04: Let’s Get That Sword! …Or So I Thought, but the Royal Capital Is Under Attack?!
“Arwf, arrr… (Okay… We have to be…very quiet…)”
Late that night, in the mansion, I keep myself low and move slowly down the hallway so my feet don’t make any noise.
After I whisper behind me, Allie nods without a word.
We’re heading for the room at the end of the hallway—Zenobia’s room. She has a hobby of collecting swords, and she has many famous blades from all over the world and from all sorts of time periods. There’s sure to be at least one in there that Allie likes.
“B-but we shouldn’t be stealing…”
“Arf, arf. (It’s no problem at all. They’re all destined to snap like plastic eventually.)”
She gets to test out one fewer sword on me, and Allie gets a sword of her own. It’s a win-win situation. Zenobia’s collection getting smaller is nothing more than collateral damage.
“I don’t think that makes it okay to steal one…”
“Arf, arf. (It’ll be fine, okay? If you needed it, Allie, Zenobia would give you a sword or two herself.)”
You say you can’t face Zenobia, so we just have to make off with one in secret, right?
“Urgh… I have no excuse for that…”
So our Thieving Woof-Woof Band has been formed. And our mission is to pilfer a sword from Zenobia’s room and escape safely.
Our members are as follows! Me! Allie! That’s it!
Len is already fast asleep in my mane.
“Arf… (We have to be careful from this point on…)”
“A-all right…”
I skillfully use a paw to slowly turn the doorknob. Without making any noise, I open the door, then enter Zenobia’s room.
The only light is the faint glow of the moon, and Zenobia is inside, asleep. She’s hugging the stuffed animal that looks very much like me and has a blissful smile on her face.
“Arf. (Not letting it out of your sight even at a time like this, huh? Zenobia, you like me too much.)”
She should just give up the tsundere act and pamper me regularly.
“Sorry, Zenobia…” Allie apologizes and starts searching out a sword. “Wow, this one’s amazing… It has Kisaragi’s name on it…”
“Arf, arf? (Is that amazing?)”
“It’s impossible to just get one, but even if you were able to buy one, it would cost you as much as a big estate and the land it sat on…”
Whoa. Zenobia, you’re crazy.
“I have to wonder if most of her money made in her adventuring days was spent on this one sword…”
She seems to have saved up quite a bit of money, having been an SS-Rank adventurer, but each and every sword is worth an astronomical amount. Don’t you think you’re too wasteful with your money, Zenobia? At this rate, all the money you got from Papa before is going to turn into swords.
“Arf? (Anyway, do you like any of them?)”
“H-hmm. Zenobia was a master who could wield a lot of different weapons, but I could only ever use a wide-swinging sword and let it pull me around…”
Yeah, the holy sword did belong to the greatsword category, after all. If there were one that size, it would be the black sword Zenobia carries, but that was destroyed when she clashed with the holy sword.
“Out of these, I guess…this one would be closest…”
Allie’s eyes are on a longsword decorating the wall, close to the ceiling. It’s quite a bit thinner than the holy sword was, but in terms of length, it works.
“Ngh, ngh…!”
Allie reaches out to try to take the sword, but she’s not tall enough.
“Arf. (Heh. Just leave it to me.)”
If I stand on my hind legs, my head will reach the ceiling. If I can get the hilt in my mouth, I can easily take it from the wall.
“Arwf. (Heh-heh. Piece of cake.)”
Perhaps I shouldn’t have let my guard down like that, because I hear the sound of a bed creaking behind me.
“…What? Is someone there…?”
Zenobia is sitting up in bed. She’s holding the stuffed animal and rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Routa…? Why are you in here…? Is there someone else there…? Who is it…?”
“A-arwf! (Ah, oh no, oh no, oh no! Retreat! Retreeeeeeeeaaaaaaaat!!)”
While Zenobia is still half-asleep, we frantically escape from the room.
“D-did she see me?! Did Zenobia see me?!”
“Arwf! (No, she was half-asleep, so I think we’re fine!)”
Mission failed. I think Zenobia will be on her guard next time, so we won’t be able to go in to steal anything anymore. We escape from the mansion and heave a sigh.
“Arf, arf. (Great. Now I don’t have any idea where to get one.)”
“Yeah…”
We wouldn’t have to struggle this much if Allie would just ask Zenobia directly, but…
“I can’t face her…”
Right. I doubt Zenobia would laugh, but I can understand Allie not wanting to show a good friend how pathetic she is now.
Still, she’s pretty much the only one around here who has any swords.
“Arf, arf! (I wonder if she accidentally left one lying around somewhere… Oh!)”
Suddenly, I think of something.
“Arf! (I might actually have a lead!)”
“Really?!”
“Arf! (Yeah, over here!)”
I head around to the backyard and poke my head into a hedge.
“Arf, arf! (I think I tossed it around here… Oh, there it is!)”
Spotting something shining in the hedge, I get it in my mouth and pull it out.
“Arwf! (Ta-da! A broken straight sword!)”
I’m shortening it to B.S. sword. Whenever Zenobia breaks a sword, I always dump it here and hide it. She runs away in shock every time, after all.
If Allie just needs to be holding a sword, maybe this broken one will work.
“H-hmm. I don’t know about a broken sword…”
Huh? You mean you need a proper one for this to work? There’s plenty more broken blades in the hedges if she needs them, but it looks like they won’t be good enough for Allie.
“Meooow! (Routaaa, it’s midnight snack time!)”
Nahura, as usual after my dinner, falls out of the sky.
“Mrrmrow?! (Wait, what?! Look at all these broken swords!)”
Seeing all the swords I’ve produced from the hedge, Nahura is surprised.
“Meow… (Nahura has a much weaker jaw than you, Routa, so I don’t know if I could eat anything metal…)”
I’m not eating them, either!
“Arf, arf. (Good timing. Nahura, let me borrow your brain for a minute.)”
I explain the circumstances to her.
“Mew. (Oh. So she wants a sword, but not a broken one. How selfish of her.)”
“Urk!”
Quit it, for her sake, Nahura. I thought the same thing, but I didn’t say anything.
“Mewl? (In that case, why not repair one?)”
“Arf? (Repair? This sword?)”
You have magic for that, too?
“Mewww. (No, no, none of the spells Nahura can use are anything like that. What about just asking a blacksmith by trade to do it?)”
But there aren’t any blacksmiths living around here, are there? In fact, if you want to see anyone aside from the people at the mansion, even villagers, you have to go pretty far south.
“Meow. (Well, this is the very back of the backwater, after all. But wouldn’t the Royal Capital have plenty of blacksmiths?)”
The capital, huh? I’ve visited a few times—on a trip with Lady Mary, and to go rescue the elves—but I know she’s right. The city is way different from the frontier out here.
The issue is how far away the capital is. Even with Papa’s airship, it would take a whole day to get there. More importantly, Allie can’t get any farther than this, so she wouldn’t be able to make for the capital anyway.
“Mrrrow. (Heh-heh. But you have me, don’t you? With spatial magic, it’s a single leap away!)”
“Arf? (What? Your spatial magic can get us that far?)”
I thought she could only go to places near the forest. Also, wasn’t she limited by the number of anchors she could set up to jump to?
“Meow, meow. (Did I not mention how Mistress Hecate improved me yet again recently? She gave me several more anchors as well. I could easily warp us to the Royal Capital, of course.)”
“Woof! (Ohhh, so dependable! I’m starting to think it’s all going to work out!)”
“Spatial magic is extremely high-level magic… You’re amazing, too. Maybe I should have guessed, since you’re friends with Routa.”
I think it’s more on Hecate being incredible than Nahura. She’s a skilled witch who can apparently warp wherever she wants and even manipulate time. The only problem being that I only see her on rare occasions, so she’s never here when I want her to be. After all, I don’t even know where Hecate lives. One of these days, I want to bust into her house and have dinner at her place.
“Arf, arf. (Our course is set, but it’s late, so let’s go tomorrow. Once breakfast is over, we’ll meet up in the elves’ village.)”
“Okay. The village says they’ll let me stay there, too, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Meow? (Huh? Are we skipping our midnight snack?)”
Gah, you’re such a glutton. We’re getting up early tomorrow; just endure one night; every single night you come to shake me down at the mansion; have you no shame; we’re going to the kitchen; fine, come with me!
“So you’re going after all…”
“Mrrrow. (I love how Routa is so on board with everything.)”
