When March arrived, the trees began to swell with buds, and the early-blooming plum trees had already passed their peak.

  The Rondo village was bright with deep pink and white plum blossoms.

  A season to make the heart dance had come, yet for Sara it brought a great trial.

  The regular exercises were approaching at the end of the month.

  With thirty horses, everyone took turns riding and practiced shooting at targets two intervals away.

  First they shot once with the left hand, then switched and shot once with the right.

  They repeated this.

  For ordinary archers it was enough to simply turn the body when using the left push-hand, but when shooting from horseback, shooting to the right of the direction of travel required changing direction first.

  This was tactically disadvantageous.

  If the shooting range covered only a very narrow arc to the left, an attack from the right would leave them with no means of countering.

  They would be crushed in moments.

  That was why they also had to train the right push-hand.

  It proved extremely difficult.

  They regressed almost to the level of beginners.

  Worse still, many found that even their familiar left push-hand became unsteady.

  Perhaps because their bodies could not keep up with the new reactions, or because they had grown far too accustomed to the left, the awkwardness refused to disappear.

  Still, as they shot left and right alternately every day, at some point intuition suddenly returned, and that intuition began to work even with the unfamiliar right push-hand.

  There were individual differences, but the return was not gradual—it came all at once.

  A moment arrived when the senses in the brain seemed to connect.

  For a while it would falter again, then improve once more.

  Those moments were pure pleasure.

  The regular exercises were held on an empty plain half a day north of the capital.

  One hundred and fifty people from Rondo participated.

  The king himself was present at the main camp.

  As usual, they checked formation integrity, rapid formation changes after deployment, and coordination between units.

  After two days of training, they held a mock battle with wooden swords.

  Sara had already submitted a petition to the staff office.

  She had detailed the functions of the unit she wished to form and added that she would demonstrate the results of their training, so the performance was to take place in front of the other units.

  Because they would use arrows with heads, they were to gallop from a distance across the front of the main camp without hitting it.

  Straw bundles were lined up for the spears, and circular targets were placed left and right at two-interval intervals for the bows.

  When Sara loosed a whistling arrow in front of the main camp, the unit began to run.

  They formed three ranks with spearmen sandwiching the archers. First the spearmen swept sideways and cut down the straw bundles.

  Next the archers shot at the left-side targets while the spearmen crouched to avoid the arrows.

  Then the right-side spearmen crouched while the archers switched hands and shot to the right.

  They repeated these actions several times.

  At that moment Supreme Commander Cletus gasped.

  “They trained to switch hands and shoot?”

  “What do you mean?” the king asked.

  “Bows are normally held in the left hand. So even on horseback they shoot to the left. But they cannot shoot to the right.”

  “Indeed. If attacked from the right, they would have no response.”

  “Yes. They must have switched to the right to compensate for that.”

  “Is it easy to do?”

  “It cannot be easy. Mastering the bow already takes a long time. To shoot with either hand… how much training must they have done?”

  “So they have overcome their weakness.”

  “Yes. Mobile archers are strategically powerful. They will be able to toy with enemy cavalry. In close combat the spearmen give them sufficient fighting strength. And look at the spears they use—they were cutting through the straw bundles.”

  “They cut with spears?”

  “Yes, they swept sideways.”

  After the demonstration, thirty riders formed up neatly in front of the main camp.

  Cletus walked up to Sara.

  “So you have eliminated the weakness of mounted archers.”

  “Yes.”

  “What an idea. This tactic will certainly be useful. How large a unit do you ultimately envision?”

  “Eventually around a hundred mounted archers and between one and two hundred spearmen.”

  “Let me see the spear.”

  Sara handed him her own spear.

  It was a leaf-shaped spearhead two shaku long.

  “I see. This is essentially a long sword with a shaft. Can the shaft withstand the weight?”

  “So far none have broken.”

  “You really made something impressive… I approve the formation of the unit. For now set the unit size at one hundred. We will supply seventy additional horses, related equipment, and fodder costs. Train them well.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  “Mobile archers can become a powerful weapon. Be sure to make it a reality.”

  “Yes, Your Excellency.”

  Construction work had begun in the village.

  They needed stables for a hundred horses.

  The village chief was furious.

  Sara had forgotten to consult him.

  “Where exactly do you plan to build something like that!?”

