Chapter 10: The Door to Paradise

　When I woke up, the sun was already setting.

　The bed is narrow. When I looked next to me, there was Claudia, who was breathing softly.

　Lutz stood up and peeled off the thin cloth, which he was afraid to call a quilt, revealing a white naked body in the darkness.

　It is strange to compare them, but her body was as beautiful as the sword. Her bum is especially nice.

　As I stroked Claudia's bum, I found it to be smooth yet absorbing and strange to the touch. I stroked it, buried my face in it, and ran my tongue over it, seriously thinking that I could kill a day just stroking it.

　Her buttocks, no, Claudia's body rose up. What are you doing, that cold stare told me.

“Lutz-kun, you really like my butt.”

"I'd even apply to have it declared a national treasure."

"If accepted, it won't belong to you alone."

"Don't worry about that. Let's stop."

　Claudia picks up her scattered clothes and begins to change. Lutz watched with regret as she did so.

"Please don't make such a disappointed face. Whenever you ask for it, I will do it, and even if you don't ask for it, I will push you down."

"Wonderful, really good. The only problem is that the bed is narrow."

“Let’s bring the beds from the next room and connect them together. I am going to prepare the meal, so you go ahead and do it, Lutz-kun."

"Okay."

　The bed was a simple wooden frame. Lutz, who was trained as a sword smith, had no trouble with this.

"Oh, and..."

"I wonder what it is."

"Put it away for a moment. It is good for both men and women, but if you leave it exposed, it's worthless."

　Saying that, Claudia left the room while waving her hand.

　Lutz picked up his clothes with a wry smile. Even though they had become such close friends, some things remained the same. He was a little happy about that.

　The next day, Lutz and Claudia came to the knights' office together.

"I’ll just deliver the goods and receive the money....”

　says Claudia,

“It would be easier to talk with a grim-faced man with a sword behind you. I won't interfere, I'll just cross my arms and shut up."

　He said and half-heartedly followed.

　I had just heard the other day what Claudia had been through in prison. I didn't feel comfortable letting her go alone.

　I don't think they're going to harm Claudia now, but it still doesn't feel good.

"You're surprisingly overprotective."

　While saying things like that, Claudia felt relieved.

"Hello! I'm here to deliver your order!"

　Claudia energetically enters the office. As usual, the atmosphere is more like a cheap bar than a knights' station.

　He approached one of the tables and laid out his daggers. The knights gathered. Claudia confirmed the other party's name and handed the daggers to their respective owners.

　They pull out their daggers, and a sigh of admiration escapes from each of their mouths.

　It was a beautiful blade, though not as beautiful as the mysterious sword. I would rather not have it be the same as the katana, so this was just right.

　 When you shake it lightly, the weight balance is good and it fits in your hand. The knives they had been using until now seemed like a poorly made toy.

　He said he couldn't wait to stab someone, which got a laugh, but it's doubtful how much of it was a joke.

　In the midst of that, one person said to lower the price.

　The sheath is plain, not suitable for a fashionable boy to carry, and needs to be re-engraved. They say it is defective.

　The knight protests close to intimidation. Claudia wasn't frightened, but she had a terribly disgusted expression, probably because she was used to this sort of thing.

　Lutz, who had been waiting near the door, stepped up and snatched the dagger from the man's hand.

"I'm not doing business with you."

"What, don't muzzle selfish things!"

"It's selfish, selfish, huh. To put it bluntly, I made this dagger with too much enthusiasm, to tell you the truth. It is worth five gold coins, not eighty silver. But we came to sell it for 80 silver coins, because that was the deal from the beginning. That's what business integrity is all about.”

　Without taking his eyes off the man who had complained, Lutz tossed the dagger to Claudia.

"But what are you? Instead of recognizing the value of the dagger, you now ask for sixty silver. You are a fool. A man with rotten eyeballs and guts would have no need for this dagger."

“Oh? I'll just shut up and listen to you for a while now, and you'll just lick my lips!　It's true that the sheath is plain, but you got the point across and you're upset!”

"Did you order the blade to be engraved or sprinkled with gold, silver, and jewelry?"

"It's common sense to do that much!"

"Common sense is not a word to justify the bedlam of idiots."

　The man put his hand on the sword, and Lutz reached for the hilt of his sword. The dangerous and sword-swallowing atmosphere was tense, as it could be pulled out and slashed at any time.

　Lutz is confident that he can knock out a single small fry. But this is enemy territory and Claudia must be protected.

　The man was oppressed by Lutz's bloodlust, and he wondered if he would be able to win. However, he could not back down now in the face of his friends.

"Thank you."

　I heard Claudia's slow voice. The murderous intent drained from the man and Lutz like air leaking from a balloon, and when he turned around, the other knight was handing Claudia a silver coin.

　Exactly eighty sheets, multiplied by four. Transaction is completed.

　Behind the scenes of Lutz's quarrel, there was this conversation.

“Is it really worth five gold coins?”

"I'm serious, very serious. He was too excited to work on a big job after a long time. What do you think of this beautiful blade pattern? You have to repeat the process of beating and stacking many times and perfect fire-quenching to get such a clear pattern."

"Mmm..."

　They didn't interfere, thinking that if they left it to the man who made the complaint, he might be able to lower the price for all of them, but they didn't want to miss the opportunity to make a deal.

　The complaint man is like the ladder being removed from the top of the ladder.

"Hey, I'm still negotiating!"

"You can do it on your own. It would be unbearable if the transaction was canceled even for us."

　By the time the argument had taken over and the knights were yelling at each other, grabbing each other by the collar and spitting at each other, Lutz and Claudia had already disappeared.

　From the knight station, the two of them return side by side through the streets. This is also the second time. The distance is a little closer than that time.

"... I'm sorry, I ended up interfering."

"Well, that's all right. I don't want to be a customer for too long."

　Lutz apologizes, Claudia laughs without effort. We certainly got a large sum of money, but we can't keep up with this fuss every time. Somewhere along the line, we will go bankrupt.

“By the way, what are we going to do with the rest of this?”

　Claudia waved the dagger she had taken from the knight. The deal for 80 silver coins was ruined, but Claudia was not too concerned about it, thinking that it would be a bad move to lower the price there.

"Better yet, for self-defense for Claudia..."

　When Lutz started to say,

"Hey, wait!"

　A voice called out from behind.

　It's the knight from the knight station. Lutz stepped forward diagonally to protect Claudia.

　Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the man was not the one who had ordered the dagger, nor was he the one who had broken the deal. Lutz and Claudia, wondering what was going on, decided to listen to what he had to say.

"You must have one left over. Sell it to me."

　The man said, breathing heavily, as if he had come in a great hurry.

"I can't put out five gold coins, but..."

　The man held out a heavy-looking leather bag. It looked like it could hold at least a hundred silver coins.

　Lutz looked at Claudia and then shrugged his head. I’ll leave it to you, do as you please. That's what it means.

"We will sell it for 80 silver coins without changing the price. Customers with discerning eyes are more than welcome!"

　Claudia, putting on a business smile, held out a dagger and took out exactly 80 silver coins from the man's leather bag with a familiar look. It was as if she was watching a magic trick.

　The man pulled it out of its scabbard, checked the shine of the blade, and chuckled. It seems that he was so envious when he saw his friends carrying the sword that he couldn't stand still and ran after them.

　After saying "thanks," the knight left, and Lutz and Claudia started walking again.

"Well, it seems that you were pleased, and above all..."

　It happened just as he was about to give it to Claudia as a gift. Even though it was a good thing that it was sold, Lutz had a somewhat mixed feeling about it.

“Lutz-kun, if you're going to give me something, make it for me from the beginning, not as an afterthought."

　Claudia said as she handed the silver coins to Lutz. The four hundred silver coins in total weighed a considerable amount.

“A handmade gift is very romantic, isn't it? It's the kind of thing that makes a woman's heart flutter.”

"I don't think there are many people who would give a woman a handmade sword as a gift..."

"You are one-of-a-kind!"

　Claudia was completely excited. Lutz was also ready to make it for her. If it would make her happy, that would be a good thing.

"Are you getting jealous of their daggers?”

"Isn't it strange that the bastards of the knight station have a master craftsman, Lutz's work and I have nothing? Hit me with a gem worthy of protecting the woman you love!"

"You tell yourself that."

"Fufu, you don't deny it either."

"Jeez……"

　Lutz, dismayed by Claudia's aggressiveness, was trying to formulate in his mind what kind of sword he was going to make.

　At the time, rumors were circulating in town that the hero had returned, but this was of no concern to Lutz and Claudia.

　At least at this point.

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