A Whisper

...What?

This is a problem. Looks like the demonic energy still hasn't fully left the sword.

When I answered her halfheartedly, the Heavenly Demon Sword muttered in a dejected little voice.

What an absurd creature. She'd suddenly put on that serious air, so I'd wondered what she was about to say.

Turns out it was just dirty talk.

I already knew Lucy wanted to spend the night together. She'd been tempting me in that outfit since we left the mansion — how could I possibly have missed it?

Still. There was one part of what the Heavenly Demon Sword had said that snagged my attention.

Lucy wants to have my child...

The words carried a weight I couldn't quite shake. If it were true, I'd be glad — of course I would. But wasn't it a little early?

The thought of having a child with Lucy someday had crossed my mind as well. For that, though, building a stable life seemed like the first and most important step. If I wanted to make my women happy in the years to come, founding the Demon Archduchy and setting it on solid ground had to come first.

But how did the Heavenly Demon Sword even know what Lucy was feeling?

Surely this thing wasn't just running her mouth.

As Lucy and I climbed the stairs out of the pitch-dark basement, I sent a Sound Transmission to the Heavenly Demon Sword.

Hey. Let's say you're right. How exactly did you figure that out?

Oh? That's fascinating. How is that even possible?

I see. Quite a convenient function.

...

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Ignore it. Just ignore it.

I let the Heavenly Demon Sword's nonsense wash right over me and kept climbing the stairs. A short while later, we stepped out through the exit — and a reddish sunset was there to greet us.

It's already this late.

It would be night by the time we made it back to the mansion. Liliana would worry. We ought to hurry.

I was picking up the pace when Dunkel and Hilda came rushing out from inside the weapons shop.

"Your Grace! Are you all right? Hah — that's—!"

"The Heavenly Demon Sword. I've completely suppressed the demonic energy, so you can rest easy now."

"Ahh... you actually did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it..."

Dunkel looked at the Heavenly Demon Sword in my hand and began to tremble. Thick tears welled and spilled down his face, his expression a tangle of emotions too complicated to name.

"Grandfather..."

His granddaughter Hilda quietly patted his shoulder, sniffling along with him. Just watching the two of them, I could guess at the hardship and sorrow they had endured all this time.

The sword he had poured every ounce of his strength into had earned nothing but infamy. When the pride of a lifetime spent as a blacksmith had been trampled underfoot — what must this old craftsman have felt?

Then, softly, the Heavenly Demon Sword spoke in my mind.

Sorry?

Hmm.

So she felt both gratitude and guilt toward the one who had created her. The more I saw of this blade, the more I realized she was no ordinary Ego Sword.

I considered how to answer, then said:

If that's how you feel, then do well from now on. Once your fame surpasses your infamy, Dunkel's honor will be restored along with it.

If you say so.

I answered evenly. Dunkel and Hilda had been important allies even in the original story, so this much consideration was only fair.

And so we waited for the grandfather and granddaughter to collect themselves.

A little time passed. In the backyard of the weapons shop, bathed in the warm light of dusk, Dunkel wiped away his tears and spoke.

"...Forgive me. I've made a disgrace of myself before Your Grace."

"Not at all. I understand how much you've suffered."

"Haha. Not only did you lift this old man's grudge, you even offer me comfort. I hardly know where to put myself."

Dunkel laughed, sheepish. Compared to when we'd first met, his face looked far more at ease as he and Hilda bowed their heads together.

"You have my deepest thanks, Your Grace. This old man owes you a great debt."

"Thank you for helping my grandfather."

"Both of you, raise your heads. I only did it to obtain the Heavenly Demon Sword. There's no need for all this gratitude."

"No. I truly wish to repay this kindness. Might I gift you one more sword?"

"A sword?"

I raised an eyebrow at Dunkel's words. Offering another blade at a time like this. Could it be... that one?

"I never thought I'd have the chance to show this to anyone else. There is a sword I forged with every ounce of my skill as a blacksmith. Please wait a moment."

While I was sifting through my memories of the original story, Dunkel said something and disappeared. The patter of his footsteps faded into the shop.

A short time later, he returned with a longsword that was, at a glance, unlike anything I had ever seen.

"From the scabbard to the hilt, it's completely white. I've rarely seen a blade of that appearance."

"So it is. And a remarkably pure energy is flowing from it."

"You can tell. I was haunted by the thought that I had given birth to a cursed sword, so I devoted myself to forging a blade of the purest, brightest energy I could manage — to overcome it. As a result, I was able to complete this sword not long ago."

Dunkel explained as he slowly drew the blade.

The steel slid free with a sound like a bow drawn across silk strings. The blade that emerged from the snow-white scabbard shone with a brilliant, dazzling light.

Looking at the sword Dunkel had brought, I smiled inwardly in triumph.

The Heavenly Demon Sword, and now this too. Jackpot.

