I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 11 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Life in the Capital

TWO DAYS HAD PASSED since we left Ulmutt.

“Is that the capital?”

It should be. It sure looks big enough to be one.

“It’s huge.”

“Woof!”

The capital unfolded below us as Jet ran across the morning sky. I’d thought Bulbola was big, but this city was downright gigantic. The capital of Granzell possessed a certain dignity that the port city lacked.

The capital was also larger than the Beastman Nation’s capital, Bestia. Its walls were on a different scale. They dwarfed the trees surrounding it, and I figured they were probably over fifty meters tall. Perfect for a world filled with monsters.

The walls weren’t only formidable—they were decorated with elaborate spires and roofs. The combination of beauty and strength was perfect for the kingdom’s capital.

The city was located a little bit to the east of Granzell’s center, southeast of Alessa and north of Ulmutt. This used to be the center of the kingdom back when Granzell was founded, but history had resulted in the center shifting slightly east.

Two hundred years ago, there were talks of moving the capital closer to the sea. It petered out after they realized how much money it would take to build a new city at the scale of the old one.

Take us down, boy.

“Woof.”

“Hm.”

As always, we would land close to the city before proceeding to the gates on foot.

There was a long, serpentine line to get into the capital. Judging from what we’d seen from the air, it was even longer than the line to get into Ulmutt. Dias had warned us about auction season crowds, but there were a lot more people than I’d anticipated. The line was formed as close to the walls as possible, as a straight line would stretch too far away from the city for it to be safe. Guards were posted along the line to maintain the peace.

Let’s get in line. We’re in for a long wait.

“Hm.”

We spotted the back of the line and landed somewhere close. The front of the line disappeared by the time we touched down.

As in Ulmutt, people hawked their wares to those waiting in line, but the capital did things on a grander level. There were enough shops here to make a village marketplace. I mean, they had actual shophouses instead of temporary stalls. Granted, they didn’t look as permanent as shops in the city, but they at least had a storefront. I wondered if they were set up specifically for auction season. The people in line had enough time to browse their wares due to how slowly the line moved. What’s more, they could signal a shopkeeper if they saw something they wanted to buy from far away. Most of the storefronts reminded me of the stores in Japanese train stations, perfect for buying things on the go. The wares differed from store to store, and they were varied enough to entertain us for the time being.

“I can see the back of the line.”

That took a while.

A quick head count suggested that the number of people in line was close to three thousand—not including residents, nobles, and registered visitors. They had their own gate, and I shuddered to do the math that included them.

The people in our line consisted of first-time and annual visitors. They were only here for the auction. Looking at the crowd, I grew worried about whether we would actually be able to find Garrus. He was a lone dwarf in a huge city, after all. But I decided to save my anxiety for after we entered the gates.

Nothing to do now but wait.

“Hm.”

“Woof.”

Jet was with us now. I thought about letting him stand by in the shadows, but there were a good amount of people who had their monsters with them in the crowd. There were direwolves like Jet, and a gigantic horse which stood at a staggering three meters pulling an appropriately large carriage, among other things. Jet’s giant form would trigger a mass panic, but his large dog form looked absolutely pedestrian compared to the other monsters in line. I also made sure to make his familiar collar as visible as possible.

Jet’s current mission was to serve as Fran’s mobile fur couch. No one would be stupid enough to mess with the girl on a giant wolf.

Let’s play word association.

Sure, it’s been a while.

Hm!

She still remembered the game we played back in the lines of Ulmutt. She must have really enjoyed it.

Today’s subject: food names.

Oh? You dare challenge me on the subject of food? You’ll regret that!

I’m going to win.

All right, here we go!

Hm!

Two hours had passed since then, and we were still in line. After two. Whole. Hours.

After tiring of word association, Fran and Jet were now playing Othello. We bought the board from a board game merchant in line. They had a great grasp on human psychology.

Fran and Jet had played tic-tac-toe before this, but they adapted quickly and grew bored after a hundred straight draws. They didn’t just play board games, of course. They ate, drank, and talked with the merchants around us.

The merchant immediately ahead of us was called Rev (thirty-one years old). He sold dried fruit for a living, and Fran got along with him after buying some raisins and apple crisps.

Behind us was Menan (forty-one years old), the incense seller. Unlike Rev, he came on a small carriage driven by a donkey. He also sold aromatic wood chips, and Fran was very interested in learning how they could be used to smoke meats.

The two merchants rubbernecked Fran and Jet, but they were friendly enough that they allowed them to backseat their game.

“Whoa there, Fran. That’s not the play you want to make. You should place your piece here instead.”

“But then he’ll take this piece.”

“You have to think several steps ahead. You let him take that, so you can take this.”

“I see.”

As Rev coached Fran, so Menan coached Jet.

“Put it here, Jet.”

“Arf?”

“Sure, she’ll take a corner. But that won’t matter if you keep playing to the end.”

“Woof…”

Here was a middle-aged man telling a wolf where to place his Othello pieces, and the wolf was taking him seriously! It was a bizarre sight, but not one that was unfamiliar to Menan. Apparently, there were a lot of monsters who could understand people.

“Oooh…”

“I knew it…”

Meanwhile, Fran was getting some weird glances from the people around her. They weren’t bothering her, but they didn’t hide their stares, either. She was gaining a lot of attention from the beastmen in line. News of the Black Lightning Princess was spreading, and fast.

Her Stealth Evolution skill was meant to conceal this fact, but the beastmen seemed to know about her all the same. Word had probably spread of the Black Lightning Princess’s evolution because of what happened at the tournament, and with it, word that she had a skill to conceal said evolution.

A description of her had also spread among the beastmen, together with the fact that she traveled with a black direwolf. That was probably a dead giveaway more than anything else. Perhaps some had even watched her fight in Ulmutt. A few of the beastmen looking her way definitely seemed like they had seen her once before.

They all paid her respect, and some even clasped their hands in her direction.

Doesn’t it bother you?

What?

Fran didn’t even look like she had noticed. She was used to this kind of attention after the treatment she received in the Beastman Nation. I decided not to do anything about it, since her admirers were harmless observers.

Four hours in and we finally made it inside the capital. It was a long but peaceful wait, owing to the fact that no adventurers came to pick a fight with us—unlike what happened in Ulmutt and Bestia.

We parted ways with our merchant companions and made our way to the Adventurers’ Guild. Gammod had suggested that we introduce ourselves at the capital’s guild before we did anything else.

There are a lot of old buildings here.

Hm.

The buildings looked like they had been around for over a thousand years. Okay, maybe that was pushing it, but they were at least two hundred years old. 

The pavement in the alleyways was blackened with time, in stark contrast to the main road. Their paths twisted and turned, creating a maze within the city. The houses here were probably built before the thought of urban planning crossed anyone’s mind.

It was also the reason we were currently lost.

We should’ve taken the main road instead of opting for a shortcut.

Should I take to the rooftops?

Let’s not draw attention to ourselves in the capital, hm?

Many municipal offices were located here, too—offices on which we might accidentally trespass if we started jumping across the roofs. Walking was preferable for the moment. It’s not like we were in a hurry anyway.

We’ll look for a way back to the main street for now.

Okay.

The districts near the city walls were better organized. The area we were in was probably developed during a period of rapid expansion. Extensions and renovations were carried out with reckless abandon in order to fill the gaps.

Rows of apartment buildings stood next to each other with alleyways in between. The alleys were filled with stores, and we heard the sound of people bartering as we walked by. We went through underpasses and roads which cut through the apartments. We were as lost as wandering souls, but Fran and Jet seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I think we would’ve been a lot more worried if the place was as quiet as a ghost town, but the rowdy life of the capital put us at ease. Pubs, diners, and dubious shops all stood next to one another. Drunks lay unconscious in the road, loose women seduced potential clients, and shifty men shuffled down dark alleyways. Their voices came together to produce a cacophonous symphony of the street. It was a dangerous place, to be sure, but it was definitely alive.

Fran didn’t mind the atmosphere one bit. She skipped with restrained excitement and hummed as we made our way. People stared at us, but we mostly ignored them. The weak ones weren’t strong enough to be a threat, and the strong ones knew well enough to leave Fran alone. You had to be a real idiot to insist on tailing her.

We’re not making any progress.

Four- and five-story apartment buildings blocked our view of landmarks like the royal palace and temple. Fran had directional skills, but they were pretty much useless in these infinite corridors even if she knew where to go.

I’ll go ask someone.

Go for it.

But who to ask? I guess we could start by going inside a nearby shop. Suddenly, Fran turned around and began walking in the opposite direction.

What are you doing, Fran?

I’m going to ask for directions out of here.

I didn’t get a chance to find out who she was planning to ask.

“Hey, do you know where the Adventurers’ Guild is?”

“Wha— How did you know I was here?!”

“Huh?”

Fran was talking to a young man who had tailed her for the last thirty minutes. He was probably part of a gang who controlled this territory. He was surprised when Fran spotted him, but in reality, he wasn’t very good at following her. The man didn’t even bother to conceal his presence. Fortunately, Fran ruled him out as a hostile because of it. But that might just be a testament to his strength.

“I want to go to the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“Whuzzat? The guild?” the young man said. 

His response was a lot more subdued. I was expecting more yelling and threatening, but I guess getting detected by a girl with a sword on her back and a wolf by her side was enough of a hint. “Your money or your life” wasn’t the play to make here. A small fee would suffice.

“Sure, I’ll take you there. For the right price,” he sneered.

“Cut the crap,” another man said.

Fran turned toward the voice and saw that it belonged to an older man with sharp eyes. This man was tailing us for about the same time as the younger man, but he was much better at stealth. I’d say he was better at concealment than most scout-class adventurers. Fran knew she couldn’t let her guard down against this guy.

However, the older man avoided eye contact with her and glared at the young man instead.

“What’s up, Calc?”

“Don’t mess with that girl.”

“I wasn’t going to. I’m just giving her a fair price for taking her to the guild,” the young man complained. He thought Calc was trying to steal his mark. The older man made it clear that he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“Just get outta here. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Not without an explanation, I won’t.”

“It’s none of your damn business!” Calc yelled. “Scram!”

“A-all right, fine!”

The young man backed off, but not without glaring at Fran to send a message. That look earned him a kick in the back. He rolled across the streets and looked at Calc in fearful disbelief.

“Don’t make me repeat myself unless you feel like dying.”

“S-sorry!”

Calc underscored his final threat with Intimidate. The young man scampered away on his knees. Finally, Calc bowed his head to Fran.

“Sorry you had to see that. Boy’s too dumb for his own good. He really didn’t mean anything bad by it, I promise.” He spoke to Fran like she was much older than him.

“Hm?”

“W-well, it’s real nice of you not to be mad. So, you wanted to go to the Adventurers’ Guild?”

“Hm. Can you show me the way?”

“’Course. Right this way.” Calc motioned at her to follow his lead.

“I just need directions.”

“Allow me to take you there myself, if you will. He isn’t the only idiot in these parts who’ll try to pull that kind of stuff on you. And gods help us if you lose your temper here…”

Calc couldn’t hide his shiver. He possessed a sight skill called Wimpsight, which allowed him to see the difference in power between him and an opponent. To him, Fran must look like a monster, and he might get caught in her rampage if she lost her temper in his district.

Intentions aside, Calc wasn’t lying about wanting to take us to the guild. He also knew the streets well, since he probably grew up in them.

“All right. Take me there.”

“You got it.”

We were back on the main street a few minutes later. It made me feel stupid for ever getting lost in the first place.

Calc was very polite the whole way through. He didn’t do anything dirty like lead Fran into a trap. He took her to the guild, bowed, and then left. He truly was terrified of her—he twitched every time she asked him about the city.

Take this turn and we should be there…

“Is that the one?”

Oh yeah. Even has the nameplate on it.

It didn’t take long for us to see the guild hall.

Finally. You know, this place is smaller than I thought.

“Smaller than Bulbola.”

I thought the capital would have a grand guild hall to go with it. This one was bigger than the ones in Alessa and Ulmutt, but it was half the size of the guild in Bulbola. Maybe the building extended downwards instead of up.

Let’s go in.

“Hm.”

The guild hall’s lack of size was more than made up for with its ambience. A gigantic tapestry graced its stone walls, and at its center was the emblem of the Adventurers’ Guild. A wine-red carpet and a sleek wooden counter only added to the dignity of the guild at the capital. The decor did well in highlighting the guild’s history. If Bulbola was an expensive resort, the capital was a historic hotel.

They didn’t have a front desk like in Bulbola, but the counters were neatly organized into ranks. We quickly spotted the counter for C- and D-Rank adventurers and joined the line. There was a burly fighter in front of us, and he turned at Fran’s footsteps. He looked at her for a few seconds before asking, “What rank are you, miss?”

“Hm? C.”

“Great.”

Fran flashed him her guild card and that was enough for the man. He didn’t start an argument about whether it was real or fake. That was for the receptionist to decide. For his part, he knew that Fran wasn’t weak, and he wasn’t in the mood for trouble.

Of course, some people in the E-Rank line refused to accept that fact. They didn’t look too happy that a little girl was in the intermediate class. The newly graduated F-Ranks were about ready to throw fists.

The receptionist tending to the A- and B-Rank adventurers was the first to notice. She was an old woman, and I have to say that she probably wasn’t a looker when she was young, which made her a rare case among receptionists. I could tell why they hired her for the job: She looked strong. Strong enough to beat up misbehaving F-Ranks. She probably snagged the receptionist job because she was a former adventurer; and a high-rank adventurer, at that.

The woman motioned to Fran and said, “You there. Are you the Black Lightning Princess we’ve been hearing about?”

“Hm.” Fran nodded. Her nickname had traveled all the way to the capital. There were gasps around the guild hall, some of disbelief.

“I see. Come on over, sweetie.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure, I’m sure. You’re our rising star. The twelve-year-old C-Rank who beat an A-Rank and a former A-Rank at the tournament. No one would mind if I gave you a little preferential treatment. And if anyone does, I’ll make sure to give them a whooping.”

“All right.”

The old receptionist had clout. There were no complaints from our fellow adventurers after she made it clear that Fran had won her approval. Some were still incredulous, but no one was stupid enough to voice their gripes.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Hm. I’m Fran. C-Rank adventurer.”

“And I’m Stellia.”

“Hi, Stellia.”

Her name sent a shiver down my spine.

What’s up, Teacher?

N-nothing. I just thought she’d be really good at baking cookies for a second.

“Hm?”

Stellia asked Fran why she was here, and she answered by giving her Guildmaster Gammod’s letter of recommendation.

“I’m here for the auction.”

“Are you? All right, I’ll take a look at that.”

“Hm.”

Stellia opened the letter and read it. I figured it was the usual message asking them to take care of Fran. The receptionist was far more interested in the signature. It emanated mana, and Stellia touched a crystal to the seal.

“Everything checks out. You must be something else for Sir Gammod to have written a letter on your behalf.”

“You know Gammod?”

“Excuse you, Fran… That would be Sir Gammod.”

“I know him.”

“Doesn’t sound like it to me! Back in my day, Dragon Hammer Gammod was part of the legendary party along with Dragon Hunter Phelms, Dragon Twist Dias, and Dragon Bind Eiworth!” Stellia explained. Gammod’s A-Rank party was her dream team. She spoke of them with the rapid clarity of an idol otaku talking about her favorite unit.

Gammod and his party traveled far and wide hunting dragons. We had seen Gammod and Phelms fight firsthand, and had Identified Dias when we met him. They would be more than capable of taking down dragons with an additional team member.

The party disbanded five years after it was founded. First, Dias left after being appointed Guildmaster of Ulmutt. Then Eiworth, the mage of the group, broke up with Gammod and Phelms over a disagreement in party policy. It was not a peaceful separation.

Eiworth… The name rang a bell. It was the name of the guild that tried to get Fran to join them after the tournament. The Eiworth Mage Guild had come across like a shady secret society. This Eiworth was probably the one who founded it. Phelms seemed to be aware of their circumstances, and Dias knew them well enough to be hostile toward them. That was probably because of the discord they had with their founder while he was part of the team.

Eiworth was a mage who used Frost Magic and Deadly Venom Magic. I hoped we would never meet him, but we should be prepared for those magicks if we do.

“Excuse me… I got a little heated.”

Stellia stopped herself before she could go on any further. Fran answered with her signature “Hm.” Stellia was much calmer after being able to gush about her idols.

