Chapter 74: Sword of the Hero (2)
Chapter 74: Sword of the Hero (2)
First, I made a greatsword.
I used a generous amount of silver and gold that had been transformed by magical power, and made an alloy the appropriate ratio. For the joints, I used the gold that had been transformed by magical power...hmm, it's inconvenient to keep calling it that!
Since the steel transformed by magical power is hard, I'll call it adamantium!! The silver transformed by magical power, I'll call it mithril!! And the gold transformed by magical power, I'll call it orichalcum!!!
Strictly speaking, they might be different metals, but since I made it, I'll name them as I please! Ahem.
The sword completed with the alloy of mithril and orichalcum, when I grip it with both hands and push a specific pattern of magical power into the hilt...
Kiiing!
The metal that makes up the blade of the greatsword rapidly transforms, and silver armor starts to cover my hand and forearm.
Armor for the back of the hand and forearm, armor for the chest, shoulders, and hips, and finally armor for the shins, calves, and feet, all come together in succession.
Un, good. It's working properly. Especially the parts that automatically equip during the transformation, it's perfect. The repeated trial and error was worth it.
Furthermore, after the transformation, the armor is firmly fixed in place. Until I input the magical pattern to transform it back into a greatsword, I can't take it off.Honestly, I wanted to cover my whole body in plate armor, but unfortunately, I didn't have enough metal, so this was the limit of the armor I could make.
The compromise I made was this current form. If I didn't compromise, the greatsword would have become even larger.
I wish I could have included armor for the fingers, upper arms, thighs, and a helmet too, but I'll stop complaining here.
I moved my body around to check the condition of the armor. Despite being made of metal plates, the armor doesn't hinder my movements at all. Except for the ankles, the major joints are mostly exposed, which is why. And for the joints that are covered by armor, I carefully designed them to not impede movement.
I can freely rotate my wrists, and the ankles are the same. Twisting my waist feels natural as well.
Next is the strength test, but honestly, the alloy of mithril and orichalcum in the appropriate ratio is so strong that even adamantium or orichalcum would have a hard time leaving a scratch on it.
At most, adamantium and orichalcum could leave a trace, but the marks get restored when the form is transformed, so as long as I transform it in time, it's essentially self-repairing.
I should add some other functions too. Absorbing fragments of darkness from the magic stones of monsters the blade cuts, absorbing magical power, and granting buffs to the user... Hmm, what else?
Spewing fire or shooting ice from the sword would be difficult because it would interfere with the magical power absorption ability.
Well, is this enough? I'm a bit disappointed about the lack of ranged attack options.
Ah, right. I had made a slot to insert a black diamond, but I hadn't put it in yet.
I inserted the black diamond into the slot on the chest plate. Good, that's the finishing touch.
Now the black diamond embedded in the sword will absorb and store magical power and fragments of darkness. And it will also have the function of drawing out that magical power to empower the user.
It's like a battery, in a way.
I lightly swung the one-handed sword I was holding and examined it.
This one-handed sword is the axis of the transformation. Even on its own, it's a quite sharp blade.
The edge is made thin with a layer of adamantium, making it very light yet durable, not easily chipped or bent.
In this era where iron weapons are scarce, this sword could be called a legendary weapon without exaggeration.
I poured magical power into the sword in my hand, and the silver armor synchronized with it, beginning the transformation.
In reverse order of how it equipped, the leg armor attaches first, followed by the chest and shoulder armor, and finally the forearm armor.
The sword form returns to its original greatsword shape.
The difference from before is that a black diamond is now embedded in the middle of the greatsword's blade.
The overall greatsword, in silver with hints of gold and pale gold, looks more impressive than I had imagined.
But with the black diamond, it kind of looks like a demonic sword. Hmm, oh well!
Now then, the hero, I suppose?
The person who holds the sword may not have the qualifications of a hero, but I can check if they possess those qualities.
For example, they must be a good person.
They must have exceptional talent.
They cannot ignore injustice. must have no hesitation in saving others.
They must be able to sacrifice their precious things for a greater cause...but that might be going too far.
And the person I have designated as the hero should also be included.
By the way, my designation has the highest authority, so I can choose the hero by ignoring all other conditions - it's a kind of backdoor.
I'm preparing this function just in case, but surely there won't be a lack of hero material, right? I prepared it just in case, but hopefully I won't have to use it!!
