by Yuu Tanaka
“And I don’t think you’ll have to worry about him being delayed.”
Why’s that?
“Those people travel light and fast, even when they come here. Sure, they had to ride in a carriage for the purposes of ceremony, but they move a lot more like adventurers otherwise—fast and stealthy.”
Then we could certainly travel a lot faster that way. In fact, Fran might have a hard time keeping up. But I thought of another problem: how to keep my identity a secret. These were beastmen with sharp instincts as well as top-ranked adventurers. They might find me out just by being near me.
“You’ll have to work on that one yourself,” said Dias.
True.
We didn’t know whether they would agree to take Fran, anyway. Asking for a ship was within reason, though, so we should probably start with that.
“We’ll ask the Beast King for help.”
Yeah. Only one way to find out.
“Tell His Majesty I said hello.”
“Hm.”
We left Dias and headed back to the Beast King’s accommodations. The sun was setting, but I wanted to get this conversation done. Although, knowing Rigdith’s impatience, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had already left. It was a little late for a meeting, and we couldn’t just sneak into the Beast King’s rooms, but our worries came to nothing. The front desk let us in as soon as Fran said her name. Rigdith still had her on the list.
“Hey, Fran. Back so soon? What’s up?”
The Beast King greeted us with a magnanimous wave of his royal hand. Although, coming from Rigdith, the gesture was far more casual than royal—like a sloppy middle-aged man. Despite it all, he managed to keep his regal aura.
“What do you need?”
“Hm. A boat to get to the Beastman Nation.”
“Oooh, about time! You should come along with us, then. Can’t think of a faster way!”
Well, that was easy. Even if he was travelling in secret, should the king really add outsiders to his party so readily? However, Royce immediately objected.
“Have you forgotten that you have business in the Granzellian capital, Lord Rig? We must meet the king and his family before we leave.”
“Ugh. Do I have to?”
“Of course you do.”
The king had his royal chores to attend to. We had plans to go to the capital, but there was still time before the auctions started. Visiting now was out of the question, unless His Majesty employed Fran as a bodyguard.
“Okay, but how are we gonna get the little lady back home?”
“We don’t need to accompany her, you know. She’s strong enough to beat Godo. I’m sure she can take care of herself,” Royce said, praising Fran. After all, her victory against Gaudartha was a matter of historical fact.
“Point taken.”
“I do believe,” said Royce, “she was looking for a boat to get there.”
“Oh. Were you?”
“I understand your excitement,” said Royce, “since she is close to the princess in age, but please be reasonable.”
“Princess?” Fran asked.
“Yeah. I have a fifteen-year-old daughter back home. I can’t help seeing a bit of her in you!”
No wonder the king was so nice. She was almost exactly the same age as his daughter.
“I think we should help her. Master will be pleased.”
“Right?”
“She will be useful,” Royce said. “I admit.”
We’re right here, Royce! Although, he probably said it knowing Fran would hear. He was asking her indirectly if she was ready to be used as a political tool. As one of the Beast King’s advisors, Royce couldn’t leave an evolved Black Cat alone. There was bound to be a reaction from the other beastmen. As someone tasked with running the country, Royce had to take Fran into account. Even so, he managed to tell her about the consequences of her visit, and that she should refrain from going if she wasn’t ready. The dashing bunny wasn’t just a handsome intellectual; he was considerate, too! I could imagine his suitors already!
“I’ll leave if I get sick of it,” said Fran.
“Ha ha ha!” Royce laughed. “I think I’m the only one who can catch this little lady if she decides to book it!”
“Very well,” said the Beast King. “We will not ask you to become one of our vassals. Let’s make this simply transactional. A show of goodwill between Fran and the Beast King should be more than enough for our people.”
That sounded reasonable. Fran didn’t need to lie either, since she genuinely liked the Beast King. They just needed to get along in public.
“Well then, this is for you,” said Royce.
“What’s this?”
He handed her a small golden plaque. It was carved with an intricate crest, making it difficult to counterfeit.
“Identification with Lord Rig’s name on it, and my own. With it, any vessel of the Beastman Nation will be glad to take you onboard. Our merchant ships should be making port at Bulbola at the moment. You can hitch a ride.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Just look for the flags that bear the same insignia.”
Things were going perfectly so far. Did Royce see through Fran, and devise this to make her owe them a favor? That was okay, I suppose.
In any case, we could leave for the Beastman Nation. Royce went on to say that there were plenty of merchant ships making the route—one ship every three days. The vessels bearing the royal crest answered directly to the royal family, so they should welcome Fran as an esteemed guest. The plaque was a lot more powerful than I thought.
“The merchants of the Beastman Nation should have your name and description memorized by now. Even without our identification, you would be more than welcome.”
All we needed was a ride, really. There was one other matter we wanted to discuss.
“Where is the Godsmith?” Fran asked.
“Hmm,” said Rigdith. “You’ll know when you get there.”
“I will inform our officials to give you the introduction letter. Not that the Godsmith will see you, even if you have it.”
“Just promise you’ll be our middleman if you happen to get along with that character,” said the Beast King.
