Chapter 37: Eye Opening

It was troublesome. It was very troublesome. I was half joking about sending him away, but the other half was serious.

However, it is a problem to be noticed by high-ranking knights, and ignoring Gerhard’s referral will hurt his face.

Up until now, Gerhard was the one who took over the swords at a high price, and I personally respected him as a craftsman. I do not want to aggravate the relationship with him.

Reluctantly, Lutz got up and unbolted the door to greet him. There he was, a large man who must have been over 180 centimeters tall.

“I wonder if he’s eating meat. ……”

“What?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’m the blacksmith Lutz. What do you want today, Knight?”

The man who called himself Jocel removed his sword from its scabbard and held it out before Lutz’s eyes.

“I have a few questions about this sword.”

I remember all my works that were good, and I can’t mistake them. It was definitely Knight Killer. I wonder why this man has the sword I sold to Gerhard.

Killed and robbed. Not likely. The man in front of me would certainly be strong, perhaps even stronger than Lutz in a head-to-head fight. But I didn’t feel the eeriness and unfathomability of Gerhard.

Stolen, this one is not likely to be either. If that man, who devoted his life to sword making, had his sword stolen, he would surely come after him in the shape of an evil demon.

Then I finally remembered. Gerhard seems to have said something about wanting his disciple to wield a famous sword.

All things considered, it seems to be true that this uninvited visitor is a disciple of Gerhard. At the same time, Lutz has an obligation to entertain him.

“Well, I don’t want to stand around and talk, so come on in.”

When I entered, Claudia, who usually takes the initiative when there is a visitor, was resentful. She didn’t seem to have any intention to offer any drinks.

“Um, ma’am… is it?”

Jocel was a little bewildered by the hostility he had never experienced before.

For some reason, Lutz and Claudia looked at each other with a puzzled look at Jocel’s question.

“Clau, I wonder what our relationship is.”

“It feels like a business partner, a friend, and a lover.”

“Yes, no doubt about it. But I don’t know about giving that kind of explanation to a third party every time.”

“I think it’s better if I just call myself a wife or a daughter-in-law. At any rate, the world will be satisfied with that.

“Yes”

“Yes”

After nodding to each other, Lutz turned his face towards Jocel.

“… that seems to be the case.”

“What do you mean by “it seems!” Either you guys are married or you’re not!?”

“I just said that.”

I was about to put my hand on my sword in anger, as if he were mocking a high-ranking knight, but I managed to hold back, remembering two words from my mentor.

One, honor them as nobles.

Two, they’re a little weird.

“The teacher’s words are something that will come to mind later…”

Their eyes were cold as they looked at Jocel, whose shoulders were shaking. A strange person has come.

“Is it really that important to you whether I am Lutz-kun’s wife or not?”

When Claudia pouted her lips and asked, Jocel waved his arms around and began to make an enthusiastic speech.

“Of course! If you’re a wife, it would be nice to be present here as a position to protect the house. But if you are a stranger or a concubine, you have no right to intrude!”

“Oh, yes……”

It was Claudia who was overwhelmed by Jocel’s heat and couldn’t say anything.

“Jocel, is it time for you to cut to the chase?”

Lutz urged him to go ahead, and Jocel put the sword he was holding on the table. This is a table where swords are often placed.

“I hear you call it the Knight Killer, this sword. Why did you make it like this?”

“Even if you ask me why…”

I couldn’t tell him that it was because I hate you knights. Unlike Gerhard, he would not be the type to laugh at that. As Lutz twisted his head and chose his words, Jocel continued talking first.

“I do not condemn you, nor do I intend to give it up. A sword with the name of a knight-slayer has met a high-ranking knight. I do not consider it a coincidence, I feel the will of God. I only want to know what to do with this sword in my hand and how to live!”

Jocel spoke passionately, but Lutz and Claudia couldn’t come up with anything other than, “What the hell is he talking about?”

It seems that he is a romantic in a different way from Lutz and Gerhardt.

I felt a tapping sensation on my back with fingertips. As for who did it, there is only Claudia next to me.

……you can leave the rest to me.

……Okay, please.

We were able to communicate with each other just by exchanging glances.