“Anyway, the Guildmaster has a guest at the moment. You can have a seat at the tables there if you don’t mind waiting for a bit.”

She pointed at some classy-looking tables next to the counters. This was probably where the guild had their guests wait.

“Hm. All right.”

There was nothing we could do if the Guildmaster was occupied. We weren’t expecting to see them immediately, anyway.

All eyes were on Fran as she went to sit down. People weren’t grumbling, but they were certainly whispering about her. No one approached her, though, possibly due to Stellia’s good graces. No one wanted to get on her bad side after seeing the receptionist be so friendly with her.

It was then that a party of five approached us. The members seemed to be in their fifties and they were all very strong. They looked the part, and they certainly could walk the part. They were a veteran party, and they could’ve given Colbert a run for his money in the fighting tournament.

The strongest was their leader. He was a big, burly man with short, dark green hair. He had the strong carved face of a gorilla…an aging gorilla. That said, he definitely wasn’t a beastman—just a man who looked like a beast. At two meters high, he was tall enough to intimidate with his stature. But he was also wearing full plate armor, which concealed his bulging muscles. I felt like I was looking at an iron golem.

The man and his companions were as dignified as they were intimidating. It was clear to me that the other four members of his party were stronger than we were. If anything, their strength reminded me of Amanda and Forlund. It was enough for Fran to ready herself for battle. She didn’t sense any hostility, but she wasn’t about to let her guard down. If push came to shove, she would pull me out in an instant.

The five glanced over at Fran and actually smiled, showing their maturity. They walked over to the counter and had a friendly chat with Stellia. They were very polite for a bunch of adventurers, and the big man was the nicest of them all. I almost felt bad for thinking he was a gorilla at the start. Then again, gorillas were often called the wise men of the forest, so I guess my first impression of him wasn’t too far off the mark. If anything, he was leagues better than people who looked human, but were actually chimps on the inside. Petty punks could do well just by imitating him.

The party was reporting their quest results as I was thinking obscenely rude things about their leader. Said leader then cast a casual glance at Fran.

“Stellia… Is she the one?”

He had heard about Fran before.

“Good eye, ace. She is.”

“I knew it…” He approached her and said, “Are you the Black Lightning Princess?”

“Hm.”

“You’re as strong as the rumors say.”

“You’re strong, too.”

“I do work out.”

There wasn’t a hint of irony or condescension in his voice. He talked to Fran the way he would talk to an equal. The other adventurers in the hall began murmuring. He must have been famous enough to warrant the attention, and they were probably shocked that someone as strong as he was talked so casually with Fran.

“I hate to impose…”

“Hm?”

“But would you mind sparring with me if you have the time?”

“Spar with you?”

“Yes, nothing too intense, of course. I am just so intrigued by how strong you’ve gotten at such a young age. There are training grounds in the guild hall we can use. Would that be all right?”

“I see.”

I didn’t see that coming. He didn’t look like the kind of blood knight who would say hello by asking people to spar. If anything, his calm demeanor gave the impression that he was usually the voice of sanity.

But he was still a top-class adventurer, and top-class adventurers were always interested in strong opponents.

What to do…

Can I?

Fran was raring to go. She would throw down right here if that’s what the man wanted. She definitely wasn’t going to turn him down. The man could sense her fighting spirit and replied in kind. The air strained with tension as the two would-be combatants stared each other down. No one in the hall could stop them if they wanted to.

Sure. As long as we’re sparring in the guild.

He was probably a decent guy since Stellia hadn’t said a word against him.

“Sure.”

“You have my gratitude.”

The man bowed his head. Murmurs increased among the other adventurers. We now had the attention of everyone in the guild hall. We should probably hold back on the flashy stuff with this much of an audience.

But then the man spoke to Stellia, loudly so that everyone could hear. “It would be really nice if we could fight in private. Everyone here knows my tricks by now, but I don’t want to make a show of the young lady’s abilities.”

“No problem,” Stellia said. “I’ll keep them out for you, don’t worry.”

“Thank you.”

He was a big man who sweated the small stuff… Not too shabby!

Now that I thought about it, we didn’t even know the big man’s name.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Tell me your name.”

“Aah, where are my manners? I am Zefield. The capital is my base of operation.”

“I’m Fran. I don’t have a base of operation.”

From the way the group talked to Stellia, I had a feeling they were capital adventurers.

Can’t wait to see how he fights.

Hm!

Having learned the man’s name, Fran happily made her way to the training grounds. Zefield and his companions looked slightly confused, while the rest of the hall was in stunned silence.

“What’s wrong?” Fran asked. 

“N-nothing. I suppose I was getting too big for my britches there,” Zefield said. 

“Hm?”

“Fran, are you telling me you don’t know who he is?” Stellia asked.

“He’s Zefield. He just told me.”

“Ugh…” Stellia let out a deep sigh. I knew why she was exasperated. She was probably expecting Fran to at least gasp with recognition upon meeting Zefield.

“Oh, it’s all right. We’ve only been working the capital for a few years. You can’t expect her to know us just from that,” Zefield said in Fran’s defense.

“Yes, I can!” Stellia said. “You should at least know the A-Ranks in your country.”

Stellia made a good point. A-Rank adventurers were too famous to escape recognition. Fran was the odd one out here, and it felt like she was now garnering more attention from her fellow adventurers for not knowing who Zefield was.

Stellia rubbed her temples. She seemed to be really into high-rank adventurers. She could somewhat forgive Fran for not knowing Gammod’s party, but not recognizing an active A-Rank was too much. She slammed her fist on the table, leaned into Fran’s face, and gave her a crash course on Zefield’s party.

“Now listen up. They are Sword of the West Wind—an A-Rank party. They are the only active A-Rank party in a country filled with adventurers. They are a party of elite adventurers renowned for their reliability and completion rate! And you’ve never heard of them?!”

“Hm.”

“Gaaah! This is the problem with you blood knights. You only want to make yourselves stronger!”

The old receptionist knew what kind of adventurer Fran was just by looking at her.

“The big man here is Sky Wall Zefield, A-Rank adventurer! He is one of Granzell’s five—wait, make that four—A-Rank adventurers!”

Stellia quickly brought us up to speed on Sword of the West Wind in under three minutes. The party was made up of B-Ranks—I knew they were strong enough to take on Colbert—and they were the most reliable party in the country, beating even Forlund and Amanda in ratings.

“He is also famous for being the only voice of sanity among the A-Ranks.”

“What do you mean?”

Now that Stellia pointed it out, the A-Ranks did tend to be a little loopy. Zefield stood out for being the only sane man in that class of adventurers. Having seen our fair share of crazy A-Ranks, the receptionist was right.

“Amanda and Forlund are pretty weird, I guess.”

That was putting it lightly.

“I think you’re in the same category…”

“Hm?”

Fran titled her head, but I agreed with what Stellia was saying. She wasn’t as strange as Forlund or Amanda, but Fran definitely had her quirks.

“Thank you for your kind words, Stellia. But I think we should get moving now.”

“Oh, of course,” Stellia said, looking apologetic. “Sorry about that. Here are the keys. Do whatever you want. Just don’t kill each other. Got it?”

“Understood. Besides, we have Winn if anything bad happens.”

“Ready to patch you up.” A beautiful woman with a slender figure and blonde hair waved at us. She was still pretty despite having wrinkles; if anything, her wrinkles only added to her mature beauty. Winn was the healer of Sword of the West Wind, and she was more lady than witch. I was sure she had healed her fair share of gruesome injuries as a B-Rank adventurer.

“You won’t have to worry about a broken leg. Or two!”

She was certainly confident in her abilities. Besides, I was always around to play healer if push came to shove. I would be able to manage everything short of a fatal injury.

“Let’s get going, then.”

“Hm!”

We headed down the staircase to the underground training grounds. Zefield unlocked the door to reveal a large dome with mana-reinforced walls. We wouldn’t have to worry about damaging anything here.

No Grand Spells and no using Sword God Form, all right? You can use Awaken, at most.

I know. I’ll take him on alone. You and Jet just sit back and watch.

You got it.

Woof!

Fran wanted to see how she measured up to an A-Rank.

The two combatants walked to the center of the arena, but Zefield started stretching instead of immediately starting the fight. It was quite a rare sight to behold. Adventurers were the type of people who immediately threw down at the first sign of battle. For them, every training match was a real fight, and therefore they didn’t care about warming up much.

