RECOLLECTION OF A BLACKSMITH
Oh, that won’t survive long.
Such were Tsubaki’s thoughts when she saw Aiz for the first time.
It was before she had even heard about the girl from Gareth. At that time, Tsubaki didn’t know who Aiz was. She had just descended into the upper levels of the Dungeon to break in a new weapon she’d forged when she spotted Aiz turning a horde of monsters into mincemeat. Blood had stained her face, cuts and bruises had marred her fair skin, and the eyes of her doll-like face had been burned with what seemed like black fire. To a smith like Tsubaki, the girl looked like a sword—no different from one of the many lifeless killing tools her forge produced. The girl had seen herself as a weapon, a blade to be abused until it broke. How long could a blade last under those conditions? That was the first thing Tsubaki thought.
And that was why her first words to the girl were “If you want to break a sword, why not try the one in your hands first?”
However, the next time Tsubaki saw the girl, she noticed something different.
Oh?
Aiz still spent her days ruthlessly slaughtering monsters. She still saw herself as nothing more than a sword. Only now, she was not nearly as reckless as before. It was a subtle change, but to Tsubaki’s one good eye, it was a noticeable one.
When the battle was over, Aiz waddled over to her high-elf guardian and meekly allowed her blood-soaked face to be washed. It was an expression Tsubaki never expected to see the Doll Princess make.
“…Erm, excuse me…”
Then a few days later in Tsubaki’s workshop, they met again. At Gareth’s urging, Tsubaki presumed.
“Hm? Back again? I told you I ain’t makin’ you a weapon.”
However, the golden-haired, golden-eyed girl shook her head.
“I don’t want…a sword,” she said. “I want…a hairpin.”
Aiz stared at the ground, her cheeks softly reddening.
“…Is it for somebody?” Tsubaki asked.
“N-no…It’s for me…” replied Aiz in a feeble voice. “My hair’s getting longer…and it’s getting in the way…”
Tsubaki smiled. “Very well,” she said. “I’ll make it. I won’t ask for payment, either; you’ve got me interested now.”
Aiz was surprised to hear that, but Tsubaki immediately set about crafting the ornament in her spare time. She pictured something that would pair well with the jade-green hair of the girl’s high-elf guardian, when the two were seen standing side by side from the back.
Maybe that sword wasn’t about to break after all.
Maybe one day, that sword would find its sheath.
And maybe, just maybe, the girl was changing. The blacksmith smiled and returned her focus to her work.
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