Chapter 244: The Invisible, Yet Obvious

“Well, where should I start…”

“Anywhere is fine. If I’m unsure, I’ll ask for clarification as we go along.”

In a sense, Lutz was about to expose his vulnerability. Patrick encouraged Lutz, who was hesitating.

Patrick seemed unusually reliable today. Despite the difference in their crafts—blacksmithing and decoration—he was a respected senior craftsman. There was no need for young people to put on airs.

Gathering his courage, Lutz began to speak. He didn’t need to organize his thoughts; he just needed to pour out his feelings.

“…It seems that being mindless and not thinking at all are different. Embarrassingly, I didn’t quite grasp that.”

He blurted out something foolish, but Patrick nodded in agreement.

“Not many people fully understand the difference between those two. Even I’m not sure if I do.”

“Even you, Patrick-san?”

“I realized what it means to be mindless and had an artistic awakening, only to end up making a terrible piece of junk the next day. It’s a cycle of such things.”

Whether that was sincere or said to encourage the youth, Lutz decided to accept his goodwill.

“I’ve forged many swords with four or five characters engraved on them before. So I thought it was only natural. It’s not like I wasn’t focused or wasn’t serious, but even then, complacency tends to show in the work…”

Lutz took out a white wooden scabbard from a leather bag he had beside him and placed it on the table.

“Oh, is this one of Lutz-san’s failed works? That piques my interest.”

Patrick chuckled as he grabbed the white wooden scabbard and drew out the blade. However, his smile disappeared the next moment. He had intended to make a joke, but Lutz’s work seemed genuinely disappointing to him.

Upon reflection, this might have been the first time Lutz had seen Patrick’s serious expression. He always wore a faint smile, shed tears when deeply moved, or looked blissful. For such a man to have a serious face was a significant event.

“I mean, there’s nothing wrong with its appearance. It’s well-made. It could probably perform decently on the battlefield. But for some reason, I just don’t find it appealing at all…”

“So, it’s that kind of evaluation, huh?”

“It’s like looking at a beautifully illustrated erotic book that you can’t get into…”

“Sorry, I suddenly got lost there.”

Lutz forcibly took the sword back from Patrick. While it became a topic of conversation, it was still embarrassing to have his failed work scrutinized so closely.

“In short, if you make something without thinking, this is what happens.”

Patrick seemed to have some understanding of that too, nodding earnestly with a serious expression that didn’t suit him.

“So, I went to the capital with a change of heart, determined to make things seriously. But the information I gathered turned out to be quite important, so I thought I’d share it while I had the chance.”

“I see. Thank you for coming all this way to tell me. I’ll inform Gerhardt-san as well. Well… could you come again around noon the day after tomorrow?”

“That’s quite soon. Will it fit Gerhardt-san’s schedule?”

“If it’s about sword making, he won’t be someone who can’t adjust his schedule.”

Anyone who hesitates here isn’t a craftsman. That was the message conveyed by Patrick’s tightened expression.

“Lutz-san, do you think he’s become a politician or is he still a craftsman?”

“He’s been a craftsman, now and always.”

“I agree.”

Patrick regained his usual faint smile.

There was no need to say more, so Lutz bowed and left the reception room. He was used to it; he didn’t need guidance on the way back. 

Two days later, the three craftsmen gathered at Patrick’s workshop. Despite the sudden invitation, Gerhardt arrived on time without a single complaint.

However, his gaze was sharp, and Lutz felt that if the conversation turned out to be boring, there would be consequences.

“I met with the three captains in the capital recently…”

Without any unnecessary preamble, Lutz began to speak.

Gerhardt listened intently with a serious expression. Patrick seemed as usual, but his eyes weren’t smiling. This was somewhat unsettling.

The discussion about the 13th Knight Order and Leonard went on for a while. When Lutz asked about the former vice-captain, Gerhardt, still with his face downturned, shook his head.

“I felt like I saw a man resembling him recently. But it was probably just my imagination.”

“I see…”

Lutz didn’t look like he thought it was just his imagination, but he avoided delving deeper into it. If someone doesn’t want to talk about something, it’s better not to ask, and if they don’t want to be asked, it’s better not to inquire. Trust between men is about maintaining a certain distance.

Men patting each other’s bellies is not enjoyable.

“Sorry, Lutz-dono, but please don’t tell Josel about what we just discussed. He has a bad habit of trying to shoulder everything alone. Even if it’s just a discussion of possibilities.”

“I promise.”

Lutz and Gerhalt nodded deeply to each other.

“As for the Royal Guard and the Fourth, Lutz-dono’s proposal for improving sharpness and durability sounds good. Leave Leonard’s sword to me. I have a few ideas.”

It was truly reassuring words. Lutz sighed with relief, thinking that it was a good decision to go to the capital and consult with the two.

“Patrick, what about you? Have you got an image for the decorations?”

“After hearing about the characteristics of the three captains, my creative enthusiasm is bursting at the seams. I want to start making the scabbard right away!”

“But the sword hasn’t been made yet…”

Lutz himself felt the surge of creative enthusiasm throughout his body. It was different from the makeshift enthusiasm he felt before the journey. It was a creative enthusiasm that clearly saw what needed to be created.

Making a sword is not something you do alone. There are those who decorate it, those who imbue it with magic, and those who receive the finished sword.

He remembered such obvious things on this expedition. It was a truly meaningful journey for Lutz.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter