CHAPTER 30 - ARMS

⌈Lumi! Please, wait!⌋

The sorceress called out to me, trailing closely behind...

Even the sight of her oversized bouncing bre– Even the sight of her dumb face did naught but wonders for my brooding mood.

⌈Why should I? I have no reason to, after all..⌋

I stated, doing my best to conceal any emotions, keeping my course steady towards the gates of the capital.

Some peace and quiet in the wilds.. That's what I'm after. Not the honeyed words of a beastman in heat.

⌈Playing hard to get, are we? It sure is nice to be young.⌋

Despite me running as fast as I possibly could, it took no more than three steps for the sorceress to catch up to me, and on the fourth, she was already standing right in front of me.

Unable to stop in my tracks, I soon found myself immersed in a valley of bust.. A pleasant scent of lavender filled my lungs, but her overly caring voice still felt as annoying as ever.

⌈My, my... Is everything alright, Lumi dear?⌋

⌈Everything is j-just fine.. Now, please let me go..⌋

⌈Oh my, but it certainly doesn't look like that. Please, come with me...⌋

She grasped my hand and held it tightly.

I tried to yank my hand away, but for naught. Though she sported a sweet smile, her iron fist held firm, not showing the slightest of hints of letting go. 'Oh my, resistance is futile!' Tsk... It would seem that there are more things than one, or rather two, in which I find myself completely outclassed by this damn succubus...

Finding our way to a secluded grove in the backstreets of the trading district, she made me sit down on an old bench, rather forcefully, might I add..

⌈Uh... What did you bring me here for, anyway?⌋

⌈You probably already know, don't you?⌋

⌈It's about him isn't it? He's the last damn thing I want to talk about right now.⌋

⌈Oh my, I understand. He's quite the case, isn't he?⌋

⌈Consider your attempts at steering the conversation towards your preferred topics acknowledged, sorceress..⌋

⌈My... why are you so cold towards me? I haven't done anything to you, have I? You're making your senior sad...⌋

⌈Please, stop treating me like a child. It's not that hard to figure out, is it?⌋

⌈Are you jealous?⌋

Nevermind treating me like a child.. Please, just go and die in a fire...

⌈Couldn't be further from it. I hate him, I absolutely hate him. Every single thing he does manages to piss me off at this point.⌋

⌈Oh my, that's certainly something, but what does it have to do with me?⌋

⌈I.. uh...⌋

Once again exhibiting her characteristic demonic behavior, she embraced me out of the blue. Someone should teach this woman the concept of personal space...

⌈Lumi... About the ring he gave you. Why are you still wearing it, if you hate him so much?⌋

⌈Because it's–⌋

⌈Because it's high ranked and extremely rare? Oh my, you're not being honest, are you? Your pride would never allow your greed to go before your dignity, I know that much.⌋

⌈...⌋

I found myself speechless after the words of the fox.

⌈You're used to being the best at everything, aren't you?⌋

⌈That's not–⌋

⌈And now that you find yourself in the second place, you don't know how to handle the situation.⌋

⌈But–⌋

⌈Oh my, no worries. I understand.⌋

⌈It's not like that even matters anymore...⌋

⌈What difference does it make if he's actually been a hero or a legend or whatever, for Gods know how long. His new beginnings were the exact same as yours, and no matter his past, he's still the same little rascal we know and love, isn't he? You're aware of that too... Oh my, if you only slept with him, you'd know. He'd show you things you couldn't imagine..⌋

I felt my cheeks redden at the suggestions and implications of the succubus.

⌈SLEPT WITH HIM!? Y-YOU'VE–⌋

⌈Oh my, that came out wrong, didn't it?⌋

She giggled, feigning innocence, and continued to elaborate.

⌈I meant sleeping in the literal sense of the word. The dreams he sees, and shares with those close to him... They're the real thing... Perhaps a curse, if I dare so suspect.⌋

⌈The dreams? I faintly recall them from once before. The day before our first journey to the wilds.. I thought them to be nothing more than nightmares..⌋

⌈Oh my, did you make the first move before I was able to?⌋

⌈No, I didn't. Please, stop.⌋

⌈Alright, alright~.⌋

The succubus snickered.

...

⌈So, how do you feel now?⌋

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

⌈I don't know..⌋

⌈Any better?⌋

⌈Yeah.. I guess..⌋

⌈Oh my, that's great, isn't it? By the way, your class, Mystic, was adept at wielding magic, no?⌋

⌈Yes, indeed..⌋

Her face twisted into a wide, somehow playful grin, baring her sharp canines. I didn't even need the aid of Presence Detection to sense the devilish intent overflowing from her.

