Seiun wo Kakeru Chapter 33

Chapter 33 – The Five Miniatures

When it comes to the beginning of the striking, one has to strike, otherwise it won’t start.
As soon as Eiji confirmed there was enough fire passing through the charcoal, he threw the prepared iron metal inside the furnace.

These were the so-called soft iron and ferrite, which were low in carbon.

– Master, what do you plan to make today?

– These won’t become useful.

– Isn’t it a waste?
– Perhaps it is, but it’s not like there’s no meaning in doing so.

Eiji looked at the iron-made chair left at the entrance of the workshop.
It was placed there for the clients to use. Eiji was proud of it being a high grade product, the function of which was to let the clients sit and not to let them come inside.

The iron chair, which frequently use to be folded, was furnished with leather after it was completed.

– Once they’re done, we will use them in front of the gate as decorations. Both the chair and miniatures will fulfill their role of advertising  our skills.

– No matter how good the article you make is, as long you don’t show how its done, there will be many people who won’t understand how good the products are…. What’s more, all miniatures have nothing but a deep connection with a workshop. I wonder if you could compare their relationship with an indispensable ritual.

– Yeah. At the beginning we put them in front of the gate, after that, we line them up next to it. With each year your craftsmanship will change, making the clients understand the extent of your skills. That alone makes it worth it, for it becomes the material of evaluation.

Naturally, since they were presently the only ones capable of handling iron; the miniatures won’t have any bigger role than telling how good the articles are.

Eiji, who studied the modern knowledge more than anyone else, treasured the teaching from his ancestors, as it was the remnant left by humanity, without which, it would have been impossible for them to reach the current level of technology.

– Well, shall we make them?

– Because you haven’t done it for a long time, I won’t acknowledge you unless your performance is good.

– What? It’s neither forge welding nor blade grinding. What’s more, it isn’t hard, so it won’t take long.

Eiji draws the cord, which was hanging down from the cellar.

The waterwheel rotated and the cog-wheel moved, sending wind to the pair of bellows.
The charcoal, which was cut up, started to burn red.

– Just like always, carefully observe the temperature of the iron.

– I too, like it. Perhaps, looking at the flames puts every blacksmith’s heart at peace, is what I think.

– There’s a secret in making good articles. Today is a good chance for that, so I’ll tell you.

– If you are not making it, you won’t realize how it looks.
– It won’t do if I am not making?

Pietro probably wanted to polish his skills, even if it was to make him faster by a single day.

While deeply observing the change in temperature of the iron, he thought of some words.
He wondered how he could express this peculiar feeling of his, so as to convey in the best way.

– Because stretching iron is tiresome, I can tell Master that once the iron is heated, the number of carbon will fall out together with its stiffness, won’t it?

– Ehehe, thank you-su.

– A temperature desired by iron…
– Once you obtain that, you will be able to make fine things with ease. The difficulty lies in the difference of the temperature, which is based on the amount of carbon. If the iron becomes red colored like the evening, it is too low. On the other hand, if it turns yellow like a lemon, it is too high. The best is the one with the mandarin orange color. It seems to be the right moment.

The iron material was heated while faintly radiating with light that could be said to be orange colored, similar to the mandarin orange.

Pietro took out the highly heated iron material with a pair of tongs and moved it onto the anvil.

The small hammer held by its master looked just like a conductor’s stick swung in a musical performance.

The sound generated by continuously striking the iron was distracting; therefore, he didn’t depend on using words, which would slow Pietro down.

If Eiji deemed there was not enough hitting, he would give a sign to Pietro to strike.
Eiji was in charge of instructing, whereas, Pietro would swing sincerely.

The rhythm was light and nice.

Once the iron cooled down, the work would stop, and then the wind would be delivered inside the furnace.
Only during that moment he could take a breath. The smithing would repeat that way.

– The hammer works the same way. You’re still not able to make fine things when striking it with your arm. Feeling the hammer becoming an extension of your arm, understanding the sensation of iron directly, and then, not controlling your hand but your hammer with ease…. These are essential points if you want to grasp the feeling.

– You should practice by making lots of them and think about iron like a common thing.

– Well, that’s regrettable, but it’s a little bit different.

– The color has changed. Ok, let’s resume our work.

Having his words interrupted, Pietro once again put the iron material on the anvil.

More than talking, more than anything, the only thing he could do was to strike the iron with its desirable temperature.

The work doesn’t goes accordingly to one’s own convenience, but rather that of the iron.

The iron was stretched. Despite it being loose, it took the shape of a sword.
In the end it was a miniature, so its completion took unusually less time in comparison with making a full-sized one.

Again storing the iron inside the furnace.
Pietro spoke once more as if waiting for that moment to finish.

– Besides doing one’s best, what else should I do?

– No…

– Not yet.
– Well, guess that would be obvious. I too, was like that.

A long time ago, Eiji also received his teaching in the same manner.
Had he been able to grasp that with his own thinking from the very beginning, he would have been called a genius.

– It’s fine if you try to feel that the next time. The change in the sound generated by the iron, the change of the recoil, and the hardness that appears at the time of sharpening, all of them have meaning. Everything will change depending on how aware you are of these factors, as well as how you deal with them.
– Understood. I’ll make it.

A person that doesn’t get angry from being pointed out their own imperfectness will grow into an adult.

Back in his university days, there used to be lots of teachings that weren’t useful when applied in a workshop.

Being forced to apply his knowledge in practice was not an easy task; nevertheless, his master’s words were absolute.

Whenever he felt vexed, he could only give up.

