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Nozomanu Fushi no Boukensha (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 1




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Chapter 1: Off to Adventure 

I never knew one woman could own so many books. 

I had seen the extent of the Latuule family’s wealth many times, but I was impressed yet again when I saw their collection of tomes. Lorraine owned tons of books too, but her library paled in comparison to the scale of this one. She also focused on her fields of study, whereas the Latuule family appeared to have works from all genres. 

“It took years to build up this collection. Given enough time, it’s not especially hard, actually,” Laura said. 

Isaac searched for anything about divinity that might help me, leaving Laura and me with our hands free. I watched the butler comb through the bookshelves and climb ladders until I began to feel guilty. It was for my sake he foraged this library. I should have helped him, but I had no clue what books were where. 

Isaac seemed to have the layout committed to memory, judging by the decisive way he explored the halls. It wasn’t too much trouble for him; the massive collection only meant it would take some time. 

He piled up more books than I could count on the table. I questioned whether they were all necessary. Not that I hated reading, but I was in many ways a normal adventurer. I could read to an extent, including somewhat complicated texts, but technical books were sometimes difficult. I would have to rely on Lorraine for this. 

“Books never go down in price, do they? I doubt I could ever buy this many.” 

“Really, Rentt? I’ve heard word about your recent accomplishments. Even putting my request aside, I heard you made plenty of money selling Tarasque parts.” 

It was true my sources of income had grown plentiful. I managed to sell my Tarasque parts the other day, and while Laura’s Dragon Blood Blossom request wasn’t the reason for my visit, I decided I had to at least make one delivery before my trip. I’d brought some along with me and had received the reward for them earlier. 

Nive’s presence in town compelled me to leave Maalt as soon as I could, but long journeys required preparation. I expected it to take around a week, so I planned to stop by the Swamp of Tarasque again and come back to make one more delivery. My previous venture gave me some grasp on the terrain, and I could safely enter poisonous swamps anyway. I could reach the Dragon Blood Blossoms far faster than before, so harvesting some while my preparations were underway would be more than possible. 

Also, between Orcs and other monsters, I was able to collect more types of dungeon materials than ever before too. It was more than enough to live on. 

But books were still inaccessible. Of course, I could afford a few books, but nothing compared to the number on display here. It would cost thousands of platinum coins, if not tens of thousands. When it came to prices that large, they were better thought of in terms of mithril coins. But I had never seen one of those. They were exclusively traded by governments and large businesses; civilians would never lay eyes on them. I imagined Laura possessed an awe-inspiring amount though. 

All that aside, I had to wonder about something. 

“Word travels fast, apparently. I just sold my Tarasque parts recently.” 

Laura smiled. “Everything that happens in Maalt reaches the Latuule family’s ears.” 

Her response was a bit frightening to consider. I didn’t know how true it was, but her family did have great influence over Maalt’s operations. Maybe it wasn’t that surprising they knew about even the smallest exchanges between a man and a business. 

Isaac interjected, “I believe this should do it.” He finished his run through the library and stood next to a pile of tomes. Rather than stacking them all in one place, he had divided them into three categories. 

Isaac gestured toward one of the stacks. “These are about the application of divinity, such as holy magic, divine magic, or holy swordsmanship. I would suggest starting with these.” 

The categories of divinity must have included divine and holy magic. Holy swordsmanship was the use of holy equipment as a catalyst for utilizing divinity, I assumed. I didn’t know much on the subject though. When it came to divinity, I had only the barest details. Even if I wanted that knowledge, most of it was hidden from the public. The only option I had was to learn for myself. 

Isaac pointed to the second stack and continued. “These texts are about divine spirits, the source of divinity. I’m sure you know how they say there are too many divine spirits to count, so these aren’t comprehensive. However, they not only feature descriptions of divine spirits but also numerous records of how they came to be, so deciphering it all may take a fair bit of time and knowledge. I recommend you take it slow with these.” 

Many complex questions surrounded divine spirits. Most of the world’s plethora of religions worshiped different deities. Even those with the same gods had different legends. There was a long history of wars between faiths that led to the demise of religions and the gods they revered on more than a few occasions. Proper research on that topic would require a vast amount of education. 

I had no such education, so I would have to depend on Lorraine. I hated to ask so much of her, but she loved research anyway. The chance to read some new books would probably make her happy. But I knew I should be thankful. I appreciated all she did for me physically and mentally. 

“These final texts are about your next destination, the village of Hathara. They contain folklore from around those parts. There aren’t many books on the subject, but I believe they may be of some use.” 

The last stack Isaac mentioned was smaller than the other two. It wasn’t much of a stack at all, really; there were only two books. Even so, I was shocked to learn any texts about their local folktales even existed. Every town had some folklore, but there was seldom someone peculiar enough to try and assemble it all in written form. It would have made more sense if there were no books of the sort. And yet there were two of them. 

I flipped through the pages of both books. One was a picture book, while the other was writings on folklore from all around Maalt, not just Hathara. Now I understood why these existed. Even the picture book depicted famous stories from Maalt and the surrounding area. In my youth, I heard some of these stories from the village elder. They invoked a sense of nostalgia. 

“This is plenty. I’m sure these will help me find some sort of clue. Reading them all looks like it’ll take a while, but I have a friend who’ll enjoy that.” 

“By which you mean Lorraine?” Laura asked. 

She acted like there was no reason she wouldn’t know that. It was somewhat startling, but it was something I had to accept. 

“Yes. Right. This heap of books should delight her.” 

The library was full of titles I’d never seen before. The shelves at either end of the room had books you could pick up at any bookstore in Maalt, but those were only a fraction of them. The other shelves were packed with books I had never seen at a bookstore, or even at Lorraine’s house. If Lorraine were here, she would most likely treat it like a treasure trove. That’s all I could imagine when I commented on her. 

“In that case, you’re free to come here with Lorraine next time. I haven’t used this room much as of late. I’m sure the books would love for someone to come read them,” Laura replied. 

“You wouldn’t mind? Lorraine could spend the whole day here. She might even refuse to leave.” 

Lorraine had some common sense and knew her manners, but when she saw a book that interested her, it could cause some screws to come loose. However, if she found out I said that, she might throw a fit and insist she’s not that bad. 

My warning didn’t faze Laura. “That’s okay. She can come and go as she pleases. I’ve been wanting a friend who I can chat with over tea,” she said. 

A friend? I wondered if Laura might be lonely. It was a rude thought to have about a client, but the head of such an illustrious family might have trouble finding companionship. I found it easy to imagine. But perhaps it was only an excuse. Maybe she only said it to be considerate. 

“Then I’ll tell Lorraine about it next time I see her. But just in case, I’ll ask again. Are you absolutely sure?” I wanted one last confirmation. 

Laura nodded. “Yes, absolutely,” she answered with amusement. 

 

I left the Latuule house, joined Lorraine at her home, and went with her to the orphanage. 

“By the way, Laura Latuule says I can bring you with me next time,” I informed Lorraine on the way there. 

She looked stunned. “Really? Everything you’ve told me about her made me think she’s a powerful but reclusive woman.” 

Lorraine knew nearly everything there was to know about the families that ran this city, but the Latuule family seemed to be the sole gap in her knowledge. Their history, temperament, and ideas could only be judged by hearsay from what I told her. 

I did try to investigate them myself, but I learned nothing. Maybe the Latuule family was powerful enough to conceal the facts, or maybe there was little to investigate to begin with. The latter seemed unlikely, though, after seeing their house, its owner, and Isaac. 

