A Blade Forged of Mana
“...How on earth did you do that?”
I was wiping the blue blood from my blade after slaying the magic beast when Petra Lucen approached me with the question.
“Even my magic couldn’t pierce its hide. So how... with just a single sword...?”
Petra’s face was deathly pale, as if she couldn’t believe her own eyes. The battle just now seemed to have shaken her to her core.
“Even for a magic beast, not every part of its hide is impenetrable,” I replied indifferently, inspecting the edge of my sword. One side of the blade was completely chipped and ruined.
“What do you mean?”
“No matter how monstrous they are, magic beasts are still living creatures. The hide around their joints is inevitably softer—like behind the knees or around the jaw.”
“How... how do you even know that?”
“Who knows.” I shrugged. “Experience, I suppose.”
Before my regression, I had fought magic beasts dozens of times. In fact, the number of magic beasts I had decapitated was probably double the number of the Archduke of Demonic Magic’s minions I had slain.
“Raygan is amazing. Our hunt count is already at eight!” Lunia stepped forward proudly, showing off her qualification badge.
“What?”
Petra gasped when she saw the score engraved on the badge. Arno didn’t say anything, but his sullen expression made it clear that his pride had taken a severe blow.
Meanwhile, I frowned as I watched the corpse of the magic beast rapidly decompose.
To think they actually released a real magic beast. Bold of them.
It was fortunate that this particular beast was a physical-enhancement type that only knew how to charge blindly. If it had been a beast capable of casting magic or disrupting mana, it would have been a grueling fight.
But even with a physical-enhancement type, there was still a problem.
“...Tsk.”
I grimaced, looking at my chipped, rattling sword. Forcing it through the beast’s thick tendons and bones had run the cheap iron sword to the end of its lifespan.
I would have to fight with a broken sword for the rest of our time in this forest. A headache was already coming on.
“You guys, let’s get out of here first.”
“Right.”
It was dangerous to stay here. Arno and Lunia nodded in agreement. Petra, her pride wounded but thoroughly shaken, tightly pressed her lips together and followed closely behind us.
But before we could even leave the clearing, someone burst through the bushes.
“Is everyone safe?”
It was an old man with a white beard. The crest of Benheim was clearly embroidered on his robe.
“E-Elder Veron!”
“Wow! Old man!”
Arno and Lunia looked relieved.
Veron was one of the five elders of the Benheim family. Coincidentally, he was also someone I knew very well.
Elder Veron. He was a cancer eating away at the family. He was the one who deactivated the family’s protective barrier on the Archduke of Demonic Magic’s signal.
The leader of the black mages who had infiltrated Benheim. One of the Archduke’s most loyal lackeys.
He was proudly at the very top of the list of black mages hiding in Benheim that Lunia had given me.
“Lunia, Arno... and even the heir of Lucen.” Elder Veron scanned the area with sharp eyes. His gaze lingered on the dead magic beast for a long moment. “...Did you children defeat this magic beast?”
“Yes, more or less.”
“…….”
For a split second, a deep sense of regret flashed through Veron’s eyes.
Disappointed that you lost a test subject you worked so hard to create?
That fleeting look confirmed it. This old man hadn’t come to rescue us.
“Let us leave for now. The hunting festival has been suspended. Benheim mages are currently cleaning up the situation throughout the forest.”
“Elder, what on earth happened?”
“Nothing is certain yet. Perhaps a nearby mana vein went wild, causing the magic beasts to appear.”
“…….”
Lunia’s expression turned subtle. She had already heard from me that black mages were involved in this incident. But she was quick-witted; seeing me remain silent, she kept her mouth shut as well.
“And you...” Veron’s gaze shifted to me. “The boy the Patriarch brought in. Your name was...”
“Raygan.”
“Ah, Raygan. Come along as well. It is dangerous here.”
I contemplated.
If I fought this man here, could I win?
It would be difficult.
