Chapter 2: 1-1

I woke up.  That's really the best way to describe it, I suppose.  It felt a lot like waking up from a dream but there were also some subtle differences.  It's hard to describe exactly since I never felt like this before...before?  That's right.  I died in another world and some god picked me up and let me become a weapon.  Well, that explains why everything seems so different.  It's less like I can see what's around me and more like I can feel what's nearby, even through walls of the closed in room I seem to be in.  It's a very strange sensation but it's not actually unpleasant.

It is kind of vexing, however, how bad my perception actually is on some ways.  Nothing seems distinct, for starters, like when someone has bad eyesight and everything looks fuzzy and awful with no real details.  There's also no real colors or anything, probably because I really can't see and have some other kind of sense that I'm only treating as sight, so everything is just registering in monochrome.  It also seems like my 'vision' can only go so far out.  Sure, I can essentially see through walls now but that only goes about maybe 25 meters at most, assuming my guess is correct, and then it just suddenly stops as if there's a void past that.

Luckily I do seem to have some kind of sense of hearing because I can hear the man in this room pounding away at something.  As I take stock of my surroundings better, I can tell that the man is a blacksmith.  The walls are lined with various weapons, mostly swords, and the man is hammering away on what seems to be his latest creation near the fires of his forge.  I'm also hanging from the wall but I seem to be placed slightly apart from the rest of the weapons as if I were more of a display item than anything.  I kind of want to be angry about that but this is actually a great opportunity for me.  I should be the first and only living weapon in this world right now so as long as I don't make myself known I can gather some information and learn more about this world.

The man looks like he's finally going to take a break.  Hopefully he's one of those kinds of people that talks to himself a lot so I can start learning how things work. 

"◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊.  ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊ ◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊ ◊◊◊◊. ◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊ ◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊◊◊◊ ◊◊◊◊!"

Right.  That was probably the most helpful thing he could have said.  Now if only I could understand it!  I should have double checked with those gods and made sure I'd be able understand some kind of language in this world.  Well, too late for that now.  I shouldn't have any actual kind of lifespan, anyway, so I guess I might as well start trying to figure out what people are saying as my first objective.  I really hope this world isn't like my last one with who knows how many different languages.  I may be able to make my patience last for a little while before I start learning everything about what's going on past where I can see but if I have to learn a whole bunch of new languages then this could take too long for my tastes.

Well, for now I'll just pay attention to this guy and try to learn through what he does or says.

---

So after one week of hanging on a wall and just watching a blacksmith work and occasionally talk to himself I have learned a few words.  A few, yes.  Four, if we're being specific.  Some kind of cuss word that I can't be sure of it's real meaning is the one I hear most often so picking that up wasn't too hard.  The others are sword, good, and bad.  That's about it for now and when trying to listen to a blacksmith as he talks to himself about his work is all I have to go on without any other reference then I don't think too much more could be expected from me.  

On another note, however, I am learning a little about things that aren't language.  Mostly dealing with blacksmithing and swords, obviously.  This guy, whom I assume is the one who crafted me or at least put me together, is definitely a master of his craft.  I found out that if I carefully and intensely focus on only one spot or area that I can get a little more details instead of it just being kind of fuzzy all the time.  Using that I've begun to see some of what this guy complains about when he's making or repairing things and he demands no less than perfection from himself.  It's actually kind of interesting to watch.  

Hm?  It seems someone has just invaded his home.  I just noticed that there's someone about two rooms away where my vision cuts off at.  I kind of want to let the guy know but I'm not really sure how I could.  There's also the slight issue that if I did then it would reveal me as a living weapon and who knows what kinds of things might happen after that.  Sorry, my father figure type master blacksmith guy, but I'm just not ready for the abuse yet.  At least whoever is in your home seems to be nice enough to wait for you to finish before he does whatever he plans to do.

Oh?  Now that the blacksmith is taking a break there's still a ringing sound.  A bell?  Is that guy I can see over there a customer and not an invader?  Well, that's helpful.  I would have been a little sad about this guy getting killed so soon after I had come to.  Now that I think about it, have I even slept this whole time?  Well, I am a sword...or scythe...so I guess I shouldn't really need sleep.  That would actually be even stranger...

I can't really hear what's going on in that room but I can tell that there's some kind of discussion and the blacksmith isn't particularly happy about how it's going.  Well, there's not much I can really do right now but I hope things work out and he comes back before he starts talking to himself again.  I'd like to get what opportunities I can to try and learn the language, here.  Oh?  He's coming back after all and I can already hear what seems to be a lot of swearing and cussing.  I definitely recognize one of those words as the only cuss word I know so I should take note of and try to remember as many more of these as I can.  At the very least I'll be able to recognize when someone nearby cusses if I can learn them all.

