After that, I made another attempt at crafting a magic sword, this time with Albert joining us.
However, I intentionally held back, imbuing the blade with a significantly weakened Fireball spell.
Dian and Albert looked puzzled by the underwhelming result, but I managed to talk my way out of it by claiming that my previous success had been nothing more than a fluke. I didn't want my reputation to soar too high; if I weren't careful, they might end up forcing me to do nothing but manufacture magic swords.
While I had enjoyed the process of making the magic sword, it would be a massive hassle to do it constantly. My true passion was magic itself. Crafting magic swords was only a single facet of my research.
"Hmm... it’s not packing nearly as much punch as before..." Dian muttered.
"It’s a shame, but it can't be helped," Albert said. "Though, it seems I'm the one who truly has the best compatibility with Lloyd after all. Hahaha!"
For some reason, Albert seemed delighted. He might be my brother, but I really didn't understand what made him tick.
"Besides, even if it’s not that powerful, a magic sword is still a magic sword," Albert continued. "It has plenty of uses. Dian, you’re still going to help me with that plan we discussed, right?"
"Yeah, of course."
I wondered what "that plan" was. Seeing me tilt my head in confusion, the two of them smirked.
"A Magic Sword Squad?!"
Seeing me raise my voice in surprise, the two of them smirked again.
"Exactly. It was part of my deal for introducing you to Dian," Albert explained. "I intend to equip every member of our Royal Guard with a magic sword."
"I never dreamed we’d actually be able to produce magic swords in this country, but now that we can, there’s no turning back," Dian added. "Let’s do this, Little Roddy!"
Dian and Albert shared a firm, enthusiastic handshake. I couldn't believe these two were actually planning to mass-produce magic swords and form an entire unit with them. It was certainly a grand, romantic ambition, but...
"Furthermore, for those outside the guard... even if full magic swords are out of reach, I want to provide at least enchanted swords to the soldiers who show promise," Albert said. "Ultimately, if we can have every soldier in the castle carry one, we will have created the strongest unit imaginable."
"Kuu! I love it! I’m starting to get excited just thinking about it!"
Wait, every soldier in the castle? That's completely impossible. Even ordinary monster nuclei are difficult to obtain.
While I was staring at them in exasperation, I felt something tugging at my sleeve.
"Whine..."
"Hm? What is it, Shiro?"
"Woof!"
It was Shiro. It gave my sleeve another tug and started running.
"Whoa!"
"Hey, Lloyd! Where are you going?" Dian called out. "We can't start this without you!"
"I don't have a choice! I'll be back later!"
Drawn along by Shiro, I left the training grounds behind.
Shiro led me to the tower where the Sixth Princess, Alieze, resided. I wondered what business the dog could possibly have in a place like this.
"Woof!"
"It says 'just come already,' sir," Grimoire translated.
"Yes, yes, I get it."
Urged on by Shiro, I knocked on the tower door. The one who answered was the attending maid, Eris. Her face looked exceptionally haggard for some reason.
"Well, well, Master Lloyd. It's a pleasure to see you."
"Hey. You look pretty worn out."
"I am... For some reason, the number of magical beasts has been increasing again lately. Sigh. I wish something could be done about it..."
It seemed Alieze had lured in even more magical beasts. She really was like a living lure. Taking care of her seemed like a truly exhausting job.
"Come to think of it, they looked quite similar to your dog, Master Lloyd..."
Leaving the puzzled Eris behind, Shiro marched further into the tower. I hurried after it; we shouldn't just barge in without permission.
"Awoooooo!"
Shiro let out a long howl in the center of the tower. Suddenly, several figures popped out from the nearby greenery.
"Woof woof!"
"Yip yip!"
Rushing toward Shiro with high-pitched yaps were a pack of Bearwolves—the same species as Shiro that I'd met in the forest. Since they were a size smaller than him, they looked just like a bunch of Mini-Shiros. In an instant, Shiro and I were surrounded by them.
"Oh my, oh my, where are you all going?"
Following close behind the pack was Alieze. She was cradling several even smaller ones—Petit-Shiros—in her arms.
"Oh, Lloyd! You've come to visit! Your big sister is so happy to see you!"
"Guh—!"
She pulled me into a crushing embrace along with the Petit-Shiros. I could barely breathe.
"Woof!" "Yelp!"
The Mini-Shiros joined in, nuzzling up against me. Just what was going on here?
"Fufu, aren't they darling? I found these little ones wandering the castle grounds a few days ago and took them in. It seems they were Shiro's friends. Right?"
"Woof woof!" "Yip yip!"
The Mini and Petit-Shiros barked happily as if in agreement. Wait, she actually understands what they’re saying? Alieze is truly a force to be reckoned with.
"Sigh. I wish you would direct a fraction of that conversational effort toward us humans," Eris muttered.
"Oh, Eris. I love you, Lloyd, and everyone else equally—just like these little ones."
"You're putting us on the same level as beasts?! I simply cannot overlook that, Lady Alieze!"
"Ufufu."
The two of them bickered amiably. In the end, they really did get along well.
"It looks like these guys followed you here, Master Lloyd," Grimoire noted.
Come to think of it, when I'd left the forest, these Bearwolves had stayed behind because they had young to care for. They had looked like they really wanted to come with me back then. I suppose they had eventually followed my scent all the way here with their children.
"Woof!"
One of the Mini-Shiros scurried into the bushes and returned with something in its mouth. Soon, the others followed suit, lining up a row of red stones in front of me. These were... monster nuclei.
"Woof!" Shiro barked, looking me in the eye.
"It's telling you to take them, I reckon."
"So that's why Shiro brought me here."
There was a considerable number of them, and several were high-quality enough to be used for magic sword crafting. I hadn't been thrilled about the mass-production idea if I had to gather all the materials myself, but with these, I didn't mind helping Dian. Besides, it would give me a chance to experiment with different spell formulas.
"Alright, good job, everyone. I'll come visit you again soon."
When I reached down to pet a Mini-Shiro and a Petit-Shiro, the others immediately crowded around, vying for their turn.
"Hey now, one at a time."
"So they really were magical beasts called forth by Master Lloyd..." Eris whispered. "Ah! C-Could it be that from now on, the number of beasts will double with both Master Lloyd and Lady Alieze here?! If that happens, my vacation time... oh, it's all over..."
Eris collapsed to the ground, muttering despairingly to herself. She really did look exhausted. Maid work is a trial, isn't it?
With those thoughts in mind, I gathered the nuclei and left the tower.