The next morning, I eat a bellyful of the old man’s cooking, say good morning to Lady Mary and have her pet me, and then go over to the elves’ village.
“Meow! (Routa, you’re late!)”
“Arf, arf. (Sorry, sorry. I was having trouble getting away from my lady.)”
“Squeak, squeak. (Fawning over that little girl as always… Anyway, what are you planning to do today? I haven’t heard anything about this.)”
You were asleep, so it’s your own fault. If we’re not eating, you’re practically always sleeping!
“Squeak. (And that is, and has always been, my proper lifestyle.)”
It’s always been this way? Guess she’s been a staunch shut-in NEET ever since she was living in that cave under the waterfall.
“Th-thank you for all this.”
Allie lowers her head. I have to say, it’s pretty nice having someone actually polite around here.
She’s not wearing elf clothes today, but instead her own washed clothing and armor, looking the part of the Hero, like always. The only thing missing is from that sheath on her back, but today, we’re gonna go make a sword that can fit into it.
With her upgrades from Hecate, Nahura can do summoning now, rather than just jumping to anchored locations. So I had her put an anchor on the broken swords so that we can call them whenever we need to. After all, it’d be a pain to carry them around with us. She can save more anchors in memory now, so she’s apparently put some on various things at the mansion.
Hey, wait. If she can do that, she has free rein to steal stuff, doesn’t she? What an evil little cat. I’m sure she put a few on the sausages and hams.
“Mew. (Exactly. I didn’t miss a single thing.)”
Okay, that’s good. In my mind, I give Nahura a thumbs-up.
“Meow! (Do you have everything? Here we go!)”
With one more meow, the scenery instantly cuts over to the front of a castle wall with a big gate set into it.
“It’s… It’s really the capital…! How much spell control must you need to teleport such a long distance…?”
“Mrrrow. (Nahura is a highly advanced homunculus, you know. This is a cinch.)”
Not bad. It doesn’t really sink in, since you use spatial magic so casually all the time. I guess it really is hard.
“Squeak! (I… I can certainly do it as well! It just takes time to weave the spell, is all…!)” Len hops around, trying to object.
“Arf. (You’re always saying stuff like that.)”
“Squee?! (What?!)”
“Arf, arf. (You said once you could fire my beam, too, if you felt like it. Was that really true?)”
“Squeak, squeak! (Yes, it was! I can activate ultimate destruction magic by purposely destroying a spell and then pushing a large quantity of mana into the empty space it creates! I would only need to control the direction in which it fires! It is simple! …It’s just that getting that much mana together is an issue…)”
“Arwf… (Huh…)” I say, picking my nose.
“Squeak. (Nahura I can understand, but milord—what even are you? The amount of mana you retain is insane. It’s hundreds of times more than mine, a dragon’s, and that’s a conservative estimate.)”
Don’t ask me. I don’t know.
I was pretty sure my wish was to be reincarnated as a dog, but the next thing I knew, I’d been reborn into this Fenrir body. I didn’t ask for any of this mana stuff or anything. I don’t need any fighting abilities—I would gladly trade in my Fenrir powers for extra cute points.
“Mew. (Speaking of which, will you be all right in that form, Routa? As a cat and a mouse, Len and I can pass, but you’re sure to draw attention with your size.)”
“Arf. (Crap. I didn’t think of that.)”
I may be smaller due to the shape-shifting technique, but I’m still plenty huge. A lot bigger than the last time I was here anyway.
“Arf, arf? (Could we redo the shape-shifting technique? No, wait—it took a long time for me to get to this state. Will it even work?)”
“Actually, I think you’ll be okay.”
Does Allie have some kind of idea?
“You should just walk in. Come with me,” she says, walking toward the gate.
The soldiers at the gate look at Allie, and then at me walking behind her, and freak out.
“It’s… It’s huge…! Is that a monster?!”
“Hey, stop right there!”
They point their spears at me.
“Heya. I’d like to get into the capital. Is that all right?”
Allie takes something out of an inside pocket—a card?—and smiles at the gate guards.
“Wh-what…?!”
“An adventurer… I’ll need to see your license.”
“Here you are. Check it all you need.”
They look between the card they’re given and Allie, and then even more shock comes over their faces.
“Th-the Hero Alstera…?!”
“In… In the flesh?!”
“Of course. It’s really me… I’m not the Hero anymore, though,” says Allie in a self-deprecating way.
The gate guards immediately straighten up and salute. ““We’re terribly sorry!!””
“The ones behind me are my…err, my familiars.”
“Ah, I see… Yes, I did hear that the Hero was working solo.”
“I apologize for not realizing it sooner!”
“Can they come through, too? There was that rule about not asking the identities of companions in SS-Rank adventurers’ rights.”
“Of course! Please go right through!”
My jaw is on the ground as I watch Allie and the gate guards.
“See? Everything’s fine.” Allie gives me a conspiratorial wink.
The gate guards move out of the way, and we go past them, setting foot in the capital.
“I’m still a celebrity here. We might draw attention, but I doubt any soldiers will arrest us.”
Celebrities have it good.
Just like she said, we draw many stares from those on the streets, but none of them make a fuss about me being a monster when they see me. I suppose they think I’m safe because I’m with Allie.
“Squeak. (Humans are truly foolish. If we were to unleash our powers, we could level this entire city in thirty minutes.)”
Please don’t say such terrifying things. Because we’re not gonna do that! We’re a harmless and cute dog, cat, and mouse!
“Eeee! It’s the Hero!”
“Beautiful today, as always. And even more gallant than most men are… Actually, she seems more pretty today than gallant.”
“A pretty Hero is wonderful, too!”
A small crowd of women forms around Allie.
“Arf, arf! (I’m here, too! I’m cute, too!)” I object, and I try to make myself pleasant for everybody.
“E-eek! It looked at me!”
“I-is it a monster…? The Hero is bringing it around, so I’m sure it’s fine, but…”
“It’s so scary… I don’t think I want an autograph today.”
As soon as the ladies see me, they stop running toward us and give us space instead.
“A-arf… (That’s… That’s so mean… I made my cutest face ever, too…)”
“Squeak. (Huh? I thought you were trying to intimidate them.)”
“Mrrrow! (Nya-ha-ha! She said it was intimidating! That’s funny!)”
“Woof! (Nothing is funny about this!)”
Damn it. Everyone at the mansion says I’m cute!
“Ah-ha-ha-ha. But thanks to you, I’ll be able to go through the city more easily today.”
I see. Well, that’s nice. I’m still hurt.
“Arf! (But I want to make a big ruckus and get petted a lot, too!)”
“Well, I wasn’t getting petted or anything…”
“Squeak? (We’re here to get a blacksmith to repair the sword, right? Do you have any ideas?)”
“Once we go past another wall, we’ll be in Midtown. It has the biggest variety of shops in it. I’m sure we’ll be able to find a blacksmith there.”
With Allie in the lead, we head for Midtown.
“Arwf. (Phew. It must be morning, because I can smell that sweet bread cooking.)”
“Squeak. (You just ate breakfast. Even I wouldn’t be able to eat more.)”
“Mew! (Routa’s stomach is bottomless!)”
The old man’s food is what tamed me, but that’s not to say I’ve never thought anything else was delicious. They’re totally separate things. And the more tasty foods there are out there the better.
“Why don’t I treat you?”
Allie buys some bread for me directly from a shop clerk poking her head out of her bakery window. And she, like the others, starts squealing. Allie’s like an idol, huh?
“Here you go.”
“Arwf, arwf! (Yippee! Thanks, Allie!)”
The freshly baked bread is warm and soft. When I bite into the crispy crust, the fluffy center fills my mouth along with the steam.
“Squeak. (Looking at that has made me hungry.)”
“Mewl! (Routa, please let me have a bite!)”
That’s not what you were saying just a minute ago. What am I going to do with you two?
I bring the bread close to the two animals on my back, and they begin digging into it.
“Squeak. (Ah, yes—freshly baked bread is truly a delight.)”
“Mew! (It’s as fluffy as a bed!)”
As we walk and smack our lips over the bread, another castle wall comes within view.
“The capital is partitioned by three layers of walls. It’s so they can defend it even if monsters or another nation penetrates one layer.”
The high, thick walls certainly look like they’d need considerable effort to break through. The gate we’re about to go through is no exception—the door is made of metal, and so dense it must weigh tons.
“Squeak. (Well, we could destroy it in a single strike.)”
Stop making such frightening comments.