  He was right. The foothills near the spring were covered with rice paddies stretching far into the distance; there was no land available for stables for a hundred horses.

  With no choice, Sara petitioned the provincial governor to build at the southern edge of the village.

  The ruins of the old Rondo town stood there, now decayed into wasteland.

  The governor gave immediate approval, and construction began.

  Since they were at it, they decided to turn the site into a training ground as well, so the project became far larger than expected.

  The staff office arranged the materials, and massive amounts of lumber arrived via the capital.

  The craftsmen were stunned when they saw the piles of timber.

  Those who had been caring for the arriving horses also came to help, and construction progressed while they discussed details.

  Since last year’s battle the village had changed rapidly.

  Traffic from the capital increased, all sorts of people came and went, and Riad began rotating shifts for village security.

  Clovis, who had received a sword from Sara, continued to visit the village regularly to train.

  Even when he returned to the capital he never neglected his daily practice, and the court was astonished at the change in him.

  Not only had his physique transformed, but his expression was like another person’s—his speech and bearing had become refreshingly crisp and clear.

  When he trained in the palace garden, Lucius could not possibly remain uninterested, and eventually the brothers began to spar.

  Lucius used a one-handed wooden sword; Clovis wielded a wooden blade with both hands.

  Because of the difference in reach, Clovis held the advantage, yet he was still no match for Lucius.

  He was defeated again and again, but Clovis kept challenging him.

  Rumors spread that the king had wept at the sight of the two.

  The rumor that the Rondo people had cast a spell on Prince Clovis spread like wildfire, but another rumor also spread.

  It was about Rondo weapons.

  The craftsmen who had gone to inspect the Rondo village returned to the capital and, when reporting to the king, their first words spread everywhere.

  They described the Rondo craftsmen as those who always pursued the highest quality, never compromised, and elevated weapons to the realm of fine art.

  The story spread instantly. When people heard that Clovis carried one of the blades, many soldiers and officers flocked to see it.

  At first Clovis responded politely, but their handling of the swords was so careless that he grew disgusted and stopped showing it.

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  It was Aquinas who calmed them.

  Out of kindness he told them everything he knew.

  During Clovis’s strategy training and the craftsmen’s inspection, he had provided board and lodging for a total of forty people and paid the village chief five gold coins, including instruction fees for the escorts who had joined the training saying their bodies had grown dull.

  That amount also included the price of the swords; he told those who crowded around Clovis that two swords had cost two gold coins.

  Some gave up at that price, but warriors who cared nothing for money and wealthy men flocked to the Rondo village.

  Not only that—some even tried to steal.

  Troubled by this, Riad took action.

  The first visitors were three: Aurius, Coloniaus, and Lucius.

  Each brought their own escorts, so there were suddenly not enough lodgings.

  With no choice, the escorts pitched tents and slept near the stable construction site.

  They could not possibly make the generals and the first prince sleep outdoors, so they stayed at the house where Clovis lodged.

  It was a modest house, not a place for nobles to rest.

  Still, the village chief entertained them with all his heart.

  When it came to forging the swords, Sara carefully listened to each man’s requests.

  She also explained the characteristics of the steel Rondo produced.

  Lucius wanted a double-edged sword of the same length as the one Clovis carried.

  “With a blade of that length, will you wield it with both hands?”

  “Precisely.”

  “How does Your Highness receive an enemy’s slash?”

  “I either deflect the sword or catch it on the ridge line.”

  “Is there no risk of the blade breaking if you catch it on the ridge line?”

  “There certainly is. In fact, it has broken before.”

  “Were you injured?”

  “It wasn’t a deep wound, but I did get hurt.”

  “I’m relieved it wasn’t a serious injury. With a single-edged sword, one can brace it against the elbow or knee and receive the blow on the hardened edge side, greatly reducing the risk of snapping. Yet you still desire a double-edged blade?”

  “Yes. My younger brother’s sword is beautiful, but I personally prefer a double-edged one.”

  “Then, does Your Highness ever cut using the base near the tsuba?”

  “Out of the question. I cut from the tip down to roughly the first third of the blade.”

  “In that case, how about removing the edge from the middle section all the way to the tsuba on this double-edged sword?”