Once he became able to make things, which were satisfactory by themselves, his father would let him make on his own.

At first it didn’t go smoothly, as he had to figure out how theory and practice bite each other.

—— You won’t know unless you try?

He wondered how much he was proud of these words.

– So you’re done, aren’t you? Good job there, you probably are tired.

– It’s ok not to force yourself. It was probably your first time swinging a big hammer from beginning till end, right?

As soon as Pietro raised his tired arm and wiped the sweat running down his forehead, the crow of a chicken was heard outside.

The rooster would crow three times a day – in the morning, noon, and evening, becoming at the same time this village’s clock.
Was it fighting for territory? Perhaps it was one of those fights for appealing. Once the rooster crowed the other ones began to crow one after another.

– Just the right timing. Let’s take lunch and rest since it’s noon.
– Understood.

Because Eiji told Tanya that he plans to set out for the workshop today, she should be bringing him a lunchbox or ingredients for making food here.
Just when he wiped his sweat and cleaned the charcoal dirt from his body, Tanya’s figure appeared at the gate. She was holding a basket in her hand.

– Eiji-san, I brought you lunch.

– It’s the thing called pizza, which Eiji-san told me.

– So we are eating together, right?

– That’s because, it has been a quite long since the last time we ate together, hasn’t it?
– As soon as we entered winter season, it has been completely different.

Tanya approached the scene of fire at just the right time and took out dough, cheese, salami, and chopped onion from the basket. Once she did so, Tanya moved quickly and put them on a frying pan.

Using the furnace to make some grilled fishes was as side benefit of being a modern blacksmith.

And then, so as to keep the atmosphere inside the workplace from getting dry, the fireplace would be suspended at night. Therefore, they could always drink heated tea.

Finally, a nice and mixed smell of the baked dough, cheese and salami rose in the air.

– Ah… that’s a nice smell, isn’t it?

– Such a nice smell is killing me…

Once his stomach growled prominently, Pietro felt down with the appearance of being dejected.

Saying that, Eiji didn’t particularly have any malicious intention.

– Well, Pietro, you too, will probably have your lunch so…. Oh, speaking of rumors—

– That girl is just my childhood friend and not my girlfrie—

Good day – a loud voice of greeting was heard.

Right after seeing that figure, Pietro’s back shuddered for a moment.

– Pietro-kun, I brought you your lunchbox.

– It would be nice to eat together.
– Look, Sara-chan, come sit in this chair.

As Tanya pat the chair next to Pietro, Sara nodded deeply and sat in it.

In case their compatibility was bad or they found another likable partner, their marriage would be cancelled; nevertheless, there seemed to be no need to worry about that.

As soon as the lunchbox was opened, the inside was arranged with a hard baguette, dried grapes and juglans. The reason why there was no eggs and meat was perhaps due to their today’s menu.

It was Eiji’s first winter here; nevertheless, in comparison with the transition between spring and autumn, winter was evidently much harsher.
The frequency of hunting fell with the snow pilling up, and the number of proteins circulating in the village clearly reduced.

large amounts of winter pre-made cheese, yogurts, and preserved foods, like dried meat, ham, and bacon, as well as the collected harvest, reduced day by day from the storehouse.
Eiji waited anxiously for the completion of the barn shed, which was highly anticipated for the growth in livestock.

– Eiji-san, it’s done. Please say a~hn.

– A~hn.

-….

– How is the taste?

Tanya raised her eyes with anxiety while looking around restlessly.

– It’s delicious.
– Ah, thank goodness…!

Inside his mouth, the cheese melted gooily.

The grilled onion gave a sharp stimulus with the sweetness. On top of that, there was the smooth olive added, which made the pizza quite delicious.

Indeed, Eiji got a nice wife.

Her mouth opened slightly as she gently held the tip of the pizza in her mouth.

– Isn’t it delicious?

– Well, then shall we do it once more?

– That’s fine. Because we have done it once, doing it one or two times won’t change anything.

– Is that so? I probably am. Even I can’t quite understand it myself.

Tanya had the area around her eyes narrowed due to embarrassment. Eiji wanted to see that expression while encouraging her to eat the pizza.

He couldn’t resist seeing that embarrassed face of hers while making her finish the pizza.

Sniff sniff – Tanya expressed her sorrow with a fake cry. Seeing that, Eiji calmed down while drinking his tea.

Her appearance of a munching squirrel was incredibly cute.
Next to them, Pietro, who was about to eat his meal, and Sara, who was holding back her hand, were sitting.

– Hey, Sara.

– They might be newly-weds, but are adults supposed to flirt like that next to children?

– That’s not what I meant! I was thinking why the master that I respect this much could be this spoiled.

– I wonder about that…

– Ugh… just what should I believe…

– O-ok.

Sara didn’t care about the agony of a disciple being at loss about his respect for master.

Taking this opportunity, Sara repeated the same manner 10 times using her upturned eyes, which aimed with an accuracy that was nowhere to be seen. Pietro could only accept it whether or not he wanted.

The way how Sara provided him with the meal looked as though a parent bird was feeding its chick.
The sweet atmosphere that seemed to cause nausea in other people, spread through the workshop, which stank with iron.

―― After that, the miniatures were safely completed and displayed at the gate.
They were later said to hold strange property, which irritated unmarried people to the extent that they couldn’t be thought of as inorganic items.

Translator and reference notes:

[1]: Yes, he said sword.

[2]: I think the reason why the author divided that sentence into syllables was to emphasize Eiji’s annoyance at that fact.

Chapter end