“Ha-ha… I wonder if I really should have brought you…”
Allie is taken aback by Len’s words.
It’ll be fine! We won’t cause any problems! Look into my eyes! These puppy-dog eyes!
“Such a sharp light in your eyes… They would probably make children cry…”
Th-that’s so mean! I’m a far safer pet than some stray dog.
“Oh! More importantly, I see the shopping district!”
Ignoring my lamentations, Allie points ahead of us on the road.
“Arwf. (Whoa. There’s so many stores.)”
Clothing shops, furniture stores, and drugstores, along with more unusual ones, like barbershops. Lowtown had a lot of shops dealing in food, like butchers and vegetable stores, but it looks like the ones here mainly deal in daily items.
And I can see what we’re after, too—a weapons shop. I can hear the sound of hammers striking, so they must have a blacksmith who sells what he forges directly. Maybe we’ll be able to take the sword there to be repaired.
“C’mon in!”
The moment we enter, a plump lady calls out to us. She must be the proprietress.
“If anything catches your eye, give me a shout—Wait, is that a monster?!”
No, it’s a dog. So please put that ax you just took out from behind the counter on the floor. Stay. Staaay.
“Sorry. He’s with me. Could you let it slide this once?”
Allie explains it to the proprietress, whose breathing is ragged, like she really wants to murder me. The proprietress puts a hand to her cheek and breaks into a smile, her indignant attitude from a moment ago gone like the wind.
“Oh, well, well! Why, you’re the Hero, Lady Alstera! Welcome to this shabby little shop of ours. The monster behind you must be your familiar. I’ve never seen one before.”
“Y-yeah. He’s something like that. I guess.”
Allie, don’t stammer. When you lie, you have to be bolder.
“What do you need of us? Unfortunately, we have no sword that could rival your holy sword, Lady Hero, but we do have light and sturdy armor.”
“Actually, I came because I need a weapon fixed.”
“Oh, a repair? You want us to mend the holy sword? He is going to jump for joy when he hears this.”
“No, not that, either. For certain reasons, I don’t have the holy sword anymore.”
“You don’t? What on earth happened to it?”
She isn’t able to answer, after all. Hardly anyone would believe a story about how the holy sword was actually one of the generals of the Demon Lord’s army—and those who did would panic.
“Well, I don’t mind, but as I said, we don’t have any swords that could possibly replace that one…”
“That’s okay. That’s why I want to get this one fixed… Routa?”
“Arwf. (Okay. Nahura, bring it out.)”
“Meow! (Roger that!)”
With a meow from Nahura, several broken swords fall onto the counter.
“Why, this is amazing. These are all such famous swords—not the kind we’d ever be able to stock here.”
“But they’re all broken. I’d like to have repairs done, if there are any among them you think you could fix…”
“Excuse me for just one moment. I can appraise the items, but my husband handles the actual smithing. I’ll have to ask him first—Hey! Hey, honey!”
She calls into the back of the store, and a large-framed man comes out.
He’s on the cusp of old age, but he is very powerfully built; his skin is red from sunburns, and his nose is speckled with soot.
“What is it? Didn’t I tell ye not to bother me while I’m working?”
“This customer has business with you.”
“Eh?” The husband stolidly walks over and looks at the swords on the counter. “This is…”
He takes one of them and stares hard at the broken section.
“Now that’s a right odd way to break. Good swords bend without snapping… Ye couldn’t get such a clean break without an experienced master giving an expert stroke, and somethin’ what provides direct force on the sword from the other end, see.”
Whoa, that’s crazy. Your deduction is right on the money. Should’ve expected that from a craftsman.
“Do you think you could fix any of them?” asks Allie anxiously.
The smith shakes his head. “Most likely not. Ye can’t truly fix swords once they break.”
“Honey, look, this is a good chance to show the Hero herself what we’re made of. Can’t you do something?”
“I’m the type what never lies to a customer. What’s impossible is impossible. Even if I patched it up, it would break again right away, in the same exact place. I’d think other blacksmiths’d tell ye the same thing.”
“Oh… I see…” Allie’s shoulders droop.
I’d thought one of Zenobia’s famous swords could replace the lost holy sword, but you can’t fix them once they’re broken, huh?
“I could probably make a short sword using the blade left over, but it wouldn’t be the kind of weapon a greatsword user like yerself would want.”
“I’m really sorry. You came all this way, too.”
“No, it’s all right. Sorry for taking up your time.”
Shoulders still low, Allie heads out of the shop.
“A-arf! (Thank you anyway!)”
Hurriedly, I chase after her.
“I’m sorry. I brought you a long way for nothing.”
“Arf, arf. (Well, we don’t know for sure we can’t fix them. Let’s not get upset. Instead, let’s put our heads together.)”
As we’re walking around aimlessly, Allie says something to herself.
“I thought one of the swords Zenobia used was sure to give me courage, too…”
Allie really does seem like she was lonely after leaving Zenobia. She invited her along when she first set off on her journey, and she wasn’t strongly opposed to me trying to sneak a sword away, either.
“You’ve seen how I’ve been acting since we arrived, haven’t you? I’ve been smoothing everything over because I still look like the Hero on the outside, but inside, I haven’t grown at all. I thought for sure I could get a great fresh start without the holy sword. But maybe I was asking for too much.”
“Arf… (Allie…)”
“I made up with Zenobia, but I’ve been cruel to my other companions, too.”
I heard a little bit about that from Zenobia once. Allie was originally in a party of four, I think.
“My recklessness caused one to be badly wounded, and when I didn’t listen to the other’s warnings, she cursed me and left. I didn’t understand it at the time, but my selfish actions ruined both their futures…”
“Arf… (Allie… I, umm…)”
“I’m no Hero… I was always just a big, selfish, shy idiot…!”
“Arf… (Allie… Listen, I…)”
“…I’m sorry for getting upset. But I don’t need any consolation… It’s all the truth…’
“Arf. (No, not that.)”
“Huh?”
The person in front of us has been waving at us for some time now.
“Huh?” Allie looks up and sees the woman in a nun’s habit waving at us with a smile on her face. “Tania?!”
Who? I’m guessing that’s the nun’s name, but does Allie know her? It couldn’t be one of the companions she was just talking about, could it?
“Tania, what are you doing here?!”
As Allie runs up to her, the nun named Tania gives her a smile.
“It’s been a long time, Alstera. Three years, I believe.”
“Y-yeah. It’s been about that long since you retired.”
Whoa, it actually is one of her former companions. What a crazy coincidence.
Tania is a gentle, graceful beauty, with a little strand of wavy blond hair peeking out of her coif. Also—and this part is important—she possesses an incredibly voluminous chest that is simply too large to fit into her plain habit.
“Squeak. (Hmph. What is so good about those hunks of fat? They only get in the way.)”
“Arwf. (A dragon like you would never understand how wonderful they are.)”
“Squeak! (As if a Fen Wolf could, either! Why do human breasts arouse you so?! You lech!)”
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking at her that way. Breasts are to be revered. They’re filled with dreams.
“Mew. (If you like them that much, I could change shape and become a pair of breasts for you.)”
“Arf, arf. (No, that would be scary. Also, viewer discretion should be advised for your shape-shifting, so don’t do it in front of people.)”
As we’re making a nuisance of ourselves, my eyes meet Tania’s.
“Arf, arf! (Hello! I’m Routa! A harmless, innocent little puppy dog!)”
I wag my tail to spread my adorable charm.
“Umm… Your friend seems like fun.”
“Routa, Tania is a nun, so…well, she can use magic. And anyone with an affinity for magic can hear your voice.”
“Arwf?! (Hwhat?! Does that mean she heard all of that just now?!)”
My words are indecipherable by default, so I let my guard down. Crap. My affection rating is down the toilet already, and we only just met.
“No, no, I’m not angry. I do feel fear from your presence, but I understand that you are not a malicious monster.”
Phew. Looks like she’ll forgive me for saying all that rude stuff on our first meeting.
Tania turns back to Allie and takes her hand. “I’m so glad you seem like you’re doing better than I thought. After not only Zenith but Zenobia left the party, I heard you’ve been a solo adventurer for the past year.”
“Y-yeah.”
“I wonder if they’re the ones to thank for how well you seem.”
Eh-heh-heh. I don’t think I’m all that great. I do have pride when it comes to doing stupid things, though. I’m second to none in that department.
“Umm, Tania…”
Allie is looking at Tania’s right leg.