The more I thought about it, the odder the family came across. But I found them awfully kind. Was that not enough? No? Of course it wasn’t. But I didn’t feel cautious around them. My experience thus far had been favorable deals, delightful gifts, and even assistance finding information for my own personal affairs. They were nothing but good to me. 

I sometimes wondered if they had an ulterior motive. They must have, to be honest. I was doing the best I could, but I was still a lowly Bronze-class adventurer. My monstrous abilities and power over mana, spirit, and divinity all at once made me a rare specimen, but in terms of pure strength, I would barely pass for a Silver-class, at best. There was no shortage of adventurers like me out there. This family didn’t need to waste its time with me. 

My only guess was they had the same goal as Nive and wanted to capture a Vampire. But in that case, they could have already done that. While I had never witnessed Isaac’s power myself, a human who could tackle the Swamp of Tarasque by himself had to be talented. If we ever fought, I had to assume I would lose. And knowing the size of the Latuule family’s fortune, Isaac couldn’t be the only one fighting for them. They could imprison me with little trouble. 

I also considered that they might have had some motive for letting me act freely under their watch, but what could it be? They had nothing to gain. I was unique, but all I did was go to dungeons, hunt monsters, and make deliveries. Sometimes I roamed around night after night. If even I could accomplish their goal, it had to be faster for them to do it themselves. 

Therefore, I didn’t think they had a secret motive. 

Probably not, at least. 

In which case Laura chose to be kind to me because it was hard to find anyone who could go to the Swamp of Tarasque, like she said. It was a simple, understandable, ordinary objective. Her generosity didn’t seem to be fueled by any perception that I was that valuable, either. She was a wonderful person. 

Yeah. 

“I wouldn’t say she’s reclusive so much as she lives a quiet life. She doesn’t draw attention to herself, but it doesn’t seem to me that she’s hiding away,” I replied to Lorraine. 

She looked conflicted. “Then why can I hardly find anything when I try to research her?” 

“Hardly? As in you found more than nothing?” 

“Yes. I found her family name in some old notes for city council meetings. It looks like her family’s actually involved in running the city. But they haven’t done much of anything recently. And by recently, I mean in the last century.” 

“That’s some impressive research.” 

The council meetings were led by the local lord and involved many of Maalt’s influential families in deciding how the city should be run. The meeting notes wouldn’t be shown to a civilian. But somehow, Lorraine had managed to read them. 

“I got some help. They asked me to pay them back by making a little medicine, but that’s not a big deal.” 

It was an exchange, in other words. The medicine Lorraine made with alchemy was highly effective. She must have been asked for help from an acquaintance who knew as much. 

Lorraine possessed plenty of skill, but she only sold the most common goods to Maalt’s drug stores and adventurer’s guilds. The sole way to acquire special medicine from her was to negotiate, but she put her research first. Lorraine often turned down requests; it was only at times like these she would accept them. 

“Your craft can certainly come in handy sometimes. I should have studied alchemy.” Then maybe back when I was an ordinary Bronze-class adventurer, I wouldn’t have been so poor. It made sense in the moment, but Lorraine shook her head. 

“I’m sure you could learn alchemy now, but you certainly didn’t have enough mana for it before. I doubt it would’ve been possible,” she declared. 

Well, I was more than aware of that at the time. That was why I never learned it, despite knowing a master alchemist. 

Alchemy wasn’t impossible without mana, but if you wanted to profit off of it, you needed a certain amount. You could use mana stones to supplement your mana each time, but the cost and time investment would get increasingly steep. If it came to that, hunting monsters and making deliveries was more efficient. 

“So, why’s Laura inviting me anyway?” 

Lorraine got back on topic, so I answered her. “Well, last time I visited the Latuule house, I told them I was off to investigate the source of my divinity, some divine spirit that had blessed me. They lent me some documents to help out.” 

“Oh really? As in books? That’s outside my field of study, so I wouldn’t have too much on that subject.” 

Lorraine did have some relevant research, but only what was commonly available. She had nothing that revealed the Church’s secrets. The books I borrowed from Laura, however, appeared at a glance to feature loads of information not meant for the public. I had to wonder why she had those. It was a mystery, but there was no use thinking about it. 

At any rate, I told Lorraine more. “Yes, books. And they kept them in an incredible library. It was an enormous room with bookshelves from wall to wall. Even the walls were bookshelves stuffed with tomes from ceiling to floor. All their books looked valuable.” 

Lorraine’s face brightened. “What?! Is that what she’s inviting me for?!” 

“Right. I told her I’m friends with a bookworm that I’d love to show the place, then Laura said she knew I was talking about you and you’re free to come any time.” 

“Nice work, Rentt. I’m happy enough to lick your boots if you ask now.” 

She didn’t look like she was joking, so I thought it was best to decline. 

Then Lorraine calmed down and spoke again. “So you only mentioned me as your friend, but she knew you meant me? When you think about it, that’s kind of frightening. You never told her about me, did you?” 

“I didn’t, no.” 

This was peculiar, but it indicated Laura had considerable skill at gathering information. This family’s interest in me remained bizarre, however. Maybe Lorraine thought so too. 

“Well, if they’re letting me borrow books, then I’m sure they’re a wonderful family. But relaxing too much around them sounds like a bad idea,” she said. 

But Lorraine still decided to go visit the Latuule house. The promise of books had her captivated. 

 

Lorraine and I stood outside the door to the orphanage and faced each other. We were deciding who should knock. 

“Go ahead,” I suggested. 

“No, you can do it,” Lorraine responded. 

We glared at each other for a while, but I was stubborn enough that Lorraine gave in. “Fine, then.” She touched the knocker and tapped it on the door. As expected, there was a loud snap as the knocker broke off the door. 

“I knew it. That’s why I didn’t want to.” 

Lorraine sighed and looked at me, but I had already taken out a powerful slime adhesive. 

“Nice to see you were prepared,” Lorraine muttered and reached out for the adhesive, but we were in for a surprise that day. 

“Hello? Who is it?” 

Before we could paste the knocker back on, someone opened the door a crack. I couldn’t see that ending well, but it was already too late. The face of a small girl peered through the opening and eyed our faces, then our hands. Then she saw the knocker Lorraine was holding and opened her eyes wide. 

“Wait, no! Hold on a second. You see, this was, well, it was already broken!” 

Lorraine made excuses, but the girl was calm. “Everyone says how we need to fix that thing. It startled you when it came off, didn’t it? I’m sorry.” 

That was surprising to hear. 

“It needed to be fixed? So it really was already broken?” 

“It was. But a little adhesive is enough for it to stick on, so we left it like that.” 

That meant that whenever it came off, they did the same thing we were doing. 

Lorraine slumped her shoulders. “You should’ve said so sooner,” she grumbled. 

 

“Once upon a time, there was a man.” 

The orphan girl guided us to a chapel inside the orphanage. When we got there, Alize opened a book and read a story loud and clear for the little children. It was a well-known tale. 

“‘The Westbound Traveler?’ So they tell that story in Yaaran too, then,” Lorraine whispered, mentioning the title of the story. 

It was a famous fairy tale in Yaaran, known by children and adults alike. The premise was simple: a traveler heads west and meets a variety of people, solving their assorted problems. The reason why he was heading west was unknown. That problem was exacerbated by how each family had its own version of the story. Depending on who was telling the story, the reason for his journey differed. Sometimes the changes expressed the family’s traditions and contained some interesting elements. Most of the time, the traveler was off to see his girlfriend or wife. Similar versions had him on a journey to meet with his siblings, parents, or other family members. 

