CH 56

T/N: In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve updated the cover art to Book 2, featuring Beryl and the Xeno Glaive Sword, Miu, and Lucy.

“I wonder how sharp that thing is!” Kuruni says, staring at my sword with her eyes shining.

Oh, she’s interested? Was she curious?

Yeah, that sounds about right, I’m also curious. I wanted to swing this longsword as soon as possible. I have to choose a place because I can’t just swing it around the city streets.

“I hate that I don’t have a testing ground,” Valder said. “I think I mentioned this before.”

“Oh, I know that,” I said, nodding.

Well, this is the Central District, and you can’t get more central than the middle of the capital, Baltrain. The cost of land would be ridiculous, and it would take a lot of space to set up a testing ground. It would be a bit tough to say you should have gone that far.

Generally speaking, the places in the city where you can swing a large sword or handle a sword, in general, are relatively limited. Should I head back to the Knight Order’s training grounds and check out how it feels?

“Oh, right,” I said. “About the zweihander, it seems to suit Kuruni.”

“It does!” Kuruni said. “It was hard to get used to, but it feels good!”

“Ooh, that’s good to hear,” Valder said.

We change topics from my sword. So next, I would like to talk a bit about Kuruni’s specialty.

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I can’t say that Kuruni was completely used to it, she’s still learning how to handle it, but her temperament better suits the zweihander than the shortsword. It seems that she understands it feels like an extension of herself, and the feel is generally good.

“Well, in that case, use it well,” Valder said.

“Yessir!” Kuruni answered energetically.

“You as well, Master,” Valder continued. “Make good use of that sword.”

“Ah, yeah, I will,” I said.

It’s a sword that’s been put against a grindstone to hone the edge, among other things. I didn’t mean to treat it carelessly, either.

Unless there’s an irregularity like Xeno Glaive, nothing will go wrong any time soon. On that note, I’m sure I’ll be able to make ends meet with this single sword for a long time.

Ahh, but it really was unusual. The materials of a mighty monster is now in my hands as a sword, but if you think about it rationally, it’s a little hard to wrap your head around.

“Now then, what to do…” I muttered.

Now that that business is over, I start thinking about the future.

Today’s training session is over, but when a new sword is available to you, a healthy swordsman would want to swing it. I’m not without fatigue but I think it’s okay to work a little harder. I don’t have anything to do at night, anyway.

“I’m heading back to the Knight’s HQ, but what about you, Kuruni?” I asked.

So, in order to get a feel for my new partner, I decided to work up a light sweat at the training ground.

“Ah!” Kuruni cried. “I’ll go with you, too!”

Seems she’s coming along with.

I can swing my sword by myself but it would be better to have an opponent. I’m grateful.

“Come to me again if you need it sharpened, Master,” Valder said.

“Yeah, thanks,” I said.

As far as I can see, it’s quite professional work, so I don’t think it will likely need sharpening anytime soon, but I suppose that’s something its creator is worried about. I shouldn’t hesitate to tell Valder about this.

“Well then, let’s head back,” I said. “Sorry to keep dragging you along.”

“It’s nothing, I’m curious, too!” Kuruni said.

What I want to do this time is just like preparatory exercises and get a sense of my new sword. It’s not something that would lead to growth for Kuruni, so I feel a little sorry for her going with me.

But well, if she wants to tag along, I’ve got no reason to stop her.

I walk around the city with a red scabbard on my waist, which stands out a little.

The Central District of Baltrain is quite crowded if it’s not late at night or early in the morning. I wondered if this scabbard would get a lot of attention but now that I think about it, there are some adventurers and other people who look flashy, so this sword alone wouldn’t make me stand out too much.

Best of all, as an old man, I don’t attract unwanted attention.

“But we can’t try out the sharpness at the training ground, can we?” Kuruni mutters as she glances at my waist.

“It can’t be helped,” I said.

That’s right. Training is exclusively done with wooden swords and there’s nothing that can be cut with a live weapon. It’s too dangerous to slash up the equipment of the Knights without permission. I don’t want anyone to get angry at me, either.

Then I thought about going outside of the city and going hunting, the area around large cities like these would be well-patrolled and have the monsters eradicated. It’s unlikely I’m going to run into a monster just by walking around.

Apart from all that, I’m not obsessed with being an unrivaled warrior, so I wouldn’t complain if I couldn’t confirm how sharp this thing is. However, it’s also true that I had a desire to try this new equipment I’ve just gotten.

Yeah, it may be acting a little too excited, unlike an old man.

It’s not a very good trend. The excitement itself wasn’t bad but the why of its rising is rather lackluster. I hope I can calm down as we walk.

“Hehe, you’re looking a little fidgety, aren’t you, Master?!” Kuruni said, smiling.

“No, well, yes, a little,” I said.

It seems my excitement has risen to the point that other people can see it. I’ve been sitting empty for a little over a week, but even so, when start sitting at neutral, your feelings would naturally arise.

Fuu, calm down.

Alright, I’m calm. Maybe.

When we arrive at the training grounds, I firmly grip the sword to get a sense of its weight and length and focus on correcting my posture.

Although the size wasn’t too different from what I used before, it’s still a different length, so there are subtle differences. I have to get it down to muscle memory to get used to this new sword.

Otherwise, sometimes I may miscalculate the timing and a swing doesn’t go well. I may be a boring old man, but I want to look cool swinging a sword.

“We’ve arrived… huh?”

The Knight’s HQ is not too far from Valder’s blacksmith.

If I have a rambling chat with Kuruni or think about my new sword, we’ll arrive right away.

And when the entrance to the building was in sight:

I was certain I saw a small silhouette where the guard was usually standing.

“–Oh, Beryl,” Lucy said. “I was waiting for you.”

“Lucy?” I asked. “Why are you here, what’s wrong this time?”

“Ms. Lucy!” Kuruni said. “Hello!”

The figure was Lucy Diamond, Head Magus of the Magic Division.

It’s still sunny, but it’s a little late to be visiting people. Besides, it seems that she was clearly waiting for me if her words weren’t already obvious.

I wonder what happened, but I’ve got one guess as to why Lucy would visit me.

“I’ve got something to ask of you,” Lucy said. “Can you walk with me for a while?”

She’s not as aggressive as when I first met her.

However, from the tone and her expression, I couldn’t help but feel it wouldn’t be a small favor.

“… Sorry, Kuruni,” I said. “Seems I have to do it.”

“N-No, no!” Kuruni said. “Don’t worry about it!” she added, waving her arms.

I ended up standing up Kuruni. I’ll have to think of something to make it up to her, next time.

“Well then, I’ll be going,” Kuruni said, waving casually.

“My apologies,” Lucy said.

It’s alright but she shouldn’t apologize for suddenly taking me away to chat. It’s fine, though.

Well, it’s not just another day of pretending to be happy, is it?

I hope nothing weird comes out of it, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what Lucy has to say.