CH 2.22

High Elf and Sword Princess

Translated by Mlzkzr

Edited by Mlzkzr

A large group of carpenters enter the site and proceed to demolish the ruins of what used to be the dojo for the Yosogi-ryu school.

Their dexterity is really good, and the dismantling progresses at high speed, although I can’t say that it happened in the blink of an eye.

The blacksmith union introduced me to a group of carpenters, and it seems that their skills are solid.

The thing that one should possess is, after all, the power of connections.

When Kaeha left for her journey as an adventurer, I suggested to her that we rebuild this dojo.

That’s because now that I’ve been entrusted with her precious mother, I don’t want to behave so as to leave her side for too long.

However, this would not allow me to do the blacksmithing work requested by the blacksmith union, so I decided to build a smithy on this property.

In that case, it would be easier and more inexpensive to rebuild the dojo together anyway, as the construction would only have to be done once.

Of course, most of the money I have on hand will be blown away by the large-scale construction of rebuilding the dojo, but if the smithy is built, I can receive work from the blacksmiths’ union and earn a decent amount, so I don’t have to worry about it.

Kaeha looked extremely apologetic, but this was more for my own sake, so it was no problem.

On the contrary, I’d get a benefit from having a space set up with a forge on the premises…… even if it doesn’t earn much money, at least it won’t be a one-sided loss.

Besides, I also use the dojo for training in form and practice swinging.

Until she returns, as Kaeha has been doing all along, I will continue to imitate the Yosogi-style imprinted in my mind, all by myself.

And what makes me feel a little sorry for Kaeha is that she will not be able to witness the completion of this dojo, as she will soon be leaving for the town of Vistkort as an adventurer.

It was Kaeha who looked the happiest and sounded the most joyful when the carpenter showed her the blueprints, so when she heard that it would take more than half a year to complete the dojo, her face was full of despair.

In the end, due to my blacksmithing work, the first thing I have to start with is the construction of the forge.

I quite like Kaeha’s not-too-heavy, but rather easygoing expression of despair.

Kaeha’s mother nodded her head, without raising objections to her daughter becoming an adventurer or to the rebuilding of the dojo.

It is not that she doesn’t have thoughts about it, of course, she has.

She has lost her husband, and the last remaining member of her family is willing to jump into danger herself.

But even so, Kaeha’s mother hugged her daughter, did not stop her, and then thanked me.

A very strong and noble woman, that’s what I think she is.

That is why I must protect her properly now that I have been entrusted with her.

At least until Kaeha grows up and comes back safely.

After that, about two seasons later, the dojo was completed.

That said, there hasn’t been much change in what I do.

At best, I now swing my sword inside the dojo, whereas I used to swing it outside.

In the morning, I wake up to eat and then swing my sword, and in the afternoon, I accompany Kaeha’s mother to the stores when she’s shopping.

Once the shopping is done, I shut myself up in the smithy and sleep at night.

After the weapons and armor have been smithed, the staff of the blacksmith union would come to pick them up and leave charcoals for fuel, metals as the materials, and gold coins.

Since I started training with swords, my blacksmithing skills have mysteriously improved by another notch.

Perhaps it’s because I have had more time to think about how to move my body, I now have a better understanding of the center of gravity of weapons and the effects of armor on movement.

But the new dojo is big, so it is inevitably conspicuous, and if word spreads that there is a skilled blacksmith in here, strange people will gather.

They would say, “I am a famous warrior, so you should forge me a weapon,” or “It would be a waste if this splendid dojo will not be used properly, so I will use it myself” and something alike.

One or two fools come a month to say those nonsense.

This royal capital, Warfiel, is said to be a city where people come from all over the Kingdom of Ludria, but apparently, fools also gather here from all over the country.

Of course, if I ask the spirits of the wind, for example, when some of them were bragging about their skills, I can easily blow them away.

I also think that it’s not a good idea to treat an opponent who comes to the dojo of a school with the power of a spirit, but shooting with a bow and arrow or cutting them with a sword will inevitably cause excessive wounds and blood will flow.

It would be a shame to have blood staining our new dojo and grounds, so the quickest and least messy way to deal with them is to have them blown away by the wind so there would be no future trouble.

But even so, I am getting a little tired of dealing with them when they keep coming back.

If the other party belongs to an organization, I can use the method of cutting them off from the roots by destroying their base, but most of them are just drifters, warrior types, and occasional members of small schools who want to make a name for themselves.

In other words, as far as I was concerned, they were all opponents who did not have a decent base.

Should I feel fortunate that there is no meddling from big organizations like the three major schools, or should I feel disappointed that I can’t make an example out of them by smashing them up?

When my thoughts go in such a disturbing direction, I can’t laugh at the worries written in Cleias’ previous letters.

Speaking of letters, Kaeha, who has become an adventurer, will send a letter about once a month, and even if there is a gap due to her taking requests, I will receive her letter once every two or three months.

The merchants who carry materials obtained from monsters from Vistkort to the Royal capital bring the letters along with them and deliver them to familiar stores.

The first person to receive it and read it was, of course, Kaeha’s mother.

She is the one who sends the reply letter, and I just let her read the letter that arrives next.

Or rather, I’m not a diligent writer to the extent that I can exchange letters on a regular basis, so it’s just right for Kaeha’s mother to gently add the words I want to convey to her in a letter.

Well, putting aside the topic of replying, the contents of the letter that was sent to us were about half of it being a recent status report, and the rest was about joyful events, worries, and sometimes things like complaints.

When I was served meat on bones at a bar, as I asked for cutlery, I was laughed at and told to grab it with my hand and eat it.

A male adventurer, who had gone out with me as a temporary team in order to subjugate an enemy, made a pass at me after our return, and I had trouble dealing with that.

Other things she noticed in an actual battle, stories of mistakes she made during fights, and so on.

From the letters, Kaeha’s joys and anguish are conveyed one by one, and both her mother and I look forward to receiving them.

Kaeha seems to have become a four-star ranked adventurer on her own, not in an adventurer team, within a year of becoming an adventurer.

In short, it means that she did not form a fixed team, and yet to reach four stars in one year is quite a fast rank-up.

I was worried that she was going too fast and reckless, but I had confidence and peace of mind that even if Kaeha was leaning too far ahead in Vistkort, Cleias and the others would stop her.

What I mean was for her not to over-extend herself, though she was still meeting the rank-up requirements at a fast rate.

In short, right now, Kaeha is probably increasing her ability at a faster rate than her rank advancement, using the experience she has gained in actual battles as her flesh and blood.

I can say that the foundations that she has built up through diligent sword-swinging are blossoming one after another.

……I am a little jealous of Cleias, who must have been able to see this up close and personal.

After all, I am such a fan of her sword that I have decided to look up to Kaeha as my mentor.

I was really, really looking forward to the day when Kaeha would return to this dojo.