Sword Saint (5): The Untouchable Blade
Morning broke, and I headed to the address on the business card the old man had given me. But I wasn't going alone—the sisters ended up coming along. I'd planned to go by myself, but they spotted me heading out and asked where I was going. When I explained, they pleaded so earnestly to join that I couldn't say no.
They wanted to see me wielding a sword, curious about what kind I'd get. It wasn't a tough request, so here we were together... but we hit a snag right from the start.
"Is this it?"
"Yeah, I think so."
"The door's shut. Are they not open?"
"Nah, that can't be..."
A small shop on a quiet street with hardly a soul around. The shutter was firmly down, though. Had we come too early? I'd said we'd come in the morning but hadn't specified a time...
The area wasn't deserted enough to lack nearby cafes or convenience stores, so we figured we'd wait a bit. But the moment we turned to go, a hearty voice boomed out in greeting.
"Haha! You've arrived, have you?"
"Ah, sir. Good to see you. I thought we'd gotten the wrong place with the door closed."
"Whoops! Sorry about that. I decided to close up shop for good after yesterday."
"I see."
I bowed in greeting, and the old man approached, clapping me on the shoulder. His eyes then landed on the sisters behind me, and he asked curiously,
"Huh? Who's this pair of little ones? Your daughters?"
"We're not little!"
"Yeah!"
"Ahaha... Not my daughters, my little sisters."
I introduced them awkwardly with a sheepish grin, and the sisters pouted, muttering under their breaths so only they could hear.
"Not even little sisters..."
"Yeah..."
The old man burst into hearty laughter once the introductions wrapped up.
"Haha! Just kidding! Looking at you, I figured you weren't married yet anyway."
"Still a ways off. No one's caught my eye."
"Is that so? I had you pegged for tying the knot with that junior lady of yours."
"Just a junior. A junior. Nothing more."
I shook my head firmly in denial. But even that brief mention was enough to draw the sisters' attention. They grabbed at my sleeves, shooting me deadly glares that demanded an explanation.
"Oppa? 'Lady'? Marriage...? What's that supposed to mean?"
"A junior... Sujung unnie? When did you meet her behind our backs?"
"Uh? Well... that's..."
Sensing the atmosphere shift dramatically, I hurried to extricate myself by prodding the old man.
"I'll explain later! Sir, shall we head in?"
"Haha, sure thing. Let me see... how to open this..."
I fumbled through, sweating bullets, while the sisters watched intently before letting it slide with a reluctant sigh.
"Ah, here we go."
Rattle— The shutter rolled up, revealing a shop with large windows. Peering inside through them, a gasp escaped me involuntarily.
"Th-this...?!"
Countless swords lined up in rows. Swords of every shape, size, color, and style imaginable. In all my past life, I'd never seen so many gathered in one place—it was impossible not to be awestruck.
"Incredible. So many swords..."
The old man beamed proudly at my dazed admiration before ushering us inside.
"Come on in."
"Ah, yes."
The three of us followed him. Even the sisters couldn't tear their eyes away, clearly intrigued by the shop's interior.
"These are the ones in the shop, more or less. Oh, right—we haven't properly introduced ourselves."
The old man grinned and offered his hand.
"Name's Baek Taehwan."
"Lee Seojin."
After shaking hands, we picked up the conversation.
"Well, now that introductions are done, time for customer and shopkeeper to do business, eh?"
Baek Taehwan chuckled as he headed to the counter, then stood there, eyeing me intently. I knew exactly what that meant, so I began slowly browsing the swords.
"Whoa... is this a sword? Oppa uses stuff like this..."
"Lemme try... ugh! It's heavy!"
"No mana, so it'll feel heavier. Don't swing them around—you might hurt yourselves."
"Don't worry, Oppa. We're not kids."
"Yeah! We're not babies. Dummy oppa. Hmph!"
"Yeah, yeah. Be careful."
Following my lead, the sisters started checking out the swords too. Their grumbling was adorable, so I watched them for a moment before turning back to the one in my hands.
Incredible.
Sharpness, craftsmanship, balance—flawless in every way. Many outshone the sword I currently had; any one would serve me far better than my old one.
But from the moment I'd stepped in, one thing had nagged at me.
"Sir Taehwan, you said these are all the swords in the shop, right?"
"That's right. Why do you ask?"
"In that case..."
I hung the sword back up and met Baek Taehwan's gaze squarely. A subtle exchange passed between us—like adventurers hunting for hidden treasure, silently asking if this was really all.
"Are there no swords 'outside' the shop?"
"...Outside, huh."
He crossed his arms, murmuring meaningfully. Silence stretched for a moment. What was he thinking? I watched intently, praying he wouldn't refuse.
"...Follow me."
Short words, but loaded with meaning. What could make him turn so serious all of a sudden? Tension building, I followed, and the sisters trailed cautiously behind.
