The sword was beautiful.

Fresh off the forge, the blade was shiny in a way that Izuku had never seen before. It reflected light that Izuku couldn't even locate, and the edges showed a line of what looked like a rainbow hugging them.

He barely got the word out, he was so awed, but Izuku spoke.

"Identify."

Steelbringer

[Forged by Mei Hatsume]

A shortsword of exceptional quality made from nearly-pure [Enhanced Steel].

Current Attunement: None

Intended for: Izuku Midoriya

Innate Effect:

Mei's Wish

Gives a 5% chance to drop a small chunk of [Enhanced Steel] on kill.

Izuku grabbed onto her shoulder instinctively, making her turn and face him. He seemed to have cut her off or something, but he had been so focused on the sword he hadn't even heard her.

"M-Mei. Do you have any idea what you just made? Do you… Mei. This has an Innate effect... Y-you made a magic sword. A proper one, even without runes."

He saw Mei's eyes widen, her mouth opening as she turned to look at the sword as well. "Appraise."

Izuku saw the menu pop up near her face for a moment before she dismissed it, turning back to him. She was silent for a moment before her shoulders started to shake. Izuku was worried about her for a moment, and then he was being squeezed.

Mei's arms wrapped around him as a yell escaped her, sounding more victorious than Izuku had felt after defeating the [Duke of Rats]. She lifted him off the ground and spun around in a circle, bringing him along for the ride as she cheered.

Eventually, she stopped and let go of him, And he dropped, only staying standing as he grabbed the edge of the workbench. The heavy Iron-Oak bench didn't even budge as he grabbed it, and he pulled himself to his feet.

He saw her with one hand around the hilt of the sword, laughing in a way that was almost maniacal in its joy. Her happiness was infectious, and a smile grew on his face. He might not be a [Magic Smith], or even a [Craftsman], but he knew how big a deal this was.

"Izuku… Izuku! I can't believe this! It's a masterpiece! My Magnum Opus! The greatest baby that has ever been forged in his building! Maybe even this town! And I made it!"

She turned to him and his smile grew as he saw her happy tears. She might have been exaggerating a little about its status as the best sword ever forged in Mustafu, but it was amazingly impressive nonetheless.

"Yea you did, Mei! You must have worked super hard on this for it to get an Innate Effect! Do you know what you did while making it?"

She placed the sword back down onto the workbench and kept staring at it lovingly, but her hand never left the hilt. "I was focused on our contract and my excitement about finally having some to work with. Focused on how getting some [Enhanced Steel] could help start my growth into a smith more famous than any before me."

She turned to him again, the tears gone, but a smile squishing up her reddened cheeks. "I just wanted to make the best baby for you so you would keep our contract going, and I did! I poured myself into this, Izuku. I needed it to be amazing!"

Izuku reached over and grabbed the sword, and Mei just nodded, taking her hand off of it and letting him pick it up. The hilt was rigid without the leather wrapping just yet, but other than that, Izuku could tell it was a sword akin to none he had seen before.

He stepped into the open area of the forge and gave it a few swings, marvelling at the perfect balance of the sword, and how it swished through the air smoothly, leaving a shining blur following its swings.

"Mei… I can't possibly take this for free. Please, let me pay you something, anything. I wouldn't feel right taking this without you getting something out of it."

He had turned back to her to say that, and as soon as the words left his mouth she punched him in the shoulder. "You idiot! Haven't you realised that I've gotten more out of this one weapon than I have for the last year?! Do you have any idea how much XP I just got when you picked it up?!"

Izuku shook his head dumbly, ignoring the throb coming from his shoulder. "I assume it's a lot?"

Mei stared at him like he was an idiot, before bringing her menu up. It was blank to his eyes, but She pointed at it anyway. "I was level 11 before! I'm level 15 now! I got 4 levels out of that sword!"

She continued, her grin never fading off of her face. "And even if I hadn't levelled up, we have a contract! A proper, written one with signatures and stuff! Neither of us can break that no matter what! You get stuff for free, and I keep getting material for free! Neither of us can break that deal! Promise!"

He nodded and then yelped as he barely had time to blink before she had yanked it out of his hands again, sprinting over to the workbench and bringing out a smaller knife before grabbing the leather. "I need to finish it! You can't go anywhere until I finish this for you! It has to be perfect!"

Izuku nodded, finding a chair and bringing it up beside her to help her finish the sword.

It was the least he could do.

"Mei? You in here still? I finished my errands on the other side of town! It's bedtime!"

Otto yawned as he entered the forge area, seeing that the lights were still on. From his many years of making sure Mei slept often enough, he knew that today would probably be one of the days she went to sleep at the same time he did.

It was basically nighttime already, as the sun had already dropped past the treeline about an hour ago, so it was definitely bedtime for him too. Running around all day making deliveries of freshly forged equipment for adventurers and commoners alike was giving him some major back pain.