Oh.  Would you look at that?  He's actually taking me down.  So either the other guy pissed him off so much that it's time for my first bath in blood or I was just sold.  As I'm being carried back to that room I can now see things in there and it looks like this was actually a shop because there's a bunch of display cases and the place where the other man was waiting and ringing the bell that I can now see was all at a counter with a box of money stashed underneath.  Since I'm being put on the counter in front of the other man then that must mean I was sold, after all.  

Even though everything in that backroom forge was quite the masterpiece, I've spent a few nights examining myself as best I could and I'm sure I'm at least one if not several steps above even those.  If someone were to take a large and slightly lopsided crescent blade that's about 110 centimeters from one tip to the other with only the slightest of curves on the inside and then make the inside dip on another curve near one tip then take a pole that's about 95 centimeters in length and 5 centimeters in diameter and place it carefully along the inside from tip to tip and make the part of the pole where the dip in the blade is closer to 3 centimeters in diameter to act as a guarded handle then that's a pretty close description of what I look like.  So in this form I look like a medium to large one handed, single edged sword with the blade covering the whole thing.

If this guy bought me then he's probably insanely rich or something.  I kind of hope I was bought as an actual weapon and not as some kind of wealth display.  I don't mind having some time to learn the language and take stock of the world and its situation but I'm a masterpiece of a weapon and I deserve to be used and treated as such!  Oops.  Looks like a little bit of that angst slipped out as the blacksmith was taking his hand off of me.  I should learn to control that before it gets me in trouble, I guess.  Ya, he's definitely giving me a bit of a weird look and the other guy is starting to ask questions.  Okay, well, not only has a lesson been learned here but this has given me a chance to learn some more words.  At least one of the things asked had to mean something along the lines of 'what's wrong'.

Too bad the blacksmith is tired and thinks he just imagined things.  Sorry, dad, that was real and not your imagination.  Now that everything is back to normal it seems the discussion about me is continuing again and the blacksmith is getting angry again.  Ah.  Now I'm being taken away.  Wait wait wait.  Where's the money?  Are you seriously just taking me away without paying for me?  What kind of blackmail did you use, here?  I better do what I can to not let my anger leak out and reveal what I am but I'm kind of miffed about how this is playing out.  I swear that if I get put up as some kind of display that I will personally do whatever I can to make whoever's responsible pay.

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That said.  Why the hell is this blacksmith shop out in the middle of nowhere?  I can see a tree or two coming in and out of my vision range as well as some kind of dirt road but there are no other building or people or even sounds of civilization around, just the chirping of birds.  Well, there's also the carriage that I seem to be getting carried to but I don't think that counts as signs of nearby civilization.  The man has the coachman come down and help open a box so that I can apparently be placed in it.  Okay, I'm willing to accept that to some extent because it seems that I definitely have some weight along with my rather large size and it's not like it will bother me in particular sense I cna basically see through it just fine but this isn't boding well for my future of not being a decoration.

After the coachman leaves for a moment to grab what seems to be some chains and a padlock, the man pets my blade for a bit while saying something that sounds like a compliment from the tone before closing the lid.  The coachman comes back and then they lock me up and secure my new box to the carriage while the man who took me without paying puts a string through the loop on the key and places it around his neck.  The coachman opens the door and lets the man get in and sit down before going back to his driving position to start their journey to wherever we're going.  Yup, I'm absolutely sure that I'm not a fan of my newest owner so far.  Guess I may have to wait for the next person to come along because I am not going to recognize this guy as my wielder.

After almost a full day of travel we finally arrived at some kind of civilized place.  I can't really see far enough to tell if it's a town or city or what but the muffled sounds of civilization and what I can see of a guarded gate and walls tells me that we've at least made it from nowhere to somewhere.  The coachman drives the carriage up to some kind of inn or something and lets the passenger guy out before returning to drive it around the corner, park it, and untether the horses to bring them elsewhere.  Well, this sucks.  I'm probably going to be here all night and I'm just a little too far from everything to see anything other than the other carriages and what's in them.

Well, I guess since there's not much better to do until someone shows up then I guess I should study these carriages.  Oh, look!  They already have suspension.  Well, some do anyway.  Some of the cheaper looking ones are more like I would imagine in some kind of fantasy world turned real.  What else can I do to waste time away?  Hmm.  Wait.  I think I vaguely remember something about me having the ability to grow stronger and all that, right?  I guess I can try and start learning how to use my vision-like sense better.  There's just no way this is going to be all I have until the day I break beyond repair.

How do I go about this, though?  I did already figure out that I can focus a bit so maybe I should start with that.  Let's see.  Over there, if I focus, I can start to see the actual blades of grass.  So if I keep moving my focus further...a little more...hmm.  Well, I guess the closer to the edge of my sight I try to focus at, the less I can actually clear it up.  Well, not like I have better things to work on right now.  Time to practice focusing!

