Vol. 1 Chapter 22

~ It will be announced on a large scale ~

Translated by Raizu
Edited by Mirp

[Oh, this is…]

Zondark whispered as he slid away the scabbard and looked at the blade.
A one-handed sword that curves from the middle of the blade to the tip. A knuckle guard is attached to the handle.
What I gave to Zondark was a『Transcendent』cavalry saber.
The material was steel, and the decorations were kept to a minimum, making it an item for actual combat use.

[It was made for light cavalry. It is effective for slashing while passing each other or swinging down while standing still. It should be more powerful than the current straight sword, so please test it.]

Saying that, I stacked the sabers I made on top of the large table. Thirty of them.
Looking at the various weapons in this world, I realized that basically, most swords in this world were straight swords. There were almost no curved swords.
No, I’m not saying that curved swords were superior to straight swords, but at least if you’re using them on horseback, a curved sword like a saber could make the most of its sharpness.
Aside from thrusting moves, using a straight sword on horseback would inevitably drop its slashing power.
A saber should be quite useful if you’re fighting cavalry in hand-to-hand combat. As it is now, it should still be possible to test it at the last minute before deploying it in combat.

[Alright, let’s arrange it right away. So, the usual schedule for until a week later has been arranged. Here is the detailed schedule.]

I looked over the schedule.
A Hero was discovered in the Karendil Kingdom for the first time in fifty-odd years, and a military parade was held under the pretext of unveiling the Hero. At the same time, they would also announce important matters.
It seems that such a decree will be issued to all areas of the Karendil Kingdom even today.
Other countries will also issue similar proclamations today.
In addition to that, the schedule for the day was detailed.
Roughly starting from the Royal castle and marching to the new city. After that, Marl and I would parade in the new town, announce the flood, and return from the new town to the Royal castle.

[After the announcement, how much freedom do I and Marl have?]

[Basically, you will be asked to act together with the army and knights to subjugate the monsters around the Royal Capital.]

[I don’t want to work for free. Also, I plan to make a large number of high-quality weapons to raise the overall fighting power, so please let me secure the time to create it.]

[Ah, of course, but… how can you mass-produce such a high-quality weapon?]

Zondark said so and looked at the pile of sabers stacked on the table.

[I will only make the blade, so please arrange for a craftsman to complete it. It doesn’t take much time to make the spear tip and sword blades. Making the fittings is the most troublesome. This is just a sample.]

After saying that, I placed a longsword and a shortsword for each strike, and then three long spears on the table.
Each one is a masterpiece of『Transcendent』quality.

[Also, please list the number of people who can use magic strikes and the weapons they use. I will make weapons for those people with Mithril.]

[S, sure… I understand.]

Zondark replied while thinking with his hand on his chin.
Therefore, I imposed one condition.

[I will set the price at a reasonable price. However, there are conditions for supplying these weapons. The Karendil Kingdom must not monopolize these weapons. Supply it to other countries as well. I won’t tell you not to use it as a negotiation card. However, please let it spread as much as possible and reduce the number of victims by as little as possible. That is also my wish.]

[…..What if we don’t?]

[Do you really want to know?]

Zondark and I glared at each other for a while.
All the weapons I made had magical marks built into them. Yes, it’s the same secret tracking mark that was used to track me the other day.
Engraving this secret mark was more of a learning and having knowledge about it than a skill. It’s relatively easy to use as long as you know how it works, and when I got blacksmithing to level 3, it came into my head along with the knowledge on how to create weapons that could act as magic catalysts.
The secret mark was incorporated into the blade of the weapon I made. At a level where the weapon would become unusable if you tried to scrape the mark off.
If Zondark, or rather, the Karendil Kingdom ignored my request, I planned to use it to break all the weapons.

Zondark let out a sigh as if he was defeated.

[Will it be alright if our country receives more portions?]

[That’s good enough. I’ll leave it up to you to take care of that, you’re the professional, right?]

[Of course. Leave it to me.]

Saying that, Zondark grinned.
This guy’s grinning face was like those villains you’d see in movies. One that also liked to say『Just as planned』. (TL note: keikaku doori)
I needed to be careful too. This guy could be a good business partner, but trusting him completely was a dangerous move.

[As for the blade, I will make it at a rapid pace, so please provide the materials as soon as possible.]

[Of course, Hero-dono.]

Zondark and I shook hands firmly.

============

[So, it was decided that it’ll be announced in a week. From now on, we have to go order the armor that we will be equipping that day.]

[I just got a new one too.]

Marl looked over the schedule she got from Zondark and gave a wry smile.
I thought so too. Even though I used 50 gold coins. Well, that’s fine.

[Putting aside the defensive power, the appearance is not good enough.]

