Jobless Reincarnation: Emiya the Great Hero Must Show His True Skills

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Ariel and the old blacksmith went deep into the forge and came to the front of the tightly closed door.

When Ariel came here with Shirou before, she was curious about the purpose of this room. Now she finally realized that the room behind it was the room of the blacksmith Muramasa.

The old blacksmith gestured for Ariel to go inside.

Ariel didn't think too much about it. After taking a deep breath, she opened the door to the room.

The room was even more spacious than I had imagined, filled with all sorts of forging tools and a great many special minerals and magic stones, each one incredibly valuable.

What's most unique is the abundance of weapons displayed in the room.

Many of these weapons were just made and were clearly not finished products, but rather unfinished products.

Even though it was only a batch of unfinished products, every weapon in the room gave people an indescribable sense of oppression, and even made Ariel's heart stop.

"Master Muramasa... are you here?"

Ariel looked around but didn't see anyone, so she couldn't help but ask.

"..."

As her voice faded, a white-haired man dressed in simple clothes and wearing a white mask emerged from the shadows.

The moment Ariel saw the other person, she knew that it was the blacksmith Muramasa himself.

Although she couldn't see its true form, Ariel could sense that all the weapons around her resonated strangely after the other party appeared.

It's as if, with Muramasa's arrival, the weapons all gained their own souls.

While Ariel was feeling nervous and excited, Muramasa looked at her calmly and asked, "Are you the second princess of the kingdom, Ariel?"

"You...you know me?"

Ariel, as a princess, should have a higher status.

But when faced with a man who was clearly the blacksmith Muramasa, Ariel couldn't help but use a respectful term.

“You were the customer who bought my first weapon, so naturally I investigated you.”

Although Shirou's first weapon was the Golden Sword of Invincibility, he used it himself and never showed it to anyone else.

Therefore, his first real weapon was Durandal, which Ariel had bought at the time.

"I am so honored to have acquired this weapon! It is the most unique sword I have ever seen in my life!"

Ariel was so excited that she stammered, not expecting that Muramasa would recognize her.

She immediately displayed the sword at her waist and bowed, saying, "I am Ariel Anemoi Asura, the second princess of the Kingdom of Asura. Please take good care of me, Master Muramasa."

"Why did you come to me? Do you need me to customize a weapon for you?"

Shirou, in his role as Muramasa, spoke coldly. He deliberately feigned this aloofness not only to differentiate himself from his original identity but also to prevent Ariel, whose eyes were too sharp, from seeing through him.

Because of Emiya's vast experience as a Guardian, Shirou can easily impersonate someone completely different from himself, and it's difficult for him to reveal any flaws.

Ariel was clearly flustered by Muramasa's question. She cautiously replied, "I am already very honored to have been able to purchase this famous sword, Durandal. I do not ask Master Muramasa to make any more weapons. I have come to see you simply because I wish to meet a master like you and learn from your knowledge and experience."

"I have nothing to teach you."

Muramasa shook his head.

Ariel clearly lacks the talent for forging and has no intention of pursuing this path, so any guidance she might offer would be meaningless.

Ariel clearly knew this, so she took the initiative to speak: "No, I don't need Master Muramasa to teach me anything, I just want to get an answer to a question from you."

"The answer to the question?"

"Do you think I should participate in the struggle for the throne, or do you think I am capable of becoming the Queen of the Kingdom of Asura?"

"..."

Muramasa fell silent in response to Ariel's question.

He slowly looked at the girl before him and said, "You asked this question not because you wanted an answer from me, but because you didn't want the answer to becoming king, but the motivation to become king. I won't give you the answer to this question, but I can tell you that every choice you make will affect the rest of your life. I have also faced choices, and after making the wrong ones, I regretted countless times why I didn't try my best to challenge the impossible. Many times I wondered, if I had pushed myself to my limits back then, would everything have been different? If I had used my abilities to the fullest from the beginning, would the people I wanted to protect not have been hurt?"

"This……"

“Princess Ariel, what you need is not an answer, but a reason, a reason for you to become king. As long as you find that reason, whether it is to protect someone or to accomplish something, as long as you are sure that it must be done, you can take the first step forward. Otherwise, even if you get affirmation, you will only choose to give up at the first sign of setback.”

