Chapter 37: A Fresh Start

Translator: ShiroiKaze/Soyokaze Translations

Note:

I feel the need to inform readers that there was an important mis-translation in chapter 2.

Yuuri did not disable her agelessness, and cannot disable her agelessness, nor her immortality, or charming gifts.

And now the chapter:

“I will now announce this kid’s name!”

“What’s this all of a sudden…?”

“We can’t leave the poor thing with no name, can we?”

“Well sure, I guess not.”

“I gave it the name “Yig.” Please continue taking care of me.”

“Wow, not bad. What’s it mean?”

“… It’s the name of an evil being who’s called The Father of Serpents and a bringer of madness?”

“Wha!?”

What are you getting so surprised about, this little one is a myth-rank dragon to begin with.

It’s gonna grow 10 meters or more, like its parent, you know?

Which means it should be perfectly fine to give it an exaggerated name!

~*~

My master and I made up more quickly than I expected, but it’s not like we could suddenly get all flirty with each other.

First off, we purchased a large carriage, normally used for transporting lumber, to carry the sarcophagus on.

It was an amazing 300 gold coins. I had Alec and my master chip in, and we managed to pull together enough to purchase it.

We have about 135 gold coins remaining. 100 of those coins are being handled by my master as traveling expenses, and we’ve each got 10 coins of spending money left. Marle was given the remaining 5 coins.

After removing the immediate crafting materials, I had cast [Freeze] on the corpse. I made the sarcophagus using [Clay Walls] and gave it a strong seal with [Toughness]. I cast [Weight Reduction] on it, and placed it on the carriage.

I made up a story to pass this by mister Elric. I told him that I found a particularly hard stone here, so I’m going to bring it along so I can make a new product with it.

And in truth, it is much harder than iron.

Additionally, we had to fabricate some heroes for the dragon extermination.

Fortunately, Forest Bear’s physical abilities are exceptionally strengthened, thanks to the ‘Dragon’s Blood’

Their current strength is about the same as my master’s without any strengthening.

It’s just, without any items to serve as proof that they killed it, I guess you could say they would put on a bad show, or their appearance would seem kinda weak…

That’s why, aside from the scale mail for mister Jack, and the scale tower shield for mister Kale, I think it would be best for the others to have something too, and I’m working on that.

First I went with my master to cut some more materials away. We took one rib, some of its hide, claws, and tendons.

For mister Bhav, the rib was carved into a short sword.

The base was left thick, the blade made thin, and even the handle was made out of it, so it was all made as a single piece.

The bone is way too hard, so to sharpen and process it, I cast [Toughness] on its vertebrae, and used those bones to process it.

The blade was much sharper than I expected, and to demonstrate that, I ended up cutting mister Kale’s old tower shield like it was paper. Is that okay? … It should be fine, right?

It ended up surpassing mister Jack’s great sword in killing power.

Next is miss Bella.

The girl who administers healing for the party is someone who absolutely must not fall.

However, she’s weak, so she can’t wear heavy armor. So that’s why I tanned the hide, and made a mantle out of it.

This applies to mister Jack and mister Kale’s equipment too, but Fafnir’s hide is strong against fire, light, and extraordinarily tough.

Typical swords and arrows probably won’t leave a scratch on it.

Yet something terrible might happen if I handle its creation, so my master did it for me.

Lastly, something for mister Oreas.

As a magician, he relies on the power of his fire.

A legendary dragon’s body serves as an excellent catalyst, so I used its claws for this.

Using Fafnir’s claws as a catalyst, I made a staff, which will amplify his magic power.

It seems it’s particularly compatible with fire-type magic. When I checked it with “Appraisal,” it looked like it would amplify the power of fire by several times more than normal.

And additionally, something for me.

With the goal of using the remainder of the rib, I’ll reinforce Third Eye, and then use the tendon to remake the bowstring.

I guess it’ll be what you might call a composite bow.

Unfortunately, the processing takes time and effort, so it’s not done yet.

Also, I saved the scrap bone and scales from all that work. I’m sure there will be some way to use it.

That was a heaping pile of work, so for the whole week that it took to finish the armor, I barely had any time to meet with my master.

~*~

“WOOHOO! Look at this! Look, do you see how ridiculously light it is?!”

“Yeah I know, now please, tell me if it’s the right size, and if you’re having any trouble moving around in it.”

While mister jack is hopping around like an idiot, the weapon shop owner looks at it from outside and checks to make sure it’s made right.

“No problems. This shield is light too, and it’s easy to handle. In fact, it’s a little too light, to the point where it’s making me uneasy…”

“It’s because this is the first time I’ve used materials like this. It ended up pretty light, but its defensive power should far surpass your previous great shield.”

“In that case, shall we test it out?”

Alec takes mister Bhav’s short sword, and tries hitting mister Kale’s shield with it.

Ping, the short sword makes a light sound, and immediately bends out of shape.

“Uwa! Please stop doing these things all of a sudden!”

“Not a scratch, huh? So was mister Bhav’s sword just inferior, or was the shield above expectations…?”

“It’s the latter, obviously! I do know how to at least choose quality weapons!”

