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“Greatsword.”

“……What’s that?”

In response to my question, the uncle looked back with an expression that didn’t match his cluelessness—a look of pure innocence.

“Come on, uncle. That joke isn’t funny.”

What kind of blacksmith doesn’t know what a greatsword is?

“I’m asking what it really is, not joking around.”

“Seriously, you don’t know?”

The uncle, arms crossed, nodded nonchalantly.

“Luna, you’ve never heard of it either? Greatsword?”

“Based on what I know, I haven’t heard of it.”

How on earth can a double-headed axe even exist?

“Ha… then let me explain, so listen carefully.”

The blade should be over 160cm in length, more than 2cm thick, and over 15cm wide.

A big, thick, solid weapon for manly men.

As I explained, Luna shook her head as if thinking, “Here we go again,” while the uncle just stared at me with a baffled expression.

“Ha… kiddo. Do you really think such a sword could exist?”

“Of course.”

If it were Earth, they might manage to make it somehow, but unless you’re lifting weights like a mega bodybuilder, the weight and size would offer no practicality—just content for show. But the world I’m in is a fantasy world.

A world where the impossible becomes possible.

Lacking strength is something my status window will cover, so it doesn’t matter.

Following that, the uncle rubbed his forehead and continued.

“I’ll explain why such a sword is hard to exist, so listen carefully.”

The handle wouldn’t be able to withstand the blade’s weight, causing the joint part to break. Even slight narrowing would make it hard to swing. It would be too cumbersome to carry around.

He presented many opinions, but that wouldn’t change my stubbornness.

The difficulty in swinging it is the user’s problem anyway, and besides, I have no intention of carrying it around.

I’ll just store it in the inventory and pull it out when needed—who would carry that heavy thing around?

And about the handle breaking…

“Why not just make the handle and blade as one?”

“Does that even make sense… no, maybe it could work.”

The uncle stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“If you carve out the raw material and process it as is… making the handle and blade as a single piece…”

He muttered to himself, but I had no clue what he was saying.

“Excuse me, uncle. So could it actually be done?”

“…Probably.”

“Then please do it~”

“But I don’t have the materials.”

What? Didn’t you just say it could be done?

“What materials do you need? Isn’t iron enough?”

“It can’t just be iron. The handle would break, and it would be too heavy. If made as you say, it would easily exceed 200kg.”

Wow, that’s a bit much, isn’t it?

If I leveled up a bit more and raised my stats, maybe I could swing it like a stick later, but honestly, it seems tough right now.

“So what’s needed?”

“I need a light yet sturdy material from a monster.”

A light but strong material, huh?

It seems like it wouldn’t exist, but maybe due to this fantasy setting, he speaks so casually about it.

“So what’s that exactly?”

“You have to figure that out on your own. I’ll craft the weapon for you.”

“Wait, but I’m a paying customer too, right?”

“So?”

Damn. This uncle is consistent.

What kind of shop asks customers to fetch their own materials?

“Don’t you know anything?”

“I know a few things, but kiddo, what’s your adventurer rank?”

“E rank.”

“Then you can’t get what I know. The minimum is C rank.”

“Luna, you probably wouldn’t know either, right?”

“No.”

Ehh, tsk.

So where am I supposed to gather information from?

While I was thinking that, the usually quiet Luna spoke up.

“Luke, maybe Adela would know something?”

“Oh, that’s a nice thought.”

If it’s Adela, the receptionist at the guild, she might know a lot about monsters that even the uncle doesn’t.

“And Luke, shouldn’t we ask about the War Wolf carcass too?”

“Oh, right, that too.”

Having a secretary makes things so much easier.

Like a high-end external SSD—fast, precise, and with great memory.

I pulled out the head and body of the War Wolf that I had stored in my inventory.

“Ugh…! What’s that smell?!”

“…!”

At that, both the uncle and Luna scrunched their faces at the sudden odor.

I held my breath since I had been anticipating it.

“Then please handle the dissection!”

I thought I heard the uncle muttering something behind me, but I ignored it and dashed out of the blacksmith’s.

Immediately after exiting the blacksmith, I hurried to the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Adela!”

“…Why are you back again?”

“It’s a bit hurtful to say that between us. I can come back, you know.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Just that we share a rapport between adventurer and receptionist.”

Does teasing require you to be lovers?

“Ha…”

“With that many sighs, it must be tough work.”

“What brings you here this time?”

Ignoring me, huh?

This might be quite nice?

Having a pretty girl ignoring me feels almost like a reward in this industry, right?

“Hehe.”

“…Luna.”

“I need materials for weapon crafting. I’d like information on monsters that provide strong yet light materials.”

It seemed I had decided to ignore her fully, as Adela and Luna began chatting.

Being blatantly ignored isn’t too bad of a feeling, to be honest.

“Hmm…”

Adela pondered, placing her index finger over her lips as she clenched her fist.

Before long, she turned around and quickly pulled a law book the size of a legal document from the shelf and started flipping through it.

“How about this?”

She pointed with her finger as she handed the book over.

And as I checked it out…

“Rhino Horn?”

There were a few short lines of description along with an illustration drawn by someone with exceptional skill.