  “I see. That way, I could receive strikes the same way you do. Besides, there is little meaning in putting an edge there anyway.”

  “Very well. Then let us consider the design.”

  Such exchanges continued at length.

  However, the craftsmen were already overwhelmed with weapon production and metal fittings for the stables.

  Even her brother and Adis had gone to help at the foot of the mountain.

  Their forge had a different purpose from the one at the foot: transmission and improvement of techniques.

  They tested how the weapons they made would break when used, and how to make them harder to break and cut better.

  When the forge at the foot became too busy they helped out, but usually the two immersed themselves in research.

  Some works and techniques of past master smiths had been lost, and parts of the proper methods were unknown.

  They were trying to revive them.

  But there was no helping it. Knowing they were busy, Sara decided to ask anyway.

  Adis and Aram were making spearheads at the forge at the foot of the mountain.

  When she told them the concept for the swords while they worked, Adis showed interest and turned around.

  “A double-edged long sword? Sounds interesting. Aram, can I leave this to you?”

  “It’s fine. You want to try that thing from the other day, right?”

  “Hahaha, you saw through me. Sorry, but I’m counting on you.”

  With that Adis returned to the mountain with Sara and the visitors and asked for more details.

  Width, thickness, weight, shape.

  Their request was a shape close to what the Rondo called a leaf-shaped spearhead, stretched long.

  Weight was especially important; a double-edged sword of the same length would be slightly heavier than a single-edged blade.

  Adis handed them a thick, wide blade he had made purely for destructive power and told them to try swinging it.

  Lucius said it felt just right.

  He seemed quite strong.

  Aurius and Coloniaus both said it was heavy.

  “Are all three of you happy with the same design?”

  When Adis asked, all three answered yes.

  “Understood. Then let’s get started right away.”

  Adis lit the furnace.

  While the blades were being made, the three relaxed at leisure.

  One day while watching training in the square and chatting, the topic turned to Clovis.

  Lucius said that since Clovis had begun training here he had become dignified, like a different person.

  “When we spar in the palace garden, no matter how many times I beat him he keeps challenging me. That fighting spirit must be in the blood after all.”

  “He must find it frustrating. But it has only been about two months since he started, so I think he will improve rapidly from now on.”

  “I’m really looking forward to it. I never expected him to throw himself into swordsmanship, so crossing blades with him is pure joy. By the way, if you faced a sword and a blade, how would you attack?”

  “Me with the blade, and Your Highness with the sword at your waist?”

  Lucius nodded.

  The swords commonly used in the kingdom were roughly two shaku long and double-edged.

  The Rondo blades varied, but Clovis’s was two shaku four sun; in reach alone Clovis would have the advantage.

  (*1 shaku ≈ 30.3 cm, 1 sun ≈ 3.03 cm, 1 bu ≈ 0.3 cm)

  “If it were me, I would wait for Your Highness to strike first.”

  “What? Wouldn’t you have the advantage? Why not attack?”

  “Shall we try it for a moment?”

  Sara handed him a short wooden sword and took a long one herself.

  They stood, bowed to each other, and took stances.

  Sara stepped forward with her left foot and assumed chudan.

  Lucius took a right-forward half-body stance with his right hand slightly advanced.

  Sara simply advanced slowly in chudan.

  Their tips crossed; they were at a distance where one more step would reach.

  “From here, one more step and I can hit. How about Your Highness?”

  “I can hit too.”

  “The blade lengths differ, but because Your Highness is in a half-body stance, the distance to my blade is the same.”

  “I see. That’s true. But if we strike at the same time, wouldn’t you win?”

  “If we strike straight at each other, probably. But I would also be injured. So I think first about making the opponent move.”

  “How?”

  “For example…”

  Sara slightly raised her hands, creating an opening.

  It was a position where Lucius could strike with his right hand.

  “If the opponent moves, I evade and counter. If I step to the outside I can hit the neck, abdomen, or knee.”

  Sara demonstrated her next move.

  “I see. So even if weapon lengths differ, stance can compensate. That’s why you make the opponent move first to gain the advantage.”

  “Yes. Though I think the short sword is still more difficult. I could not defeat my master with a single short sword, but my master could defeat me with a short sword even when I held a long blade.”

  “Quite interesting.”

  “Yes. With the long sword we are making now, the way of fighting will change again.”

