I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 6 - Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

The Truth About Godswords

WE LEARNED A LOT from participating in the tournament.

First and foremost, Fran had evolved. We probably wouldn’t have found any leads on Evolution if we hadn’t come here. Not only that, but we learned the conditions of breaking the personal and collective curse of the Black Cat tribe—the most vital piece of information Fran needed to accomplish her grand goal of lifting them all up.

And the experience gained from our battles was invaluable. This was the first time Fran could go all out against powerful opponents without worrying about losing her life. Even if we lost to Amanda in the end, we learned valuable lessons about our strengths and weaknesses.

More importantly, we didn’t lose when our lives were on the line. We got acquainted with the Beast King, and learned about the current state of Black Cats in the Beastman nation. That was all pretty good.

Personally, Fran’s new nickname was of the utmost importance to me. “The Princess of Black Lightning” was so much cooler than “Swordceress.”

Fran, wake up!

“Hrm…I’m…awake.”

We’re almost done. Come on, it’s your turn.

“Hm…”

Fran was half-asleep, but I couldn’t drag her all the way to the podium with telekinesis. Hang in there, Fran!

There’s a present for you if you can stay awake!

“Hm. New and improved curry.”

I’ll cook a batch up just for you.

Fran’s eyes lit up at the mention of it, her appetite blowing away her sleepiness. The effects were even more potent now that her beloved curry was involved. This buff wouldn’t last forever, but it should keep her awake long enough for her to receive her medal.

“Fran? Black Cat Fran? Please make your way to the podium.”

Go on.

“Hm.”

Fran walked up to the podium and received a medal from the viscount of Ulmutt. This was our first time meeting him. Apparently, Dias was the de facto ruler, and the viscount was only there as a formality. The man was lean, and didn’t seem disposed towards interfering in other people’s business. His meekness made him perfect for the position.

Fran’s medal had the Ulmutt crest on it, as well as the words “Third Place.” The prize money of one hundred thousand gold would come tomorrow.

“They were spectacular battles.”

“Hm.”

Fran was curt as usual, but I told her to give him an elegant bow, made possible by Royal Etiquette. There was quite a stir when the crowd saw the young star had impeccable bearing. It always paid to have good manners.

With the award ceremony over, we were summoned to see the Beast King again. He had taken up residence at the most expensive inn in town, going so far as to rent out the entire floor. The Adventurers’ Guild had called for her too, but Fran had questions to ask Rigdith first.

There were a number of beastmen outside his residence. I listened to their conversations, and gathered that they were nobles who had come to greet their king. However, he wasn’t one for such stuffy formalities, and they were all turned away at the door. They knew His Majesty’s ways. He probably did the same thing back home, which meant they’d visited despite knowing they would be turned away. I suppose ignoring your king was in bad taste, even if he didn’t feel like seeing you.

Of course, all of them knew Fran. She caused a commotion just by showing up. They gathered around her, though no one dared to say anything. Jet was back to his original size, and glared at anyone trying to approach. A low growl was all it took to give them second thoughts.

Fran passed through the crowd and entered the inn. Jet retreated back into her shadow as soon as they passed through the gates. I didn’t think we could see the Beast King without an appointment, but it turned out that Fran’s name was already on his guest list. He must’ve told reception to let her up. Rigdith was more considerate than I thought.

“Hey. You’re early.”

The Beast King was lying on his grand sofa. He had taken off his gear and was only wearing a plain white shirt and pants, giving him a wild look. Still, the gold ornaments decorating his clothes suggested that they weren’t cheap. The man looked like he belonged in a painting. He was like a lion lazing about in the savannah, while somehow managing to retain his royal aura. But Fran wasn’t interested in his appearance, and got closer so she could talk. “Tell me about Kiara.”

Yep, that’s my girl!

“I’m about to. Have a seat.”

“Hm.”

Fran sat in front of the Beast King, and Rosch got up to make tea. Rigdith slowly rubbed his chin, thinking about how to start. “I’ll have to talk about my old man first—the previous Beast King.”

“Sure.”

Fran straightened up and listened. The previous Beast King was called Velthus Narasimha, a paranoid man who was feared by his servants. His Evolution into a Golden Lion was only made possible with the help of other members of the royal family. He wasn’t a capable warrior, and he was just as bad at commanding his army. Physically and strategically, he was the weakest of all the Beast Kings.

His mad paranoia, coupled with his nonexistent talent, made him fear other members of his race. He exiled many of his subjects, weakening the Beastman Nation’s army in the process.

Velthus’ paranoid delusions reached their peak in his persecution of the Black Cats. Prejudice was decreasing before he came along, and beast tribes mostly left them to their own devices. But the paranoid king ordered the Blue Cats, both within and without the Beastman Nation, to capture and enslave the Black Cats. He was afraid of an uprising should one of the Black Cats ever evolve. Like him, they were of the Ten Tribes. Like him, they were feline. The king couldn’t afford to let sleeping tigers lie.

“In the end, it was my old man’s cowardice that made him stop at slavery.”

If Velthus wanted to stamp out the Black Cats for good, he should’ve ordered their genocide. But he was too afraid of incurring the wrath of the gods—or worse, the wrath of his fellow tribes. And he couldn’t shake off the feeling that one of them would survive and rise up to kill him.

“It prevented him from killing Kiara, at least.”

The king ordered her capture after receiving news from his Blue Cats outside the country. He hesitated to kill her, and besides, he could use her to set an example. He could nip their rebellious tendencies in the bud by showing that no one could oppose him—not even the strongest Black Cat of their tribe. Velthus could’ve employed the powerful Black Cat as his own servant, highlighting his influence. Instead, he made her clean drains.

Rigdith then repeated the part of the story we knew already.

“The Beast King held the other Black Cats hostage, and made Kiara into a slave.”

The incident with the enemy summoner happened when Kiara was in charge of waste disposal. That was where she met Rigdith, Gaudartha, and Royce. She hadn’t lost an ounce of her spirit, despite the long years of slavery. In fact, the scent of royal waste was far less pungent than the depths of a dungeon.

Slavery had forced the Black Cats to be more hardened to suffering than the other races. I remembered Fran’s excitement during her first stay at a cheap inn.

“Meeting Kiara made us question the awful conditions the Black Cats were in. To begin with, why were we enslaving members of our own race?”

Kiara’s strength showed Rigdith that Black Cats were not inferior. He began looking into historical records and discovered the sins the tribe had committed, strengthening his conviction that prejudice against them was wrong. Even if they had committed a great crime, the gods had already punished them for it. There was no need to enslave them. Young Rigdith even thought it was the king’s responsibility to help the tribe undo their curse. The straw that broke the camel’s back came when he found out that his father had burned all records of the curse.

“I was the first generation of the royal family to have never heard about it. My old man destroyed everything.”

“I already know how to undo the curse.”

“What? You do?!”

“Hm.”

The Beast King bowed his head. He brought it down so fast that it hit the table with an audible thud. “Tell me,” he said. “Please! Just name your price!”

“I’ll tell you for free.”

“Are you sure? I doubt that information came cheap.”

“Yeah, but I don’t mind. Make sure this information gets to every Black Cat and we’ll call it even.” It was Fran’s turn to bow her head. She needed his help getting the word out.

A confident look came to the Beast King’s face. He grinned, knowing that his network of merchants would be able to spread the word. “I’ll get the Adventurers’ Guild on it, too. The entire world will know.”

“You sure?”

“Count on it. You’re talking to an S-Rank, remember?” The king puffed out his chest.

“Why is a king an adventurer?” Fran wondered out loud.

“Why? To get stronger, of course.” Rigdith was talking about raw physical strength. “I didn’t like the way my father did things, so I became an adventurer, along with Kiara’s other pupils. We got stronger, accumulated more and more supporters, and eventually overthrew the old man.”