The layered troll hide armor and mithril chainmail look plain because they were just leather armor.
But I have received a good-to-go from Zondark that will allow me to buy anything at the country’s expenses, so there’s no need to worry about money.
Let’s go around the armor shop on the inner wall and then go to Peron-san’s place.

[Oh, welcome.]

[Is Peron-san there?]

After looking around the armor shops inside the wall, Marl and I arrived at the Peron Armor Shop.
Ritz-san casted a sharp glare upon hearing my words.

[What do you want, my wife won’t do it.]

[No, I don’t need that. I already have Marl.]

[What was that!? Are you saying that my wife doesn’t have any charm!?]

[Peron-san! Hurry up!]

Ignoring Ritz-san and his misunderstanding, I tried calling Peron-san in a loud voice.
At that moment, the door behind the counter burst open and something flew in and hit Ritz-san in the head.
It’s an unrefined iron ore. I felt like this wasn’t going to be a joke, but whether it’s a gag correction or if he’s sturdy from the beginning, Ritz-san just fell down on the counter without shedding a single drop of blood.

[Sorry for my idiot husband. So, what is it today? I just had maintenance done on the armor, and are you going to deliver some daggers again?]

Saying that, Peron-san looked at the newly established dagger corner next to the counter.
It seemed that some of the delivered daggers had already been sold, so there were some empty spaces.

[I’m relieved that it seems to be selling well.]

[It sells pretty well. Any discerning guy would buy them immediately.]

Peron-san laughed as she said that. Umu, it’s not that I don’t understand why this smile is going to kill me.
Although I think Ritz-san was a little too possessive.

[My business today is to order armor. I want you to pursue performance to the limit while maintaining a gorgeous appearance.]

Peron-san gave me a dubious look at my order. That’s right, that was the content of the order.

[What is your budget and deadline?]

[We’ll use it in a week, so maybe within six days. Here’s the budget.]

I showed Peron-san the certificate I received from Zondark.
Peron-san received the certificate with a questioning look on her face, followed by a surprised expression.
The content written on the certificate could be briefly described as [Taichi Mitsuba and Marl are the Kingdom’s official heroes and their followers, so you can use the best of your skills to make the products they want, and the cost will be handled by the country.] or something along that line.

[I had a feeling that you weren’t an ordinary person, but…heh.]

Saying that, Peron-san inspected me from my toes to the top of my head.
Ritz-san would probably be writhing if he knew that his wife was giving me this inspecting gaze, but I just felt uncomfortable.
Of course, I didn’t have the hobby of writhing in agony. But I guess it would be fun to watch.

[But are you sure you want to commission this job for me? There is a shop in the inner wall that sells more expensive items than ours.]

[Of course I’ve seen it. But, I think Peron-san’s place is the best.]

[That’s an honor, after all, you have a good eye for it.]

Saying that, Peron-san grinned.
The little girl (provisional name) with a fearless grin, somehow looked like a rare creature in the world.

[What materials are you going to use? Heavy black steel with high magic and physical defense, light and well-balanced Mithril, absurdly heavy but with magical power amplification Crystal, either one of these. Orichalcum is really hard to process. No matter how you look at it, it won’t make it in time, so it’s impossible.]

[I prefer Mithril!]

[Hmm, a crystal that has a magical power amplification effect would be nice too. I also prefer mithril since I like to keep things lightweight]

[That’s right, Mithril would be good if you place both the appearance and the purpose in consideration. I suppose it’d be best if it’s light armor.]

Peron-san also agreed with me and Marl’s words.
The size of our armors were memorized during adjustment and maintenance, so it seemed that there was no need for re-measuring.
Apparently it would be made so that we can wear it on top of the mithril chain. Thank you.

[Then, I certainly accepted it. If possible, I’ll bring it to the mansion.]

After that, Marl and I bought materials such as ores and medicinal herbs at the commerce guild and returned to the mansion.

From there, the days of production begin.
I earnestly made the blades of sabers, long swords, short swords, and the tips of long spears.
I waved and swung the hammer single mindedly.
If I got tired, I’d take a break, flirt with Marl, and exchange magic.
Marl mixed various magic potions. However, she seemed to have something in mind, and seemed to have made and stocked up quite a few recovery potions.
Recently, the recovery potions Marl’s produced have been either『Good』or『High Quality』.
Occasionally, she went to the commercial guild to fulfill requests for deliveries. It seems that she’s using it as a fund for the accumulating recovery medicine.

It’s no good, I can’t help but associate it with my original world. Because we were doing the same thing!

Then when the sun went down, I had dinner, took a bath, and asked Maybel to give me a massage.
I felt like Maybel looked suspiciously excited when she was giving me a massage lately. But I’m sure it’s just my imagination.