  “I look forward to that. While we wait, will you teach me your techniques?”

  “With pleasure.”

  Aurius and Coloniaus watched the two spar with great interest.

  “By the way, have you ever swung a sword with both hands?”

  “Not never, but the grip was short and hard to hold.”

  “How about it? Shall we give it a try?”

  “Hahaha. It’s been ages since I last trained. How many years has it been since we crossed blades?”

  “At least thirty, I’d say. Hahaha.”

  Thus the hot-blooded youths and the seasoned warriors in their prime began sword training, and it continued until the day the blades were finished.

  Two weeks later, Adis came to tell them the blades were ready.

  Hearing this, the three ran like children toward the mountain forge.

  Thick hemp mats had been laid on the veranda, and three swords rested there on rolled cloth pillows.

  All three had the same shape, but two had been thinned in thickness and width to make them lighter.

  Every one was a splendid, beautiful sword.

  Temporary hilts had been attached so they could be swung.

  Each man took a sword in hand and let out a breath with a serious expression.

  “How do you get such a smooth surface?” Aurius asked.

  “It is a secret technique, but briefly: spread thin glue on paper, sprinkle finely crushed bamboo charcoal over it and let it harden. When the glue is fully dry, tear it into thumb-sized pieces, wet them, and polish the blade. That produces this shine.”

  “What an amazing technique. It’s polished so finely you can see your reflection. Why do you go to such lengths?”

  “Because that is what we want when we use it ourselves.”

  All eyes turned to Adis.

  “Put yourselves in our position. On the battlefield, with no arrows or spears left, the sword at your waist is your only hope. What kind of sword would you want? And when you have resolved to die and an enemy blade is closing in, what kind of sword would let you accept your defeat? Could you be satisfied with a sword covered in rust and nicks?”

  Everyone listened quietly to the craftsman.

  “For a warrior, a sword is his very life, and the last mercy he offers his enemy. That is what we think when we swing the hammer. We hope the blade will be handled by someone who feels the same.”

  Adis stroked his chin-beard.

  “Well, it’s just a craftsman’s selfishness. Hahaha.”

  “No, it is perfectly reasonable. Mercy to the enemy… I had never thought of it that way.”

  Coloniaus groaned.

  He had never imagined being enlightened by a craftsman.

  “You Rondo people have an interesting perspective. Even in strategy your insight is truly profound.”

  Lucius placed a hand on his chin.

  “Well, enough of the gloomy talk. Go on, try swinging them.”

  At Adis’s urging the three tested the feel of the blades.

  All were veteran warriors; their swings were magnificent.

  They murmured in approval.

  “If it’s heavy we can lighten it a little more.”

  “No problem. It’s not as heavy as I thought. Somehow it feels like the sword swings itself.”

  When Coloniaus said that, the others nodded in agreement.

  “The wide tip puts the center of gravity forward, so it’s easy to swing. If that’s how it feels, then it’s right.”

  All nodded at Adis.

  “Then let’s decide on the fittings. Tell me what kind of hilt, scabbard, metal parts, guard you want. We’ll make them exactly as you wish.”

  “I’d like to use that bamboo. It has such an elegant, antique feel.”

  Aurius said.

  “Smoked bamboo, right? The colors vary, so choose what you like.”

  Adis brought out bundles of smoked bamboo from the forge and lined them up on the veranda.

  They had been split into four and tied with string; each bundle showed a different shade.

  The depth of red varied, and some had mottled patterns.

  “One thing I’d like to ask—do you never use leather or metal scabbards?”

  Lucius asked.

  “We do not. We mainly use wood. The reason is that with a leather scabbard the blade’s steel is always in contact, so the oil used to maintain the blade is absorbed by the leather. When the oil ages it can cause rust on the blade. Metal scabbards freeze in winter and the blade sticks, so we avoid them. We make wooden scabbards so the blade floats inside. Only the metal fittings called ‘habaki’ attached to the blade touch the scabbard.”

  “So that’s why.”

  “We have done it this way for a thousand years. We know little else.”

  “A thousand years!?”

  When everyone exclaimed, Adis laughed and nodded.

  “I understand. I honestly don’t know much about design. But these swords are truly beautiful. Could you create what you think suits them according to your own sense of beauty?”

  Aurius made the request.

