“Well then, let’s start with the maintenance of the numerous Rapiers,”
Having obtained permission to use the blacksmith’s shop, we gathered around Zwei and officially began the maintenance of our weapons and armor.
It seems they would begin with the Rapiers, which many of us use as our primary weapons.
The Party Members who used them lined up in a row and waited for their turn.
“First… I will begin the maintenance of Ly’s Rapier.”
“Zwei, please handle it.”
“Yes, Ly.”
Ly unfastened the Rapier from her waist and handed it to Zwei.
Zwei immediately drew the Rapier from its scabbard and began to inspect it with a blacksmith’s keen eye.
Incidentally, the Dwarven blacksmiths, led by Balgan, who were positioned behind Zwei, watched her work with bated breath.
Ly’s Rapier appeared to be a well-crafted weapon, judging by the look of astonishment on Balgan’s face.
In contrast, Zwei remained calm.
“—Ly, this Rapier is sufficient with just a normal sharpening. As expected, you use it carefully. It’s vastly different from someone with brute strength like Shera. However, I believe it’s too weak for you to use.”
“Is that so…? This is a drop item from the Master of a certain Labyrinth, you know…”
“It would be best for you to use one made of Mithril alloy. I will forge one for you if we can obtain the ore or ingots.”
“Oh, I’m very much looking forward to that.”
“However, my intuition tells me that you will encounter a sword that will become your lifelong companion in the near future.”
“Is that right…? For some reason, I’m starting to feel that way too.”
And so, having obtained permission to use the blacksmith’s shop, Zwei began enthusiastically maintaining the Party Members’ Rapiers, as happy as a fish in water.
Furthermore, Zwei explained that if rare metallic materials like Mithril were obtained, she could create even higher-performance weapons.
She also emphasized that Ly’s Rapier was not befitting her status and needed to be replaced quickly, while also mentioning a premonition of encountering a fated sword.
As the turn progressed and Mai handed over her short sword, Zwei said the same thing as she did to Ly.
Does this mean… Mai will also encounter a sword that will become her lifelong companion?
Sharon, who overheard this, had an envious look on her face, while Kirika, a fellow member of the “small breasts” club, had nothing to do as she didn’t carry a weapon.
Still, a sword that becomes a lifelong companion…
On the other hand, Dietlinde, Ly’s rival Rapier user, had Zwei promise to forge her a Mithril alloy Rapier with a half-threatening tone. Zwei also skillfully sharpened the chakram that Edele handed over.
Swan Hilda, who had quietly joined the end of the line, handed Zwei her divine sword engraved with “Swan Hilda,” which clearly indicated her origin. However, Zwei shook her head, stating that weapons used by God Clan members were beyond her capabilities.
I doubt Balgan and the others realized the origin of the sword, but I wonder what their expressions would be if they knew a Lower God Clan Valkyrie was among our companions.
“As expected, even Zwei can’t handle our divine sword. Though, I myself have been reforged into ‘Swan Hilda Kai’ by my elder sisters…”
Swan Hilda muttered something with a self-deprecating expression after her divine sword was rejected.
Next, the maintenance of armor began. Elise, along with her armor, secretly took out a slapstick paddle from her Item Box and handed it over.
Upon receiving the slapstick paddle, Zwei grinned and reinforced it, adding weights to increase its power before returning it.
Freya and Shera-nee-san looked on with apprehension upon seeing the reinforced slapstick paddle.
“This concludes the maintenance of weapons and armor. Now, we will proceed with the maintenance of magic staffs and magic tools. First, let’s start with the divine staff, Himorogi, which is close to a divine artifact.”
“Well then, please proceed, Zwei.”
“Please take care of the one I borrowed from Hal-sama too! Speaking of which, the slapstick paddle becoming [Slapstick Paddle Kai]… I’m so unlucky. You really did unnecessary things!!”
“Shera-Mother, will you be maintenance-free from now on?”
“Ugh. I’m sorry, Zwei. Elise was the one who did it.”
“Did you say something, Shera!? Are you going to offer me a Fox Tail as tribute?”
“Ugh. I’m so unluckyyy!!”
At Zwei’s call, Elise and Shera-nee-san took out the magic staffs in question from their Item Boxes and handed them over.
