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Early TNG Vol. 21 Chapter 3 Part 5
🕑 Added 2024-12-11 13:26:17 +0000 UTCFull title: THE NEW GATE
Note: This part has not been TLCed yet, and might slightly differ from the public version. If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.
Translator: Anon
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The invasion by the Weapon Monsters was brought to an end that day by Shin and other capable guards, adventurers, and others.
The increased security to protect the guests was a success, and the damage was limited to the area around the exhibition center. However, many buildings collapsed, and the number of casualties reached triple digits.
This was the result of a large number of people attending the major event called the Wrought Iron Battle Festival, combined with the strength of the Weapon Monsters. Some guards and adventurers also lost their lives.
Shin couldn't tell if this was a large or small number.
After seeing the situation come to an end, Shin and the others left the scene in the hands of the guards who had rushed over and returned to their lodgings.
After that, Shin contacted Jayf to confirm everything was okay, and then went outside Kurikara to repair the weapons he had retrieved in the Moon Shrine's blacksmith workshop.
“I don't know if this is the right thing to do, but…”
Life lost cannot be brought back. So at the very least, he wanted to restore the weapons, which were the fruit of this country's accumulated efforts. That was what he thought.
“I gave my all, but it's harder than I thought.”
What he was trying to do was not just repair it, but restore it.
And restore it to a state as close as possible to its original state. It wasn't as simple as just joining the broken parts together, and if Shin struck it poorly with his hammer, the magic power would be altered and it could become something completely different from the original.
He had found out from testing it with weapons that were too broken to be restored in advance, but if it was a high-grade weapon, as long as Shin didn't try too hard, the magic power would be altered less, or there would be no effect. But that wasn't consistent, and there was no standard that would say it was okay if it was a certain grade.
At the moment, everything was trial and error.
“I can just join them together. But that wouldn't be any good. I have to make it so that one can't tell that they've been joined together.”
Shin was aware that he was asking for too much. It wasn't a weapon he'd made himself, but a weapon someone else had made. With the help of his skills, he could roughly tell the material and overall composition, but it would be difficult to restore it to its original state.
The thought of just restoring the shape crossed his mind. However, he couldn't call it a repair if the shape was merely patched together. He didn't want to say that.
If it doesn't work, that can't be helped. That's what Jayf told him.
“You can't give up just because you can't do something... I guess I'll try it myself.”
Since he was hesitant to try out his idea on a weapon that could still be restored, Shin took out the weapon that he had forged himself and that had been gathering dust in his item box.
The name of the weapon was the 『Rankui』. It was the same weapon that Shin had first cut in half. It existed in the game as well, so Shin had made one with the same name and had it stored in his item box.
Although it wasn't exactly the same, he thought it would serve as a reference, so he used 『Blue Cloud』 to cut his own 『Rankui』 in half.
He held the one he had made and the one he had recovered in his hands to compare. The roughness of the surface, the sharpness of the blade, the thickness, the quality of the material, etc. Perhaps because they were weapons bearing the same name, even those made by the blacksmiths in this world were very similar to the 『Rankui』 Shin had made in game.
“If it was something I made, I would know how to repair it.”
He intuitively knew that it could be repaired by adding materials.
However, the 『Rankui』 he had retrieved didn't have that kind of feeling. However, he thought it could be a hint. If they were so similar, the way to repair them should be similar.
As Shin was mulling over this, the door to the forge opened. Schnee and Sety came in.
“What's the matter? If you need something, just contact me using【Mind Chat】— “
“I called you. But you were engrossed in your work and didn't seem to notice.”
“...Really?”
When he checked the time at the request of Schnee, who seemed a little angry, he saw that the date had already changed.
“You can't come up with any good ideas if you keep working without eating. I've prepared some snacks, so please eat some.”
“Yes...”
Sensing that there was a little anger in her words, Shin nodded obediently.
“Even a High Human is worthless in front of Sis Schnee.”
“I, I can't argue with that. Anyway, why did you come here, Sety?”
“I was bored at the inn, and I thought it would be nice to see how the blacksmith works.”
The members who remained at the inn were resting earlier.
“So these are the weapons being repaired. Are they twin blades... No, their magic power is too different.”
“... How does it look to you, Sety?”
As Sety muttered looking at the lined up 『Rankui』, Shin suddenly asked.
Shin could tell that the magic powers were different. But Sety, who was skilled in using magic power, thought that she might be seeing something different.
