We Just Took a Tumble, That's All

This scene was simply unimaginable.

It took Tie He quite a while to calm down.

"Ahem, ahem. Sorry to make fools of ourselves in front of you."

"Let's get back to the matter at hand. Are you here to have swords forged, or to pick them up?"

Glancing at the silent Tsugikuni Iwashiro, Scribe stepped forward helplessly and answered.

"We're both here to have swords forged."

"Both?"

Catching the important point in Scribe's words, Tie He paused.

Even through the mask, Scribe could feel Tie He scrutinizing him.

"Is that so? Both of you are here to have swords forged..."

Tie He nodded thoughtfully, as though something had occurred to him.

"If that's the case, please go choose your Tamahagane. Once the swords are finished, we'll notify you."

After hearing that, Tsugikuni Iwashiro turned and left.

He truly couldn't stand the atmosphere here and wished he could leave sooner.

Seeing Scribe still standing there, Tie He asked curiously.

"Little one, do you still need something?"

"It's not really a problem."

Scribe set the backpack on his back down and slowly pulled open the zipper.

"I just wanted to know whether you accept customer-provided materials."

With that, he held up the piece of red crystal Tamahagane in both hands and took it out.

The moment the red crystal appeared, it instantly drew everyone's attention.

The room fell into a terrifying silence, broken only by the repeated sounds of people swallowing.

"What... what kind of Tamahagane is this? I've never seen anything like it before."

Tie He pulled back the right foot he had just stepped out with and strode straight toward Scribe.

"Wait... could this be the piece the Smelting Village mentioned?"

"The finest Tamahagane with the highest appraisal, produced at Sunlight Mountain Peak!"

His tone grew increasingly excited as Tie He pressed his head directly against the red crystal.

"Oh, oh, oh~"

"This feeling, this heat... oh, it's irresistible!"

Hot breaths puffed from his nostrils. Like a dirty old man who had discovered a beauty, Tie He was utterly entranced.

Tie He wasn't the only one. The other swordsmiths also noticed the red crystal Tamahagane's uniqueness.

One after another, they crowded over, intending to inspect it up close.

"Let me see it! I want to be first!"

"Get lost, get lost! I'm the first one!"

"Move aside! As long as I'm first, I'll sleep beside this Tamahagane for the rest of my life!"

For a moment, the entire room was filled with the swordsmiths' arguments.

Watching these swordsmiths descend into some unknown frenzy, Scribe coughed a few times.

"So, do you accept customer-provided materials?"

"Of course!"

Tie He let out a roar and pounded his chest hard.

"I'll devote my entire life's effort to forging the finest Nichirin Blade for you, little one!"

The other swordsmiths immediately cried out in shock.

"The village chief is going to forge it himself?!"

"My god, the last time he did so seemed to be six or seven years ago, when he forged a sword for a guest named Yoriichi."

"Village Chief, please let me take part in this forging! I'd be willing to do even the most menial work!"

Turning around, Tie He looked at the swordsmiths, all of whom were far shorter than him.

"Tie Ke, Haganezuka, Jin Shushu, and Kotetsu. You four will assist me."

The four swordsmiths whose names had been called immediately cheered, while the others drooped their heads in dejection.

"By the way, can I participate when you forge the sword?"

Scribe spoke up, expressing his desire to take part in the forging process as well.

"Little one, it's not that I'm being nosy, but sword forging truly requires a certain amount of experience."

After carefully examining Scribe, Tie He shook his head.

Scribe looked far too young. Though Tie He had no idea how he had acquired that piece of Tamahagane, sword forging had no necessary connection to one's personal strength.

"So, Village Chief Tie He, are you saying that if I have some sword-forging experience, I can participate?"

The corners of Scribe's lips rose slightly as he began reciting a string of words that only professionals could understand.

"Simply put, sword forging begins with—"

"Once the blade's shape is set, it must be placed in cold water—"

"The installation of the blade collar also has its own intricacies. It requires—"

As he spoke, Scribe walked to a corner of the room and picked up a large forging hammer and a piece of Tamahagane.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The hammer swung repeatedly, striking the Tamahagane's surface with crisp rings.

After hammering it for a while, he gripped the Tamahagane with tongs and placed it into the furnace to heat it.

