These forging techniques could not send Tetsu no Sosuke's skills soaring overnight, but he could still learn from the work of others.
Tetsu no Sosuke had never intended to follow his predecessors' methods to the letter.
Progress in a craft required innovation.
Besides, the circumstances they faced were very different. Following his predecessors' path exactly might produce something that failed to meet his present needs.
Tetsu no Sosuke needed to take what was useful, discard the rest, and forge everything he had learned into something of his own.
That was the best way to handle the situation before him.
From that day on, the Hammer Hut was a hive of activity. Experiments inevitably had their setbacks. Success came alongside failure, and combining different techniques was far from smooth. He had to learn from each failure, build on that experience, and find the right path.
And all of that took time.
Another month passed in the blink of an eye. Kanae's belly grew larger by the day, and Tetsu no Sosuke no longer dared to be reckless.
In his spare time, he took walks with his wife to help her stay in good shape.
Fortunately, Kanae was already in excellent physical condition, and she continued to do well.
He spent time with Kanae every day and devoted most of the rest to forging. His efforts paid off handsomely.
The Nichirin Blades he forged had improved another step beyond what he could make before.
He did not tell Ubuyashiki Kagaya, though. Otherwise, the Pillars would probably come by one after another.
More importantly, finding just one of the nine things had already improved his abilities. If he found them all, how far could he go?
Wouldn't it be better to replace the Pillars' weapons once he reached that point?
For now, though,