and my muscles grew stiff, I didn't care.

"One, two, three..."

Now that I was used to it, making a single sword didn't take long.

While the liquid boiled, I coated another sword; while that coating cooled, I engraved the mana circuits onto the cooled swords.

My movements were like an unstoppable machine.

Yet, they were filled with an artisan's soul and passion.

As the night deepened, the number of flame-spewing Kraken's Swords grew one by one.

Beside me, Chloe and William were engrossed in practicing mana engraving.

Beads of sweat dotted their faces, and a strong determination shone in their eyes.

Even in the midst of my busy work, I checked on them from time to time to offer advice.

"Chloe, good. Recall the principles of the Sylph's Whisper magic. Don't tense up too much; make it soft, like a whispering wind."

Chloe nodded and focused once more.

A faint blue light flickered at her fingertips, and a thin line began to trace itself onto the surface of the practice sword.

"Wow, Chloe! You did it!"

William exclaimed in admiration.

A proud smile spread across Chloe's face.

"Edward, did you see that? I did it!"

Chloe shouted proudly.

A faint but distinct magic circuit for Sylph's Whisper was engraved on the practice sword.

"Good job, Chloe."

I gave her a thumbs-up and smiled.

"Alright, now it's William's turn. You can do it too."

William bit his lip nervously, but soon resumed his practice with a determined expression.

Watching me forge swords without rest drove them to work even harder.

Chloe murmured in a quiet voice.

"Seeing Edward work so hard makes me feel like I need to push myself even more."

William nodded in agreement.

Just then, the door opened and Lisa walked in.

Her face was a mix of exhaustion and excitement.

"I knew you'd be here, Edward."

Lisa caught her breath and continued.

"This is truly incredible. I've never seen results like this before."

She handed over a sheet of paper.

I took the paper, my eyes widening slightly.

A whopping 20,000 gold.

It was an unimaginable sum.

With this amount of money, one could buy a small shop in the central commercial district.

The realization that I had earned in just two weeks what ordinary knights had to save for over a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠decade made my head spin.

Chloe peeked over and asked cautiously.

"Um... can I take a look?"

I silently handed her the paper.

Chloe and William's eyes went wide.

"M-My goodness! Is all of this your money?"

William shouted in shock.

Chloe stared back and forth between the paper and me, her mouth hanging open.

Both of them looked utterly incredulous.

Lisa continued in an excited voice.

"The popularity is absolutely insane. Word must have spread like wildfire among the Knight Department students, because everyone from freshmen to seniors has been lining up since dawn to buy them."

Fatigue was written all over her face, but it was eclipsed by an even greater joy.

"I've never seen sales like this in my entire life. Thank you so much, Edward."

I nodded and smiled.

I had anticipated this kind of reaction, but seeing it in reality felt surreal.

Lisa looked around the room, then asked with a worried expression.

"But... are you really doing this entire complex process all by yourself? Aren't you exhausted?"

Her gaze drifted to the pile of empty potion bottles stacked behind me.

She continued, her voice laced with concern.

"Maybe... shouldn't we at least raise the price?"

I shook my head.

"No, even with that, we're only selling forty swords a day. This pace is perfectly manageable."

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, I added.

"Ah, you came at the perfect time. Would you like to see our new product?"

Lisa's eyes widened.

"A new product?"

I nodded and picked up an object resting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on one side of the workbench.

It was a staff that emitted a faint blue glow.

"This is..."

Lisa took the staff with trembling hands.

Astonishment washed over her face.

"My goodness... This is... a magic-engraved staff, isn't it?"

I smiled with satisfaction.

"Yes, that's right. It's the Kraken Series No. 2, the Kraken's Wave Staff."

Now that we had conquered the Swordsmanship Department, it was time to target the Magic Department.