LEGEND

Chapter 139

「So you mean you’re thoroughly prepared, right?」

Rei wouldn’t be in that much trouble even if he couldn’t buy weapons. Hearing Rei say that, Freon spoke in amazement.

However, Rei shook his head at Freon and Brazos.

「I didn’t see this particular event coming.」

Regarding throwing spears, they were the only things he still had in his item box from the bandit extermination during his rank up test. Regarding daggers, he had taken them from the Claws of the Hawk when he first came to Gilm. Everything else were things he casually purchased as he walked around the city.

「……So, Pamidor. That’s what Rei has said, but what will you do?」

「Brazos?」

As Brazos looked at Pamidor with a big grin, Rei looked at him questioningly.

However, Pamidor returned a smile similar to Brazos’ without minding Rei.

Originally, their smiles would have looked like they were plotting some mischief. However with his tough looking face, Pamidor’s smile looked more like a bandit who was about to hit a group of unaware merchants.

「……Pamidor. Your face right now looks like a bandit you know.」

「Ahh? Hey, you. Freon, your sword was made by this master blacksmith with a bandit face!」

Although Pamidor looked intimidating, maybe Freon had already become accustomed to it. She shrugged her shoulders lightly and ignored him.

After glaring lightly at Freon, Pamidor looked to Rei again.

「Relax Rei. Don’t worry about it. No matter how Bolton and his lot manage the weapon shops in Gilm, we……no, I am not one of his minions. I don’t need to follow such silly orders.」

Rei’s eyes widened at his words.

「No, wait a moment. Although you aren’t one of Bolton’s subordinates, like I said, doesn’t he manage the weapons market in Gilm? If you go against someone like him, you won’t be able to get away with it.」

「Hmph, I just came to the city of Gilm recently. Such things don’t matter to me. As a blacksmith, I make what I want and sell stuff to people I like. It’s because I wanted to do business like that that I came to this remote frontier city of Gilm.」

「Thank you, but if you do business with me, won’t you be unable to sell your items to other weapon shops?」

「Hah, my customers aren’t just other weapon shops, I have many customers who deal directly with me.」

A stubborn craftsman, Rei gave a wry smile at Pamidor’s self declared stance.

「You’re stupid, you haven’t been here long and you’re already getting wrapped up in things here.」

「Hah. Don’t call me stupid. If I wanted to do business like this, I didn’t have to go out of my way to such a remote place. It was because I thought that the armour and weapons I made would help the people at the frontier against the threat of monsters, I came to the city of Gilm.」

「……Haa, do whatever you want. You’re such a whimsical person.」

Though Rei said that with a sigh, Pamidor looked back as if saying to Rei『You’re the same』.

(Now then, regarding weapons, I don’t have an issue anymore. Because Pamidor will do business with me, I don’t need to rely on any other weapon shops. In that case, what will Bolton do……should I go kill him after all? Although I let him go last time because I believed Galahat’s words that he wouldn’t let Bolton do anything, this happens immediately after. It’s become too late to reach a peaceful compromise, but if I hurt Bolton again I might end up with a bounty on my head……if I believe Daska’s words, I don’t need to worry about that, but I still can’t take Bolton’s financial power lightly. ……In that case, it would be best to contact Galahat again.)

While thinking of what to do, he turned towards Pamidor again.

「Can you show me the knife you use for stripping materials?」

「Mm? I don’t mind……I’ll show you what I’m using right now. I’d like to see if I can repair it before having to buy a new one.」

Hearing those words, Rei took out the iron knife that he used to strip materials from the Misty Ring. At the same time, he also took out the Mythril Knife that he always wore inside his Dragon Robe.

「H-Hey. This is……」

As expected, Pamidor realised the value of the Mythril Knife at a single glance. He was stunned. Freon and Brazos were also shocked as this was the first time they had seen Rei’s Mythril Knife. Their looks were completely focused on the Mythril Knife. They didn’t even glance at the ordinary iron knife Rei had taken out at the same time.

