The cheerfulness of the city has changed in time quite a bit. It will soon be the harvest festival. The citizens have begun preparations themselves for this occasion. The Harvest Festival that prays for a safe harvest. It won’t only be the capital, the villages around will also be beginning festivities at the same time, and there were a lot of villagers who were coming over to buy tools for the festival.
The Yugura Church members are super busy. That’s because they are in charge of managing the Harvest Festivals from all the villages too. That said, the burden here hasn’t really increased. If I had to point out anything, it would be that: because the teacher of Wolfe, Maya-san, is under heavy work, Wolfe has a lot of free time.
Marito has to prepare for the Harvest Festival himself, so the isekai learning will be pausing for a while. Rakura has brought a whole ton of tools to the house and has been made to do side-jobs. It is apparently to make tools used for the festival and stuff like that. Also, it is only the parts that take time. Since I would feel bad about getting in her way, I exited the house and wandered around.
“But she shrewdly requested a souvenir… Well, she is working hard, so she should get a reward for it.”
“Right, and you seem to be quite free.” (Ilias)
“The place of Marito and the place of Maya-san are really busy. Same for Ban-san. I can’t just laze about in Dog’s Bone from the very morning. Of course I wouldn’t have anything to do.”
“There’s a word called training, you see.” (Ilias)
“Alright, Wolfe. Let’s buy something for Wolfe who is working hard normally.”
“Really?!” (Wolfe)
I ignore Ilias who tried to call me to a stop with an ‘oi’ and pet the head of Wolfe.
We are going to be buying a souvenir for Rakura, so it wouldn’t feel right unless we also buy something for Wolfe too.
“The things in Wolfe’s room are the clothes made by Saira and the books we borrowed after all. It isn’t bad to increase the amount of personal possessions you have.”
“Didn’t you say something about luggage piling up or something like that before?” (Ilias)
“My policy is to not carry too much stuff around, so that’s fine. Even so, I still have a lot more things in my room than Wolfe, you know?”
Mostly a whole ton of parchment, pens, and a bit of clothes. There’s also my treasure container, my partner, and the carving knife that I bought secretly. I have class changed my wooden stick partner to a wooden sword, and have made dice to use for the life game we played. Yeah, it is still not much despite that.
“Also, we need to have her learn about indulging a bit. I will hear most of your selfishness, Wolfe.”
“Is it my imagination that your treatment towards her is extremely different from mine and Rakura’s?” (Ilias)
“It is not. There’s the need to teach Wolfe about a lot of things. It is not only about the way of living and readiness. She also needs to learn about how to rely on others and indulge in them. Even if it is not necessary for the future Wolfe, there will surely be people who will be relying on Wolfe or indulge in her kindness. If she doesn’t know about the meaning of that at that time, she will end up only thinking of them as a nuisance.”
Normal children would indulge on their parents, say selfish stuff, be accepted, rejected, pampered, scolded, laugh, cry, and grow. And then, she has to have a grasp of what kind of emotions are directed towards her by others in the future.
However, Wolfe has none of those. There was a lot of time where there was nothing, so her way of interacting with others is lacking. Even if she has great people like Maya-san, Ilias, and the Ragudo Division, she can’t learn weakness from them.
If she touches upon their prime and serene lifestyle, she wouldn’t think of indulging in them. The reality is that Wolfe is industrious and diligent. But that just means she has only been able to grow in that manner.
I want Wolfe to have a lot of experiences. And then, create an ideal self from those. By the way, Ilias has been in a normal household since childhood, but her life has tilted to one side after that. Due to this, I tried having her get along with Saira who is of her age, and it seems to have gone well.
“Then, wouldn’t Rakura be the perfect one to teach her?” (Ilias)
“I feel like Wolfe will end up imitating that if she gets involved too much. I would like to make her a teacher by example from a distance.”
I want her to grow freely, but I don’t want her to become the disciple of a person with a personality like Rakura. Even so, she might end up relying on her, and I can only see a tragedy unfolding. It should be okay, right? Right?
“Shouldn’t you also be made a teacher by example in a sense too?” (Ilias)
“Please don’t lump a person that’s good at making a living and a useless bum. Now then, Wolfe, tell me what you want.”
“Uhm, hmmm… Okay, I have decided!” (Wolfe)
By the way, this is also for the sake of learning about Wolfe. By seeing what Wolfe wants, I can tell who she has been influenced by the most.