Anyway, if I set various conditions like this and only allow the one who passes all of them to wield the hero's sword... Hmm, it feels like I'm copying the legend of King Arthur.
But oh well. There's no such thing as the legend of King Arthur in this world. There's no Merlin either.
If a situation arises where a hero is needed, I'll bring in a person who has the qualities of a hero and have them grab this sealed sword. And if they pass the conditions, they can wield the sword, and if not, they fail as the hero.
And if someone who initially passed the hero's conditions changes over time... they won't be able to wield the sword anymore.
It may be a bit harsh, but people tend to change, after all.
Alright, the hero's sword seems to be mostly finished....
Ah, I haven't decided the most important thing yet. What should I name this sword?
The most representative name would be Excalibur? No, it's too commonly used in creative works, so it's too ordinary.
Gram? Balmung? Durandal? Ah, those names are closer to demonic swords.
Since it's the hero's sword, I want a bright image. A name with the image of light...hmm.
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Ah, I have the perfect name.
The sword of the Celtic mythology. Chloive Solais.
The real pronunciation was cloidheamh solais, wasn't it? But Chloive Solais is much more familiar, so let's go with that.
And the name of the armor that transforms from the greatsword will be Agathlam, taken from the owner's name. The armor's color is also a shining silver, so it fits.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The boy and girl stood facing each other, each holding a sword.
The boy's sword was a massive greatsword with a black diamond embedded in it. Its appearance exuded an extraordinary aura.
In contrast, the girl wearing a hood held a plain iron sword. It was average in thickness and length, with no distinctive features.
Seeing the extraordinary power emanating from their weapons, it seemed the boy would overwhelmingly defeat the girl.
But the reality was different
"Haaah!"
The boy swung down his greatsword towards the girl. It was a swift strike, belying its massive size. The powerful blow of the greatsword, capable of slicing through anything, even solid steel, seemed to threaten the girl's life.
The strike, more like a life-or-death clash than a sparring match, looked too dangerous, and the girl under the greatsword appeared about to be split in two.
However, the girl calmly and steadily extended her iron sword towards the greatsword.
The weak iron sword facing the fierce greatsword looked like a candle in the wind, about to be broken at any moment. But the girl's skill denied that outcome.
Just before the swords met, she slightly lowered the iron sword, creating an opening. Then, the iron sword attached to the side of the greatsword, and with a slight push, it deflected the greatsword to the side.
Kwang!!
The greatsword struck the ground without even touching the girl's clothes.
"That's enough."
And the iron sword in the girl's hand now pointed at the boy's neck.
"I lost."
"Good job."
The victorious girl returned the iron sword to its sheath, and the boy also secured the greatsword on his back, beginning to loosen his muscles.
The rapidly moving muscles seemed to have surprised him, as he looked a bit stiff.
"When will I become strong?"
"You are already strong."
The boy was not happy with the girl's words.
Even though she said he had become strong, he had never beaten her even once.
Even though he held the legendary weapon, the hero's sword, he couldn't defeat that plain iron sword.
He just felt pathetic.
He wanted to show a strong and impressive appearance in front of her.
But the boy seemed to have forgotten that the powerful strike he had just made was swung at the girl who wanted to be impressed.
"I'm just a little stronger."
Unaware of the boy's feelings, the girl seemed to be boasting a little.
"But... at this rate, I may not be able to properly fulfill the role of a hero."
"It's okay. You can do it."
The girl answered with confidence, despite the boy's lack of self-confidence.
"In my judgment, and in the sword's choice, there is no deception. So it's alright."
"But..."
"If you can't trust yourself, then trust me. Believe in me, who believes in you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The boy could only laugh awkwardly at the girl's words.
A cool breeze blew across the open field, cooling the sweat on the boy's forehead.
Enjoying the refreshing sensation, the boy's gaze stopped on the girl with her hood pulled over her head.
"But that hood, isn't it stuffy?"
"It's not particularly stuffy."
"It looks stuffy, can't you take it off?"
The girl shook her head at the boy's words.
"Not yet. It's not time to reveal my horns. If it's known that I've appeared... the people of the Church of Life might not mind, but outsiders will be greatly surprised. I have to keep it a secret until the right time."
The appearance of the girl, the dragon priestess, was also a sign that a crisis was approaching the life of this world.
- From the adventure records of a certain hero's party.
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T/N: Bro literally challenging a higher being than him...