Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Information Gathering
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"An ultra greatsword."
"...What's that?"
In response to my question, the old man asked back with a pure expression that didn't suit his know-nothing face.
"Come on, old man. That's not a funny joke."
What kind of blacksmith doesn't know what an ultra greatsword is?
"It's not a joke. I'm seriously asking what that is."
"Wait, you really don't know?"
The old man, arms crossed, simply nodded.
"Luna, have you ever heard of it? An ultra greatsword?"
"Based on the information I have, I've never heard of it."
Then how in the world does a double-bladed axe exist?
"Haa... Fine, I'll explain it, so listen carefully."
The blade needs to be at least 160cm long, over 2cm thick, and more than 15cm wide.
A big, thick, and sturdy weapon for a real man.
Hearing my explanation, Luna shook her head as if to say, 'There he goes again,' while the old man just stared at me with a dumbfounded expression.
"Haa... Kid. Do you really think a sword like that could exist?"
"Of course."
On Earth, even if you could somehow manage to forge it, its weight and size would make it impossible to wield unless you were a hardcore powerlifter, relegating it to video content. But the world I'm in is a fantasy world.
A world where the impossible becomes possible.
The status window will make up for any lack of strength, so it doesn't matter.
The old man soon pressed a hand to his forehead and continued.
"I'll explain why a sword like that is hard to make, so listen up."
The hilt wouldn't be able to bear the blade's weight, and the joint would break. It would be hard to swing in even a slightly confined space. It would be so cumbersome it'd be a pain to carry around.
He listed many reasons, but none could break my resolve.
Difficulty in wielding it is the user's problem to handle, and I don't plan on carrying it around anyway.
I'll just keep it in my inventory and pull it out when I need it. Who would lug something that heavy around?
And as for the hilt breaking...
"You just have to make the hilt and the blade as one piece."
"You think that makes sense... No, wait. Maybe it's possible."
The old man stroked his beard, deep in thought.
"If I carve it from a single piece of raw material... if I make the hilt and blade as a single unit from a hard substance..."
He was muttering to himself, but I couldn't understand a word.
"Hey, old man. So it's possible, right?"
"...Probably."
"Then I'm counting on you~"
"But I don't have the materials."
He just said with his own mouth that he could do it.
"What kind of materials do you need? Isn't iron good enough?"
"Regular iron won't do. The hilt would break, and it would be too heavy. If I made it like you described, it would easily weigh over 200kg."
Oof, that's a bit much.
If I level up some more and raise my stats, I could eventually swing it around like a stick, but honestly, it seems too difficult right now.
"Then what do you need?"
"I need a material from a monster that's both light and strong."
Light and strong.
It sounds like something that shouldn't exist, yet he says it so casually, probably because this is a fantasy world.
"So what is it?"
"That's for you to find. I'm the one making the weapon."
"Hey, I'm a paying customer, you know?"
"So?"
Goddammit. This old man never changes.
What kind of shop tells the customer to bring their own materials?
"Don't you know of any?"
"I know a few, but what's your adventurer rank, kid?"
"E-rank."
"Then you can't get what I know of. The ones I know require at least C-rank."
"Luna, you wouldn't happen to know... no, of course not."
"No, I do not."
Tsk.
Then where am I supposed to get this information?
As I was thinking, Luna, who had been quiet until now, spoke up tentatively.
"Sir Luke. Perhaps Adela might know something?"
"Oh. That's a nice idea."
Adela, who works at the reception desk, might know a lot about monsters that even the old blacksmith doesn't.
"Also, Sir Luke. Don't we need to ask him about the War Wolf corpses?"
"Ah. Right, there was that too."
Having a secretary really makes things convenient.
She's like a top-of-the-line external SSD. Fast, accurate, and with great memory.
I took out all the War Wolf heads and torsos I had stored in my inventory.
"Ugh...! What is that smell!"
"...!"
The sudden stench made both the old man and Luna scrunch up their faces.
Knowing what was coming, I had been holding my breath.
"Well, I'll leave the dismantling to you!"
I thought I heard the old man shouting something behind me, but I ignored it and left the smithy.
Right after leaving the smithy, I hurried to the Adventurer's Guild.
"Adela!"
"...Why have you returned?"
"That's a bit cold. Is there a reason I can't come back?"
"And what exactly is our relationship?"
"Adventurer and receptionist."
Do you have to be lovers to joke around?
"Haa..."
"All that sighing must mean your job is tough."
"What brings you here this time?"
Ignoring me.
This might be pretty good, too.
Isn't being scorned by a beautiful woman a reward in its own right?
"Heheh."
"...Ms. Luna."
"We need a material to craft a weapon. We need information on a monster that provides a material that is both hard and light."
Deciding to ignore me completely, Adela and Luna began to converse.
Being blatantly ignored wasn't such a bad feeling.
"Hmm..."
Adela pondered, pressing her index finger to her lips.
Soon, she turned around, pulled a book the size of a law tome from the shelf behind her, and began flipping through it quickly.
"How about this one?"
She held out the book, pointing to a section with her finger.
I looked to see what it was.
"Rhino Horn?"
An illustration drawn by someone with incredible skill was accompanied by a few short lines of explanation.
