Chapter 179: A Needless Sacrifice

Inside Count Zander’s castle, in the courtyard. Lutz and Gerhardt sat on wooden crates, discussing the details of their journey.

The reason they weren’t in Lutz’s usual workshop was that the precious Orc’s tribe’s treasure, the “Axe of Blessing,” brought back as a souvenir, was too large to fit through the door. The axe was currently laid out in the courtyard.

Josel wanted to join the discussion, but he was supposed to be someone who didn’t belong to the barony and was reluctantly out on town patrol.

After listening to their conversation, Gerhardt chuckled with a cheerful expression.

“You’re always doing fun things. I should have put on a mask too. ‘The Old Man in a Mask’ would have been a sight to see.”

“It wasn’t fun at all. The Orc folks were strong, and my hair got scorched. Thanks to that, I couldn’t come up with any excuses that it wasn’t any real danger and ended up being scolded by Claudia. Being scolded is one thing, but it was tough when she started crying afterward.”

Saying that, Lutz sighed apologetically.

“Didn’t you cut the burnt parts before returning? Josel did that.”

“I did cut it. But that’s why it looked unnatural, and I was questioned. It seems Claudia has quite the eye for detail.”

“Seems like you won’t be up to any mischief in the cheating department.”

Gerhardt grinned, but Lutz replied earnestly.

“I married the world’s best woman, so I have no reason to cheat.”

“Seems like I was a fool for asking after hearing that.”

Gerhardt changed the topic and looked at the giant axe.

“They say they offered a virgin as a sacrifice on a full moon night, but even if they did it, the ritual probably would have failed.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Well, Lutz-dono seems to be not well-versed in black magic.”

“Please don’t say anything that might attract the attention of the church. I have no knowledge of that kind of stuff.”

“Learn from anything; that’s what it’s all about.”

With a teacher-like face, Gerhardt continued.

“First, sex is a sacred act of creating new life, a mystery of life. It’s not about whether it can be applied to magic or not; there’s no reason not to.”

Lutz could somehow imagine that much, and he nodded.

“And a virgin is someone who has the power to create life within them, a power that’s kept inside. It’s optimal for a sacrifice because they’re overflowing with magic energy.”

“So… only a virgin? Is it a no-go if someone isn’t a virgin, like a man who has the power to create life?”

Gently laughing at Lutz’s question, Gerhardt replied.

“A virgin is fine, but it gets even stricter with a man. A man who has never released his seed.”

“Even if it was through masturbation or a wet dream?”

“No, that’s not allowed.”

“Ah, I see…”

And Lutz replied vaguely, not knowing what to say. It was indeed challenging, and there was no way to verify it. In some cases, the person might not even be aware that they’ve released it.

Any man can understand how difficult this condition is.

And as a woman, you should understand how challenging this condition is.

“Let’s get back to the topic. The Orc folks probably kidnapped several women and tried to use them for the ritual multiple times.”

“So, if they’re children, they might be virgins, right?”

“Shallow-witted, you …….”

Gerhardt muttered mockingly.

“They could be, but the issue is that they probably didn’t have the physique capable of bearing children. Their life energy wouldn’t have been overflowing.”

“I see, so that’s why the ritual would fail.”

Lutz looked at the Orc tribe’s precious giant axe with a complex feeling.

Many lives were lost in the battle that unfolded. And all of it was for nothing from the start. What were they fighting and dying for? The name “Axe of Blessing” seemed more like a name filled with ill will than a bad joke.

Lutz returned to his workshop and began forging a sword.

As he swung the hammer and watched the sparks fly, he thought about the whole series of events.

The rumors of a murderer, their reunion at the material storage, the transformation from rogue knight to the defender of justice, the gathering of allies, and the battle against the Orcs. The heroic deeds of the Samurai Mask, Donald’s apology.

It was all so hectic. Not too long ago, if someone had told him that he would join forces with former rogue knights, he would never have believed it.

People can change if they have a strong will. However, even if he had a change of heart, the gang of knights who were still causing trouble in town was unlikely to change in the same way. They were far from capable of reform.

Perhaps Donald had a fundamentally good nature, and it was the environment that had been unfavorable.

Lutz realized he was smiling. It had been fun, hasn’t it? Despite everything, the journey had been enjoyable.

As he finished shaping the sword, he quenched the blazing-hot steel in water, and after sharpening it, he created a straight blade with no curvature. The blade pattern was strong and sharply distinct.

Not only did it seem to be of good quality, but it also somehow matched the image of Samurai Mask.

He sensed a presence behind him and turned around. There stood Claudia, leaning against the wall. He wondered how long she had been there; perhaps she had been there all along. He had been so focused that he hadn’t noticed her.

“What do you think, Claudia? It’s a good sword, isn’t it? Can you come up with a name for this one?”

After saying that, Lutz made a regretful expression.

This is a sword for knights, a group she truly despises. It was a blunder to ask her to come up with a name for it, especially when even the act of creating such a weapon would be displeasing.

Even if he wanted to apologize, he was unsure of what to say. As he pondered, Claudia spoke softly first.

“… Mumei(Nameless).”

“Mumei? So, you mean not to give it a name?”

“No, I mean to name it ‘Mumei’.’ It’s a suitable name for a sword for a man who’s starting over from a clean slate, a man who’s nothing more than ‘nameless’ now.”

Lutz looked down at the freshly sharpened sword, particularly at the part where the handle was.

..Would he like to engrave “Mumei” here? Mumei, that’s its name, not bad.

“Thank you, Claudia.”

The words of gratitude flowed naturally from his mouth. The fact that she had forgiven and acknowledged Donald’s actions felt as rewarding as if it were his own.

Claudia, struggling for words, spoke with furrowed brows.

“I don’t want to meet or have anything to do with the former knight, but it’s not easy to jump into the flames to save a girl. It’s a really complicated feeling when someone you don’t like does something good. Well, I guess it’s alright. Let him just live happily in the barony.”

Muttering “Honestly,” Lutz once again lowered his head in silence as Claudia left the blacksmith’s shop.

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