“No. It’s fine. I’ll have it redesigned to suit your preferences in a day or two.” I told Unika after she gave me feedback on the bow I designed for her.
“Thanks. I’m looking forward to it.” Unika responded.
I waited for both her and Brian to leave my Factory workshop, before I sat down and sighed.
“... another failed design…” I complained to myself. “How am I supposed to win a competition when I fail at something as basic as observing the people I’m making the weapons for?”
“... don’t beat yourself up over it.” A female voice called out behind me.
I turned around and saw one of Brian’s … do I call them his kids or his skills?
“Tahlia, right?” I asked to confirm, as I’ve only ever met the avatar of Brian’s Storage skill once. And the one in front of me now isn’t dressed like the one I met, so I wasn’t sure if she was the same, or one of Brian’s monsters just looking similar to Tahlia.
“Yes.” She simply answered.
“... what are you doing here? I thought you don’t really leave your room.”
“Usually not, but you needed someone to talk to. And Claus can’t appear here at the same time as you, so I may as well have this pep talk.”
“... thanks, I guess. But you don’t really need to.”
“I know. But I am here, because Father isn’t going to fix his mistakes.”
“What has Brian done? He saved me. It is only because of him that I’m even here.”
“Maybe, but he also corrupted your mindset.”
“Corrupted? In what way?”
“Here. I’ll show you.” Tahlia said, as she operated the design table.
She brought out two different blades. Two very similar, yet completely different blades.
“So, do you notice anything?” She then asked.
“... I don’t know what you are getting at. … The one on the left is the star titanium blade I designed and the one on the right is the Blade of Space and Time. But why are you showing them to me?”
“Do you know the difference between the two?” Tahlia asked.
“... I … One is a lot better than the other? Even though they are both made of the same material?”
“... Haah. You aren’t wrong, but that isn’t what I was getting at.” Tahlia sighed. “Maybe I picked a bad example. Let’s go with something else.” As she said that, she opened the next two designs onto the holo-table.
What she brought up next were two duel disk designs, specifically the ones I designed for myself.
The first one looked a lot like the final one, except that the outer edge was a lot thicker than in the final one. That is because unlike my final one, which can project a space magic shield, the original one extended a metal shield from the outer edge of the duel disk.
“So, next question. Why did you change the design of the duel disk?” Tahlia asked.
“... because the new one is much better? It weighs less, the shield is more durable and it is just all around better.”
“But you like it less, don’t you?”
“...”
“There is nothing wrong with that. But at the same time, there is. That is what I mean when I say that Father has corrupted you.”
“He corrupted me by making me prefer the better weapon? By making me think with my brain instead of my heart?”
“Basically. You are too much like him now. You want to min-max everything. … which isn’t wrong in some situations, but it is wrong for you, because you close your mind to the possibilities.” Tahlia said.
“... do you know why you could never have designed the Blade of Space and Time?” She then asked.
“... because I could never have assumed that we get the help of the superior spirits?”
“In a way, yes. But even after you realized that the spirits would help, the designs you made weren’t near the quality of the product you ended up making. Do you know why?”
“... I … I’m not sure. Why?”
“Because your mind can’t comprehend the impossibilities. But your heart, your heart can strive for them. That is why you did something you didn’t think was possible.”
“... then … what should I do?”
“I can’t answer that. I’m like Father in a lot of ways. I like to be calculative, I like to know the odds. I work with numbers, not emotions. But what you need now is emotions, and luckily I know someone who is a lot better at them that I am.” Tahlia said.
“... who?” I asked, as the door to my workshop burst open.
“Big Sis!” An energetic voice called out. “What did you need me for and why did I have to wait?” Fantasia questioned her sister.
“Thanks for coming, Fia-chan.”
“Ah! You called me Fia-chan! I love you!” Fantasia called out, as she rushed to hug her sister.
… what is this about, I wondered as I looked at the two sisters that were born from skills.
“Fia-chan, I want you to take Wilma to ride some beasts. You think you can do that for me?” Tahlia requested of her little sister.
Beast riding? But why? What does that achieve?
“Sure!” Fantasia responded, letting go of her sister. She then ran to me and took my hand. “Come on. Let’s go!”