The mythical Godsmith was rebellious enough to refuse the requests of a king?
“Hm. Sure.”
“Good luck. You’ll need it.”
“Master is currently staying at the royal palace,” said Royce. “The capital should be your first stop.”
Night had fallen by the time we finished our discussion. It had been a busy day, despite the end of the tournament. At least we could head for the Beastman Nation now. Was there anything else we had to do before we departed?
Right, we have to go see Garrus.
His friend said he should be back in time for the tournament, so maybe he was in Ulmutt already. Then again, he said he’d tell us…
Let’s go to the blacksmith and see.
“Hm!”
Maybe he didn’t want to bother us during the tournament. The sun had only just set, so I didn’t think Zeld would be asleep yet. We should probably get the blacksmith a little present, too.
There was a bar on the way to his shop, and I thought about getting the dwarf the strongest drink there. The bartender already knew about Fran, and readily agreed to sell her a bottle of the stuff. He even gave us a discount in exchange for a handshake. Alcohol in hand, we visited Zeld’s shop.
“Little lady! Congratulations on the medal!”
“Hm. Thanks.”
Zeld had been watching the tournament. He gladly accepted our gift, raving to Fran about its quality. She asked him about Garrus, but it turned out the old dwarf hadn’t returned. “The rest of the folks who went to Bulbola with him are here, though.”
“Garrus is still in Bulbola?”
“Apparently. There are some jobs that only he could do.”
“I see.”
“He said he’d be back before the tournament, so I wonder why he d
idn’t tell anyone about his change of plans. Weird…”
We should look for him in Bulbola before we went to the Beastman Nation. Who knew when we would see him again? Fran excused herself, but Zeld stopped her before she could leave.
“S-so about that sword…”
Zeld was looking at me now with the same interest he had shown in Fran’s Black Cat Set. I couldn’t blame him. I was frequently the subject of the commentator’s ramblings, after all. As an experienced blacksmith, Zeld knew an enchanted sword when he saw one.
“Uh, do you mind if I take a look?”
Teacher?
Just a little bit. But tell him not to equip me. It’s very dangerous.
“Okay, sure.”
“Thanks,” said Zeld.
“But you’ll die if you equip it, so be careful.”
“What?”
“It’s cursed. Anyone other than me will die if they equip it.”
Zeld stopped reaching for me, his curiosity overwhelmed by fear. No one in their right mind would want to equip a killing sword. You wouldn’t want to touch a poison apple, even if it only killed you if you ate it. He knew I was more than an average enchanted sword.
“C-can I touch it?”
“Touching’s fine.”
“R-right…”
He wasn’t about to back out. He made up his mind and gripped my hilt. Once he had his hand on me, his training as a blacksmith took over. He inspected my blade and guard.
“Hmm. I do feel powerful mana coming from it. Symmetrical blade, and this alloy…could it be…” Zeld muttered. “Do you mind if I ask you where this sword came from?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, who made it, which region are they from, stuff like that.”
Always the point of interest with blacksmiths. Too bad I didn’t know the answer. Should we just tell him that I woke up in the Demon Wolf’s Garden? Then again, I wasn’t sure if it was safe to do that.
“I don’t know.”
That was the safest answer.
“I see…I think this thing’s made of orichalcos…”
“Orichalcos? You’re sure?”
“No, I’m not. I’ve never seen this metal before. Hang on a sec,” Zeld said, rummaging through his shelves in the corner of his smithy. He eventually found the worn book he was looking for. “These are blacksmith orders from the previous tournaments.”
The great influx of merchants during the tournaments made finding the list easy.
“Not just any ordinary blacksmith. This guy was apparently an apprentice of the apprentice of a Godsmith. Now, in the list of materials the Godsmith used, there is something called orichalcos. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s top-notch material that can withstand a Godsmith’s hammer.”
A legendary metal. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I was made of orichalcos. I kept breaking, almost at regular intervals. I did come with the new-and-improved self-repair feature, but I couldn’t imagine a legendary metal being so soft.
“But then,” said Zeld. “Orichalcos isn’t the only metal I’ve never seen before. Still, I feel there’s something strange about this sword. It’s top-shelf manatech, at the very least.”
Top-shelf manatech…! Thanks, Zeld! I mean, that was pretty good, right? I wasn’t a Godsword, but maybe a Godsmith cranked me out in his spare time?
No, probably not.
“Hm?”
“Nothing.”
We somehow talked Zeld out of his burning curiosity and returned to the inn. Fran still needed to eat and take a bath, but there was one last thing we needed to try.
All right, here I go.
“Hm.”
I used Create Clone to make several copies of myself. Usually, I made copies of my human self, but…
Yep, they’re swords.
“So many Teachers.”
Create Clone was now making copies of my sword self. Why? I tried the skill again, focusing on an image of my human self this time, and it worked. We had more options in battle now that I could reproduce both my sword and human forms.
However, my human form had changed slightly. There was something off about its physical proportions. It was still me, but it looked more like my hypothetical brother than myself. Was this the cost of being able to make sword copies? I didn’t mind—I had already decided to live out the rest of my life as a sword. And this form was definitely stronger!
