“Can you unsheathe the sword and look at it?”
I ask Taula, who does so silently.
The blade of the sword is dyed dark red.
“Is this…”
Taula is at a loss for words.
“I’m sorry. This is what happened when I tried to further overwrite the curse after it changed. But I managed to homogenize it, so I’ll be putting the finishing touches now. Can you keep holding the sword like you’re putting it down?”
I take out a bloody potion I prepared just for this, and open my clenched right hand. The black curse haze gathers in my fingertips.
“Rust!! Is that…!!”
Taula screams as she looks at my fingers, although she’s still holding the sword and doesn’t falter one bit.
“I’ve become able to use curses. I’m going to register the owner of this sword. When I say 《Naming》, I want you to think about the name of the sword. If you do, you will become the owner of the sword. Are you ready?”
“No, wait, hold on! What do you mean you’re able to use curses!? And I don’t have time to think of a name!”
I try not to look the flustered Taula in the eyes, as I get the tips of the fingers on my right hand wet with bloody potion, and touch the sword’s blade with them. I just have to push through.
I slide my fingers through the blade, and rewrite the magic circuit. It’s been a while since I rewrote a magic circle. I always use a 《Transcribe》 scroll to do it faster, but that won’t work this time.
The black haze from the curse and the bloody potion mix in the tip of my fingers, and it starts glowing with a pale color as it coats the blade.
I keep going and rewrite the magic circle in one go.
“Taula! 《Naming》.”
“…! Cursed Sword Poppy!”
It responds to her words, and the pale light starts shining from the blade.
The light envelops Taula’s hand that’s holding the sword, before going up and enveloping her entire body.
It looks like the registration went well. It’s the first sword produced with the power of curses and alchemy. Poppy… The flower liked by that person that was important to Taula…
“What is this? I can feel Lady Sela…”
Mumbles Taula. The light enveloping her body settles in the sword, and the dark red blade is dyed in a bluish-white color.
I can even feel some sanctity coming from its shine, although the magic circuit I wrote onto the blade is still dark red.
“Did this Lady Sela give you the sword?”
I ask while checking everything.
“Yes.”
“Curses deal with people’s thoughts, so I’m guessing there were still residual thoughts on the sword, and the strongest came to the surface.”
I’m pretty interested in this unexpected change, but hold that back.
“So, this really is Lady Sela? Ah… I avenged you. I did it Lady Sela. By my own hand, the detestable man who disgraced you in death…”
Taula says like she’s mustering up her strength to do it, as she touches the blade. Strangely, as if responding to her words, the shine keeps getting stronger and weaker.
Even from where I’m standing, that light feels like an affectionate mother consoling a crying child.
Taula stops talking, seemingly having said everything she had to say, and sits like she’s crumpling down to the ground. Tears run down her face and fall without any sign of stopping.
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