Even if he was corrupt, he was still a Benheim elder. That meant he was a 6th-circle mage.
Furthermore, Veron was a black mage. There was no telling what kind of dark arts he might employ.
Above all, an elder-level figure appearing in person to lure us away meant his accomplices must be nearby.
Causing a scene now would likely lead to us being immediately suppressed.
Well, if things go south, my father-in-law will save us...
No matter how meticulous the black mages’ plans were, time was on our side. The mages of Benheim and Lucen had to be stationed outside the barrier.
The gap between the 6th and 7th circles was as vast as heaven and earth. Even Markel, who had been effortlessly subdued by Stern recently, was a 6th-circle mage.
And Kaiden, the Patriarch of Lucen, was also out there. Though Lunia, who had reached the 8th circle in her past life, might view him as half-baked, objectively speaking, Kaiden was more than worthy of being called a great mage.
Our side had plenty of power. We just needed to buy time until the barrier was dismantled and the reinforcements broke in.
For now, it was best to play along.
“Let us go.”
Lunia glanced at me. I gave her a small nod.
* * *
Under Veron’s guidance, we walked through the forest.
Arno and Petra were talking about their exploits with relieved expressions, but I slowed my pace, sensing our surroundings.
...We’re heading deeper.
The direction Veron was leading us was not toward the main estate of Benheim. It was the exact opposite of the forest entrance, heading deeper into the woods.
It’s a dead end.
The twisted terrain and the scent of the wind told me as much. The black mages must be stationed just beyond the forest.
I wanted to buy time, but I had no intention of walking straight into the tiger’s den.
I stopped walking.
“Elder, my legs are hurting. Let’s take a quick break.”
Veron, who was leading the way, frowned and turned around.
“Bear with it a little longer. We don’t know when another magic beast might jump out. The Benheim mages are waiting just ahead.”
“Then tell those mages to come here.”
“What...?”
“Everyone here is of high noble birth, aren’t they? We’re tired and our legs hurt, so why should we go to them? Why don’t you have the subordinates bring some palanquins instead?”
It was an incredibly rude, even arrogant remark.
Arno was startled and tried to cover my mouth.
“Hey! Hey, Raygan! How dare you speak to the Elder like that!”
Ignoring Arno’s scolding, I plopped down on the ground. Veron’s eyebrows twitched.
“Young Raygan... this is an emergency. This is no time to throw a tantrum.”
“Yes, I know very well it’s an emergency. But my legs have gone weak from the tension. What can I do? Unless, of course, you’d like to give me a piggyback ride, Elder?”
Lunia’s lips twitched upward.
“...Now that I think about it, my legs hurt too.” Lunia plopped down right next to me.
Even though she had regressed, her quick wits were still top-tier.
“…….”
Veron narrowed his eyes at Raygan and Lunia. While Arno hovered around in a panic, Veron slowly spoke.
“When did you realize?”
Veron’s lips twisted. He no longer intended to wear the mask of a benevolent elder.
“From the moment you first showed your face. The stench was so bad I could barely stand it.”
“...Indeed. I heard you saw right through Markel, and your eyes are sharp. I see why Stern brought you in.” Veron chuckled dryly and took a step back.
Arno froze. He finally realized something was terribly wrong.
“E-Elder! What is going on here?!”
“Arno, does that man still look like a Benheim mage to you?”
Arno bit his lip. Being highly talented, he could feel it too. The mana surrounding Veron right now was barely any different from the magic beast’s mana from earlier.
“Why...”
“Let me ask you one thing,” I said while Arno panicked.
“Who is backing you?”
“Why does a dying boy need to know?”
“Well, it’s less unfair to die knowing what killed you.”
“The great Archduke of Demonic Magic. He is also the prophet who will lead humanity to a higher plane.”
The Archduke of Demonic Magic. As expected, he was already making his moves at this point in time.
“I never expected you children to defeat the magic beast. But that is the extent of your luck. There is nothing you can do. Now, surrender quietly.”