Muramasa's tone was calm, yet every word seemed to strike Ariel's heart. "Doing anything is like forging a sword. The first thing to do is to imagine what kind of sword you want to make. What kind of sword is it? Is it forged to protect others, or to slay powerful enemies, or is it a weapon specially made to assassinate a noble person..."

"Forging requires first confirming the shape, then building the foundation, and then moving forward towards the goal with countless hammer blows and countless polishing. The more painful the process, the sharper the weapon will be, and the higher the quality will be. However, most people cannot forge the final product because they give up in the process. There are many reasons for this, but the commonality is that they lack persistence in their goals."

"Princess Ariel, what kind of sword do you want to forge? Are you willing to give it your all and be fully prepared to forge it?"

Chapter 156 Ariel is thrilled to receive Muramasa's help!

Muramasa's questioning silenced Ariel; she had clearly never deeply considered the reasons why she wanted to become king.

For her, the reason she wanted to become king was simply because of her status as a princess.

If she cannot become king, she will lose the meaning of her existence as a princess, and her future life will become meaningless. She may even be married off to another country due to certain political factors, ultimately leading a meaningless life.

It can be said that Ariel's desire to become queen was mostly due to passive factors; she never actually had any subjective belief in becoming queen.

Actions without conviction, as Muramasa said, are like forging a sword whose shape is not even determined.

If even the shape cannot be fixed, the forged weapon is destined to be just an empty shell, unable to possess any real substance.

“I understand what you mean, Master Muramasa.”

After realizing what she lacked most, Ariel bowed respectfully to Muramasa, speaking earnestly as if addressing her mentor, "Master, your words have truly enlightened me, like the sun breaking through the clouds. Thank you for your guidance."

"If you have already received guidance, leave as soon as possible. This is not a place for you."

Muramasa spoke silently.

This statement was not only made from Muramasa's perspective, but also from Shirou's own perspective.

Whether it's Ariel becoming queen or Shirou's own peace of mind, Ariel should no longer stay in the Boreas family.

The other party should set off as soon as possible and return to the capital.

This is a good thing for everyone.

"Yes, Master Muramasa."

Ariel was now filled with gratitude and respect for Muramasa, showing no disrespect whatsoever. However, a hint of confusion appeared on her face. "Actually, I have another question. Why does Master Muramasa stay in Boreas? With your strength, you could easily gain immense power and status by joining any faction. Why do you choose to live in seclusion in this unknown place?"

Ariel's question was clearly an attempt to win over Muramasa.

Deep down, she still longed to recruit a blacksmith of Muramasa's caliber to her command.

But Ariel also understood that someone of Muramasa's caliber was practically devoid of desires. Compared to ordinary people, his purpose was extremely faint, and it was only his incomprehensible yearning that drove him to take action.

As a princess, Ariel had seen many people like Muramasa who were extremely capable and had therefore lost their desire for power and status.

A prime example is the contemporary sword god.

As the strongest swordsman of his time, the Sword God never associates with any country and always guards the top of the Holy Land of Swords alone.

Only when the human race itself is threatened will the Sword God draw his long-forgotten sword and take action to eliminate the powerful demon enemies invading the continent.

As the pinnacle of human blacksmiths, Muramasa, at least in Ariel's opinion, could be said to have no needs whatsoever.

However, the only thing that might attract Muramasa is Boreas.

Ariel had always been curious as to why the blacksmith Muramasa was hiding his identity within the Boreas family, and why even the members of the Boreas family seemed completely unaware of Muramasa's existence.

Such an unusual event must have a special reason behind it.

If we could know this reason, there would be a sliver of a chance to understand Muramasa and win over this strongest blacksmith among humans.

"..."

On the other side, Shirou was clearly stumped when he heard Ariel ask the question.

After all, he would stay in Bereas because he was actually there, and his disguised identity as Muramasa would naturally not leave the city.

He obviously couldn't tell Ariel his true identity.

This makes it difficult for him to give a reasonable explanation for why Muramasa would stay in Bereas Castle.

After thinking it over, Shirou continued in Muramasa's tone: "Reasons? Does that matter? No matter what the environment, a true blacksmith can forge a sharp sword and move towards even greater heights."

"I understand..."