I was curious about what version Lorraine heard growing up. “Lorraine, why was the traveler heading west where you’re from?” 

“Me? For me, he wanted to meet the All-Knowing Sage. One day, the traveler realized he knew nothing, so he headed west. That’s where a sage with the answers to all the world’s questions lived, according to the story I heard.” 

It was a predictable answer coming from Lorraine. Maybe that story was why she grew up to be this way. 

The look on my face must have told her what I was thinking. She asked me the same question. “Well, what about you? Why was the traveler heading west in your version?” 

“Oh, it might’ve been a bit odd where I’m from.” 

“What’s that mean?” Lorraine looked curious. 

“Nothing. The traveler had no goal. If anything, he went west in search of one. He thought there could be something there.” 

Lorraine was at a loss for words. After a while, she nodded and said, “That might be interesting in itself. It’s the answer I’d expect from an adventurer. I see, that’s the kind of story a man like you could be raised on. Makes sense.” 

Her reply was reasonable. Stories alone wouldn’t determine anyone’s course in life, but I supposed they occupied some part of your mind. That was why you could see a hint of them in one’s personality. 

“How do you think Alize is going to tell it?” I whispered. The traveler’s objective is what I meant. 

Lorraine considered the question. “Well, Alize is a girl. The traveler will probably be looking for a girlfriend. You know how it is.” 

And in order to do that, he would have to overcome trials over the course of a journey. The traveler was male in most tellings, but some bolder types also changed that element. Therefore, stories where the traveler wanted to see their significant other could play out either as a male traveler struggling for the sake of his girlfriend, or a female traveler doing the same for her boyfriend. They were both common archetypes popular with young girls. Boys, however, didn’t take well to these versions. Love seemed to be foreign to them at that age. In that regard, girls were more mature. You could see the difference in how boys and girls grew up through these tales. 

“Alize doesn’t seem like she’d be obsessed with love, though,” I reflected. 

“You think so?” 

“She takes things as they come, sort of. It’s like she tries to act older than she is.” 

My evaluation convinced Lorraine. “Oh, I see what you mean. When you have to toil at a young age, it tends to make you a realist. You’re saying Alize is that way?” 

“Right, yeah.” I didn’t know how to put it in words, so Lorraine’s eloquent description impressed me. I nodded in agreement. 

But Lorraine was hesitant to concede. “That may be all the more reason for her to wait for a knight in shining armor, though,” she said. 

I couldn’t say she was wrong. But there was only one way to tell. 

“We’ll find out from her story. Let’s have a seat and listen for a bit.” 

We tiptoed into the chapel and sat near the wall. Lorraine and I both had ample experience as adventurers, so avoiding the attention of orphan children was simple enough to do in our sleep. Alize didn’t notice us at all as she continued to read. 

“The man’s life continued as such until he had an idea: he could go on a journey to the west.” She was still at the start of the story. 

Alize paused for a breath. 

“Why’d he want to do that?” a young boy chimed in. Maybe he had heard other versions, or maybe it was simple curiosity. 

This question would determine the course of the tale. 

Alize answered the boy’s query. “He was a chef. So he went west in search of new ingredients and recipes. The lands in the west had a very advanced culture, you see.” 

He was more driven by gluttony than lust. It was somewhat disappointing, but my expectations seemed to be spot on. Her realism caused her to pick food over love. 

“I guess I lose this one. Not that it was a competition,” Lorraine remarked, but she looked irked. I, on the other hand, gave her a victorious smirk. Lorraine ground her teeth. 

Ignorant to our presence, Alize went on. 

 

The man’s route was not without its difficulties. Many hardships befell him. 

On his way to the west, something stood in the middle of the path. Struck with curiosity, the man drew near. What he found surprised him. It was a red-eyed monster. 

The monster spoke. “If you wish to pass, you must leave behind that which you hold most dear.” 

The man was disturbed, but he took out a kitchen knife and handed it over. 

“What is this?” 

“I’m a chef. Cooking requires a kitchen knife. That being the case, nothing is more important to me than this.” 

The monster was confounded. “I have no reason to accept this. Take it back. You may pass.” 

The man nodded and hurried onward. 

 

“A kitchen knife? Well, I get it. You can’t cook without one.” 

I nodded, but Lorraine wasn’t so sure. “If you tear up some vegetables with your hands and toss them in a stir fry, they’ll turn out just fine. The traveler was smart about how he got through that.” She pointed out his surprising amount of cunning. 

I had to admit she was right. But now the monster’s brain seemed a little lacking. It was a fairy tale, so maybe I was overthinking it. 

Alize continued. 

 

The man continued on his way until he reached the end of the road. The lands beyond appeared to be an endless wasteland. There were monsters in that treacherous region, so it was no place for humans to go. The man recalled that before his journey, the villager who taught him about the road had said as much. But the man had a goal. He had to go west to find new ingredients and recipes. There was no other way. 

Determined, the man set forth. He proceeded through the badlands so long he lost track of the time. Eventually, he came across something. What was it? Intrigued, the man approached and found something quite out of place. It was a woman clad in white. 

The woman spoke to the man. “If you turn back now, you can still make it home. Head straight in that direction if you wish to go back where you came from. But if you keep going forward, you may lose your life.” 

He didn’t know how the woman would know that. But the man had a goal. He had to go west to find new ingredients and recipes. No threat to his life could put an end to his journey. 

The man responded to the woman. “I’ll be heading west regardless. I’m set on it,” he declared. 

The woman was disappointed. “Why? Nothing should be more important than your life. What are you going west for?” 

“The west will have new ingredients and recipes. I’m a chef. I want to make people happy. It’s something I’m willing to risk my life for.” 

The woman thought for a moment, then waved her hand. A kitchen and ingredients materialized in the empty wasteland. She looked to the startled man with a vague smile. “If you truly mean that, then treat me to your cooking. Prove yourself if you wish to pass.” 

The man had no idea why the woman made this demand. But as a chef, he couldn’t turn down a request for food. Besides, his journey had gone on so long he hadn’t touched a kitchen in ages. The man was happy to start cooking. 

Later, after a table appeared from nowhere in front of the woman, he set an abundance of dishes upon it. “Bon appétit.” 

The woman nodded at the man’s salutation and started to eat. She only nibbled the food at first, but she devoured it faster and faster until every dish was licked clean. 

Satisfied, the woman addressed the man. “So you are indeed a chef. If you make it to the west, I’m sure you’ll learn to cook even more scrumptious dishes. Allow me to grant you my blessing.” 

When she waved her arm, the man sparkled. His body felt lighter. Now he thought he could make it west with ease. 

The woman continued. “I shall attend you,” she said and closed her eyes. The next thing the man knew, she had split into four women. The first had a smile that was dark. The second had a smile that was serene. The third was a young girl, and her smile befitted her age. The fourth had a smile that oozed allure. 

The women spoke in unison. “This girl will go with you. We pray your journey is a success.” With that, the three older women left the youngest of them and disappeared to parts unknown. 

The girl bowed and said, “Nice to meet you.” 

The man did likewise. Then the odd pair’s journey began. 

 

“Have you ever wondered where the other three women went?” I asked Lorraine. 

For every version of the traveler, this part of the story stayed the same. But the other women never showed up after this segment. I always found it strange. 