I looked at Tahlia, questioning where she was trying to go with this, but she didn’t answer. She simply made her avatar disappear from my workshop.
I was a bit tempted to say that I didn’t want to go beast riding, but I also didn’t want to disappoint Fantasia, so I just went along with it.
I soon found myself riding a big beast, an amber mammoth Fantasia called it.
Spoiler [collapse]I sat behind Fantasia, holding onto her, while she guided the mammoth we were riding on. But I really feel like this is just a waste of time.
“Wilma.” Fantasia spoke up. “If an archer was riding on the mammoth, what kind of a bow should they use?” She asked. “And what if it was a swordsman? What kind of a sword should he hold?”
“... umm. I think an archer should use a longbow, because it has the most power. … And I’m not sure a swordsman could fight from on top a mammoth.”
“Okay. … A longbow is a big bow, right?” Fantasia seemingly asked herself. “So like this?” She then made a longbow appear from nowhere and handed it to me. “Try it.”
While I wasn’t great with a bow like Unika is, I was still able to handle one. After all, as a craftswoman, I needed to be able to test all the weapons I make, even if I’m not good with them.
So I took the bow and then the arrow Fantasia handed me. I then tried to shoot from on top of the mammoth, only to notice that it was very difficult to handle a longbow on top of an animal like this mammoth. There simply was no way for someone with my skill to both keep riding and also pull back the heavy bow.
“Can’t do it, can you?” Fantasia asked.
“... No, I can’t.” I admitted.
“Here. Try this bow instead.” Fantasia said, as she handed me a lot smaller bow.
I traded the longbow for the smaller one and tested it, and I was able to use it perfectly fine.
“... I’m not really like Big Sis, so I’m not sure if that helped, but I hope it did.” Fantasia said, as I returned the bow to her.
“... I think so? But you mentioned a swordsman. How would he attack from here?” I asked.
“I can have a few monsters show you.” Fantasia said.
She then called out a few monsters and another mammoth. Two swordsmen, one looking like an elf and while the other looked like a regular human.
SpoilerFantasia then made a few targets for them to attack, and as the mammoth approached the targets, the two swordsmen went to work.
The elf jumped off the mammoth and then ran on the ground, slashing at the targets like a regular swordsman would, before returning to the mammoth and jumping back on.
Meanwhile, the human swordsman sent flying slashes of magic towards the targets, cutting them down.
“Do you see it now?” Fantasia asked. “Even though they are both swordsmen, and both have a similar sized sword, they both fight completely differently despite being in the same situation. So if you were to make both of them a sword, do you think both of them would want the same sword?”
“... no. No they wouldn’t.” I said. “The human one would want something that is good at emitting magic, so a mithril or star titanium sword would be optimal for him. The elf on the other hand would want something more durable and something that cuts well, while also being light. So likely a multibar with a lighter jacket metal and durable edge metal.”
“Uhm. I don’t really know what that means, but if you understood the point, that is good. Think about the person you are making the weapon for. Think how they fight.” Fantasia said.
“And think about where they use the weapon. Unika is an adventurer, tamer and hunter, all in one. She will have to be able to run in dense forests with her bow, so she can’t just lug around a big longbow. It will get in the way.” She continued.
“That is why Unika didn’t like your bow design. It is a good bow, but it doesn’t fit her. Don’t see weapons as only numbers. See them as the tools for the job that they are. Then try to see them in their best possible form for that job. That way you will make the best weapons.”
“... I really am a joke, aren’t I?” I questioned.
“No. You were just stuck in your way. You just needed someone to remind you of how life works.” Fantasia said. “Papa could really use the same reminder. His focus on maximum performance might lead him to the same place you are at.”
“... maybe. … I can talk to him on your behalf, if you want.” I offered.
“Don’t worry. Mama will take care of Papa. She always has and always will. Mama will be there to remind Papa not to be a dummy.”
“... Always, huh. I wonder, is that why I’m not as connected with Claus as Brian is with Laura?”
“Don’t know. Maybe you should talk to him more.” Fantasia said. “But before you do, let’s go have some more fun.”