Ariel was even more moved after hearing this.

The master truly lives up to his reputation; every word he uttered was full of wisdom.

The other person's words not only answered my question, but also indirectly reminded me that a true strong person will not be swayed by the environment and should be able to calmly deal with any situation.

However, Ariel also felt a little regretful.

Muramasa's words indicated that the other party did not stay at Bereas Castle for any special reason, but simply happened to be there, nothing more.

Although true strength is certainly characterized by such magnanimity.

But when he was so detached from desires, Ariel still instinctively felt a little disappointed, after all, it meant that she would have a hard time recruiting such a powerful blacksmith.

However, Ariel did not give up completely. In the end, she couldn't help but ask, "Master Muramasa, do you think I have a chance to become queen? If I find a reason to become queen, would you be willing to help me?"

Ariel didn't want to miss this opportunity, so even though the statement was a bit too forceful and impolite, she still managed to ask her question.

She didn't want to regret it later.

"..."

Muramasa fell silent in response to Ariel's question.

For him, helping Ariel was a risk-free endeavor with absolutely no reward.

After all, the chances of Ariel becoming queen are extremely low, and the cards in her opponent's hand are simply not enough to compete fairly with the other brothers.

It's highly likely that Ariel's fate will be to lose the struggle, be forced to relinquish the throne, and flee to a distant land.

Even more tragically, some died directly in the struggle.

From a purely profit-driven perspective, the gains from helping Ariel are pitifully small, while the risks involved are almost immeasurably large.

After all, Ariel's opponents were two other princes who were stronger and had a larger sphere of influence, including Darius.

No normal person would believe that Ariel is capable of becoming the queen of the Asura Kingdom. She would most likely die in the struggle. Unless one is an ultimate opportunist or attracted by Ariel's personal charm, it is unlikely that anyone would assist Ariel.

However, Muramasa, also known as Shirou, was not thinking purely about benefits and risks.

For him, even if the possibility of making Ariel queen was extremely low, it was still worth doing.

After all, if he could help Ariel take the throne, it would be equivalent to eradicating the breeding ground for parasites like Darius. Given Ariel's personality, although she wouldn't completely uphold justice, she would certainly not turn a blind eye to evil.

Moreover, Shirou himself could not stand by and watch Ariel die on the path to becoming king.

His interactions with Ariel over this period of time have allowed him to establish a good relationship with this mischievous yet principled princess, even to the point of being considered a friend.

If Ariel dies on her path to becoming king, and he is unable to offer any help, Shirou will surely be plunged into boundless regret.

Whether it's to achieve his own sense of justice or to help Ariel as a friend and prevent her death, Shirou cannot completely refuse to provide Ariel with any assistance.

Having made the above considerations, Shirou resumed his Muramasa demeanor and slowly spoke in a cold and steady voice: "If you find the reason for becoming king that satisfies me, I can provide you with assistance and even forge the weapons you need."

"Really!?"

Ariel looked up in disbelief, finding it hard to believe that she could actually receive help from Muramasa, the strongest blacksmith among humans.

This is something that could never happen in a dream.

It wasn't until Muramasa himself confirmed it again that Ariel suddenly realized that she might have really gained Muramasa's approval.

"However, don't be too happy yet. As I said, I need you to find a reason that satisfies me, and you must dedicate your life to achieving that goal. Only then can I help you and transform the sword I forged into your power, Princess Ariel."

"I understand!"

Ariel nodded firmly at Muramasa's words.

She was speechless with excitement. While trying her best to control her emotions and prevent herself from dancing around, she took her leave immediately.

Although Muramasa imposed conditions, for Ariel, who originally didn't have much hope, even the slightest chance of getting Muramasa's assistance would be a big step on her path to becoming queen.

The value brought by a top-notch blacksmith is so immense.

At the same time, after Ariel left completely, Shirou couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and shed his Muramasa disguise.

Just like when he impersonated the Heroic Spirit Emiya to deceive Iris, he still felt a little guilty and remorseful when he played this role.

However, he knew he had no other choice. If his identity as the village head were discovered, it would not only bring him great trouble, but also bring great disaster to his family and friends.

If he wants to reveal the whole truth in the future, he must ensure that he has the power to defeat all enemies and the ability to protect everyone.