“What’s the matter? Oh, are you concerned for my leg? It’s fine. I can’t do any intense exercise, but I can still run, and it doesn’t pose any problems in my daily life. I’m currently in the care of the church right over there. My days have all been fulfilling, even after stopping my adventuring. Please don’t worry about it… Well, that might be too much to ask.”
Allie’s expression is grave. She looks like she might burst into tears at any second. “Tania, I…”
“I was surprised. You seem like a completely different person than before. You don’t seem like the Hero who was always courageous, filled with confidence, standing at the head while dragging everyone else behind her.”
“Yeah… That was a fake me. This is more who I really am.”
“A fake you? I don’t really understand what you mean. If anything has happened, would you be able to tell me about it? As a friend from your old party, that is.”
“A-all right… I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but…”
After borrowing some of the pews in the back of the church, we had Tania listen to Allie’s story.
About how her personality changed due to the holy sword she’d inherited as a child, about how she was slowly brainwashed by that very holy sword, and about how she recently learned its true nature and was released from its mind control.
Tania listened to it all the way through, gently prodding Allie where needed when she started to falter.
“I see. That must have been very hard… Who would have thought that holy sword was something that dangerous…?”
“Tania, I know it’s long overdue, but I wanted to apologize. I was always so reckless, and it took away your future.”
“It isn’t your fault, Alstera. I followed you because I wanted to; it didn’t have anything to do with the holy sword. More importantly, I’m so glad you’ve been released from the curse. I’ve been worried about you ever since I left the party.”
“But I…,” says Allie, tears in her eyes.
Tania embraces her. “I much prefer you as you are now to how you were before. I think an Alstera who can cry and laugh is more wonderful than a Hero who only seeks out fights.”
“Tania…”
“Welcome back, Alstera. I’m truly glad I was able to meet you.”
“Tania…! I…!”
Allie clings to Tania’s breast and begins to sob loudly. Tania watches over her with compassionate eyes.
“Arf, arf. (A happy ending! You were able to make up after all, Allie.)”
Her crying has infected me. We couldn’t get a replacement for the holy sword, but just being able to meet one of her companions makes the trip to the capital worth it.
“Well, now that I know, shall we be off?”
Seeing that Allie has stopped crying, Tania stands up.
“Arf? (Huh? Isn’t it case closed now?)”
“No—it has just begun. Come, Alstera, and stand. Let’s go.”
“Ngh… Where are we going…?”
“You want a sword, right? I know just the person.”
A Hero without a holy sword, a nun, a dog, a cat, and a mouse. Having formed a pretty weird group, we proceed through the streets, Tania in the lead.
“Arf, arf. (I think I can smell seawater.)”
The Royal Capital borders the sea on its western side. We entered through the eastern gate, so we’ve walked quite far. We even went past the shopping district, with its rows of stores, and into an area where there are more civilian homes. Mothers trade gossip with one another as they watch their kids running around.
“But did you hear? Apparently, some prisoners en route from the capital to the prison island escaped.”
“Oh, how scary…!”
“I heard there were several extremely dangerous criminals among them who tried to throw the capital into chaos by releasing monsters into the city.”
“What sort of horrible things could they be thinking? I do hope they don’t come toward the city…”
“It’ll be too late by the time something happens to our children…”
It turns out their conversations are pretty grave.
Still, trying to overthrow the monarchy by releasing monsters into the city, huh? Sounds kind of familiar. Where did I hear about that again?
“Squeak. (You remember. It was from that man who was conning that spinny-haired little girl.)”
Oh, that’s right, that happened. In the end, everything failed, and Zenobia beat the crap out of him. He escaped, did he?
“Arf, arf. (Well, nothing to do with us. We’d never coincidentally run into him again on our only day here. The odds are just too low.)”
“Mew. (When you say it like that, I think you’re raising a flag.)”
Don’t say that. Once we get a sword fixed, all I have to do is go back to the mansion, eat the old man’s food, have the young lady give me a bath, and then go to sleep. I wouldn’t be able to bear any unnecessary work.
“We’re here.”
Tania has led us to a small house on a street corner. A lone signboard hangs at the entrance to what was probably someone’s house originally.
“Zenith’s Atelier…? Zenith…?”
As Allie reads the signboard, Tania uses the door knocker.
“Zenith! I know you’re there! Come out, please! There’s a familiar face here to see you!”
After she calls out and we wait a moment, we hear a set of footsteps coming downstairs. And then the house’s owner opens the door and pokes her face out.
“What do you want…? I just saw your face yesterday… I was up all night—”
The woman who came out, scratching her hair, opens her eyes wide.
“Y-you… Is that you, Alstera…?!”
“So it was Zenith after all…”
“What do you want now? You know just what you did to Tania—”
“We’ve finished discussing that already, so please stop that,” interrupts Tania, getting in between them. “Alstera is here as a customer today. Treat her like you would any other.”
“What? Customer? Do you even know what kind of shop this is—”
“Yes, I do. I’m the one who brought her here.”
“Why? I don’t get it.”
“If you’d like to know, then please let us in.
“Come, come,” says Tania, pushing her way past the woman. “Please come in, everyone.”
“Why are you saying that?! It’s my store!”
We follow Tania as she placates the indignant woman.
Inside, the place is cluttered and looks more like a normal house than a shop. Blueprints and compounding diagrams of some sort litter the area.
“I’ll put on some tea, so the rest of you can sit down at the table.”
Tania, seeming as familiar with this house as though it were her own, goes to the kitchen and puts a kettle on a flame.
“S-sorry for intruding.”
“Arwf. (Me too. Sorry about stepping on the carpet.)”
The woman’s attitude toward Allie seems to tell us to leave if we’re as sorry as we say.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk!”
How many times are you going to tsk us?
The name of this woman, who isn’t even trying to hide her irritation, is Zenith, if I recall. This was Allie’s last companion. She left the party not long after Tania got hurt and left, apparently.
“Arwf… (And she’s less a woman and more just a little girl…)”
She’s short, flat-chested, and dwarfish. Her wild blond hair is done in haphazard braids. Considering her appearance, she doesn’t seem to be as old as Allie.
In fact, her age has got to be in the single digits.
“I’m a half elf. The oldest one in our party. Got it?”
Seems like we have another person who can understand me.
“Squeak. (This feeling… For some reason, I feel a sense of closeness with this one.)”
Right. You’re exactly alike—how you look young, but you’re really old ladies on the inside.
“I’m still young for a half elf. What are these rude animals even supposed to be anyway?”
After tsk-ing loudly, Zenith suddenly breaks into a crescent-moon smile, as if she’s just thought of a good prank, and she brings her face closer to Allie’s.
“Alstera, what is this? All your companions left, and at last, you’ve fallen so far that only animals will be your friends? Heh-heh-heh. Well, a whelp like that is a good fit for someone who doesn’t give a crap about her friends!”
If you’re calling me a dog, that must mean you’re a good person, right?
“I’m calling you a dog, and yet you’re wagging your tail like that… You just have to be a monster of the highest rank. It’s putting me on pins and needles…”
No, I am a dog. Please refer to me as a dog.
“Great, I have no clue what you’re even talking about… I’m dumbfounded…”
“Ha, ha-ha…”
“What was that?”
“Eek…?!” Glared at threateningly, Allie draws back.
“Fake laughter to be polite? You’re completely different from the Alstera I know. Certainly not the snooty, selfish, good-on-the-outside-but-lives-for-slaughtering-monsters one. Are you actually Alstera?”
Those were some nasty things to say. Of course, she only knew Allie when she was under the holy sword’s control, so I guess I can’t blame her.
Allie can’t respond to that, either. She just shrinks down.
“The tea is ready, everyone. Zenith, stop bullying Alstera.”
“What? But she’s been acting so weird—”
“I can explain everything, including her behavior. I can tell that if I let Alstera try, you’ll butt in whenever you have the chance.”
“Urk… Fine, I’ll listen.”
Tania seems to have even put on some tea for us. After passing out teacups to everyone, she takes a seat.
“Arf! (Oh, this black tea has jam in it!)”
“Mrrrow! (It sure smells good!)”
“Squeak. (As always, we do nothing but eat.)”
No, it’s tea. Doesn’t count.
“You— This— This is that peach-flower jam I had hidden away! Who do you think you are?!”
I understand why Zenith would hide it; there’s a very good smell coming from the jam-infused tea. The sour-sweet flavor of the peach flowers is driving me crazy. Hecate uses various flower syrups when she makes tea, too. I wonder if the elves have a custom like that as well.
