Hard Work Will Never Betray Me

--So that's how I  learn  this whole thing, and that's how i ended up able to use  robe

"Eberhard. What are you muttering  by yourself ?　Sit down quickly.'

　I was standing in front of the  dinner table. I was reminiscing about my rigorous training over the past few years, and to the  from the side , I looked like a vague, ill-bred heires

"Oh, no, I was just thinking."

　The training was literally painful to the point of hell , but thanks to it, I am now able to live happily. I was successfully  finished that training , and the father officially told  me that  I could be free for about three years before entered the Imperial Academy of Magic at the age of fifteen.

　I have memories of my previous life, and I'm almost up to the academy's passing standards in all but history, philosophy, mathematics, and magic, which are all considered liberal arts for nobles. It's not that difficult to learn history, and I'm the only one who can successfully learning  magic.

　In addition, my fighting ability now surpasses my father's ( though just barely ). I had done everything I needed to do academically, and now that I didn't have to worry about my strength, I was considered to be able to handle anything that came my way, and as a result, I was quite free.

"Let's  eat .

""Yes!""

　My younger siblings were enjoying themselves. When I saw them, I naturally felt happy too. I hadn't had much luck with such feelings in my previous life, so it was a strange feeling.

　　　　　✳︎

The next day, I changed into the rough clothes I wear when I  working as an adventurer, and headed to Mei's parents' house, the Arendal Workshop.

　Mei used to be an indoor person, but recently she started to come along with  my adventuring activities, carrying her own weapons. According to her, "I want to collect excellent materials by seeing them with my own eyes. That's why Mei  herself doesn't have to fight much. Basically, I do the fighting and she does the appraising and collecting. However, I thought it would be inappropriate to be unarmed, so I armed myself.

"Hal ,  I'm almost ready to go. Please wait for me out front.

"Yes.

　We communicate with each other using a pendant with a communication function. Thanks to this magic tool, we can live a convenient life like modern people without having to set a detailed meeting place or time. 

"Hello.

"It's been a while."

　When I arrived at the Arendelle workshop, Mei  was waiting for me with a small backpack on her back and a gun that was placed  around her waist. She was dressed in a shirt and chinos, looking like something out of a western movie.

"How's the R&D going?"

It's finally settled,"  I have something for you, Hal.'

"What?""

　Mei  is an adventurer ......, or rather an adventurer's comrade and a smith, but she does not always balance the two on a regular basis. It's more accurate to say that  she  alternate between accompanying me in my research and collecting, and using the results of  research and development in my workshop.

　And this time, the research and development period has just ended. So I invited her  to join me on  my adventure .

"I didn't expect that the research to draw out the mysterious power of orichalcon would take so long. , but now I've finally found a way to put it to practical use. And this is the new  weapon that contains the orichalcon, the "Magic Sword Raikiri.

"Raikiri ....... I don't know how you  lern that name, .......

"That's a nostalgic word."

Raikiri. Needless to say, it is the famous sword "Raikiri" in Japan. A long time ago, Mei had seen me slashing monsters  with saying "Raikiri!"  with magical power on the branches I picked up around  area, but that event influenced this naming. I saw it. ...... I It's an embarrassing memory now, but Mei has brilliantly  healed the wound.

"So, you're using orichalcone, right?　What special effects does it have?"

　It's not just a hard metal. If you are looking for hardness, there is a metal called adamantite that is much harder than iron. It's a lot cheaper to use adamantite (which is still expensive) than to use orichalcone, which is more expensive .

　So why use orichalcone? The reason was that orichalcone is a metal that possesses a very rare power.

　In fact, artifacts such as holy swords and treasures that appear in founding myths are all made of orichalcon. Even if they are not  , msde  with pure orichalcone, some of them always contain orichalcone.

　Since orichalcon has a mysterious power, weapons that contain orichalcon have special abilities. What these special abilities are depends on the time, occasion, and user, and cannot be defined in general. According to some theories, it is said that they are sensitive to the user's magical power or will and manifest mysterious properties.

　In any case, it's a fiction that doesn't go beyond the realm of legend, and since it's so valuable, there's no way it could be used for experiments, and the truth has been in the dark for the past few hundred years.

　However, the situation changed drastically six years ago when I discovered a large amount of Mithril and Orihalcon in the Lantern Ruins in  north of Heitburg. A massive ingot of orichalcone, considered to be one of the largest in the history of the Imperial Kingdom.I've got 50 percent of the rights, and I'm letting the genius blacksmith Meir Arendahl do the research with the help of money, power, and connections.

Strictly speaking, it is more correct to say that I approved the research because I was afraid that Mei would resent me if I didn't let her do the research, which she was very interested in.But as an aristocrat and a member of the upper class, I have a reputation to uphold, and to the outside world, I was the one who asked Mei to do the research.

　But let's leave the politics aside. In Mei's hands, most miracles are not miracles at all. I'm sure she'll be able to handle a mythical metal as normal.

"No, it took me a long time  I didn't expect it to take so many years. ...... But it's really powerful!　Hal, please try pouring some magic power into this as e. Maybe something interesting will happen. .

"Ah, yes. Let's see.

　I took the sword he handed me and pulled it out of its sheath. I'm not sure  iif that mythical weapon  cal weapon, but you never know if it's actually mythical until you try it.

"Then I'll let the magic flow through."

"Oh, wait a minute."

　Then Mei hides behind me.

"That's enough.

"Mei  ......"

　It's no use. She's a non-combatant.. Her technical skills are far from those of a normal person, but her physical strength is unmistakably that of a normal person.

"Okay, here we go. ...... Ohh."

As expected, it is a mythical metal. When I  tried to shed magical power, i  was absorbed more and more magical power. If it is a human with little magical power, a huge amount of magical power will be absorbed at such a high speed that it will instantly fall into magical power deficiency.

　I continued to let the magic flow for a few seconds, and eventually the absorption of magic power subsided with a pale mechanical line running down the blade.

"Is this ...... activated?

"Yes, I'm pretty sure it did. Hal, give it a try and see if it works."

"Is it safe?　Will it explode or something?"

"Probably not, Hal."

"Probably?

"From the looks  I don't think this is the kind of thing that would explode with great force. It's more like a silent, terrifying presence."

"...... Mmm."

　I gave it a fearful shake, but nothing happened. I swung and swung again, but there was no sign of anything happening.

"Is ............ failed "

" Hal, try slashing it.

"It's ......?　It's steel, of course it's impossible!

　Mei showed us a lump of iron that seemed to be at least 50 centimeters thick. It was a steel ingot, a very hard steel ingot used in the forging of swords.

"I don't think it will break, but won't it cut?"

"I don't know, but if the power of the orichalcone is real, it will cut.

"Hmm, well, let's give it a try. ."

　--Snap!

"What?"

"You  was able to cut it.'

　--Spat.

"...... has no resistance at all."

"Excellent ."

　Mei handed me the "Magic Sword Raikiri". The weapon boasted a monstrous performance that could slice through a 50cm steel ingot without any trouble.