“You want me to make a transparent sword?”

“That’s right~ can you do something about it?”

One day, Doga visited my smithy.

He seemed to be concerned about something and wanted to consult with me. As of the moment, we were in the middle of said consultation.

“I will see what I can do. Still, for whom is it?”

“It’s a request from a loyal customer. In honor of the person, I can’t tell you the name. But, he’s quite well-known…”

Doga averted his gaze and stuttered, making it difficult to comprehend what he was saying.

I concluded that the customer was someone who couldn’t be made public.

Could it be an aristocrat?

I felt that it was better not to pry too much.

“Why would they need a transparent sword? Is it for assassination…?”

“No, no! It’s more like a gift!”

“A gift?”

“Keep it a secret from everyone else—the sword is supposed to be a gift for a noble lady.”

…A noble lady and a transparent sword.

Towards the uncommon combination, I tilted my head.

“It seems that when he was trying to attract said noble lady, she told him that if he managed to bring her a transparent, beautiful, well-cut sword, she’d consider their engagement.”

“…What?”

“It’s as you heard. What a request! However, I received it, so I attempted to make it…”

Doga kept sighing.

“But, as I’ve said, I skill eludes me. I can’t do it.”

“Hence, you came to me.”

“Exactly~ you’re the best blacksmith I’ve ever known, Liliana! No one can hold a candle to you!”

“Well, let me consider it…”

“It’s impossible for me! Because he wanted a transparent sword, I tried using glass. However, I can’t cut it properly. No matter how sharp the glass is, it breaks too easily. I can’t use iron either, because it isn’t transparent. I’m on my last straw!”

Doga’s hands trembled.

A transparent, clean, and well-cut sword.

The customer didn’t want a glasswork ornament, but a sword.

It was certainly a difficult request.

When I was thinking about it, Doga said apologetically.

“I, is it really impossible? Whelp, there’s nothing we can do about it, then. I will just refuse the request…”

Nevertheless, Doga’s eyes were pleading.

He had been of help to me. As such, I had been wanting to repay my debt.

Based on my knowledge, I could only come up with one solution.

“It’s impossible to make a completely transparent sword. But, if by ‘transparent’, the customer meant the other side of the blade can be seen, and iron can still pass as the material, it shouldn’t be impossible.”

“…”

There was no response from Doga.

It was as if time had stopped. Doga, with his mouth agape, froze on his spot.

“D, Doga?”

“I, is that true!?”

He suddenly shouted.

Because we were near each other, his voice almost broke my eardrums. In fact, my ears actually hurt a little.

“H, how would you make that!? What are the materials?”

“I can’t make it right away, though. The materials are a bit special—I have to procure them first.”

“Is that so? From where?”

***

“A Fake Ice Stone? Is that the material you need to make the transparent sword?”

“Indeed.”

The night of the day I heard Doga’s request,

Amidst dinner, I consulted with Grave.

“It looks like ice. It’s a special stone that can be found on top of a snowy mountain, or basically cold and high places.”

“I haven’t heard that much about it. I don’t think the guild’s warehouse has any.”

“Yes, I’ve confirmed that.”

The guild’s warehouse stored materials from the monsters the guild members had fought during quests, as well as collected minerals and herbs.

There were many types. It seemed that some of the materials would be sold to other guilds. There were many that I hadn’t seen before.

However, the one material I needed, the Fake Ice Stone, wasn’t there.

“It’s a rare item, and it is difficult to process. Outside of that, it’s not very useful.”

“I’ve never heard of it. I’ll go get it.”

“Alright. Is there a tall, snowy, mountain around here?”

“Not nearby, but if you leave the city and head North, there’s a mountain range. It snows there all the time, and it’s pretty tall.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but snowy mountains are dangerous? There are many dangerous monsters that adapt well to the environment. I’ve also heard that dragons build their nests on the mountaintop.”

“Dragons…”

That was right.

When I heard that, I felt bad for making such a request of Grave.

“By saying that, I don’t mean anything, you know? Do you want my help?”

“Of course, but it’s dangerous, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but I’ll do something about it. You need the stone, right?”

“Yes…”

“It’s okay! I will happily fulfil any of Liliana’s request! It’s not as extreme as it sounds. If things get dangerous, I will head back and avoid doing anything reckless. I’m sure I can do it. I’m also indebted to Doga. You’re helping him because you want to express your gratitude, right?”

I nodded.

Grave nodded with a smile.

“If so, I will lend you my help.”

“Thank you.”

---

***T/N: Okay, an unusual request. That isn’t a bad place to start our second arc.

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