The black tea is good, but it’s hot, so I lap it up a little bit at a time. As I’m doing that, Tania makes it through her explanation.
“What the hell is that…?”
After hearing her through to the end, Zenith has her head down, and her shoulders are trembling.
“What the hell?!”
She slams on the table and stands up.
“That makes me the worst person on the face of the planet!”
“Z-Zenith…?”
Zenith looks down at the confused Allie, huge tears bursting from her eyeballs. “I’m sorry, Alstera! I had no idea that was happening to yooooooouuuuuuu!!”
Whoa, wait, wait—Zenith, completely bawling, embraces Allie.
“I said all those mean things when I left about you not understanding people’s hearts and not knowing you from monsters, and I’m soooorrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy!!”
“I—I, um, no, I need to apologize to you, too…”
“But it was all that holy sword’s fault! You didn’t do anything wrong!”
She looks like a kid, and she certainly cries and wails like one, too. Tania appears to be the only one not crying, but you can cry with me! I can let you borrow my fluffy chest.
“Oh, well, thank you very much. I will call on you the next time I am feeling sad.”
“Arwf. (Your reservation has been processed.)”
In my mind, I give her a thumbs-up and a wink.
“Squeak, squeak?! (What are you doing, flirting like it comes naturally to you?! You should be letting me borrow it, since you’re always making me feel lonely anyway!!)”
But you’re the one I’ve known the longest. And you constantly use me as a bed, so…
“…All right, I understand now. I’ll make a sword for you, Alstera!” sniffs Zenith, wiping her tears with her arm.
“Arf? (Make one? Wait, Zenith, you’re a blacksmith?)”
The signboard out front said ZENITH’S ATELIER, but I don’t see any anvils or furnaces.
“Tania, you brought him here without explaining anything, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I decided I should let them meet you first.”
“Then that’s where we’ll start. The workshop is up on the second floor. Come with me.”
As prompted, we head for the second floor of Zenith’s shop.
“At first, after leaving the party, I just planned to retire. Thanks to grinding through all those quests like an idiot, I had a real big nest egg.”
“I’m—I’m sorry. I pushed you so much…”
“Don’t apologize. I already said it wasn’t your fault.” Zenith uses the height gap created by the stairs to muss Allie’s hair. “Anyway. At first, I was just lazing around doing nothing…but I got bored.”
You got bored?
“So I decided to work.”
So you decided to work?! That’s amazing! I’m never going to work another single day in my life. Right now, I get up and go to sleep whenever I want, and I can eat all the tasty food I can fit in my belly. I could never understand someone abandoning that and working.
“Gee, sounds like you have it made…”
Why, thank you.
“Your lack of ability to understand sarcasm knows no bounds…”
Heh-heh. Pretty great, right?
“Graaaah! This conversation is getting nowhere!”
Hoo-hee-hee. My bad.
I’ve been accidentally letting my habit of interrupting people with quips get the better of me. People don’t normally understand what I say, so nobody ever reacts even if I say something inappropriate.
“Where was I…? Oh, right. I was bored, so I decided to work. So I opened this shop.”
Once we get up the stairs, the first things I see are flasks and drugs, lined up on shelves in large quantities. On a desk is a piece of parchment with a magic circle drawn on it, and on top of that is a series of gemstones, positioned along it evenly.
“Heh-heh. Quite something, isn’t it?”
Zenith takes a cape and a witch’s hat from the wall, then grabs a well-used staff.
“Welcome, customers, to the atelier of Zenith the Alchemist.”
Zenith bows theatrically.
“Alchemist? Didn’t you specialize in attack magic when we were adventuring?”
She’s right. Your clothes make you look more like a mage than an alchemist.
“So what? I only realized it when I gave it a try, but I’m better suited for creating stuff, not fighting. Now that I call myself an alchemist, I mix magic potions and stuff, too, but my specialty is actually metallurgy.”
Metallurgy? Is that where you heat up ore and get the metal out?
“Oh? I’m surprised you know.”
Heh-heh. That’s the first time my modern knowledge has come in handy. Still, this world is pretty advanced, so cheating with what I know appears impossible.
“I refine metals. But I don’t use fire for it. I use magic to extract and fuse metals, and I can imbue what I make with mana. I can make it whatever shape I want, too. Swords included, of course. Basically, my staff and magic circles are like my hammer and anvils.”
That’s incredible. You put blacksmiths to shame!
“I guess. That’s why I’ve worn out my welcome with blacksmiths. There’s a few who will trade techniques with me, but I don’t want to cause any fights. Which is why I have a cozy little shop here instead of in the shopping district. I started it as a way to kill time anyway; the fewer customers the better.”
Allie must be one of those few customers today, then.
“I heard you mention you had Zenobia’s swords, right? They should make for good alchemic materials. She’s been an awful hoarder ever since she was an adventurer. She living on the streets now?”
No, it’s okay—she and I are being taken care of at the mansion. Generally, she does one of three things: take care of her swords, practice swings with her swords, or test her swords on me.
“And they all broke when she tried to cut you. Let’s take a look at ’em.”
“Meow, meow! (Roger that!)”
Nahura summons the swords once again. Broken swords scatter across the floor.
Zenith picks them up, inspecting each in turn.
“Huh. This is quite the collection of famous swords. But with this much raw material, I think I can make something close to the size of Alstera’s old greatsword.”
Oh, that’s wonderful! We’ll finally be able to get her a sword.
“O-okay. Thanks, Zenith.”
“The issue is how…unique the steel is in each of them. They were all famous swords, after all. It’ll be a monumental task, harmonizing all their special properties and fusing them into a single blade. I’ve never done a job this intense. I don’t want to get your hopes up… There’s a good chance it’ll fail.”
Hey, you don’t have to scare me like that. Worst case, I’ll just go challenge Zenobia again to get her to break some more.
“You’re awful…” Zenith grins, then spreads a piece of parchment on the floor.
On it is depicted a complex magic circle.
“The swords go here, the catalytic gems go here, and for the mana solution, I’ll splurge and use mystic waters number five and number six.”
She aligns the broken swords and gemstones to form a circle, then sprinkles a liberal amount of faintly glittering water over them.
“Take a step back, everyone. It’ll happen in an instant.”
Zenith points the staff she holds in her right hand out horizontally, then opens her left hand and points it toward the magic circle.
“Agua… Eivis… Mora…”
As she murmurs an incantation I don’t comprehend, the magic circle begins to glow.
“Deminu… Duro… Ahre…”
The swords and gems start floating and the mana solution forms a sphere, the former spinning within the latter and beginning to change shape.
“Kahse… Rekto… Skulo…”
Beads of sweat begin to form on Zenith’s brow—this must require significant concentration—and she struggles to keep incanting the spell.
The broken swords melt and try to combine, but they don’t form a specific shape. The metal is like slime, swarming and vacillating within the solution.
“Gh…! Blast…!”
Zenith falls to a knee.
“Zenith!”
Allie hastily tries to support her, but Zenith gives her a look that stops her.
“Not yet. My spell is still intact. But I don’t have anywhere near enough mana. The passions of the blacksmiths who forged these swords are fighting each other. I’ll have to add an ingredient with a large amount of mana in it to quell them…”
An ingredient with a lot of mana in it, huh…?
“Arf? (And that’s all you’d need?)”
“Yeah! But there’s no ingredient that has that much mana packed inside. The mana solution I just used is the best I have! And the spell won’t last much longer! Sorry, Alstera! I don’t think it’s gonna work!”
Zenith’s face distorts in frustration.
“Arf, arf! (Not so fast! It’s too early to give up!)”
You just need an ingredient with mana in it, right?
“Woof! (Nahura!)”
“M-meow?! (Y-yes?!)”
“Woof, woof? (You said you put anchors all over the mansion, right?)”
“Mrrrow, mrrow. (Yes, I did indeed.)”
“Woof, woof! (Then please bring me my brush!)”
“Mrrrow! (Right away, sir!)”
Nahura gives a cry, and a brush falls out of thin air. Fortunately, it’s the one I always use.
“Arf! (Allie! I want you to do exactly what I say!)”
I pass the brush to Allie and then lie on the floor.
The women’s gazes dart around; they have no idea why I’m doing that.
Ignoring them, I give a bark.
“Wait… What?!”
“Woof, woof! (Brush me all you like! Come on!)”
I pop my hind legs open to lure Allie in.
