194 5.83 Akai Hane Kodachi Is Born (2/2)

I clearly state that we would be hunting and exterminating any form of youkai that had been harassing peoples lives as well as livestock and plantations. In the letters, we stated that we do not need any payment for our services but merely to assist people to get back in track in their life and daily activities.

After discussing the matter with the Messenger Guild, I was told it would be sent to over 40 villages, while I went and had it duplicated at Recto Shop. I paid slightly over 4 gold coins for the manual duplication and I handed it to the Messenger Guild and paid in gold accordingly.

We went back to our own homes and perform our own individual tasks while waiting for the results to come in. At the meantime, Hiko-sama and I were fervently churning out the Refined Steel in order to raise the capacity in the warehouse and we did manage to get the storekeeper busy once again in making crates and stocking them up.

We had made over 200,000 pieces of Refined Steel Plates that would supply the demand from the Blacksmith Alliance from the Prefecture concerned. With that, Hiko-sama asked me to draw some funds and make it into float cash and I am advised to carry a least a 1,000 gold coins with me.

He showed how he would be able to hide stuff in his sleeve and was told to improvise it with the tailor. I had all my kimono to have a bottomless hidden compartment in my sleeve, just like Hiko-sama did.

Since I would be making trips around the prefecture, I won't be carrying so many good coins with me. So I decided just to carry 2 bundles of gold coins that mounted to 40 altogether. Furthermore, there would be a lot of fruit-bearing trees around and we could forage the forest as well as fish in the rivers to satiate out meals and hunger.

There's plenty of float cash and I told Hiko-sama that it would be solely used to pay the salaries as well as the food supplies for the employees. We checked the float cash and find that we have around 10,000 gold coins safely hidden inside the pottery pieces in the storerooms.

I assured Hiko-sama that we won't be gone long, and most probably would be about a week. I had packed a large tarpaulin in case we would be caught in a rainstorm and could use that as a temporary shelter. Along with the tarpaulin, I packed some rope and a small dagger.

After I had packed it I left the bundle at the corner of my room and I remembered that I had promised Inuyasha something. So I meditated and went into the Realm of Mind and there I visualised a mould for a 3-foot Kodachi. I smelted some iron ire, coal and limestone and removed the slag and impurities.

After I had removed it, I visualised another smelting pot that was lower than the present one and I slowly poured the contents into the new smelting pot. This way I was able to ”toast” the Molten steel and further remove any slag and impurities.

I repeated this a few times before I pour it into the mould of a Kodachi. I forced cooled air through it, and after a while, I poured water over it that made it screech loudly as the water hits heated steel.

I removed the piece slowly and submerged it into the water and when I took out, it had taken a form of a 3 foot shaped blade with an extension of 8 inches for the handle. I then visualise the latter smelting pot back to where it comes from and a Blacksmithing tool that I had not been using for a very long time with a 30-pound hammer.

I pumped its bellows and the bed of coals turned red-hot, while the piece of metal that was roughly shaped was also being heated up. I picked it up with a tong and started hammering. This blade is going to be a double-edged Kodachi, which is the same as mine too.

After pounding at it and inserting it into the furnace once more, while repeating the whole process repeatedly for 3 hours, I managed to shape it into the design that I wished for. All I need to do right now is to blade wash it and make a sheath for it.

The blade was a bit uncentred for its balance, and I took a handle and an oval handguard earlier on from the pieces that Hiko-sama had picked in the initial stage while scrounging at the duelling area. After inserting it, I find the blade was equally balanced and it felt comfortable when handling it.

After carefully examining it, I started the pedal powered grinding stone and sprinkled some water on it. The moment the blade touches the grinding stone for the blade washing process, sparks flew magnificently as if it was fireworks. It was a straight-bladed kodachi shaped like a short sword with a short pointed end.

I blade washed it from the middle to make it flat and then on its sides. I turned the blade around and repeated the procedure until u had made its edges very sharp. I kept at it for nearly 1 hour and a half before I stopped and looked at the masterpiece.

”This Kodachi is great but it still needs it's finishing touches. It needs a scabbard and a spiritual binding.” I murmured to myself as I held the blade before me horizontally and visualised a plain scabbard with a cavity in the middle just wide enough for the blade to silently insert and withdrawn.

It finally materialises and when I inserted it there was a click sound as if it was locked in place. However, when I withdrew it, it made a long metallic sound, ”sheeeeennngggg...” as if it is a sign that whenever this blade is withdrawn, someone is going to get hurt real bad!

I brought it up to the real world after I had logged off from my meditative state. It was almost dinner time and I didn't realise that I had spent a very long in the Realm of Mind.

In my room, I unsheathed the Kodachi and place it on my lap. ”Now it is time for me to spiritually bind this for Inuyasha. I hope he can handle its prowess of the Kamehameha, just like he handled the Tessaiga. This blade is also used for those who would be kind to humans and would not be used to hurt others in any way. Right, here goes... ”

I meditated and held the Kodachi on both hands as I summoned the energy that's around me to create a Kamehameha that would be slowly imbued and be permanently etched within the blade.”

”I summoned a binding for the Kodachi for the wielder to have a kind heart towards human and not to use this to perform evil. The binding would be enhanced with a youkai spiritual strength and would only show its full potential when it's basic criteria is met.”

By now the blade was being touched at two ends by just my forefingers and a swirling Kamehameha energy began to evolve and revolve over the blade as my forefingers acted like a magnet in lifting it.

I finished my meditation and the binding of the Kamehameha and looked at the blade that had been resting in my lap. The blade had turned red, as red as the Robe of the Fire Rat Inuyasha was wearing. It looked pretty harmless right now.

I carried it outside the house after inserting the Kodachi back into its sheath. Time for me to put it to test. I pulled the Kodachi out by its handle and the ”sheeeennngggggg” metallic sound was heard when I pulled it out.

The blade was still in red colour and I held it in my hands like I'm holding a kendo stick and then it suddenly burst into flames and the flames were steady and were not hot to the wielder.

The flames encircled the Kodachi and when my mind said ”OFF”, the flames that slowly extinguished and the blade was cool to the touch. It was as if the flames were non-existent.

This is great! Time to call the others to present this Kodachi to Inuyasha. I got a messenger to pass a message to Miko-sama to pass the message to the rest of the elite team to gather for dinner and also for a surprise.