The Unique Bone Sword of the Fallen Knight

It actually worked.

“Oh, ohhhhh! Calling it the best—now that’s praise!”

“You’re the Master. Of course it turned out this way.”

【I believed in you, Great Lord. But is there truly no secret passage?】

【…….】

Don’t do that.

I don’t even trust myself—why do all of you believe in me so completely?

“Naturally. He is my Lord.”

“Has the Master ever done anything ordinary?”

Certainty.

Faith.

Emotions I had never received in five years of grinding through the hunter industry.

They weren’t saying this simply because they were my summons. Our souls were linked, so I felt their sincerity all the more clearly.

The genuine admiration and trust of my subordinates!

Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek with one hand.

Harsh Command was a thoroughly necromancer-like skill.

It consumed my mana to strengthen multiple undead at once and grant them a bonus in close combat. The demerit of increased aggression toward living beings was there, but I could just tell the support team to keep their distance. My undead were all handmade, so control was far easier anyway—hardly a major penalty.

“Sniff. I can finally call myself a real necromancer.”

“When were you not one?”

“Don’t say things like that, Sir. It’s creepy.”

When the Necromancer Slayer talks like that… what, am I supposed to inherit the throne or something?

Goosebumps prickled all down the back of my neck.

“I’ve never heard of soulstones before.”

“Even the Witch of the Solar Eclipse doesn’t know something?”

“I’m not omnipotent, you know.”

Ingrid grumbled.

Wow.

Even the specialist in magic is seeing this for the first time. Makes me want to tease her a little more.

“Hahahaha! So even you magic-users aren’t all-powerful, huh?”

“I don’t want to hear that from an iron-headed meathead!”

Yikes.

I missed the timing to tease her.

If I got between those two snarling summons, my life points would hit zero. You don’t light a cigarette at a gas station.

Heh, my crisis-detection ability is shining once again…

“Master! Please scold this wicked iron-head!”

“What good is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a magic-user who doesn’t even know magic?”

You little demons.

Get away. Shoo!

I declared a strategic retreat, but it wasn’t accepted.

Then Zaug. You help me at least.

【Strange, that is. I smell treasure, yet I can’t see it.】

That little bastard.

Planning to survive alone while leaving me behind, are you?

Roan. Show us the spirit of a newcomer.

……

Hah.

No choice, then.

Five years as a professional hunter.

Twenty-seven years as a lifelong solo.

With conversation skills honed through talks with Mom, my little sister, and Yeondu, I would break through this crisis!

In times like these, the pro method was to casually change the subject as if nothing were wrong.

“So, how’s the performance of the sword that got S-rank in the evaluation…?”

I froze mid-motion while awkwardly holding the sword out between them and stared blankly at the system explanation.

“Holy crap.”

“What additional skill has you so astonished?”

“See for yourselves.”

I shared the message floating before my eyes with my summons.

“A separate space… This is truly incredible!”

Ingrid’s eyes sparkled.

I get that it’s amazing.

It’s an SS-class skill, after all.

But I never expected the Witch of the Solar Eclipse, who has supposedly seen the pinnacle of magic, to be this shocked.

“Spatial magic is extremely difficult.”

“Is it something you don’t know much about, like necromancy?”

“Hmph. I know a little about the spatial side!”

Sir Isra.

Your disappointment is written all over your face.

Work on that poker face a bit.

“A subspace that expands once conditions are met… That’s amazing!”

Spatial magic was said to be extremely high-difficulty. Subspaces in particular involved establishing fixed coordinates in the gaps between dimensions to store items, making them even more complex. Building one once was hard enough; expanding an existing subspace was supposedly far harder still.

“A customized skill that synchronizes with the user’s capabilities. This is no ordinary ability.”

“Hmm. You’re just saying ‘amazing’ in a roundabout way, magic-user.”

“That’s exactly why you’re an iron-head.”

“Khh…”

So that’s one win and one loss?

It hadn’t gone exactly as I intended, but at least the prideful clash between the two geniuses had ended in a draw. That was a relief.

But…

Are you really not going to show any interest in my sword?

That’s too much, you guys.

“Please set aside your anger.”

“Master, I really want to see that sword now.”

【…….】

【Disappointing, that is. Couldn’t even find the hidden space.】

After finishing the promotion exam, no one had paid any attention to the sword, and I had gotten sulky.

It was a little much, wasn’t it?

I mean, come on—I had crafted this by imitating the sword Sir Isra had used in her previous life!

“Oh my. Good heavens.”

