Extra 9: Around that time in Asora 1

Around that time in Asora 1

X day X month, Sunny day.

From now on, I will write down the events that transpired in this place that we have emigrated to, Asora.

I was requested to make a weapon called a Two Blade Sword* by Tomoe-sama.

Tlnote: it says Nihontou meaning Japanese sword but he interprets as a two blade sword, as in the blade is one in the beginning but becomes two swords through some gimmick.

I had never heard of this weapon before hence, I’ve been very worried about how to make it. We prided ourselves as the best blacksmiths in this world thus, no matter what, we cannot refuse this request.

However, when we were shown documents and other resources of blacksmiths making this blade, we were left speechless.

The weapon is classified as not having a single bit of magic; they do not use magic when creating the weapon either. This is the first time we had witnessed such a process to produce a blade.

They do not rely on magic or the fire spirits to control the furnace or even touch upon the will of the steel. They worked in a very natural process and seemed to be using their eyes to measure the situation and furnace when making the weapon. They possessed incredible skill. I felt as if the people making this had skills equaling or surpassing us.

They worked on a single blade with their entire being over many days, continually hitting it. Everyone who watched the footage could only say it was beautiful.

Tomoe-sama also has said the metal they use had no magic imbued into it, that would mean it was pure steel or some derivative of steel. The footage also showed other material being added to the weapon and they seem to be common materials…I cannot say much about this weapon.

This request was going to be considerably difficult.

X day X Month Sunny after a little rain.

We continued to discuss and decipher the resources she provided for us.

Fortunately, we did not get any difficult requests from Waka-sama and Mio-sama like the Two Blade Sword (apparently it is called a katana). But we did have a problem concerning the armor we were supposed to give to Waka-sama. It was due to our lack of knowledge about Waka-sama that resulted in this, we did not know that he would not wear the armor we made for warriors. Also, there was a problem regarding his magic power thus, we had to switch to mass-production to constantly replace Waka-sama’s armor. His magic power was quite immense and we had thought we had grasped the limit but sadly, that was not the case. Which was why Rugui-dono’s coat interested him greatly but when he first wore it and released a bit of magic power, it turned into tatters. Coincidentally, when he saw the garment, he felt that the armor resembled the clothing from his country. The clothing was made with extra effort and a specialized process. I also asked Waka-sama about the other matter that had been troubling us.

According to Waka-sama, it seems the nihontou is just a combination of the name of the country Waka-sama is from and the word for sword there. The actual name of the weapon is Katana. In other words, the blade is purely single blade and is not a blade that has a gimmick that allows it to become two swords.

I have also learned from him that the metal used for the blade must have different hardness. This was a process of folding the flaps* of the blade many times over. Apparently, this was a very old way of making the sword but it was enforced by Waka-sama’s country to make sure only skilled workers will forge these blades. I should take this into consideration.

Tlnote: The flaps are the blade before it is sharpened and polished. The folding is to make the blade harder and stronger, western blacksmiths in modern day do not do this to make movie katana’s because it is inefficient. Japanese enforce this way of making katana’s to keep traditional sense alive.

In addition to learning about the flaps, we also learned that the blade was thin and single edged. This would mean the blade emphasized speed and sharpness. Tomoe-sama, even though she wants one, she has told us that she had never touched the real product before, she also emphasized that we must keep the sharpness to a maximum. The length was varied among these blades, and the way to carry the blade was by a sheath attached to your waist. The long blades have the edge facing downwards, the smaller ones face upwards*. Tomoe-sama wanted a long and small one with both facing upwards. I believe I heard from Waka-sama that the smaller one is called Wakizashi.

Tlnote: The long ones facing downwards are the ones called odachi, sephiroth’s sword is impractical and does not follow this rule. The Wakizashi is a reserve blade that is used when the Katana breaks.

The handle and hilt were created separately from the blade and was made from cloth and wood. I did not understand this part entirely and there doesn’t seem to be any resource materials available to explain this part either. I wonder if they required a separate craftsman who would be specialized in this regard.

More and more I am questioning if this really is a weapon? This “katana” is too artistic to be called a weapon.

X day X month a Rainy day.

We let the young people do the forging of the Katana prototype and let the older people analyze the resources Tomoe-sama provided us with. Tomoe-sama, herself seemed to be getting impatient that we had not made any progress towards manufacturing her blade yet. Although we have the materials required to create the katana, we do not understand the technique used to make it or how to properly temper the materials.

We have tried using iron in making the prototype, but it always ends in a strange result. However, we do not give up, blacksmithing without magic is just unknown to us but in no way is it an impossibility.

I also understand why the elder had split the group up in such a way. Because it is an unknown area, the young people would be more inclined to research and experiment to figure out this technique and technology. Adapting to new techniques is something the young people do better than old people. It is a rule of thumb for our people.

