“Hmm. This is...phenomenal.” Though he wasn’t a master to me or anything, my current teacher in the Fusou style of blacksmithing, Old Saku, breathed a sigh of admiration. He was holding a two-handed sword called a flamberge that I had just finished.
Flamberges were rather large swords, and this one was no exception. But despite its significant weight, Old Saku didn’t waver in the slightest as he lifted the blade to inspect it.
“My master taught me that it was a kind of sword born from the image of a flame. The wavelike blade makes it more difficult to stop the bleeding of wounds it inflicts, making it quite deadly too.”
Old Saku nodded at my explanation. A slash from a flamberge meant that, even if the cut wasn’t immediately fatal, it was typically only a matter of time. Even with medical attention, the wounds it inflicted were difficult to treat, quickly leading to infection and sickness that would take the victim’s life.
Yes, the flamberge was a weapon designed specifically to kill people. So its wavelike blade would likely be effective against oni as well.
“What a terrifying trick. Even so...or perhaps because of that, the wave in the blade is quite beautiful. You’ve shown me something incredible here,” he said, bowing deeply to me. He always reacted the same way, showing me the utmost respect and showering me with praise.
That made me want to share even more with him. Of course, part of that was also because he was teaching me about blacksmithing here in Fusou, particularly how to forge the katana they used.
Our little cultural exchange was proceeding smoothly. I showed him some regular swords and spears as well, but what really captured his interest were unique and unconventional weapons, like this flamberge, halberds, and shotels.
A halberd was at once a spear, a long-handled axe, and a claw ideal for tearing riders from their saddles. A shotel was a sharply curved sword, designed to strike around shields, but was also capable of lightning-fast counterattacks, and the hooklike shape could be used to catch and pull opponents.
I was sure Old Saku was analyzing these unique traits and considering how to incorporate them into local weapon designs. It was very much in keeping with the culture in Fusou as I had learned it.
However, at the same time, it would likely be extremely difficult, far more than it would be for me to learn how to make a katana. Things would be different if he had been younger, but at his age, it would be hard to expect any new project of his to come to fruition before his life span caught up to him.
But even so, every new thing I showed him filled his face with wonder and delight. I imagined he hadn’t thought of completing these new weapons himself from the beginning. He wanted to pass down what I taught him to his own students. Even if it took them decades, if they eventually made something useful for their war against the oni, that would be enough. That was why he was trying to draw as much out of me as he could.
He was very different from Old Gon, but still a very strong person in his own way. There were a lot of people like that here in Fusou, and not just among the humans. The same went for the merfolk and skyfolk.
As I started regularly visiting the forge, I came into contact with the other races more frequently. People looking for higher quality weapons were recommended to this forge, much more commonly than people who came to browse. Of course some of those visitors were humans, but merfolk and skyfolk came too.
I understood when it came to humans and skyfolk, who were fighting the oni directly, but I didn’t understand why the merfolk were in need of high-quality weapons. Upon asking them, I learned that while the merfolk did take a more logistical role in the war, they still needed weapons to protect their cargo from monsters that inhabited the sea. That’s why they were after good weaponry, they said.
It was kind of a stupid question in hindsight, and fairly rude too, but the merfolk I spoke with were very understanding and helpful. Of course, once I realized how rude I had been, I immediately apologized. But the merfolk had simply laughed, saying there was no point in getting upset over people on land misunderstanding the common sense of the sea, especially since I was willing to learn. They even told me how delicious the meat from sea monsters could be, and how valuable the materials you could harvest from them were.
I also encountered a rather famous warrior among the skyfolk; he was surprisingly sociable as well. As proud and accomplished as he was, it didn’t seem to have gone to his head in the least. When I asked him about it, he replied that of course he had full confidence in his abilities, and was quite proud of what he had accomplished, but that didn’t mean he could forget to have respect for those around him.
In simple terms, among those living in the cities were quite a few veterans who had served and survived deployments to the war’s front lines. Acting arrogant and puffed up in front of people like them would be more embarrassing than anything. Even besides those veterans, the front lines were only able to hold thanks to the support of everybody behind them, so it was impossible to treat them as lesser.
One thing I felt the merfolk and skyfolk had in common was their tolerance and respect for others. I doubted that went for every single member of their races, but at the very least it seemed the merfolk and skyfolk of Fusou, living in cooperation with multiple other races, fostered that attitude among their people.
Maybe that was all because they had a single common foe...but perhaps that common foe only brought out what was already one of their great strengths.