The girl emanated an unusual *fortitude* from the moment she stepped in.
With a fierce gaze and a plain white sword.
It was clear who she was at first glance.
“Gawayn’s daughter…?”
“Ah, do you know my father?”
“I crafted Gawayn’s sword.”
“Are you talking about *Judgment Day*?!”
“No, not that one. There’s a sword he broke during his youth.”
“……”
Trie’s mouth snapped shut.
While the person who created a legendary sword wasn’t him, he still made the sword used by her father, so he was clearly not an average blacksmith.
“It’s an urgent matter. Please sharpen this sword’s blade.”
“Isn’t this a practice sword?”
“Yes. I’m short on swords…”
“Hmm.”
The blacksmith took the sword and examined it.
It seemed thick and heavy enough to maintain its balance after sharpening.
“Alright. It should work. But it might take some time.”
“If you happen to be in combat, I’d appreciate it if you could deliver it personally. I’ll give you my name…”
“Aren’t you the one using it?”
“Yes. To a student named Schlus Hainkel…”
“Rejected.”
“What?”
The old woman turned sharply.
Of course, for Gawayn’s daughter, he could not only sharpen the blade but even make a new sword or whatever.
But to make a sword for a mere magician…
Magicians were known to only carry swords as a facade.
The swords I forge and temper are infused with my soul.
I could never stand to see such swords just gathering dust as mere decor.
“Magicians don’t forge or temper their swords.”
“True, Schlus is a magician, but… he definitely has talents in swordsmanship that can’t be overlooked!”
“What?!”
The old woman glared.
Everyone knew that Gawayn’s daughter surpassed the level of a top knight at just ten years old.
Had she not put down the sword, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she were now at the top of the Empire’s swordsmen.
To possess talent comparable to such a daughter of Gawayn…?
That was ridiculous.
“Please believe me. Whether he wields a sword or not will surely determine the battle’s outcome.”
“Hah. Is it that serious?”
“Yes. I beg you.”
“……”
Being Gawayn’s child’s request, she couldn’t just dismiss it.
After she departed, the old blacksmith reluctantly began his work.
Before he could finish, the sky darkened, and battle erupted.
Sweating profusely, he finally raised the freshly sharpened sword to the tip of his fingers.
The blade lay calm and still, like the surface of a tranquil lake.
“Perfect.”
With the right balance and sharpness.
In an instant, the practice sword had transformed into a battlefield blade.
The situation was urgent.
The blacksmith hurriedly wrapped the sword in cloth and ran.
“Did I just see such mixed-up bunches out there…?”
Arriving at the castle wall, the blacksmith found himself at a loss.
Magical beasts were climbing the wall in droves, and students were running away in terror.
Is this what Empire students do…?
Surely, amongst the fleeing, Schlus Hainkel isn’t included.
Clicking his tongue, he scanned the area and spotted a boy.
He wasn’t fighting using magic yet still stood firm.
For some reason, he strongly felt that this dimwit was Schlus Hainkel.
“Are you Schlus Hainkel?”
“Yes. That’s me.”
“Then take this.”
“What is this…?”
He passed the sword and moved back.
Sure enough.
As soon as he caught the sword, the previously foolish demeanor transformed into that of a warrior.
He sensed a threat from behind and turned to prepare.
Fenrir.
A wolf beast so tough that even high-level knights wouldn’t take lightly.
Did he plan to use magic in this fight as well?
Somehow it felt thrilling, and the blacksmith crossed his arms, waiting eagerly.
“Hah…?”
Both he and Fenrir lunged at each other.
The movements weren’t particularly fast nor mixed with magic.
It seemed he didn’t even activate the internal circuit, a basic requirement for a swordsman.
Yet, without hesitation, the flowing sword blocked Fenrir’s claws while simultaneously diving in under it.
The conclusion was drawn in a single slash.
“Yaaaaaaaah!!!”
The boy rolled on the ground past Fenrir, and soon the beast gushed *blood* from beneath its jaw.
He had pierced through its flesh and sliced into the carotid artery.
Fenrir, splattering blood everywhere, charged back at him…
*Thud!*
Just a split second from making contact, it collapsed onto the ground, its eyes rolling back.