Lorraine offered her opinion. “Fairy tales feature a lot of metaphors. The woman probably wanted to help the man out of good faith, right? This is supposed to express that or something. The other three women likely display other elements of human nature. One of them seems like she’d be full of bad faith, don’t you think? Even those with the best intentions have darkness in their hearts. But ‘The Westbound Traveler’ has many interpretations. I’m not an expert, so pick up a book on the subject if you’re interested.” She considered the question to an extent, but threw in the towel in the end. 

I thought her take on it was somewhat eccentric, but I could see what she meant. 

Alize kept reading. 

The traveler went on to meet with and speak to a number of people, solve riddles, and overcome trials until he reached the west. He obtained the ingredients and recipes he sought, used his talent to turn those recipes into something even greater, and became famous over time. Many chefs gathered around the man. Crowned as king for his accomplishments, the man acquired territory and founded his own country. Known as the King of Chefs, he lived happily ever after. 

“The end,” Alize said as she closed the book. 

It sounded like she was done. But something seemed off. 

“Is that it?” I asked. 

Lorraine answered. “Yeah. ‘The Westbound Traveler’ always ends when he founds a country. Some parts can vary, but not the conclusion.” 

“I see.” I nodded but remained confused. The story I heard as a child continued until the country fell to ruin. 

If a chef was the traveler, for example, once he mastered cooking, the man called chefs from around the world to create a nation built on cooking. This drew the ire of other countries. Their jealousy at the cooking talent in the man’s country inspired them to attack and take it for themselves. 

The man did not wish to fight, but he had no choice. In the end, the man’s country was devastated, and the other countries were fatigued as well. The man’s dream of making everyone happy through cooking had ended in failure. Left in despair, he departed from the country and disappeared to an unknown land. 

The man’s power had built that country. Now that he was gone, a struggle for control of the nation made them wearier and wearier, until they were engulfed in the waves of history. Over time, even the country’s name was forgotten. That was how the story would end. 

“Did my parents make all that up?” It was a tragic way to end the story, but a more realistic one, I supposed. Still, something bothered me. 

“Say something?” Lorraine asked. 

“No, nothing. Anyway, let’s go talk to Alize.” 

We stood up and walked toward her. 

 

“You’re both here? Need something today?” Alize asked as she looked at us. 

“Yes, something,” I responded. 

“What, is it complicated?” 

“I wouldn’t say that, but we’ll be out of town on business for a while. I wanted to tell you the lectures will be on hold for the time being,” I informed her. 

Alize looked shocked. “How long is a while? A year? Two?” she asked. 

We had no intention of being away that long, so Lorraine shook her head and responded. “No, no, about two weeks. We’ll be back to teach plenty more before long.” 

Alize was relieved. “Thank goodness. I was so convinced you were going away forever. If that’s all, then that’s perfectly fine,” she said. 

Not that I wanted to leave town for such a long time, but I wondered why she thought I would. I couldn’t help but ask. “Why would we go away forever?” 

“Because you’re trying to become a Mithril-class adventurer, aren’t you? Then going to the capital would help you achieve that much faster. And Professor Lorraine is an incredible mage, not to mention an excellent scholar. I worry you’d be better off in the big city than out here in the middle of nowhere.” 

That was understandable. I had thought about moving at some point. But that was a long way off. 

In any case, Alize’s impression of me didn’t seem to match her thoughts on Lorraine. I was only attempting to achieve something in her eyes, while Lorraine was already accomplished. Well, she wasn’t wrong. 


Lorraine laughed at Alize’s concerns. “I’m not that great of a scholar. I do think my magic is decent enough, but it’s not that special either. Same goes for Rentt. He wants to reach Mithril-class, yes, but is he good enough to get by in the capital? Not quite, as far as I’m concerned. We’ll teach you the basics of being a mage and an adventurer before we leave for good,” she declared. 

That was the plan. The basics wouldn’t take long to learn, so we had every intention of taking our time. A year might have been too long, but if we left for a few months and occasionally returned to teach her bit by bit, that would be fine. In that sense, Alize had no need to worry. 

She nodded to Lorraine. “That’s good. If you both went away, I don’t think I could ever become an adventurer,” she asserted. 

“Really? Well, even if that doesn’t work out, I imagine you could be a storyteller or a bard. Judging by that reading you just did, at least,” Lorraine joked. 

Only then did Alize realize we were there for the story. She blushed. “You heard that? How embarrassing.” 

I consoled her. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Making the traveler a chef is an interesting choice, though. Are you obsessed with food?” 

“Rentt! I most certainly am not, but if there were a nation of cooking, I might like to visit,” she said with a smile. 

A nation of cooking? No such place existed, of course. It was all conceived from Alize’s imagination. But a land where you could eat all the food in the world would be a dream come true. Even adults would want to go there. Aristocrats were always in search of delicacies, so they bought fresh monster parts for ludicrous prices. There wasn’t much but Orc meat in the area, but other regions had a wider variety. That included moving mushrooms and flying fish. 

“This discussion is making me hungry. Oh well. Alize, it doesn’t have to be right now, but can I ask for a bit of your time?” I asked. 

“For what?” Alize questioned me in return. 

“I want to make some equipment for you. I already acquired the materials, but you need to go to the blacksmith to get your measurements taken. I also have plans to get a magic catalyst made. We could also do that today, if you want.” 

I didn’t expect her to take the sudden invitation, though. All I wanted was to inform her there would be no lecture today, and to ask what day she would be available. It would be easiest if we could get it done right away, but that was a lot to ask. Alize was busy with her own matters. 

But then she surprised me. “Hm. I don’t have anything scheduled for today, so it’d probably be fine. The thing is, I’ll have to ask Lady Lillian before I can give you my answer,” she told me. 

We didn’t have all the time in the world, but a little waiting wouldn’t be a problem. If it didn’t work out, we could use the day to go shopping for assorted goods for the journey instead. So we nodded. 

“All right, no problem. We’ll wait here,” I replied. 

“Okay, got it. Then give me a second!” Alize said and left the chapel. 

 

Alize returned some time later. She was free to go out that day, so we decided to visit the blacksmith together. When that finished, I was going to create a wand from parts of the Jyulapus Ents I defeated. 

It wasn’t just for Alize, though. Over the two-week journey to come, I wanted to practice magic using a catalyst, so I had cause to get a wand for myself.

“Oh, Rentt and Lorraine. Err...” 

It had been some time since we visited Clope’s Three-Pronged Harpoon. Upon entry, we were greeted by Luka, Clope’s wife who was tending to the store. 

When she saw my face, her expression filled with shock, confusion, and some nostalgia. My mask covered only half of my face now, so I expect that was why. I hadn’t shown my old face around there in a while, hence her reaction. 

“Hey, long time no see. This is Alize. She’s our disciple. We’re here for some equipment. Is Clope around?” I asked. 

“Ah, yes, give me a moment. I’ll go get him. Dear! Dear!!!” Luka ran to the forge in the back room and shouted. 

Lorraine watched her go. “Are you sure you want them to see your face?” she asked tersely. 

“Well, I’m sure it’s fine. Hiding my face didn’t sit well with me. I’m not worried about it anymore. It’s not an issue.” 

I kept it vague because Alize was present, but Lorraine knew what I meant. I used to be a mere Undead, but by this point, I looked like an ordinary human. The Holy Fire had also cleared up suspicions about me being a Vampire, so I figured I wouldn’t bring any trouble anymore. 

Alize cocked her head, but she was as understanding as ever. She got the sense our conversation was none of her business and moved away from us to observe the equipment around the store. 