Rigdith would never admit it, but he was willing to bear being called “Patricide” and “Usurper” for the sake of helping Kiara and her tribe.

“Thank you.” Fran bowed her head, understanding his motives.

“Cut that out. Don’t you thank me for being selfish. You’re giving me the creeps!”

“Hm. Got it,” Fran said, still bowing her head.

“Okay! We’re done here! Away with you; I’m busy!”

I doubted that very much, considering Rigdith’s state when Fran entered. Still, we excused ourselves, leaving him to his duties.

Come on, Fran.

“Hm.”

Next stop, the Adventurers’ Guild.

“Bye.”

“Yep! See you around!”

Fran raised her hand and the Beast King waved her off. He displayed such unkingly levity, which was probably what made him popular.

Having said our goodbyes, we made our way to the Adventurers’ Guild. It was right next door, and I expected our interview with Dias would take more time than our walk there.

“Why hello, Fran. Congratulations on getting third place,” Dias said as soon as she walked into his office.

“Hrm.”

“Heh heh. What’s the matter? You don’t seem too happy.” The facetious old man knew what he was talking about.

“Because I lost to Amanda.”

“An average C-Rank would give his head to place third in our tournament.” Dias grinned. He knew Fran was not your average C-Rank. The fact that a C-Rank could beat an A-Rank was downright miraculous. I daresay anyone capable of such a feat had a right to let the victory get to their head. Still, the Guildmaster didn’t need to warn Fran about such a thing.

“I couldn’t beat the Beast King, either…” she continued, still disappointed in herself.

“No need to compare yourself to a monster like that. I don’t think I could do anything to him, either…”

“I’ll beat him one day.”

“You sound like you’re serious.” Dias shivered. Well, we still had Forlund and Amanda to beat before we could take on the S-Rank. “I tried pushing you into B-Rank because of your accomplishments…but it’s not happening any time soon.”

“But I just got into C-Rank.”

Isn’t she advancing too fast?

Did the tournament count towards her evaluation? It was a good measure for a professional soldier, but an adventurer?

“Even so, you beat an A-Rank. Your fighting capabilities are far beyond a C-Rank.”

I guess…so why isn’t she getting promoted?

“The other Guildmasters disagreed.”

“Other Guildmasters?”

“Yes. I was just on the manaphone with them.”

Her age was the primary issue.

“Some appealed to the lack of precedence. But most of them complained that a fighting tournament was a poor measure for an adventurer.”

“I see.”

I figured. Winning an organized fighting tournament didn’t mean you were suited to be an adventurer. That was reasonable enough. The strength of an adventurer lay in more than just combat prowess. A weaker adventurer who could sense and disarm traps, had extensive knowledge about magic and monsters, and had the calmness of mind to adapt to the situation, could be just as successful as their stronger-but-less-knowledgeable counterpart.

Still, beating an A-Rank did make Fran closer to a B-Rank than a C. In the end, an adventurer still had to know how to fight.

“Fran has also been the subject of exceptional promotions. Others were bound to speak up if she ranked up again so soon.”

I couldn’t disagree there, either. Fran had gained most of her promotions through special missions.

“They also doubted Fran’s ability to lead a party in combat.”

“What do you mean?”

“B-Ranks usually band together to take on missions. They need party leaders to deal with stampedes, disasters, and high-rank monster hunts.”

Fran’s not doing that.

“Hm. Can’t be bothered.”

“I figured,” said Dias. “That was the only point I agreed with them on.”

Her personality made it impossible for her to lead. She had no experience and didn’t really talk. Her party would be wiped out in minutes.

“Finally, Fran’s conduct made her unsuited to become a B-Rank. B-Rank adventurers have to deal with aristocrats.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You are free to accept and refuse, of course, but try telling that to a marquis or a member of the royal family. The guild looks to its stronger members to accomplish the tasks the nobility have for us.”

And that’s where B-Ranks come in.

A-Ranks were powerful, but they were few and far between. They couldn’t take all the important requests if they wanted to, so the guild would deploy its B-Ranks. They risked upsetting the aristocracy if one of them gave offense.

“Not that you have no manners, judging by your conduct at the award ceremony.”

Fran’s manners were impeccable thanks to Royal Etiquette, although the same couldn’t be said for her speech. Maybe she could play the strong and silent type? No, maybe not.

“Which is why Fran will remain a C-Rank for now. Sorry.”

“Hm. It’s okay.”

You did all you could.

A twelve-year-old B-Rank would set too strange a precedent. Fran would have to store up points and work for her promotion like everyone else. But it would make for good training.

“Still, I wanted to give you the promotion if I could, if only to thank you.”

“Thank me?”

Dias looked at her seriously. “Yes. I have you to thank for telling us of Kiara’s whereabouts. I would’ve gone on resenting the Beast King if you hadn’t come in contact with him. I would’ve been suspicious of his every move.” He bowed his head. “Thank you. Thank you so much. I kept up my end of the deal with Lumina, too, so that’s a load off my shoulders.”

I’d never seen him so earnest before.

I wondered what would happen with Lumina now. The Black Cat knew that Kiara was safe, but she’d spent a huge amount of her power helping Fran evolve. Ulmutt’s dungeons would definitely be affected until she could recover, but I was more worried that she would be disposed of now that she was no longer useful.

Speaking of, how are the dungeons doing?

“Right. There have been fewer monsters since Lady Lumina lost her powers. We’re probably going to drop its difficulty rating.”

O-oh.

“I’m sorry.”

I would have some choice words for us if I were Dias, but the old Guildmaster just shook his head and laughed. “Remember that her previous plan involved sacrificing herself to help Black Cats evolve.”

Dias had known about Lumina’s plan, though she didn’t tell him the details. She was willing to turn herself into a Fiend and die in order to help Fran evolve.

“Looking at it that way, dropping the dungeon’s difficulty is a small price to pay.”

But you can’t get as many materials and crystals from it.

“True. But now lower-rank adventurers can use it to train. The economy might experience a slight boom if beginners start flocking to our city.”

I was glad to hear that Ulmutt was going to be all right. Fran would’ve been depressed if the once-bustling city became deserted for the sake of her Evolution.

“We can finally get to talking about your quest.”

You mean the C-Rank personal quest?

“Oh yeah.”

It had been put in place to guard Fran from the wiles of the Beast King. Not that we had any use for it now, since Rigdith was our ally…

“I’ve notified the other guilds that you’ll be taking on this quest. You can’t refuse, I’m afraid.”

Okay, what’s it for?

“I’ve been thinking about it, and how would you like to go to the Beastman Nation? You’ll be able to complete the guild’s immigration inspection as you go, and you could get the support of the guild there, too.”

“What would I do when I get there?”

“Confirm the whereabouts of a missing adventurer. There are still people looking for her, and we would like to know how she’s doing.”

Dias wanted to know how Kiara was. He was really good at putting the guild to personal use.

“Uh-huh…”

That’s nice of you, Dias.

The Beastman Nation was full of fluffy ears. I would love to check it out.

“But we have an auction to go to.”

The one in the capital, right. It’s not like we have to attend, so let’s head to the Beastman Nation first.

But you could get good crystals at the auction. Fran wanted to go to the auction for my sake.

But we might not. Besides, we can get crystals just as easily in the Beastman Nation. Who knows, some of them might be interesting. Don’t worry about it.

“But…”

Dias noticed Fran’s inner conflict. “Something bothering you?”

“There’s an auction in the capital I wanted to check out. It’s in June.”

“I see. Well, you still have over a month. Going to the Beastman Nation and finishing your errands should only take about three weeks.”

There you go.

“Hm. The Beastman Nation it is.” Fran nodded happily, unable to hide her enthusiasm.

“Ha ha ha. Thank you for your cooperation. Now—”

A knock came on the door.

“I’m letting myself in. Oh, Frannie! Hey.”