Shera seemed to be bothered by the reinforcement of the slapstick paddle.
Looking at Freya, she too was trembling!
Could it be that the two of them are experiencing past psychological trauma?
Zwei then proceeded to disassemble and clean the Himorogi magic staffs possessed by Elise and Shera-nee-san, improving their magic power transmission efficiency and convergence rate.
As Zwei herself had explained, it seems she was capable of repairing and crafting magic tools.
Looking behind Zwei, the Dwarven blacksmiths, including Balgan, looked up at her with tears streaming down their faces.
Seriously, what kind of cheat is this?
Meanwhile, Zwei’s sister, Ain, cast a jealous glance.
Even the formidable Ain had no role to play at this moment; it was Zwei’s unchallenged domain.
Zwei’s presence was truly remarkable.
I had realized that the lack of production-class Party Members was a weakness of the “Princess Harem,” but I never intended to recruit Dwarven old men.
The Himorogi magic staffs were gifts bestowed upon me and Elise by the Earth Mother Goddess Dentemetina, as a reward for strengthening the barrier that sealed the Demon Realm and the Human Realm in the ancient ruins of the Old Kingdom of Portland, Elise’s homeland.
The Himorogi magic staff given to me had been lent to Shera.
“This…! The magic power transmission efficiency and convergence rate have significantly improved. I want to cast forbidden magic! If I can cast it repeatedly, it will also help with dieting, so it’s killing two birds with one stone ♪”
“In any case, Zwei is amazing, isn’t she? I’m so moved!!”
Elise and Shera-nee-san, who had received their magic staffs back after maintenance, were excited.
However, Elise could not be left unchecked.
If she recklessly unleashed forbidden magic, it wouldn’t just be a neighborhood nuisance.
“Hey, Zwei. Do you remember your promise?”
“What is it? Ain??”
“You promised to make a magic staff for me!”
“Did I make such a promise?”
“Zwei-chan! That’s so cruel!!”
“I was kidding, Ain. I remember the promise, but I don’t have the materials for the magic staff. I’ll make one if you give me the materials.”
“O-Okay. You’re really mean, Zwei!”
“By the way, Ain. You’re responsible for gathering the materials yourself. You have the talent for that, don’t you?”
“O-Okay. Zwei, you’re so stingy!!”
Next, Ain demanded the promised magic staff, but it seemed she lacked the materials.
In fact, she was summarily dismissed with instructions to gather the materials herself.
It seems Zwei is strict with her own kin, or perhaps Ain had been getting too carried away just now.
“Hey, Zwei. I too would like a magic staff.”
“Dietlinde-Mother. You use Fire Spirit Magic, don’t you? In that case, the magic staff would require special materials related to Fire Spirits or a branch from the World Tree. Come to think of it, I think a World Tree branch dropped from a treasure chest in a labyrinth we explored before. It might be in Elise-Mother or Shera-Mother’s Item Box. If we have one, I can make a magic staff.”
“Th-That… The World Tree branch was converted into cash by the Deputy Leader, Elise. Right now… it has probably become excess fat in Elise’s stomach. How could I have been so careless…”
This time, Dietlinde requested the creation of a magic staff, but it seems magic staffs for spirit magic are special.
To think that they obtained the World Tree branch as material and then converted it to cash to become food expenses…
Dietlinde slumped in despair, while Elise, her face flushed red, looked away.
A World Tree branch is extremely rare, so crafting a magic staff for Dietlinde will likely be extremely difficult.
“Then, Zwei. Will you make my magic staff for me?”
This time, Aerria requested a magic staff.
Although a standard store-bought one would suffice for Aerria, a user of Water Attribute Magic, her magic mentor, Elise, had apparently not bought her one.
“Yes, understood, Aerria-Mother. I will make one if I can obtain the materials.”
“Zwei, speaking of materials, how about this ash branch?”
“Yes, that’s sufficient. Elise-Mother.”
And so, with the ash branch taken from Elise’s Item Box, a magic staff for Aerria was created.
After removing excess branches and leaves, it was split in half, the core hollowed out, filled with special materials, and then bound with vines to form the handle.