Unlike most adventurers, Zefield wasn’t a muscle-brained battle junkie. “You should get warmed up too, Princess. It helps you move better,” he said.

“Hm. All right.”

“It looks like you’ve done this before. Was this already part of your training regimen?”

“Hm. Teacher taught me how to do it.”

I taught Fran the protocol of warming up and cooling down soon after we first met. Zefield was quite interested in seeing how different her warm-up was from his.

“Did he come with you to the capital? I would love to learn from him.”

“Teacher is everywhere and nowhere. You can never tell where he’ll be.”

The gorilla-man’s shoulders slumped with genuine disappointment.

“I’ll teach you instead,” Fran said.

Zefield was surprised at her proposal. “Are you sure?” he said. “Don’t you need to keep such secret techniques hidden?”

Honestly, it was just something I remembered from junior high P.E. We had no reason to hide it at this point, since Fran had already passed the knowledge onto other adventurers. If anything, this was a perfect chance to win a favor from an A-Rank.

In the end, Fran taught Zefield and his party the secrets of warming up for the next thirty minutes. Fran was very spartan in her training, saying things like, “Not like that,” “Not even close,” and “Absolutely wrong,” but Sword of the West Wind proved their mettle as an A-Rank party. They learned everything they could from Fran, treating her as their instructor and not as an inferior.

They really were good people. So much that I almost doubted they were high ranks.

“That was a lot to take in. Thank you very much.”

“It was quite fun, too!”

“Hm.”

Fran and Sword of the West Wind were all smiles after working up a good sweat.

But the two combatants hadn’t forgotten their reason for being in the training grounds. The A-Rank adventurer would spar with the girl who’d beaten another A-Rank adventurer. Sword of the West Wind calmly watched as the two combatants took to their corners, but the lower-rank adventurers above us were probably feeling sick from the pressure Fran and Zefield gave off.

“Shall we begin?”

“Hm!”

The match began when the combatants signaled to each other that they were ready. They didn’t need a bell to tell them that.

Fran got the first hit in.

“Tsch!”

She did a small poke before rushing behind Zefield for a heavy attack.

“That was good!”

“You too!”

But Zefield anticipated her move and blocked it without much effort. He moved quick for a heavy fighter. It was like he was wearing light armor instead of plate. He didn’t counterattack, however. He just took the one-meter-wide buckler off his back, banged on it, and laughed. He was daring her to find a chink in his defense.

“Hm!”

Fran grinned. She accepted his challenge and kicked it up a notch. She began using Wind Magic and Air Hop to get around him. Sometimes she would go for his ankles, and at other times she would strike from overhead. Her movements were fast, tricky, and hard to keep up with.

But Zefield managed to respond to her offense perfectly. He dodged and blocked her attacks. The most she had gotten was a clash. Zefield was surprising in many ways, but he was definitely a tank with a shield. His defense was immaculate.

“Yaaaah!”

“Amazing! You can go even faster!”

“You too. I still haven’t landed a hit.”

Zefield blocked and dodged every one of Fran’s fast and furious pokes. Though their fighting styles were polar opposites, they were equally enjoying the fight. Their enjoyment would be lost to the untrained eye, since it probably looked like they were trying to kill each other at the moment. Fran and Zefield had crossed the line of an ordinary sparring match several seconds into the fight. Zefield’s party looked on with stone faces. They knew he had to give it his all to keep up with her.

But this wasn’t Fran’s maximum speed.

“I can go faster.”

“That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? Do it!”

“Awaken…!”

Zefield smiled. He could feel the intense mana radiating from Fran’s body. “Ha ha ha! You certainly are as powerful as they say!”

“Get ready.”

Fran’s speed was far beyond the average C-Rank. Actually, B-Ranks would probably have a hard time keeping up with her. In fact, Zefield’s party members strained to keep track of where Fran was. Shrill noises filled the arena as I scraped against the metal of his shield.

Zefield continued blocking. It might look like Fran had the advantage because she was on the offense, but she could barely land a solid hit. The A-Rank was worth his salt. He could read our moves like a book.

Fran would need to go faster in order to hit him, but she would need to use Flashing Thunderclap at that point, a move which was overkill in a sparring match. There had to be another way to open him up.

“Haaaa! Stun Bolt!”

“And you can cast spells at this speed!”

Zefield sounded like he was caught by surprise, but he managed to block Fran’s spell. While the Thunder spell would usually shock our opponents through metal armor, Zefield used the powerful barrier surrounding his body to absorb it. He covered every possible plan of attack that Fran had to offer.

“Hrm.”

“I haven’t needed to use my barrier since training!”

“Then take this!”

Fran fired off a stronger spell in frustration. The lightning bolt crashed into Zefield’s barrier and fizzled out as before. But she wasn’t about to give up, and he took her seriously for the first time since the battle began.

“Tch!”

A hole sized perfectly for Zefield’s foot opened up underneath him. The earlier Thunder spell was a distraction so Fran could hit him with this Land spell. Once trapped, she could easily finish him off. But it was not to be. Zefield detected the mana before the spell was invoked and swiveled his gigantic body out of harm’s way.

Fran was anticipating this. She chased after him and brought me down in a downward swing. His shield was formidable, but it would be less effective since he couldn’t brace in mid-air. A well-placed Pressurized Quickdraw should finish him off.

“Raaaah!”

“Good offense, but not good enough!”

Zefield thrust his shield right into my cutting edge, and a shockwave rattled through me like an earthquake. The resonance was unthinkable!

Gah!

“Ugh!”

I wasn’t the only one reeling from the shock, either. It blew Fran a good distance away from Zefield, preventing her from continuing her offense. They stared each other down when they landed.

“That was supposed to be an attack…?”

“Correct. You’ve never fought a shielder before?”

“No.” 

“I see. Well, you’ll learn a lot about shields today. My turn!”

“Bring it on!”

And so the roles were reversed. Zefield closed the distance between us in one leap. Fran tried to dodge the attack, but his movement caught her by surprise. He came at her in a straight line, then turned a sharp angle to chase her when she jumped away. Zefield jabbed at her with his shield, but Fran kicked it, pushing herself away from him.

The maneuver threw Fran off balance, and Zefield caught up with her again. Kicking his shield only sent shockwaves up her foot. It was the same move he used against Pressurized Quickdraw.

“A shield isn’t only good for blocking! It can reflect the opponent’s attacks, as well!”

Zefield was parrying all of Fran’s attacks and counterattacking right after. It was a tactic that could only work with someone of his skill level. Fran healed her feet and used Air Hop to get away from him, but Zefield wasn’t letting that move go unpunished.

“Blast Push!”

“Urgh!”

He held his shield with both hands and thrust it into her. Fran used me to block the attack, but it still sent shockwaves up her arm. Zefield was a force to be reckoned with, even if he was just smashing you with a lump of metal.

“Nice block!”

“Your shield feels like a hammer.”

“Defense isn’t the only thing it’s good for!”

Zefield came in to attack with his shield again. Fran prepared to block, but then realized that something was different.

“Let’s see how you handle this!”

“Wha…?!”

There were short protrusions on the edge of Zefield’s shield. At first, I thought they were there to increase the potency of his shield bashes, but after he pinned me down with them, I realized that he used them like a swordbreaker. Now he could easily knock me out of Fran’s hands.

“Good response! But I’m not done yet!”

Watch out, Fran!

Danger Sense’s alarms blared when I saw Zefield crouching. What happened next was dangerous enough for me to forget the fact that this was a sparring match. If this were a real fight, I would’ve teleported her out of there.

“Haaaaa! Spiral Bash!”

Zefield’s shield rammed into Fran like a battering ram. Still, she managed to anticipate the attack and readied me to block it, taking the shield’s swordbreaker into consideration. Fran was expecting to block it completely, but I knew that she would fail the instant I touched Zefield’s shield.

This was an attack you had to run away from.

Fran staggered as she held on to me. The impact was too great, and I was flung to the far side of the arena.

Teacher!

It’s the shield’s rotation!

Zefield’s shield spun as it hit me. Not only was the shield physically spinning, but the magical barrier which coated the shield spun as well, adding to its potency. The rotational force was enough to send me reeling immediately upon contact. Zefield readied his shield for a follow-up attack as Fran tried to regain her footing. The match was nearing its climax.

