Odo returned after a few days with the biggest grin Nagisa had ever seen on his face. On his back, there was a sack full of Ashen ores ready to be forged into swords, and a large hefty pouch of silver coins hanging from his belt. He put the sack down then slammed the pouch onto the table and a handful of silver coins jumped right out.
"I return with plenty!" Odo kept his grin and told Nagisa his swords were a success.
They even had a few pre-orders if he could make Ashen ones instead.
Nagisa rubbed his hands, "Let's get to work, shall we?" he smirked back.
During Odo's absence, Nagisa kept up his daily training both in blacksmithing and getting his magic powers up. He had been secretly ravaging through the Ashen re-make pile and gotten more accustomed how to identify the structures of the swords and why they did not succeed.
The answer was time, they needed more time to be magically infused, then re-forged and repeat until it gave the desired glow. It was something Nagisa was dying to try out, but he realized re-making swords have an inferior structure, it would take longer to break them down into their purer and desired bonds.
He elegantly began designing the shape of a much familiar sword which he had found in the old history books, the first sword belonging to the first summoned hero.
"Is that…?" Odo asked.
Nagisa nodded while moving on to the next step. Over the course of the next entire month, Odo would quietly watch over Nagisa's shoulder, the quiet began when he had realized Nagisa did not require any more teaching. Every time he wanted to instruct him which tool to use, Nagisa had already grabbed it preemptively and did not waste a single second.
This filled Odo with pride and joy, he never thought watching his own little disciple grow up so quickly. The entire process stunned Odo, watching Nagisa partly infuse the sword and stop halfway only to re-forge and repeat the process, over and over again.
"What are you doing?" He inquired to know Nagisa's newfound methods.
"It is a secret, and soon only you and I will know about it once it bears fruit,"
Nagisa responded in a child-like manner with a smile.
Odo could barely contain his excitement nor curiosity, he had to know! It was driving him crazy while the young Nagisa could not help but smile and hold back his newfound method of forging. At the end of the month, Nagisa inhaled then exhaled deeply and it made Odo gulp, they had arrived at the enchanting part yet again, just like yesterday and the day before it.
"This is it, Odo, are you ready?" Odo tried not to shake from his excitement.
Would Odo finally be able to see the light which had once enchanted him in the past? Nagisa closed his eyes, and again he placed his hands slightly above the sword, just like Odo had taught him.
He envisioned the magic particles being drawn into him, overflowing, and then acting as a conductor to lead them into the sword a final time. The sword began to slightly glow, and with each second more "World Magic" particles being transferred into it, the glow became stronger. This was enough for Odo to shed some tears.
"Oh, for all that is good on Ashen, I thought I would never see this light again, for so long have I waited!" Odo almost prayed at the sight of it.
The glow was short-lived, and Nagisa managed to catch but a glimpse of its glowing peak, right when he had opened his eyes before it diminished into a visible white light coating the sword.
"You did it!" Odo screamed and patted Nagisa hard enough on the back for him to lunge slightly forward.
Nagisa turned around and smiled, "No, we did it," they joined hands in the form of a comradery.
Then both of them stared each other in the eyes, both grinning more largely than ever. Nagisa explained the key aspect was time, it needed to slowly be infused and re-forged over and over, else it was a gamble if it was going to work for the first time. However the process was not a clear guarantee, he told Odo to use his knuckles and tap on the blade twice.
"Notice anything different? The sound wave it emits, it is of a gentle one. This means its bonds are in a harmonious state, that is why it is hardened yet light," Nagisa briefed
Odo nodded several times excitedly by Nagisa's explanation. Once it had reached its ideal state, and harnessed as much "World Magic" infusion as possible, you would have the best attempt in trying to enchant it.
"However, if you fail to enchant it, this time around it is easier to re-make. Since its bonds are perfect, you can just smelt the sword fully and re-use it entirely to create the same one," Nagisa continued.
"You only need to re-start the enchanting process, hence its molecular properties of being purified stay intact. In addition its infused magic disperse upon becoming liquefied," Nagisa finished his briefing.
Odo smiled and thanked Nagisa truly, both had learned an immense amount from each other. Nagisa filled him in on two secrets that Odo promised to keep, his Arcane affinity and how he had discovered this alternate method.
For Odo it was enough to know the method, he would only try to make one himself the following year and keep making but one fine enchanted sword every other year. Too many makings would attract unwanted attention. He now reminded Nagisa of Risa, and how she always warranted precaution above all else. Nagisa laughed.
"What are you laughing about?" Odo asked.
"Nothing, you just remind me of someone," Nagisa replied back.
Odo broadly smiled and they parted ways. Nagisa told Odo the following day he would make a couple of regular ones, and two more enchanted ones before his time here came to an end. His plan was to have three enchanted ones brought back to the academy with him, one as a spare, and one perhaps to sell.
From then on out, the year would quickly pass by. Nagisa would not waste a single hour, it was morning training, into time spent forging swords alongside Odo, into more training in the evening, and then back home to Risa. It all became routine and the final day before departure was at last upon him.
