Scritch, scratch, scriiitch.
In the quiet room, the only sound was a pen brushing across paper.
In Durindana's case, I had loved Hector immensely even in my original world, so I remembered all the details of the gauntlet's structure and design illustrations. Drawing up the schematics was not particularly difficult. The problem was the process of actually making it. I would have to craft the upper-arm and forearm sections separately... Should I connect them with thin chainmail to cover the entire arm? If I used iron wire, it might pinch his arm, and since he had to throw a spear, I needed to make it in a way that put as little burden on his arm movements as possible...
"Knock, knock?"
"...Yes?"
"It's time to eat."
"Why did you come all the way here, Lady Hephaestus?"
"You seemed not to have heard anyone telling you it was time to eat, so I came... Or rather, everyone else was coming out as I passed by, but you alone weren't, so I came to check on you."
She glanced over my structural drawings and blueprints, and her eyes lit up.
"So this is the Noble Phantasm you will make this time. Let's see, are the gauntlet and spear one set...?"
"Yes. To explain in advance, this spear is called Durindana. Ordinarily, its shaft can be freely adjusted in length, allowing it to be used as either a sword or a spear, but that is not especially important."
"A weapon that transcends the boundaries of sword and spear isn't important?"
"Not compared to the spear's true worth, which I am about to tell you about."
"...Its true worth?"
"This spear's other name is the Unmarred Polearm. Unmarred, as in incapable of being damaged."
"If you put it that way, then it must mean something different from mere indestructibility, correct?"
"Yes. Among us smiths, indestructibility—[Durandal]—is a Status that uses orichalcum to increase a weapon's durability and make it impossible to break, but in exchange, its relative power is lower than that of other first-class weapons."
"That's right. But the way you say it means this is different, doesn't it?"
"Yes. The name Unmarred Polearm, which this armament bears, means exactly that: something beyond mere indestructibility. Not only can it never be broken, it can never be damaged. Its sharpness, its strength, and its radiance will never change from the state it was in when first forged. And since it is not made from orichalcum, there is no chance of its power being diminished, either!"
"I see...!"
"That is why I said changing the shaft's length was not particularly important."
"With an ability like that, I suppose it might not be. Then what about this gauntlet?"
"This gauntlet is originally an auxiliary tool meant to assist with spear-throwing. When mana is poured into it and a certain keyword is spoken, it boosts from around the elbow—in other words, flames burst out and grant tremendous propulsion. I do not know its original method of manufacture or how it operates, but I should be able to manage somehow with Magic."
"But it looks as though you are stuck on the materials for this part? The materials are written down for every other section, but the glove section alone is blank."
"Yes, that part is really... At first, I considered twisting iron wire into a single fabric, but I canceled that plan because my fingers felt like they would die. Then I thought about making chainmail just for the arm, but it would catch on too many places while throwing a spear, so that would not work either. But if I use leather, there are no suitable drop items..."
Hmm... This part really is the problem... No matter how well I make the outside, if the parts touching the skin inside are bothersome, it could ruin everything at a crucial moment...
"If the problem is the inner protection and comfort, why not separately make arm guards and gloves from leather that comes as drop items? For the arm guards, make about three horizontal slits each in the upper-arm and forearm sections, so they will not split when force is applied."
"..."
"...What is it?"
I went blank.
A god really was a god... She solved a problem I had agonized over for two days so easily...
"No... I was simply struck anew by the difference between gods and humans..."
"You solved a problem I had been racking my brains over for two days the moment you heard it... As expected of your experi—"
"What did you say?"
"Experi—"
"What?"
"Your skill..."
I thought I was going to die...!
"So when is [Braver] coming?"
"He said he would make time to come on Monday... so he will be here tomorrow."
"Good heavens... You had not even finalized the design until the day before he was due to come...?"
I knew she was joking, but hearing that from Lady Hephaestus, whose skill so vastly surpassed mine, made me feel down... Time to start acting.
Slooouch...
First, I let all strength leave my body and hunch my back slightly forward.
I drew my head inward, as though tensing it and not tensing it at the same time.
Other than keeping my eyes open, I relaxed every part of my face.
I maintained a numb expression, my eyes half-lidded.
"..."
"Um... Smith...?"
"What is it?"
"Er... Um... Are you sulking?"
"It is nothing."
For the record, that was a lie. I was plotting something to tease Lady Hephaestus, so it registered as false. It just did not reveal what, exactly, I was lying about.
To her, that lie detection would look like I was pretending not to sulk when I actually was.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...I'm sorry!"
"For what?"
I removed every rise and fall from my voice as well. I also switched from my usual casual speech to a formal, stiff manner of speaking.
"..."
"..."
"I... I'm truly... sorry... Please forgive me..."
Lady Hephaestus herself... was asking me for forgiveness...?
Hehehehehe... Bwahahahahahaha!
"...Pfft."
"...?"
"Pwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"...Huh?"
"Ahahahahahahaha! Relax your face, Lady Hephaestus! Ahahahahahahaha!"
"Uh... I mean..."
That bewildered look! This was when I needed a camera!
"Ahahahaha—cough, cough—ahem... Ah, that was a satisfying laugh!"
"..."
"That was really fun! I feel so refreshed!"
"..."
"Well then, I will be off to eat now."
Look at Lady Hephaestus standing there completely dumbfounded. Hahahahahaha!
["Smithhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"]
Five minutes remained until a shout that would shake Lemnos Island erupted.
5:00.00
START