It looked like a rhinoceros, but its horn looked truly fearsome.
The horn wasn't sharp, but blunt and large. If it charged with that thing, it could probably shatter a huge boulder as easily as snapping a chopstick.
"Is there any other information?"
"We have little information on this monster. Since it's a herbivore, adventurers rarely hunt it."
Wow, how is something like this a herbivore?
And wait, herbivorous monsters exist?
They never even appeared in the novel.
Or maybe not? Is there just no reason for them to appear?
I suppose it makes sense. The protagonist isn't a psychopath; there's no need to go and slaughter monsters that are living peacefully and not bothering anyone.
"From what I know, the Rhino Horn's horn is said to be both light and extremely durable."
"If it's so good, why is this all the information you have?"
"Although it's a herbivore, it will attack if provoked. But because it's a herbivore, the rewards are small, and the fight is difficult, making it inefficient. So adventurers don't bother with it at all. That's why we don't get any requests for it."
Doesn't that just make the clients assholes?
Aren't they just trying to use the fact that it's a herbivore as an excuse to pay less?
"If this is all the information you have, how are we supposed to find them?"
"I'm not sure."
"The Adventurer's Guild's information network is less impressive than I thought."
"...Sir Luke, may I hit you just once?"
"Ehh~? You're gonna hit me?"
I asked, turning my head 90 degrees with a cheeky look, like some cartoon squirrel.
"Yes."
"Oof!"
And then, like some cartoon raccoon, she actually hit me.
***
Based on the information from the Adventurer's Guild, I began my investigation.
That's just a fancy way of saying Luna and I were having a late lunch.
"I mean, how am I supposed to find it if there's no information?"
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, just talking to myself."
In any case, I had made no progress since getting that tidbit from Adela.
Where could there be a place with more information on monsters than the Adventurer's Guild?
Nowhere, except maybe in a town where Rhino Horns live right outside.
I dipped a piece of bread in jam and put it in my mouth.
Then, my sleeve caught my eye.
"Ah. There is a place."
"What is?"
"A place to gather information."
I looked down at the clothes I was wearing.
Since this was all I had to wear, I kept forgetting what I had on.
"Let's go to the academy."
A place with more information on monsters than the Adventurer's Guild.
The main stage of this world.
There would be information at the academy.
"We aren't academy students. How do you plan on getting in...?"
Luna's point was valid.
But I wasn't worried.
"I'm wearing a student uniform, so I can just walk in."
"...I do not have a uniform."
"Just say you're with me. Why are you being so uptight?"
The academy doesn't have guards.
Each and every student possesses enough martial skill to protect themselves, and there are powerful professors, so no one, aside from demons or demonic humans, would dare to cause trouble.
Besides, the academy doesn't restrain its students' actions, aside from the fact that they are responsible for their own conduct.
"What will you do if we get caught?"
"If we get caught, we get caught. What's the big deal?"
Am I a thief?
I'm just going to walk in confidently, grab the information, and leave. It's not like I'm sneaking over a wall to steal something and getting caught. Why should I care what they think?
Besides, given Headmaster Lucia Merigold's personality, even if we were caught, she'd be more likely to help than to kick us out.
"Let's head out as soon as we finish eating."
"Understood."
Stab. I dipped the bread in jam and took a hearty bite.
***
In a basement somewhere in the Empire.
Inside a room so spacious and luxurious it was hard to believe it was underground, there was a high-class chair and table fit for a high-ranking noble.
And sitting in that chair was a fat man.
-Knock, knock.
"Lord Dain Buckley, may I enter?"
The man, whose physique was a clear symbol of wealth, was the head of the Buckley viscounty of the Empire.
Hearing the voice from outside the door, Dain Buckley answered while chewing on meat.
"Come in."
"Pardon the intrusion."
"What is it?"
"The carriage transporting the slaves was attacked."
"What!?"
"And the Empire has begun an investigation."
The fat man kept smacking his lips as he spoke.
He then scowled and said.
"This is why I hate those mercenary bastards...! They let themselves get beaten by mere monsters and blow the whole thing up?!"
"It was not monsters. They were attacked by people."
"...Is that true?"
"I have just returned from confirming it myself."
*Crunch.* The sound of a bone being crushed inside his mouth was heard.
"Which son of a bitch...!"
"The hired mercenaries are all dead, and the captured slaves do not know us, so there is no risk of a trail leading back to us."
The slaves were nothing but lowly commoners and demi-humans.
There was no need for Dain Buckley to waste his precious time and show his noble face for the sake of slaves he was selling. Thus, he had never once revealed his face to them.
Therefore, there was no chance of information about him leaking from the freed slaves, and no risk of the Empire finding a trail.
"What are your orders?"
At the butler's question, Dain Buckley answered as if it had already been decided.
"Send them."
'Them' referred to the assassins who handled his dirty work whenever a problem arose in his dealings.
He hadn't had a reason to use them lately, but thanks to some fearless fool, he would get to have some fun. Or so Dain Buckley thought.
"Understood."
The butler left the room, the door closing behind him.
Dain Buckley tossed a bone into a bucket beside him and thought.
'I don't know who you are, but you dare interfere with me?'
I'll capture you, torture you slowly and painfully, and then kill you.