It looked like a rhinoceros, but that horn looked incredibly sharp.

Although the horn isn’t pointed, it’s blunt but large enough that if it charged with that horn, it could shatter even a hefty boulder as if it were a mere chopstick.

“Is there any other info?”

“We also have little information on this monster. It’s a herbivorous monster, so few adventurers go hunting it.”

Wow, how could something like that be a herbivore?

And is there even such a thing as herbivorous monsters?

It doesn’t seem to come up in novels.

Or does it actually not appear because it shouldn’t?

Considering the main character isn’t a psychopath, there’s no need to go looking for some harmless monster to slaughter.

“From what I know, the Rhino Horn’s horn is light yet has high durability.”

“If it’s that good, why is there so little information?”

“Even though it’s a herbivore, it will defend itself when attacked. But since it’s a herbivore, the rewards are low, and it’s just too troublesome, so adventurers don’t even go. Thus, we don’t receive any requests for it.”

Those fellows are just being stingy.

Aren’t they just looking to minimize their payouts, hiding behind the fact it’s a herbivore?

“How am I supposed to find them if that’s all the information?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“The Adventurer’s Guild’s information network isn’t quite as great as I thought.”

“…Can I hit Luke just once?”

“Eh~? You’re going to hit me?”

I tilted my head at a 90-degree angle like some squirrel, surprised.

“Yes.”

“Eh!”

And then somehow, like a raccoon, she actually hit me.

*

Based on the information I obtained from the Adventurer’s Guild, I started my investigation.

Or rather, I just ended up having a late lunch with Luna.

“I mean, even if I want to look for it, there’s no information, so what can I do?”

“Huh?”

“No, it’s just a thought.”

Anyhow, ever since I got the information from Adela, there has been no progress at all.

Where else would have more information on monsters than the Adventurer’s Guild?

Probably not anywhere besides the neighborhood where a Rhino Horn roams.

I dipped a piece of bread into jam and popped it in my mouth.

Then, I suddenly noticed my sleeves.

“Oh. There it is.”

“What is it?”

“My information-gathering spot.”

I lowered my gaze to my outfit, remembering I only had this one to wear, which made me forget I even had it on.

“Let’s head to the Academy.”

It’s the place where more monster information can be found than the Adventurer’s Guild.

The main stage of this world.

There must be information at the Academy.

“But how are we getting in if we aren’t students…?”

Luna’s reasonable concern.

But I had no thoughts about that at all.

“I can just enter wearing a student uniform.”

“I… don’t have a student uniform.”

“I can say you’re my companion; no need to be so uptight.”

The Academy doesn’t have guards.

Each student has sufficient power to protect themselves, and there are strong professors, so unless it’s a Demon or Demon-type, no one dares to challenge them.

Moreover, as long as the Academy states that behavior is at one’s own risk, they won’t restrict everything people do.

“What will you do if you get caught?”

“If I get caught, I get caught, what can I do?”

Am I a thief?

I can just walk in confidently, gather information, and leave. There’s no need to be sneaky as if I’m going to steal; there’s nothing to worry about.

And considering the Dean, Lucia Marygold, I doubt she would kick me out; she’d probably help instead if I got caught.

“Let’s finish this meal quickly and head out.”

“Okay.”

Splat, I dipped my bread in jam and took a hearty bite.

*

Somewhere underground in the Empire.

In a lavish room that’s hard to believe is underground, there were opulent chairs and tables suitable for high-ranking nobility.

And seated in one of those chairs was a rotund man.

-Knock knock.

“Daine Berkeley, may I enter?”

The heavyset man, clearly a symbol of wealth, was the head of the Berkeley family, a noble in the Empire.

In response to the voice from outside, Daine Berkeley replied while chewing meat.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

“What’s the matter?”

“The cart transporting the slave has been ambushed.”

“What!?”

“And the Empire has started an investigation as well.”

As he spoke, the fat man greedily munched away.

His face then twisted in frustration.

“This is why mercenaries are…! They’re making a big deal out of nothing just because they got hit by monsters?!”

“It wasn’t monsters, it was humans who ambushed them.”

“…Is that really the case?”

“I’m on my way back after confirming it myself.”

Crack, I heard bones splintering in his mouth.

“Which bastard…!”

“The hired mercenaries are all dead, and the captured slaves don’t know us, so we have nothing to worry about.”

The slaves were nothing but worthless commoners or sub-humans.

There was no need to waste his precious time or identity over a few slaves to be sold.

Thus, Daine Berkeley had never shown his face to the slaves.

That meant there was no chance of information about him leaking out to the Empire, and they wouldn’t trace it back to him.

“What will you do now?”

In response to the butler’s question, Daine Berkeley replied as if it was already decided.

“Send the goons.”

‘They’ are the assassins who do the dirty work for him when contractual issues arise.

Though they haven’t had much use lately, thanks to some daredevil, he thought he might get some entertainment out of it.

“Understood.”

As the door he’d entered through closed behind the butler, Daine Berkeley tossed the bones into a bucket beside him and thought.

‘Whoever it is, how dare they get in my way?’

I’ll capture them and make them suffer slowly and painfully before killing them.

 

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