Ingrid’s already large eyes widened even further. She looked at Sir Isra with moist, glistening eyes.

“To ignore the Master’s feelings like that…”

“Ah, ah, that’s not—!”

“So that’s what an iron-head’s chivalry looks like.”

“Khhhuuuh! That’s not what I meant!”

【This time the Great Lord was a bit harsh, that is.】

【Knight. Trash.】

“Kuaaaaaargh!”

I could clearly see Sir Isra’s life points hit zero.

The system notification had interrupted me while I was holding out the sword, cutting off my words—but I decided to play dumb.

Hmph.

“I am a wretch who deserves death. For insulting chivalry, this crime can only be atoned with my life…!”

“Stop the nonsense. If your body gets damaged, the Master will have to work harder.”

“Ah! Aaaaah!!”

Sir Isra’s face flushed bright red. I thought she might actually die of shame at this rate.

“That’s enough scolding. Let’s check the item.”

“Loooord!”

Sir Isra wailed and charged.

She showed an embarrassing side, so she’s eliminating the witnesses? Surely not…

Bang!

“Who do you think you’re trying to tackle, my Lord?”

Sir Isra, who had slammed her head into the white wall, took a deep breath.

“My apologies. To show such an unsightly display…”

After the small commotion, we finally checked the freshly crafted, still-warm item.

The grand reveal.

Boom-cha-cha, boom-cha-cha.

“Huh?”

Wait.

Am I seeing things because I’m tired?

The rank looks weird.

“Unique… That’s incredible, Master!”

“To craft a Unique item less than half a year after first picking up a hammer… As expected of my Lord.”

I hadn’t misread it.

Huh.

Huhuhuhuh.

“It actually worked.”

It didn’t feel real.

I… crafted a Unique item?

As the description made clear, it was the absolute best result born from a perfect storm of coincidence and luck. If I tried to make another one right now, I probably couldn’t. Even so, my heart was boiling over with excitement.

“Sir Isra.”

Without being told, she stepped in front of me and dropped to one knee.

She knows romance.

I slowly lowered the sword, still radiating heat from its forging. The Bone Sword of the Fallen Knight stopped about three centimeters above Sir Isra’s shoulder.

“This is your new sword.”

“I shall regard it as the honor of a lifetime.”

“Someday I’ll make you one even better than the original.”

“……I shall serve my Lord with even greater loyalty.”

The Fallen Knight’s Bloodstained Longsword used by one of the Twelve Heroes, the Black Knight Gerard. It had been the sword Sir Isra wielded in her previous life.

As a weapon of one of the Twelve Heroes, obtaining the original would be difficult. But don’t worry. Someday I would craft something that could stand equal to the blade she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠once used.

“I’m jealous. Receiving equipment as a gift from the Master…”

“Haha. As the first retainer to serve my Lord and his first knight, is it not only natural?”

Barely a minute ago she had been treated like a high traitor for ignoring the sword. Now Sir Isra laughed heartily as if none of that had ever happened.

“Tch.”

Ingrid.

If possible, I’ll make you some clothes or something too.

I’ve got ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a mountain of work. A whole mountain.

Crafting a Unique-grade longsword had skyrocketed my comprehension as well. Once it hit 100%, the skill rank would rise to B-class, making the work that much smoother.

“Have you secured a new method for crafting undead?”

“I haven’t raised either of the two skills to 100% comprehension yet.”

Corpse Crafting.

And Corpse Processing.

They were my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠foundational skills, yet their comprehension had only just barely passed 50%. In contrast, learning metallurgy at the forge and using Bone Metallurgy during undead crafting had made that skill’s comprehension rise much faster. I had diligently used the remaining two as well, but I hadn’t been able to push their comprehension up dramatically.

“Growth-type skills raise comprehension slowly, after all.”

Only two months had passed since my promotion to C-class. Considering the penalty attached to growth-type skills, surpassing 50% was already extremely high.

“It is thanks to your day-and-night devotion to the work.”

【Please take it easy, Great Lord.】

Self-proclaimed archaeologist.

If you were in my position, it wouldn’t be that easy.

After more than four years of stagnation, I had finally tasted growth. How could I rest?

I would go as far as I could.

I would climb as high as possible.

“Then let’s head out.”

I had obtained everything there was to gain from the promotion exam. The Death Blacksmith received as an additional S-rank reward would need to be checked outside. President Baek, the support team, and Mom would all be waiting. I had to tell them the news that I had passed the exam, didn’t I?

“Ehehehehe.”

A pleased laugh escaped me on its own.