The shop smelled like oil, iron, and narrative obligation.
Kazuto stood in front of a rack of swords, each one labeled with a small tag.
-Iron Sword (Reliable)
-Steel Sword (Reliable, But More Expensive)
-"Beginner's Blade" (Somehow Still Legal)
He picked up the iron sword and swung it experimentally.
It wobbled.
"…Is it supposed to do that?"
"Yes," said the blacksmith. "That means it's authentic."
This man has existed in seventeen different stories, I said. He has never changed.
Lira leaned against the counter. "Do you have anything that boosts stats?"
The blacksmith laughed. "Stats don't exist here."
Kazuto froze. "They… don't?"
"Nope," the blacksmith said cheerfully. "People swing swords. If they're good, they hit things. If they're not, they miss."
Correct, I said. We are pretending numbers aren't everything today.
Kazuto looked disappointed. "So there's no '+10 strength'?"
"Son," the blacksmith said, "this is a piece of metal."
Kazuto set the sword down carefully. "Then what's the point of upgrading?"
The blacksmith shrugged. "Your old weapon breaks less."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
I warned you, I said.
Lira nodded thoughtfully. "That actually makes sense."
Kazuto stared at her. "You're siding with the worldbuilding?"
"I pick my battles."
On a nearby shelf sat a sword in an ornate sheath. Gold trim. Engraved runes. Dramatic lighting that absolutely should not exist indoors.
Kazuto's eyes drifted toward it.
No, I said immediately.
"What about that one?" Kazuto asked.
Absolutely not.
The blacksmith followed his gaze and winced. "Oh. That."
Lira squinted. "Why is it glowing?"
"Marketing," the blacksmith said. "It's been glowing for three years. No one's bought it."
Kazuto reached for it.
Do not, I warned.
The sword felt… fine.
Not powerful. Not overwhelming. Just fine.
"…I don't feel anything," Kazuto said.
"Exactly," said the blacksmith. "That's why it's unsold."
Legendary weapons are a scam, I muttered.
Kazuto put the sword back.
"Okay," he said slowly. "I'll take the iron sword."
The blacksmith smiled, satisfied. "Good choice. Sensible. Boring."
"I prefer 'practical,'" Kazuto said.
You'll regret that, I said. Not because it's wrong. Because stories don't reward it.
Outside the shop, Kazuto tested the sword with a few swings.
It still wobbled.
"…I paid for this."
"Yes," Lira said. "You paid for a tool, not a destiny."
Kazuto sighed. "I thought this would feel more… important."
This is the part where you're supposed to realize that progress is incremental, I said. But no one ever remembers that.
He looked at the sword again. Then at Lira.
"…Do you feel like the world is slightly underwhelming?"
Lira smiled. "Constantly."
They walked back toward the inn.
No dramatic music swelled.
No system message appeared.
No hidden power awakened.