“I want a weapon!” (Wolfe)
“Your influence, Ilias!”
“Me?!” (Ilias)
“Wolfe would like a weapon like Shishou’s.” (Wolfe)
“So it was me…”
Now that she mentions it, she has basically performed solely with her strength in mana emission. If she were to battle, it might be fine for her to have a proper weapon.
That said, this partner (AKA wooden sword) would be lacking for Wolfe. If she were to pour in enough mana, she would be able to expect enough destructive power, but the weapon would break at each instance. I of course can’t give her this one.
“Speaking of which, I think you have tested a variety of weapons in the Ragudo Division. What weapon did you like?”
“…I don’t know.” (Wolfe)
“She could use all weapons basically on the same level after all.” (Ilias)
Fumu, I was told Wolfe is a jack-of-all-trades, but it was on that level? She is good at barehanded battles and she can use most weapons. Having her learn a wide array would be an option, but in battle, a jack-of-all-trades is also a master of none. It wouldn’t hurt to spread out once she grows to the level of Ilias, but it would be better for her to concentrate on one thing first.
“Let’s check out a weapon store first. If you see the actual stuff, there’s the possibility you will find what you want. If not, you can ask a specialist.”
“Right. I have not gone recently, but I was thinking it was about time to repair my scabbard. I will guide you.” (Ilias)
The place she guided us to was a single shop at the outskirts of the city. The run-down atmosphere that an expert would like made my childish mind of a modern Japanese excited.
“Toruid, are you there?” (Ilias)
Ilias went inside and called someone. When I peeked inside, I ended up letting my voice out. What entered my eyes were countless weapons. Most of them were swords and spears, but there’s also stuff like hammers, knives, sickles and chains. There’s dust accumulated on the shelves, but all the weapons lined up seem to be maintained daily, they are the very definition of brand new.
While I was watching this, an old man around 70 years old wearing crumpled tattered clothes showed up. Uooh, it is that. He is unassuming, but the feeling of him being a super skilled blacksmith is unbelievable.
“What, isn’t that Ratzel-jochan <young lady>? Here I was wondering I hadn’t seen you recently. Did your sword finally croak?” (Toruid)
“Unfortunately for you, the swords you make are tough. I was thinking about asking you to repair my scabbard today.” (Ilias)
“Let’s see, show it to me… You…! You…! A scabbard ain’t a blunt weapon, ya know?!” (Toruid)
Ah, an incredibly reasonable person.
There hasn’t been a single person who has touched on the matter that Ilias is defeating her opponents with her scabbard. The scabbard of a katana is used as a proper weapon in Japan too, but it seems like -at the very least- that wasn’t the intention of the maker of Ilias’s sword.
“Even if you tell me that, it gets stuck sometimes when I try to unsheathe it. That’s why the amount of times I have swung it as it is has increased.” (Ilias)
“Of course you wouldn’t be able to draw it with how bent the thing is! …What? You have company?” (Toruid)
“Yeah, I have come with some company to choose a weapon that might fit her. This one is Wolfe. Wolfe, this is Toruid.” (Ilias)
“I am Wolfe. Nice to meet you.” (Wolfe)
“Hooh, a demi-human, huh. —That’s some impressive amount of mana. Even though her training seems shallow, she is in the same lane as you. In comparison, what’s that young man over there? He is so weak he might die tomorrow.” (Toruid)
“I am confident in my weakness.”
“That’s hearty of you. By the way, are you going to choose a weapon too, Nii-chan?” (Toruid)
“No, this is enough for me.”
I say this and show him the wooden sword of my own creation. If I have my partner, I don’t need a weapon.
“No, since we have the opportunity here, how about buying one? Even a cheap one has good quality, you know?” (Ilias)
“It suits my stature, so it is okay.”
“Hmm, it is true that, with your body, you wouldn’t be able to use the weapons here properly. I have oil that’s used to maintain wooden products, so check that out.” (Toruid)
“Really? That would be great.”
Even if it is a wooden sword, it needs to be maintained. There’s nothing resembling varnish on the market, and I was even thinking about ordering it from Ban-san. Just you wait, partner, I will give you the brilliance called polish!
“You are a blacksmith, so how about recommending weapons…?” (Ilias)
“That wooden sword suits that Nii-chan. He has readied a weapon fitting for him after understanding his own strength. The only thing for me to do is to provide him with the tools.” (Toruid)
“I am happy that you are praising me here, but honestly speaking, swinging this one is also tiring.”