After I returned from the riding trip, I once again found Tahlia in my workshop. She was just sitting there, drinking tea while reading a book on different kinds of bows.
“Ah. You are back. I hope you had fun with my little sister. Hopefully she wasn’t a handful.”
“N-No. She was an angel.” I quickly responded.
“Good. She can be a bit … eccentric at times, so I was worried that she might go too far.”
“No. She really did help.” I said. “... as did you. Thank you.” I quickly bowed to Tahlia.
“No problem. You work with, or more like for, our Father. We want you to be the best you can.” Tahlia said. “Oh and I brought you a book from one of the libraries.” She said, as she handed me the book she had been reading. “Look over it before you try to design the bow for Unika.”
“I will. … thank you.”
“And remember, if you get stuck in your own head again, just ask for help. Even a legendary blade smith can use some help from time to time.”
“... Yes. I will.” I promised Tahlia, before she left my workshop.
After I realized my issues, designing a new bow for Unika seemed almost too simple. Maybe because I now knew what I was making the weapon for.
Being happy with the design, I asked Brian to bring Unika into the Factory, so she could test the new design out and she liked it quite a bit. It still wasn’t perfect in her opinion, so I took her feedback and went back to the design board. But this time, I wasn’t disappointed by my failure.
I also realized the weapon I would be making for the weapons competition. I was going to make a shield. And the why is simple.
When I was still a student, I watched over the competition every year. But not once did anyone present a shield as their work. Not because a shield isn’t allowed, but because no one would ever find a shield impressive enough when surrounded by all these amazing weapons.
So I was going to do it. I was going to be the first to not just show up with a shield, but to win with a shield.
Karl and I made a blade that will hopefully protect the world from the coming end. But with a sword, you also need a shield. And that is what I’ll make.
nro_8 ... I don't really know about this chapter. I just kind of wrote it, largely because I wanted to have something with Wilma before the weapons show comes. And this is what I came up with.
Also, it is just fun to write a chapter where Tahlia and Fantasia get to show that they are more than skills. Yes there was the anniversary special with Fantasia, but I wanted a bit more.
“No. It’s fine. I’ll have it redesigned to suit your preferences in a day or two.” I told Unika after she gave me feedback on the bow I designed for her.
“Thanks. I’m looking forward to it.” Unika responded.
I waited for both her and Brian to leave my Factory workshop, before I sat down and sighed.
“... another failed design…” I complained to myself. “How am I supposed to win a competition when I fail at something as basic as observing the people I’m making the weapons for?”
“... don’t beat yourself up over it.” A female voice called out behind me.
I turned around and saw one of Brian’s … do I call them his kids or his skills?
“Tahlia, right?” I asked to confirm, as I’ve only ever met the avatar of Brian’s Storage skill once. And the one in front of me now isn’t dressed like the one I met, so I wasn’t sure if she was the same, or one of Brian’s monsters just looking similar to Tahlia.
“Yes.” She simply answered.
“... what are you doing here? I thought you don’t really leave your room.”
“Usually not, but you needed someone to talk to. And Claus can’t appear here at the same time as you, so I may as well have this pep talk.”
“... thanks, I guess. But you don’t really need to.”
“I know. But I am here, because Father isn’t going to fix his mistakes.”
“What has Brian done? He saved me. It is only because of him that I’m even here.”
“Maybe, but he also corrupted your mindset.”
“Corrupted? In what way?”
“Here. I’ll show you.” Tahlia said, as she operated the design table.
She brought out two different blades. Two very similar, yet completely different blades.
“So, do you notice anything?” She then asked.
“... I don’t know what you are getting at. … The one on the left is the star titanium blade I designed and the one on the right is the Blade of Space and Time. But why are you showing them to me?”
“Do you know the difference between the two?” Tahlia asked.
“... I … One is a lot better than the other? Even though they are both made of the same material?”
“... Haah. You aren’t wrong, but that isn’t what I was getting at.” Tahlia sighed. “Maybe I picked a bad example. Let’s go with something else.” As she said that, she opened the next two designs onto the holo-table.
What she brought up next were two duel disk designs, specifically the ones I designed for myself.
