The Rin Kingdom had developed a transportation network using golem carriages, and it had places that could be called inn districts between towns and cities. Crowds of travelers flocked to those districts every night before dusk in search of a roof to put over their heads, while merchants also gathered in hopes that the travelers would be spending their money.
“Phew. All right, drinking time.” Sazaki was yet another traveler visiting one such district. As he disembarked their carriage, he looked around him in search of a merchant selling alcohol.
“Hey, Lara. Has Sazaki ever bought anything other than alcohol?” Max asked as he looked out over the district, exasperated at his unchanging companion.
“Good question.” Lara grinned as she pictured her young husband in her mind, groaning as he agonized over what kind of toy to buy for their young son.
“It looks like there’s a market over there.” Stein, the most serious member of the group as long as muscles weren’t involved, spotted a spot where merchants were gathered and started moving toward it.
“Heave-ho!” Ferd exclaimed.
“Please be careful, honey,” Elrica warned.
“Oh, this is nothing. I’m still young; I’m fine.”
Finally, Ferd and Elrica messed around as they got down from the carriage.
“I’d like to buy this bottle.” While Sazaki’s companions walked slowly, he immediately found a merchant selling alcohol to buy from.
“Thank you for your purchase.”
“Any big news lately?” While he was at it, Sazaki asked if the merchant had anything interesting to share.
“Big news? Oh, come to think of it, I’ve heard a rumor—hearsay really—that the Hero’s sword might be put up for sale.”
It’s obviously a fake one, Ferd thought. The merchant chatting with Sazaki could never have imagined that the Hero in question was listening to them from behind. And the Hero’s sword was still at Ferd’s waist, so he assumed there was a swindler impersonating him.
It’s right there. Max looked at the real sword.
It must be a very courageous person, Stein thought that someone trying to sell a fake Hero’s sword had to be truly brave.
However, they didn’t remember everything from the chaotic great war era, and connections and fate could be found in the strangest places.
“Well, the information isn’t very credible, but apparently there’s an annotation saying that the Hero only held the sword once and threw it at an enemy in the sky. On the other hand, it seems that there are some people who think it’s the real article because of this story’s humble honesty.”
Oh, I remember now... Ferd sensed a type of aura coming from his companions, as if they were saying, “Oh, that’s it.”
Indeed, Ferd had been lacking in long-range attacks in his younger days, so he’d borrowed swords from the army many times to throw at flying enemies. Therefore, there were many swords that the Hero had held, and since this one was expressly being advertised as something the Hero had only held and thrown once, Ferd had nothing to say in response.
“I see. Thanks, man.”
“Don’t mention it.”
As Sazaki walked away from the merchant who’d given him this valuable information, his cheeks were twisted into a massive grin. Upon seeing that, Ferd looked up to the sky, knowing that he was about to be teased.
“Say, Lara, how much do you think the Hero’s precious sword will go for?” As expected, it didn’t look like Sazaki had any intention of changing this interesting topic.
“Let’s see. Although he only held it once, there aren’t that many of them still left, so considering its rarity, it might actually fetch quite the price. Then again, it’s difficult to prove that it’s genuine, so I doubt it will go for an outrageous sum.” Lara decided she might as well go along with her husband’s teasing and gave a serious answer.
“It would be one thing if it were his actual sword, but there shouldn’t be any vestiges of power in a sword he only held once. I understand that there are people who’d pay for something purely ornamental, though. In other words, it’s just a flex, Max,” Stein said.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s just for show. What do you think the people of the Boiling Mountain will do?” Max asked.
“My mentor and fellow disciples likely won’t take action. Besides, they would spend their money on something more practical. However, if any other sects were convinced it’s the real thing, they might make a move.” Stein understood the importance of appearances and the value that came with it, but he answered Max’s question in a way typical of a monk, preferring utility.
Depending on the sect, the Hero could be seen as the incarnation of light or even an agent of the gods. Therefore, items related to the Hero might have important meaning to various religious forces, leading to a possibility that they would attempt to acquire this sword.
“Being the Hero must be tough. He won’t be able to even casually pick up tableware anymore.” Ferd shrugged at the commotion over a sword he’d supposedly held once before and which might not even have been the real thing.
“Oho ho ho ho. That’s right. Let’s pray to the gods that the same doesn’t happen to the Saint.” Elrica laughed elegantly.
“Who knows? Maybe they’re already selling stuff like a chair the Saint once sat on,” Sazaki joked.
“Gosh. Please stop it, Sazaki... You’re joking, right?” But Elrica became worried that something like that really might be on sale.
“I meant it as a joke, but I’ve started thinking that it might be true.”
“Oh no...”
“Then they would also be selling empty bottles of alcohol Sazaki once drank from. But since those aren’t a thing, then the chair shouldn’t be either. Right, Ferd?” Max noticed that the most prolific products in the Hero’s party—Sazaki’s empty bottles of alcohol—weren’t on sale anywhere.
“I see. But no, Max. There are enough of those bottles to make several mountains. They are incredibly common, so they shouldn’t have much value, right?”
“Yes, you have a point.”
“I thought I could create a perpetual motion machine where I autographed and sold my empty bottles to earn money for more booze, but looks like it’s impossible.” Sazaki jokingly shrugged his shoulders.
Incidentally, this party was made up of elderly people who were all very visibly in their nineties. It was quite unusual for such a group to not be accompanied by any of their children. That seemed to have piqued the curiosity of a boy walking toward them.
“Hey, grandpa, granny, do you have any cool tricks?” the boy asked.
“Oh, I’m so sorry about my son. Our relatives are always going on about how amazing the adults they knew in their childhoods were.”
It seemed that the boy innocently thought that these tottering elders must be incredible people. But their age was proof that they’d survived the great war, so the boy’s relatives weren’t wrong.
“Cool tricks? Cool tricks...” Ferd glanced at his comrades for a moment. Sazaki can’t show his katana, and that’s not something you should show to children in the first place. Lara can erase mountains. Stein is incomprehensible. Max’s dragon-man form is a very serious matter. Ferd thought back upon his comrades’ “cool tricks” and instantly rejected them all. Changing mountains and the terrain was certainly impressive, but showing that off would be no joke.
“Oh, that’s right. My wife and I can glow bright.” Ferd suddenly remembered and clapped.