Side Story 129: A Certain Blacksmith's Story (3)

The weapon Zeno had in mind was a double-headed spear. It had spearheads at both ends of its shaft, making it, by ordinary reckoning, rather impractical for actual combat.

However, he thought that a two-handed fighter like Thor—especially an unusual fellow like him—might perhaps be able to master it.

Even so, Zeno honestly suspected that Thor was making up at least half of what he said.

Among those engaged in rough work like soldiering, there were quite a few people who made grandiose boasts.

Still, Thor had been introduced by Bekstadt, and Zeno rarely had a chance to forge something like a double-headed spear, so he set aside his concerns and made the weapon for Thor.

As it turned out, Thor really had been privately selected as a knight commander. When the season he had mentioned arrived, word reached Zeno that Thor=Di=Solrugia had become the new commander of the Seventh Knight Order.

At the same time, Thor's favored double-headed spear attracted attention. It was a weapon that few could handle unless they were exceptionally dexterous. As a result, many people were seeing one for the first time, and it apparently became a minor topic of conversation: "What is that weapon?"

As a result, Zeno came to be known as Ruden's master smith—the craftsman who had forged weapons for two knight commanders—and found himself living a busy life.

Bekstadt and Thor came together to visit Zeno on the very day he had intended to finish up work for the year.

Though Ruden lay in southern Rudek, its location along the mountains meant it received relatively heavy snowfall. A thin layer of snow dotted the road with military horses' hoofprints...