The first one looked a lot like the final one, except that the outer edge was a lot thicker than in the final one. That is because unlike my final one, which can project a space magic shield, the original one extended a metal shield from the outer edge of the duel disk.
“So, next question. Why did you change the design of the duel disk?” Tahlia asked.
“... because the new one is much better? It weighs less, the shield is more durable and it is just all around better.”
“But you like it less, don’t you?”
“...”
“There is nothing wrong with that. But at the same time, there is. That is what I mean when I say that Father has corrupted you.”
“He corrupted me by making me prefer the better weapon? By making me think with my brain instead of my heart?”
“Basically. You are too much like him now. You want to min-max everything. … which isn’t wrong in some situations, but it is wrong for you, because you close your mind to the possibilities.” Tahlia said.
“... do you know why you could never have designed the Blade of Space and Time?” She then asked.
“... because I could never have assumed that we get the help of the superior spirits?”
“In a way, yes. But even after you realized that the spirits would help, the designs you made weren’t near the quality of the product you ended up making. Do you know why?”
“... I … I’m not sure. Why?”
“Because your mind can’t comprehend the impossibilities. But your heart, your heart can strive for them. That is why you did something you didn’t think was possible.”
“... then … what should I do?”
“I can’t answer that. I’m like Father in a lot of ways. I like to be calculative, I like to know the odds. I work with numbers, not emotions. But what you need now is emotions, and luckily I know someone who is a lot better at them that I am.” Tahlia said.
“... who?” I asked, as the door to my workshop burst open.
“Big Sis!” An energetic voice called out. “What did you need me for and why did I have to wait?” Fantasia questioned her sister.
“Thanks for coming, Fia-chan.”
“Ah! You called me Fia-chan! I love you!” Fantasia called out, as she rushed to hug her sister.
… what is this about, I wondered as I looked at the two sisters that were born from skills.
“Fia-chan, I want you to take Wilma to ride some beasts. You think you can do that for me?” Tahlia requested of her little sister.
Beast riding? But why? What does that achieve?
“Sure!” Fantasia responded, letting go of her sister. She then ran to me and took my hand. “Come on. Let’s go!”
I looked at Tahlia, questioning where she was trying to go with this, but she didn’t answer. She simply made her avatar disappear from my workshop.
I was a bit tempted to say that I didn’t want to go beast riding, but I also didn’t want to disappoint Fantasia, so I just went along with it.
I soon found myself riding a big beast, an amber mammoth Fantasia called it.
Spoiler [collapse]I sat behind Fantasia, holding onto her, while she guided the mammoth we were riding on. But I really feel like this is just a waste of time.
“Wilma.” Fantasia spoke up. “If an archer was riding on the mammoth, what kind of a bow should they use?” She asked. “And what if it was a swordsman? What kind of a sword should he hold?”
“... umm. I think an archer should use a longbow, because it has the most power. … And I’m not sure a swordsman could fight from on top a mammoth.”
“Okay. … A longbow is a big bow, right?” Fantasia seemingly asked herself. “So like this?” She then made a longbow appear from nowhere and handed it to me. “Try it.”
While I wasn’t great with a bow like Unika is, I was still able to handle one. After all, as a craftswoman, I needed to be able to test all the weapons I make, even if I’m not good with them.
So I took the bow and then the arrow Fantasia handed me. I then tried to shoot from on top of the mammoth, only to notice that it was very difficult to handle a longbow on top of an animal like this mammoth. There simply was no way for someone with my skill to both keep riding and also pull back the heavy bow.
“Can’t do it, can you?” Fantasia asked.
“... No, I can’t.” I admitted.
“Here. Try this bow instead.” Fantasia said, as she handed me a lot smaller bow.
I traded the longbow for the smaller one and tested it, and I was able to use it perfectly fine.
“... I’m not really like Big Sis, so I’m not sure if that helped, but I hope it did.” Fantasia said, as I returned the bow to her.
“... I think so? But you mentioned a swordsman. How would he attack from here?” I asked.
“I can have a few monsters show you.” Fantasia said.
She then called out a few monsters and another mammoth. Two swordsmen, one looking like an elf and while the other looked like a regular human.