“Get the muscle for that at least. You should at least be able to swing it if your arm moves even if you ain’t got the talent.” (Toruid)
He is got a point. I really should train to a certain degree, huh.
And so, with this and that, Ilias and Toruid-san headed to the work space deeper in. The sound of hammering could be heard soon after.
Let’s try it inside the store—no no, we have to find the weapon of Wolfe.
Wolfe was checking the weapons without the need of being told. She is holding them in her hand and waving them lightly to check the sensation.
“Make sure not to hit the other weapons and shelves.”
“Yes, Shishou.” (Wolfe)
Weapons are out of my expertise. If I were to go with my personal bias, I even think what suits her the best are her fists. However, that’s because the scenarios where Wolfe performed were with her bare fists.
When she was against the Anbu, it was simply because the strategy worked, but the difference in technique was overwhelming. Wolfe would have definitely lost if she had been swinging a weapon she wasn’t used to. Thinking about it like that, wouldn’t bare fists have the higher overall potential as the easier one to control mana with?
But Wolfe wants a weapon. I would feel bad about telling her bare fists would be better now that we have come this far. No, wait. Right, if it is that weapon…
I took out a parchment from my pocket and began to draw the design at once.
“Good grief. The scabbard is different from a sword in that the unreinforced parts are soft. I am telling ya to pipe it down on the abuse.” (Toruid)
“But it is great when I need to hold back my killing power. I have no choice but to use it when needed.” (Ilias)
I am impressed that you can say that. How can you say that when you blew away the body of a giant man with the scabbard on?
“If you say so, then I will make a separate scabbard for you. Using a tool in a way that’s not intended will only hurt it after all. And so, how about the white one? Did you find a good weapon?” (Toruid)
“Hmm, I don’t know which one would be good.” (Wolfe)
“Figures. I can tell by looking at your body. Your body can easily adapt to whichever weapon, but flipping that around, it also means no weapon suits you. Of course you wouldn’t be able to find a weapon like that.” (Toruid)
“Uuh… Shishou, please choose one for me. I would be okay with the weapon Shishou chooses.” (Wolfe)
Wolfe pleaded here with a troubled face. This is a choice that will decide your own style. I want to tell her to choose on her own, but there’s also the objective of having Wolfe indulge.
“Well, it really would end up like that, huh. Toruid-san, just to consult a bit, but please look at this.”
What I showed him is the parchment of before. Toruid-san furrowed his brows a bit and groaned.
“I see. That style of fighting, huh. It certainly does sound interesting, but…with this design, the strength would be rough. Here it could go like this, and this…” (Toruid)
He grabbed a pen and began to write on the design.
Looks like the blood of a crafter has been a stirred up. Now that it has come to this, we began to consult with each other regardless of age. Looks like Toruid-san also has his heart moved by the creation of weapons like this.
“By the way, this may be a boorish question, but how much would it cost?”
“I personally don’t know how well it will go since this is my first time with a weapon of this working. I will take the cost of materials and labor, but…for the rest of the costs, let’s shave it off as a learning experience. Around this much?” (Toruid)
The price written in the parchment was pretty high. It is one notch more expensive than the good ones lined up around here. That said, it is not a price I can’t pay with the money I have currently if I decide to economize for the meantime.
“Alright, then, I will be counting on you.”
“Immediate answer, huh. You are loved, white one.” (Toruid)
“…Shishou, is that okay?” (Wolfe)
Wolfe is looking at my face with a worried expression. So she noticed that the price was high, huh. She has properly learned the importance of money after all.
“If it wasn’t a price I couldn’t pay, I would have refused.”
“Then, it is decided. White one, I will be taking the measurements of your body a bit. Come with me.” (Toruid)
“O-Okay.” (Wolfe)
“By the way, how much time will it take?”
“Regardless of the Harvest Festival, I am pretty free, so I can start working from today. I will finish it by tomorrow evening.” (Toruid)
And so, Wolfe equipped the finished weapon the next day. Seeing the weapon, Ilias also nodded in understanding.
“I see. Gauntlets, huh.” (Ilias)
Gauntlets; to put it broadly, it is a combination of armor on the hand and arm. The gauntlets are several kilograms of iron, so strike attacks are not lacking at all with it equipped. There’s fighting techniques with gauntlets in western history, and it also existed as a weapon.