Fran could’ve avoided the attack, but she chose not to. I got ready to heal her as she prepared to take the third shield bash.

“Spiral Bash!”

“Aaaargh!”

The spinning shield sent Fran flying ten meters away like a propeller. It looked like she was skidding across the floor before she rolled to a stop. She looked like she’d been hit by a truck. Zefield’s party gasped with concern; their leader had gone too far. If Fran had been any weaker, he might have inflicted irreversible damage.

“So you chose to attack instead of defend… Terrifying.” Zefield said, holding his right arm. Fran had managed to land a powerful kick before getting hit. The mana- and skill-charged kick should have shattered every bone in Zefield’s arm. Instead, it only broke a single bone. 

“Urgh… Ugh… Hurf…!”

Her lungs must be damaged. Fran was wheezing and coughing up blood and bile. All this damage for one broken bone was a very bad trade.

Teacher… Heal me…

On it! Just hang in there!

Hm…

And with that heal, Fran admitted defeat. I was in the middle of healing her guts when Winn came rushing to her side.

“Fran! Can you hear me?”

“Guh…”

“Okay, that’s good enough! I’ll take that as a yes!”

The healer of the A-Rank party doused Fran with potions and Greater Heals. Her wounds closed up immediately. 

“How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?”

“Hm. I’m fine now.”

“I’m really sorry for what our leader did. Did you hear that, Zefield? Come and apologize to her!”

“My deepest apologies, Black Lightning Princess.”

“It’s okay. We were sparring. And I learned a lot, too.”

As annoyed as she was with losing, Fran still enjoyed the match and appreciated the opportunity to learn. It wasn’t every day you could fight an accomplished shielder and take a hit from him.

“I got the sense that you still have some aces up your sleeve. I don’t know how the match would’ve gone if you used them.”

“I can say the same for you, and I still lost to your tactics.”

“Ah, well. I’ve been an adventurer for forty years.”

“Hm. I get it.” Fran said. “Thank you very much.” She bowed her head to him.

“And to you,” Zefield said, bowing back. “You have my utmost gratitude.”

“I’ll train more and get stronger. I’ll get so strong that I won’t have to use my trump card to beat you.”

“I look forward to it.”

“Hm.”

Fran looked upon the big man with eyes full of respect. She’d really taken a liking to him, and the feeling appeared to be mutual. Zefield shook her hand with the face of a loving grandfather. They might not have talked much, but they still had a fruitful discussion through their sparring match. They were like two schoolyard delinquents who became unlikely friends after beating the crap out of each other. 

Fran returned to the lobby after Zefield and his party left.

“Looks like you had a good match with the old man.”

“Hm. I had fun.”

“You blood knights are all alike.”

“Is the Guildmaster ready?”

“Sorry, not quite.”

Negotiations were taking longer than expected.

You can have tea while you wait.

“Hm.”

Fran sat next to the counter again and took tea and snacks out of our Pocket Dimension.

Uhh, I thought you were just going to have tea.

I am.

There was, in fact, tea in her glass. But a whole smorgasbord of food now crowded the cramped table. There were pancakes and pies—pancakes were Fran’s favorite, next to curry. Cookies were a staple of teatime, so that was all right. I suppose mitarashi dango and daifuku could work with Western-style tea, and steak was a traditional beastman snack. All this I was willing to accept as part of teatime, but fried rice and curry? That was pushing it too far.

“Yummy.”

Well, I suppose she was starving after that intense sparring match.

Remember to eat your greens, Fran.

“Hm. Got it.”

If she was going to eat a feast, it might as well be a well-balanced feast.

Ten minutes passed.

“Munch, munch.”

“Excuse me… I didn’t notice our lobby turning into a cafeteria.”

“Munch?”

A woman approached Fran as she was having her hefty snack. She was a beautiful woman with blue hair tied up in a bun. She looked calm and collected, like she could probably run the entire guild by herself. 

She appeared to be grumpy when she saw Fran, watching her with narrowed eyes. She looked to be in her late twenties, if she were human. Her sclerae were black and her pupils were green. She must be a half-insect beastman like Eugene, the alchemist we met in Bulbola. She lacked his feelers, though, so she probably wasn’t a bee beastman like he was.

Halflings didn’t look as old as their pure-blooded counterparts. Eugene was sixty, I believe, and he only looked like he was in his late forties. By that logic, this woman was probably about forty. She was definitely a fighter, though, and a strong one at that. While she wasn’t one to show her hostility to someone who was eating, Fran only noticed she was there at the last second.

“Hm? Who are you?”

“I’m the Guildmaster here. You must be the Black Lightning Princess.”

The Guildmaster sat opposite Fran. She reached for a cookie and Fran didn’t stop her. She still kept a close eye on her, though, and she might have said something if the woman had gone for the curry and pancakes instead. In fact, she might have ended up using Menace on her. That would’ve made for quite the incident. I would have had to do my best to pacify Fran at that point.

“Hurf hi hrm.”

“Slow down,” the Guildmaster said. “Swallow your food first.”

“Hm.”

She was nicer than she looked. I guess her stone-cold expression was just how she usually appeared. Fran finished her mouthful before introducing herself.

“I’m Fran. C-Rank adventurer.”

“My name is Erianthe. I’m the Guildmaster of the capital.”

“Hm. Munch, munch.”

“I came to fetch you so we could go to my office…”

I thought that was a very thoughtful thing to do, but then she explained that they were currently understaffed.

“Most of the staff is busy preparing for the auction. And I can’t afford to take Stellia off reception duty—no one else can handle high ranks,” she muttered. “I’m not exactly free, either,” Erianthe continued, looking at Fran’s mound of food. 

I am so sorry about this. 

“We’ll clean up as soon as we’re done,” Fran muttered between bites.

“Well, that’s all right. Take your time and finish your meal.”

“Munch, munch.”

Erianthe really was nicer than she looked. She looked as tense as before, but she felt more relaxed as she nibbled on a cookie.

“So, tell me again why you’re here.”

Ten minutes later, we were in Erianthe’s office, and there was clutter everywhere. Clothes joined the ranks of paperwork on the floor. There went my idea of her being an efficient worker. It must take a lot of courage for the Guildmaster to show others her shipwreck of an office. That, or she was so used to seeing the mess that she was now numb to it.

“Hm. I want to join the auction.”

“Buying? Selling? Both?”

“I want to see the equipment auctions.”

“I see… Honestly, I don’t think you’ll find anything better than what you’re already wearing, but I suppose that’s all right. Is that all?”

“I want to buy some magicite, too.”

“That can also be arranged. We’re the ones running that particular auction. Do you know how auctions work?”

Fran shook her head. “No.”

“Then allow me to explain.”

There were different auctions which depended on the category of items sold. For example, equipment could only be sold in the equipment auctions and nowhere else. The equipment could either be cursed or be incredibly powerful, which could throw the whole capital into chaos if it fell into the wrong hands, hence the necessity for background checks on both buyers and sellers.

The only exceptions to this rule were items brought in on the day of the auction. They would be sold at the carry-on auction. The screening in this auction was stricter than all the rest, and they wouldn’t sell items that were the least bit suspicious. Items too difficult to identify with advanced manatech would be deemed too dangerous to sell.

“Buyers and products alike must go through a strict screening procedure.”

“What does that entail?”

“We check your background, whether you have a criminal record, that sort of thing. Equipment and manatech are frequently used to commit crimes, you see. But it is easier for adventurers to get auction licenses. You won’t have to worry about yours. We’ll get you a license so you can attend any auction you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’ll be Gammod’s head if anything bad happens.”

We’d better be on our best behavior, then.

“But even without his recommendation,” Erianthe said. “I would like to be on your good side.” She grinned mischievously, like a five-year-old with an evil scheme.

“There aren’t that many women who are high rank, you see—or even on par with you, really. Adventurers are enough of an old boys’ club that some of them were stupid enough to complain when I was appointed the Guildmaster of the capital. I shut them up in the end, though.”

“Us girls have to look after each other” was the gist of what Erianthe was saying. The majority of high-rank adventurers were male: Jean, Rigdith, Urslars, Forlund, Colbert. The rule even applied to Guildmasters and retired adventurers like Klimt, Gammod, Dias, and Phelms. The only female high ranks we had come across so far were Amanda and Erianthe. Mea and Kiara weren’t quite there, and as for Elza? Well, she was technically in the male slot.

