It took quite some time to buy the Blood-Sucking Sword, Shiko, from Hands, and I was late for dinner.
Because of that, Himik and Memoria got angry at me.
The morning after that day.
“How is Suella’s condition?”
“She’s stable for now. I’ve never been happier about buying the Ore Tree than on this day.”
I heard about Suella’s progress reports that Evia regularly received, felt relieved, and thanked myself for the purchase. Then I returned to work.
We were doing a dungeon attack on a shallower level than usual to test our weapons.
We were clearing it while chatting, which was like everyday work for us.
“Haaai, sorry to interrupt your chat, Kitemiya, but enemy sighted at nine o’clock, a Wyvern!”
“Yeah, yeah, but it feels like I’m the only one casting magic and taking down monsters here. Am I imagining things?”
“It’s all about efficiency.”
We maintained a balance between alertness and relaxation.
If we were tense all the time, we’d get exhausted and wouldn’t be able to exert our strength when it mattered.
It was only recently that we’ve learned to maintain a moderate level of tension.
Every day was a process of trial and error since we recognized the need to avoid unnecessary exertion.
“Geez.”
If we can eliminate small fry from a distance, it’s better to do so.
Kitemiya, who understood Minami’s emphasis on efficiency and agreed with it, conjured a spear of ice without an incantation and fired it with bullet-like speed.
“That was amazing.”
“You get used to it if you do it enough times.”
Kaido praised Kitemiya’s fluid and seamless magic, but to her, it was just part of the job, nothing to boast about.
“But in our party, Karen-chan is the best at attack magic, isn’t she?”
“That’s right. Our areas of expertise are divided, but it’s good that we understand each other’s strengths.”
However, her humble attitude seemed cool to the younger ones, and they praised her even more. Kitemiya waved her hands slightly embarrassed, dismissing it as no big deal.
Minami watched them with a smirk.
“Oh, Leader, sorry to keep you waiting. I’ve got the enemy you’ve been waiting for.”
“A big one?”
Minami grinned as he pointed in the direction of the enemy detected by his Evasion Magic.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!!”
“Oh, wow.”
“That’s quite a roar.”
“Or rather, should I be lamenting that I’m no longer fazed by this level of threat?”
“The roar of a dragon has become something we’re all too familiar with, hasn’t it?”
“I guess there’s no helping it.”
“Alright, alright, here they come. Battle stations, battle stations~”
“Minami, if you’re serious, you should put a bit more intensity into it.”
A Giant Earth Dragon emerged slowly from behind the rocks. Its immense body, estimated to be thirty meters from tail to head, was covered in rugged scales like rock, and its fangs were sharp. Though it seemed slow, it was powerful.
Our party wasn’t fazed by the roar emanating from such a being. Instead, I and Kaido began critiquing the roar’s quality.
Kitemiya, whose reactions were usually the most shaken, looked bewildered at her own composure. Amelia nodded in agreement, while Katsu gave a wry smile.
To shake up the apparently tension-lacking group, Minami drew a circle in the air with his right hand, but his call sounded unenthusiastic, eliciting a retort from Katsu.
“Well, what can we do?”
“Don’t ask me. I understand what you want to say, though.”
Minami seemed to look to Kitemiya for agreement with Katsu’s reaction. She scrunched up her face, looking bothered, but indicated she understood.
“Yeah, I guess there’s no helping it.”
“Well, yeah, isn’t it?”
As if they knew what was coming next, this group of adventurers, facing a ferocious dragon attack, was remarkably nonchalant.
Slipping away from their conversation, I grabbed the hilt of the katana at my waist and decided to do what I had to do. Bracing myself, I took a deep breath, channeled my strength into my abdomen, and leaned forward. With a single step, I became the wind.
As I passed the colossal creature, which looked like a moving boulder, a sharp, metallic sound echoed through the air, as if I had cut through something.
With a *zusa* sound, I stopped behind the Earth Dragon, its body sliding on the ground, and slowly turned around.
The Earth Dragon, having lost sight of me who had silently appeared behind it, stumbled and tried to turn. But, a vertical cut from underneath its chin caused its head to fall.
“Hmm, quite sharp.”
Satisfied, I confirmed the exquisite sharpness of the Blood-Sucking Sword and that it hadn’t chipped before slowly sheathing it.
As I quietly sheathed my sword, the Earth Dragon’s massive body fell to the ground with a thud and reverted to magic particles.
