Upon returning to the castle, I headed straight for Dian’s workshop.
"Oh, if it isn't Little Roddy. I haven't seen you around lately; where have you been?"
"I’m sorry. Actually, I went to retrieve this."
With those words, I showed the Monster Nucleus I had obtained in the dungeon to Dian.
"Is this... a Monster Nucleus?! The purity is impeccable... I don’t know where you managed to find it, but well done! I’ve been trying everything to get my hands on one and was just about to give up... Man, you really are something else, Little Roddy!"
Dian slapped me on the back repeatedly, looking delighted.
Ouch, ouch.
"M-more importantly, let’s get to work on the magic sword."
"Heh, you’re right... Good grief, you’re already more obsessed with magic swords than I am. I’ve got no standing left as either an older brother or a blacksmith. If the Master Craftsman heard about this, he’d be appalled."
Dian grumbled something under his breath.
I didn't really care about his complaints; I just wanted to get started on the crafting process as soon as possible.
"What are you doing, Master Craftsman?"
"I’m not 'Master Craftsman'! Call me Dian!"
Yet another request to change how I addressed him. I was starting to lose track.
Besides, calling my own brother by his name without an honorific was a bit much.
"Y-yes. Dian-niisan."
"……Tch, fine."
Dian looked a bit miffed, but he ultimately accepted that form of address.
And so, the crafting of the magic sword began.
That said, the recipe was already prepared. Since the materials were all gathered, we just had to follow the instructions.
We proceeded carefully, patiently, and precisely according to the steps.
And then—
"It’s finished...!"
The longsword resting on the anvil was the magic sword we had created together.
Though it appeared rugged at first glance, it was a masterful piece of work that possessed its own sense of beauty.
A faint vermillion hue was blended into the silver-shining blade.
It looked almost indistinguishable from the other magic swords I’d seen before.
"It’s a fine piece of work."
"Yeah, it is. We’ve gotta give this thing a name too. ...How about Diload? We can take parts from both our names."
Dian stroked the sword, looking satisfied.
The name didn’t particularly matter to me, but if he liked it, then that was fine.
"It’s a good name. I think it sounds quite cool."
"Heh, is that so? Is that so? ...This was all thanks to you. Thanks, Little Roddy."
Perhaps moved by finally fulfilling his long-held wish, Dian looked as if he were on the verge of tears.
He must be happy to finally be able to cast magic. Yes, yes. I could certainly understand that feeling.
"Let’s test it out immediately!"
"Right. Let’s head outside!"
Dian and I headed for the training grounds, which were used for things like magic practice.
It was a vast space, over a hundred meters square, where the castle mages were diligently practicing their spells today as well.
Among them, Albert noticed us and walked over.
"Hello, Dian. And Lloyd. What brings you two here?"
"Hehe, the magic sword is finally finished, Albert-nii."
"Oh! Isn't that wonderful!"
"It’s all thanks to Little Roddy. Of course, I’m grateful to you too for introducing us, Albert-nii."
"I see, I see. ...To complete a magic sword so easily, even with Dian's help—Lloyd’s talent truly is magnificent. And I suspect there’s still plenty of room for growth. What a terrifyingly talented younger brother. Heh heh heh."
Albert was staring at me while muttering something.
I didn't mind, but I really just wanted to get on with the test.
"So, you’re here for a trial run?"
"Yeah. You’ll watch too, right, Albert-nii?"
"But of course. I shall watch from the best seat in the house... Hey, get things ready."
Albert had his subordinates set up targets.
As Dian gripped the magic sword and took a stance, a red light inhabited the blade.
The spell formula I’d embedded in the magic sword would activate in response to the owner’s mana when gripped. By swinging it with intent, the formulas would link and activate, triggering the Blazing Fireball stored within the blade—that was the theory.
It seemed the spell formula was working well so far, but I couldn't relax yet.
I watched Dian’s every move with bated breath.
"Well then... here I go! Roar, Diload! Burn the enemy to ashes!"
Dian swung the magic sword down with a shout of spirit.
Flames were birthed in the air and erupted forward.
Roaaaar! The roaring fire streaked straight toward the target.
The flames scorched the grass, charred the air, pierced through the target, and vanished into the far distance.
Oh, it was a success.
The Blazing Fireball activated exactly according to the spell formula I had integrated.
While I was satisfied with the result, the two people standing right next to me were wearing expressions of pure shock.
"W-what was that?! It blasted through the target and just kept going until it was out of sight! That’s impossible for normal magic...! Little Roddy, just what kind of magic did you put in there...?"
"U-unbelievable power...! I can’t imagine you used Supreme Magic... no, I’ve never seen a magic sword like that... Just what is happening here...?"
Perhaps because of the shock, the two of them were standing there with their mouths hanging wide open.
Crap, was the power a bit too high? I have to gloss this over somehow.
"W-wow! What amazing power! Could it be that the sword Dian-niisan made and my magic just have incredible compatibility?"
I tried to play it off like that... but was that a bit too transparent?
Compatibility exists for everything.
The same applies to magic swords; even if the same spell formula is used, differences in ability arise based on the affinity with the caster.
"Oh, I’ve heard of that before! They say the quality of a magic sword changes completely depending on the compatibility between the blacksmith and the mage! That means the reason such a magic sword was created is because Little Roddy and I make the ultimate dream team!"
That was a relief. It seemed Dian was convinced.
Just as I was breathing a sigh of relief, I noticed Albert narrowing his eyes.
"……Wait."
D-did it fail? As expected, I couldn't fool Albert, who has a genuine talent for magic.
I resigned myself and closed my eyes.
"I can’t just let that go. For the record, I’m the one who shares the greatest affinity with Lloyd."
"Uhhh..."
Dian voiced his disapproval, and I nearly face-planted.
Albert had started competing over something completely irrelevant.
Well, I didn't quite get it, but it seemed I managed to fool them for now.
I’d better use a much weaker spell formula next time.