“We just lost some female Guildmasters because of that idiot Seldio, so I’m more than happy to support your activities in the capital.”

Seldio seduced some of the female Guildmasters, and Dias had mentioned them getting axed for it. I didn’t know how many female Guildmasters there were before, but there were definitely fewer now.

“Contact me if you run into any trouble.”

“Hm. Got it.”

While Erianthe was certainly calculating and political, she was also genuine in her offer to help Fran.

“You’re one of our rising stars, Fran, and I would hate to see your bright future squashed because of some inconsequential scandal. The capital is home to all sorts of rotten nobles, especially Marquis Aschtner and Count Olmes. What I wouldn’t give to expose them for the crooks they are and post their heads in the public square…”

That was a terrifying image. It was clear that they didn’t get along with the Adventurers’ Guild. Essence of Falsehood didn’t trigger when she said she wanted to post their heads up in the public square. She was a very honest woman.

“You run into the slightest bit of trouble, you come to me. Got it?” Erianthe reiterated. I wondered if she had heard rumors about Fran causing trouble wherever she went. We would definitely take advantage of her patronage as long as we were in the capital.

The Guildmaster continued her explanation of the auction.

“Are you interested in anything other than the equipment and magicite auctions?”

“What else is there?”

“For you,” Erianthe said, “there’s the monster material auction, cooking auction, and manatech auction.”

“Cooking auction?”

She had managed to understand Fran in the short time she knew her. She let out a wry grin when she saw Fran’s response. “Yes. It’s mostly ingredients. They have monster meats, spirit grass, and magic herbs from all corners of the globe. Most of them are rare enough that you won’t find them in an ordinary marketplace.”

“I see.”

“There are also recipes and manuals for cooking techniques.”

The cooking auction had everything a cook could ever want or need. Maybe we could drop by if we have the chance.

“You won’t find any actual dishes there, though.”

“That’s fine.”

“Oh, you can cook?”

“Hm,” Fran nodded.

“I-I see… And here I thought I found a kindred spirit,” Erianthe groaned. She couldn’t cook, and she probably couldn’t clean up after herself either by the looks of it. She probably thought Fran was like her, based on how sloppy she looked.

Other auctions included artwork, housing, and clothing. Fran was interested in none of them. There was one other auction which Fran reacted strongly to, aside from the cooking auction.

“Slave auction?!”

“Yes. Though they’ll only be putting up capital offense slaves for auction. Are you interested?”

“No!”

“A-all right. What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing,” Fran frowned.

Slaves were a touchy subject for Fran. She was an illegal slave once, and now she had no intention of owning even legal slaves.

There were different kinds of slaves in this world. Legal slaves were a world apart from illegal slaves. There were three kinds that I knew of: debt slaves, misdemeanor slaves, and capital offense slaves; each named for how they ended up in slavery.

Debt slaves were either slaves who sold themselves into slavery in order to pay off a debt, or anyone whose lives were so destitute that they would rather be slaves. Aside from the spell which turned them into slaves for the duration of their contract, they enjoyed a bit more than basic human rights. They paid off their debts, and there were penalties for mistreating them or not providing food, clothing, and shelter. Sexual and criminal demands were also strictly prohibited. The contract spell worked on both slave and master, so neither party could break it. It sounded a lot like Hello Work, which provided basic human needs to make up for the nonexistent job choice. The shortest amount of time one could get away with being a debt slave was a month, and afterward you would live the life of a regular civilian. Coupled with the fact that you could pick up skills from your workplace, people treated debt slavery as a learning opportunity.

Misdemeanor slaves had it much worse. Gone was the safety net of debt slavery; these people were slaves as punishment. They still had basic human rights, but they were forced into more dangerous and exhausting jobs like bodyguarding and manual labor. Still, at least they could go free once they finished their sentence.

Finally, there was the miserable capital offense slave. They were originally criminals on death row, and they were forced into slavery to get the most use out of them before they died. Human rights were nonexistent for these people. From what I understood, there were different kinds of capital offense slaves. Some became sex slaves, while others were sent to the front lines to be meat shields.

But that was all I knew on the topic. As curious as I was about the slavery in this world, Fran’s mood would sour if I asked the guild about it.

Of course, slavery as I knew it came in the form of illegal slavery—the very kind that Fran had suffered.

In this world, both debt and criminal slaves alike worked based on an agreement. The slave contract couldn’t activate without it. Even capital offense slaves had the option of accepting the death sentence if they wanted to.

But illegal slaves were forced into slavery. Illegal slave collars registered a contract as binding as soon as it was put on someone’s neck. Illegal slavers would kidnap, threaten, and torture to put that collar on a free man’s neck. The contents of their contract lacked even the agreement of a capital offense slave, and only existed to ensure the slave was under the master’s absolute control.

Illegal slavery was a crime punishable by death, but it showed no signs of going away. As long as foolish people in power and criminal organizations demanded illegal slaves, slavers would always find buyers.

You couldn’t blame Fran for abhorring the subject of slavery. Sensing the tension in the air, Erianthe changed the subject.

“So,” she cleared her throat. “I hear you have a direwolf. There’s a familiar auction where you can bid for trained familiars. Where is that direwolf of yours anyway? You didn’t bring it with you?”

“Hm? Jet.”

“Woof!”

“Oh my,” Erianthe said. “A Darkness Wolf with Shadow Walk? It’s the perfect bodyguard. And look at how big it is…”

“He can turn smaller.”

“Woof, woof!”

“You Uniques can do anything, can’t you?”

The Guildmaster hadn’t been able to sense Jet hiding in the shadows. We were used to him coming and going from sight, but Erianthe was right. The best bodyguard is the one you can’t see.

We were waiting for the auction license when Erianthe said, “Do you have a place to stay?”

“Not yet.”

“I have one just for you, then. It’s an inn for high-rank adventurers.”

Just one problem, though.

“Does it take familiars?”

“Of course. They should have no problem with Jet at that size.”

We needed a place to stay with two days to go until the equipment auction. Now we could take in the sights of the big city.

“Thanks, I’ll take it.”

“I’ll get a referral ready for you.”

Two days had gone by since we arrived in the capital. We were now outside a large building where the auctions would take place. It was usually the venue of the capital’s great theater troupes. Erianthe had recommended the theater, saying that it was in the top ten best tourist destinations of the capital, but we politely declined.

Fran didn’t have the attention span for stage plays, and their contents were pretty much BL. The play was called Sword of the Purple Rose, and I initially thought it was going to be a swashbuckling romp with plenty of action scenes. Erianthe proceeded to give the general running time of the play, as well as its summary.

She opened by saying it was the ultimate romance. A tale of love and hate colliding. But why were all the characters men? Did the sword in the title have to do with… Oh no!

I almost interrupted her elaboration, but Fran didn’t look like she understood even half of it. Erianthe talked about the play like an obsessed connoisseur of the genre. Apparently, most of the women in the capital agreed with her. The capital was a melting pot of culture, and the arts it produced were decidedly decadent. I was an otaku once, so I knew where Erianthe was coming from. Still, it wasn’t something you should recommend to a girl of Fran’s age.

Fortunately, we’d run into Zefield yesterday morning while at our first tourist destination, and he warned us about it.

“Black Lightning Princess?”

“Hi, Zefield. What are you doing here?”

“I was just out for a walk. We are staying somewhere nearby.”

“You don’t have work?”

Zefield laughed. “I was invited by a marquis, you see. We can’t exactly turn him down, so we can’t take any quests that would have us leave the city.”

“I see.”

The nobles would do anything to get their hands on a sane A-Rank adventurer. They wanted to be on good terms with him even if they couldn’t get him in their ranks. Zefield himself was far too reasonable to turn down a noble’s invitation. He didn’t seem nervous, so this must happen quite often.

“So,” he said, “what are you up to?”

“Sightseeing.”

Fran showed Zefield the list of recommended tourist attractions in the capital. He knitted his eyebrows.

“Hmm… The Guildmaster is pushing her hobbies again, I see.”

“What?”

“How should I put this… The Guildmaster recommended things that she enjoys doing most, but I doubt you would find them entertaining, Princess.”

“Hm?”