  “Then I’ll sketch it.”

  Adis brought thin charcoal sticks and paper from the forge and began drawing simple pictures.

  The scabbard was slender and long, following the blade’s contour; the guard end was arched, and he drew a tsuba that perfectly matched the curve.

  From there he drew a straight hilt, adding metal fittings at the pommel and base of the guard.

  Finally he added metal fittings to the tip of the scabbard and showed them.

  It was a simple shape, yet well-balanced and beautiful.

  “Oh, this looks excellent. The hilt and scabbard will be made from this bamboo?”

  Lucius’s face lit up.

  “Yes. The metal parts can have all kinds of decoration. On Sara’s blade we carved our important symbol. It is made of red copper, blackened, then only the symbol and surrounding decoration are polished back to the original color, and finally gold leaf is applied. Of course we can make them in other metals—gold or silver—but they become heavier.”

  Sara handed her own blade to Aurius.

  The three examined it closely.

  “A symbol, eh? How about this? Can you do it?”

  Aurius showed them the Regulus family crest.

  “Complex crests like this become hard to distinguish when carved small on metal fittings. So we carve such designs into the scabbard and inlay gold or silver into the grooves for a beautiful finish.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful! A splendid idea!”

  “Right, we’ll put the crest on your scabbard.”

  “Mine too.”

  “Mine as well.”

  “Understood. Leave the drawings here. We’ll carve from them.”

  Everyone nodded.

  “For the metal parts, characters are fine too. Any words you like.”

  “That might be good.”

  Aurius clapped his hands.

  “How about ‘VICTORIA MIHI’?”

  Adis grinned, twisting his mouth.

  It meant “Victory to me.”

  “Perfect! Let’s go with that! You have excellent taste.”

  Coloniaus seemed delighted.

  In this way, like excited children, they decided every detail, and the day passed in a flash.

  The fittings would clearly take far longer than the blades, yet the three men seemed to enjoy watching the work progress little by little; they spent whole days at the forge simply watching.

  Sara wondered if they had no duties, but then realized she was the same.

  When work on the fittings began, Clovis arrived at the village again and immersed himself in training.

  Several more people came with commissions, but the craftsmen had no free time and had to decline.

  The visitors looked so disappointed that the smiths promised to let them know when they had time, and the men left satisfied.

  They had already turned away more than ten people, so the forge would remain fully booked for some time.

  In its own way this was a blessing.

  The village had gained a specialty product.

  And it had earned recognition in their field of expertise.

  Sara was as happy as if it were her own achievement.

  One day, while she was checking progress at the stable construction site, three men with relaxed smiles appeared.

  Each held a finished sword.

  They were finally complete.

  Making three blades had taken a single craftsman a little over a month.

  All three looked satisfied, rejoicing that they now possessed family treasures.

  The workmanship was indeed superb and intricate.

  “Have you checked the cutting edge?”

  When she asked, they said it would be a shame to cut with them.

  Only Lucius seemed eager to try, so a test was prepared on the spot.

  Their escorts, the stable workers, and villagers gathered to watch.

  Lucius slowly drew the blade, handed the scabbard to an escort, and took stance.

  He slowly raised the sword, then let its weight carry it down diagonally.

  It was less a swing than the sword running forward while supported by his body.

  The blade passed cleanly through the straw bundle, cutting it with ridiculous ease.

  The sharpness was terrifying.

  “What an incredible sword…”

  Lucius stood frozen in astonishment for a while.

  He raised it again and brought it down once more.

  A clean cut with no wasted force.

  After the downward stroke, his grip was firm and the tip stopped perfectly.

  If the grip was loose the tip would not stop and would cut into the ground; if too tight, excess force would make the edge waver.

  The blade is made to cut, yet it is always the human heart that interferes.

  “This is a magnificent sword. I am grateful.”

  He praised the craftsmen of the village.

  Adis also looked satisfied.

  Then, waving regretfully, the three returned to the capital.

  In the capital, Lucius wore his sword at his waist wherever he went, while Aurius and Coloniaus displayed theirs in the center of their sitting rooms.

  Each cherished his one-of-a-kind sword in the world.

  Lucius had been especially taken with Adis’s words; the phrase he chose was “GLADIUS VITA MEA”—“The sword is my life.” palace garden