Kays Translations

Chapter 12: A New Weapon

The previous day’s commotion had resulted in the entire guild being cleaned, so Tauro ultimately had less cleaning to do.

That gave him more time for sword practice.

The training wasn’t what he had imagined. Most of it consisted of repeatedly practicing forms with a wooden sword.

According to Instructor Daz:

“Drill the movements into your body until you can perform them without thinking. Sparring comes after that!”

The other trainees were naturally older and larger than Tauro. Some had even practiced swordsmanship on their own before becoming adventurers.

Tauro, on the other hand, was a complete beginner who had never held a sword before. It was only natural that his training differed from theirs.

Even the trainee closest to his age was fifteen—nearly twice Tauro’s age.

Becoming an adventurer at eight really was exceptional.

“The registration fee is rather high—ten silver coins—because an adventurer’s tag is also a useful form of identification. We can’t hand them out carelessly. The fee also helps us maintain the quality of our adventurers. This is a profession where your life is always at risk, so people can’t be allowed to join on a whim.”

Hearing that explanation from Nei, the receptionist, made Tauro realize once again how fortunate he had been.

He wanted to grow strong enough to contribute to the guild.

With renewed determination, he put even more strength into each swing of his wooden sword.

*

One day, while Tauro was off duty, Angus the weaponsmith sent word to the Adventurers’ Guild asking him to visit the shop.

“Tauro! There you are!”

As though he had been waiting impatiently, Angus seized Tauro by both shoulders.

He was as strong as ever.

“Ow, ow! Angus, that hurts!”

“Oh! Sorry!”

Angus hastily released him, only to take one of Tauro’s hands in both of his.

“Thanks to you, I can forge better swords than ever before. Thank you!”

His gratitude was plainly sincere.

“So I forged a short sword for you. Will you accept it?”

Angus took the sword leaning beside him and held it out.

“Of course, it’s free. Consider it my thanks.”

The earnest look in Angus’s eyes made Tauro reach for the weapon almost without thinking.

“Thank you. I’ll gladly accept it.”

Tauro took the sword and drew it from its sheath.

Angus had evidently made it lighter to suit Tauro’s small frame. It still felt substantial in his hands, but the weight was comfortable, and the grip fit him perfectly.

“That’s my finest work. I’m proud to call it the best blade I’ve ever forged.”

At Angus’s confident declaration, Tauro secretly examined the sword with [True Eye]. Its value appeared as fifteen gold coins.

“One gold coin is worth about a hundred thousand yen, so…one and a half million yen!?”

“Hyakugojūman yen?”

Angus repeated the unfamiliar words that had escaped Tauro’s mouth.

The sheath and hilt were plain and unadorned, so the listed price had to represent the value of the blade itself.

When Tauro focused more closely with [True Eye], two additional lines appeared:

Agility +5

Swordsmanship +2

“Was something…imbued into this sword?”

“Hmm. I don’t possess an appraisal skill, so I can’t say for certain. But one of my abilities lets me imbue a weapon with an effect on very rare occasions. I’ve experienced it a few times before, and this time I felt the same response. Did you sense something merely by holding it?”

“No…not exactly. It was just a hunch.”

Tauro lied on the spur of the moment.

He had no idea how to explain [True Eye]. He also remembered hearing that Nei had once been forced to appraise item after item.

“I see. When you get back, ask Nei to appraise it. One of my earlier swords happened to gain Swordsmanship +1, and it caused quite the uproar among the adventurers. Gahahaha!”

Angus’s boastful laughter echoed through the shop.

If Swordsmanship +1 had caused an uproar, what would happen when people discovered that this blade carried bonuses to both Agility and Swordsmanship?

Tauro couldn’t help worrying.

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