Not even glancing back at Fenrir, the boy charged at other beasts.
“Truly impressive…!”
Given Gawayn’s daughter’s words, it couldn’t have been utter nonsense, but he hadn’t expected it to be this remarkable.
The blacksmith chuckled as he looked toward another battle raging nearby.
*Boom! Thud…!*
Was that a professor from the Imperial University…?
And beside them was Gawayn’s daughter.
They seemed to be engaging in battles that were a level—or even two levels—above the rest.
Corpses of magical beasts piled high all around.
“Hmm. Cancel that. The real heavy hitters are over there.”
The blacksmith scratched his head sheepishly and turned away.
*
“This is something.”
Even I, who knows nothing about swords, recognized this.
This is a truly extraordinary sword.
While it was merely a sharpened practice sword, it was light, sufficiently elastic, and sharp enough to wield with ease.
As long as I had this sword, I could fend off the beasts climbing this wall.
’Vafe is still nowhere to be found…’
Honestly, I thought that Vafe would suddenly appear in a crisis.
I figured he would absorb into my body.
But Vafe still showed no *response*, and instead, I had gained a fine sword.
I’m pouting, you jerk.
Just don’t ever show up again.
Your place is now occupied by this magnificent longsword.
*Slice…!*
A flash of light erupted behind me, piercing the head of an approaching Orc.
Yikes…!
That was a close call.
When I turned around, students atop the 3rd line of defense were casting magic in unison.
Somehow, fighting from the back felt like they were performing even better than before.
“Guess they aren’t called magicians for nothing.”
In the midst of a battlefield where life and death hung in the balance, they remained petrified in fear until their safety was ensured to unleash their true strength.
I understood now why Sergey positioned the students further back before the 2nd line of defense crumbled.
It was a decision born from understanding the nature of magicians.
“I think we can hold this.”
The wall overhead felt surprisingly relaxed.
Looking down at the wall’s base, beasts continued to pour from the forest, but they seemed to represent hardly a fraction of the initial wave.
At this rate, it felt manageable.
If we just endured until tomorrow, reinforcements would arrive.
’Is Aintz still not back?’
As the battle approached its end, Aintz and Team 1 still hadn’t returned.
That felt unsettling.
Was he off doing something reckless again, leading his team to ruin and ending up as lunch for magical beasts?
I had hoped too much for Aintz’s *awakening*.
But considering how he acted during this practice, it didn’t seem completely impossible either.
“Huh? Aren’t those the students from Team 1!”
Sergey shouted exuberantly.
In the distance, just outside the forest’s edge, students were running toward us.
The teaching assistant appeared to be unconscious, slung over someone’s back.
But there was no sight of Aintz…?
Was he just lagging behind?
“Prepare to open the main gate! Trie, provide cover fire.”
“Uh? Yes?”
“To hit that far, we need someone on the wall! Please!”
“Ah…?”
Sergey patted Trie’s back enthusiastically.
I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but sway every time they fired, yet Trie stood firm like a rock.
No wonder she was the general’s daughter…
“Hah…”
Even such a remarkable person was having trouble with magic.
As she stretched out her arm to cast a spell, the cold sweat indicated her tension.
I quickly approached Trie and placed my hand on her shoulder.
“Trie.”
“Yah?!”
“Don’t be startled.”
“Sir?”
“Focus. If the magical beasts surround Team 1, we’re in big trouble.”
“Uh-huh…”
If the magical beasts blocked Team 1’s path, that would be disastrous.
Keeping that from happening was now Trie’s task.
I needed to conserve my abilities, so Trie was my only hope.
Sergey likely exhausted his mana.
“Don’t be too tense. Just take them out one by one.”
“B-But, sir…”
“Speak.”
“I have terrible accuracy… I might hit friends instead of beasts.”
“……”
Trie looked at me with a frightened expression.
Being honest, it didn’t seem like she was trying to back out.
Damn it. Then there was no choice left.
“Trie. Fill your spell with *mana*.”
“Uh? I’ve infused it. Why?”
“I’ll shoot it.”
“W-Wha?!”
I accessed the core of her spell and seized control.
Trie’s spell security was too messy…
I guess I should focus more on encryption.