“What are you even doing?! Quit messing around! This is an emergency!” yells Zenith in anger, her veins about to burst in frustration.
“Woof, woof! (I’m not messing around one bit!)”
It doesn’t matter—just do what I say, Allie.
“U-umm, like this?”
As Allie was told, she starts brushing me.
“Arwf, arwf! (Excellent, excellent! Faster! Harder!)”
As my breathing becomes ragged from how good the brushing feels, I encourage Allie.
“…Wait, what the heck are you doing?”
Ignoring Zenith as she turns a cold stare on me, I confirm the results.
Great. That should be enough brushing.
“Arwf! (Fwa-ha-ha! You see, I had a secret plan all along!)”
I didn’t ask for someone to brush me just because I was itchy. It was because I needed something.
And when I get brushed, said something naturally gets stuck to that brush: the fur I shed.
“Woof, woof? (Len said it before, but I have a ton of mana in my body, right? Wouldn’t that mean the fur I shed would be a good ingredient for you?)”
“What…?! Well, yes, I do feel mana. Hesitation means failure anyway, I guess… No harm in trying! I’ll do it!”
“O-okay!”
Allie takes my fur out of the brush and throws it into the watery sphere in which the swords whirl.
The very moment the silvery fur is absorbed into the bubble, it bursts with a brilliant light.
“Arw, arw! (Whoa, that’s bright!)”
A harsh wind blows around, sending paper into the air and shattering flasks. Static electricity swirls around the water bubble, speeding up its rotation.
“How is that so much mana…?! That just might be enough…!”
Through my hazy white vision, I can see Zenith giving an intrepid smile.
And then the light and wind die down—
“It worked…!”
—and a single large sword is stuck in the floor.
It’s close to the shape of Allie’s old holy sword, except the blade isn’t white, but a deep silver, and its mottled temper pattern is beautiful.
“Arf, arf. (Go on, Allie—pick it up.)”
I prod Allie in the back with my head.
Cautiously, she touches the silver sword, gripping its hilt.
“So this is my new sword…”
The greatsword she pulls out has a decent heft to it, but Allie holds it as though it were a part of her own body.
“I can feel Zenobia’s and Routa’s power… This sword is incredible…!”
“Arf, arf! (Fwa-ha-ha! It is, isn’t it? Much better than that stupid holy sword!)”
“Hey, I was the one who made it… Though it was your fur that made it all work.”
Thanks a million, Zenith! Now Allie’s got her sword back.
“Ahh, I’m exhausted…and hungry. Let’s go grab some lunch. I just remembered I haven’t eaten at all since yesterday.”
“W-well then, let me treat you!” Allie sheathes the greatsword and raises a hand.
“Oh? Sounds great!”
It does!
“In that case, why don’t we go to the nearby restaurant on the water?” suggests Tania. “I heard they hired a new chef recently, and they are supposedly very good. It’s a little early for lunch, so it should be mostly empty at this hour.”
In that case, we’ve gotta go.
We leave the atelier, and after Zenith makes sure she’s locked the door, we set off.
“This recommendation of yours—it better be good. You’ve got me excited.”
“It is my first time going as well, so I cannot say for certain. However, I would think you would find anything delicious right now, Zenith.”
“You’re not wrong! Ahh, I’m so hungry! Allie, hurry up already!”
“I—I will! I’ll be along in a second!” says Allie, slowing down so she’s next to me. “Routa, thanks for today.”
“Arwf? (Huh? That was sudden.)”
“If you hadn’t brought me here, I wouldn’t have even been able to see those two, much less make up with them. I got a sword, and I’m friends with them again—and it’s all thanks to you. Thank you, everyone.”
“Arwf, arwf. (Heh, you’re very welcome.)”
“Squeak. (Well, I didn’t do much at all.)”
“Meow, meow. (Routa did come up with the idea of using his shed fur because you said something, Lady Len. I think you contributed, too.)”
Yeah, that’s right. Without those words, you really would have been a good-for-nothing dragon who slept the day away.
“Squeak! (That certainly doesn’t feel like praise!)”
Len, angry, starts batting at Nahura with her front legs.
“Meooow! (Nahura praised you, though! This isn’t fair!)”
Allie smiles as she watches us banter, then grips the sword on her back.
“…With this sword, I’m sure I’ll be able to…”
“Arwf!! (Whoa! This is freakin’ amazing!!)”
This is just as good as the old man’s cooking!
The shop’s interior is nice and bright, and what with us pretending to be familiars, they let us all in to eat together, which is great. The kitchen is set up so that the patrons can see into it; the open-concept design makes a great first impression.
As I’m looking at them making the food, my eyes meet the chef’s. He smiles and bows a little. Huh? Have we met somewhere before? I don’t remember his face, so it must just be my imagination. The chef doesn’t seem to have any business with me, either, so he returns his gaze to the frying pan he’s holding in his hand.
Anyway, this is good. Len and Nahura are eating their hearts out, too. Given that the restaurant is right next to the sea, the dishes mainly feature fresh seafood, served in heaping portions. It’s the best.
Pilchard fries and shrimp sauteed in garlic. Marinated octopus and dried oysters in garlic sauce. And, as if that all weren’t already enough, a paella packed with as much seafood as it can hold.
Myriad colorful dishes come to the table, one after another.
“This is great! It’s as good as you said, Tania!”
“All of it is simply delectable.”
The three of them have huge appetites, maybe since they used to be adventurers. Emptied plates keep piling up, and food keeps disappearing into their thin bodies.
Graaah, I won’t lose to you!
“Yeah, it’s really good… I never thought it would make me so happy to be able to taste things…,” says Allie profoundly.
She wasn’t able to taste food under the holy sword’s control, and she probably never even thought it was strange. She slowly savors each and every bite, having regained her lost sense of taste.
“I’m really glad… Slurp…”
“Let’s keep in touch from now on. We’re no longer in the same party, but we’re still companions to this day—and friends.”
“Yeah… Thank you, both of you. I’ll do my best.”
Zenith has tears in her eyes, and Tania smiles gently. Allie swears to them that she’ll work hard.
“I’ll do my best… My very best…”
But for some reason, her eyes don’t seem to have much energy in them. Maybe it’s just my imagination.
“Man, I’m stuffed. Never thought breaking a daylong fast would taste so great. Plus I got to make up with Alstera. This day’s just been full of good things.”
“If you still have time, why don’t we take a walk a little nearer the harbor? The sea breeze in that area is quite pleasant.”
“Sounds good to me. My shop is just a hobby anyway.”
“I have time, too. Although I will need to make an appearance at the guild again.”
“Arf, arf. (We’re free, too.)”
A pet’s schedule is basically meaningless, but I do kind of want to go back while the old man’s lunch is still warm.
“Squeak? (You plan to eat again? There are gluttons, and then there is you…)”
“Mewl… (Even Nahura can’t fit any more inside… Routa, your stomach is beyond bottomless…)”
We continue walking, I with two round-bellied animals on my back, and eventually, we see the ocean.
The area beneath the high walls acting as embankments seems to have been made into a harbor for unloading goods. Large boats are tied to the piers, and tons of wooden crates are being brought on and off them. Strong-looking bare-chested men with towels draped over their shoulders are carrying the crates back and forth between the boats and the harbor.
“Arwf! (Thanks for all your hard work!)”
Being a pet with no connection to physical labor, all I do is watch over them in a carefree way. The voices of the freight handlers working up a sweat, their skin burning red in the sun, carries over the sea breeze to me.
“Hey, we still not selling that freight? It’s been sitting here for days.”
“Nothing we can do about it. Deal doesn’t have a set date. And it’s a little too big to stow in a warehouse.”
“It’s so heavy we had to borrow a flotation magic user from the guild to get it off the boat. Wonder what could possibly be in that thing.”
“Nothin’ dangerous, I hope. It’d be pretty awful if it suddenly exploded on us.”
“It’s not for us to worry about—we’re just common freight handlers. Let’s try and get this one boat’s stuff unloaded before lunchtime.”
“““Right.”””
Apparently, the freight in the dead center of the docks is getting in their way. With a crate that big, the handlers would definitely have to take some detours.
The three women sit out on the embankments, seeming to be talking about the good old days. Now that I’ve eaten, I’m pretty sleepy. Maybe I’ll take a quick nap and treat myself.
“Gwaaaar…” I give a big yawn and lie sprawled on the edge.
As I stare at the freight handlers at work, using my front legs as a pillow, I spot someone acting strangely.
“Arwf? (Who’s that?)”