⌈Oh my, oh my... Do you want to give my Light a run for his money?⌋

Left confused as to what her true plans with him were, and not knowing how to react to the sudden proposition, I couldn't utter a word.

Though I did find myself compelled, that much I'll admit..

⌈...⌋

⌈The determination in your eyes tells me all I need to know. Now, shall we begin?⌋

⌈S-Shall we begin what!?⌋

She sat up and held her arm elegantly outwards.. Blue sparks converged in her grasp, and mana manifested itself into the form of a ball of crackling electricity.

⌈Training~.⌋

——————————

⌈So, lassie... Ya and yer friends want some new weapons, eh?⌋

⌈Yep! We're gonna go on a journey to rank up!⌋

⌈A journey, eh? Darn, yer growing up so fast! Alrighty... It's time to finally put my smithy mitts on! Ah, I've waited for this moment!⌋

⌈But da! You said you were busy showcasing your forging abilities in other villages for the last week and a half!⌋

⌈Aye, I was. but it ain't the same if ya have twenty oglers glued to yer back the whole darn time!⌋

I could practically feel the passion oozing through the words of the dwarven smith. To think something like race has such an impact on one's personality and temperament... But then again, Dagda is pretty much your stereotypical dwarf.

⌈I wouldn't be surprised if it was written in dwarven blood to constantly craft.⌋

I joined in on the conversation.

⌈Hah! That's a way to put it, ain't it!? Since the times of old, us dwarves were always decent at pretty much everything, from wielding the swords to wiggling magic wands around, ya name it! But crafting... Ach, heavens... Fecking crafting. That's where we had to be shite at!⌋

The dwarf shook his fist in the air and my eyes widened in surprise.

⌈You were bad at crafting? Dwarves, of all the races!?⌋

⌈Hah, took you by surprise, didnae it? most people think it comes to us naturally, but nay, those folks couldnae be more wrong if they tried! We don't have that kind of finesse, darn it! Go to the snow elves or the dragonkin if ya want instinctive precision.⌋

⌈Da's right! Were damn awful!⌋

Brigid seconded her father.

⌈Don't say with such fecking pride, ya dimwit! Well, I do guess it's because we're so darn awful at crafting at first, that we eventually get so good at it... Of fecking course, we get pissed off at a fork when we were trying to forge a sword! The hell did ya think!? Especially since pretty much everything always went our way... Welp, except the height department.⌋

⌈Uh... huh?⌋

⌈Ach, enough of my ramblin', must be a right bore for yer ancient ears. So... Ya three itching for new arms?⌋

He turned towards me, Seth and Grace.

⌈Hey, did you forget about me?⌋

Brigid swung her massive hammer around in protest, damn near destroying the stands that decorated the shop.

⌈Feckin' hell lassie! Stop wangling that oversized hunk o' metal around! Yer wreaking havoc! And nay, ya won't get an upgrade this time... Yer weapon is an old artifact of mine I was keepin' in the safe 'till ya'd become an adventurer. Not too sure if I can really top that off as I am...⌋

Intrigued, I took a look at the glorious two-meter warhammer Brigid swung around with ease.

【Jauhin's Gavel – Class: Warhammer – Rank: Abnormal – Rarity: C – Affinity: Earth – Effect: Grinder】

【Grinder: While in combat, Minor increase in Strength for every enemy slain. Increased effect when against monsters of Earth affinity.】

I could barely believe my eyes.

The brass shine of the metal mallet sure gave an air of importance... But to this degree?

⌈Feasting yer eye on one of my better pieces, are ya, laddie? Ach, Jauhin was a great man. A darn shame he passed on so fecking young.⌋

⌈My condolences... But how the hell did you craft an Earth affinity weapon!?⌋

⌈Earth affinity? Eh!?⌋

Brigid almost smacked herself in the face as she brought the hammer closer to take a better look at it.

⌈Welp, I'll be. Even I didnae know about that! Yer reality-tearing eye is still as amazing as ever!⌋

⌈Da! Shouldn't you care a little more about the things you craft?⌋

⌈Nay. If it works, it works.⌋

Fair enough...

I tried to look around the shop to see whether or not any of the other weapons had their own affinities, but unfortunately, my attempts proved fruitless. Even the Darksteel Blade, my partner in crime, didn't have an affinity of its own.

But what about the Blade of Spring?

