Chapter 264: A New Fragment

In a room at the inn, Claudia was running a metal pen over a sheet of paper, jotting down notes to organize her thoughts.

Broken sword, hero Leonard, former Thirteenth Knight Order, village chief, priest, Fourth Knight Order, Victor.

Various pieces were in place, yet the puzzle refused to come together smoothly.

Production costs, ownership, emotional support.

If only one of these could be resolved, but the condition of tackling all three simultaneously proved insurmountable.

For the villagers whose village had been destroyed by monsters, Leonard’s sword was a spiritual pillar. However, they couldn’t afford the cost of crafting a new one, and ownership was questionable at best.

The former members of the Thirteenth Knight Order might be able to get some money from their new superior, Victor. However, they couldn’t take the sword from the villagers. If they were accused of harming the people Lord Leonard protected, they’d be stuck.

And the idea of forging a new sword came from Lutz and Gerhardt, not the knights or the villagers.

“It’s still difficult, huh?” 

Lutz, sitting across from her, muttered while staring at the sheet.

“Hey, Lutz-kun, do you really want Lord Leonard’s sword?” 

“I think giving up if it’s impossible is also an option…” 

It had become more troublesome than expected, and it had been considered many times that it might be faster to make a new sword from scratch using the four-letter sword as material. However, Claudia slowly shook her head.

“I want to know if you want it or not, not whether it’s possible or not.” 

“To be honest, I do.” 

“And do you have a reason?” 

“It’s a sword filled with the thoughts of many people. I have a feeling, no, I’m convinced that a splendid sword can be made from it.” 

“You’re someone who works better with a theme, Lutz-kun.” 

“I don’t like saying it, but it might surpass my kyouka suigetsu,'” 

“That’s quite a statement…” 

There was a sense of anticipation that their masterpiece might be born, which was reason enough for the craftsmen to be desperate.

“What about you, Claudia? Do you want to step back from this?” 

“It’s frustrating to have been this involved and not accomplish anything. I have my pride as a merchant.” 

“Pride, huh? It’s good. To dive into unnecessary trouble and stubbornly solve it. That’s the essence of effort and growth.” 

“It’s persuasive when someone who’s always diving into trouble says it.” 

Claudia said, shrugging. The two of them laughed it off. The policy remained unchanged.

“Now, how should we proceed from here?” 

Claudia tapped the sheet with the pen. The words “expenses” written on it gradually disappeared.

“If the puzzle isn’t coming together, maybe we’re missing some key pieces?” 

“Yeah, like who else is involved? I’d like to hear your thoughts, Lutz-kun.” 

“Lord Leonard’s surviving family. According to Victor-san, his parents have passed away, and he has a sister. If we’re talking about ownership, she might have it.” 

“I see. And does she want the sword back?” 

“She just took the body; she didn’t seem to want anything else.” 

“If there’s a broken sword, someone uninterested might see it as just garbage. If there’s no body, they might want it as a keepsake, but otherwise, they might not care.” 

“What are we doing, revolving around a piece of scrap metal?” 

Lutz chuckled, self-deprecatingly.

“It might be worth talking to the surviving family if we have no other options. It might get even messier, though.”.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. So, if it’s Lord Leonard’s sister, she’s naturally a noble, right? What was her title?” 

“Baroness. Since she didn’t have her own territory, she was governing a part of another noble’s land as a proxy.” 

They both thought it but didn’t say it aloud: a typical impoverished noble.

“If that’s the case, they’ll need to increase taxes due to the tribute, won’t they? I wonder about the governance and the reputation among the subjects.” 

“Sorry, I haven’t asked about that part.” 

“Never mind, that’s what I’m here to investigate.” 

Having tasks to do seemed to brighten Claudia’s face rather than being holed up in a room, indicating she preferred moving around and talking to people.

For Lutz, who preferred facing flames alone in the smithy, it was a feeling he couldn’t quite understand. Talking to strangers was nothing but discomfort for him. Even dealing with the knight captain for the tribute was just part of the job. Nevertheless, once acquainted, he could converse normally.

“If Lord Leonard’s only surviving family is his sister, what will she do about her title?” 

“Is there an issue with inheriting a title as a woman?” 

“There’s no precedent for female landowners, but the noble society might not be comfortable. Considering Lord Leonard’s achievements, the royal family can’t ignore her.” 

During the war, he sacrificed his family member to defeat powerful enemies, then confronted vicious monsters to protect the villagers and lost his life. To mistreat the household of such a man would be akin to proclaiming the king as unworthy. After fighting at the risk of their lives, if they were disregarded, who would be willing to fight desperately for the nation?

“Is she a bold woman who jumps into the noble society to change it, or will she choose a temporary head of the household as her marriage partner, or perhaps she’ll relinquish her title altogether? Any of these seem possible. It depends on the sister’s personality. We won’t know until we actually meet her.” 

“Even if she’s just a baroness without her own land, you can’t just show up at her door. It’s not that simple.” 

“In that case, we’ll have to get Victor-san to write a letter of introduction. We don’t know how serious he is, but if he’s willing to help, we shouldn’t hesitate to rely on him.” 

“He’s serious about it. He’s the type to take play and jokes seriously.” 

“I see, he’s one of your kind.” 

“Unbelievable.” 

Lutz chuckled, scratching his head, but his expression soon darkened slightly.

“…Do we have to prepare bribes again?” 

While he disliked giving money, Lutz felt even more repulsed by the dirty act of bribery. Even if it was a tradition in the royal palace, things he disliked were still unpleasant.

“We’ll have to investigate more about Lord Leonard’s family and the movements of the knight order before we consider that.” 

“I’m sorry, I’ll count on you.” 

“Hehe, leave it to me.” 

And so, Claudia dashed around the town with souvenirs in hand.

It was a few days later when a man named Keith from the Fourth Knight Order came to visit.

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