“I see. You should be able to straighten out your registration at the adventurer’s guild somehow too, so it should be okay,” Lorraine said and nodded, knowing how many holes there were in the guild’s registration process. 

I nodded back and approached Alize as she looked over the store’s equipment. “See anything you like?” I asked. 

Alize chose not to touch upon my conversation with Lorraine. “I’m not sure, but I don’t think I could use anything too heavy.” 

She looked to a hulking greatsword. It would have been rough to handle, even for me. I was strong enough to hold it at this point, and could likely even swing it, but I didn’t have the courage to use it as a solo adventurer. Alize would no doubt be crushed under its weight. 

“Well, you don’t have to worry about these enormous things. Besides, this blacksmith you’re about to meet is a veteran. I’d ask him for advice before making any decisions.” 

“Really? Will you and Professor Lorraine help me too?” Alize inquired, sounding like the disciple she was. 

I showed my approval. “Of course.” 

 

“You sure you should do that?” Clope asked as he walked in. I assumed he meant to ask why I was showing my face. 

“When I’m outside, I generally cover my whole face like this,” I responded and fiddled with the mask to reshape it to cover everything, painting my face to look like a skull. 

“Never realized that mask was anything special. Hey, take it off and show it to me,” Clope demanded. 

After he mentioned it, I realized I most likely never told Clope about the mask. He was a talented blacksmith with an eye for more than weapons and armor, but I speculated this mask was too unusual for him. He might have been able to tell it was some sort of magic item, but he would never figure out its effects. I researched it myself and asked Lorraine for help to no avail, after all. I doubted anyone knew what it was. 

“Take it off if you can. Then I’ll be happy to show it to you,” I smirked. He couldn’t see my face, but my eyes showed I was smiling. 

Up to the challenge, Clope rolled up his sleeves. “What? Alright, if you insist,” he said and approached to put his hands on each side of the mask. 

Clope yanked with all his might, but it didn’t budge. All he managed to do was pull on my skin and hurt my face. As with most blacksmiths, Clope had strong arms. Creating equipment that could survive throughout adventures demanded a fair amount of power. Clope was skinny at a glance, yet muscular and tough. And this was the man tugging on an object stuck to my face, so you can imagine the agony. But I was a Vampire of sorts, so my endurance and restorative abilities were high. My skin would have been torn off otherwise. For a moment I was glad I became a monster, but after I thought about it rationally, that was also the only reason I wore this mask. 

“I think that’s enough,” I told Clope after I got fed up. 

“Huh? Oh,” he sighed and took his hands off me. “But dang, it’s really stuck on there. What the hell’s with that mask?” 

“I don’t know. I believe it was bought from a street vendor, but I haven’t been able to take it off since I put it on. At least it gives me an excuse not to remove it, and I can change its appearance, so it’s not so bad. But ideally I don’t want to have to wear this for the rest of my life.” 

Adventurers often wore masks, but I had no need for one. Besides, while I didn’t mind wearing it on adventures, the inability to take it off while sleeping or bathing was irksome. I was starting to get used to it, but if it could be removed, I would jump on the opportunity. 

“Sounds to me like it’s cursed. If it’s not too strong of a curse, a little divinity cleansing should do the trick, but you could’ve done that yourself,” Clope surmised, knowing I could use divinity. 

“I tried it. Didn’t work. Someone else even happened to do it for me, but nothing happened.” Saint Myullias had blessed my entire body with divinity, which did have a cleansing effect. But in the end, the mask stayed on. There was also Nive’s Holy Fire, but that was distinct from cleansing. In any case, it wasn’t coming off, and there was no use thinking about it. 

“So typical cleansing doesn’t work, eh?” 

“Right.” 

“Huh. Lorraine, you know a way to get it off?” Clope directed his attention to her. 

She shook her head. “If I did, I would’ve done it by now. I looked into it but didn’t find much.” 

Lorraine was also an adventurer, and while she almost always carried out requests in her robes, she did wear light armor underneath. She carried a dagger for close combat and dissection as well, so she came to this blacksmith on occasion and was acquainted with Clope. 

He looked conflicted by her answer. “Yeah? You couldn’t do it either? I’ll try and check it out a bit more,” he concluded and then looked behind us to where Alize was hiding. “So, just something for her today?” 

Alize had concealed herself because of Clope’s somewhat aggressive appearance. He was thin but intense. Once he laid his eyes on something, he never looked away. Young girls must have found him frightening. 

“Alize, it’s okay. He’s nicer than he looks. Besides, if Rentt didn’t scare you, why this ordinary man? Isn’t that silly?” Lorraine pointed out as she pushed Alize forward. If you had to pick what was scarier between a man in dark robes and a skull mask and a loud-mouthed tough guy, it might be harder than you think. They inspired different types of fear. Not that it mattered. 

“Alize, this is Clope, a blacksmith who’s been helping me out since before I became an adventurer. Like Lorraine said, he’s not as scary as he looks. He’ll be making your equipment,” I told Alize. 

She resolved herself and stepped toward him. “I’m Alize, a kid from the Second Orphanage of Maalt and a disciple of Rentt and Professor Lorraine. Nice to meet you,” she offered. She was hospitable to me too when I first came to the orphanage, so that was nothing unexpected from her. But unlike then, she was with people she could depend on, so her behavior was a bit more shy. That must have meant when I went to the orphanage, she was pushing herself past her boundaries. When I thought about how much I must have scared her, I felt bad. It was too late for that now, however. 

“Hoh, a kid that’s not scared of me. Don’t see that often. Alright, nice to meet you too. So I just need to make equipment for you, then?” Clope said and patted Alize on the head. He was always warmhearted toward women and children. That was how he got a beautiful wife like Luka. And if you looked closer at his stern face, it was rather handsome and refined. 

People used to say I had a baby face. I wondered what they’d say now. I was paler, and I felt my eyes looked sharper, so I suspected I no longer seemed so young. As for Lorraine, she was a grown woman from any angle. Whether she looked her age was hard to say, though. You could say she was an intellectual beauty of indeterminate age. It seemed like the passage of time would have no effect on her looks. It was enough to make me jealous. Not that I would age anymore either, as far as I knew. 

“Yes!” Alize shouted back at Clope. 

“Yeah, and as for the materials, I picked some up in a dungeon. Could you start by looking at those?” I chimed in. 

Clope raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? You can actually go to those dungeons now? Color me impressed. Alright, then come with me, everyone. I’ll take you to the forge,” Clope said and walked off. We followed behind him. 

 

I had been to this forge many times. It featured little I hadn’t seen before, but Alize saw it differently. Her eyes sparkled as she looked around. You wouldn’t have much reason to enter a forge if you weren’t an adventurer or a knight, so her reaction was to be expected. 

Her womanhood could’ve also been a reason for her reaction. Clope let Lorraine into the forge too, so he didn’t have any holdups about that, but some blacksmiths refused to allow women into their forges. There were a plethora of reasons, but they often said that while the Blacksmithing Deity didn’t care, the Furnace Deity was a woman who got jealous of other women. Whether the Furnace Deity was male or female was up for debate, but it wasn’t worth disputing with people over their faith. These ideas were held by many, so women seldom had the opportunity to see a forge. When I considered that, Alize’s feelings were easy to understand. 

“Leave the goods there,” Clope said and pointed to a large table. It appeared to be a stand used for processing materials, and it looked sturdy enough to hold ingots without an issue. I took the items out of my magic pouch and set them down. 

