Can we really find the sword in a place with no trace of it left at all? Allen wondered, but in the end, his concern proved unwarranted.
Without the slightest hesitation, Noel walked a short distance ahead, stopped, and said, “I think it’s here.”
She spoke with an air of certainty despite her words. Her face, fixed on the ground, left no room for doubt.
“Here? I don’t see any markers, and it looks no different from anywhere else. Why do you think so?” asked Anriette.
“Because there used to be a forge here. If she buried a sword, I’m sure it would be where the forge once stood.”
“There was a forge here? You can tell?”
“As expected, huh?”
As Anriette had pointed out, there was nothing about this spot that set it apart from the rest. Anyone could guess the sword might be hidden at the forge, but how Noel had even identified the location was another matter entirely.
“It’s nothing to praise. I may have only lived here for less than a year, but it was still home,” Noel explained.
“That may be so, but honestly, if you asked me to do the same, I couldn’t,” said Anriette.
“Same here,” Allen agreed, but Noel wore an unreadable expression, so he kept quiet beyond that. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at the spot she’d indicated. “Yeah, there’s something here.”
“You can tell?” Anriette asked.
“I don’t see anything.”
“I didn’t see anything either. That’s not why I said it...”
“Well, it’s just a hunch.” He hadn’t used his skills, so there was no certainty. Still, there was something—something he could feel. If he did use his skills, it would become clear, but Allen wasn’t about to expose himself like that yet. “Anyway, if we dig, we’ll know for sure.”
“True. But how?”
“Now that you mention it, we don’t have tools to dig... Don’t tell me, we have to dig with our bare hands?” Anriette said, shocked.
“What else? Don’t worry. I’ll do the digging,” said Noel.
“No, I accepted this request. I should be the one to do it,” Allen protested.
Noel had only come along as a guide. Logically, he should be the one to dig.
“It’s fine. Let me do it.” She stared straight at him. Clearly, she had her reasons. Allen felt it was his responsibility, but he wasn’t particularly attached to the task. If she wanted to, there was no harm in letting her.
“If you insist. But what about tools?” he replied.
“No need. I told you. My hands will do.”
“The ground doesn’t look too hard, but not that soft either,” said Anriette.
“Looks diggable, but tough.” Mylène tested it with her toe.
But Noel wasn’t backing down. With a shrug, she sat down right at the spot she had indicated. “It’s fine. Dwarves are good at digging, you know. I watched them often.”
With that, she drove her fingers into the ground and began. She wasn’t bluffing. The motion was smooth, and the hole widened quickly. Her eyes glimmered faintly, as if she could already see what lay below.
Before long, the hole was deep enough for her whole arm, and Allen was thinking Noel would need to widen it when she suddenly froze. Her brow furrowed, as if she was hesitating, but only for a moment. The next instant, her arm thrust deeper, her grip tightened, and when she drew it back, she was holding something.
“Is that...?” asked Allen.
“I think so. It’s not like she’d bury two of them,” said Anriette.
“That would be annoying for sure,” muttered Mylène.
“And if there were, could you tell which one was the real one?” Anriette gestured at what Noel held. It was wrapped in cloth, so they couldn’t see the sword. But surely nothing else would have been buried there, and from its silhouette, it could only be a blade. Still, was it truly the sword they sought?
Noel shook her head. “I can’t say for certain. Even when I compared her pieces before, I couldn’t tell them apart.”
“They all looked the same?”
“Yes and no. I had no memory and was nothing more than a rookie, but even so, I knew every single one was extraordinary.”
“That’s what you’d expect of a master smith.”
“And besides, it might not mean ‘masterpiece’ in the literal sense.”
“Ah...I see.”
Noel had once explained that for a smith, there was no such thing as a final masterpiece. Every blade was an attempt at the best, and as soon as it was complete, they were already thinking of making something greater. So, in truth, “masterpiece” was an unattainable ideal.
“But still, if she was a true master, isn’t it possible she had a genuine magnum opus?” asked Allen.
“Yes, I suppose so, which is why I can’t say for sure,” replied Noel.
“Something forged by a smith of that level... You’d think you’d recognize it at a glance. But maybe what looks like the greatest to us actually isn’t,” Anriette chimed in.
“That’s tricky,” murmured Mylène.
“Very. But honestly, Noel, you don’t really believe that,” Allen said.
“What do you mean? I’m not lying.”
“I know you’re not.”
Allen had noticed something. Her words were true, but at the same time, he was sure they were superficial. “You do believe this is the one. Don’t you?”
“I have no proof. Just a hunch,” she admitted.
“Then that’s enough. You found it in one try. I see no reason to doubt you.”
“Agreed. Whatever Noel believes, I’ll believe too,” added Mylène.
Allen had no objection either. Noel knew more about Vanessa than any of them. If she was convinced, that was enough.
“Maybe we should check what’s inside,” he suggested.
“No need.”
“If it turns out it’s not even a sword, that’d be embarrassing. But you can tell it’s a blade, at least, right?” said Anriette.
“Of course. So it’s fine.”
“All right, then. If you all say so, I’ll stop,” Allen conceded.
Noel averted her eyes, as if embarrassed. Allen and the others exchanged a smile. Noticing, Noel shot them a glare, then thrust the bundle at Allen to hide her flustered state.
“Here. This is what you came for, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yeah. Thanks.” Allen accepted it. Even wrapped, he could tell it was a sword. He narrowed his eyes, but without unwrapping it, he couldn’t be sure it was the one. Still, if Noel was certain, there was no need. All that was left was to bring it back.
But first, there was one question.
“So, now that we’ve got it...what will you do?” he asked.
Would Noel return to the Elven Forest or go to the kingdom? She lowered her eyes briefly, then looked back at him with determination.
“I’ve decided. I’ll go to the kingdom again.”
“Are you sure about that?” asked Mylène.
“Yes. I know it may not be wise, but I feel I have to. No, I want to. It’s selfish, and I’ll cause trouble, but I’ve chosen. I will go.”
“Well, if you’re prepared, that’s fine. Doesn’t concern me,” said Anriette offhandedly.
“If that’s your choice, I’ll support it. I’ll go with you,” said Mylène.
Noel’s determination was clear. Allen had nothing more to say.
“I see. Then that settles it. Honestly, even though you’re worried...we’ll manage somehow.”