The gauntlet made for Wolfe is of course to use as a weapon, but it is made to double as armor too. There’s several metal plates set there to a degree that doesn’t obstruct the mobility of the elbow. By combining plain solid metal and elastic and flexible metal, it mitigates the impact that’s transferred to the arm when defending as much as possible. There’s also rare metal that makes it easier to pour mana inside the layers, so it is easier to receive the benefits of mana strengthening.
It is not on the level of a shield, but it is made in a way so that it is suitable to deflect rather than receive attacks. The fist part is also made in a way so that it protects the fist from impact, but in order to not drop the flexibility of the fingers, there’s no metal used in the palm. Normally when you are holding a sword, you would make a ring shaped metal around the thumb at the time when receiving attacks to block, but she is only going to be tightening her fists, so it was deemed unnecessary and removed. In exchange, we used cloth that’s easy for mana to travel through, and so she can still use the cat deception she used before.
This gauntlet that allows the usage of your hands makes it possible to do rock-paper-scissors and even use chopsticks. It is equipment that excels in hand-to-hand combat.
“Wolfe’s dashing speed and attack power are high, but hand-to-hand combat carries heavy burden to the body. If it goes as far as Rakura’s barrier, she wouldn’t be able to punch seriously with bare hands. But she should be able to attack as much as she wishes with this.”
An especially big protector is furnished around the fist, but there’s a proper reason for this. I have also requested a set of similar iron boots and knee guards while at it.
“I wanted to have specialized armor around your body if possible, but that can be solved with what’s already there.”
“…”
Wolfe tried moving her fingers, hitting her fists together; she was really interested in her new weapon.
“White one, I will give you this before you test out your weapon.” (Toruid)
Toruid-san said this and gave Wolfe a stack of parchment.
“What’s…this?” (Wolfe)
“This is an instruction manual for how it works which Nii-chan and I thought of together. There’s a lot of things written down here like how to use this gauntlet. Be sure to read this one thoroughly, okay?” (Toruid)
“O-Okay!” (Wolfe)
After that, it was reading time for a bit, and then we went to the barracks to test out the gauntlet. The result was great. It is a bit too complicated to master it, but I am sure Wolfe will be able to in no time.
That night, Wolfe shut inside her room soon after eating dinner and showering. I was curious and listened-in outside her room, and it seemed like she was giving maintenance to her equipment while humming. I am glad to hear she has taken a liking to it. Let’s not get in her way.
“Counselor-sama, buy me something nice too!” (Rakura)
“Shut up. Didn’t I buy you nice booze at Dog’s Bone?!”
The reaction of Rakura was within expectations. Even though I had Gozu get a nice beverage cause of this, this girl… By the way, we bought alcohol the other day, so we are drinking among the adults. The tension is somewhat high thanks to this.
“I would like something that can remain! Ah, how about a ring? I would like a ring that fits in my ring finger~. Peek.” (Rakura)
“If it is a collar and chain to tie you up to your workplace, I can even make it extra special.”
“So cruel! At least make it a necklace!” (Rakura)
“Calm down, Rakura. In the first place, those kinds of presents are to convey your gratitude. He has been looking after you the whole time, you know?” (Ilias)
“That’s true, but I think there might be a chance Counselor-sama will buy it!” (Rakura)
“None. I used quite a lot of money in the first place, so I have no money to use for you!”
“Then, it is okay once you save up, right?!” (Rakura)
“I won’t give you a present as long as I don’t feel indebted to you!”
“Isn’t it okay to give me something as a celebration for moving in or as friendship!” (Rakura)
“I want you to leave and, if it is to break off relations, I might consider it.”
“Uwaaaaan! Ilias-saaan! Counselor-sama is cooooold!” (Rakura)
I can’t take this drunkard anymore.
What came up when I thought of something accessible that she would be happy about, alcohol came up, but I am present progressively regretting my decision. For now, I don’t want to let her be the only one drinking, so my pace increased naturally too.
“It shouldn’t be difficult to make him feel indebted. By the way, with that logic, wouldn’t it be okay to give me a present? I am always welcome to presents at any moment any time, you know? Or more like, give me one.” (Ilias)
“T-This one’s also drunk!”
The slovenly night of the adults passed. Within all that tumult, Wolfe wasn’t bothered by it and was sleeping peacefully while hugging the gauntlet.