And of course, at night, I flirted with Marl.
In the end, I ended up using primordial magic. I’m so addicted to it, it’s crazy.
Or rather, I feel like I’ve come to understand the meaning of the name Primordial Magic. In a sense, it was the act itself that where it got its name.
I didn’t know of its existence until now, so I wasn’t even aware of it.
And this magic, the more you exchange magic with each other, the more efficient it becomes. It was barely possible to exchange about 5 MP before, but now it is possible to exchange 30 per minute.
Also, I can’t say for certain because I can’t grasp Marl’s MP numerically, but if we circulate our MP at the same speed, our MP will probably be amplified.
In other words, if you use primordial magic to circulate your MP, your MP would also recover extremely quickly. It’s very difficult to stay sane.

Another surprising thing was that by configuring it to use magic and releasing concentrated magical power through Marl, it was possible to manifest magic.
Passing concentrated magic from my left hand to Marl’s right hand, we were able to manifest magic from Marl’s left hand.
However, this seemed to make Marl feel sick, as one usage turned her face pale. But thanks to that, she got to understand the feeling of using magic.
Perhaps this method could help Marl learn magic. But since it seems like it’s a big burden, I’m putting it on hold for a while.

==============

And on the day of the announcement.

[Oh, you look like a Princess, Marl.]

[Because I AM a Princess! Taichi-san also looks like a Hero.]

[Because I AM one!]

We both laughed.
Marl and I were dressed in mithril armor made by Peron-san, waiting in the mansion’s entrance hall.
I’m equipped with sheet metal armor that shines silver.
The main parts were covered with mithril sheet metal armor, and the joints were covered with mithril chainmail to increase the defense of the whole body.
It had a truly heroic design, with several blue ores embedded in the breastplate.
This ore was refined from the floating stone I saw in the warehouse of the commercial guild before. It seems that the name is exactly that, the floating stone.
The production volume was low and it’s ridiculously expensive, but you could reduce the weight of the armor by incorporating it into the armor.
Actually, even though it’s sheet metal armor, it felt lighter than the Troll Hide Armor.

Marl was equipped with greenish lustrous mithril armor.
Even though it’s called Mithril Armor, it only covers the bare minimum of the chest and abdomen.
At first glance, it’s just a beautiful dress covered with armor. But this dress was actually the main attraction.
This dress was not made of silk or anything like that, it is a mithril mesh woven from thread-like mithril.
In addition to being more defensive than poorly made sheet metal armor, the lining is woven with magic that increases physical defense, so in theory, it will be harder than my mithril armor.
And lastly, the circlet I made shone on her forehead.
It was an excellent piece of accessory that could detect incoming attacks and automatically deployed a defensive barrier. It’s not a very sturdy barrier though.
It should be able to block attacks from goblins without any problems, but it couldn’t be able to block attacks from trolls.
Well, it’s like a substitute for a helmet.
Marl seemed to really like it as an accessory, and she was smiling all day when I gave it to her. The night service was great. I thought I was going to be sucked dry.

(TL Note: Taken from the manga vers.)

By the way, I’m still debating whether or not to use Marl’s Mithril Armor in combat.
Why, you ask? Because it stands out too much, in many ways.

[Master, a pick-up from His Excellency Marquis has arrived.]

[Okay, we’re coming.]

[We’ll be back soon!]

[Be careful!]

Jack-san, Maybel, and Fram sent us off as we left the mansion.
Fram didn’t say a word, but she quietly bowed her head. I guess there were some complicated nuances to it.
We had good communication. I’m not talking about anything in a sexual sense.
Or rather, no physical contact. Come to think of it, Mabel has been attached to me recently, but I wonder if it’s because I’m taking physical contact properly. It’s a relatively one-sided skinship.
Hmm, thank you. I’m not going to be in trouble even if I say skinship just because the other party was an adult woman. Should I think about something
Well, the encounter was the encounter, and the process after that was also history, so there may be some parts that I unconsciously avoided.
This can’t be helped, let’s think about another alternative.

==============

[Well, how can I say this? It’s a strange feeling.]

[Ahaha, it’s actually not the first time I’ve done something like this! But, I understand your feelings.]

Marl and I were paraded through the Royal Capital of Alphen in a luxurious two-horse carriage together with the cavalry.
The cavalry around us had sabers on their waists. The ones that I gave to Zondark.
Many people looked at the Hero and his attendants and cheered, but among the adventurers and people who seemed to be craftsmen, there were also those who looked at the unfamiliar swords worn by the cavalrymen on their waists.

We were a complete spectacle.
Or rather, Marl who was next to me was too gorgeous for me to stand out. I can’t help it!
Marl, who was cute almost to a fault, was wearing pretty dress-tailored armor. There’s no way she wouldn’t attract any attention.
No matter how heroic the armor I’m wearing, the person wearing it was still just a normal looking guy. I don’t think I’m that ugly, but I’m not even an overly good-looking guy.
I don’t mind though. As long as Marl loved me all the same, I didn’t need more than that.