“This one feels like the blade and handle are each emitting magic power on their own. And this one feels like the magic is attracting each other from both the blade and handle.”
“Attracting each other?”
Shin's expression changed as she saw it differently from how he saw it.
Sety asked if it was okay to touch it, then put on some thin gloves. She slowly attached the blade and handle of the 『Rankui』 Shin had retrieved.
Of course, they wouldn't stick together. However, it seemed Sety was seeing something different, and she similarly attached the blade and handle of Shin's 『Rankui』, muttering, “I thought so.”
“Hey, is this the one Shin made, and this one the one you retrieved from this incident, correct?”
“Yeah, it is, but you can tell?”
Sety pointed out each 『Rankui』 correctly.
Aside from the weapons she used, she probably wasn't knowledgeable enough about blacksmithing to be able to tell the difference between blades that looked almost the same. Shin couldn't help but wonder what the difference was.
“The magic powers imbued in the weapons Shin makes are calm on the surface, but they're quite violent deep inside. But this one feels like two sides of the same coin, in perfect harmony. Maybe the person who made it didn't have much magic power, or had exceptional control. Hmm, if I had to compare it to something...Shin's is like the water's surface is just gently rippling, but deep down, complex currents are swirling and swirling. And this one feels so quiet, both on the surface and at the bottom, that you can feel the small ripples slowly propagating.”
“So it's not just a difference in quality.”
Shin understood the general nuance that Sety was trying to convey.
“While the amount of magic power put into it is different, Shin's magic power is strong to begin with, so, even if it splits a little, it will remain independent for a certain amount of time. But it's not like that with this one. If it stays like this, after a few hours, the magic power will dissipate and become just metal. So it tries to stay in one big lump as much as possible.”
Sety said that, when an item that had magic power broke, the magic power will act this way. However, there were differences to a certain degree.
It seemed that when there was a certain amount of quality or quantity, magic power had a tendency to try to become a single mass.
“In a broad sense, what's called a magic pool is the same. The process and state are different, so I don't think it's right to put them in the same category, though.”
Sety continued to explain next to Shin, who was holding the blade of the 『Rankui』 in both hands. He was staring at it.
However, Shin still couldn't quite see the difference.
“That's right. Do you know how magic power moves when you use 【Appraisal】 or 【Analyze】?”
“How magic power moves? Those two shouldn't consume magic power, right?”
“On the status screen, yes. I just discovered it by chance, but they use a little magic power. Can you look at my eyes?”
Sety took out a leaf from her item box and declared that she was going to use the skill. Then, Shin saw the part of Sety's magic power surrounding her eyes flicker slightly.
“You see things through magic power, and then you turn that information into something that matches the knowledge of the person receiving it. I think that's what the skills 【Appraisal】 and 【Analyze】are.”
Sety said that the increase in skill level was an indicator that the person could more precisely compare the information they have with their own knowledge.
“But sometimes you can see information that you don't even know, right?”
There was a lot of information that you learned for the first time using 【Appraisal】 or 【Analyze】. In a game, that's all you need to do, but when you try to explain it theoretically, many questions arise.
“I don't like piling hypotheses on top of hypotheses, but I think there's a possibility that magic power contains various information. Magic power isn't just quantitative, it's also qualitative. As your skill level increases, you'll be able to see not only information that matches your own knowledge, but also more essential, hidden information that you normally can't see.”
“So that's why you can see the other person's level and occupation with 【Analyze】, because that information is contained in their magic power...?”
“That's right. It's just my hypothesis, you know? But if that's true, or close to it, then maybe Shin can read more of the information deeper into this blade.”
“Deeper, huh…”
Shin took a deep breath to calm himself down, and looked at the blade.
The image of the magic power that the 『Rankui』, that Sety had told him about was wrapped around. And the reading of information through magic power. Keeping these things in mind, he focused magic power in his eyes, making full use of the magic power manipulation he had trained in.
“......”
He concentrated deeply, and deeply. He could see that some skill was activating, that his magic power was becoming more active.
His field of vision narrowed. He became immersed in his own world.
He wondered how long he had been like that. As he gazed, the magic power that the blade possessed began to flicker.
“This is…”
His field of vision changed, as it felt as if misaligned gears had meshed.
The magic power that had looked the same suddenly changed shape.
