Sendai Yuusha wa Inkyou Shitai

「Ohー, they’re going at it, they’re going at it. Kept ya waiting, Black Hair.」

When I sipped from my glass of water even while looks of scorn were being turned towards me from Bernadette and Fiona so as to pretend to not notice them and let it pass, since I was called out to from behind, I turned around, and when I did, there was Angelica leading the tall lanky guy and the shorty.

「By kept us waiting, you mean……Ahh, we were supposed to go see the airship, weren’t we.」

「Yeah. That was the compensation for getting the Magic Stone after all.」

「Though we did have quite the detour. Well, since we were able to obtain a Magic Stone that had a size that not even the army uses thanks to that, it was all that we could have asked for.」

Saying that, Angelica gazed at the Magic Stone that had the size of a softball that she held in her hand with an expression of ecstasy.

「Is it going to be alright with it being that size?」

「Kaa～, this is why I can’t stand complete amateurs!」

Angelica shouted out as if to completely make fun of Kuon’s words. Oi oi, don’t stir her up. She’s not an opponent that you can win against even if you all banded together against her.

Look, her hand is on the short sword hanging on her waist……

「A Magic Stone is clump of Maryoku had was condensed to the point that the Maryoku materialized. Under normal circumstances, only stones the size of a pebble would be produced.」

「Ahh, now I get it. I finally get the reason why these guys were making a racket and saying something about billionaires.」

As expected of Fiona. Explanations are her forte.

「Something like Magic Stones don’t really come in contact with everyday life after all. Though, if you have something to do with magic, then you would come into contact with it often……」

「I am a fist fighter after all.」

Incidentally, other than being collected at mines, Magic Stones can also come from the inside of the bodies of monsters. They come from Golems of course, but Magic Stones can also be collected from opponents that make frequent use of magic.

「Yeahー, that’s how it is. Black Hair, you did say that you wanted to try tampering with the airship’s engine, but could you do that as soon as possible.」

「? Well, I don’t really mind having you wanting to show it to me immediately but……What’s wrong? Do you have some rushed business or something?」

「Well, ya see, this is the weak point of an airship equipped with a new engine. It takes a bit of time from the engine’s startin’ up until it’s able ta fly. Though, after it starts flying once, it flies like no other.」

I see, that certainly is a weak point. To be unable to be immediately used at the necessary time would lead to all sorts of faults. That would also be a huge demerit for the airships used for national defense.

But still, despite having that weak point, the advantage of being able to fly anywhere is huge. Way too huge.

「Let’s see……I was thinking of heading over to Ahato’s place after this, so I guess I can drop in after I’m finished with that.」

Magic Sword Ravenbrand is technically something that was borrowed, so I need to return it. Now that my body has gone back to how it was before, it’s unfortunate but, there’s no longer any reason to keep borrowing it.

「Gotcha. In that case, we’ll just stay in this bar, so call out ta us once yer all done.」

「「Call out ta us.」」

After saying that, Angelica’s group sat down in the chairs of a nearby table, called an employee, and asked for some ale.

「Come to think of it, Aniki, what are you going to do with that Magic Sword?」

「Nn, it doesn’t matter what I do, since I borrowed it from Ahato, I have to return it.」

When I responded like that while lightly touched the handle of the sword that hung on my waist, the Magic Sword shook, going *bururu*.

「Sorry ta tell ya this, youngster, but I’m gonna keep on bein’ yer sword.」

「Ha? ……No, what are you saying?」

「In the time of a little less than a thousand years since the last 『Bearer』 relinquished me, a swordsman able ta handle hadn’t appeared even once! ……Though it pisses me off that I have ta be used by a dude, as long as yer able ta perfectly handle me, I have no other complaints. If ya get that, then shut up and keep me on yer waist.」

「No, like I said, it isn’t a matter of what you want to do, the problem is Ahato, right?」

◇

「I don’t mind, you know?」

We visited Ahato’s store in Nordyord. When I promptly asked about the matter with Ravenbrand, Ahato nodded without any sign of hesitation.

「So you’re fine with it!」

When I was surprised by her unexpected words, the Magic Sword laughed with a *Fufun*.