"Nagisa, why are you still up?" Risa woke up and found Nagisa idling by at their bedroom window.
"Can't sleep," Nagisa responded.
Risa snuck close behind him and gently put her arms around him.
"You will be fine, you have gotten much stronger over this past year," she comforted him.
"I always think, what if it is not good enough, will I be able to make it back to you? We still have to find a permanent cure for your curse," Nagisa worried.
He could not help but feel anxious about the things he had to leave behind and the other things he still had yet to face moving forward starting tomorrow.
"I believe in you, and I have no doubt you will make me proud in the first-year tournament at the end and find your way back home," Risa gently reassured him. "Else I will have Odo visit you and gave you a good whack for me,"
She voiced playfully.
Nagisa tried not to get teary, that was something he had planned on saving for tomorrow. He turned around and kissed Risa, embracing her tightly in his arms.
"Sorry, for waking you, let's sleep one final time together without worrying about tomorrow!" Nagisa wrapped around her.
"I would like that," Risa responded.
And they both gently smiled and kissed for a final time good night before going back to bed.
The sun shone upon them much like before, waking the two of them up. Nagisa stretched and began packing once he had gotten up. He told Risa to sleep in and let him cook breakfast a final time and surprise her in bed once he had finished packing. She immediately agreed with a laugh, when he promised he would make his best one, if only she agreed to wait for him.
Once his things were packed, he prepared an "English breakfast" for her, it was something he had read about, but never made before yet always wanted to try. He put effort into the detail, turning its aesthetic looks into a crafty artwork. Risa immediately protested saying it was too much food for breakfast, and complained about their spendings.
"Do not worry about that, let me do one last thing for you before I take my leave, okay?" Nagisa smiled and Risa responded likewise.
They got dressed and headed outside, down to Odo's blacksmith. For the first time, did they hug it out.
"You take care, you hear me?" It sounded more like an instruction coming from Odo at this point.
A few other villages came by and wished Nagisa well, bidding their farewells to the one who came here with the intention of Risa taking care of him, however over time it seemed quite the opposite. They thanked him truly, and Odo said the money he will receive from future crafts will be to reconstruct the village, after all it was his hometown.
Risa scanned Nagisa from head to toe, "Do you have everything? Food? Money? Your swords?" She kept asking worryingly.
Risa kept double-checking if he had forgotten something. The entire thing made Odo burst into laughter.
"You sound more like a worried mom! Anxious about letting her pup go!"
Odo carelessly remarked.
Immediately after Odo had said it, he regretted it as soon as Risa angrily turned with that feigned friendly smile and gave him a whack for a change. Nagisa could not help but laugh now instead.
"I am really going to miss you guys," Nagisa thanked everyone for a final time as did they.
Risa and Nagisa shared an awkward look and almost shyly looked awhile.
"For goodness sake, just kiss her goodbye already, we all know you two have avoided kissing in public, how about you officially make it public you two!"
Odo nagged them.
And both of them immediately had their faces flushed with embarrassment. Everyone in the village nodded, it was long overdue.
They all seemingly cheered on as Nagisa and Risa shyly and slowly moved in for the goodbye kiss. Once their lips touched, the crowd went wild.
"Knew you had it in, kid!" They applauded.
Risa covered her face, she could not face the village folk for the time being. Nagisa decided to embrace her for a final time and it made her blush even further.
This was the first time he also noticed he had grown taller than her during his one year stay. If he would take a guess, he was probably about 5'10 now that he had turned 16 years old.
"Thanks for everything, Risa, I truly mean it," Nagisa softly whispered in her ear and let go.
He then got up on the carriage which awaited him. Risa grabbed his hand as he got up and looked up at him.
"If anything bad happens, you can always return home!" She cried out.
Nagisa gently smiled like always as he wanted her to do the same.
"I like it better when you smile," Nagisa encouraged her.
And Risa instantly smiled with a tiny chuckled laugh.
"And I know," Nagisa replied late and let go of her hand, then began waving everyone farewell.
Their voices were loud, yet the only thing he could see was Risa's face. She tried to hold back her tears until he was out of sight. However, in the end, he saw a few drops hitting the ground, just before the carriage was far enough for him to no longer be able to recognize their faces, only their tiny postures from far, far away.
Nagisa stared up at the sky, reminiscing about the time he got here.
"It had about the same color, huh?" Nagisa recalled his first day.
Nagisa then pondered about how much he had grown over the past year. He grabbed his coin pouch to count the money, twelve gold coins and twenty-three silver ones. Odo had sold more of his swords, and Nagisa did manage to craft more enchanted ones with the penetration of +1 as an attribute.
All three swords laid next to his side on the carriage.
"I might not have broken into Stage 2 yet, but Miyuki, you just wait, I have a couple of secrets in store after all of my training this past year,"
Nagisa exclaimed with a serious face.
He decided to look forward while grabbing one of his swords. Nagisa unsheathed it with a smirk.
"Let's try this one more time, Arcane Co...---"