[Is that the Hero? He looks nothing special.]

[The girl next to him is so cute. Please be my girlfriend instead of that dull guy!]

Hhaaah!? What did you say just now!?

[Uwaa, those glare could definitely kill someone.]

[Wait a minute, isn’t that the『Troll Smasher』?]

[Who?]

[They say he can beat a troll to death with his bare hands.]

[Gyahaha! That must be a fuckin’ lie, hahahaha.]

[That must be a hoax, right? At least tell me something that’s more believable!]

[No kidding, he crushed my mace with his bare hands just the other day. I’m serious!]

[ [ [ Eh, that’s scary?!] ] ]

Look at that.
I felt like I’m doing something wrong, but at least I was able to maintain my dignity.

After the parade and the unveiling were over, the announcement was made in the central plaza within the wall.
There was a vast central plaza in the inner wall. It seemed to be a place where announcements related to national affairs had traditionally been made.
There was actually a plaza of the same size in the new wall, but that one was called the new plaza.
It seemed that many Nobles, including the Royal family, were present at this occasion. I could also see King Karendil. Were those part of the clergyman? I could see the old people in costumes like that.
Then, the announcement began.

In spite of the fact that a Hero was found in this country for the first time in fifty years, I was introduced as a strong person with the nickname of [Troll Smasher] due to how I single-handedly slaughtered three trolls during the short time since I became an adventurer.
Next to be introduced was Marl, who was standing next me. The one who serves as the Hero’s attendant turned out to be the 1st Princess of the neighboring country; Mariel Blanc-Mischronia herself.
Then a beautiful story about how the 1st Princess Mariel received an oracle and left her homeland alone to find me, the Hero, and supported me, was recited.
Then lastly, the Kingdom announced its full support for the Hero Taichi and Princess Mariel, the 1st Princess of Mischronia Kingdom and also the Holy Oracle Maiden.

I surmised that this old man who did all the announcements could make a living as a bard if he wasn’t a Royal official.
I felt like I’m listening to someone else’s story.

[U…pft fu!]

[Eh, Taichi-san is cheating! I’m desperately holding back my laughter too!]

I couldn’t stand it anymore and Marl skillfully criticized me with a smiling expression and a still mouth.
So much for a “Holy Oracle Maiden”.
What kind of “Holy Oracle Maiden” who, upon the first day of meeting, managed to convince the inn attendants to work with her to deceive the Hero to sleep with her in obliviousness? I can only say that there’s something wrong with the『Holy』part.
And what kind of Hero (haha) would fall for that? What a good combination we were.
When the talk ended, cheers rose up.
I responded by raising my hand to the people, with an unintentional smile on my face. Ah, my stomach hurts.

Next was the King’s turn to give a speech.

[Citizens of the Royal Capital Alfen! There is another reason why we have gathered everyone today! Listen carefully to my words!]

Whether it was the King’s original voice or whether he was using magic or something, the King began his speech with a strangely resounding voice.

[An oracle has arrived, saying that a Great Flood will occur in about two months from now!]

Hearing the King’s words, the people fell silent for a moment, and then suddenly began to clamor.
The clamorings gradually turned into shouts, filling the square and shaking it.
The moment the plaza nearly broke into panic, a roar echoed through the plaza. Apparently, the King gave instructions and made something like a gong ring.

[Do not worry, my people! This time we have something that was not there in the previous Great flooding! It is the Hero and the completion of the Fourth wall!]

The people’s turmoil subsides with the King’s words.
Satisfied with the situation, King Karendil the 41st nodded in satisfaction and continued.

[Starting tomorrow, those who have contributed to the construction of the Fourth Wall will receive double rewards! In addition, those who have contributed to the construction of the walls will receive a separate reward! Details can be found at the government office, commerce guild, and adventurer’s guild! Everyone, for the sake of your family and those you love, rouse yourself! Everyone, including myself, will protect the Karendil Kingdom!]

Cheers erupted at the king’s words, and voices of “Long live the Kingdom” and “Long live your majesty” were resounding everywhere.
Thus, the Karendil Kingdom began to move in earnest to resist the Great Flood.

=================

[And what is the Hero’s name again?]

[Ta, ta…Tai-something?]

[Or was it Tiger?]

[What is it again? I don’t remember his face very well. Princess Mariel was too cute so I wasn’t paying attention that there’s actually a man next to her.]

[It’s amazing that she got to be a holy maiden and the 1st Princess. It’s a pity that she’s not the Princess of our country.]

[What is wrong with our Princess…]