Chapter 52: Smithing Magic
The official date for Jin and the others’ housewarming party had been set—it would be held in eight days. All the guests had already been contacted, and their attendance confirmed.
After finishing his alchemy training for the day, Jin went to visit Gantz.
"Ohh, this is nice."
The weapon Gantz handed him was the custom-made polearm Jin had requested a few days ago. It wasn’t made of black iron, though. Since this was Gantz’s first time crafting such a weapon, he had started with steel to let Jin test how it felt in actual use. Based on that feedback, he’d make adjustments before producing the final version in black iron.
The blade was about the length of a short sword, thick and sturdy—clearly built for durability. The shaft was oval-shaped in cross-section, so one could tell the blade’s orientation just by holding it.
If this were a Japanese blade, it might be called a naginata, but its double-edged, western-style blade made it closer to a glaive. The details differed, but either way, the craftsmanship far exceeded Jin’s expectations.
"I made the blade thicker to prioritize toughness when you’re swinging it against monsters. And if you plan to use it as a spear too, this width and length are about the limit. Try it out in actual combat, and let me know if anything feels off."
"Yes, thank you so much!"
Jin couldn’t hide his excitement, and Gantz nodded in satisfaction.
"Still, you’re amazing, Gantz-san. The same goes for this armor—how do you even make something this incredible?"
Jin’s new weapon was entirely forged from steel, blade to handle, without a single seam. Though some parts of the grip were wrapped in leather to prevent slipping, the polearm was nearly three meters long, and yet there was no sign of any joints. He couldn’t figure out how that was even possible. The armor, too, used evenly cut and shaped plates made from processed Mad Ant carapaces—another mystery to Jin.
"What’s this? You interested in blacksmithing?"
Gantz stroked his proud beard, eyeing Jin with amusement.
"I don’t think I could ever do it myself, but yeah, I’m definitely interested."
Like many Japanese men who grew up fascinated by games and legends, Jin had always admired famous blades like the Muramasa. The craft of swordsmiths—often featured on TV documentaries—had always fascinated him. He’d never owned a sword back in his old world, but he had once bought a kitchen knife made by a traditional swordsmith. The sharpness had been outstanding; though sharpening it required professional care, it had been worth every bit of the effort.
"I see. Well then, wanna watch? I was planning to continue working on the girls’ armor anyway."
"Absolutely!"
Jin agreed immediately, following Gantz eagerly to the back workshop.
"Wow, they’re really coming along."
In front of him were what looked like the half-finished armors for Erza and Rachel. Though still incomplete, the forms were already taking shape.
"They’ll take a while yet. Anyway, I haven’t fired up the forge today, so I’ll show you something you’re probably most curious about—Forming Magic."
That was the first time Jin had ever heard the term, but Gantz spoke as if he already knew what Jin wanted to ask.
Sitting at his workbench, Gantz placed a small piece of Mad Ant Queen carapace on top and held both hands over it. As Jin watched closely, the rounded carapace began to shift and stretch, slowly transforming before his eyes—until it flattened into a smooth, evenly shaped plate identical to the ones Jin had seen used in his armor.
"How about that? This is one of the blacksmithing spells—Forming Magic."
Gantz grinned at Jin, who was too stunned to speak.
"That’s incredible."
Jin finally managed to say, his voice full of awe.
Up until now, Jin’s idea of smithing had always involved fire and hammers pounding metal—he’d never imagined it could be done through magic. But now that he’d seen it with his own eyes, it all made sense. No wonder Gantz’s work turned out so perfectly crafted.
"I can’t do any real smithing today, but I can at least show you this kind of magic. You were just touching your armor earlier, so this was what you wanted to know about, right?"
Jin could only nod. Gantz had nailed exactly what he’d been curious about.
And as he watched, Jin’s mind started racing with possibilities.