Veron spread his arms and smirks.
Meanwhile, I sensed presences from the other side of the forest. Black mages were slowly closing their perimeter. It seemed Veron had no intention of dirtying his own hands.
“R-Raygan... what do we do?” Lunia asked, acting frightened.
“Who knows.”
Currently, my only weapon was a broken sword. I couldn’t channel aura into a broken sword. I had to fight using only Benheim’s Rune Magic and common spells.
But I only knew four runes. Against a Benheim elder, that was child’s play.
Even with Lunia, Arno, and Petra, we stood no chance. There was no way three 3rd-circle greenhorns could defeat an elder who had trained for decades. Furthermore, Veron’s subordinates were closing in by the second.
If only my sword were intact, I could have bought more time...
Suddenly, my eyes landed on the red-haired girl.
Petra Lucen. The magic she had shown against the magic beast earlier flashed through my mind.
The dark red swords she had forged out of thin air.
Sword Creation Magic.
The unique magic formula that refined mana to forge physical, sharp swords. It was exactly what I needed right now.
“Hey, Petra.”
I placed a hand on her trembling shoulder. She was shaking like a leaf.
“T-This is the worst... I shouldn’t have come to a place like this... I’m going to tell my father. I’m going to tell him...”
“Do whatever you want about that, but I have a favor to ask.”
“A... favor? All of a sudden?”
“The Lucen family’s secret magic, Sword Creation Magic. What’s the principle behind it?”
Petra’s eyes widened at the request to reveal her family’s secret magic. But unable to take her eyes off Veron, she whispered back while glancing sideways.
“Are you insane? Why would I tell you that! Especially to a lowborn like you!”
“Then we can all die here together.”
“Ugh.” Petra hiccuped.
I didn’t miss the opening and quickly pressed on.
“Do you even know what they’ll do to you? First, they’ll rip open your stomach and pull out your organs. Then they’ll extract your magic core and turn it into an elixir. The leftover shell of your corpse will be fed to the crows.”
Petra’s teeth chattered. To a sheltered young lady of the Lucen family who hadn’t even come of age, my words sounded like a death sentence.
“You saw me take down that magic beast with a sword earlier. I need a sword right now. If you tell me how to use Sword Creation Magic, I’ll find a way out of this.”
“...No, it’s impossible. Sword Creation Magic is the essence of the Lucen family. Even if I tell you, do you really think a 3rd-circle lowborn like you can learn it?”
“Of course. I’m definitely more talented than you.”
Petra grimaced at my confident assertion. Yet, she didn’t deny it, choosing to stay silent to preserve her pride.
But only for a moment.
“Sigh... F-Fine. I’ll tell you. But you must keep this a secret from my father... Not like you’ll succeed anyway...”
Petra finally gave in. At the same time, Veron’s subordinates began to appear in our line of sight.
“We don’t have time. Just tell me the core principle, quick.”
“To create a sword, you need threads of mana. You must release mana thinly from your magic core to spin those threads. To form the shape, you have to use knots. The knots required for a single sword are...”
“No, explaining will take too long. Just show me.”
Petra frowned and summoned a red sword from her fingertips.
Flash.
Red threads of mana wove together at her fingertips, and a sword bloomed into existence.
Drawing mana from the magic core like thread to build the skeleton, layering sharp mana over it to form the edge, and using a unique knotting method to lock the shape in place.
The Lucen family’s unique magic formula—its intricate blueprint—laid itself bare before my eyes.
“Excellent. I’ve got it down.”
“You understood it just by looking once? How does that make any sense?” Petra frowned in disbelief and continued. “Anyway, to fire this sword...”
“No, that’s enough. I don’t have time to learn that part.”
I cut her off. I took a step forward and locked eyes with Veron.
I dropped my broken sword to the ground and raised both hands.
Veron grinned widely.
“Are you surrendering?”
“Not a chance.”
I was going to fight.
With a magnificent sword of my own making.