---

Two days of that boredom are finally over.  Sure there were occasional visitors as people brought carriages and such in and out but they never talked much or stayed long enough for me to try and figure out more words.  Instead I just had to spend most of my time working on focusing my vision as best as I could and I must say that I feel like I made practically no progress.  I'm thinking, though, that that's okay because it could be like a person's muscles or something and just take a lot of time and exercise before any differences can be noticed.  I guess I'll find out as time passes.

So now we're back on the road again and this time there are some guards running alongside the carriage.  You'd think they wouldn't make very good guards if they get tired from having to run the whole way but what do I know about how this world works?  Maybe stamina just isn't a thing in this world.  I don't really believe that because one of those guys is already looking a bit winded as I focus on him and we've only been going for about two hours now.  These two who get to ride the carriage seem more out of shape than that guy so maybe there's another reason they're being forced to run.  Maybe it's a noble versus commoner thing.  I hope not.  That would mean some stuck up noble got his greasy hands on me and the chances of me ever being used the way I should in any decent amount of time become even slimmer.

Well at least what little talking is going on outside is in short sentences of one to five words for the most part.  Even though it's kind of muffled because I got put in a stupid box I can at least try and pick out some of it and figure out the meaning based on their actions.  As they all move in and out of my vision range it's also giving me a good chance to work on that.  Honestly, it's slightly painful to try and keep my focus on someone who's not only moving but moving out of my range.  It's like straining the eyes to look at something that's bright or far or stretching really hard to reach for something just a little too far away.  It does fit with my going theory that it works like a muscle, though, so even if it's not very comfortable I plan to keep doing it.

After only one break and a lot of traveling it seems that night finally came.  I'm going with seems because my new sight obviously has nothing to do with light and I can't tell how bright or dark anything is.  All I can tell is that we moved off of the road and everyone is starting to set up places to sleep around a campfire.  Hopefully they'll stay close enough that I'll be able to pick up on some more words.  I'd really like to understand what all is going on better.  It seems I'm partially lucky, too, because they are just close enough that I can kind of hear them.  Unfortunately I'm not really getting anything that I can make sense of which is too bad because apparently some of the things they said were really funny and I could stand to hear a few jokes to get me in a better mood.  Oh well, at least I managed to pick up some vague sounds that seem to vaguely mean 'your turn' from their night watch rotation.  I do mean vaguely, though, thanks to the stupid box muffling everything and no way to check on the actual meaning.

So everything goes like this for two more days before the cliché event finally occurs.  That's right.  We got attacked!  Well, they did.  I didn't because nobody would be stupid enough to attack a lone sword in a box.  Luckily for me, some of the fighting happened within my vision range.  A thought occurs as this fighting is happening.  I should probably really study swordplay and such when I have the chance from now on.  If, as a weapon, I don't even know how I should be used by the time I find a good wielder then how will I even know if my wielder is any good?  And with that thought I try to focus as best I can on anyone in range who uses a sword so I can watch and learn what I can.  It wasn't much, to be honest, since the fighting didn't last long but that's definitely something to note for the future.

Seems like a couple of our new guards got a little injured but they did well enough in taking down the assailants.  Too bad the asshole in the carriage still has no intention of letting anyone else ride along with him.  The guards talk for a bit and a few of them give piggyback rides to the two injured ones.  I think some of those muffled sounds might have meant something like 'get on' so I'll try and make a note of that in case I hear something similar when I'm out of my box.  Luckily for them it doesn't seem there are any more attackers over the next three days and one of the injured guys even managed to start running alongside the carriage again.  Seems like a tough job.

And thus we made it to a big city.  How could I know it's a big city?  For the same reason that I know the guy in the carriage is at least important if not a noble.  We passed a long line of carriages and wagon and people and got to go through a private door next to another gate in a wall.  With the sounds of civilization being even louder and busier than the last place I can only deduce that this must be some fairly large city.  Our travel guards got dismissed as soon as we entered, too.  So now we're coming up to some kind of fenced and gated area.

The carriage finally slows down at one gate and some guards come into my vision on the other side.  They say some words and make what I can only guess is a salute to the guy in the carriage as they open the gate so we can go through.  It doesn't take too long before a mansion of extraordinary size comes into my vision as well.  Two people, which I guess seem like butlers or something when I focus on them for a bit, come to take my sealed box down and bring it into the mansion with the noble guy.  

We go through quite a bit of it when I finally start to recognize where we're headed.  This is the absolutely worst thing I could imagine!  They're taking me to a vault!  I won't even be put on display where I can still try and learn the language or anything, no, I'll be locked away from everyone and everything as an expensive treasure with no real value or usage other than merely existing.  Gods damn them all!

And so, as the vault door that I was placed next to closes, I decide that I had better start figuring out what I can and can't do by myself while I'm here.  The first order of business is to work on how far and clearly I can see.

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