Chapter 29: Lost and Exit

I was not convinced. There was no way I could do it. To admit it would be like denying my entire life.

It’s a small industry, rumors circulate fast. I hear that the Count is crazy about his new sword, and I hear that the hero is having great success with his new weapon. Both of these are jobs that I am not involved in.

Borvis asked around about the author of the tribute at a trade association meeting, but no one knew anything about him. If they don’t know, then they really don’t know.

While discussing the distribution of raw materials and the allocation of orders from the Knights, Borvis felt stares poking in from all over the place.

It was the eyes of pity.

A poor man who was in charge of all the tributes, but lost his job to a stranger before he knew it.

…Don’t be silly, there’s no reason to be looked down upon by people who have never been involved in tributes.

A sharp pain suddenly ran through Borvis’ chest, causing him to break out in a greasy sweat and cower.

“Mr. Borvis, what’s wrong?”

The man next to me expressed his concern as if it were a social call.

“It’s all right, there is no problem”

“I see.”

The man gently withdrew.

Over the past few years, I have been experiencing heart pains like this. And each year the intervals are getting shorter.

Don’t feel sorry for me.

Don’t look down on me

Don’t deny me my life.

In pain and hatred, Borvis repeated curse words.

The next day, Borvis visited the decorator’s workshop.

Patrick, the decorator, was in a good mood, probably due to his recent string of good jobs.

“Hey, hey, hey, Borvis, what can I do for you today?”

“I wanted to ask about the tribute sword.”

“That one, that was good. It was great. I got to make a dress for such a pretty girl and get paid for it, so it was a great job.”

Patrick was ecstatic, but not wanting to play along with his idiosyncrasies, Borvis moved on.

“Did the sword have the author’s name on it?”

“It’s not something you want to talk about too much because of confidentiality and privacy issues.”

In front of the hesitant Patrick, Borbis scattered silver coins on the table.

“As a craftsman, I just want to hear what you have to say.”

“Yes, yes, it’s an enthusiastic thing.”

Patrick picked up a single silver coin and the corners of his mouth hung up. I know that Borvis’ skills have neither risen nor fallen in the last dozen years. I could have guessed that he was looking for an object of jealousy instead of interaction, but that has nothing to do with me. Especially in front of silver coins.( Thought Patrick)

“The name of the sword is “The Wailing Sword” and the author’s name is Lutz.”

“Lutz… I’ve never heard of that name before.”

“Then he is probably outside the city walls.”

“Outside, outside the walls! They are blacksmiths who are not members of any trade association. They have no formal education, they have no proper equipment, and they can’t make decent weapons. You are joking in the worst possible taste!”

Borvis was indignant, but all Patrick could muster in return was a scornful smile.

“That trade union is the problem. Hey Borvis, what is the purpose of the trade union?”

“What are you doing now… You belong to a guild as a craftsman of precious metals too.”

The trade association also had job classifications, and the more expensive the item was, the higher the rank. Even though they are both masters, Patrick is a rank higher than Borvis. For such a man to ask about the reason for the existence of the trade union, I had no choice but to say anything now.

“Just answer me. What do unions exist for?”

“Fair distribution of raw materials, stable distribution, protection and education of craftsmen.”

It was Borvis who answered reluctantly.

“Yes, that’s right. It is important to distribute charcoal and iron so that there is not a shortage in one area and a surplus in another. It is also important to manage the inventory of nails and horseshoes so that there is no shortage of iron and steel in the city, and to assign work to each workshop. But the last item is questionable.”

“……What’s not to like?”

“Isn’t the system designed to protect masters, not craftsmen?”

In the trade association system, there is a limit to the number of people who can become master craftsmen. Therefore, a craftsman who is good enough to threaten the position sometimes becomes an obstacle.

The masters continued to use their authority to protect their position. They were reluctant to teach techniques, saying everything was a secret. They abused the system of itinerant craftsmen, who were sent out for years to train themselves.

“… It is natural to stop the outflow of technology. If the technology is stolen, the superiority of the workshop will collapse, and eventually the workshop’s craftsmen will be left out on the street.”

Borvis offered an explanation for his secrecy, to which Patrick also shook his head.

“It’s fine to protect, but what are you going to do by blocking the training of your own people? And the itinerant craftsman system doesn’t mesh at all. If you’re going to protect the technology, why don’t you teach the essential technology to strangers who have come here from other places? No matter where you go, you will either be turned away at the door or treated like a servant. You have experience, too, don’t you? Did you learn anything from that?”

“I guess I have the life experience that the world sucks.”

“That’s a valuable experience. However, there are plenty of other opportunities to have such experiences, so you don’t have to go out of your way to prepare for it.”

Patrick lowered his voice after collecting the coins in one place.

“… You’ve gotten off topic. In other words, you were only thinking about protecting your master position and never trying to improve your skills. That’s why the Count and Gerhard got tired of you.”

“You know what, I’ve been trying too!”

“You don’t do a very good job of training apprentices. Do you know what people say about the Borvis workshop? There is no future for you there.”

“That’s not true…I intend to give the craftsmen all the food, all the pay, all the skill. ……”

My chest started to throb and ache again. I am not sure if it is due to a pre-existing medical condition or emotional pain.

“Ah, that’s right. Then it’s my misunderstanding. The Borvis workshop will be safe from now on. Well, that’s good, that’s good.”

Patrick said, as if he had lost interest.

I am not convinced, I have been abandoned. Borvis could see it clearly.

He has not grown, and he has not raised an apprentice. Two pricks remained stuck in his chest forever.

When I returned to the workshop, I summoned a disciple who I considered the most capable.

“Put all your skills into making one sword.”

“I wonder if it’s something important. If so, I was wondering if I could do it. ……”

“It’s like a prelude to the master’s promotion test. I’m going to test you.”

The apprentice’s face lit up. He is no longer young. He had been prepared to be kept as a craftsman, but now his path to becoming a master has finally opened up.

“I’ll show you one of my best!”

The apprentice shrugged and headed for the forge.

Looking off his back, Borvis’s eyes showed both dependability and unstable danger.

A few days later, a long sword was presented to Borvis.

The moment Borvis saw it, he collapsed to his knees. His cheeks were hot. So much so that he finally realized after a while that he was crying.

“Um, master…?”

The disciple was puzzled, unable to decide whether the reaction was good or bad. He did not seem to be moved to tears.

The sword was very well made. But that’s it.

In other words, it is a work created by an honor student with the sole purpose of not being scolded by the teacher. It is a sharp bar with no individuality or fun.

This apprentice is a degraded copy of himself.

Only now did I realize that I was the one who had been denying my own life.

“I’m sorry. I’m really sorry for everything I’ve done. ……”

Borvis was repeating himself like a gibberish, but his apprentice had no idea what he was talking about.

“I’m going to teach you all the skills I have. I will teach you all the techniques I have, then strike the sword again and present it to Gerhard at the next regular meeting. If I can get Gerhard’s advice and the Count’s approval in advance, I should be able to transfer the mastership without any problems.”

“Yes, sir!”

The apprentice was elated, but Borvis no longer had eyes for him.

Once I fulfilled all my responsibilities, I wanted to learn blacksmithing again from scratch.

It would be great if I could ask Gerhard to introduce me to the man named Lutz and ask him to teach me. He wanted to make up for the lost decade.

At this moment, Borvis was indeed a blacksmith.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter