The Great Sage Who Did not Remain in Legend - 24.2

“And now they’re suspicious of why I gave you a sword of national treasure level?”

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Actually, this sword is…”

Mergin paused for effect.

“This sword is…”

Rose’s serious face as she swallowed nervously was cute. I’ll leave it like this for a bit longer. It’s a rare chance to stare so intently at a beautiful person’s face without hesitation.

Mergin held his breath, and laughter began to rise as Rose’s face turned red.

“Buahahahaha!”

Mergin couldn’t hold back and started laughing.

“W-What’s so funny?”

“It’s because you’re seriously asking about a magic sword. I would never give away something dangerous like a magic sword.”

“Is it not? But my second eldest brother…”

“Rose calls her second eldest brother ‘second brother.’ It’s like she’s a child.”

Rose blushed deeply at Mergin’s remark.

“N-No, that’s not it. I usually say ‘second brother,’ but I just slipped out… Ahh!”

Rose flustering was also cute.

“No, ‘second brother’ is fine. That ‘second brother’ thought that sword was a magic sword. Did you feel anything?”

“N-No, it just feels very comfortable in my hand…”

“I see, you really like that sword.”

“Y-Yes. When I look at it, I can’t help but smile… Ahh.”

It’s clear how Rose feels holding the sword.

“Do you still have the sword?”

“No, I hid it in my room as I was told not to let others see it.”

“I see. Then let’s try this one.”

Mergin took out a different sword, or rather, a katana.

“A single-edged sword…”

“Yes. This one is specialized in sharpness. I had a weapon craftsman make it with great effort, but I can’t handle it well. I’d probably break it in actual combat.”

Mergin handed the katana to Rose.

“Do you feel anything?”

“Let me see… It feels like something is being absorbed…”

“Your brother probably felt the same sensation when he held that sword. Both this sword and the katana use materials that allow magic power to flow easily, so they might absorb a small amount of magic power.”

“Absorb magic power? Does that sword do that too?”

“Swords are strange. Even if the materials are the same, it’s natural that the craftsmanship varies, but it seems that the user also affects it. When Rose feels so comfortable with the sword, it’s not that the magic power flows into the sword on its own, but that you’re guiding it yourself.”

“Me using magic power?”

“Probably body enhancement magic. People who train their bodies often use it naturally without realizing it.”

“I can’t believe it…”

Mergin took Rose’s hand.

“You’ve put in so much effort. Your body should respond to that. I think the sword will be enhanced by your magic power, so it will definitely be a better sword than if used by someone else.”

“Mergin…”

“Shall we see if this katana can become like a magic sword?”

Unaware that the atmosphere had become a bit sweet between them, Mergin suggested trying an experiment with the katana.

“Like a magic sword?”

“Yes. We’ll envelop it with fire magic in the same way as ignition magic.”

Whoosh

The katana Mergin swung was enveloped in flames and traced an arc.

“Wow!”

Rose was astonished.

“It really is like a magic sword.”

“No, no. Even with this flame, it has no real effect. It might surprise the opponent or cause a slight burn. A real magic sword would burn and slice through trees even with the current amount of magic power.”

“What do you mean?”

“The sword you received and this katana only conduct magic power. In other words, it only carries the user’s power. A magic sword itself possesses power. The combination of the user’s power and the sword’s power produces tremendous force. Well, if the user has no power, the magic sword will only perform as a regular sword. Magic swords are temperamental.”

“I see… How do you know about such things?”

“I used to know a user of magic swords. They were quite remarkable. I thought I would never catch up no matter how hard I trained, so I stopped training with swords.”

“So that’s what happened.”

“Rose, are you interested in magic swords?”

“W-Well, if I could see one…”

Since Rose said that, Mergin took out a magic sword.