If I had the right materials, I could probably recreate some of those useful kitchen tools I remember… I’ve been wanting a grater for daikon, maybe a whisk, too. Not that I need it, but I could probably make one of those split spoons. And if I could make thin wire, I could even try making a tea strainer or a frying ladle…
His imagination ran wild—mostly with cooking tools, of course.
"I hate to burst your bubble," Gantz said with a smirk, "but it’s not like you can reshape just anything, you know?"
Jin blinked, and Gantz continued his explanation.
Materials made from magical beasts, things infused with mana, worked well with Forming Magic, since both involved manipulating mana. But ordinary metals or stones that didn’t conduct mana well were barely affected. Unless a normal material had already gone through the usual blacksmithing process, the magic would hardly do anything at all.
Even with monster materials, the effect would be weak unless the craftsman’s mana had already seeped into the item over time.
After all, not just monsters—people, too, unconsciously emit mana. That mana gradually infuses whatever they handle, and only once it’s saturated can the magic work to its full potential. The reason Gantz’s demonstration had gone so smoothly was that plenty of time had already passed since Jin had first given him the material—the two had long since become attuned to each other’s mana.
On the other hand, Jin’s armor had now spent so long with him that it was more in tune with his mana than Gantz’s. So even if Gantz cast shaping magic on it again, the effect wouldn’t be as strong as before.
That meant the spell wasn’t as versatile as Jin had imagined—certainly not something he could use offensively, like thinning out an enemy’s armor mid-battle.
Still, Jin found it fascinating. If he followed the proper steps, reproducing simple cooking tools wasn’t out of the question. The potential of this kind of magic was undeniable.
Aside from Forming Magic, Gantz explained that there were two other related spells: Repair Magic (Repair), which restored damaged weapons and armor using material of the same type, and Fusion Magic (Fusion), which could meld separately crafted parts into one—like Jin’s polearm.
Each came with its limitations, but all three were incredibly useful. Collectively, they were called Smithing Magic, and like Basic Magic, they didn’t rely on written magic script.
"That was really enlightening."
Jin said, bowing deeply after listening to Gantz’s full explanation.
"Especially Repair Magic—that’s something I’d definitely like to learn."
On long expeditions, wear and tear on gear could be life-threatening. If they happened to be near a town, they could always ask Gantz for help—but that wouldn’t always be the case. Jin could clearly see how important this skill would be for the party’s future.
"You’re right. Any top-tier party’s got at least one person who can use it. Not that it’s some kind of dwarf-exclusive trick or anything. But unless you’ve actually worked as a blacksmith, you’ll never awaken to smithing magic in the first place."
Gantz said that with a knowing look at Jin—clearly expecting what would come next.
"Gantz-san. I know it’s a bit selfish since I’m mostly interested in the magic side of things… but would you be willing to teach me blacksmithing?"
Jin was, at his core, an adventurer, not a craftsman. Like when he learned alchemy from Bean, he felt a little guilty asking a proud artisan to share their trade just for his own convenience. But he’d thought it through carefully—and decided it was worth doing.
So, instead of lying about his motives, he spoke plainly and sincerely.
"You’re after the magic more than the smithing itself, huh?"
"Yes."
Jin met Gantz’s gaze squarely as he answered.
"…Hmm, fair enough."
Gantz said after a moment.
To Jin’s surprise, he agreed immediately. Jin had been prepared to beg as many times as necessary, but instead of refusal, he got a simple nod—and the surprise hit him harder than joy.
"There are plenty of blacksmiths who’ve become adventurers—I was one myself, after all. I wouldn’t waste my time teaching some half-baked fool, but you’ve got a clear goal, so I don’t mind."
He paused, then gave Jin a mischievous grin.
"Normally, it’s not the kind of thing you can pick up while adventuring on the side… but I’ve got a feeling you might just manage it."
"Thank you so much!"
Jin bowed deeply, filled with gratitude.
And so, following his alchemy training under Bean, Jin began his blacksmithing training under Gantz.
It goes without saying that he threw himself into it with earnest focus—and unrestrained excitement.
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