“Mana iron? That means you went to the Labyrinth of the New Moon? Or Hamdan Mine?” Clope asked while looking at the metal. Any blacksmith in this town would have to know where materials were available in the surrounding area. His knowledge of ore was comprehensive, no doubt. 

He was right to guess the Labyrinth of the New Moon, but Hamdan Mine was a small mine about two days away from Maalt. It was abandoned long ago, so only adventurers went there anymore. There was supposed to be mana iron in there still, but monsters dwelled there as well, and the tunnels had grown old and decrepit. Most of the mine’s value had been extracted, at which point it was abandoned, as far as I had heard. Even so, the only places around Maalt where mana iron could be found were the Labyrinth of the New Moon and Hamdan Mine. 

“I went to the Labyrinth of the New Moon. I picked it up on the fourth floor,” I responded. 

“The fourth floor? You were only ever able to get to maybe the second by yourself. Well, this is what makes smithing so much fun,” he said with a smile. He seemed happy about my progress. It wasn’t so much thanks to personal growth as it was a factor of me becoming a monster, but I didn’t need to mention that. It would only complicate matters. 

After I took out all the regular mana iron, I took out the metal tinged with dragon mana. Clope opened his eyes wide. 

“Is that brass? Wait, actually, Rentt, is this what I think it is?” 

“This is mana iron too. I don’t know why, but there was an earth dragon on the fourth floor. It had apparently been there so long it morphed the mana iron around it. I asked Lorraine about it, and presumably this is rare.” 

“Yeah, very rare. Dragons with enough mana to morph mana iron don’t show up too often. But you sure you want to use this as material? If you put it up for auction, it’ll fetch a high price.” 

It was only after Clope mentioned it that I considered that option. I figured I might as well ask how much money I could expect. “I have no intention of selling this, but for future reference, how much does it go for?” 

“Hm? Well, if a blacksmith who knows his craft happens to be there, he’ll probably pay a platinum coin for this one ingot.” 

A platinum coin was equal to a hundred gold coins. It was hard to say if that was expensive or cheap for this material, but it wasn’t exactly a fortune. Normal mana iron sold for about a hundredth of the price, though. 

“Meaning this metal has attributes worthy of that cost?” Lorraine asked. 

Clope pondered the question. “It’s tough to know for sure. Depends on how you use it, they say. Just hammering it into a weapon will get you somewhat better results than the standard mana iron, but that’s about it. But there’s supposedly a way to turn it into something special.” 

“That’s awfully vague. How would you do that, precisely?” Lorraine questioned Clope further. 

“Using this mana iron by itself isn’t gonna produce much of anything. You need some other materials. For example, one process I know demands a magic crystal you won’t get from anything weaker than Platinum-class monsters, and leaves from the Holy Tree. And if you’re talking materials that are nearly impossible to get, it requires Vampire blood too. That’d clearly be pretty rough, so I can’t recommend you make equipment out of this.” 

It did sound like it would be difficult, but Clope didn’t know how easily I could get Vampire blood. I only had to use my own. Whether I was a Vampire had become somewhat unclear, so maybe it wouldn’t work, but it was worth a shot. 

That only left the magic crystal and the Holy Tree leaves. Even in the worst-case scenario, I could save up enough money for the crystal. As for sacred trees, I needed more information. 

“By Holy Tree, do you mean the one in the Land of the Venerable Holy Tree?” I asked Clope. 

“Yeah, the nation of the high elves. Good luck getting those.” 

“That does sound brutal.” 

The Land of the Venerable Holy Tree was ruled by high elves, and the majority of its population was elves as well. It was considered a nation, but most of its land was surrounded by forest, and they didn’t have a government in the way human countries did. In reality, it was a group of settlements with tight connections that called themselves a country. But their borders were unclear to the point it was hard to call them a country in the conventional sense. Because they were a venerable race who protected the Holy Tree, the name of their nation had been placed upon them by the ruler of some other nation long ago. The elves at the time didn’t seem to mind the name. 

Of course, I had never been to the country because I couldn’t go if I wanted to. I didn’t know how the elves drew their borders, and if a human set foot in a forest they claimed as their territory, they would be attacked. All elves were experts with spirit magic and experienced with bows and arrows, so a human who entered with no plan would be driven off. There wouldn’t even be a fight. The Holy Tree was said to stand deep within the country, where it generated divinity at all times, so I had to wonder how many humans had ever seen it. 

This talk of a tree that gave off divinity reminded me of something. “Clope, what happened to the tree that grew from the doll I cut?” 

“Oh, that? It’s growing nicely. You’re not thinking of using that as a substitute for the Holy Tree, are you?” 

I did consider it just a bit. I looked at Clope to see if he thought it was possible, but he shook his head. 

“No way will that work. I don’t know if it’s because it was made from your divinity or what, but it does seem to give off some mild divinity. I figured that out when I held a cursed item close to the tree and it got cleansed, but that’s the extent of what it can do. The real Holy Tree is supposed to vaporize any Undead that draws near it. A long while back, I saw Holy Tree leaves go up for auction, and I could feel the cleansing in the air from all the way in my seat. Your tree doesn’t have that much power.” 

 

“So, what’s the tree?” Lorraine asked. At first I thought she was asking a philosophical question about what trees were, but when I thought about it more, I realized although I had told Lorraine about the effects of using spirit, mana, and divinity with my sword, I hadn’t mentioned the tree that had grown from it. 

Clope answered her before me. “Oh, Rentt here charged his sword with divinity and sliced a wooden doll, then a plant sprouted from it. I thought that was neat, so I’m taking care of the thing,” he said plainly. 

“Odd, but actually, it makes sense. Things grow wherever Rentt goes, after all. I agree, it is neat. Clope, could you show it to me?” Lorraine smiled after making an old joke about me. She wasn’t surprised to hear this because I had previously made plants grow with my wings. If my divinity could do that, then it could make plants sprout from wooden dolls. 

“Fine with me. Hold on a sec,” Clope told Lorraine. 

Some time later, he came in with a flower pot containing the tree. It had grown to around half my height. Not much time had passed since it first sprouted, so that seemed fast to me. 

“Here it is. So, feel anything from it?” Clope asked us. 

Lorraine was the first to speak. “I don’t sense any divinity. I feel like it cleaned up the air a bit, but that’s all.” 

“I think the same thing,” Alize commented after Lorraine. 

I answered last. “It does seem to give off a small amount of divinity. The same as me,” I said. My divinity gave me the ability to see other divinity to an extent, so a misty glow was visible around the tree. Even so, it was no great amount. 

“So it really is the same? Then maybe the divinity’s making it grow fast because it’s a plant. This flower pot is gonna be a bit tight before long, but I don’t know about planting it in the ground.” 

Clope’s store was by no means small, but all the space was used up for his smithing business. The courtyard was also used to test weapons, leaving nowhere to plant the tree. A normal tree might be able to grow around the edges of the courtyard, but this one was special. It appeared to grow at a considerable speed, so planting it without a plan could end poorly. This tree was born from my divinity, yet it was almost cursed. I felt bad about it, to be honest. But Clope was the one who wanted to care for it, so I had no sympathy for him. He should have thrown it out right away. 

“That said, it still seems to be doing all right. If it does get to the point where you can’t care for it anymore, why not go plant it on some mountain?” I suggested. 