SpoilerFantasia then made a few targets for them to attack, and as the mammoth approached the targets, the two swordsmen went to work.
The elf jumped off the mammoth and then ran on the ground, slashing at the targets like a regular swordsman would, before returning to the mammoth and jumping back on.
Meanwhile, the human swordsman sent flying slashes of magic towards the targets, cutting them down.
“Do you see it now?” Fantasia asked. “Even though they are both swordsmen, and both have a similar sized sword, they both fight completely differently despite being in the same situation. So if you were to make both of them a sword, do you think both of them would want the same sword?”
“... no. No they wouldn’t.” I said. “The human one would want something that is good at emitting magic, so a mithril or star titanium sword would be optimal for him. The elf on the other hand would want something more durable and something that cuts well, while also being light. So likely a multibar with a lighter jacket metal and durable edge metal.”
“Uhm. I don’t really know what that means, but if you understood the point, that is good. Think about the person you are making the weapon for. Think how they fight.” Fantasia said.
“And think about where they use the weapon. Unika is an adventurer, tamer and hunter, all in one. She will have to be able to run in dense forests with her bow, so she can’t just lug around a big longbow. It will get in the way.” She continued.
“That is why Unika didn’t like your bow design. It is a good bow, but it doesn’t fit her. Don’t see weapons as only numbers. See them as the tools for the job that they are. Then try to see them in their best possible form for that job. That way you will make the best weapons.”
“... I really am a joke, aren’t I?” I questioned.
“No. You were just stuck in your way. You just needed someone to remind you of how life works.” Fantasia said. “Papa could really use the same reminder. His focus on maximum performance might lead him to the same place you are at.”
“... maybe. … I can talk to him on your behalf, if you want.” I offered.
“Don’t worry. Mama will take care of Papa. She always has and always will. Mama will be there to remind Papa not to be a dummy.”
“... Always, huh. I wonder, is that why I’m not as connected with Claus as Brian is with Laura?”
“Don’t know. Maybe you should talk to him more.” Fantasia said. “But before you do, let’s go have some more fun.”
After I returned from the riding trip, I once again found Tahlia in my workshop. She was just sitting there, drinking tea while reading a book on different kinds of bows.
“Ah. You are back. I hope you had fun with my little sister. Hopefully she wasn’t a handful.”
“N-No. She was an angel.” I quickly responded.
“Good. She can be a bit … eccentric at times, so I was worried that she might go too far.”
“No. She really did help.” I said. “... as did you. Thank you.” I quickly bowed to Tahlia.
“No problem. You work with, or more like for, our Father. We want you to be the best you can.” Tahlia said. “Oh and I brought you a book from one of the libraries.” She said, as she handed me the book she had been reading. “Look over it before you try to design the bow for Unika.”
“I will. … thank you.”
“And remember, if you get stuck in your own head again, just ask for help. Even a legendary blade smith can use some help from time to time.”
“... Yes. I will.” I promised Tahlia, before she left my workshop.
After I realized my issues, designing a new bow for Unika seemed almost too simple. Maybe because I now knew what I was making the weapon for.
Being happy with the design, I asked Brian to bring Unika into the Factory, so she could test the new design out and she liked it quite a bit. It still wasn’t perfect in her opinion, so I took her feedback and went back to the design board. But this time, I wasn’t disappointed by my failure.
I also realized the weapon I would be making for the weapons competition. I was going to make a shield. And the why is simple.
When I was still a student, I watched over the competition every year. But not once did anyone present a shield as their work. Not because a shield isn’t allowed, but because no one would ever find a shield impressive enough when surrounded by all these amazing weapons.
So I was going to do it. I was going to be the first to not just show up with a shield, but to win with a shield.
Karl and I made a blade that will hopefully protect the world from the coming end. But with a sword, you also need a shield. And that is what I’ll make.
nro_8 ... I don't really know about this chapter. I just kind of wrote it, largely because I wanted to have something with Wilma before the weapons show comes. And this is what I came up with.
Also, it is just fun to write a chapter where Tahlia and Fantasia get to show that they are more than skills. Yes there was the anniversary special with Fantasia, but I wanted a bit more.