「Stripping materials with a magic item. What kind of luxury is this.」

「Mm. The Mythril used in this knife is of high purity. In fact, it is good enough to serve as the family heirloom of a noble family. Rei, where did you get this Mythril knife?」

At Brazos’ words, Rei decided to stick with the setting he had made for himself.

「It was a parting gift from my master.」

「……Just because he’s sending his disciple away, to give an item box and a Mythril knife as a parting gift……is he a big shot or just stupid. No, if he took in Rei as his disciple, he wouldn’t be stupid, he must be an important person.」

While listening to Pamidor’s words of mild amazement, seeing that they were all staring at the Mythril Knife, he sheathed it and placed it back inside his Dragon Robe.

『Ohh……』

Pamidor and Brazos both raised voices of disappointment, but Rei didn’t mind them as he took out his iron knife.

「To be honest, I don’t use the Mythril Knife that much. I basically strip materials using this iron knife, I only use the other one when I can’t cut through materials with this blade. So this is the main one I use to strip materials.」

「……Mmm.」

While making a low hum, which by itself would have intimidated most people in the public, he received the iron knife from Rei and checked its condition.

「This is……it has been used a fair bit. Despite that, it’s in quite good condition. Did you maintain it by yourself?」

「Ah. Even though I say that, after stripping materials I just wipe it down with water and a cloth. I do sharpen it against a grinding stone at my inn at night though.」

「No, that’s good enough. Among the youngsters now, many of them think that these are disposable just because they’re cheap. Especially those nobles in the capital who who have the hobby of playing around as adventurers, that tendency is strong with them……this is well maintained in comparison.」

(Nobles acting as adventurers as a hobby? Well, considering a war is brewing, I guess they’re still better than those who aren’t brushing up their skills.)

Thinking to himself, he looked at the knife in Pamidor’s hands.

「This knife is something I got when I came to the city of Gilm. It’s convenient and useful.」

Be be precise, he had taken it from the Claws of the Hawk……but it wasn’t an appropriate time to bring that up.

「Mm, well, that’s right. If we consider that you’re an amateur in this regard, it’s maintained quite well. Nevertheless, from a professional’s perspective, like me, there’s various parts that can be improved. For now, as an apology for my rough greeting, I’ll sharped it for you. Give me a moment.」

Saying that, Pamidor went further back into the smithy. Seeing that, Rei was about to say something to Brazos when……

「I’m home~!」

The door opened and a loud, cheerful voice echoed into the room.

「Ah, it’s Rei onii-chan! I knew it right away when I saw Set outside! You came to visit like you said last time!」

When the owner of the voice saw Rei in the room, he ran towards Rei and jumped forward to hug him.

「Uh!」

Rei stood where he was as Kumito, the clever looking 10 year old boy, hugged him.

「It’s been a while. Have you been doing well?」

「Yes! Still, you came too late to play onii-chan! If you had come earlier, we would have had more time to play.」

Rei gave a wry smile at Kumito’s words and patted his head.

「Sorry, even though it doesn’t look like it, I am an adventurer. I have a job. Hey, can’t you see those two over there?」

Rei changed Kumito’s posture and turned him towards Freon and Brazos. Kumito spoke after blanking out for a moment.

「Ah! Freon onee-chan and Brazos oji-chan. Do you both have business with dad? I didn’t know you knew Rei onii-chan!」

「Ah, you’re energetic as always, I would love to split some of your energy with me.」

「Although he calls you onee-chan, you act surprisingly old.」

「Hmph, it’s still better than being called oji-chan, Brazos.」

「It’s different from being called oba-chan……no, I don’t actually care that I’m called oji-chan.」

Oba-chan. When Freon heard those words, she gave a big smile. ……However, that was the smile of a demon.