We passed the counter and went through a door down to the basement. Thud... thud... Our footsteps echoed, the air growing solemn. Soon, a vast space opened up.
"Whoa..."
"This place..."
"It's a forge."
"Haha, showing off my workspace is a bit embarrassing."
The sisters gasped in wonder, looking around. But Baek Taehwan and I remained grave.
What lay here? Curiosity piqued, I drew closer.
"Impressive. This place has seen years of use."
"My family were smiths for generations. Thanks to superhumans like heroes, we kept the trade alive..."
"Specializing in swords made it hard to keep the lineage going?"
"Not exactly. Smiths can forge more than just swords. But that's not what I want to tell you about."
"Then...?"
Baek Taehwan glanced at me, then headed to a corner of the forge piled with odds and ends. He rummaged and pulled something out—wrapped in cloth, but its shape screamed sword.
"This is what I want to give you."
Emotion flickered in the old man's eyes as he watched me. I couldn't read his thoughts, but one thing was clear: longing dwelled there. When his gaze returned to me, it held expectation. He handed over the sword.
I took it carefully and unwrapped the cloth. The blade revealed itself.
"This is..."
It exuded an indescribable aura. A demon blade? A yokai sword? With its scabbard, demon blade fit, but its elegant, refined elegance leaned more toward yokai sword.
"My grandfather forged it."
"Your grandfather... that's ancient."
"Spot on."
Baek Taehwan crossed his arms, reminiscing before launching into the tale.
"Don't know exactly when, but he picked up some incredibly tough stone from outside."
"A meteorite?"
"Who knows. Not quite rock-like enough for that, but it was the best comparison. Anyway, he forged it into a sword—a supreme blade among supremes. But..."
He pointed to the hilt.
"No one could draw it. The moment they gripped the hilt, they'd feel bewitched or terrified and fling it away."
"Demon blade... yokai sword, then?"
"Maybe. But didn't you want the strongest? This is the best I can offer."
He'd read my mind through my eyes. All along, gazing at those swords, I'd sensed it: they felt like byproducts. Imitations of something greater, laced with regret and sorrow. An instinctive hunch, even from my subconscious.
"Hearing the story, I wanted to forge something beyond it. But I never saw the blade itself—couldn't draw it—so I imagined and created."
"Those are the shop swords. But even those are exceptional. You won't find their like anywhere."
"Haha... thanks for the praise. I sensed it was a supreme blade without seeing it, so I made high-quality ones... but surpassing it proved impossible."
The old man gave a wry smile, shaking his head—perhaps reflecting on his life's work. His face grew wistful as he eyed the sword, then sobered as he looked at me.
"Take it if you can draw it. No charge."
"...Any conditions?"
"Haha, sharp as ever. Drawing it is the condition. But it's no easy feat. Many tried and fled in fear."
"..."
I stared at the sword in my hands. The scabbard bore dragons, flowers, and orchids—vivid as if forged yesterday, despite the years. But from first sight, that indefinable aura and deep inner pull...
Thoughts swirled, but action was singular.
"...I'll draw it."
I gripped the hilt and glanced back. The sisters looked terribly anxious, fidgeting in worry. After the story, they hoped I wouldn't. But I had to. No more regrets from that hell. That nightmare.
"...Hoo..."
Click. Deep breath, grip firm. The instant I drew it slightly from the scabbard, something swept through me.
!!
Time froze. Words failed. What force bound me so? Doubt bloomed into terror, gnawing at body and mind, screaming now.
—Can you really draw that sword?
Thousands of vengeful spirits seemed to mock and tear at my mind. As if plunged into the underworld's depths for millennia, absorbing souls. Hands shook, vision blurred. The urge to drop it and flee surged fiercely.
But my will held. My vow against regret wouldn't bend to this unknown dread.
"Hoo..."
Another deep breath, ignoring the cries. Shing—!!
I drew it fully. Ziiing— The blade sang. Like a hundred demons freed from seals, raging. Unyielding, I gripped with both hands and unleashed a perfect single stroke in steady form.
The sword wailed once more, trembled... then stilled. The turmoil in my body and mind vanished.
"Hah... hah..."
I stood rigid, panting roughly. Baek Taehwan gaped in shock.
"...Hah. What... You actually drew it?!"
"...Seems so."
I flashed him a grin. Coming to, I was drenched in cold sweat like a marathoner. Had I been that tense? Vision hazy, mind foggy from exertion—I'd inspect it later. Sheathing the blade, I thanked the stunned old man.
"...Thank you for this fine sword."
"No, thank you for drawing it."
He patted my shoulder gratefully instead. I gazed at the sheathed sword intently.
I'd obtained it. A blade leagues—hundreds of times—beyond my past life's sword. Now, just needed a test run. Any good opportunities?
As the thought crossed my mind,
♬~♪~♩♩
My phone rang.