“Elza.”

Elza entered the room, looking great despite Amanda’s beatdown. Her skin was bright and bouncy, and she seemed to be in a good mood.

“Hello, Elza,” said Dias. “Have you found out anything?”

“Lots. They were a lot more cooperative once I wore them down.”

“What are you talking about?” Fran asked.

“I had Elza interrogate Solus and Seldio’s accomplices.” That explained her bright smile. “They told me a lot of interesting things.”

Given their ambush in the dungeon, Seldio and Solus were definitely taking orders from someone else. This someone must’ve been crooked, judging from the strange enchanted swords in our attackers’ necks and the fact that they were able to bust Solus out of prison.

“Looks like they were working for Marquis Aschtner.”

Marquis Aschtner? Never heard of him. But it sounded like Seldio was somehow related to the man.

“Do you know why they wanted to take Fran’s sword?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s a really dumb reason. The marquis ordered them to look for Godswords. Seldio was a disgusting pig, but he was still an A-Rank, so he had access to all the guild’s hidden information. But you remember how crazy he was? That’s why he took everything that looked like an enchanted sword. Seldio was so far gone that he couldn’t even serve his master’s purposes. What a joke.”

“They broke their own guys?”

“Marquis Aschtner gave the order that Seldio was to be drugged to keep him in line. He looked like the leader of his own party, but the bandit and mage were the ones pulling his strings. They pushed him too far, and eventually he couldn’t tell left from right anymore.”

The drugs made him lose his mind in the end. He misinterpreted the order to find Godswords and thought any old enchanted sword would do. It was kind of funny, when you put it that way. They had only stopped by Ulmutt to get a refill, since their drug supply was running low—its primary ingredient was the venom sacs of Pandemic Leeches found in the local dungeon. Solus was gathering this material when he was captured, only adding to the comic tragedy.

Elza left to return to questioning Seldio’s accomplices. Once she was out of the room, Dias turned to us again.

“I really can’t thank you enough. You took out an entire bag of trash for the Adventurers’ Guild!”

“What do you mean?”

“Their syndicate is the cancer of Granzell’s Adventurers’ Guild, and you took care of them all in one sitting! Oh, thank you so much!”

Cancer? Folks sure hated Seldio.

“Did you get a chance to Identify Seldio?”

Yeah.

“Did you get a look at his skill list? I believe he had Sexual Attraction and Sexual Enchantment.”

Now that you mention it… They hadn’t come into play when he was fighting us, and they had no effect on Fran when he talked to her.

“One of our female Guildmasters was seduced with those skills. That was how he convinced her to promote him to A-Rank. Apparently, women bent over backwards for him.”

And that was enough to make him A-Rank?

“It was one of the reasons,” said Dias. “And the guild listened to her suggestion they admit a man forty years her junior, just because he called her pretty.”

Jeez…that easy?

“There was pressure from House Aschtner itself, of course. And bribes. Lots of bribes. He took advantage of his privileges to lobby the Guildmasters, too.”

“Is the guild okay?”

That sounds distressing. The Adventurers’ Guild was sounding more and more like your run-of-the-mill crooked corporation.

“I can only apologize. Guildmasters are human too, and some of them happen to be trash.”

I guess… Even the politicians and policemen back on Earth committed crimes. More authority brought more temptation.

“I’ve been waiting for him to slip up so I could take his rank from him.”

But I thought he shook people down on a daily basis. Isn’t that cause enough?

“As much as I hate Seldio, what he did was completely legal. He did pay the people he extorted, and no adventurer had actually filed a complaint.”

What? Why? Do they just give up on their weapons and cry themselves to sleep?

The Aschtners must have quite a collection.

“Well, you’re strong. Very strong. Strong enough to beat anyone that threatens you. But an ordinary adventurer wouldn’t dare oppose an A-Rank, let alone the son of a powerful marquis. Especially not after all the nasty rumors.”

I supposed losing your weapon was a lot more appealing than losing your life.

“What made Seldio even more dangerous was the fact that he went crazy. There is manatech that can target criminals, but the criminal needs to feel guilty for it to work.”

That item wouldn’t work against Seldio. To the bitter end, he’d been convinced he was doing the right thing.

I can’t believe that the marquis would drug his own son.

“That’s the thing with nobles, I’m afraid. Having an A-Rank adventurer as your puppet can be very convenient. A-Ranks have the authority to mobilize adventurers—a privilege denied to nobility—and the marquis could easily use Seldio to give out orders. The military power he could’ve wielded is not to be underestimated.”

Okay, but why go through the trouble of drugging him?

“Because he didn’t think Seldio would keep following orders once he became an A-Rank. Drugging him was a safer and more practical option.”

Man, these nobles didn’t play around! We should keep away from them!

“Seldio was also a bastard in the technical sense. Marquis Aschtner treated him like another disposable pawn. He probably saw it as a convenient way to clean out his family’s closet.”

Unfortunate, but I understood Dias’ point.

“I do think the Aschtners are about to get into a lot of trouble.”

“Why’s that?” Fran asked.

“Because they were looking for Godswords. Those weapons are powerful enough to take on an entire army. If word got out that the marquis was looking for them, he might be suspected of treason. His only defense would be if he said Seldio were looking for it of his own accord.”

“Really?”

“Any self-respecting veteran would want to get their hands on a Godsword. Call it the adventurer’s dream. It would be perfectly excusable if Seldio was looking for one.”

It was almost pedantic, but I saw the difference. There was nothing suspicious about an adventurer searching for a legendary weapon, as long as the marquis didn’t have anything to do with it. If Marquis Aschtner told him to look for one, it would be a different story.

“And what have we here…” said Dias as he casually filed through the papers Elza had left. He singled out a piece of parchment. “…is evidence the marquis was the one looking for them.”

“What’s that?”

“A list of the latest information about them, courtesy of Marquis Aschtner.”

Whoa, seriously? I wanted to see! I asked Fran to move to a better peeking location. The names of the Godswords were on it, all right. It even described their appearances and special powers. The list was slightly different from the one Lumina showed us, and I wondered which version was newer. A few weren’t on it at all: the First Godsword Alpha, Mad Sword Berserk, Land Sword Gaia, and Demon King Sword Diablos.

“Hmm…”

“What is it, Fran?”

Fran asked why the five swords weren’t listed, and Dias told her it was because they had already been found. Alpha and Berserk were in the northern continent of Brodin, split between the two great kingdoms of the north. Since each of the quarreling kingdoms had obtained a Godsword, there had been relative peace over the last two hundred years. They knew that going to war would lead to mutually assured destruction.

There was an incident where two Godsword-wielders descended on the battlefield about three hundred years ago. There was a mountain of casualties, to no one’s surprise, and the forest that had once stood there was now a desert.

Wow. What kind of powers do they have?

“Alpha’s is quite well known. It gives its user the Demigod skill.”

“What does it do?” Fran asked.

“Basically, it grants the user superhuman strength.”

“That’s it?”

I’m sure it’s powerful, but… Sounded kind of simple, too.

“Well, it increases your stats, enhances your physical capabilities, levels up your skills, stuff like that.”

Hmm. Sounds boring.

“Doesn’t sound strong,” said Fran. Certainly not strong enough to be called a superweapon.

“I suppose you’re right. You can say it’s the most straightforward out of all the Godswords. But it multiplies your stats by ten. Your vision is magnified, giving you the ability to see through any concealment. Your hearing can eavesdrop on any part of the country. To top it all off, all your skills get maxed out. How does that sound?”

Very…strong. Ten times the stats, the physical prowess of a god, and the ability to express the user’s full potential. No wonder it was a Godsword.

“Legend states that it can slay a hundred men with one swing, break through castle walls with two, and split a mountain in half with three.”

Sounds like a myth, but if we’re talking Godswords, I wouldn’t be surprised.

