Item Power is Always Right (2)
When I opened the box, there was a dagger made from a unicorn's horn. A straight, pure-white blade. Golden lines were embroidered across it, forming geometric patterns. Some kind of magic circle, perhaps. Next came the guard. Like the blade, it was pure white, though not particularly ornate. The only decoration was a transparent orb embedded in the center. Finally, the hilt. Wrapped in black leather, it had a deep, luxurious color. Was it the hide of some rare monster rather than an ordinary animal? Through the eyes of a pickpocket, this was clearly a weapon so valuable that stealing it would cause serious trouble later. It was impressive enough that calling it a 3-star material didn't feel like an understatement.
…Still, how should I put it?
"It feels kind of dead, doesn't it?"
When it was just the unicorn horn, even though it was a severed body part, there had been something about it that felt alive. That mysterious power probably judged whether the person it touched was a virgin or not. Now that it had become a dagger, that feeling was completely gone.
I furrowed my brow and tilted my head. Eve spoke up with a surprised expression.
"Goodness. I didn't expect you to notice that. Just as you said, Yona, this dagger is currently in a dormant state. There's a separate procedure required to awaken it."
"I knew it. What do I need to do?"
"Blood."
"Excuse me?"
"Do you want power? Then offer blood. The blood of the pure."
Bleed a single drop to imprint the owner (O)
"……"
I already knew what kind of person she was, but hearing her actually say something like "Do you want power?" made me instinctively activate my mental translator again. Yeah, that made sense. It was probably one of those common setups where a single drop of blood completes the owner imprint and activates the engraved magic. I'd used that trope plenty of times myself, so I knew it well. This dagger was likely enchanted with the same kind of magic.
I let out a dry laugh and pulled out my old dagger from my pocket. I'd taken good care of it, but next to the Unicorn Dagger, it looked rather shabby. Well, I could always sell it secondhand later. The final step being to cut the owner's finger felt oddly fitting. Smiling wryly, I nicked the tip of my index finger on the blade.
Shlick!
A cold sensation as the blade parted flesh. …Had I cut deeper than intended? A burning pain bloomed from my fingertip, overwhelming the chill of the metal. At the same time, drops of blood fell one after another. I felt like I might tear up, but I absolutely couldn't start whining after cutting myself. That would be way too embarrassing, even in a matriarchal world. So I maintained a calm expression as best I could—only for Eve and the Lemon-Apple duo to look far more shocked than I was.
"Y-Yona?! You didn't have to cut that deep!"
"Bandages! I'll go get bandages, sir!"
"We used them all up during yesterday's bondage play, didn't we?! Find a potion first, sir!"
"Ah, it's fine. It's just a little cut on my finger. What's the big deal? …Also, what exactly is 'bondage play'?"
What the hell was that suspiciously lewd-sounding activity? It was seriously bothering me! Part of me wanted to sit them down and interrogate them about it in detail, but right now I had more important things to do.
"Anyway, I've dripped plenty of blood on it, so why isn't there any reaction, Eve?"
I'd even splashed it on the orb in the guard—which practically screamed "drip blood here"—as well as the blade and hilt, yet nothing happened. …Don't tell me I lost my virginity in my sleep or something? If that were the case, I'd have to go find Elly and make her take responsibility. While I was briefly entertaining that thought, Eve answered in a flustered voice.
"You don't just drip it—you have to hold the dagger!"
"Aha?"
I immediately grabbed the dagger and lifted it. At the same time, a brilliant white light burst from the blade. The radiance was so intense that I couldn't keep my eyes open for a moment. After keeping them shut for a while, I carefully opened them again. The dagger now gleamed with a pristine white, as if it had never been covered in blood.
"…Did it drink the blood? Is it a demonic sword?"
Hum!
The dagger vibrated slightly, as if protesting my words. Looking closely, both edges of the blade had become noticeably sharper, and the golden patterns on the blade now pulsed with light at regular intervals. The orb in the guard swirled with a mix of white and pink energy, and the hilt felt like it was clinging to my hand rather than the other way around. It truly felt like a living sword.
Seeing that the imprint had succeeded without issue, Eve let out a sigh of relief.
"It's done. Your wound should have healed by now—would you like to check?"
"Huh? Oh, now that you mention it, it doesn't hurt anymore?"
When I spread my fingers, the cut had completely closed, leaving only a faint mark that was rapidly fading from sight.
"Hehe. How is it? Do you like your new power?"