This must be what it meant when one's field of vision opened up. The true nature of the magic power that enveloped the blade. He now clearly understood what raging magic power and quiet magic power were like.
Shin silently moved to the stand on which the completed weapons would be placed, and lined up the two 『Rankui』. He then took out the materials that were the basis for the 『Rankui』. The creator seemed to have worked faithfully according to the recipe, and the necessary materials were quickly prepared.
Looking at the materials with his changed field of vision, he noticed that the magic power that enveloped them also had its own unique character. Shin slowly touched the materials with his index finger.
First the metal, then the monster's fangs, and then the ore that connected the metal and the fangs. The part that was touched melted as if it were liquid, remaining on his fingertips.
The adhered materials mixed together as Shin moved his fingers, changing to a color very similar to that of the blade of the 『Rankui』.
Shin took the blade in his hand and ran his fingers over the broken part. The mixed materials stuck to the broken part as if they were being sucked in, and no longer remained on Shin's fingers.
Shin held the handle and stuck the broken side of the blade to it. Then, like that, he slowly moved the magic power surrounding his hand.
As the magic power moved on the surface of his hand, the magic power surrounding the 『Rankui』 also moved slightly as if drawn in. That slight movement caused a reaction in the magic power on the blade and the handle.
The two separate magic powers merged into one. And along with that, the seam at the broken part disappeared.
“...”
Schnee and Sety’s gasp could be heard. Whether they could see magic power or not, it was definitely a strange sight.
Shin waited for the magic power to calm down, then grabbed the hilt and raised it to eye level. The seam where the broken part was not visible. Anyone who did not know the details would never guess that it had once broken in two.
Carefully checking the condition of the blade, he found nothing abnormal.
It was all the same, from its appearance, magic power, and durability.
Shin turned his attention to the other 『Rankui』. Suppressing his relief at having been able to restore it safely and his excitement at discovering a new technique, he performed the same procedure on it. If this one didn't work, there's no point.
“...Perfect.”
Looking at the 『Rankui』 in his hands, appraising it, Shin let out a sigh of relief.
The dull, shining blade has no seams, and no modulation of magic power. Just as he had said without thinking, it was in perfect condition.
Sety and Schnee also let out exclamations of admiration.
“Even though I see it with my own eyes, it's unbelievable!”
“That's right. It's completely different from the techniques we've used up until now.”
There were techniques that add or replenish materials to chipped or worn parts.
Some techniques could automatically restore durability as an effect that could be given to weapons. However, these were repair techniques or skills, and only work on weapons that have not been judged to be destroyed in the game.
However, the technique Shin discovered this time could even repair destroyed weapons. This difference was large.
It could be said to be a kind of technological innovation.
“This will work.”
Shin restored several other weapons and was convinced that this was no coincidence.
It took time because it required a lot of concentration, but as long as he had the materials, he could restore even shattered weapons. If this was the case, he could repair the weapons that he was forced to destroy during this incident.
Sety had also checked to see if there had been any changes in his magic power, so Shin could confidently say to leave it to him.
𑁋
“You must be tired.”
“... I guess so.”
Sety, who had been concentrating on checking the state of his magic powers, muttered under his breath, and Shin agreed without saying a word.
Dawn had already broken.
It seemed like he was in a kind of runner's high, and fatigue was weighing down on his whole body. Considering Shin and the others' high status, staying up all night wouldn't have tired them this much, but the work, which was unfamiliar and required concentration, seemed to have put a lot of strain on them both physically and mentally.
“It looks like you're done with the work. Would you like to rest now? Or would you like to have some food? You looked like you were sweating, so I heated up the bath for you.”
Schnee, who had left his seat midway through, asked as she entered the forge.
Neither Shin nor Sety had thought about what would happen afterwards.
Schnee was also learning the techniques of blacksmithing, but there was nothing she could do about this work. Sety was reliable when it came to investigating magic powers, so she wondered if she could support them in another way. The food that had been prepared for them was also stored in her item box, so they could eat it fresh.
“That's a relief. I just noticed, I'm sticky with sweat.”
Picking at the clothes that were sticking to his skin, Shin gave a wry smile. He really hadn't noticed at all.
Sety didn't seem to be sweating as much as Shin, but she also chose to take a bath first.
Since Shin was the one who was under the most strain, he was allowed to take the first bath.
After washing off the sweat, he collapsed into bed, and fell asleep in an instant.
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