A pale blue jewel was also set at the tip.
The finished magic staff was specialized for Water Attribute Magic and was a high-quality item that would fetch a considerable sum if sold.
“Zwei, thank you.”
“I’m glad you’re pleased.”
Thus, Aerria obtained her magic staff.
Behind them, Ain and Dietlinde, who had been turned away, glared at Zwei with narrowed eyes.
Incidentally, the reason Elise hadn’t given Aerria a magic staff was not because she was being stingy with money, but for training, she insisted.
Learning to rely on magic staffs from the beginning would prevent her from learning to cast magic without incantations.
Incidentally, I also adhere to the principle of not using magic staffs.
Indeed, Elise’s words carried some weight.
I thought the maintenance and new crafting were finished…
“Next, I will create the weapons for Freya-Mother and Astarotte as promised.”
Without a break, she was now going to create weapons for Freya and Astarotte.
However, neither Freya nor Astarotte have experience with swordsmanship, so I wonder if giving them swords wouldn’t be like “casting pearls before swine” or “giving gold to a cat.”
Of course, a magic staff would likely be useless to them as well.
As I watched Zwei’s work with such thoughts, I saw her creating multiple metal plates of varying thickness.
What kind of weapon was Zwei trying to make?
As time passed, she created a tubular object with diagonally cut grooves on the inner wall.
Furthermore, she freely cut out metal plates like paper cutouts with shears and a metal saw, and processed them into complex shapes using files, etc.
Without any blueprints or designs, a large number of strangely shaped metal objects were created, and finally assembled.
In the end, two mysterious objects with tubes were present on the workbench.
It seemed that precious gems taken from her pocket were also incorporated during the assembly…
“What kind of weapon is this?”
“Hal-sama, this is a weapon called a [Gun]. I believe they were occasionally excavated from ruins of the Ancient Magical Civilization Era. However, they are peculiar artifacts whose method of use is unknown.”
The one who answered my question was Liliana, who was observing intently in front of Zwei.
“Th-This is called a [Gun]? The name [Gun] has been passed down, but it’s a mysterious weapon whose usage is unknown!!”
“Hal-Father, those excavated from ruins are decayed and unusable. But the [Gun] I made works perfectly!”
Then, Zwei, with a smug look again, began to explain the usage of the [Gun] to Freya and Astarotte.
“Freya is one thing, but giving a weapon to Astarotte as well.”
“That’s right, Lara_Berze Elder Sister. Astarotte should be sufficient with physical attacks.”
“I agree. Besides, I want a weapon too…”
As Zwei began her explanation, Lara_Berze and the other two sisters were stamping their feet with envious looks.
In the end, the [Guns] given to Freya and Astarotte were incredibly powerful and highly advanced weapons.
The [Gun] given to Freya was a weapon for reproducing water attribute magic and firing things like [Water Arrow] and [Water Cutter].
Freya, being a beloved child of Aquaanar, the Goddess of Water, apparently has water spirits gathered around her.
It is said to convert the power of those spirits into magic power and fire it.
Unfortunately, it contained a lot of content that I couldn’t understand.
I felt a pang of jealousy at losing to Zwei.
Meanwhile, the [Gun] given to Astarotte came with accessories called [Bullets].
According to Zwei’s explanation, the magic power of the four attribute magics can be filled into the [Bullets] and fired.
As expected, ‘Forbidden Magic’ class spells were not allowed, but it was an astonishing weapon nonetheless.
“So, [Guns] are this amazing weapon ♪ I… want one too ♡”
However, it was Liliana who was reveling in the completed [Gun].
Liliana was aware of the [Guns] excavated from the ruins of the Ancient Magical Civilization.
Her thirst for knowledge stimulated, she was observing it intently.
Then, she started asking Zwei to make a [Gun] specifically for Liliana.
However, Zwei did not agree.
It seems she judged that Liliana, already the ‘Breast Magical Princess’ with a flaming heart hairpin, didn’t need one.
There was probably no one who could stop Liliana when she entered this begging mode.
It was a short break until Liliana calmed down.
Freya and Astarotte, who had become owners of [Guns], could only offer wry smiles.
Meanwhile, looking towards Zwei, she was treated like a goddess by Balgan and the other blacksmiths.