“Whoa, cool!”
“To finish it off with a manga-like technique. Leader, you really know what you’re doing, gozaru!”
“Jiro-san, you can do Iaido?”
“SAMURAI! Yeah!”
“Well, it’s not exactly that, but it’s not wrong, is it?”
Kaido, who seemed to have anticipated this ending, teased me while enjoying the process, as did Minami. Katsu was surprised that I could use Iaido, while Amelia cheered, thinking I was a samurai. Kitemiya debated whether to scold them.
“What I learned was Jigen-ryu, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do Iaido, you know? Lately, I’ve been researching various sword techniques and expanding my repertoire.”
“““““Ooh.””””
“Fundamentals are important, but it’s also important not to be stuck on them. I’m not neglecting the basics, but it’s always better to have more options.”
The younger ones were impressed when I said, “Life is a continuous learning process.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed by their admiration, I cleared my throat to change the atmosphere.
“So? How does it feel to use it? Is it like your spirit is being eroded or something?”
“Hmm, it’s hard to call it normal, but after using it, I guess this is how it is?”
Minami, curious, asked about the feel of the Blood-Sucking Sword, Shiko.
It was more of a cursed sword than a magic sword, and I did feel a certain mental influence, but I wasn’t losing control.
“Indeed, from my perspective, Jiro-san shows no strange behavior.”
“Right. When I first heard you bought a magic sword, I thought, ‘Is he sane?’ but you seem fine.”
“Kitemiya, you thought that?”
It was clear from this test swing that it was a good weapon if used properly. It wasn’t without its dangers, but my conclusion was that it was excessive to fear and avoid all magic weapons. I could only laugh at Kitemiya’s honest words, and though I chided her a little, I kept to myself that I would have thought the same in her position.
“So, Leader, how far are you going?”
“As far as I can. I’ve got a grasp of its performance with that last strike. It’s not as effective as the Ore Tree, but Shiko should be fine for combat.”
“Understood! Well then! Let’s head towards that ice mountain! I heard there are rare dragons there.”
“Wait, with ice attributes, it’ll be hard for me to deal effective damage.”
“What are you talking about? Kitemiya, you’re the cold-weather defense detail.”
“I’m your thermal clothing substitute!?”
After the test swing, we switched our mindset back to work and resumed our planned dungeon exploration. Kitemiya showed her displeasure at Minami’s suggested direction, but didn’t object. Though dissatisfied with her role, our party headed towards the white, snow-covered mountain.
***
While Jiro and his party were working in the Dragon King’s Dungeon, an urgent report reached the company.
The Dark Elf village had been attacked by magic beasts and was requesting aid. Abandoning them was not an option, and the company was thrown into a frenzy.
“If my kin are in danger, it is my duty to go.”
Due to the urgency of the situation, the Tree King, Lunaria, volunteered without any preamble.
“Yes, that area is also your territory, so I think that’s for the best. Do you need any reinforcements?”
“No, I can quell this disturbance with my own might. While I’m there, I’ll also investigate the cause of this magic beast activity.”
“That would be helpful. The nobles seem to be getting restless, so be careful.”
“Understood.”
Lunaria felt a sense of relief that she could act on the Demon King’s orders without interference. During such disturbances, there were always those who would try to profit by offering help. As Lunaria, with her exquisite beauty, was unmarried, there were endless proposals with ulterior motives. Therefore, upon hearing the distress call from the Dark Elf village, she acted immediately and volunteered to suppress the attack.
As Lunaria bowed to the Demon King and left the room, the door opened even before she could.
“Hmm, judging by your demeanor, it seems I won’t be needed.”
“That is correct, Undead King. A crisis within our own people is our responsibility.”
“Indeed. In that case, I shall return to my own affairs.”
The apparition was the upstanding Undead King, Nōraifu. Upon confirming Lunaria’s identity, he judged that his services were not required, stroked his beard, bowed to the Demon King inside the room, and departed. Lunaria was relieved that it was the Undead King rather than someone else. The Giant King and Machine King wouldn’t act unless it was within their jurisdiction and were therefore not suitable candidates. The problem lay with the battle-maniac Oni King and the Dragon King. While it might be possible to dissuade the current Oni King with the right approach, it would take time. Resolving the issue with the Dragon King would likely not happen without the Demon King’s mediation. Unbeknownst to Lunaria, Jiro was challenging the Dragon King’s Dungeon, and the Dragon King was eyeing their party with predatory intent, hence his deliberate inaction on the urgent report. As for the Oni King, he was simply late to the scene, arriving at the Demon King’s later but finding no task for him. These two factors worked in her favor, allowing her to obtain permission for the rescue mission at the earliest opportunity, a stroke of luck for Lunaria.