“Even more terrifying is Alpha’s effective duration. Its user can maintain that superhuman state for more than half a day.”

Half a day was enough for a monster of that scale to ruin an entire country. At the very least, it could polish off a capital or two.

“Berserk has similar properties. Increased stats, enhanced physical prowess, increased skills. The only difference is that it’s more powerful.”

More powerful than Alpha?

“In terms of raw strength, yes. But Berserk always sends its users into an insane frenzy, slaughtering friend and foe alike. When the effects wear off, its user dies.”

Jeez, that sounds rough. But can’t you just have an army escort Berserk’s user into battle? The Godsword was as powerful as it was inhumane, but you could treat its user like a suicide bomber.

“Ha ha. If only things were so simple. What happens after Berserk annihilates the enemy?”

Take the Godsword away, I guess.

“And how do you plan to get close enough?”

Let them go crazy and grab the sword when they’re done. Surely there was no danger in taking the Godsword away from a corpse.

“All right. But the enemy probably has the same idea, and there is no guarantee that you could recover it before them.”

I see. If they messed up, the enemy might get to the Godsword first.

“Not only that, but Berserk also lasts for over half a day. There are records of the user destroying the enemy’s capital, then turning on his own cities. The memory is still fresh, even though it happened a long time ago. You have to be ready to die alongside your enemy if you want to use Berserk.”

A continent locked in a stalemate of Godswords. Best to keep our distance. Now I understood why the five swords—Alpha, Berserk, Diablos, Gaia, and Ignis—weren’t on Aschtner’s list. No one would be eager to part with their Godsword, no matter how much money you gave them. Taking them away by force would be downright impossible.

So that’s why they’re looking for the missing ones.

“All the nations of the world are looking for them. I’m not sure how they got a hold of this information…”

The list contained more detail than Lumina’s:

War Carriage Sword Chariot

Said to have the shape of a baton. Produces golems of all shapes and sizes, along with the power to control them. Golems are made of metal, capable of flight, and can fire beams of light. According to stories from the Gallerian war, Chariot summoned a thousand golems the size of human heads and destroyed a hundred ships with a coordinated volley. Last known location: Continent of Capur.

Sword of Wisdom Cherubim

Known to be destroyed, but its fragments may prove valuable. Properties unknown. According to our research, the sword is decorated with the motif of a four-winged angel. Fragments are most likely located somewhere in the kingdom of Granzell.

Searching Godsword Explorer

Has the shape of a monocle. Said to be able to understand all information across the land. Further details about its power are unknown. Last known location: Continent of Capur.

Gaolgate Sword Hel

Details unknown. Said to have been used five hundred years ago in the continent of Chrome. Location where it was last used is now desolate and unfit for life. Said to have the power to control poison.

Cruel Dragon Sword Lindworm

Has the shape of a sword. Further details unknown.

Lunar Sword Moonlight

Said to grant its user the power to reflect myriad attacks.

Not much was known about the swords other than Chariot. And they didn’t know where any of them actually were.

“Very interesting,” said Dias. “If they’re collecting broken Godsword pieces, they might be in the early stages of research.”

What can they do with that research?

“Who knows? They probably think it’s worth it. Still, keeping this kind of stuff a secret from the government is a major faux pas.”

House Aschtner might be suspected of treason, even if what they were doing wasn’t illegal.

“Excellent evidence,” said Dias. An evil grin flashed over his lips. Not something I wanted Fran to imitate.

Well, it looks like Dias has a long day ahead. We should get going, Fran.

“Sure.”

“Sorry to keep you so long. I’ll call if I find anything new.”

“Hm.”

We said our goodbyes and left. Almost right away, a group of suspicious individuals approached, as if they had been waiting for Fran. It was almost like an ambush. The four figures couldn’t look any more suspicious if they tried—their faces were covered by their gray, hooded robes. They looked like mages with the sticks they held in their hands. In fact, they looked like they just stepped out of a fairy tale.

“What?”

Fran put her guard up. The four mages split up and pointed their sticks at the sky. A man came through this four-staff salute. He wore a gold-hemmed purple robe, unlike his plainly dressed associates, and the point of his staff was decorated with a beautiful jewel. His hood was down, exposing an arrogant, although admittedly handsome face. The blue-haired man looked like he was up to no good. Not that I thought all good-looking men were bad people. Honest.

“We have been waiting for you, Lady Fran!”

“Hm? Who are you?”

“My name is Glackmar. The head of the Eiworth Mage Guild.”

Glackmar bowed gracefully, like he was in a play. Admittedly, it made for a nice picture. I’d never heard of a Mage Guild before. I guess it was founded for mages to do their thing.

“You have exhibited your amazing talents in combat.”

“Hm.”

“Most impressive, however, was your control over the many magicks! I, Glackmar, was moved to tears by the display!”

Our fights would certainly be of interest to mages, if only because of the sheer number of high-level spells. I must’ve made it look like Fran fired Kanna Kamuy without a single word. However, Glackmar’s thick praise couldn’t hide his intentions. All his acting did nothing to cover his hostility and malintent.

“Now then, Archmage Fran.”

“What? I’m not a mage.”

Archmage sounded more like a title than an actual Class. Although, Fran might’ve unlocked a lot more options since the last time she changed Classes—it had been a while. Glackmar ignored Fran’s retort and took a small box from his breast pocket. He opened it, and dropped to one knee while showing her its contents. Following his gesture, the four gray-robed mages pointed their sticks forward and surrounded us. Their formation looked like the beginnings of a strange ritual. I hadn’t sensed any mana so far, but I was ready with Telekinesis should one of them make any sudden moves. The box contained a medal emitting powerful mana. It looked ominous enough to be cursed.

“Please.”

“What’s this?”

“We, of the Eiworth Mage Guild, present you, Archmage Fran, with the Medallion of the First. Please, wear it.”

“The First?”

The First what? I didn’t know what he was talking about, but Glackmar shoved the box closer.

Teacher?

Don’t even touch it.

No signs of magic so far, but the hostility coming from Glackmar and his associates was too apparent for this to be a friendly gesture.

“Take it. This medallion is only worthy of an Archmage such as you.”

“Hm. Don’t need it.”

“Wh-why?!”

“Looks fishy.”

“Please, take it! We mean you only the greatest respect!”

“You can keep that, too,” said Fran.

“But Lady Fran—”

“All right, enough of that.”

“Wh-what?!”

A figure interrupted Glackmar and his cronies as we mulled over whether to cut them down.

“Still up to your dirty tricks over at Eiworth, I see.”

“Phelms?” said Fran.

“Hello. How long has it been? A day?”

Phelms, the former A-Rank wire warrior we’d faced in fierce combat, now stood in front of Fran as if protecting her. He put himself between her and Glackmar, his gentle smile emitting a subtle pressure.

“Begone, fool adventurer!” said Glackmar. “You have nothing to do with this. We are in the middle of a very important ceremony!”

“What’s he on about?” Fran asked.

“Just one of their old tricks.”

Phelms explained that we were about to be enlisted in the Eiworth Mage Guild. The medal was enchanted with a spell to compel its user into a contract, consummated through the execution of a simple ritual.

“The magical contract is quite dangerous. Not as binding as a slave’s contract, but there’s not much difference in how they’ll treat you afterwards.”

“People fall for it?”

We knew right away that nothing good could come of the suspicious bunch. The other mages should be able to discern their ill intentions, too. The Eiworth mages weren’t so strong that they couldn’t be handled pretty easily.

“And here’s their nasty trick. They only use this method of recruitment on talented children. You fall right in their age range, Fran. They must’ve thought they could rope you in with a few pretty words.”

An ordinary child could be easily coerced into joining an association out of fear of offending them. If the ritual wasn’t enough, fear of the organization should do it. They tricked little children into joining them with a silken tongue and intimidation. Talk about poor taste.

