“It’s quite a sword, but it still can’t match the swords of the North. This one is too light.”

They touched Christa’s sword a few times before making that assessment.

“I feel the same way. Perhaps this is more of a ceremonial sword.”

“There are many good blacksmiths in the north, and they know how to make fine swords. Do you know of a steel that only comes from the north?”

“You mean the Galenoy steel? I’ve heard the rumors, since I’m a knight myself.”

Galenoy steel was a special steel found only in the north, made by a special casting method, the formula of which was a closely guarded secret.

“The craftsman who makes Galenoy steel lives in the village below Wishus Castle. He is the one who supplies our knights with their weapons.”

Christa gasped in surprise.

“You mean there is such a master here?”

Galenoy steel weapons were quite rare. Even Christa had only seen them from a distance.

Joachim had mentioned to her that there were several places where smelting can be done when she first arrived in town.

“Well, hmm. I have to go pick up some shields for the knights, so if you’re free today, why don’t you come with me?”

“You don’t think I’ll be a nuisance if I go?”

She asked, worried that she would be a nuisance. But Joachim exclaimed cheerfully and knelt down.

“It would be a great honor for me, Joachim, to have you accompany me, my dear lady!”

Christa smiled sheepishly and took his hand in hers.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome!”

Joachim jumped up and down like a puppy at the sight of its prey. Come to think of it, she’d never been down to the village before.

When she announced that she was going out, Annette pulled out a suitable coat and wrapped it around her.

“I don’t feel safe sending Joachim alone, so you’ll be accompanied by Sir Olaf.”

“Surely no harm would come to my lady on this Wishus’ estate.”

But even so, they could not go out alone. The captain of the guards, Olaf, was a man Christa had met many times at banquets.

“Very well, please.”

“This way, my lady, it is an honor to serve you.”

Thus began her tour of the village, with the captain of the guard, Olaf, Joachim, and Hilda.

* * *

It was the height of summer, but summer here was never hot. Rather, it was reminiscent of a crisp fall day. The sky was blue, a rarely seen color in Wishus.

The town was bustling with activity. Shepherds drove their flocks and fed them salt. People were washing clothes in the laundries, and the giant spinning wheels were still churning.

Occasionally, heavily laden porters wandered by, each pulling a cart of black, polished ore.

“There’s a stone ore mine nearby.”

If you dug up the ore from the mines and smelted the byproduct, you could get iron. This, he said, is the main ingredient in Galenoy steel.

“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

As they walked by the inn, the smell of grilling pork chops wafted through the air. There was a stand on the sidewalk selling strange food.

The ovens were constantly opening and closing, baking thin slices of bread. They were selling stir-fried meat and vegetables inside.

Curious about the new food, but having just eaten breakfast, Christa wasn’t that hungry. However, she was kind enough to offer a coin to the boy next to her who was salivating.

“Thank you, madam. You won’t eat?”

The sight of him slurping down the hot wheat jar was enough to fill her up. Then Olaf scolded him.

“Ah, you thoughtless brat, would our lady eat such food?”

“Oh, no, it’s just that I’m not hungry.”

She quickly waved her hand and said no, but somehow she think they got the impression that she had a picky palate. Besides, the sight of Joachim swallowing that hot bowl made her mouth water.

“Well, in that case, I’ll try a little bit of it too.”

She picked the smallest one and popped it into her mouth. The crispy outer skin and the juicy inside were quite flavorful.

“It’s delicious…….”

“Isn’t it?”

While we were eating, we arrived in front of the forge. The forge was filled with the sound of hammering.

“Sir, I’m here to pick up the order from the Knights!”

Joachim shouted. A clang, clang, clang echoed through the forge.

An old man with a tanned face walked out. Despite his age, his forearms were filled with large muscles and tendons.

“Ah, madam you’re here!”

The old man recognized Christa.

“Do you know me?”

“I saw you on the far bank when you first came to town.”

The old man welcomed her.

“I have brought her here because my lady is interested in your Galenoy steel sword.”

“Oh, you’ve come at the right time, bring it!”

The old man quickly called for his assistant and gave him instructions. After a while, he returned with something wrapped in leather.

“Not long ago, the Duke came and placed a special order.”

“The Duke?”

The assistant unwrapped the leather, revealing the hilt of a sword, still unsheathed. The distinctive wavy pattern of galenoy was revealed. It was blacker than ordinary steel, and the markings looked like ripples of some sort.

The hilt was still unattached, but she could tell just by looking at it. This is quite a sword. The old man explained the sword to her.

“This sword is a couple’s sword, forged from the greatsword of the previous Duke.”

“A couple’s sword?”

The word was quite unfamiliar.

“One of the swords that belonged to the previous Duke was called the Dragonflesh Sword. It was quite large, so I made two Bastard Swords from it. One will be yours.”

The assistant brought back the other. It was slightly larger and longer than Christa’s, but of the same shape. She wondered how large the Dragonflesh sword must have been since it was astonishing that there were two swords made out of it.

“If you can wait a little longer, I’ll come to the castle myself with this sword.”

“You’re going to…… me with this sword?”

She asked in disbelief. Ragnar had prepared this for her, and it was more gratifying than any gift she had ever received. Her heart pounded.

“Of course, the Duke was very specific in his instructions about giving it to you.”

“To me…….”

“I will forge a sword worthy of my lady.”

The old man’s voice had the edge of a craftsman.

“Galenoy steel is tricky to work with and takes a long time to make. Come to think of it, I made a dagger for you once before.”

She remembered the dagger Ragnar had gifted her.

“Do you mean the one with the poison pouch on the hilt and the grooves in the blade?”

“Yes, it was given to you as a gift. In the north, alpine peoples use such things, but I didn’t think it would be something you would use, so I wondered if he were giving it to some sage.”

She felt embarrassed again at being called a sage. She felt an unnecessary shiver run up her spine. She made a mental note to ask Ragnar about it when he returned.

* * *

Joachim and Olaf were busy loading the ordered goods onto the cart. Christa watched them and decided to walk a bit.

“It’s a couple’s sword…….”

Of course, given his wealth, a Galenoy steel sword would have been an insignificant gift. But she liked the sound of it.

A couple’s sword, one sword divided into two. Christa covered her mouth with her hand and laughed at the unfamiliar feeling.

Then someone tugged on her wrist. It happened so suddenly that she didn’t know where it came from, and she was dragged along with it. Before she could scream, a voice cut her off.

“Hi, Christa.”

A dingy alleyway, poorly lit and devoid of passersby. There he was, Prince Elio. His piercing green eyes were still dark and fresh.

Christa tried to move, but the knight who held her didn’t budge.

A cold sensation ran up her fingertips. Her eyes shifted to her left hand, still tense.

On the ring finger of her left hand was a copper ring that had belonged to her mother, though why he has it was beyond her.

“I was going to give this to you back then…….”

Christa slowly shook her head. But Elio acted first. He slowly whispered in her ear.

“You didn’t forget, did you?”

His hands were icy cold, and even as he did so, his knight was still restraining her body, so she couldn’t move at all, couldn’t make a sound. The binding force was too strong.

She quickly realized who they were. They were in plain clothes, but the way they walked, the way they carried themselves, they were well-trained soldiers.

‘Emperor’s troops in the north?’

That was all that came to mind. But it was not time yet. It was too soon. They would be safe here for at least two years.

Besides, the number of soldiers she could see was no more than a dozen at most. Not more than twenty, counting the archers up this alleyway and those aiming at it from the distance. They must be on the run rather than sending an army.