Morning light had barely pierced the mist over the Swordsmith Village when the swordsmiths got hard to work. Ever since the Sapphire Star had resolved the crisis at the Sunshine Mountain Ore Vein, their workload seemed to have multiplied...
The swordsmen's casualty rate had certainly dropped, but their weapons were breaking far more often. Every swordsmith had lost a considerable amount of weight, and their masks could barely hide the exhaustion on their faces.
The Sapphire Star crouched in front of the swordsmith responsible for Giyu Tomioka's blade, holding a Namielle Hardclaw that gleamed deep blue in both hands. The watery sheen flowing over its scales captivated the swordsmith beside her, though he also seemed a little angry.
"I knocked this thing off Namielle. There are plenty of other materials too-its hide, scales, and so on..." The Sapphire Star tapped the scales with her fingertips, producing a clear, metallic ring.
"It's tough and sturdy, and it even has an innate water element. Seems perfect for that mute..." Before the Sapphire Star could finish, the swordsmith snatched the scale away, his eyes bulging in the firelight.
"Quit talking out of your ass! I've been forging for fifty years, and I've never seen material this freakish!" He grabbed a hammer and struck the scale. Sparks flew, but the blow didn't leave so much as a pale mark on its surface. Instead, the recoil numbed the web of his hand.
"See that? I can't hammer it, and I can't melt it. I've nearly blown out the bellows! Tell me, what am I supposed to do with these materials?"
The Sapphire Star raised an eyebrow and took out another Dragon Scale. "That doesn't sound right. The smiths back home could work it in a couple of blows. Maybe it's time you replaced that lousy