“The Eiworth Mage Guild is the only mage guild that employs this desperate measure. They’re low on the food chain, you see. They must want your power.”

Fran stared at Glackmar, who launched into a cavalcade of excuses.

“L-Lady Fran! Who will you trust: an ignorant boor, or a mage recognizing a kindred spirit, about to induct you into the mysteries of magic?”

“Phelms, of course. You people gross me out.”

“What…?! You little…! If we didn’t need you, you’d be…!”

Wow, this guy was thin-skinned! His robes could take more damage than his ego!

Anyway, let’s hand them to the authorities.

“Hm.”

Just as we decided what to do…

“Get her!”

A woman’s voice cut through the argument. The four mages moved in concert.

“Hrm.”

They took out their daggers and came at Fran.

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!” Judging from his surprise, Glackmar didn’t order the attack. The one pulling the strings had probably stayed in place to cast a spell while the other three came at us with knives. It was a poorly-thought-out strategy, with even worse execution. The mages were only good for their magic, and their skill with the dagger would make an amateur feel embarrassed.

“Hmph! Tsch! Ha!”

“Urk!”

“Agh!”

“Gah!”

Even Fran felt annoyed that she had to fight such weak opponents. She settled for disarming them by knocking the knives out of their hands. Granted, they probably felt like their hands were just routed by a steel rod, but the men should be thankful they got to keep their limbs.

“Haa!”

“Kyaaa!”

She sent the final spellcaster flying with a straightforward boot to the gut.

“Urgh…damn it!”

The mage’s hood came back, revealing her face.

“Hm? She looks familiar.”

She’s one of Seldio’s friends.

The female mage from Seldio’s party. I thought she would’ve fled Ulmutt by now, but she still doggedly pursued Fran.

“You little brat…!”

I didn’t know whether she was on drugs, too, but her eyes looked crazy. Like she was being chased by someone. She lurched up, holding her stomach, and shuffled towards Fran.

“Your sword…give me your sword…!” she said, clearly losing her reason.

“You’re after my sword?” Fran asked.

“Yes! How could a little Black Cat girl be so strong? By wielding that sword, that’s how! Once I have it, I can get out of here… My master will forgive me…if only I have that sword!”

Fran didn’t respond. As angry as she was, she couldn’t help but feel pity.

“Now…give that sword to me!”

Poor thing didn’t realize that yelling wasn’t going to help.

Wait, hang on. Fran?

Hm? What’s up?

Hand me over to her.

What?

I wanted to test something. Having heard my explanation, Fran agreed.

“This sword is cursed. Anyone unworthy will be killed upon equipping it. Are you sure you still want it?”

“Aha ha ha! What foolish lies! You should’ve come up with a better story if you were going to lie. If you don’t want to give me your sword, just say so!”

Fran had no reason to lie to someone she could finish off with her bare hands. Unfortunately, the woman’s madness meant she didn’t realize that. Fran handed me over, almost with a look of pity.

“All right. It’s yours.”

“You should’ve done that from the start! Come on! Give it here!”

Fran tossed me to the woman, sheath and all. She greedily picked me up.

“Heh heh heh heh. Now I can be strong too…”

I felt her try to take me, and something stirred inside of me. Something I hadn’t felt in a while.

“Aah…whaaaah…”

Immediately, the woman started groaning. Her eyes widened with fear, but I could only guess at what she saw.

“Hyaaaaaa…”

Her entire body convulsed as her groans turned to screaming. Her screams of agony bore notes of shock and pain, dreadful enough to traumatize anyone who heard them.

“Aaaaaaah—!”

With me still in hand, she let out a terrifying wail that sent shivers down the spines of passersby. They were granted a scene of terrible horror. They must’ve heard Fran’s warning, and assumed the curse was expressing its true nature. Civilian and adventurer alike looked upon the woman with pale faces. How many seconds had gone by?

“I-I’m sorry! Forgive—eeyyaah!”

Those were the woman’s last words before blood exploded out of her eyes, ears, and mouth. She keeled over on the street.

Thud.

“…”

The ensuing silence was deafening.

“Hm. Not worthy.”

Fran walked over to the woman’s corpse, cleaned my hilt, and picked me up. The consequent murmuring was so loud the crowd might as well have been shouting. I couldn’t blame them. A woman had just died a horrifying death in front of them. The gods were ruthless in dealing out their punishment. A thunderbolt for the ignorant and death for those who knew the nature of my curse. What did the gods show her in the last moments of her life? What did they do? I was plagued with a nasty aftertaste, although I hadn’t directly caused her death.

Which reminds me… Where are the other mages?

I’d totally forgotten about them. I looked around and saw that Phelms had apprehended them. The men looked shameful as he tied them up with his threads.

“Well, what shall we do with them?”

“What do you think?”

“I suggest handing them over to the Adventurers’ Guild.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. They are still an organization. The guild will not hold anything back to support a strong adventurer like yourself.”

I guess we should, if Phelms said so. I was going to drag the mages to their own guild and show them what would happen to them if they crossed us, but that would take too much time.

“Shall I take them to the guild for you?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“Very well. If you’ll excuse me.”

Phelms took the hired mages away, with Glackmar complaining all the while.

“Oh, wait a second.” Fran stopped Phelms before he could get very far.

“Was there anything else?” he asked.

“Hm. They just need one more lesson.”

The pathetic mages were finally taken away after Fran administered a punch to the solar plexus to each of them. We felt a little bad for asking for Dias’ and Elza’s help again, but upon hearing the story, they were ecstatic.

“Now we can finally get rid of those scummy mages for good! I’ll show them what happens when you pick a fight with the Adventurers’ Guild!”

Dias jumped with joy as one of his subordinates took the rogue mages away. Fran bowed her head to Phelms.

“Thanks, Phelms.”

“Not a problem. I had a similar experience in the past.”

“A mage guild tried to trick you into joining them?”

“No, just the unpleasant things that fame can bring.”

Phelms had won the fighting tournament when he was younger, and he was just as popular as Fran was now. Mage and mercenary guilds came to recruit him, not to mention the nobility and mafia. He had more than his fair share of coercions, and some organizations even compelled him to join through physical force.

“I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing.”

“How’d you deal with it?”

“I ran, for the most part. I wandered through the country so I wouldn’t be roped into any commitments.”

That might be the best way of handling it. Tracking Phelms down would’ve been difficult.

“But Dias was the one who saved me in the end.”

“Dias?”

“Yes. We were about the same age, and we got along well. He was already a Guildmaster, so he took me on as one of his advisors. It prevented other organizations from recruiting me.”

Even a clueless noble wouldn’t dare poach a Guildmaster’s confidante. At the very least, Phelms no longer had to dodge invitations by himself.

“You are definitely going to attract more unwanted attention, and some of these people might prove dangerous. You can demolish any criminal organization that messes with you, but doing so to a noble will only cause unrest.” Phelms pursed his lips.

“Speaking from experience?” Fran asked.

“Ha ha ha. You guessed it. An aristocrat from another kingdom pursued me once, and they were quite persistent about it.”

“Just because you refused to pledge allegiance to them?”

That sounded like an overreaction.

“Well, they were very arrogant and ill-mannered. Really, there were only fifty of them, including the lord of the house…”

“Did you kill them?” Fran asked, her eyes alert with expectation.

“Oh, no. I just sent them to the hospital.”

“Aww.”

“The only problem was that they still had blood ties to the royal family.”

“Only”?! I was amazed at how casual he was. The related kingdom had to be angry, if only to save face.

“So how’d you take care of it?”

“I just captured everyone they sent after me until I got an audience with their king. Granted, it was done under cover of night.”

Phelms threatened him, basically. Which sounded reckless, no matter how strong he was.

“I could only do that because his nation was very small and weak. Even his strongest subject was weaker than me. If I had offended a kingdom the size and strength of Granzell, I would have had no other option but to run.”

