Albert arrived at my room the next day, accompanied by a staggering collection of swords.
There were well over a hundred of them. Even the servant pulling the cart appeared to be straining under the immense weight. Albert greeted me with his usual refreshing smile.
"Morning! I’ve gathered the Royal Guards’ blades, just as I promised."
"This is... incredible..."
"Once I told everyone about yesterday, they brought so many weapons this morning that I could hardly keep track. One man even brought thirty on his own. It seems they’re all quite eager for you to cast enchantment magic on their gear."
...That’s probably not the case. Albert had likely mentioned my request, and they saw it as a chance to score points with him. If a master tells his knights to gather swords, those serving him would easily scrounge up ten or twenty pieces. I hadn't considered that angle, but it was a pleasant surprise.
"I wanted to stay and watch you work your enchantment magic, Lloyd, but I have an economics class starting shortly. It’s a real shame, but I must take my leave."
"Thank you, Albert-niisan."
Albert gave me a quick wink before closing the door.
"Quite a haul, Master Lloyd! With this many, you can experiment with enchantment magic to your heart’s content."
"True. Enchantment magic puts a massive strain on weapons, and the chance of failure is high. We can never have too many spares."
The issue with the Magic Marrow Fluid used in enchantment magic is that inscribing a Spell Formula that’s too powerful can contaminate the weapon. The fluid erodes the metallic bonds, causing the blade to snap with the slightest pressure. Conversely, if the Spell Formula is too weak, the effect of using the precious Magic Marrow Fluid is wasted. Too concentrated is no good; too diluted is no good either. Striking that perfect balance is the real challenge. Furthermore, because of factors like metal fatigue, the same Spell Formula might cause a burden on one weapon but not another, even if they look identical. Since these nuances have to be learned through experience, a vast amount of practice is indispensable for mastering enchantment magic.
"Well then, let’s get started."
I decided to begin with the cheaper-looking weapons. ...Though, truth be told, they all seemed to be of high quality. The majority were steel weapons made by tempering high-grade iron, but a few looked particularly expensive. Was this one a Magic Sword? Since these were being offered to Albert, I suppose they couldn't just be junk. Oh well. I’d use them without hesitation.
I picked up a steel sword, as it was the most common type in the pile. I’d start my trials here. I portioned out the Magic Marrow Fluid for the steel blade and began weaving the Spell Formula. "For now, I’ll try a triple-layered Strength Increase combined with an Elasticity Increase. It should have about the same capacity as that iron dagger from before." I applied the Magic Marrow Fluid containing the woven Spell Formula to the first steel sword and leaned it against the wall to dry.
"...Hm?"
As I watched intently, a thin crack spider-webbed across the center of the blade. With a series of sharp snapping sounds, the sword broke clean in half.
"Huh. Why did that happen?"
Steel should be harder than iron, so why did it break when subjected to the exact same enchantment magic? As I tilted my head in confusion, Grimo spoke up.
"It might be because that Magic Marrow Fluid was fresh, so it transmitted the effects of the enchantment magic too perfectly. Your mana is no joke, Master Lloyd. Ordinary steel just can’t withstand it."
"So the other Magic Marrow Fluid was degraded? You certainly know a lot about this, Grimo."
"Heh, well, I have a fair bit of knowledge when it comes to smithing. In the Demon World, the name 'Blacksmith Grimoire' carried some weight. Heh-heh."
Grimo smirked proudly. It seemed he truly did possess a wealth of knowledge as a blacksmith. This would be a massive help for my enchantment magic research.
"Thank you. I’m glad I made you my familiar."
Ancient Magic was a bit too antiquated to be truly useful, but his wisdom as a blacksmith was a lifesaver. I personally don't know much about anything outside of magic. As I nodded appreciatively, Grimo’s mouth hung open in shock.
"Hm? Is something wrong?"
"N-No! It’s nothing at all, sir..."
Grimo looked utterly taken aback, but then he began muttering something under his breath.
"This guy... he’s 'glad' he made the great Majin Grimoire his familiar? Hmph. Enjoy your arrogance while it lasts, kid. ...But why? Why does this strangely not feel so bad...? Argh, dammit, he’s throwing me off!"
I didn't quite follow his rambling, but emotional instability was normal for him. Regardless, I decided to get back to work.
—In the end, after various trials, I discovered that a double-layered Strength Increase was the limit for these steel swords. Other weapons were much the same; it seemed difficult to apply multiple reinforcement Spell Formulas to ordinary gear. By the way, I accidentally snapped about thirty percent of the pile during the process. Tee-hee.
"This is the last one..."
The final item was a dagger with a striking red blade. The scabbard was beautifully decorated, and intricate patterns were engraved along the length of the edge. A Spell Formula had already been incorporated into the metal itself.
"Now that is a Magic Sword."
"Yeah. It’s probably Albert-niisan’s."
He likely threw it in as a bonus for my research, thinking I’d get bored with just steel swords. To clarify, unlike an enchanted weapon, a Magic Sword is one where the Spell Formula is incorporated during the forging stage. The smith weaves the Spell Formula while striking the iron, folds the metal, and weaves it again. By repeating this process over and over, the blade ends up containing a level of magic that an ordinary enchantment could never match. The level of effort required is on a completely different scale, making them incredibly expensive. This was my first time seeing one in person.
"To be able to just toss something like this out for enchantment practice... this country really is wealthy."
That was exactly right. The fact that I could play around with magic like this on a whim was entirely thanks to the kingdom's prosperity. I felt nothing but gratitude toward my father, Charles.
"Well then, let’s see if I can enchant a Magic Sword."
Since a Magic Sword already has Spell Formulas woven into its structure, adding further enchantments is considered extremely difficult. If the new enchantment is incompatible, the Spell Formulas will cancel each other out and destroy the blade. I had to proceed with caution. I placed my hand on the Magic Sword and concentrated. Slowly, I began reading the Spell Formula.
"...Hmm. The formula woven into the blade is Magic Amplification."
There are two types of Magic Swords: those that contain magic within themselves, and those that amplify the wielder's magic. This was the latter. Since Albert is a Mage, that made perfect sense.
"Since it’s amplification, I’ll try rewriting the Spell Formula to double its output."
From what I could decipher, the current amplification rate was about twenty percent. If I doubled that, the effect would be significantly more potent. However, even partially rewriting a Spell Formula carried a massive risk. If I slipped up, the whole thing could crumble into dust.
"In that case, the enchantment I add should be a reinforcement formula."
Specifically, something to bolster its strength. If I applied that first, the blade would likely hold up. Probably. Well, they say it’s better to do it than to worry about it, so I gave it a shot. First, the rewrite. I began altering the twenty-percent-increase formula into a double-increase one. As soon as the rewrite was complete, white smoke began to billow from the blade.
"M-Master Lloyd! This is bad!"
I’d broken enough swords to recognize the signs. This was the precursor to total failure. I rushed to finish applying the reinforcement enchantment. Calming my breathing, I coated the blade with the Magic Marrow Fluid. Immediately, the smoke subsided. The Spell Formula seemed to settle and stabilize.
"...Phew. That was a close call."
I had almost snapped a priceless Magic Sword. A tiny crack had developed near the hilt, but it had survived—barely. Regardless, though it cost me a few sacrifices, the enchantment was a success.