“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?” “I’d rather you not ask.” 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.”
Chapter 106
35 min read