Kohon, Claudia cleared her throat.

“I, Claudia, will now explain on behalf of my husband.”

She declared with a theatrical gesture.

“……why?”

“I’m not very good with words.”

If Lutz told me so clearly, I couldn’t say it was unreasonable.

“First of all, the history of making Knight Killer, but this is not the intention of the person himself. It just happened, or in other words, ……”

“change?”

“He was led,”

Claudia assured him confidently. Jocel, perhaps intrigued, leaned forward to listen.

“The first thing that happened was that Mr. Borvis, a friend of Mr. Gerhard’s, struck a katana in search of a new technique. Did you know that it was a wonderful sword, a condensed version of the life of a gentleman who lived and breathed the art of swordsmithing?”

“Of course, I am Master’s number one disciple.”

It was Jocel who spoke proudly. Claudia nodded in agreement and proceeded with the conversation.

“To compete with Mr. Borvis’ katana, Lutz began making swords. A blacksmith specializing in swords beats katanas, and a blacksmith specializing in katanas beats swords. We can say that Mr. Gerhardt’s Ittetsu and Mr. Jocel’s night killer are a pair of swords, although they are weapons of different authors and types.”

Claudia added romance to the history of the weapon.

“I hope you understand that Mr. Borvis started the tale of these two weapons.”

“You say that Lutz did not start this tale with a grudge against the knights.”

Claudia nodded silently. She was not lying. Because it is Claudia, not Lutz, who has a grudge against the knight.

“Lutz started making swords to follow in the footsteps of Borvis-san. But at that time he had no intention of making a knight-killer’s sword. As he struck, he felt as if he was no longer himself, as if something was entering his body, and the next thing he knew, he had created a knight-killer.”

“Are you saying God possessed him…?”

“Or maybe it is.”

On the face of Jocel, whose tension which had been rising steadily up to that point, was filled with suspicion. It seems that the sound of his trumpet blast had been too loud.

But Claudia was not dismayed. I’ll add one ‘coincidence’ here.

“Master Jocel, the name of the sword is inscribed on the Knight Killer, but not the name of its author. Isn’t that right?”

“Mm, that’s true, but…”

“Lutz refrained from engraving his name on it because he could not say that it was his own work. This is the work of God!”

“I see, so that’s what you meant!”

Jocel releases the upper limit of tension again. Lutz narrowed his eyes at Claudia’s profile.

…… I don’t know if that’s what it meant, no, I’m sure it’s not.

I wanted some kind of theme, so I made it a sword to kill people I didn’t like. I didn’t put my name on it because I thought it was too good and would get me into trouble later.

Claudia is well aware of the circumstances around here. She’s more like a mastermind, how could she put together a bunch of lies as if she were breathing?

“I guess that means that the birth of the Knight Killer and the fact that it is in my hands is all God’s doing. ……”

Jocel is roaring with elation. I wanted to ask him if his head was okay, but I refrained from commenting because Claudia was laughing with great enjoyment. I mustn’t interrupt her fun.

Finally, Jocel banged his knee. The sound was loud enough to worry about whether it would hurt, but he did not seem particularly concerned.

“I see! I heard God’s voice, too!”

“……Eh?”

Lutz and Claudia let out silly voices together.

“You mean that I should be a true loyal subject who protects the Count not only from his enemies, but also from the worms in his own body! Do not be afraid to swing the blade at your allies from time to time, God has said so!”

She had been poking fun at the fool, and suddenly his eyes were opened to his mission. Claudia didn’t know what to look like at this point. This was a crazy knight, far more than she had expected.

“My eyes have been opened! Thank you so much, Lutz and Claudia!　Yes, my master was right: look not at the title, but at the soul. I had a wonderful meeting today, I’m glad I came!”

The large, impressed man grabs his sword, flips his cloak, and runs out of the living room. The sound of horses’ hooves and the man’s high pitched laugh gradually faded away. By the time Lutz and Claudia got outside, Jocel was out of sight.

“…I wonder what I would do if I got complaints from God.”

Claudia said in a tired voice, and Lutz looked up at the sky. It was disgustingly pale, as if it had nothing to do with the exchanges up until now.

“I’ll just use my answering service.”

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