How small that kingdom must’ve been.

“Fran, do not hesitate to ask for help if you’re ever in trouble. You can ask the guild or Amanda herself. You’re friends with her, right?”

“Hm. But why Amanda?”

“You don’t know? Most of the orphans she took in and raised have come into their own as adventurers. I believe a genuine plea for help from Amanda could rouse a powerful enough fighting force to crush a small country.”

Amanda was a lot more connected than we thought!

“Amanda’s great.”

“Indeed she is, even without her personal abilities. They say the reason Raydoss leaves Granzell alone is because they do not wish to incur Amanda’s wrath.”

Amanda had been running the orphanage for decades. I didn’t know how she raised her orphans, but I could easily imagine most of them wanting to be adventurers. With her training, their mastery of the basics should be perfect. Most of them probably grew up to be established adventurers in their own right.

“Although I think you’ll be fine with the Beastman Nation watching your back.”

“The Beastman Nation?”

“Are you not under their employment?”

“No.”

“Forgive me. I thought you worked for them, since you watched the tournament together the other day… I see. The Beast King has taken an interest in you, then.”

“You think so?”

“Yes. The other nations will think twice about making a move on you after that. Judging by the response of my beastman acquaintances, you are quite popular among them. He must want to appeal to his people by getting along with you. At the very least, he is trying to align you with his kingdom.”

Asking a favor of Fran would inevitably lead her to reciprocating, which might end with her joining the Beastman Nation. Rigdith certainly put a lot of thought into gaining Fran’s favor. Not that I thought he himself was behind this. The idea was more likely to have come from Royce and Rosch. Our relationship with the beastman royals had been strictly transactional ever since the tournament, and we would take advantage of them where it seemed appropriate.

“Ah, sorry for keeping you so long. That’s enough chat from this old man. I must be going now.”

“Thanks again.”

“Come to my shop whenever you’re in Bulbola. I’m researching a new recipe that incorporates curry into my dishes.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“I hope you’ll like it,” Phelms said, bowing graciously before making his exit.

He was so cool and manly; so reliable. What a gentleman! Dias could learn a thing or two from him!

“You really have a knack for getting in trouble, Fran,” Dias said, as if reading my mind. “The way you stand out really makes you a magnet for it, so hang in there. However, the guild thanks you on this occasion.”

It’s not like we’re going out of our way to look for it.

“Ha ha ha, you’re right. But I must warn you. This is not the last time something like this will happen.”

“What should I do, then?”

“Well, like I said, you need to go to the Beastman Nation. May I suggest you make your journey sooner rather than later? You’ll at least be out of reach of the fools of this kingdom.”

We’d love to, but how are we supposed to get to another continent?

A ship sounded like our best option, but we probably needed entry permits.

“The guild has already authorized your immigration details. Your guild card will act as identification, since you have taken on a personal quest.”

Didn’t know the guild cards had such a convenient feature.

“There will be a manatech-assisted inspection at the borders, just show them your card and they’ll let you through.”

“Thanks.”

Now we just need to find a ship.

“Hmm, that will be difficult. Bulbola’s your best bet, but there aren’t any ferries that will get you there.”

How do folks get to the Beastman Nation, then?

“Normally, adventurers hire themselves out as bodyguards for merchant ships.”

Yeah, I figured.

Fran wasn’t well-suited for that job. In fact, she was at a disadvantage. Anyone might be excused for underestimating her based on her looks. Given the decision between a kid adventurer and a burly-looking old man, even I’d pick the latter. We only got to Bulbola because we knew Fult and Satya, and we only got there as part of Salut’s plot. How were we supposed to get on a merchant ship without any connections? …Wait, we did have connections.

We’ll ask the Lucille Trade Association.

“Aah, I see.”

We got acquainted with them after the Seedrun insurrection. They were bound to have some merchant ships chartered for the continent of Chrome.

“Getting hired as a bodyguard shouldn’t be a problem,” said Dias. “Merchants have the fastest information network in the world. I’m willing to bet that your name has already been circulated throughout Bulbola.”

“So I should be a bodyguard?”

“That’s the one job that’s always hiring. But really, you shouldn’t have to bother. You have a more direct connection, don’t you?”

“Hm?”

Ahh, yeah, I guess.

Fran was slow to realize, but I’d already put some thought into Dias’ idea: the Beast King himself. The approach was valid, but problematic.

First, I didn’t think we should keep asking the king for favors—we didn’t want to owe him too much. We also didn’t know when he would return to his kingdom. He was the king, after all, and therefore had international kingly duties to attend to. Even if his royal laziness compelled him to skip out on that, Royce was there to keep him in line. Finding our own boat might be faster than waiting on Rigdith, but Dias disagreed.

“Your first point is a foregone conclusion, isn’t it? You already owe the Beast King by asking to meet Kiara.”

You’re not wrong.

“And I don’t think you’ll have to worry about him being delayed.”

Why’s that?

“Those people travel light and fast, even when they come here. Sure, they had to ride in a carriage for the purposes of ceremony, but they move a lot more like adventurers otherwise—fast and stealthy.”

Then we could certainly travel a lot faster that way. In fact, Fran might have a hard time keeping up. But I thought of another problem: how to keep my identity a secret. These were beastmen with sharp instincts as well as top-ranked adventurers. They might find me out just by being near me.

“You’ll have to work on that one yourself,” said Dias.

True.

We didn’t know whether they would agree to take Fran, anyway. Asking for a ship was within reason, though, so we should probably start with that.

“We’ll ask the Beast King for help.”

Yeah. Only one way to find out.

“Tell His Majesty I said hello.”

“Hm.”

We left Dias and headed back to the Beast King’s accommodations. The sun was setting, but I wanted to get this conversation done. Although, knowing Rigdith’s impatience, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had already left. It was a little late for a meeting, and we couldn’t just sneak into the Beast King’s rooms, but our worries came to nothing. The front desk let us in as soon as Fran said her name. Rigdith still had her on the list.

“Hey, Fran. Back so soon? What’s up?”

The Beast King greeted us with a magnanimous wave of his royal hand. Although, coming from Rigdith, the gesture was far more casual than royal—like a sloppy middle-aged man. Despite it all, he managed to keep his regal aura.

“What do you need?”

“Hm. A boat to get to the Beastman Nation.”

“Oooh, about time! You should come along with us, then. Can’t think of a faster way!”

Well, that was easy. Even if he was travelling in secret, should the king really add outsiders to his party so readily? However, Royce immediately objected.

“Have you forgotten that you have business in the Granzellian capital, Lord Rig? We must meet the king and his family before we leave.”

“Ugh. Do I have to?”

“Of course you do.”

The king had his royal chores to attend to. We had plans to go to the capital, but there was still time before the auctions started. Visiting now was out of the question, unless His Majesty employed Fran as a bodyguard.

“Okay, but how are we gonna get the little lady back home?”

“We don’t need to accompany her, you know. She’s strong enough to beat Godo. I’m sure she can take care of herself,” Royce said, praising Fran. After all, her victory against Gaudartha was a matter of historical fact.

“Point taken.”

“I do believe,” said Royce, “she was looking for a boat to get there.”

“Oh. Were you?”

“I understand your excitement,” said Royce, “since she is close to the princess in age, but please be reasonable.”

“Princess?” Fran asked.

“Yeah. I have a fifteen-year-old daughter back home. I can’t help seeing a bit of her in you!”

No wonder the king was so nice. She was almost exactly the same age as his daughter.

“I think we should help her. Master will be pleased.”

“Right?”

“She will be useful,” Royce said. “I admit.”