The sword in Dunkel's hands was a peerless treasured blade that Luke was supposed to obtain in the original story. The Meteor Sword.

I'd been worried about how Luke would ever get his hands on it now that I'd taken the Heavenly Demon Sword and thrown the original flow off course. I never expected to receive it like this.

Gazing at that beautiful blade — a blade that seemed to flow with starlight — the corners of my mouth lifted on their own.

"This sword is called the Meteor Sword. It is a work into which I poured my very soul, and I wish to present it to Your Grace."

"Dunkel..."

"This is all I can offer my benefactor. Please, accept it."

Dunkel held the sword out with both hands and bowed his head slightly. Well now. Look at this man. When he was offering a blade this fine, was there any reason to refuse?

I quietly accepted the Meteor Sword from Dunkel.

Hmm. That's an unexpected thing to say. Are you telling me my aura isn't clear?

Enough.

This girl was at it again. I gave the Heavenly Demon Sword a few light taps to tell her to be quiet, then spoke.

"You have my thanks. I'll put this sword to good use."

"Haha, hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. I hope this blade will be of help to Your Grace."

Dunkel said it with a kind, good-natured smile on his wrinkled face.

Don't worry. It'll be a tremendous help. Just not because I'll be the one wielding it.

I'll give it to Luke as a gift when I meet him later.

That Luke. What kind of face would he make, receiving a treasured sword like this? The kid had a surprisingly tender side — he might even shed tears of gratitude. I'd have to see for myself.

I set the thought aside. Dusk was already settling over the alleys of the commercial district. After exchanging farewells with Dunkel, we took the two swords and left the Ironheart Weapons Shop.

Hilda, who had come outside to show us the way, turned to me.

"Um, the rings you ordered will take about a week to make. Would that be all right? They're artifacts, so I need to source new materials and spend a bit of time on them."

Ah. Right — I had ordered rings. I looked at her and answered.

"That's fine. Then I'll send someone to the shop in a week."

"Hmm. I could just deliver them to the mansion myself..."

"One moment. I shall come to the weapons shop to collect them. We will settle payment for the rings at that time as well."

Lucy stepped forward as she spoke. But the look she gave Hilda as she gazed down at her was strangely colder than usual.

"Uh... then shall we do it that way? Haha..."

"Yes. Would that arrangement be acceptable, Master?"

"...It would."

A man ought to know how to read the room. At times like this, you had to choose your answer carefully. I wasn't some dense male lead from a romantic comedy, so I simply nodded to Lucy without a word of protest.

Shut up.

The Heavenly Demon Sword answered with a strange little moan inside my head. I tuned out that perverted masochist of a sword and walked through the commercial district with the two women.

"We've arrived. You should be able to find your way from here."

"You've done well."

"Um... and there's something I'd like to say."

I looked at her in question.

"Thank you again for helping my grandfather."

Hilda spoke in a tone of genuine, heartfelt ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gratitude. I studied her expression without a word. I had first met her in the daylight, but her face looked far brighter now, with the sun going down.

In time, Dunkel would reclaim his life as a blacksmith, and Hilda would spread her wings as an artifact craftsman. It struck me anew that the people living in this world each had lives of their own.

"I promise I'll stop by the shop again."

"Okay. You have to come back!"

Hilda beamed at me.

After we parted with her, Lucy and I walked the streets of the commercial district, through a landscape of gentle lamplight washing over the road.

Step. Step. Walking side by side, close enough that our arms nearly brushed, the sound of our footsteps filled the space between us. I looked up at the darkening sky.

"It'll be night soon."

"So it will."

Lucy answered, watching the streetlamps flicker on one by one. The capital's commercial district had lamps of its own, of course. But unlike Orbit, the lights here went dark once the night grew deep.

Thinking we ought to hurry if we wanted to make it back to the mansion, I picked up the pace.

...?

Something felt off. I glanced beside me — Lucy was deliberately walking a little slowly. What's gotten into her?

Puzzled, I asked her.

"Lucy. Are you unwell?"

"That's..."

She hesitated, her face faintly flushed, fidgeting as she rubbed her plump thighs together.

Then the Heavenly Demon Sword spoke, sounding thoroughly entertained.

She sounded for all the world like a panelist on one of those dating shows I'd watched before I transmigrated.

On a street where passersby had grown scarce, facing Lucy alone, she took a step toward me.

"Master..."

"Mm."

Hair that held a faint glow even on the darkened street. Beautiful lavender eyes set beneath long lashes. Lucy's face drew closer and closer, and I waited quietly to see what she would do.

Thump. Thump.

As the distance between us closed, a heartbeat began to sound in my ears. Was it mine, or Lucy's? Or did it belong to us both?

When our faces were on the verge of touching, she brought her lips to my ear and whispered, breathing a faint puff of warmth against my skin.