“Might have to do that in the end, but I could get some use out of it. Maybe it won’t work as a replacement for the Holy Tree, but I’ll bet I can make some equipment out of the wood. It’ll take some experimenting to know what effects it’ll have, though.” 

“That’s a fascinating idea. It could be used for alchemy as well. Clope, will you share some with me?” Lorraine requested, her curiosity piqued. 

Materials with divinity were hard to come by. Many were highly sought after, such as the leaves and branches of the Holy Tree. More common examples included holy water sold by a church or items a saint filled with their power. The latter were easier to procure, so I thought they were better off using those. But when I asked them about it, Clope looked unsure. 

“Holy water is made with the Church’s secret techniques. Using the divinity from that for anything but its intended purpose isn’t easy.” 

Lorraine made a face much like Clope’s. “The items that saints make are the same way. They’re careful about leaks revolving around that.” 

If it were possible to utilize that divinity for anything, then selling those items might not have been so great for their religious organization. That divinity could only be produced by saints in the first place, so I didn’t think it made much of a difference, but presumably it wasn’t so simple. For example, someone like Lorraine could discover the mechanisms of that divinity and learn to mass-produce items that performed cleansing and healing without the need for a saint. It wouldn’t be as easy as that, but it wouldn’t be impossible either. Healing and cleansing items turned up in dungeons on occasion, after all. Less effective imitations of those items were also made and sold by your average magic item shops. The more effective versions required rare materials to create, so they were no replacement for saints, but they could be one day. That must have been why they kept the creation of these items a secret. 

“Still, it’s not totally impossible, but Rentt’s tree here should certainly be easier to use. So, how about it?” Lorraine asked. 

I got the feeling they wanted to use the tree I made as a divinity generator. That sounded about right. 

Clope nodded at Lorraine. “That’s all good with me. This isn’t the only tree, actually. There’s another four of them. You can have two.” 

I was surprised to hear he had that many, but at the time there were even more sprouts from the doll than that. Maybe he tried to plant them all, and that’s how so many survived. But out of five total, he was only giving up two? Not that I had any complaints, but it sounded like he was having trouble caring for them, so I would have thought he’d hand over all but one. 

With a number of concerns, I asked, “You’ll be okay with three of them?” 

“Shouldn’t be an issue. I could chop them up for firewood if it comes down to it. Might be disrespectful to use trees full of divinity for that, but that divinity came from you anyway. Not exactly blasphemous or anything,” he said. 

If you went back further, my divinity came from a divine spirit, so it was somewhat blasphemous. But I wasn’t that devout, so it was hard to care. Whether someone chose to believe in a god was up to them. To begin with, the degree to which the gods themselves were concerned with the affairs of mankind had been a subject of debate for ages. An extreme argument would suggest hey hadn’t the least interest in the actions of humans, including murder, opting instead to sit back and watch our lives unfold. By that logic, the burning of a tree wouldn’t faze them, so I didn’t see any problem. In fact, if burning trees meant anything to the gods, humanity would have perished a long time ago. Everybody used firewood. 

“Talk to me before you burn them. I’m willing to go plant them in the forest at any time.” I didn’t think it was that necessary, but these trees did grow from my divinity. They felt like my children, on some level. 

“Then I’ll do that if the time comes for it. Anyway, we’re way off topic, so let’s get back to the young lady’s equipment. First of all, what kind of equipment do you want?” Clope asked and brought out a few basic weapons. 

 

“Give these a try,” Clope said and tossed the weapons on the table. There was a wide variety, some of which would be absurd to recommend to a beginner. The chakram in particular. 

“Um, I don’t know where to start,” Alize murmured. 

It made sense that someone who had never bought a weapon before would be at a loss. Back when I was starting out, I learned how to fight from a hunter. My primary weapons were a bow and a knife, much like a hunter, so I never had to think about it. By the time I decided to become an adventurer, I was experienced with a knife and had taught myself to use a sword. I got most of the fundamentals down back then. In other words, I never had to make a choice, for better or worse. 

Later on, I asked an adventurer who sometimes came to town as a traveling merchant’s bodyguard to teach me common sword techniques so I could learn more. When I became decent enough at fighting, the person teaching me got more into it as well, as I recall. One day, however, he stopped coming to town, replaced by someone else. Whether he died on a mission or left for another land, I didn’t know. He wasn’t an adventurer from Maalt, so it was hopeless to try and investigate it in town. If I checked a regional guild headquarters in a bigger city, maybe I could determine his whereabouts, but that might take some time. Besides, the adventurer said at the time, “I’ll see you if I see you, I won’t if I don’t.” He was a strangely aimless man, but now I understood how he felt. That was the main reason I didn’t think more about looking for him. 

In any case, Alize wasn’t so limited by her background, but the freedom of choice made matters more difficult. It was times like these when you needed a mentor’s advice. 

Lorraine threw out some random guidance. “Hm, you can use magic, so I imagine that will be your main form of ranged attack. If your weapon will mainly be used for close combat, maybe you should pick with that in mind.” 

“Oh, you have mana? Then you won’t be needing these,” Clope said and removed the bows, chakrams, and other ranged weaponry. That left only the typical close combat weapons: swords, daggers, spears, axes, greatswords, and so forth. 

“I’m not sure I can hold that,” Alize said as she reached out to the greatsword and tried to pick it up. It wasn’t as hard as she thought. A child of twelve could hold a greatsword with some effort, but she wobbled to a dangerous degree. 

“This is a no-go too, then,” Clope said as he plucked the greatsword from the stumbling girl’s hands and set it aside. A blacksmith with no strength would have no place in the business, so his muscles were nothing to scoff at. He could handle a greatsword with no problem. 

“You use one of these, don’t you, Rentt?” Alize asked and picked up a sword. 

I didn’t have to mention it was my main weapon, but I did have something else to say about that. “It’s not like that’s all I use. I can wield all kinds of weapons,” I said and picked up spears and axes, showing her the proper stances for each of them to show off. 

“Wow! You can do anything, Rentt,” Alize complimented me. It got to my head until Clope had to say something. 

“Waste of talent, that’s what he is,” Clope said exasperatedly. 

“If anyone’s a jack of all trades and master of none, Rentt is. Every household could use one of him,” Lorraine joked. 

“I can fight pretty well now, I’ll have you know,” I objected, a bit annoyed. 

“Obviously I’m aware of that. I’m kidding. That’s all Rentt can do, though, so you don’t need to choose a weapon just because Rentt did,” Lorraine said to Alize. Lorraine had inferred that she might choose a sword because it was my main weapon and offered her own advice. 

This wasn’t something most children would have to mull over, but knowing Alize’s background, it was only natural. Alize was an orphan, one who had to satisfy others in order to survive, so when given a choice like this, she found it hard to make a decision. We knew that and joked around to help the mood. Lorraine was quick to understand, and Clope’s love of children made him surprisingly good at it. 

Her eyes opened a little wider. “Really?” Alize asked. 

“Yeah, of course. It can be a spear or bow or axe or anything. Whatever it is, I can teach you. I might not be top-class at any of that, though.” I was going to say I could make her a top-class adventurer instead, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. 

Clope spoke up instead. “Well, no reason to make fun of him. This guy loves practicing his stances and fundamentals all day long. Seeing how he moves now, I doubt there’d be anyone better to teach you the basics. He’s smooth and resolute,” Clope said with praise. 

I didn’t think I was so great, though. I was still only a Bronze-class, but it did make me happy to hear that. 

