Lewd (2)
Lewd (2)
Cheolpeok, chaembeng-.
─Euhk, heu-eot- haang! Hwaaaang!
Emilia's expression hardened stiffly at the moaning sounds coming from beyond the ceiling. She immediately looked toward the inner workshop and said.
"This seems like big trouble— we gotta go check quick......."
"No need!"
"She's moaning like that?"
"It's fine, I said it's fine!?"
─Aheuuuuuuk!!
But the moment Dojin said that, a massive moan loud enough to hear without enhancing hearing echoed through the shop.
Hearing that, Emilia instinctively shoved Dojin away and tried to head upstairs.
Dojin quickly reacted, grabbing her wrist, and Emilia yelled in disbelief.
"There's a patient up there! If we don't hurry, she could lose her life!"
"No... I think if you go up, that's what might make her wanna end her life......?"
"What? What the hell does that...... Fine! Let go already!"
Emilia started shouting with incomprehensible stubbornness. Dojin blocked her path, doing his best to defend.
In the end, someone from upstairs heard their racket and came rushing down with a udangtang- clatter.
"Wh-what!?"
Her flushed red face, hastily thrown-on pajamas, and the steaming heat rising from her whole body blatantly revealed what she'd been up to just moments ago.
"Ahaha... hi."
"You, you! You broke in again on your own!"
"No, the door was just too flimsy......."
Dojin avoided Lastina's gaze, staring off at distant mountains. Seizing the opening, Emilia shook him off and approached Lastina.
As the girl with the massive greatsword on her back charged fiercely, Lastina flinched in surprise and instinctively raised her arms to protect her face.
"You okay!?"
"Uh, huh?"
"I heard you moaning like crazy earlier...... You hurt somewhere!?"
"......I'm fine, though."
"Really? You're not just holding back the pain?"
Emilia asked urgently, and realizing she was genuinely worried, Lastina nodded.
"Well...... if you broke in out of worry, I guess it's unavoidable."
"Uh...... yeah, that's it. Exactly."
Dojin latched onto Lastina's words like a lifeline, twisting them to his advantage. It was totally different from the truth, but hey, a dream's interpretation beats the dream itself, right?
"But y'know."
"Yeah? What?"
"If you're not hurt— why were you moaning like that?"
But Emilia just had to light the fuse to the powder keg.
Lastina's face flushed red at the question.
Seeing that, Emilia startled and tried to support her, but Lastina pushed her away with effort and glared at Dojin.
"Y-you... are you doing this on purpose......?"
"No, she's just a country bumpkin raised in the sticks."
"Even so......!"
In a situation that looked like she was getting dissed no matter who saw it, Emilia tilted her head in utter confusion.
"Phew, so? What's the deal?"
A moment later, Lastina came down from the second floor after changing clothes and asked Dojin and Emilia again.
Seeing her in full master craftsman mode—180 degrees from her earlier look—Emilia gaped in amazement.
"Came to get gear fitted."
"Hmm, gear, huh. A sword?"
"Yeah."
"As you know— I don't make weapons for just anyone...... You get that, right?"
Lastina said that while scanning Emilia up and down. Thin arms and thighs that looked like they'd never lifted anything heavier than chopsticks, a slender waist that should be sturdy to support the body, yet breasts like mountains.
Not a warrior's build, but like a work of art sculpted by a god for fun.
Swinging that greatsword with a body like that? Unbelievable.
"You. What's your name?"
"Emilia."
"Draw your sword."
At that, Emilia reached back and lifted her sword, kagak! scraping the ceiling.
"My shop!"
"Uh, uh... sorry......."
After wrecking the doorframe and now the ceiling, Emilia scratched her cheek apologetically. Lastina trembled, relieved the ceiling hadn't caved in.
"......I'll charge that to your bill."
"Of course."
Then, regaining her composure, Lastina examined the greatsword. Scratches everywhere, blade dulled to hell, most of its function as a weapon lost.
"Mind handing that over for a sec?"
"You'll give it back?"
"Naturally."
Taking the greatsword from Emilia, Lastina let out an admiring gasp as she inspected it closely.
It was an excellent sword. Not breaking despite being handled so roughly, perfectly balanced despite its size.
A master craftsman's work.
"Who made this?"
"Uh... blacksmith uncle."
"A dwarf?"
"Nah? He was bigger than my master."
Dwarves are supposed to be short and stocky by nature. A giant bigger than 180cm Dojin meant definitely not a dwarf.
Hearing that, Lastina let out a gasp of admiration and examined the sword again. A natural-born artisan, a blacksmith of non-dwarf race with this skill? Rare as hell.
A master craftsman who'd wielded hammer and fire for decades at least.
"Been a while since my eyes feasted."