I worked really hard making this, so give me your honest review! (O)
"Of course I like it! Who would turn down a healing ability? It has other effects too, right? Can you tell me what they are?"
I looked up at her with wide eyes and a bright smile. From Eve's perspective, it probably felt like I was suddenly closing in from below. A little service on my part. I still didn't know exactly what functions it had, but the power I could feel from the dagger was clearly extraordinary. This wasn't something that could be achieved with good materials alone. It required the combined efforts of a skilled blacksmith and a mage. Even for Eve, who had vast connections built over a long life, making this for free based on nothing but a promise to visit often would be too much of a burden. So I figured I should at least do this much for her.
For a moment, Eve staggered while clutching her chest, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded.
"Of course I should tell you. First, as you just saw, it has a constant healing ability. By default, it only applies to the wielder, but if Yona wishes, you can also heal others by touching the blade to them. There are some restrictions, though."
"That's amazing! But what kind of restrictions…?"
"The recipient must have a pure body."
"?"
"Or they must be someone who has given birth to two or more children through pure, devoted love and is living happily… Honestly, even I don't fully understand that part. Unicorns have always been such mysterious creatures… or rather, they've been extinct for so long that very little documentation remains."
Eve, who had been subtly flaunting her age, quickly changed the subject. It was the quick thinking of someone who had lived in the era when unicorns used to impale the Golden Sun. Pretending not to hear, I gestured for Lemon and Apple—who were hurriedly putting the potion back on the shelf—to come over.
Tap tap.
"I-I don't want to, sir!"
"We oppose human experimentation, sir!"
"You'll get caught right away if I chase you anyway… Ah, but if you come now, I'll bite you with my teeth instead of the dagger. That way there won't be any risk of cutting too deep by accident, right?"
"…Coming right now, sir!"
"Lemon! No cutting in line, sir!"
"It's not first-come-first-served, so take your time! Take your time!"
As I stood up and said that, the obedient Lemon and Apple lined up in front of me with tense expressions. The experiment was a resounding success. Watching the two of them—who were so honest about their desires—suck on the already-healed wound with their mouths made me chuckle. I sat back down again. Not in my original seat, but right next to Eve.
"……"
For some reason, Eve was glaring at Lemon and Apple with an even more terrifying aura than usual. I poked her side with my elbow and asked.
"So, what other effects does it have?"
"Huh? E-Eh?!"
Had she not realized I was sitting right beside her? Eve jolted so hard it looked like a spasm. She was kind of like a fish. It was a little amusing…
"Did you hear me? I asked what the next effect is, Eve."
"Y-Yes, of course. It contains all the basic functions of a unicorn horn."
You're close. You're small. You smell nice. (O)
"The ability to detect experience?"
"…That's the most famous one, but there are many others. For example, it protects the user from all kinds of negative effects, purifies impurities, and even boosts luck."
"Luck…!"
Status ailment resistance and an automatic cleaning function were nice, but for me—who had gacha abilities—luck was the most important.
"You also took the Lucky Strike last time. You really value luck, don't you, Yona?"
"Of course. Luck is the most important thing at the gambling table, isn't it?"
"……"
I grinned at Eve, who was silently staring at me.
"If I find ancient treasures in the labyrinth or relics of dead gods, I could make a fortune! I love money!"
"…Ah. So that's the kind of gambling you mean. Well, an adventurer's life is itself a gamble with your life on the line."
Darn. If she were a gambling addict, I could've used the clan's power to make her completely dependent on me (O)
???
Was she planning to turn me into some kind of freeloading gigolo by showering me with all the money the elves had saved up? What a terrifying thought, Eve…
I almost blurted out "Let's do it right now" without thinking, but I managed to hold back because there was still a lot left to do.
"…Since you called them basic abilities, that means there are effects the unicorn horn didn't have, right?"
"You're quick to catch on. As a weapon, it has convenience enchantments like automatic repair magic, automatic retrieval magic, and security magic… but those are standard on any expensive weapon. The real features come after that."
"Ooh… What are they?"
"It allows you to deal a critical blow against sexually promiscuous people or evil beings."
"What?!"
Non-virgin Slayer…? I heard the part about evil beings too, but that wasn't important right now. I pressed right up against Eve until our shoulders touched and brought my lips to her long ear. Then came the soft whisper.
"What happens if I'm no longer a virgin…?"
"…In that case, the dagger will turn black and split into two. I suppose you'd call them Bicorn Daggers?"
Is this something I should be looking forward to? (O)
"……"
My mental translator must be broken. Well, that's how it is.