It seemed too wasteful to alternate between her casting and my grabbing while firing spells.
So I edited the spell.
From a single shot to a shotgun.
With this, one shot would be enough without needing to shoot several times.
“Wha? But that’ll spread! The chances of hitting my friends will only increase, sir!”
“Just watch and see.”
*Bam!*
Spell launched.
The red light illuminated the darkness before rapidly branching into twenty trails, shooting forward.
I manipulated each of those twenty flashes, altering their trajectories.
The crimson beams arced down towards the magical beasts below the castle wall.
“Graaaah!”
“Ruaaaah!”
As the flashes struck simultaneously, a cacophony of screams erupted.
They fell, and the pathway leading to the main gate opened up.
In that interval, Team 1 reached the gate, which cracked open just a smidge before slamming shut.
Success.
I patted Trie’s shoulder, still dazed, and dashed off to meet Team 1.
She and Sergey would need to stay on the wall and continue fighting.
“The teaching assistant has suffered a *fatal injury*! Is there no recovery potion? Is anyone here?”
“……”
Students were holding the fallen Sergey’s assistant, sobbing.
Seeing the pale face bleeding from the side, it didn’t seem like he had much time left.
“I’m sorry, but we’re out of recovery potions. I’ll take him to a healer.”
“If there are no recovery potions, he’s going to die!”
I squeezed my eyes shut and pondered briefly.
With just two coins, I could get a recovery potion.
That low-grade potion would quickly heal such minor wounds.
While complete recovery might take some time, I could definitely save him.
“Hmm…”
But I was currently collecting coins.
For a 50-coin elixir.
If a situation arises where I desperately need a potion but am short by just two coins, that would be extremely frustrating.
So I had to weigh the importance.
Was saving Sergey’s assistant really necessary?
This pretty… no, handsome guy.
With my memory failing to recall anything about Sergey’s assistant, let alone his name, it suggested he had little mention or importance in the original work.
Yet that didn’t mean the assistant lacked skill.
Reflecting on how he successfully guided Aintz and Team 1 away from danger to gain advantageous terrain during the original plot, it was clear he was quite capable.
There was enough justification to save him.
[You have purchased 1 Low-grade Recovery Potion.]
A small glass vial appeared in my hand, turned backward.
Finally moving swiftly toward Team 1.
“Here’s a Low-grade Recovery Potion. Use this.”
“Wait, you haven’t used any recovery potions yet…?”
“……”
A girl with red hair looked up at me, mouth agape.
As she snapped back to reality, she immediately poured the potion onto the assistant’s side.
The wound closed neatly, revealing impressive abs.
If I let him rest, he would wake up quickly.
Having been in a similar state before, I understood that well.
“Where’s Aintz?”
“Aintz is…”
I crouched down to inquire about Aintz’s whereabouts.
But the students avoided my gaze, bowing their heads and hesitating to reply.
The red-haired girl kept twitching her lips, so I stepped closer and pressed her.
“Hurry up!”
“Aintz stayed back… to buy us some time to escape.”
“Huh.”
Did Aintz do something crazy like that?
What was the teaching assistant doing not stopping him… Oh.
He had passed out.
“Damn…”
Aintz has once again gone off-script.
From a self-centric character to a hero who could sacrifice for his friends…
He broke through the limits of the original work and awakened.
But if he doesn’t make it back alive, it’s all for nothing.
Given he hadn’t returned by now, it likely meant he was besieged again by magical beasts halfway.
He was undoubtedly dead.
This awakening hadn’t been sufficient.
If that was all Aintz could awaken to, he would not be worth bringing into my ranks.
Thus, it might be better to let one more extra die this time.
After all, Aintz wasn’t a particularly important character in the original.
“Damn it…”
“Schlus?”
Before I knew it, I was walking toward the main gate.
Aintz.
That foolish, arrogant jerk, relying solely on his family and connections.
And yet, cursed with a few talents he didn’t deserve.
Still, I had to admit his innate kindness.
“Open the main gate.”
That dimwit managed to break free from the confines of the original work. How could I, as the writer, just let that be?
I felt the urge to at least converse with him to ease my own curiosity.
Holding the sword firmly in my right hand, I stepped through the slowly opening main gate.