「Brazos. Did you say something just now? I thought I heard you say something strange just now……would you like to correct it right now?」

「Yes, what did I say. Anyhow, I’m an oji-chan, I don’t remember things that well.」

As they argued with each other, the tension in the room started to grow.

Rei gave a sigh and tried to move Kumito away from the two of them……

「Don’t fight, it’s not good to fight! Really, these two are always like this. Rei onii-chan, please say something.」

However, Kumito stood between Freon and Brazos and turned to Rei.

「There’s nothing to say. That’s just their usual interaction, you don’t need to worry about it.」

「But aren’t they fighting? I have to stop them.」

「No, I wouldn’t call this a fight. It’s like something kittens would do. Haven’t you seen Set rubbing his head against people?」

「……I don’t know. I have never played with Set.」

Kumito said that while pouting. His face showed his dissatisfaction that he hadn’t played with Set before as if he had forgotten that he had been trying to stop Freon and Brazos.

In that situation, Freon and Brazos both gave a sigh as they spoke at the same time.

「Rei, we are not like kittens……」

「That’s right. What we’re doing is not like that at all.」

Seeing the two of them match up their timing when they spoke, Kumito tilted his head as he looked at them curiously.

「But you’re both in sync?」

『Guh……』

「Hahaha. Are you guys trying to make me laugh? Oh, Kumito. You’re back.」

Pamidor was laughing as he came out from the back of the smithy, roughly stroking Kumito’s head. At the same time, he threw the knife, which had been sheathed, back to Rei with his left hand.

「Here. I’ve repaired it a bit. Come back here if it gets dull.」

Catching the knife Pamidor passed to him, Rei stored it into the Misty Ring with a small smile.

「Sorry about this and thanks. I will use it as soon as I get to stripping the materials from the Harpies.」

「That’s right. Tools are meant to be used. Tools aren’t just there for decoration.」

As Rei heard those words from Pamidor, he looked towards Brazos and Freon.

「Speaking of that, when should we strip the materials from the Harpies that we stored away on the mountain? They won’t rot because they’re in the item box, but it would still be best to strip the materials as soon as possible.」

「Mm, that’s right. However, it’s already dark outside.」

Brazos opened the door to the smithy to take a look outside.

When they had come to the smithy, it had already been sunset. While talking with Pamidor and after Pamidor had sharpened Rei’s knife, the sky outside had already gone dark.

「How about tomorrow then?」

「Ahh, I have some business I need to attend to tomorrow afternoon.」

Rei replied to Freon apologetically. However, at Rei’s words, Freon and Brazos glanced at each other before saying that there was no problem with that.

「There’s only about 10 Harpies, we can manage that in the morning. However, there’s nowhere to do it. Because of the Harpy’s figure, even if they are Harpies, if we don’t take care and strip their materials in some random place, we would likely get reported to the Knights.」

Freon gave a sigh. Harpies had the face and body similar to that of human women. There was a high chance that they would be misunderstood if they were seen stripping materials from such a monster.

「Then, outside the city……would you like to strip the materials somewhere further away?」

「Well, that would be best. If we did it close to the city, there’s a high possibility that merchants heading for the city will misunderstand and report us.」

Just as Brazos said that, Rei was the first to notice something. Looking towards the door with sharp eyes, he took out the knife that he had placed into the Misty Ring earlier. Freon saw that and moved her hand to the sword at her waist. Brazos understood that his Earthshaker Hammer wasn’t suitable for their current location and moved to guard Kumito.

Kumito looked around in confusion as Pamidor took up a small hammer in the workshop as his face took a ruthless expression.

「Kumito, go to the smithy for a moment.」

「Eh? O-Okay!」

Following Pamidor’s order, Kumito went further back in, glancing uneasily at his father for a moment.

And at that moment……

「Rei, are you here!?」

A man opened the door and jumped in. He was bleeding from several place around his body and had an arrow stuck in his left shoulder. It was Murt, Galahat’s junior, who he treated like a younger brother.