We’re right here, Royce! Although, he probably said it knowing Fran would hear. He was asking her indirectly if she was ready to be used as a political tool. As one of the Beast King’s advisors, Royce couldn’t leave an evolved Black Cat alone. There was bound to be a reaction from the other beastmen. As someone tasked with running the country, Royce had to take Fran into account. Even so, he managed to tell her about the consequences of her visit, and that she should refrain from going if she wasn’t ready. The dashing bunny wasn’t just a handsome intellectual; he was considerate, too! I could imagine his suitors already!

“I’ll leave if I get sick of it,” said Fran.

“Ha ha ha!” Royce laughed. “I think I’m the only one who can catch this little lady if she decides to book it!”

“Very well,” said the Beast King. “We will not ask you to become one of our vassals. Let’s make this simply transactional. A show of goodwill between Fran and the Beast King should be more than enough for our people.”

That sounded reasonable. Fran didn’t need to lie either, since she genuinely liked the Beast King. They just needed to get along in public.

“Well then, this is for you,” said Royce.

“What’s this?”

He handed her a small golden plaque. It was carved with an intricate crest, making it difficult to counterfeit.

“Identification with Lord Rig’s name on it, and my own. With it, any vessel of the Beastman Nation will be glad to take you onboard. Our merchant ships should be making port at Bulbola at the moment. You can hitch a ride.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Just look for the flags that bear the same insignia.”

Things were going perfectly so far. Did Royce see through Fran, and devise this to make her owe them a favor? That was okay, I suppose.

In any case, we could leave for the Beastman Nation. Royce went on to say that there were plenty of merchant ships making the route—one ship every three days. The vessels bearing the royal crest answered directly to the royal family, so they should welcome Fran as an esteemed guest. The plaque was a lot more powerful than I thought.

“The merchants of the Beastman Nation should have your name and description memorized by now. Even without our identification, you would be more than welcome.”

All we needed was a ride, really. There was one other matter we wanted to discuss.

“Where is the Godsmith?” Fran asked.

“Hmm,” said Rigdith. “You’ll know when you get there.”

“I will inform our officials to give you the introduction letter. Not that the Godsmith will see you, even if you have it.”

“Just promise you’ll be our middleman if you happen to get along with that character,” said the Beast King.

The mythical Godsmith was rebellious enough to refuse the requests of a king?

“Hm. Sure.”

“Good luck. You’ll need it.”

“Master is currently staying at the royal palace,” said Royce. “The capital should be your first stop.”

Night had fallen by the time we finished our discussion. It had been a busy day, despite the end of the tournament. At least we could head for the Beastman Nation now. Was there anything else we had to do before we departed?

Right, we have to go see Garrus.

His friend said he should be back in time for the tournament, so maybe he was in Ulmutt already. Then again, he said he’d tell us…

Let’s go to the blacksmith and see.

“Hm!”

Maybe he didn’t want to bother us during the tournament. The sun had only just set, so I didn’t think Zeld would be asleep yet. We should probably get the blacksmith a little present, too.

There was a bar on the way to his shop, and I thought about getting the dwarf the strongest drink there. The bartender already knew about Fran, and readily agreed to sell her a bottle of the stuff. He even gave us a discount in exchange for a handshake. Alcohol in hand, we visited Zeld’s shop.

“Little lady! Congratulations on the medal!”

“Hm. Thanks.”

Zeld had been watching the tournament. He gladly accepted our gift, raving to Fran about its quality. She asked him about Garrus, but it turned out the old dwarf hadn’t returned. “The rest of the folks who went to Bulbola with him are here, though.”

“Garrus is still in Bulbola?”

“Apparently. There are some jobs that only he could do.”

“I see.”

“He said he’d be back before the tournament, so I wonder why he didn’t tell anyone about his change of plans. Weird…”

We should look for him in Bulbola before we went to the Beastman Nation. Who knew when we would see him again? Fran excused herself, but Zeld stopped her before she could leave.

“S-so about that sword…”

Zeld was looking at me now with the same interest he had shown in Fran’s Black Cat Set. I couldn’t blame him. I was frequently the subject of the commentator’s ramblings, after all. As an experienced blacksmith, Zeld knew an enchanted sword when he saw one.

“Uh, do you mind if I take a look?”

Teacher?

Just a little bit. But tell him not to equip me. It’s very dangerous.

“Okay, sure.”

“Thanks,” said Zeld.

“But you’ll die if you equip it, so be careful.”

“What?”

“It’s cursed. Anyone other than me will die if they equip it.”

Zeld stopped reaching for me, his curiosity overwhelmed by fear. No one in their right mind would want to equip a killing sword. You wouldn’t want to touch a poison apple, even if it only killed you if you ate it. He knew I was more than an average enchanted sword.

“C-can I touch it?”

“Touching’s fine.”

“R-right…”

He wasn’t about to back out. He made up his mind and gripped my hilt. Once he had his hand on me, his training as a blacksmith took over. He inspected my blade and guard.

“Hmm. I do feel powerful mana coming from it. Symmetrical blade, and this alloy…could it be…” Zeld muttered. “Do you mind if I ask you where this sword came from?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, who made it, which region are they from, stuff like that.”

Always the point of interest with blacksmiths. Too bad I didn’t know the answer. Should we just tell him that I woke up in the Demon Wolf’s Garden? Then again, I wasn’t sure if it was safe to do that.

“I don’t know.”

That was the safest answer.

“I see…I think this thing’s made of orichalcos…”

“Orichalcos? You’re sure?”

“No, I’m not. I’ve never seen this metal before. Hang on a sec,” Zeld said, rummaging through his shelves in the corner of his smithy. He eventually found the worn book he was looking for. “These are blacksmith orders from the previous tournaments.”

The great influx of merchants during the tournaments made finding the list easy.

“Not just any ordinary blacksmith. This guy was apparently an apprentice of the apprentice of a Godsmith. Now, in the list of materials the Godsmith used, there is something called orichalcos. I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s top-notch material that can withstand a Godsmith’s hammer.”

A legendary metal. Unfortunately, I didn’t think I was made of orichalcos. I kept breaking, almost at regular intervals. I did come with the new-and-improved self-repair feature, but I couldn’t imagine a legendary metal being so soft.

“But then,” said Zeld. “Orichalcos isn’t the only metal I’ve never seen before. Still, I feel there’s something strange about this sword. It’s top-shelf manatech, at the very least.”

Top-shelf manatech…! Thanks, Zeld! I mean, that was pretty good, right? I wasn’t a Godsword, but maybe a Godsmith cranked me out in his spare time?

No, probably not.

“Hm?”

“Nothing.”

We somehow talked Zeld out of his burning curiosity and returned to the inn. Fran still needed to eat and take a bath, but there was one last thing we needed to try.

All right, here I go.

“Hm.”

I used Create Clone to make several copies of myself. Usually, I made copies of my human self, but…

Yep, they’re swords.

“So many Teachers.”

Create Clone was now making copies of my sword self. Why? I tried the skill again, focusing on an image of my human self this time, and it worked. We had more options in battle now that I could reproduce both my sword and human forms.

However, my human form had changed slightly. There was something off about its physical proportions. It was still me, but it looked more like my hypothetical brother than myself. Was this the cost of being able to make sword copies? I didn’t mind—I had already decided to live out the rest of my life as a sword. And this form was definitely stronger!

How did I start making sword copies, though?

“Hm…”

Oh, I guess it was bedtime for Fran.

Whoops, sorry. Let’s wrap up for today.

“Hm…”

I think we’ve finished all our business in Ulmutt. We’ve said our goodbyes and prepared as much as we can.

“Hm. We can go to the Beastman Nation now…”

I wonder what kind of place it is.

“Zzz…”

Ha ha. Good night, Fran. You did good.

It was the morning of our departure, and we were in the dungeon to say our goodbyes to Lumina.

“You’re finally leaving, then. I must say I can’t wait to see what happens.”

“Hm…”

“Come now,” she said. “You shouldn’t look like that on the day of your departure. The surface is sunny today, is it not?”