⌈Lime, can you spit out the Blade of Spring? I want to check something.⌋

⌈*Ay, ay. Captain!*⌋

Lime hopped onto the counter and spat out the blade.

【Blade of Spring – Class: Blade – Rank: Usual – Rarity: B – Effect: Leech Minor】

【Leech Minor: Attacks will Drain the target's Vitality.】

Nothing.

I'm kinda sad now. Oh well... What difference does it make whether a weapon has an affinity or not if I have no idea the affinity does in the first place?

⌈Laddie! Is this the Lime?⌋

Dagda lifted Lime off of the counter as one would a crown of a satin pillow.

I never thought I'd see someone show so much respect for a degenerate slime... Is this really what this world has gone to?

⌈Yep! That's me, y'know!?⌋

⌈And ya can talk too!? Welp, I'll be!⌋

Lime turned to me. Or rather, she wriggled her eyes through her slimy body to point to my direction. Spooky.

⌈Master, should we sell the ingots of Springsteel we got?⌋

⌈Ah, yeah. Sure.⌋

Lime spat out the Springsteel Ingots, and to the surprise of absolutely nobody present, the dwarf immediately began his careful analysis of the fine metal hunks.

⌈Springsteel, eh? Would you happen to know which tree's roots these were found at?⌋

⌈Excuse me? Roots?⌋

⌈Springsteel forms when life essence seeping from the roots of the trees infuses into minerals of the earth below. Is this Pine Springsteel? Nay, that can't be it...⌋

Oh? Oh!

⌈It's Spruce Springsteel.⌋

⌈Spruce!? Are ya for real now? Say, laddie... How did you like the Blade of Spring? Surely ya at least gave it a li'l whirl, didn't ya?⌋

⌈Yeah, it wasn't too great...⌋

⌈Aye, that's because it's made of Cypress Springsteel. No wonder ya didnae enjoy wiggling a fecking cypress stick around. Spruce is one of the better varieties. I should be able to make something well worth yer time.⌋

Despite the seriousness of the dwarf, I couldn't contain my laughter as nostalgia flooded my mind.

⌈Haha! Oh yeah... The sword was a Cypress Stick, alright...⌋

⌈Right... Ya have a few ingots here, and if I ain't too wasteful with my resources, I should be able to forge four weapons... So, what's yer fancy?⌋

⌈I'd like one of these, please.⌋

Seth unwrapped his glaive from the wraps that covered it.

⌈Could've just said the name of the weapon, laddie. I've been in this job for as long as I can remember. Ya think I wouldn't know what a glaive is?⌋

⌈Hah, yeah, I suppose. You can never be too sure though.⌋

⌈And what about the forest elf?⌋

⌈It's dark elf! Calling us forest elves is rude! But, but, I'd like a greatsword, please! Thank you!⌋

⌈Sure, sure. A dark elf. But without a bow? And wielding a greatsword, no less? Welp. That's a fecking first...⌋

Right? I'm glad someone else with half a brain for practicality exists, too... Says I, who doesn't even wear the slightest of protective gear... Touché, me.

⌈And what about ya, laddie?⌋

⌈I think I'll stick with a blade, for now. But there's something I've been wanting to ask.⌋

⌈What's on yer mind?⌋

⌈You know your weapons, right? So... If blades have a single edge, and swords have two, what would a rapier be?⌋

⌈Eh? It'd be a sword, wouldnae it? You just answered your own question.⌋

⌈Rapiers are poking weapons, though!⌋

⌈Aye, but they still have two edges, and thus, they're swords. Could it be that yer talking about a tuck?⌋

⌈A tuck?⌋

⌈An estoc. Those ain't got any edges. Only a sharp tip.⌋

⌈So... They're a different class altogether?⌋

⌈Aye.⌋

⌈Oh...⌋

Well, that was an... enlightening experience? I guess? Didn't amount to much, but the more you know.

⌈So, is that it? A blade, a greatsword, and a glaive?⌋

⌈Well, there's also Lumi's weapons. If you could call them that.⌋

I added.

⌈The snow elf? Aye. What's her weapon of choice?⌋

⌈She uses a pair of folding fans.⌋

⌈Folding fans, eh? Hah, I'm guessing she really liked the stories of the Nameless Rogue. Alrighty, then...⌋

The glint in the amber eyes of the dwarf sharpened.

⌈Now... for the payment side of things.⌋

I could hear Seth audibly gulping. He looked like he was about to run away any second now.

What a fucking bum...