How did I start making sword copies, though?
“Hm…”
Oh, I guess it was bedtime for Fran.
Whoops, sorry. Let’s wrap up for today.
“Hm…”
I think we’ve finished all our business in Ulmutt. We’ve said our goodbyes and prepared as much as we can.
“Hm. We can go to the Beastman Nation now…”
I wonder what kind of place it is.
“Zzz…”
Ha ha. Good night, Fran. You did good.
It was the morning of our departure, and we were in the dungeon to say our goodbyes to Lumina.
“You’re finally leaving, then. I must say I can’t wait to see what happens.”
“Hm…”
“Come now,” she said. “You shouldn’t look like that on the day of your departure. The surface is sunny today, is it not?”
While this wouldn’t be our final goodbye, it still made me misty-eyed. Lumina was special to Fran.
“I must thank you again for telling me where Kiara is,” said the Dungeon Master.
“Thanks for helping me evolve, too.”
Yeah. If anything, we owe you for expending your powers like that.
“Then I suppose we can call it even.”
Lumina laughed, but it didn’t help to lighten Fran’s mood.
“This will not be our final farewell. In fact, I would be less worried if you went off with a smile.”
“Hm…”
“Oh, what am I to do with you?”
Lumina got up and pulled her into an embrace. It was a warm and gentle hug, to which Fran responded by burying her face in Lumina’s shoulder and squeezing her arms. She didn’t know when we would see her again. Lumina patted her back and Fran finally pulled away. Her face was red with embarrassment.
“Sorry,” Fran said.
“Ha ha ha. You can still be adorable, I see. Come visit me if you ever feel lonely. I’ll hug you all you want.”
“Hm.”
There was no more doubt in Fran’s eyes. Comforting her was supposed to be my role, but even I couldn’t replace the maternal love Lumina had for her. I felt a mixture of frustration and admiration.
“I’ll be going now,” Fran said.
“Be safe.”
Lumina smiled as we left the dungeon. Before Fran teleported away, she whispered in a low voice:
“Bye-bye.”
A farewell she didn’t mean for anyone to hear.
We’ll come back.
“Hm.”
Let’s show her how much you’ve grown by then.
“Hm!”
An hour went by, and a mass of people had gathered at the city gate.
“Oh, Frannie! You’ll come again, won’t you? You’re always welcome!”
Elza came up first. She put her arms around her, crying her eyes out. Watch the snot now, Fran! The big adventurer almost suffocated her with her pecs, but Fran didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she was patting her on the back to comfort her.
“Sniff…thank you, Frannie.”
“Hm.”
“Here. A farewell gift just for you. Take it.” Elza handed her a basket. Inside it were ten bottles of liquid.
“Potions?”
“These are my specially formulated skincare lotions. Use them before going to bed and you’ll wake up with fresh and supple skin. You’re really strong and cool, but that doesn’t mean that you can skip out on being cute and girly.”
I couldn’t have put it better myself, Elza. Fran was made of excellent stuff, but I, her crude guardian, didn’t have a clue abou
t fashion and makeup. We’d put her gift to good use starting tonight.
“I’m supposed to put it on my skin?”
“Yes, take a little bit into your hands and massage it into your skin.”
“Why?”
“You don’t have to understand. You’ll know when you grow up and fall in love.”
“Uh. Sure?” Fran nodded, still befuddled.
Okay, but hold up a moment, Elza. Fall in love? Fran? She was still twelve! It was too soon for her to fall in love! What if she became more beautiful because of that lotion? Hyenas would come circling! What if Fran fell for one of the better-looking ones? I supposed I could cut him down if he turned out to be nothing but a good-looking scumbag. But what if he was actually bright and cheerful? What would I do? What if he was reliable enough for Fran?
No. Looks and personality wouldn’t be enough to protect her. He would have to be strong enough to defeat Fran and me together. He needed to be financially strong enough to take care of her, and faithful enough to be with her all his life. If he couldn’t fulfill all of Fran’s selfish desires, I would not allow it!
“F-Frannie? Your sword’s rattling on your back…is it okay? That thing’s cursed, right?”
Teacher?
Oh no. I’d almost lost control there. I was about to Telekinesis myself out of my sheath.
It’s nothing. Just thank Elza for her present.
Well, no need to think about it so much now. Courtship was still in the distant future and might never come to pass. I was thankful for the lotions, though. Making Fran cuter was always a good thing.
“Hm. It’s fine. Thanks.”
“Come back if you ever run out. I’ll cook up a fresh batch.”
Now it was Dias and Aurel’s turn.
“What an excellent day for an adventure.”
“All the best to you, young lady.”
They bowed their heads, asking Fran to send Kiara their regards. I expected a letter, but they hadn’t prepared one.
“We remember it like it was yesterday, but we can’t say the same for her. She’s probably forgotten about us,” they said in a matter-of-fact tone, but not without sadness.
That was why they skipped on writing a letter. To Kiara, Dias and Aurel were probably acquaintances she met while she was young. They didn’t know whether she would remember.
“Just mention us in passing. Tell her these old adventurers in Ulmutt said they knew her and got nostalgic for the past.”