Under Scribe's demonstration, the laborious and tedious process of forging seemed like art—agile and full of beauty.

The hard Tamahagane was like a toy in his hands, kneaded into shape as he pleased.

"Y-you... how do you have such skill?!"

Tie He cried out, his eyes seeming ready to burst through the confines of his mask.

"Could you be the Scribe the Smelting Village mentioned?!"

"Yep, that's me."

Openly admitting his identity, Scribe placed the forged Tamahagane into water to cool.

"Well? Does this count as having experience?"

He pulled it from the water and placed a neat, square piece of Tamahagane on the table.

"It does. More than enough."

With only one glance, Tie He judged Scribe's forging level from that piece of Tamahagane.

He was no worse than the four people Tie He had named, and was even slightly better!

Among everyone present, only Tie He himself could surpass him in forging skill.

"What a genius."

As Tie He marveled at Scribe's godlike sword-forging skills, he waved his hand.

"In that case, the forging will take place three days from now."

"We'll prepare the other materials. Someone will notify you when the time comes."

"For these three days, you and that fellow should take a good look around the village."

With that, Tie He led a large group of swordsmiths away.

Scribe shrugged and left the residence as well, returning to the temporary lodging he shared with Tsugikuni Iwashiro.

"You're back?"

Though curious why Scribe had returned so late, Tsugikuni Iwashiro wasn't particularly interested in such matters.

"Scribe, as Yoriichi's disciple, your strength must be quite impressive."

Their eyes met, and Tsugikuni Iwashiro seemed to be trying to provoke Scribe's competitive spirit.

However, Scribe's mental age was far more mature than his appearance suggested.

"Not at all. Compared to Master Yoriichi and Uncle Master, I'm still far behind."

Scribe's words were quite artful. He neither completely denied himself nor failed to praise Yoriichi and Tsugikuni Iwashiro.

But Tsugikuni Iwashiro was not someone who fell for that sort of thing.

His body became a bolt of lightning as he charged directly at Scribe.

With a hand chop, he slashed without hesitation toward Scribe's neck!

We Just Took a Tumble

Scribe tilted his head to look at Tsugikuni Iwashiro's hand chop, and a sharp gleam flashed through his eyes.

He was not the sort of person who could sit idly by after being attacked.

Since Tsugikuni Iwashiro had chosen to make a move, he had to take responsibility for the outcome!

Lowering his head, Scribe rushed forward and charged straight into Tsugikuni Iwashiro's arms.

His arm drove into Tsugikuni Iwashiro's chest, then his elbow struck hard into the soft flesh of his abdomen.

A flash of panic crossed Tsugikuni Iwashiro's eyes. He had not expected Scribe to respond to his attack in such a manner.

His planned hand chop missed, while a sharp pain shot through his abdomen.

Reacting instinctively, Tsugikuni Iwashiro staggered back a few steps and bent over to ease the impact.

Taking advantage of that brief moment while he retreated, Scribe stepped forward again and hooked his left leg around Katsumi's feet.

With a hard sweep, the still-retreating Tsugikuni Iwashiro felt as though his feet had been tied into a knot.

His body tilted left, leaving him temporarily suspended in the air and unable to find any leverage.

Not good!

Horrified, Tsugikuni Iwashiro then saw a black object rapidly growing larger before his eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, Scribe threw a left hook that smashed fiercely into his face.

Wah!

Driven by the tremendous force, Tsugikuni Iwashiro flew backward and crashed out of the house.

Although his left hand carried the sensation of a solid hit, Scribe still felt that something was wrong.

Tsugikuni Iwashiro was not someone who could be defeated with a single punch.

As expected, aside from being covered in dust, the Tsugikuni Iwashiro who had been sent flying was completely unharmed.

Scribe's heavy punch had not even left a bruise on him!

"Your fighting style is quite novel. It doesn't seem like something a person such as Yoriichi could teach."

Rolling his shoulders, Tsugikuni Iwashiro brushed the dust off himself, a faint smile of approval appearing on his face.

"Scribe, abandon Yoriichi and become my disciple."

With that, Tsugikuni Iwashiro extended his right hand toward Scribe.

Although his face and eyes were filled with sincerity, Scribe rejected him without the slightest hesitation.