Plopping his bag down on the counter, he pushed the door open to the forge and froze as he saw Mei wasn't alone. Sitting on the floor with their backs against the workbench was Mei and some green-haired kid, fast asleep, with their heads, pressed together as they snored.

Was this that Midoriya guy Mei made a contract with? It'd make sense if it was, Mei was very fussy about who got to come back into the forge area. He took his boots off and put them in their little cubby as he moved through the forge area towards the sleeping quarters, pushing the door open and jamming it open with the door stopper.

Otto moved over to where the two were sleeping. Mei must have lied to him and stayed up last night if she was so tired she fell asleep before he bugged her to for a while. He was about to pick Mei up to take her to her bed when he noticed a sword in its scabbard resting across both of their legs.

He picked up the sword, intending to move it to the bench, but the second he touched the scabbard his senses were shocked by the presence of Mana. Was this a magic sword? Had this Izuku kid already gotten some runes on it?

Otto knew Mei and Melissa were like, the very best of friends but even that was a fast turnaround! "Appraise."

Steelbringer

[Forged by Mei Hatsume]

A shortsword of exceptional quality made from nearly-pure [Enhanced Steel].

Current Attunement: Izuku Midoriya

Innate Effect:

Mei's Wish

Gives a 5% chance to drop a small chunk of [Enhanced Steel] on kill.

He nodded, closing his menu. Wait a second! He did a massive double-take, and appraised the sword again, almost choking as he read it properly. W-what the fuck? When had she done this!

He had helped her at the beginning of making the sword, giving her some tips about what temperature to heat the metal at, how often to work it, etc, but he had left her to it after that. He placed the sword down on the workbench and looked down at his little sister.

Had he underestimated her? Shit, he must have. She had made an Innately magical sword for her first time using a new material. He… couldn't believe it. Leaning down, he scooped her up, wincing as Izuku fell to the side without the support of Mei's head.

He took her into their bedroom and plopped her down on her bed, before going back for Midoriya and dropping him onto the couch in their planning/living room. He made sure to unhook the boy's weapons and place them on the table beside the couch too so that he was comfortable.

He then went about locking the store up for the night, making sure that the lights were off and the building secure. He was tired. In so many ways. But all of that could wait. He could talk to Mei later, and he could interrogate the green-haired kid in the morning.

But for now? He needed to sleep. Badly.

"My Lord!"

Yagi smiled at the man who came running up to him. It was one of Gran Torino's agents, the black clothing and enchanted leather armour making that clear. The mask on his face stopped him from knowing who exactly it was, however.

Well, if he was feeling sporting. He could demand to know, but where was the fun in that? "What can I do for you, Young man?"

The man stood up ramrod straight, his hand flying into the Mightian Salute. "My lord! Master Torino had given me the task of informing you of your schedule! My lord!"

Yagi chuckled. The newbies were always so startled whenever they were talking to him. He was starting to think Gran Torino sent them specifically for that reason. No… knowing Torino that was exactly what he was doing.

"Well then! Walk with me young man, and tell me when I am next free to visit Mustafu."

Yagi started walking towards the kitchen and laughed to himself as the man yelped and ran after him. The man seemed to be working up the courage to give his report, so Yagi remained silent, giving him the chance.

Eventually, the man started, only a little shaky. "My lord. Going over the various other visits and meetings you have, on top of your daily duties, Master Torino and the others all agree that the first time you will be available to go for any significant visit will be in around two months, maybe 1 and a half if your talks with our neighbours go smoothly."

Yagi nodded, humming. "And yet we know they won't! They never do. Not even for me! Hahaha! Two months it is then! I will look forward to hearing from you again, 2 days before this opportunity!"

The man nodded, saluting again. "Yes, my lord! I promise to inform you then! Have a pleasant meal, my lord!"

Yagi watched as the man scurried off, before turning to the shadow next to the doorway. "Sent another newbie to me, Torino?"

A footstep rang out through the corridor as Gran Torino stepped out of the shadow that was definitely not dark or large enough to hide him fully. "Damn right I did. The kid's jumpier than Dire Toad on Boostjuice when it comes to you. I think you saved him and his parents or something from that fire a couple of years back."

Yagi nodded. "Giving him exposure to me is good. Send him for the next few reports as well, would you? Having your agents afraid to talk to me will make things less efficient. And then we'll both have Mirai breathing down our necks."

Gran Torino just laughed. "Will do, Yagi. Now go eat. You got a village dispute to settle! It's the Redbacks and the Northwings again."

Yagi groaned sarcastically. He wasn't actually bothered by helping to settle the disputes, but it got a chuckle out of Torino. "Alright. I'll see you later, Torino"

The man stepped back into the shadow and disappeared again, leaving Yagi to go eat on his own.

'Two months huh?'

Yagi sat down at his table, picking at the gourmet meal his royal chef had prepared for him, his mind elsewhere as he did. Two months was… huh. Almost 20 years had gone by since that day.

Since the day he had lost everything.