"How beautiful, truly worthy of me!" Raising the dagger in his hand, the morning light illuminated the exquisitely crafted blade, which shone with brilliant radiance. This was a weapon meticulously forged by Shirou— a Magic Sword.
For Shirou, the study of Magic Swords would always be his eternal pursuit. After all, one of his current killing moves, the Super Broken Phantasm arrow, was crafted from a Magic Sword. The stronger the Magic Sword he prepared beforehand, the stronger the power of the Super Broken Phantasm would be. Though his studies with Riveria had also made his Broken Phantasm grow in strength, its power would eventually reach its maximum due to the limits of his magic power. The power of a Magic Sword, however, had no such bounds.
After all, the essence of a Magic Sword is to release magic through a weapon, and the power of magic is not fixed. Perhaps in this world, the strongest magic power can only reach a certain level, but in other worlds, stronger magic must exist. Therefore, the study of Magic Swords related directly to his ultimate killing move. This would be his ultimate technique, and no amount of effort spent on this aspect would be too much.
Placing the Magic Sword on a table beside the others, Shirou admired the diversity of his creations. These Magic Swords were crafted with different intentions, each unique in its form and function. In his previous life, as an inheritor of socialism who had studied the scientific spirit, Shirou had applied this spirit to his craft. While many believed science and magic were incompatible, Shirou knew better. Science is simply a summary, induction, and verification of the known world through calculations, interpretations, linguistic explanations, and visual demonstrations. Any technology capable of forming its own system can be equated to science.
Therefore, when researching Magic Swords, Shirou did not rigidly adhere to the methods Tsubaki had taught him. Through the Loki Familia's expeditions and their procurement of Magic Swords, he had gained access to many forged by top blacksmiths, learning much in the process. By summarizing these experiences, Shirou discovered various paths and now sought the best path for himself.
---
After returning from the forge, Shirou took a relaxing bath before heading to the dining hall for breakfast.
"Here, Captain. This is my homemade dish of love— you must eat more!" As soon as Shirou entered, he saw Tione feeding Finn, with a massive fish before them. This Giant Blackfish, a creature from the brackish lakes southwest of Orario, was often sold in the city. Even though it hadn't matured, this particular fish was over a meter long. Finn, being a Pallum and only 119 centimeters tall, seemed a bit overwhelmed by the size of the fish— it might even be taller than him! Finn, the renowned hero of Orario, appeared dazed.
Seeing this, Shirou quickly turned his face away, chuckling under his breath. However, fearing repercussions, he quickly stopped and sat next to Lefiya. Along with the others, he cast sympathetic glances at Finn, who was being enthusiastically force-fed by Tione. Tragic, too tragic, Captain!
"Brother, what have you been up to lately? I haven't seen you much, and you even skipped Riveria-sama's magic class yesterday."
"Forging, I've been busy forging!" Shirou answered, his mouth full of food. He was starving after the physically demanding work of forging.
"I see!" Lefiya nodded, understanding. She knew that Shirou's abilities improved as his forging skills grew. He was now one of Orario's best blacksmiths.
As Lefiya pondered Shirou's situation, Ais and Tiona, who were sitting next to her, continued chatting.
"Ais, do you have any plans for today?"
"Hmm..."
"The day before yesterday, I broke my sword, so I need to replace it..."
"Was it that rapier you used at the Monster Feria?" Ais nodded in response to Lefiya, who was sitting next to her.
"Money! I'm short on that too! If it weren't for my recent research into Magic Swords, which has been quite expensive, I could help you with that money," Shirou interjected. Most of the Magic Swords he had forged were prototypes, and they needed to be tested, so they couldn't be sold. As a result, the Valis he had originally accumulated from forging equipment had all been poured into this bottomless pit. He didn't have much money left now.
"Ais, are you planning to earn money in the Dungeon? In that case, I'll come too. It's a good opportunity to test the Magic Swords I've forged. And it wouldn't hurt to earn some money with you."
Hearing this, Ais nodded slightly, glad to go to the Dungeon with Shirou to earn money for their family.
"Then I'm coming too! Since Ais is going, she'll probably stay cooped up in the Dungeon for a week. I also need money to re-forge my Great Double-Bladed Axe."
"I-If you don't mind, please let me help too!" Lefiya, eager to contribute, also expressed her desire to join.
With all three volunteers ready to help her, Ais couldn't refuse their kindness, especially since it made her happy.
"Then, I'll rely on you all."
Seeing Ais's smile, Tiona and Lefiya smiled too. Shirou, however, was engrossed in his food.
"We might be away from the base for a while. Should we tell Finn and the others?"
"Indeed. Though the next expedition is still a ways off, if we're going to be in the labyrinth for a while, it's best to report to Loki or the Captain."
Having overheard most of the discussion, Shirou spoke up. "Then you go ask the Captain. I still have some things to prepare. We'll split up later."
"Okay!"
After breakfast, Shirou returned to the forge to prepare his equipment. After the last expedition, he had been busy with other people's gear and the Magic Swords, so his own equipment wasn't yet complete. Fortunately, he didn't need weapons. As for armor, he had mostly finished it two days ago, with only a few finishing touches needed. For other supplies, he packed as much as he could. This upcoming expedition might involve a confrontation with a dangerous woman, and facing a LV.6 enemy required careful preparation.
With these thoughts in mind, Shirou swung his hammer with determination, working on the magnificent armor that was nearing completion.
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter