Chapter 56

"Sharpness is also a concern, isn't it?"

Kuruni, her eyes shining, said this as she looked at my sword.

Oh, so you're worried about it too? It does worry you, doesn't it?

Yeah, I'm worried about it too. I want to swing this longsword as soon as possible. Of course, I can't just swing it around in the middle of the city, so I need to choose the right place.

"Unfortunately, we don't have a training ground here. As I mentioned before."

"Yeah, I understand that."

I nodded in response to Balder's words.

Well, this is the central district of the capital, Baltrain. The land prices are not cheap, and setting up a training ground would require a considerable amount of space. It would be a bit too much to ask for that.

Generally, there are not many places in the city where you can freely swing a sword. I should probably go back to the training ground at the knight's hall to test the feel of it.

"Right, right. The Zweihänder seems to suit you, Kuruni."

"Sure does! It's tough to get used to, but it feels good!"

"Great, I'm glad to hear that."

The conversation about my sword came to a close. So, I added a few words about Kuruni's weapon.

Kuruni isn't completely used to it yet, but it seems to suit her better than a short sword. She seems to understand this on a personal level, and the feel is generally good.

"Well, just use it well."

"Sure thing!"

Kuruni responded enthusiastically to my subtle request as a blacksmith.

"You too, teacher. Take care of that sword."

"Yeah, sure, I got it."

This sword came into my hands through a series of fortunate events. I never intended to treat it carelessly.

Unless an irregular like Zeno Graybull shows up, it shouldn't break easily. After all, I managed with one sword for a long time.

But, that was really an irregular. The material from that powerful monster is now in my hands as a sword. Thinking about it calmly, it's a bit of a strange turn of events.

"Well, then..."

With the business concluded, I started to think.

Today's training is over, but a healthy swordsman's mindset is to want to swing a new sword. I'm not completely free of fatigue, but I can probably push a bit more. Besides, I don't have any plans for the evening.

"I'm going back to the hall. What about you, Kuruni?"

So, I decided to go to the training ground to get a feel for my new partner.

"Ah! I'll come with you!"

It seems Kuruni will come along too.

Swinging a sword can be done alone, but it's more effective with a partner. I'm grateful for her company.

"Let me know if it needs sharpening, teacher."

"Sure, thanks."

From what I can see, it's a high-quality sword, and I don't think it will need sharpening anytime soon. But as the maker, it's a concern. I'll take you up on your offer without hesitation.

"Well, let's head back. Sorry to drag you along."

"No, no, I'm curious too!"

What I want to do is just some preparatory exercises to get a feel for the new sword. It's not something that will contribute to Kuruni's growth, so I feel a bit guilty about dragging her along.

However, if she wants to come, there's no reason to refuse.

Personally, I walked through the city with a somewhat conspicuous red scabbard on my hip.

The central district of Baltrain has a fair amount of foot traffic even late at night or early in the morning. I thought the scabbard might draw attention, but then I remembered that adventurers and others often wear flashy outfits, so the sword alone isn't that noticeable.

As an older man, I'm glad I'm not drawing unnecessary attention.

"But, we can't really test the sharpness at the training ground, can we?"

"That's just the way it is."

Kuruni glanced at her hip and said this.

That's true. Training is usually done with wooden swords, and there's nothing to cut with a real sword. Cutting up the knight's equipment would be too risky. I don't want to get scolded either.

If I go out of the city to hunt, the surrounding areas of such a large city are well-guarded. The chances of encountering a monster just by wandering around are low.

I'm not particularly fond of combat, so I don't mind not being able to test the sharpness. But, I do want to try out the new high-quality sword I've acquired.

Hmm, maybe I'm a bit more excited than usual.

It's not a good tendency. While being excited isn't bad, this kind of excitement can lead to a lack of focus. I hope I can calm down as I walk.

"Hehe, teacher, you're a bit fidgety, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, a little."

Kuruni pointed this out with a smile.

I guess my excitement is noticeable. I've only been away from my sword for a week, but it's natural to feel a bit excited when you get back to it.

Phew, calm down, calm down.

Okay, I'm calm. Probably.

When we get to the training ground, I'll focus on the stance and really get a feel for the weight and length of this sword.

Even though the size isn't much different from the sword I used before, it's a different weapon, so there will be subtle differences. I need to get used to these differences and become familiar with the new sword.

Otherwise, I might misjudge the distance or have trouble swinging it. As an already unimpressive older man, I want to at least swing my sword with style.

"We're here... huh?"

The distance from Balder's blacksmith shop to the knight's hall isn't far.

If I chat with Kuruni or think about the new sword, we arrive quickly.

And when the entrance to the hall came into view for Kuruni and me.

There was a small silhouette in addition to the usual guard.

"Ah, Beryl. I've been waiting for you."

"Lucy? What's up, coming at this hour?"

"Lucy! Hello!"

The figure was Lucy Diamond, the commander of the mage corps.

It's still early in the day, but it's a bit late to be visiting someone. From her words, it's clear she was waiting for me.

I wonder what's up. The only recent reason I can think of for Lucy to visit me is one.

"I have something to talk about. Can you spare a moment?"

She wasn't as forceful as when we first met.

However, her tone and expression clearly conveyed that this was not a trivial request.

"Sorry, Kuruni. It seems to be something important."

"N-no, no! Don't worry about it!"

Kuruni waved her arms, trying to reassure me.

I ended up dragging Kuruni along. I'll have to think of a way to make it up to her.

"Well, let's go."

"Sorry."

Lucy lightly waved to Kuruni and apologized.

It's fine, but she didn't apologize to me for suddenly bringing up the topic. Well, it's fine.

Well, it looks like I won't be able to just do some casual sword practice today.

I hope nothing strange comes up, but only Lucy knows what's going on.

Lucy really can show up anywhere.