NOVPUBThe sky was clear, and the clouds distant. Surrounding the solemn samurais, the King’s voice sounded as if it came from the Divine Kingdom, bearing an undeniable majesty.
Tilipi bowed his head and pursed his lips, slowly drawing a bronze sword tinged with cyan and gold from the bottom of the weapon rack. Then, he bent down and carefully lifted the Bronze Sword above his head with both hands.
"Your Majesty, this is the Bronze Sword forged from the mold made according to your blueprint! Following your instructions, I increased the tin content and added some lead during the casting process. This sword is quite sharp, capable of stabbing through Leather Armor and also slicing through Cotton Armor..."
At this point, Tilipi hesitated, wanting to say more but stopping himself. He maintained his bowed and bent position, unseen by the King.
The King extended his hand, took the Bronze Sword, and held it horizontally in front of his chest, examining it closely. According to his memory of the design, this sword was a standard Qin Sword. The blade was about an arm’s length, roughly 60 centimeters, about a finger wide, with the widest part not exceeding 6 centimeters, and the thickness around half a finger joint, approximately 1 centimeter. The hilt was about 15 centimeters long, suitable for one or both hands to grasp. The entire Qin Sword resembled a willow leaf, with eight facets, slightly thicker in the middle, and its edges emitting a chilling gleam.
"Hmm, the King of Qin swept across the realms, a tiger watching his prey!"
Xiulote was quite excited, gently touching the sharp Sword Blade, his face revealing a smile that came from the heart. Scenes of black-armored soldiers and long-range crossbows from familiar films flashed across the King’s mind, matching his current ambitions... After examining it for a moment, he smiled and said to Black Wolf Torc.
"This Qin Sword was just forged and hasn’t shown its edge yet. Black Wolf, you are my trusted aide and accustomed to battlefield slaughter, come test this sword for me!"
Toltec bowed and was eager to try. He first received the sword, testing its handle, then touched the sharp edge of the Sword Blade with his fingers and nodded. Then, with a questioning look, Black Wolfs brow furrowed and he asked,
"Your Highness, what does this ’Qin’ signify?"
"Haha! This ’Qin’ is a disciplined beast, like a surge of black wolves. ’Qin,’ like Black Wolf, is your name!"
Hearing this, Toltec showed a pleased expression. He grasped the Qin Sword and walked briskly to a wooden mannequin nearby used for weapon testing. A trusted aide had already dressed it in Leather Armor. Black Wolf held the sword with one hand, steadied himself, and then suddenly lunged forward, issuing a loud battle cry.
"Break!"
"Rip!" A brief flash of cold light passed, and the Qin Sword thrust straight forward, forcefully piercing the Leather Armor. The sharp point penetrated several inches. Satisfied, Black Wolf nodded, then pulled the Qin Sword out and held it obliquely. He stepped back, gripped the sword with both hands, took a deep breath, and then delivered a powerful slash!
"Cut!"
"Rip!" Under the tremendous force, the Qin Sword traced a fierce arc of light, where the rushing wind was almost audible. Then, blade and armor paused just briefly before smoothly slicing through, leaving a cut nearly ten centimeters long!
"Lord Black Wolf is truly valiant!"
Seeing this sharp strike, the surrounding trusted aides all praised in unison. Xiulote also smiled and nodded.
However, Toltec stood still. He repositioned the Qin Sword horizontally in his hands, his brow deeply furrowed as he meticulously inspected the stressed part of the blade.
"Eh? ... This slash just now... this feeling?..."
"Black Wolf, this Qin Sword is incomparably sharp and extraordinarily tough. I intend to use it extensively on the battlefield, what do you think?"
Xiulote beckoned, signaling Black Wolf to come closer. He smiled as he looked at his trusted aide.
"Your Highness, this sword is indeed incomparably sharp, but as for being tough... allow me to test it for you!"
Black Wolf examined the Sword Blade for a moment, then swung it through the air twice, becoming more certain of his judgment. He returned to stand before the King, raising his head to propose,
"Eh? Test the sword for me?... Okay!"
Xiulote was slightly taken aback. He raised his hand, signaling Black Wolf to proceed as he pleased.
Toltec called over a trusted aide, instructing him to hold the sword horizontally with both hands. Then, he took out his extended War Club from behind, gripped it with both hands, and raised it above his head. The valiant Black Wolf adjusted the angle of the Obsidian shards and once again burst out in a powerful yell, forcefully striking down.
"Break!"
"Clang! Crack! Clank!" The sharp Obsidian Club struck right in the middle of the Bronze Sword, the sound of metal clashing abruptly filled the air, followed by an unusually clear sound of metal breaking, and then the sound of the sword falling to the ground!
"What!"
Xiulote widened his eyes in shock. Right before his eyes, the Qin-style Bronze Sword had completely snapped in the middle, becoming utterly useless. He inspected the break closely; the fracture was quite neat, showing the dense texture of bronze, as if it had been cut by a diamond blade.
"Your Majesty, forgive me!"
Seeing this, Tilipi "thudded" to his knees. He spoke loudly in his defense.
"Your Majesty, well, this... these Alliance’s Gemstones are much sharper than the ordinary bronze of the Kingdom! Additionally, the long and thin make of the sword supplied by you, aimed at maintaining sharpness, also had too much tin added... In my opinion, the design of this Bronze Sword itself has a flaw and couldn’t be used for extended periods on the battlefield!..."
"What?!"
"Uh... Your Majesty, forgive me!..."
Xiulote abruptly turned around, glaring fiercely at Tilipi. The astounded Caster Master immediately felt cold all over, pressing his whole body to the ground, tightly shutting his mouth. His brother, Chalape, also sweated profusely, kneeling beside him. n𝚘𝚟𝚙𝚞𝚋.𝚌o𝚖
"Why would this happen?"
The young King snatched the Bronze Sword’s broken blade, inspecting it closely for a moment. The blade’s edge still emitted a cold light, but the middle of the break was slightly deformed, clearly lacking in toughness. He then took the refined War Club from Black Wolf’s hand, examined the somewhat worn Obsidian shards on it, tiny gold flecks flickering in the sunlight, dazzling and flowing.
