第１７６４堀：鍛冶屋としての意見 (Part1)
### Chapter 1764: A Blacksmith’s Perspective
**Side: Firia**
"We have arrived!"
"We’re here!"
Firia and Aslin had come to the northern town at the summons of Tori and Stasia. Well, in truth, Firia had already been stationed here for matters regarding monster surveys and supply management, so her arrival had been instantaneous.
"Glad you both could make it."
"We’ve been waiting for you."
The two of them were waiting for us. Under normal circumstances, a general wouldn't have the luxury of such downtime, but since the prisoners of war were still full of vitality, they couldn't make any major moves just yet. As for the expansion toward the south, the details still needed to be finalized with the higher-ups, so Firia and Aslin were currently just in a state of preparation. In a sense, this was a way to kill time.
"So, what is it you wanted us to examine?"
"Yes. We are currently verifying the supplies seized from the enemy. I thought it best to rely on Firia and Aslin when it comes to the weaponry."
"I see. When it comes to the quality of weapons, Firia is the expert."
"And when it comes to the monster materials used, that would be me—though I’m not sure if there are any here."
"I’m counting on you both."
With that, I immediately picked up a sword placed before me. It was a single-handed sword, but...
"Hmm, this isn't very good."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The quality is poor. Stasia, you should be able to tell, too. Look."
When I handed the sword to Stasia, she immediately frowned upon taking it.
"...I see. The balance is a complete mess. Was this made by an amateur?"
"I couldn't say. Perhaps it’s the manufacturing style of this continent... no, that’s not it. These few over here are somewhat decent."
The balance of the next sword I picked up was better than the last. Stasia, having picked up the next one in turn, widened her eyes.
"You’re right. The first one was..."
"Likely a failed attempt, or something of that nature. I suspect they were just gathered up haphazardly."
"Indeed. The army is over ten thousand strong. Even if the conscription was handled locally, they would have bought arms for their direct subordinates, but they aren't all from the same smithy."
"Exactly. There’s no mass production or standardization here. If you look closely, the maker’s marks are all different."
As Stasia noted, even if there were only a few hundred direct soldiers, a small smithy couldn't possibly supply all of them. Even a large smithy has its limits. They hadn't implemented standardization like Brother does, and no matter how hard they tried, they simply lacked the time. There was no way they could have been warned about this war in advance; they must have been scrambling to collect whatever they could.
Looking at the base of the blade near the hilt, I could see the engravings—the maker's marks. Since they varied, it was clear they had been forged by different smiths.
"I see. Indeed, the poorly balanced swords all share the same mark."
"I can't tell if they made these thinking they were good enough, or if they were the work of an apprentice. If they were all made with the same poor balance, it would be intentional, but..."
"No, this certainly isn't intentional. What do you think, Tori?"
Stasia handed the poorly balanced sword to Tori. Tori made a similar grimace, and after checking a second one, she immediately spoke.
"Yeah, this is just a failed piece. The balance is different on both of them. What about the third?"
"Here it is. Well, with this much variation, it’s definitely a failure. I thought it might be a kukri, but it’s not."
"Does it... look like one? I don't think so. Well, if the third one is like this, it’s a failure too. Or perhaps Weed is just the anomaly here?"
"That is certainly true."
"I can't deny that. Still, even if it is a failure, you can tell they were aiming for the shape they wanted to create."
In my hand was a fourth botched piece, but it was closer to a proper shape than the previous three.
"That looks a bit like the first sword you ever made, Firia."
Aslin, who had wandered over to my side, said this, and I was suddenly reminded of those days. I had asked Narjia to let me use the forge, and I had made a clumsy sword from start to finish—selecting the iron, the wood for the hilt, and even the leather. While it was clear that my current craftsmanship was far superior, I understood the sentiment poured into these blades. I could see the effort, the sweat, and the desire to create something, even if just a little, better.
"Maybe so. Someone who hates blacksmithing wouldn't work this hard."
"True. It’s gradually getting better. That’s proof of their effort. Still... I doubt they were paid very well for it."
"That’s true. To get paid properly for this level of work... especially with a war commission, they probably only got the cost of materials plus a small markup."
"I wonder if the person who made this is getting enough to eat?"
"It’s hard to say. Well, they likely had goods to sell to the public, and the war created demand for things like arrowheads, so..."
"I hope they’re managing to scrape by."
Stasia responded to my speculation about the current state of the smiths. Well, since they are craftsmen with their own forges, I don't think they’d starve to death so easily, but... that all depends on the environment they’re working in.
"Anyway, putting that aside, what is your assessment of these as weapons? And how do they compare to the types seen in the Intercontinental Alliance?"
"Oh, right. Looking at the types, it’s a standard mix, primarily spears and bows. The presence of axes and swords suggests they aren't just preparing for people, but for monsters as well. In that regard, there is no difference from the Intercontinental Alliance."
Indeed, the weapons shown to us were nothing out of the ordinary; they were the same types used within the Intercontinental Alliance. The quality differed, but that couldn't be helped. Their ironworking technology was different, after all.
"True. Since there are so many weapons designed for monsters, it might be true that monsters appear in the north as well."
"Yeah. Thick-bladed weapons are meant to pierce through fur and tough hides, after all."
"It’s fatal if your weapons don't work and you don't have a mage."
"Is that how it is?"
Stasia seemed unfamiliar with the concept, as there were basically no wild monsters in the Haiden region. After all, standard weaponry is usually sufficient for most monsters.