The older ones using their knowledge to analyze the resources materials will allow them to have a better understand of the procedure. It will be a combined effort of both generations and us old people will let the young people have a try to solve this the old fashion way too.

However, the resource material said this weapon required an incredible amount of care after each use. How is it used in the battlefield then?

From the various shapes and forms we saw, the blade was a very precious weapon in Waka-sama’s country. I wonder if it’s just a treasure sword that has no practical use? I will try to mention this to Tomoe-sama tomorrow.

X day X month today is cloudy.

When I had mentioned that, Tomoe-sama showed us footage of the Katana being used in Waka-sama country. It was beyond our imagination.

We were shown two things, the technique called Iai and a sword style using the Katana.

We saw a man with a superb physique that would not lose to us dwarves(I think it is a half or maybe an ancestor of them). He trained with a straw doll, we first wondered if that was training for a man of his physique. But when we heard the blade taken out, the sound, it was amazing. I think I saw the blade but I am not sure, I know that I did not see when he returned the blade to the sheath. It was unbelievably fast, he slashed the doll in half and I could not see when he did that.

The elder was even at a loss for words…No, every single person here who saw that was sweating incredibly.

Waka-sama was sitting in a dojo like place, the older male from before confronted a young woman and struck with his katana. The woman blocked it and tried for a counterattack but gets struck down. This weapon is a good fit with any user it seems, it does not matter whether it is a man or woman wielding it.

From this footage, I believe I have obtained a certain understanding about the bizarre weapon that is a Katana.

The Katana is not only a weapon, but rather a style of weapon. It was sharp and quick. It seemed to be an unbalanced weapon with these two specializations. However, the Katana is a weapon that grows with the user, it is a sword and nothing more. It is more about the wielder’s ability and if he is able to bring out its full potential. If an ordinary person used it, then nothing would happen. But in the hands of a master, it becomes a weapon of epic proportions. The margin of performance is too wide for a single weapon like this.

I trembled once more.

This is the most primitive blacksmithing technique, without using any magic, just intent. The will of the craftsmen is what forges the Katana.

The handle and blade must be forged with the intent of being one, they are not merely attached to the weapon for the wielder to hold it. That is why they decorate the handle, they hope to show the personality of the sword and craftsmen.

To be able to reproduce a Katana, I wonder if we can do such a thing?

This weapon, in a way, is something even I would consider to be the ultimate form of a weapon. This weapon is a weapon made with the aim to be a human sword. This could not be comprehended in the fashion we have been studying it in, we have been thinking this a solely as a weapon, not as a combined form.

I looked around and I am sure many people have similar opinions from the gazes and stares I see.

X day X month Sunny day.

The Katana did not contain any magic powers or any spirit power, just the soul of the craftsmen. That is the reason you must keep hitting the iron.

The reproduction of the blade is not going well, we have constructed a mold which has the shape of the Katana, but this did not please her. We felt humiliated, the production of the Katana was not moving at all and the elders have been giving up one after another.

Moreover, there was accident recently that resulted in the death of a person in Asora. The accident resulted from our careless management. It was truly unbearable.

As craftsmen, we know that the things we produce were dangerous and we had to pay close attention to these dangers. No matter how much Waka-sama forgives us, it was our blunder that resulted in the death of Tomoe-sama’s split form. I swore in my heart that I will forever keep this from happening again.

X day and X month Sunny day with fine temperature.

We finally had a breakthrough.

Waka-sama visited the elders, it was a request for something.

Recently even the chief of our village has been saying he believes it to be impossible. I understood his will and intentions completely. No matter how many times I see the footage of the Iai, I do not stop sighing at the beauty. I hope that one day I can touch the real product.

Waka-sama visited us because he will be leaving the city of Tsige and will travel to the city of Rotsgard. It was a greeting for that.

However, after chief and Waka-sama discussed something, the chief’s expression turned sunny like the day.

The chief gathered everyone to see Waka-sama off. Then made a declaration, he said it is impossible for us to reproduce the blade right now.

To not rely on magical power, spirit power, or even the metal’s will. This is a technique that we have honed for more than 1000 years, thus saying we can create something without those is impossible without many years of practice and knowledge. The craftsman there have the same amount of skill as us but they have practiced and honed a different technique than us and climbed a different mountain. He declared that we must climb that mountain slowly and not rush.

But this was not the end of his speech. His words continued.

He spoke to us saying, we must make the Katana with our technique and our materials. He told Tomoe-sama that he would give her the masterpiece she wanted.

We cannot imitate the techniques right now. That is why we must use our best techniques and materials to make our “Katana”.

My body gained strength from that.

The prototype that we will make tomorrow will no doubt be a masterpiece. Even if we cannot put our souls into it like those foreign craftsmen, we have our own way of putting our souls into it.

Sharp, quick, beautiful and strong. Those were the combinations we will use to make the blade.

A family of blacksmiths like us working together, then there is no one in this world who can compete with us. Let us go all out and realize this blade.