「With this, it’s decided.」

「Nnー……Well, for me, since it’s a sword that I don’t need to worry about breaking, it actually makes me quite happy but……Is this really alright?」

「Yeah. Magic Sword 『Ravenbrand』 is a sword my ancestor forged. Though there is an index to go through, it isn’t my sword after all.」

Something like an ancestor’s sword……Isn’t that usually called an heirloom or something?

「Besides……The sword itself made that choice. I want to respect that.」

「……I understand. Magic Sword 『Ravenbrand』, I have certainly been entrusted with it.」

When I answered like that, Ahato smiled looking delighted.

「Still, this is an amazing amount of weapons……」

「Ahaha……S, sorry about that. They couldn’t all be held in the warehouse.」

Bernadette looked at the great deal of weapons that were placed around the store and was astonished.

The inside of Ahato’s store had weapons that were simply bundled together with cords placed around and had made mountains of them.

It kind of made me think, was this kind of clutter place something common among blacksmiths?

「Although they’re placed around at random, they’re all good weapons, you see……Nn?」

When I looked at the weapons that were placed on the floor and the weapons that were put up on display, there was suddenly something that caught my attention.

「Oi oi, this is……」

What was adorned in a display case was, a single sword.

Maybe because of the iron that was used, the sword blade was black, and dully shined when bathed in the light.

But there was a reason more important that any of that as to why it caught my attention.

……It was──

「Ah, that is something that I forged when I was training in an eastern country and is a sword called a 『katana』.」

That’s right, it had a form like that of a Japanese sword……No, it was exactly a Japanese sword.

There were no ripples on the sword blade that was black as if it were painted out with charcoal, and it dully shined when bathed in the light.

「Heeh～, it’s the splitting image of my short sword.」

「That’s……Wakoku’s wakizashi, isn’t it.」

Ahato reacted to Kuon’s words and her act of drawing her short sword from its scabbard.

「To think that I would see a Japanese sword in another world……Hey, can I try holding it?」

「I don’t mind. However, since the blade is quite sharp, please do be careful in handling it.」

Getting Ahato’s permission, I raised up the black sword bladed Japanese sword.

「……Its shape is good and all, but I feel uneasy just from holding it.」

When I held it with both hands and took a stance, I couldn’t help but worry about the thinness of the sword blade and its weight.

It felt like it would break just from me swinging it with all my might.

「Aniki, can I hold it next?」

「Nn, here.」

When I placed it down on the rack, Kuon then raised the katana.

「……Hee……I see.」

Within the confined room, Kuon raised the katana overhead.

Maybe because she was satisfied with that one action, Kuon put the katana back on the rack.

「I want this. How much would you sell it for?」

Kuon delightfully smiled with a broad grin.

Although Ahato was flustered from that sudden development, she pondered.

「Erm……Since it is a sword that turned out well in its trial, how does 200,000 f sound?」

「I’ll take it.」

Taking out a bag packed with coins from her pocket, Kuon tossed that over to Ahato.

What a swift decision. Did she like that black katana that much……?

「You see, at the time that I wielded it, there wasn’t any sense of discomfort.」

「Sense of discomfort? ……What do you mean by that?」

What Kuon had been using up until now was the short sword that she said was a memento of her mother.

Between this black katana and her short sword, the length and center of gravity were greatly different. With that kind of significance, there should be nothing but feelings of discomfort.

「The sense of discomfort that not even my memento short sword could wipe away, it all disappeared the moment I wielded this sword……This 『katana』. Probably, my school……My mother’s techniques, I think that it was originally a school that used this.」

If she does techniques that are originally done with a katana using a short sword, then of course there would be nothing but a sense of discomfort. Come to think of it, her father did say that Kuon’s mother originated from an eastern country.

「……Okay, I have certainly received exactly 200,000 f. As a service, it also comes with its own dedicated belt.」

「Oh, that’s really appreciated. ……Hey, does this guy have an inscription?」

When she sheathed the katana into its black scabbard, Kuon asked that, sounding like she just remembered.

「Since it had received the name of 『Kurogane』 from my mentor at the time, that name was inscribed.」

Kuon said 「I like it」 and gave a smile that show her teeth to the black katana 『Kurogane』.