"Leave her here," the swordsmith repeated, his tone unyielding.
"...Me?" Nina-chan echoed, her voice barely above a whisper as she looked at the old man, visibly unsettled.
The swordsmith simply grinned, unfazed by her reaction, and continued.
"Yes, that's the deal. I don't need money—just leave the girl here."
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, the first of us to question him.
The meaning behind his words was completely lost on me.
"Exactly what I said," he replied with a gruff chuckle. "I'll forge your sword, but you'll need to pay the price. Labor doesn't come for free, after all. You understand that much, don't you?"
"...Yes," I nodded reluctantly, feeling cornered. The concept of paying for labor wasn't foreign to me; even in my previous life, I'd worked and understood the need for compensation. No one could work for nothing.
"But like I said, I don't need money," he continued, shaking his head. "I'm not long for this world, and even if I had a lot of money, I wouldn't be able to use it."
I took a long look at the old man from head to toe. His clothes were worn and tattered, his footwear no more than a pair of frayed sandals, and his workshop was cluttered with old, battered tools.
He hardly looked wealthy.
Since my rebirth, I'd seen plenty of wealthy people, like my own family, Aya-chan's family, Nina-chan's family, and of course, the Kamina-zuki clan. Compared to them, this elderly smith didn't look like someone with much money.
And yet, his demeanor felt genuine. It was hard to imagine he was lying about any of this.
But then again, this man was one of the few swordsmiths in the world who could forge you-tou, cursed swords. The clients he served were elite exorcists who possessed the powerful treasures required for such weapons. In that sense, he probably really didn't care much for money.
Still, that wasn't the point.
"So, because you don't need money, you want Nina-chan instead?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Why?"
"Don't ask questions. The refusal to question is part of the price I'm asking for."
The old man's face twisted into a smug smile, as if he was savoring my resistance. His attitude irritated me, as though he was mocking me.
Behind me, Nina-chan spoke up, her voice trembling.
"...Does that mean I'll be separated from Itsuki?"
"Of course. You'd be staying here," he confirmed with a nod.
At that, Irena-san's voice cut through sharply from behind us.
"There's no way I'm agreeing to this!"
"Hmm?"
"...And what happened?"
"The sun rewound three finger widths in the sky," he said, leaving my father stunned.
My father fell silent, seemingly processing the truth of the old man's words and the implications of what you-tou could truly do.
Even I was taken aback. If these swords really had such powers, then... the possibility was both thrilling and terrifying.
The old man pressed his point further, his words like sharp blades.
"What you want me to forge is no ordinary sword. This isn't something you can just buy with money. So I'm asking you—do you think gold is enough to pay for something like this?"
The old man's gaze was unrelenting, fixed upon my father. I could understand the gravity of his point, but the sheer audacity of his request gnawed at me.
"...Even so, this is about me," I interrupted.
"Huh?"
"The you-tou is my concern, not Nina-chan's."
"..."
The swordsmith's lips twisted into a smile, as if amused by my defiance. Just as he seemed about to say something more, my father stepped in.
"We're leaving for today."
"Come back if you change your mind," the swordsmith replied with a casual wave.
"And if
you
change your mind, Sensei, consider forging the sword," my father responded calmly.
Without another word, he turned and began walking away. I quickly followed, though I was still somewhat shaken by the exchange.
I glanced at Irena-san, who looked visibly relieved. Renji-san was smiling faintly, as if he'd anticipated this outcome all along.
As we walked, I leaned toward my father.
"Hey, Dad... is this really okay?"
"Yes. Sensei has always been a difficult man to deal with," he replied with a nod.
"...Then what are we going to do?" I asked.
Just as I spoke, my father continued.
"Renji and I both have weapons he forged for us."
"...So you're saying there's a way?"