Zefield’s subtlety flew over Fran’s head, but I knew perfectly well what Erianthe’s “hobby” was. Apparently, five of the ten spots she recommended were involved with her favorite plays. One of them was the palace garden that was the setting for one of her favorite works. Another was the cemetery of a grand duke whose lineage was broken because one of the heads swung the other way. Yet another was the birthplace of a famous writer who wrote plays about love between men.

Zefield revised the list by adding his own tourist attractions to Erianthe’s Fran-appropriate five. We had a lovely time visiting the grand temple, and strolled up a hill which offered a spectacular view of the palace. Among all of them, Fran enjoyed the rose garden the most because it was like going through a maze. Zefield recommended that one.

The palace was also exquisite. It was so large that I thought it stood as a monument against the right to sunlight. It was located next to the lower noble district, and they lived—literally—in the shadow of the palace for most of the day. It was rated as one of the worst places to live in the capital. At least, that was what we were told by one nearby guard who was all too happy to complain about the nobility.

All of that happened yesterday.

Let’s go in.

“Hm.”

Fran flashed her guild-issued auction identification card at the entrance. It was basically a metal plate, but it had a seal which proved its authenticity. Fran got the second highest pass out of five. She could participate in all auctions and sit in special seats reserved for important merchants and guild members.

While it wasn’t the noble’s pass, which would allow one access to the VIP room, it was the highest pass possible for a civilian. The guards showed their respect for it.

They let her in through a different entrance, where a maid welcomed her to the venue. She proceeded to explain how the auction house worked while providing Fran with a welcome drink. In fact, Fran could even be served light refreshments if she so desired.

The equipment auctions will run for three days: today, tomorrow, and the day after that.

“So many weapons.”

Fran flipped through the pages of the catalog she bought while sightseeing. It was circulated one week prior to the auctions, so bidders could know exactly what they wanted as well as the time its auction started. Come auction day, all they had to do was go in and bid. Waiting around for the item they wanted wasn’t a good use of their time.

We didn’t want any item in particular, since we were only using the equipment auction as a pretense for finding Garrus. The catalog was still of use to us, of course. Garrus’ letter hinted that he had made a scabbard to sell at the auction. I thought he might appear when the scabbard went up on the auction block, but there were several scabbards going up for bidding and they were all at different times. After failing to find any hidden messages in the inscription or from the makers of the scabbards, I decided it would be best to camp out at the equipment auctions early.

Well, we can use the reserved seats…

“Should we?”

Hmm…

Garrus might not be allowed into the reserved seats, so we would probably have a better chance of finding him in the regular seats. The only problem now was whether Fran could stay still for such a long period of time.

How are you feeling? Good?

“Hm!”

How long would her good mood last, I wondered…

Three hours later:

Don’t fall asleep, Fran. You’ll look suspicious.

“…Hm.”

They might kick us out.

“…Hm.”

Fran was half asleep. The light in her eyes was going out. I knew how she felt, but at this point I would just have to hold her upright with Telekinesis.

We were presented with one piece of equipment after another for what felt like forever. And not enchanted equipment, either, but perfectly ordinary equipment. There was one lot where a set of one hundred swords was sold.

And so we put up with the boredom until the afternoon, when the special goods auction was held. The catalog said that these auctions were for last-minute entries; not strictly for items with special features. The first item that went up was an ordinary longsword with an engraving on its blade that didn’t compromise its strength. While it might look appealing to nobility, it was practically worthless to adventurers.

Finally, one of the items caught my eye.

Hey, isn’t that… Fran. Fran, wake up!

“…Huh?”

I shook Fran awake after spotting our must-buy item. Bidding could be done through a special manatech device in the VIP seats, but we had to do it the old-fashioned way. Fran would have to raise her hand with a pointed finger.

“Up next we have a scabbard for a longsword! Expertly crafted with premium monster materials, bidders must be warned that it is not size adjustable!” the auctioneer explained as they carried the scabbard to the podium. Everyone murmured as soon as they heard about the size not being adjustable. Size adjustability was a common—and expected—feature of scabbards in this world. A scabbard might have all the bells and whistles, but it was pretty much useless if it couldn’t fit your sword.

But it would be no problem for us. The scabbard up for bidding was an exact replica of the one Garrus made for me. It was the same shape, and I knew for sure that it was the same size.

The auctioneer spoke again, bringing the auction hall to a hush. “Maker is anonymous! Name is Scabbard of the Teacher! Bidding starts at ten thousand gauld!”

Fran, we have to get this one!

“Hm!”

Bidding ended up being a lot easier than I expected. The lack of size adjustability really put a drag on its demand. I think the people who bid on it just wanted to get materials out of it, and they backed off as soon as we outbid them.

The scabbard’s final price came to thirty thousand gauld. I didn’t know the going rate for scabbards, but we probably didn’t pay a premium for it. In fact, the materials didn’t look super premium, either.

But Fran definitely attracted attention to herself. I could feel people staring at her, wondering what a little girl like her was doing at the auctions. Did we mess up? Garrus had to take this indirect way of contacting us, since he was probably under Marquis Aschtner’s surveillance. Maybe not enough surveillance that he couldn’t sell a scabbard on the auctions, but definitely enough that he couldn’t go walking about. I just hoped that Aschtner wouldn’t be able to track us down through this purchase. I doubt he would be pleased to learn that the Black Lightning Princess, rumored to have something to do with Seldio’s death, was the one who bought Garrus’ scabbard.

Let’s bid on the next item, too.

Why?

Smokescreen.

I wanted to imply that Fran wanted something else from the auction and that the scabbard was a mere impulse buy. Not that I thought it would fool anyone in the know.

We bid on the next item, the Windbreaker Bracelet. It protected its user from the wind while on horseback, which should come in handy when Fran was riding Jet. This was quite a popular item, and we ended up bidding 470,000 gauld for it. Just as well, since we wanted to show that Fran was genuinely interested in the item, but it still felt like a waste of money. And we were rich at the moment.

Let’s get our goods and head back.

We headed to the redemption counter. Items could be redeemed on the spot if you had the cash to pay for it. Most people didn’t, because walking around with that much money was too dangerous.

Security was tight at the auctions. Adventurers were posted as guards, and they immediately turned their attention to Fran when she stepped in. They were strong enough to recognize her strength.

G- to E-Ranks would have no idea how strong Fran was; they were the ones who usually picked a fight with her. D- and C-Ranks didn’t know the real extent of her strength, but they knew enough not to mess with her. B-Ranks and above knew exactly how strong she was, and the only ones who would pick a fight with her likely loved combat as much as she did.

With that grading in mind, the guards here were probably around C-Rank. They knew they would be in for a rough time if Fran were to start a robbery.

“Hey.”

I could feel their nerves when Fran talked to the clerk. The clerk, on the other hand, thought that Fran was a little girl who had gotten lost. She greeted her with a smile, which irritated the guards.

“Yes? This is the redemption counter. Did you get separated from your parents?”

“I’m here to redeem my items.”

“Oh, my apologies. May I see your ID?”

“Hm.”

Fran handed the woman her card and she scanned it with a crystal. It showed her all the information she needed. Things went smoothly after that. The clerk asked no further questions, and the adventurers around us sighed with relief.

“Here’s the money.” 

Fran took out a stack of cash from our Pocket Dimension and placed it on the counter. The clerk didn’t see that one coming. Most people didn’t pay for large ticket items in cash, and bidders usually had their goods delivered to their abode for security purposes.

“Can I have my stuff now?”

“Oh! Yes! Yes, of course!”

The clerk hurried to fetch Fran’s goods while still in a state of shock. With the scabbard and manatech secured in our Pocket Dimension, we were done for the day.

Let’s head back.

Hm.

We weren’t going to meet Garrus at the auction hall, that was for sure. Something must have happened to him if he had to use this roundabout method to get in touch with us.

We immediately inspected the scabbard upon returning to our room.

Doesn’t look like there are any strange contraptions on it…

“Hm…”

Let’s compare it with my current scabbard.

I set the auction scabbard next to my current one.

“…Looks the same to me.”

Fran was right. The scabbards were identical in size, shape, and color.

“Woof?”

Jet sniffed it, but even he couldn’t make out any differences.

Does it smell like Garrus?

“Woof!”