“Do you think this mantle’s color is a bit plain?”

It looks like miss Bella is dissatisfied with the color of her mantle. It’s because we didn’t dye it.

It’s a mixture of brown and green; kind of an olive color.

“That’s because it’s tanned dragon hide. We didn’t have time to dye it… by the way Yuuri, could you stop clinging to my back?”

“No way. I’m in the middle of replenishing my ‘Essence of Master’ supply right now.”

“The heck is that… in that case, couldn’t you hug me from the front?”

“Th-that would be—! No, bad idea, with my height, certain spots would feel particularly good and hit me, wouldn’t they?!”

“What would?!”

“If you take me back to your room right now, then I don’t think I’ll be able to refuse you, so I reject that suggestion.”

“I’m not going to!”

“… … … keh!”

Mister Bhav, I hope you make some progress on your end too… Feeling sentimental, I send a look of pity in his direction.

I may have become more self-conscious, but it’s not like I can have a man and woman relationship, so I feel a strange sense of camaraderie with him.

I mean come on, I’m lethal in a number of ways as a woman.

“By the way Yuuri, you didn’t [Enchant] that equipment, did you?”

“No, I didn’t?”

“And it still performs that well…”

“Maybe it really was a bad idea to give it to other people?”

It all performs way too well.

Mister Bhav’s short sword could even cut through plate mail like it’s paper, and mister Jack’s scale mail could probably take a hit from Ivan’s war hammer without a dent.

Miss Bella’s mantle wouldn’t even have char marks after one of Baram’s [Light Arrows].

By the way, when I reinforced the spine with [Toughness], I noticed that I can put seven enchantments on this stuff. That’s a legendary dragon for you.

“Well, it’s fine. You didn’t think it would be that powerful, so there’s no use worrying about it now. But we’ll have to be careful from now on.”

“Yeah, I suppose so. I still have the powder from when I was shaving away at the bone, so let’s be cautious with it.”

My master and I had a secret conversation, reflecting on our actions. With our faces so close together, I’m a bit ‘happy’.

My cheeks end up breaking into a smile.

“Hey, everyone. It looks like the equipment is all in order then.”

I guess with all the raucous noise we were making, maybe he could hear us all the way in the middle of the inn? Mister Elric popped his head out to see us.

I see a few armed people behind him though…?

“Yeah, sorry for delaying our departure, mister Elric.”

“Naw, think nothing of it. We would have originally been stuck here for a full month anyway. To have it done with in a week is most satisfactory.”

“If you say so…”

“And besides, I had to acquire more escorts anyway.”

“Which means these individuals are?”

My master tactfully extends a greeting while asking about their purpose.

Behind him were four adventuresome youths.

Their equipment is sparkling new, and their atmosphere screams ‘novices’.

“A pleasure to meet you! We call ourselves “Wild Horse (temporary)”. We’re most honored to be able to come along with the dragon slaying heroes!”

The rookie(?) gives an extremely nervous self introduction.

Their names are, Ayle; the warrior, Beat; the scout, Cedar; the archer, and Didrich; the magician.

That’s easy to remember: they’re A, B, C, and D.

But the first thing to comment on is…

“What’s with the (temporary)?”

“We’ve only registered with the guild a sec ago, so eh, we haven’t officially chosen our party name yet.”

There are many adventurers who are managed by the guild as a party unit. Of course, there are also those who go solo.

When the party is put together and takes a job, they give themselves a unique party name.

Naturally, if their name is passed around, they’ll get more job requests specifically for them, so typically the members and party name stay fixed.

So I guess they’re saying that since they only just recently put together their party, they haven’t made a final decision on a fixed party name.

“I see, so I get that, but… why are you so stiff and formal with them, and not with me?”

“Why the heck would we be formal with some subordinate?”

Oh, so that’s what it looks like, huh?

Indeed, we’re a one-armed guy, a man in his prime, and a child. Maybe that’s what I should have expected?

“Might that be armor made with the dragon’s scales?! That is so cool!”

“It is, ain’t it!”

“You didn’t do a damn thing!”

Forest Bear seems uncomfortable with the excessive compliments brought on by Wild Horse (except Jack).

Miss Bella seems particularly embarrassed by it.

But I’m not okay with you stealing glances at my master like that, alright? “This” is mine.

“Well then, if we’ve got everything ready, then I’d like to depart from here tomorrow…”

Mister Elric breaks the ice in a slightly apologetic manner.

As a merchant, I’m sure he wants to make up for lost time after being stuck here for ten days. I understand his desire to hurry.

“Indeed, we’ve finished resupplying our foodstuffs and the like, so I think that should be fine.”

“Why’s the old guy answering him?”

“HAH? Who the hell are you calling an old guy? I will END you, boy!”

“Calm down, Yuuri.”

“What the heck, this kid is scary!”

I threaten Ayl, who called my master an old man. Though since I’m sticking to my master’s back like a koala, there’s not much force behind it.

But what a child, to not be able to appreciate his elegance and refinement!

And so, we gained new traveling companions, and we finally departed for the city of Rahon.