It’s a short old man. Wearing red-and-white-striped clothing, he’s moving through the docks as though trying to hide from those around him.
His destination seems to be the big wooden crate the freight handlers were just talking about.
“Arwf… (I could swear I’ve seen him somewhere before…)”
As I’m trying to grasp at the threads of my unreliable memory, Len murmurs from on top of me.
“Squeak? (What? Isn’t that the scoundrel who tried to unleash monsters on the city? Saying something about wanting to overthrow the monarchy? You know, the one the women were talking about in the city.)”
“Arwf! (Oh— Ohhh! That guy!)”
He’s the one who sold Drills a monster claiming it was a rare animal, and the one who tried to get those people in chains to rise up and throw the city into chaos. Zenobia sent him flying, and though he was sent to the prison island, I heard he escaped—but what would he be doing here?
“Meow? (That crate is suspicious, huh? Maybe we’d better stop him.)”
Allie and the others don’t know the circumstances, and the guy could run away while I explained.
“Arwf… (I really don’t think this is supposed to be my job, but…)”
Nevertheless, I cannot let this stand.
I jump down from the embankment. The height poses no issue for my Fenrir body. I land with assuredness and bolt toward the crate.
“Woof, woof! (Sorry, sorry! Coming through!)”
The freight handlers give a start upon seeing me.
“Whoa! What’s that?!”
A dog.
“A monster?!”
A dog.
“Call the guards! No, wait—the adventurers! Contact the guild, damn it! There’s a monster here!!”
I’m a dog! A! Dog!
The freight handlers all scatter like baby spiders.
I think it’s good that they ran away in advance. I won’t cry because they were scared of me. Sniffle.
And obviously things will blow up if it turns out there’s a whole bunch of monsters in that crate again.
“Squeak. (Not to worry. One roar from you, milord, and they would all surrender.)”
“Meow! (Nobody can stand up to the Fen Wolf King himself, after all!)”
Their faith in me runs deep. I can hear it in their voices: They seriously believe that things will work out as long as I’m here.
But I don’t need that kind of loyalty! I want to be the one other people protect! Why do I always get mixed up in trouble?
We approach the target crate. The man is right near it, too.
“What?! You—I know you! Why are you here?!”
That’s what I’d like to know. What are the odds? This goes well beyond a spell of bad luck.
If you surrender, you won’t have to suffer any pain. Allie and the others should have noticed the ruckus by now, too. They’ll surround you and beat you to a pulp. And I’ll stand by and watch.
“Gah! But unfortunately for you, I was faster!”
The man dives behind the crate.
“Woof! (There’s no point hiding!)”
I chase him, but when I look behind the box, he’s not there.
“Arwf?! (What?! Where’d he go?!)”
“Damn, an obstacle! The plan has already gone awry, and now there’s another hindrance… Am I cursed?!”
I hear his voice, but can’t see him. Did he go into this huge wooden crate? My ears, which are unreasonably good, can barely hear his muffled voice.
“I was going to use a berserk monster rampage to stir mistrust toward the monarchy, then use my team of golems to topple the monarchy in one fell swoop… But my last failure sent the odds of that plan succeeding straight into the privy…”
I just heard the word golem. Golem? Like those golems? Giants made of stone, filled with power, with a penchant for meditating—those golems?
“But there’s no going back for me now. I must overthrow the monarchy, no matter what sacrifices I have to make. Thankfully, I’ve gotten people to control the golems. Any idiot criminal can throw a hissy fit. I’ll stir up chaos, use it to go for the castle, and then put all the royals to death.”
That’s some incredibly dangerous stuff you’re thinking about.
“Awaken, my golem! Show them all the power of next-generation magical weaponry!”
I hear some booming and groaning, and the next thing I know, the crate explodes.
“A-arf?! (Wh-what the hell?!)”
A giant with metallic skin appears from the crate.
Thick limbs and a round head. Its short and stout figure looks less like a golem and more like an Acguy. It would probably be good for amphibious operations and such. I see the man from before riding its round head, protected by glass.
“Heh-heh-heh! This golem is a magical weapon for military use. In its combat evaluation test, it even defeated monsters of such high rank they have nicknames! You cannot stand against it, no matter how powerful a monster you are!”
“Arwf! (Yikes!)”
I jump back out of the way right before being stomped on.
Its movements don’t seem very quick, but it looks hard and heavy. If this thing got loose in the city streets, it would cause pandemonium. I could handle things with my beam, but there are still people on the docks. I’d have to wait for them to evacuate before I fire it.
“Hey, stop!”
That was Allie’s voice putting a sharp warning to the man.
“I heard everything! You’re trying to rebel against the state!”
She pulls out the greatsword we just had made and thrusts its tip toward the golem, her cape fluttering in the wind all the while.
“Arwwrr! (Eeee! Allie, that’s so cool!!)”
“Those clothes… No! Are you the SS-Rank adventurer Alstera? The Hero?! What are you doing in a place like this?! What’s happening?! Why do people get in the way whenever I try to do something?!”
Probably just because most of the stuff you try to do is bad. Allie is invincible now that she has her sword back. Hope you’re ready to be sliced and diced.
“Arwf. (Easy win today, huh? Looks like I won’t have to fight anymore from now on.)”
I feel like a little kid watching a battle between a giant robot and an epic hero as I wait for further developments in the plot.
“Damn! If you get in my way, I’ll just crush you, too!”
The golem pulls its arm behind it, then drives it up from below at Allie, plowing up the ground in the process. If you think a slow attack like that is going to take Allie down, you’ve got another thing coming.
Beautifully dodging and brilliantly cutting down the golem…is what Allie is unable to do. Instead, she gets launched away.
“Ahhhh!!”
What?! Allie?!
She blocked it with her greatsword in the instant it hit, but she bounced away like a rubber ball, flying up and over the high dock walls.
“Alstera?!”
“Are you all right?! I’ll cast a healing spell!”
Zenith and Tania, still near the wall, run over to her.
“Heh… Heh-heh… Well, that wasn’t anything special! It looks like the rumors of SS-Rank adventurers rivaling a thousand troops were embellished!”
“Agh…”
“Woof, woof?! (Allie, are you okay?!)”
She doesn’t seem to have any notable wounds. But what happened? That attack certainly wasn’t impossible to dodge.
“Alstera, can you stand?! You have to get up before the next attack comes!”
“……”
Still buried under the rubble from the wooden crate, Allie doesn’t try to get up.
“Alstera…?”
“I’m… I’m scared…,” she manages to squeeze out. “I’m scared… I’m scared, okay? I’m scared of fighting…”
Allie is trembling.
“And nothing changed even though I pretended to be the Hero after getting a new sword… My body starts to shake, my head goes blank, and then I can’t do anything… I’m scared…”
The other two are struck speechless upon seeing Allie’s weakness for the first time.
“Hmph. Hero? You’re just a coward. If you don’t want any of this, then go away and curl up into a ball.”
The man riding the golem seems to have realized Allie isn’t a threat and decided he’ll ignore her and leave the harbor.
The golem is probably headed for the royal castle, like he mentioned before. I can see a tall fortress to the north of here. It’s pretty far away, but with how long the golem’s strides are, it’s basically right next door. The tall wall separating the harbor from the city is only a step up for it. If we let it go, it’ll destroy houses and cause a lot of damage in the Royal Capital.
Leaving Allie, trembling in fear, behind, the golem begins its advance.
“Hey, wait!”
Having stood to block that golem is Zenith, squaring her shoulders.
“Has another insect come to be crushed? I am very busy, mind you.”
“Oh really? You won’t get past me! You’re not getting off easy for hurting my friends! I’m a former SS-Rank adventurer myself! My explosion magic will wipe you and your golem off the face of the—”
“Wait, Zenith! Your staff—your staff! You don’t have your staff! You left it back at the shop!”
“I—”
Zenith searches her empty hand, then looks up at the golem, and her face pales.
“If you’re finished talking, I shall make you into a splatter on the ground.”
The golem lifts its leg. A thick shadow looms over Zenith’s face.
“Wa-wait…!” Allie raises a hoarse voice.
“No. You can watch your friend be crushed from right there.”
With all the weight of the metal behind it, the golem’s leg comes down on Zenith.
“Zenith!” Tania lets out a scream.
“Arwf! (Crap!)”
Meaning to save Zenith, I start to run, but then I see a figure moving quicker than me.
A loud impact. The golem’s leg gives off a heavy, metallic noise and stops.