Yes, which meant that the scabbard likely contained a secret. I inspected it more carefully. I lifted it up, smacked it around, sensed the mana inside it, and so on.

…I don’t get it.

“Hm.”

I peeked inside the scabbard on a whim and spotted something. The one subtle difference between the otherwise identical scabbards was on the inside. The string used to bind the scabbard on the auction scabbard was red instead of white.

Let’s try pulling at it.

“Hm.”

Fran grabbed the scabbard and tugged at the string. It refused to come undone, and she pulled harder on it as she became visibly annoyed.

S-slow down…! Here, let me do it!

“Hm? All right.”

I used telekinesis to undo the knot. It took a few minutes, but I got the string out in one piece.

Now we can look at the inside of the scabbard.

“What’s in it?”

“Arf.”

Come on, stop shoving.

Jet and Fran peeked their heads over my hilt. I had hoped to find a letter within, but still nothing.

No secret compartments… But wait, I think there’s something written on the inside.

“What does it say?”

Let’s see… “May the God of Wisdom grant that this scabbard be used by the ultimate sword.”

Was that a code for something?

“I guess he wants you to use it.”

What do you mean?

“You’re the ultimate sword! It has to be talking about you.”

Thanks, but slow down. It says “God of Wisdom” here, not “God of Blacksmiths.” Is that pointing to Intelligent Weapons?

Fran had a point. The message did sound like it wanted me to use the scabbard, but maybe there was something we weren’t seeing. Maybe it was code for something.

Fran picked me up as I was lost in thought.

Fran?

“It says you have to use it,” she said, putting me inside the scabbard. I wasn’t convinced that this was what Garrus had in mind.

Also, the fit felt a little off, since we’d dismantled a part of it. It was like sleeping under a blanket that was too short to cover your toes. I felt a metal fixture scrape against the base of my blade. This was where the strap was supposed to go, and it was slightly larger than the one on the old scabbard. I guess even Garrus made mistakes now and again.

Or did he? Considering the fact that he was a master blacksmith, the size difference was probably deliberate.

Fran, take a look at the strap fixture.

“Hm!”

There was a subtle difference in metal composition on the back of the fixture. It was yellowish in color and softer compared to the old scabbard. You really had to look in order to spot it.

I carefully peeled away the metal on the fixture. Words were written behind it. I guess Garrus knew I would recognize the bad fit once inside.

What does it say…? “The mansion where a valkyrie is glared at by a manticore”?

“Another puzzle?”

No hints, either.

We took apart the scabbard—with apologies to Garrus—and tried to find another clue to decipher the code. I pulled off everything that seemed removable, but couldn’t find any more hints. Maybe the code meant that he was locked up in a mansion.

Any ideas, Fran?

“Hm!”

Wait, really?

“We just have to look for a mansion where a valkyrie is glared at by a manticore! Jet can sniff those monsters out.”

Fran read the passage in a literal sense, and I couldn’t blame her, really, considering the fact that we fought manticores and valkyries only recently. Still, I didn’t think such powerful monsters would be running around in the capital. The city would be in a panic by now.

The phrase had to be code for something, but what? Garrus wouldn’t leave this message for us if he thought we couldn’t understand it.

There has to be a reason why he’s being roundabout…

Really, he could’ve just given us the address of the mansion where he was being kept. A name would’ve worked just as well.

But what if he was being literal? What if there were a manticore and a valkyrie in the capital? Maybe not living, breathing ones, but maybe a statue or a painting. The insignia of a noble family, perhaps? If he was locked up, maybe he could see this valkyrie glared at by a manticore nearby. Maybe he was being kept at a mansion where the family was like a herd of manticores. If so, the code might not be code at all. It might just be a description of his whereabouts.

For now, let’s look for the valkyrie glared by a manticore.

“Hm!”

Jet should be able to track Garrus down if he’s close. We’re counting on you.

“Woof!”

That night, we visited the Adventurers’ Guild to see the one person we knew in the capital: Guildmaster Erianthe. She should be able to clue us in on where to look for manticores. This was the capital and not Alessa, after all. We’d only get lost if we walked around aimlessly.

“Welcome. And how may I help you tonight?” Erianthe asked without looking up. She must be able to detect Fran’s presence. Mountains of paperwork surrounded her, and heavy bags were under her eyes. She wasn’t kidding about being busy this time of year.

“I need help.”

“Do you?”

“Hm. I’m looking for a valkyrie being glared at by a manticore.”

“A what?” That caught her attention. She looked at Fran, utterly confused. “A valkyrie… Can you repeat that?”

“I’m looking for a mansion where a valkyrie is glared at by a manticore. Ring any bells?”

Erianthe tilted her head. The sequence of words was difficult to process without context. As much as I wanted to help explain it, Fran was on her own. She said that she was looking for an unnamed friend of hers. Erianthe was getting irritated, but managed to hear Fran out to the end.

“So you’re worried about this friend of yours because you can’t contact them and that’s the only hint they gave.”

“Hm.”

“That’s a tough hint to go on.”

“Nothing comes to mind?”

“Not at the moment, no. I’ll let you know if I think of something.”

“Thanks.”

I guessed we’d have to do some good old-fashioned groundwork. But then I remembered what Erianthe said about Marquis Aschtner. If she hated him so much, we might be able to gain her aid.

“So…do you hate Marquis Aschtner?”

“Well, that was an abrupt change of subject,” Erianthe said. “But yes. I suppose I do. I hate his guts, actually.”

“What if I told you there was a way to make him squirm?”

“If you told me that, I would be delighted to take part in it.”

Nothing but the truth. It sounded like her feelings for Aschtner were closer to outright loathing than mere hatred.

“But what if he goes after you?”

“Wouldn’t make a difference. We’ve been at each other’s throats long before you came to town. I’ve lost count of all the times the marquis’ men barged in here acting like they owned the place.”

Their bad blood ran deeper than we thought. While the guild was separated from the state, they still had to deal with local rulers. They couldn’t afford to ignore them in cities where nobles had a lot of power.

“I’d do anything to crush the marquis. Never mind that… I’d do anything just to ruin his day!” Erianthe slammed the table, and mountains of paperwork fell around her. “No! I didn’t mean that! Stop!”

Was this our fault? Not by my count. The Guildmaster was consumed by her own rage. Either way, I believed we had found a trustworthy ally.

“I’m looking for a blacksmith named Garrus,” Fran said.

“Garrus is your friend? Garrus the master blacksmith?”

“Hm. I think Marquis Aschtner’s kidnapped him.”

“Has he now?” Erianthe raised her eyebrows. “Tell me more.”

We told her about the circumstances surrounding Garrus’ disappearance and his subsequent messages. Erianthe grinned with her black eyes, a grin which would’ve been menacing had she not been picking up papers at the moment.

“So, if we solve your puzzle, we might be able to deal a blow to Aschtner.”

“Hm.”

“Very well. We’ll start looking for any place that might fit the bill. And not to worry, Fran—I’ll make sure no one traces this back to you.”

We should be able to track Garrus down faster with the guild behind us. Erianthe proceeded to tell us all the mansions Aschtner was involved with. It was a good place to start.

“Thanks.”

“I won’t let an opportunity to make Aschtner suffer slide.”

“I’ll be heading out,” Fran said.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Erianthe said.

“What is it?”

“Just a word of warning. The capital hasn’t exactly been safe lately. There are a lot of pickpockets and robbers taking advantage of the crowds during auction season. Do be careful.”

Auctions were always a gathering of rich people. They were bound to attract thieves.

“Got it. I’ll make sure to beat up any that I find,” Fran nodded enthusiastically.

“No!” Erianthe shouted. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Hm?”

“Bystanders might get hurt if you go around beating up pickpockets. You might be better off just leaving them be.”

Erianthe had the same concern as Calc. If anything, Erianthe had more cause to worry, since she knew how much Fran liked to fight.

“Okay.”

“As long as we have an understanding.”

“I’ll make sure to beat them when no one’s around.”

“You don’t have to beat them up at all! Surely you can find more peaceful ways to deal with the situation.”

“All right.”

“You’re sure?” Erianthe said with doubtful eyes.

“Hm.”

“Are you really sure?”

“Hm.”

“I’m asking nicely now…”

I should probably look after Fran so she doesn’t cause any trouble. I wouldn’t want to add more paperwork to the exhausted Erianthe’s plate.