While this wouldn’t be our final goodbye, it still made me misty-eyed. Lumina was special to Fran.

“I must thank you again for telling me where Kiara is,” said the Dungeon Master.

“Thanks for helping me evolve, too.”

Yeah. If anything, we owe you for expending your powers like that.

“Then I suppose we can call it even.”

Lumina laughed, but it didn’t help to lighten Fran’s mood.

“This will not be our final farewell. In fact, I would be less worried if you went off with a smile.”

“Hm…”

“Oh, what am I to do with you?”

Lumina got up and pulled her into an embrace. It was a warm and gentle hug, to which Fran responded by burying her face in Lumina’s shoulder and squeezing her arms. She didn’t know when we would see her again. Lumina patted her back and Fran finally pulled away. Her face was red with embarrassment.

“Sorry,” Fran said.

“Ha ha ha. You can still be adorable, I see. Come visit me if you ever feel lonely. I’ll hug you all you want.”

“Hm.”

There was no more doubt in Fran’s eyes. Comforting her was supposed to be my role, but even I couldn’t replace the maternal love Lumina had for her. I felt a mixture of frustration and admiration.

“I’ll be going now,” Fran said.

“Be safe.”

Lumina smiled as we left the dungeon. Before Fran teleported away, she whispered in a low voice:

“Bye-bye.”

A farewell she didn’t mean for anyone to hear.

We’ll come back.

“Hm.”

Let’s show her how much you’ve grown by then.

“Hm!”

An hour went by, and a mass of people had gathered at the city gate.

“Oh, Frannie! You’ll come again, won’t you? You’re always welcome!”

Elza came up first. She put her arms around her, crying her eyes out. Watch the snot now, Fran! The big adventurer almost suffocated her with her pecs, but Fran didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she was patting her on the back to comfort her.

“Sniff…thank you, Frannie.”

“Hm.”

“Here. A farewell gift just for you. Take it.” Elza handed her a basket. Inside it were ten bottles of liquid.

“Potions?”

“These are my specially formulated skincare lotions. Use them before going to bed and you’ll wake up with fresh and supple skin. You’re really strong and cool, but that doesn’t mean that you can skip out on being cute and girly.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself, Elza. Fran was made of excellent stuff, but I, her crude guardian, didn’t have a clue about fashion and makeup. We’d put her gift to good use starting tonight.

“I’m supposed to put it on my skin?”

“Yes, take a little bit into your hands and massage it into your skin.”

“Why?”

“You don’t have to understand. You’ll know when you grow up and fall in love.”

“Uh. Sure?” Fran nodded, still befuddled.

Okay, but hold up a moment, Elza. Fall in love? Fran? She was still twelve! It was too soon for her to fall in love! What if she became more beautiful because of that lotion? Hyenas would come circling! What if Fran fell for one of the better-looking ones? I supposed I could cut him down if he turned out to be nothing but a good-looking scumbag. But what if he was actually bright and cheerful? What would I do? What if he was reliable enough for Fran?

No. Looks and personality wouldn’t be enough to protect her. He would have to be strong enough to defeat Fran and me together. He needed to be financially strong enough to take care of her, and faithful enough to be with her all his life. If he couldn’t fulfill all of Fran’s selfish desires, I would not allow it!

“F-Frannie? Your sword’s rattling on your back…is it okay? That thing’s cursed, right?”

Teacher?

Oh no. I’d almost lost control there. I was about to Telekinesis myself out of my sheath.

It’s nothing. Just thank Elza for her present.

Well, no need to think about it so much now. Courtship was still in the distant future and might never come to pass. I was thankful for the lotions, though. Making Fran cuter was always a good thing.

“Hm. It’s fine. Thanks.”

“Come back if you ever run out. I’ll cook up a fresh batch.”

Now it was Dias and Aurel’s turn.

“What an excellent day for an adventure.”

“All the best to you, young lady.”

They bowed their heads, asking Fran to send Kiara their regards. I expected a letter, but they hadn’t prepared one.

“We remember it like it was yesterday, but we can’t say the same for her. She’s probably forgotten about us,” they said in a matter-of-fact tone, but not without sadness.

That was why they skipped on writing a letter. To Kiara, Dias and Aurel were probably acquaintances she met while she was young. They didn’t know whether she would remember.

“Just mention us in passing. Tell her these old adventurers in Ulmutt said they knew her and got nostalgic for the past.”

“More importantly, tell us how she’s doing.”

“Hm. Got it.”

Amanda came to hug Fran next. Forlund, Phelms, and Colbert stood behind her.

“Frannie, I can’t believe we have to say goodbye again! It’s too soon!”

She was crying, too. Amanda’s beautiful face was ruined with tears and snot just like Elza’s, but thanks to Elza’s Aesthetics skill, she was…hm. Let’s stop that train of thought here. Elza was a special case.

“Farewell.”

Forlund wasn’t a man of words. I always thought he was a little like Fran. That said, I didn’t think he’d come to send her off.

“Come on, boss, you can do better than that,” Colbert sighed jokingly.

“Don’t mind him, Fran. Forlund’s always like this. He doesn’t mean anything bad by it.”

“It’s fine.”

“Ha ha ha. Yeah, you two are alike, after all. The boss likes strong adventurers. This is his way of acknowledging you.”

“Yes,” Forlund said.

“Hm.”

“Until next time.”

“Sure.”

“Oh gods, there’s two of them now…” Colbert whispered with mock horror.

A conversation between Fran and Forlund would be scarier than a ghost story. But they connected well enough, for some odd reason.

“Will you head to Bulbola, Fran?”

“Hm.”

When she agreed, Phelms gave her a ticket with “Dragonhead” written on it. “For you. A meal ticket. Do come visit us.”

“Thanks.”

That was nice of him. Fran had found the Dragonhead to be particularly delicious the last time we were in town.

“I’m gonna go back to training,” Fran told Amanda. “I won’t lose next time.”

“Good.” Amanda finally let go of her. “I’m going to the Beast Nation, too,” she said.

I think she’d said something similar when we parted ways in Alessa. But going to a different continent was not in the cards for her.

“No.”

“You may not.”

“Not happening.”

The other adventurers present immediately shot her down. Amanda begged and pleaded with them, but she was already needed in Alessa. Forlund and the rest had to drag her away.

“See you again soon, Frannie!” Amanda was Amanda, even to the end.

Now it was the Beastmen’s turn.

“Make friends with my daughter if you happen to run into her, won’t you?” said Rigdith. “She’s a bit of a tomboy, but she’s a good girl, really.”

We didn’t mind…but she had to be one hell of a tomboy if Rigdith was describing her that way. Royce, Gaudartha, and Rosch took turns to say their goodbyes. Finally, the Blue Cat Zehmet stuck his hand out.

“I caused you a lot of trouble.”

“Hm.”

“I will serve the Beast King and train under him. I’ll fight your evolved form the next time we meet.”

Zehmet still had a way to go, but Rigdith might just be able to bring his potential to reality.

“Both me and the Blue Cats have a lot of learning to do. I’ll work with the Beast King to change things,” Zehmet said with a look of slight reservation.

He still remembered his dead friends. They were bad people, but his sensitivities prevented him from forgetting them.

“I’m counting on it,” she said.

“We’ll make it happen.”

Zehmet was an influential Blue Cat. If he could get his tribe to fall in line, we would certainly see fewer slavers. Fran gripped his hand and shook it.

“I’ll be going now,” she said.

“We’ll meet again.”

“Hm.” She let go of his hand and hopped onto Jet. “Jet.”

“Woof!”

She waved goodbye to everyone. “See you.”

“Bye, Frannie!”

“I’ll see you soon, Fran!”

Elza and Amanda shouted as Jet kicked off into the distance. With the blessings of everyone present, we departed from Ulmutt.