I paid Balgan the compensation for lending us the blacksmith’s shop and also impressed upon him the importance of not speaking of what was seen here.
Well, Balgan’s group also said that even if they explained it to other blacksmiths, they would likely dismiss it as a daydream.
Still, I was truly surprised at how amazing Zwei’s blacksmithing skills and magic tool skills were.
“Zwei-sama, thank you very much for displaying your numerous divine skills today.”
“Thank you very much.”
Balgan Dokant, the master of the ‘Sword God’s Abode’ and a Dwarf, saw us off with the deepest bow.
His three disciples, Arve, Tzedde, and Egef, followed their master’s example behind him.
Incidentally, the disciples’ names were not their real names but nicknames given by their master, Balgan, for convenience.
Arve corresponds to ‘AB’, Tzedde to ‘CD’, and Egef to ‘EF’, with the true intention being to work for two people.
He also mentioned that other blacksmiths call their disciples “Disciple A, Disciple B, Disciple C” or “Disciple Alpha, Disciple Beta, Disciple Gamma.”
We had our weapons and armor maintained, and Freya and Astarotte were able to obtain the powerful weapon known as the [Gun].
Regarding the power of the [Gun], we rented a basement equipped with cut-testing facilities to verify its capabilities, and it possessed the power equivalent to the elemental magic used by ordinary mages.
Not unlike Liliana, I actually wished for a [Gun] myself.
I am specialized in ‘Healing Magic’ and ‘Resurrection Magic,’ and lack offensive means.
Although I can summon Fear, a Mimic that Zwei scouted, judging from Kirika’s operational experience, it cannot be counted as a combatant force unless our bond deepens.
“Hey, Zwei. Can you secretly make a [Gun] for me?”
“Hal-Father, unfortunately, that is difficult. Actually… I am out of stock of the rare precious gems that are used as crucial components. The only way to obtain them is by picking them up as drop items from Masters of large labyrinths.”
Zwei’s explanation seemed to hold no lies.
Does this mean that creating new [Guns] will be difficult…?
“Hal-sama, Hal-sama. A delicious smell is wafting through the air. I’m a little hungry. Shall we take a break?”
On the way to the parking lot where we had left our carriage, Elise caught the sweet scent of delicious-looking sweets.
Despite being a former princess, Elise is perpetually a hungry child.
Her protruding belly will likely never flatten.
“Elise… I don’t mind you snacking, but don’t you think you need to do something about that protruding belly?”
“If I unleash forbidden magic as long as my magic power lasts, it’ll flatten! So for now, I need delicious sweets and tea.”
She seems displeased by my frank answer, but this is my honest advice for Elise’s health.
“…I guess there’s no helping it…”
“Then, before Hal-sama changes his mind, let’s head to that cafe ♪”
In the end, I succumbed to Elise’s enthusiasm and we decided to take a break at a cafe. She was in bliss, stuffing her mouth with cake.
Thus, we finished all our errands in the city of Ribidoon and resumed our journey towards Ashurai, the imperial capital of the former Wahl Imperial Kingdom, traveling in two carriages.
Of course, the overcrowding was not resolved, and Swan Hilda was on the roof of the carriage.
Thank you for reading.
This concludes the segmented posting of episode 50.
The consolidated posting of episode 50, “Swan Hilda V,” “What the Heck! I lent him my eaves, and he stole my whole house!! 〇” is reserved for posting at 0:00 on July 18th.
Please note that the content of the segmented and consolidated postings are the same.
The start of episode 51 will be announced in the ‘Activity Report.’
[Addendum (2019.7.17)]
We plan to insert episode 50.5 as a short story commemorating the achievement of 15 million PV after episode 50.
The story is planned to be about Holy Spirit Serena and Shera reincarnating into another world.
However, I intended to write it during the three-day weekend of July 13-15, but I couldn’t due to poor health.orz
Therefore, posting will be delayed a bit.
Along with this, the progress of episode 51 is also delayed due to lack of writing time, and it will likely not be available until after Obon.
Given this situation, I don’t have time to write for the other series either.
I have a lot of plot ideas for it, but…
I apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your understanding.