"Yeah? Hehe, should I write a letter to blacksmith uncle?"
"And— they've gone blind too."
"......Huh?"
But meeting such a fine sword only sharpened Lastina's biting criticism to a razor's edge.
"This sword's never been maintained once."
"Uh, huh? Yeah......."
"Why not?"
"Uh, n-no money?"
"Is that so? Then take that greatsword and get out of my workshop right now."
Emilia parroted the line Dojin had prepped her with, but Lastina immediately handed back the greatsword and issued her eviction.
Hearing that, Emilia floundered and looked to Dojin for help. Since he'd told her to say it, now fix this somehow.
Sure enough, Dojin—who'd been watching—couldn't just sit idle and jumped in to mediate.
"Um, Lastina?"
"What?"
"She couldn't maintain it 'cause no money, kicking her out is a bit......."
"No money for repairs but has cash for a new weapon?"
"Ah— this time I'm buying it for her."
"I see. So she's a total incompetent who can't earn a dime on her own? No swords for clueless bums. Get out."
But the talk just looped in circles. Lastina kept nitpicking over something.
What could it be...... Pondering, Emilia intuited it was because she'd lied.
"......It was a lie."
"Oh? Which part?"
"That sword wasn't neglected for lack of money. Just— I was lazy."
"Emilia!?"
Dojin gawked, shocked as she suddenly spilled the truth—and even extras that weren't needed.
But Lastina nodded, pleased with her attitude.
"So?"
"Didn't know swords need maintenance. Never learned from anyone. Don't think I'm great...... But I came to not repeat the mistake."
"Mindset passes. Kiddo."
"K-Kiddo?"
It felt weird hearing that from Lastina, nearly half her size, but Emilia—knowing dwarves looked young but were often decades or centuries old—barely swallowed her retort.
"So, what sword do you want?"
"......Sword I want?"
"Yeah, that blockhead over there... asked me to make a sword that cuts anything. Then complained it was too sharp and asked me to dull it."
"Master, you really did that?"
Emilia eyed Dojin like did you really? Dojin nodded lightly in affirmation.
Seeing his agreement, Emilia hesitated on requesting the same cuts-anything sword.
Dojin was smarter, knew more. If he'd changed his choice, there was reason.
'Then.......'
Excluding a sword that cuts anything, she didn't need much gear.
Just something that kills monsters well.
"A sword just like this one."
So, her request was only natural, in a way.
Hearing Emilia's order, Lastina burst out laughing and looked at her.
"One just like this sword?"
"Yeah."
"Then why ask me? Go to any smithy and get it fixed."
"I dunno about that. Just reinforce it however."
"You— what's your specialty?"
"Strength."
Physical prowess beyond human limits.
That was Emilia's uniqueness.
Raw power not lagging behind monsters' Super Strength, reflexes like a beast's.
Among fellow Superhumans, her physical abilities were top-tier. This, she could boast about to anyone.
"Right, strength."
Perfect— the workshop had just the thing for her.
Lastina fetched a box full of metal from inside the workshop, trotting over and thunk- setting it on the display.
"Grab it."
"What is it?"
Holding the metal, Emilia rolled it in her palm, admiring its iridescent sheen.
Soft enough to sink in with a finger press, feather-light weight.
Looked totally unfit for weapons......
"Hold it, squeeze with strength."
"Like th...... ugh!?"
The moment she applied force, the story changed.
The metal instantly compacted, its hardness and weight surging indescribably heavy.
Heavy enough to make even Emilia wobble for a moment.
"......What is this?"
"Metal that hardens and densifies under force. Can you handle it?"
"Handle it? Of course......."
Emilia tried lifting it with force per Lastina's words, but grunted as it tilted toward the floor.
Obviously, lifting heavier metal needed more strength—which made it heavier still, a vicious endless cycle.
"Uh, uhhh?"
Emilia dropped it completely from her hand. Even her strength couldn't manage. She could guess the disaster if it hit the floor, dim as she was.
Tuk.
"......Huh?"
"Drops back to normal when released. Neat metal, huh."
Lastina scooped up the fallen piece. Handed Emilia a chunk and said.
"Train weight adjustment with this. I'll make your sword from it."
"Y-yeah."
"Alright then. Business done? Out. Now."
The two were shooed out like unwanted guests. They heard the busted latch being jury-rigged back, and Emilia eyed the workshop oddly.
"Um, master......."
"Yeah?"
"Th-that lady. If she wasn't hurt... what were those moans?"
Dojin couldn't say a word. And right then, their Superhuman ears caught fresh moans.
─Ahk, hwaaaang! Do.......
"Whoa! Again......."
Dojin broke a sweat holding back Emilia, who was about to barge in thinking she was hiding pain and pretending tough.