“That’s more praise than I deserve. I’m decent, but don’t expect too much. I think I can turn you into a competent adventurer, but whether you become a first-rate one will depend on your effort and talent. Don’t forget that,” I lectured to Alize. 

“Okay. Don’t worry, I know,” she promptly answered. 

In the end, it seemed Alize saw me as a third-rate adventurer. I was disappointed for a moment by that, but I didn’t have much time to dwell on it before she continued. 

“I like embroidering, and that involves weaving together thin strings into a big pattern. If you’re careful about it, you can create wonderful art, but it takes a lot of time and effort. Adventurers are the same way, aren’t they? You’ve been working at this for long enough to get strong, but I haven’t done much of anything yet,” she said humbly. 

I didn’t know if I deserved such a nice, thoughtful girl as a disciple. Maybe I should have gone straight to the capital, knocked on the doors of every top-class adventurer, and begged them to take her as their disciple instead. That idea did occur to me for a second, but I couldn’t do that. I had decided to teach Alize, so it was my responsibility to train her. At the very least, I had to keep at it until she had the knowledge and skills to stand on her own as an adventurer. That wasn’t why I said what I said next, but I found myself blurting it out. 

“Just the other day, you learned all the basics of magic from Lorraine, didn’t you? You’re doing the best you can. If you keep this up, you’ll surpass me in no time.” It was almost something an obsessive parent might say. Maybe something was wrong with me. 

 

Alize looked at two weapons, lost in thought. She had tested enough to know which wouldn’t work, thereby cutting the selection down through the process of elimination. 

“A dagger and a sword? You can’t pick which one?” I asked. 

“Yeah. The dagger is easier to carry, which sounds like a good fit for me, but the sword might be easier to use once I’m an adventurer.” In other words, she personally preferred the dagger but felt the sword would be more useful in reality. 

Her conundrum was easy to understand, and she was right to think how she did. Monsters were dangerous. Goblins could be dispatched easily enough, but Orcs had thick fat and muscle, while Slimes were gelatinous and amorphous. Daggers would have trouble against them. You needed something with a longer blade. 

However, Alize knew magic. Little more than life magic at the moment, but once she learned even the lowest level offensive spells, she would be more than capable of fighting Orcs and Slimes. If anything, Slimes were best dealt with by using magic. For Alize, a weapon would be a last resort for when an enemy got too close. 

That was the approach of many adventurers, but I did want her to fight with a weapon too. Maybe that was my mentorly ego talking. Knowing this, I didn’t offer a recommendation either way. I wanted her to pick for herself, but there was one piece of advice I could think of. When I looked at Lorraine’s face, it looked like she had the same idea. We nodded to each other. 

“Alize, I think it’s fine if you pick either, but I want to show you something that could help you decide. Lorraine.” 

When I said her name, Lorraine picked up the dagger. “Watch this,” she said, then she charged the blade with mana. Rather, she activated a spell. The tip of the dagger sprouted a transparent blade. Lorraine structured the spell to make it clear this blade had some sort of physical form despite being see-through, so it reflected the light in the room. It was about the length of the sword. 

“Lorraine,” Clope said before he set a small log on the table. 

“Alize, stand back a bit. Here goes nothing,” Lorraine warned and then struck the log with a horizontal slash. The dagger itself didn’t touch the log at all, only the transparent part. A fissure appeared in the log at a slight slant, leaving it split in two. 

The way she slashed was awe-inspiring, as it should have been, since I was the one who taught her how. She was faster than I was when I was human, I was sad to admit, but Lorraine excelled at magic, so enhancing her physical abilities was well within her grasp. She could have made it even stronger, but there was no need for that now. 

“What was that?” Alize asked. 

“Magic,” Lorraine answered. “I extended the blade of the dagger to the length of a sword. This isn’t an especially difficult spell, so you should be able to make do with a dagger.” 

Overall, it was best to pick what you liked. You would learn faster that way. If she wanted to pick the dagger but thought the blade of a sword would be better, then seeing how one weapon could fulfill both criteria might help her come to a decision. But while Lorraine said this wasn’t difficult magic, I couldn’t cast it. That was more an issue of my lack of mana, so maybe I could learn it now, but most of the adventurers who could cast it were at least Silver-class. That didn’t make it sound simple to me. 

“Lorraine, not to question you, but is this a spell Alize can learn?” I whispered. 

“If she couldn’t, I wouldn’t have shown her this. She displayed plenty of potential with life magic the other day. If she can manage that, then she can learn this with enough studying,” she whispered back. 

That settled that. I turned back toward Alize. “So what did you think? Was that helpful?” I asked. 

“Yeah. If I can do that, then I think the dagger is fine. Do you think so too?” She sounded set on it. 

I nodded. “That sounds good. I’ll just mention that if you want to learn that, you’ll have to study with both swords and daggers, giving you twice the work. Is that okay with you?” I hated to say anything that might change her mind, but I had to bring it up. If she handled her weapon poorly and died because of it, this would all be meaningless. No small number of adventurers met that fate, but I had an inkling as to how Alize would respond. 

“I don’t know how it’ll work out, but I’ll do my best. I’m going to study the best I can to become an adventurer, so teach me well, Rentt.” 

“Of course. Lorraine and I will turn you into a full-fledged adventurer,” I declared. 

“And a mage and scholar, as well,” Lorraine added. 

 

“So, just want me to make a dagger, then?” Clope asked, but I shook my head. 

“No, best to make a dagger and a sword. There are enough materials, right?” I said. 

Clope was quick to pick up on my intentions. “Right, she’ll have to learn to handle a sword too. And until she learns that spell, she needs to practice with the real thing.” 

“That’s the idea. And knowing her way around a sword will broaden her skill set.” A sword was the standard weapon of most adventurers. Knowing how to use one wouldn’t hurt. 

“Then I’ll make both. Which mana iron should I use?” He meant between the normal mana iron and the one with dragon mana. 

This was an obvious decision. “The normal mana iron, please.” 

“You sure? I thought you’d want to give her something nice.” 

“If Alize starts off using something too atypical, she’ll develop strange habits. I’m keeping that in mind.” 

“Oh, I get that. Alright then. But what do you want to do with this mana iron?” Clope asked and looked at the iron soaked with dragon mana. 

“How much could you make from that? One dagger, or what?” 

“Well, a little more than that, I think. Not as much as what normal mana iron could produce, but a fair amount. Enough that I’d have room for testing.” 

“In that case, can you try using one of those trees I made to create a sword out of it?” 

“Hey, I told you it’d require more materials than that. Even ignoring the Holy Tree leaves, there’s no way you’re getting Vampire blood. The crystal, too.” 

Vampire blood was something I could get. The magic crystal, on the other hand, might not be so easy. 

“I’ll do something about the Vampire blood. As for the crystal—” 

“‘Do something?’ Really, now?” Clope wanted to ask something, but I left him aside and kept talking. 

“Would a magic crystal from a Tarasque work?” That was something I’d be able to collect. Not without some effort, but it was possible. They weren’t quite Platinum-class, but they could be somewhere around Gold-class. 

Clope thought for a moment before he answered. “It might work, but it’d be a waste of this mana iron. If you got the Holy Tree leaves and a Platinum-class magic crystal, I could make one hell of a sword.” 

“But do you expect me to ever get those materials?” Maybe I could one day, but not now. Clope seemed to know that too. 

“Well, you got a point there. All right, I’ll give it a shot. There should be some left over afterward anyway. I’ll make sure there’s still some remaining for when you come to me with the Holy Tree leaves one day,” he said with a laugh. 



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