As she walked briskly from the President’s office, formulating plans for the troops she would deploy and considering her own speed alongside a swift vanguard, Lunaria sensed someone approaching her.
“Lunaria-teacher!”
The voice calling her “teacher” was familiar. She opened her eyes, which had been closed, and looked in the direction of the voice. The person running towards her was who Lunaria had expected. Behind him was a woman she hadn’t seen before.
“Himusumi-san? I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry right now. If this is about training, please ask another time.”
Himusumi was one of Lunaria’s students. She had tutored him, taught him magic, and watched him grow, even if only temporarily. They weren’t as close as she was with Jiro, where they’d share drinks, but she occasionally taught him magic. Lunaria didn’t dislike Himusumi, but she didn’t particularly like him either. The confident words that often spilled from his mouth made Lunaria sense his recklessness. Despite her repeated warnings, he never listened, and Lunaria eventually felt a sense of disappointment, but she didn’t abandon him, maintaining a student-teacher distance. Therefore, in her haste, she spoke to him in a slightly dismissive tone.
“I heard that the Dark Elf village I previously trained at is in dire straits. Please, let me help!”
However, Himusumi ignored Lunaria’s words and stated the reason for his presence. Lunaria glanced at Himusumi’s attire and saw that he was dressed for combat. But that was all.
“You cannot. Even if it’s a magic beast subjugation, you’ll be heading into a battlefield. This is not a dungeon exploration test.”
Without hesitation, Lunaria refused Himusumi’s request to accompany her. What could an overconfident rookie contribute? She quickly considered what he, lacking military training, could possibly do.
“But, the village that is currently in danger is one I owe a debt to! I can’t just abandon them!”
“I’m not abandoning them. I will be leading the rescue myself.”
Her overly self-righteous and unwavering confidence, bordering on arrogance, almost evoked a sense of contempt, but Lunaria maintained her composure. At that moment, she inexplicably recalled Jiro Tanaka, whom Evia had bragged about, and compared him to the present Himusumi, wondering what he would do. She reasoned that he would know the difference between what he could and couldn’t do, and with his current abilities, he wouldn’t be a hindrance.
“But!”
“……”
That fleeting thought led her to pause and assess Himusumi, who was trying to counter her refusal. Jiro Tanaka had also grown rapidly through real combat. He had grown through battles where lives were at risk, not in the safe confines of a dungeon. Having received reports of his growth, she considered that allowing this reckless Himusumi to accompany her might be an opportunity for him to mature.
“Teacher!”
Seeing the passion in Himusumi’s eyes as he listened silently to her, she concluded that she couldn’t leave this recklessness unchecked.
“Very well. I will permit you to accompany me.”
“Teacher.”
Himusumi rejoiced at being allowed to come along.
“However, you will be under my direct command. Do not take any unauthorized actions without my orders. If you violate this, you will be severely punished.”
“Yes!”
He probably thought his actions were approved. It remained to be seen what kind of tragic spectacle he would witness. Lunaria felt a sense of unease.
“And what about you?”
“Yes! I also wish to contribute to the company and would like to accompany you!”
Still, Lunaria hoped he would overcome the challenge and asked the woman behind him, who was different from Nanase Miki, if she had the same intentions. The woman straightened up and gave a clear response.
“Very well, you may accompany us. What is your name?”
“Kawasaki Midori!”
Whether this decision would prove beneficial or detrimental would be revealed later.
Word of the Day:
Taking the initiative is not wrong, but consider your own capabilities.
Thank you as always for your comments and for pointing out any typos. If you find this story interesting, please leave comments, ratings, bookmarks, etc.
*The first volume of the published book is available from Hayakawa Bunko JA. It was released on October 18, 2018. The e-book version was released on October 31 of the same year. The second volume was released on December 19. The third volume was released on February 20, 2019. The content has been revised and expanded from the content posted on Shōsetsuka ni Narō, with the addition of an unpublished interlude. Please also check out the new releases!!
The comic adaptation is being serialized in Kodansha’s “Young Magazine The Third.” We hope you enjoy that as well. We appreciate your continued support of this work.