“D-don’t…you dare…h-hurt Zenith…”
Allie has stopped the giant golem’s leg in its path.
With trembling arms, with quivering legs, she endures the weight of the golem.
“Zenith is my friend… She’s important to me… That’s why I have to save her… Even if I’m scared…even if it hurts…I will save her…”
“Fwa-ha-ha! Big talk for such a pathetic worm! You can both die together!”
The golem pulls its leg back, and instead swings its arms around to punch Allie and Zenith. Several heavy impacts scatter sparks, and as Allie repels the attacks with her greatsword, her face twists in anguish.
“Alstera! I’m fine! Run away!”
Zenith can’t move from her spot under this vicious assault. If she takes so much as a step away from Allie, the storm of steel will swallow her in an instant and tear her to shreds.
“No… No! I won’t…run…!”
“Alstera…”
“I was no hero… I was just a foolish child…! I hurt all of you, caused you so much trouble…! But I don’t want to lose my friends anymore…!”
Her knees knock together violently, and her face is a mess of tears and snot. But Allie doesn’t back down. She stands firm to protect her companions, no matter how afraid she is.
“Come! Regular old Alstera will defeat you!”
The sword she holds ready is wobbling, too, and she has no chance to wipe away her tears—and yet she still roars.
Looking exactly like a brave warrior should.
“Impudence! I’ll crush you!”
The golem crosses its arms, then slams them down from above.
“Well said.”
And then a voice comes from a spot somewhere above the golem.
“Your words ring true in my heart, ‘regular old Alstera.’”
A swordswoman descends, red hair fluttering, sword held aloft.
“Arwf?! (Zenobia?! How are you here?!)”
Zenobia’s single slash takes off the golem’s arms.
“Wh-whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! But this adamantium armor can even repel cannon shots!!”
Zenobia lands in front of the dazed Allie, then turns back to face the golem and says this, without explaining any of the details:
“With me, Alstera!”
“…! Right!”
With only that, Allie readies her sword, having understood what Zenobia meant.
““Haaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!””
The two dash at the same time, slashing with their black and white greatswords.
Their strikes carve an X shape into the golem as they both run past it and behind.
Allie sheathes her sword, and Zenobia flicks hers to get the dirt off.
And after a moment’s silence, fractures appear in the golem’s torso. Its body breaks into four pieces and crumbles loudly to the ground.
“A-arwww… (They… They stole my part…)”
I really was planning on using my beam to provide support. They took away all the good chances, though.
“No… Impossible… How could my plans have…?”
The man tumbles out of the seat, from which smoke is rising.
“No, not yet…! This isn’t over…!”
“This guy’s stubborn!” Zenith starts kicking the man in the gut, but he ignores her and shouts toward the docks.
“Hey, criminals! I’m giving you those golems! Rampage to your hearts’ content!”
In response to his cry, wooden crates all over the docks start breaking, one after another, and more golems of the same type appear from within.
“There’s more than one…?!”
“Argh. That many may pose a problem…”
“Heh-heh-heh! If you think you can stop them, go ahead and try! Those golem riders are criminals, every last one. I bet they’ll scatter in every direction and start pillaging and destroying. Are the two of you enough alone?!”
“Bastard…!”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
The man, looking at the seemingly frustrated two, laughs, proud of his victory.
I, on the other hand, am relieved.
“Arwf. (Oh, how lucky. I won’t have to waste any bullets.)”
The beam, having lost its target, is waiting inside my mouth to fire.
“Woof, woof! (It’s the first public reveal in the nation! You’re about to witness my new secret move!)”
I fire the pent-up beam bit by bit.
“Grwl grwl grwl grwl grwl grwl grwl grwl gra-wooo!! (Reduced-Power-for-a-Rapid-Fire Beeeeam!!)”
Spouts of beams angle upward from below, piercing the golems’ chests and flying into the distant sky.
And thus was the risen army of golems silenced before it could do anything.
“Arf, arf. (Good, good. They were all so big I could angle the beams to prevent collateral damage to the city.)”
“…What? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”
Seeing the now-heartless golems falling to their knees one after another, the man, baffled, shouts.
“Be quiet already.” And once again, Zenobia gives him a good hit and knocks him out. “Sheesh. That was enough force to make our efforts look stupid. You did save us again, though. I give you my thanks, Routa.”
“We made a lot of noise. The guards will be along shortly,” says Zenobia as she pets my head.
I’m glad you’re petting me, but why are you here? Also, how did you fall out of the sky like that?
“I’m a very busy person, you know. It isn’t fair for Routa to have all the praise.”
Floating down slowly from the sky on her staff is Hecate.
“Ma’am!” says Zenobia. “We couldn’t have done it without your help, of course, Lady Hecate!”
“Then will you pet me on the head, too?”
“I… I could never do something so disrespectful…”
Zenobia must have fallen out of the sky by using Hecate’s teleportation to jump here.
“…I had this feeling I saw Alstera last night,” explains Zenobia. “And then, this morning, you were nowhere to be found, either. My gut told me something bad was happening. Lady Hecate had just arrived to check up on Lady Mary, so I asked her if she knew anything.”
“My silly cat sent me an image other than food for once. I teleported here in a hurry, though, so my destination was a little off.”
Oh, I see. Hecate shares a connection with Nahura, so she knows what was going on. And that’s why she delivered Zenobia all the way here for us.
Even so, that timing was far too perfect. Dropping out of the sky and cleaving something in two with a greatsword? That was an extremely cool entrance. For Zenobia, that’s pretty unexpected. Actually, the black greatsword—didn’t it get shattered in the last battle?
“What, are you curious about the sword? If it breaks, it restores itself if left alone. It is the family treasure passed down for a thousand years by my ancestor Georg.”
What? That’s terrifying! It’s like a demon sword, and it’s way more suspicious than Alstera’s holy sword.
“““Zenobiaaa!”””
Allie and the others rush over. The three seem basically unharmed.
“Zenobia, thanks for helping us. If it hadn’t been for you, we might have been goners.”
“What are you saying? Everyone is safe and sound because you protected them. You did well.” Zenobia claps a hand down on Allie’s shoulder. “Seriously. I think you’re miles better than when you were obsessed with being the Hero. Also, you should see your face right now. It’s all crusted over.”
Zenith, who is leaning against her with an elbow on her shoulder, takes one look at Allie’s face and bursts out laughing.
“Huh? It is?”
“I’ll wipe it off for you, so please sit still a moment,” says Tania, stopping Allie before she can wipe it off with her sleeve. “This is the first time I’ve ever wiped something off you that wasn’t the blood of your enemies. I’m so glad the day has come that we can do this. And it makes me happier than anything that the four of us are together again.”
After their party dispersed, everyone left on her own path, but nobody forgot about the others. This is probably what the four of them were like before they had their issues. Time has restored their old bonds with one another.
“Oh, since we’re all together for the first time in a long time, want to go out for drinks?” suggests Zenith. “We’re gonna have to go for witness interviews tomorrow anyway. We’ll all be free until then, right?”
“Hmm. Yes, that should be fine,” says Zenobia.
“Great! I know a place open during the day. The rest of you are coming, too! Zenobia says she’s treating us all to celebrating Alstera’s return!”
“We split the bill. I will not accept anything else. We split it impartially to one decimal point. I’ve been short on cash lately.”
“…Why? Did you buy another sword?”
“Zenobia never changes, does she?” says Tania.
“That’s right, and Routa and the others are included…,” says Allie. “Wait. Routa…?”
Allie looks back behind her, but I’m not there.
“Are you sure about this? I doubt anyone would blame you for at least saying hello,” notes Hecate after she’s carried me into the air.
“Arwf. (Worming my way into that would be barbaric. I can see them whenever I want. Anyway, I have a very important duty waiting for me.)”
“Oh? And what might that be?” Hecate smiles mischievously at my assertion.
“Woof! (The old man’s lunch! If I go back now, I can eat it while it’s still hot!)”
“Squeak… (You never think about anything but food…)”
“Meow? (Routa will always be Routa, won’t he?)”
Please—we all know you two are joining me to eat. Well, I’m not sharing.
“In that case, let’s return.”
Hecate activates her spatial magic, and then white begins to blanket my vision. The last thing I see while looking down is Allie and the others walking and having a grand time.
“Woof! (Good work, Allie! You should be fine now!)”
My woof causes Allie to look into the air.
At the last moment, our eyes meet, and in return, she smiles.