"Mn!"
With that brief exclamation, Byune thrust out her short dagger. Rei easily sidestepped the strike and swept her legs out from under her with the butt of Death Scythe.
Byune went down face-first, burying her face in the snow.
"Mnn! Mnn!"
Flailing her legs, Byune managed to struggle free from the snow. She fixed her gaze on Rei — the one responsible — with the most reproachful glare she could muster while still maintaining her blank expression.
"Calm down. That was your own fault for neglecting your footwork, wasn't it, Byune? Even if you prioritize speed... no, precisely because you prioritize speed, you need to pay attention to your footing."
Watching from a short distance away, leaning against the belly of the reclining Set, Vihera called out to Byune with a hint of teasing in her voice.
Byune knew she had been careless and that was why she had ended up like this. Even so, she was still dissatisfied.
"Mn!"
Unlike Vihera, Rei couldn't understand what Byune was saying. But he could tell that she was asking for a rematch — one more round.
When it came to forming a party in the spring, an increase in the combat ability of its members was something Rei welcomed.
Considering the party's roles, combat ability wasn't everything... but it was still a fact that the other members were exceptionally strong.
Rei the Alias-Bearer. Vihera, who had powered up through the Silver Lion affair. And Marina, a former A-Rank adventurer.
Among them, the thief Byune was clearly the weakest in combat.
If they faced monsters with a certain degree of intelligence, it wouldn't be strange for them to target her as the weak link.
Setting aside dim-witted monsters like Goblins, to something like an Orc, Byune would be an easy mark.
...Additionally, the fact that Byune was a girl was another factor that could make her a target.
Byune was still young enough to be called a child, but whether a monster like an Orc would take that into consideration — the answer was no.
Because of that, raising Byune's combat ability to a certain level was an essential task this winter.
Perhaps understanding this herself, Byune engaged in combat training with Vihera almost every day.
Rei also helped with her training to some extent... and today, it was about to begin again.
"Rei-san, that's meaan! Be more gentle with Byune-chan!"
"Yeah, that's right! You should treat Byune-chan better!"
Such voices drifted in from the windows of the inn facing the backyard.
Byune barely changed her expression and generally only ever said "Mn." But it was still a fact that she had refined features and an adorable appearance.
And the adventurers and merchants at the Wheat Inn in the evening — many of them, given that it was winter — had time on their hands.
What happened when that was the case... that was the source of Byune's popularity.
"Mn!"
Byune, receiving those cheers — or something like them — readied her short dagger and faced Rei...
"Hey! Hold it right there, that match!"
"Kyaaa!"
A voice abruptly cut in, and screams erupted.
The reason they were screams rather than cheers was probably because the one who called out was Pamidor — a man whose face was so ferocious he could easily be mistaken for a bandit boss.
Pamidor's name was fairly well-known in Gilm. He had already been somewhat famous as a skilled blacksmith known to those in the know, but after becoming acquainted with Rei, his name had spread rapidly.
Granted, his fearsome face, the fact that he nonetheless had an adorable wife, and his surprisingly doting nature as a father were also reasons his fame had grown.
However, many people knew his name but had never seen him in person, and those were likely the ones screaming now.
Vihera and Byune showed no particular alarm at the sudden appearance of the ferocious-faced Pamidor near them. They had already heard about him from Rei, and more importantly, he possessed absolutely no hostility or desire toward them.
...In Byune's case, she might simply not be showing it on her face even if she felt something.
At any rate, Vihera was confident she could subdue Pamidor immediately if he tried anything, and if he proved troublesome, that in itself would be welcome.
"Pamidor? What's up, all of a sudden?"
Rei, who had been holding Death Scythe at the ready, dismissed it and asked curiously.
Byune, apparently judging that training was suspended for the moment, lowered her stance and approached the reclining Set.
Listening past the cheers that once again erupted from the windows as the onlookers observed Set, Vihera, and Byune, Rei gave Pamidor a look that asked what he had come for.
"I didn't come to get in your way. Look, it's this. This."
Saying that, Pamidor showed Rei a single short sword.
However, its length was clearly longer than a normal short sword, yet shorter than a long sword. With a blade nearly fifty centimeters long, it was in a sense something between a long sword and a short sword... and clearly leaning toward the short sword end of the spectrum.
And the blade's color was white.
It didn't look like it was made of metal, and Rei could tell that this weapon, crafted from a Silver Lion's claw, was exactly what it appeared to be.
"This is... quite a distinctive short sword. Or rather, can this even be called a short sword?"
Looking at the weapon that was neither long sword nor short sword, Rei muttered with a hint of exasperation. Pamidor nodded with an expression that said he understood why Rei would say that.
"I get what you're trying to say. I get it, but... I judged this to be the best form for this weapon. Of course, if it's hard to use, I can adjust it later. But as a blacksmith, I can declare that this weapon is complete as it is."
Given the Twilight Spear affair as well, Rei trusted Pamidor's skill as a blacksmith.
Since Pamidor was the one saying it, Rei didn't voice any further dissatisfaction and accepted the short sword...
"Hm?"
Rei let out a surprised sound. The short sword he had been handed had almost no weight at all.
The blade was clearly longer than a normal short sword. Longer, and yet... in terms of weight, it was clearly lighter than an ordinary one.
"It's quite light."
"Yeah. Probably a characteristic of the Silver Lion's materials. When it was still in raw form, it was a bit heavier... most likely, some of the Silver Lion's magic still remains, and that's the effect."
"...I see."
With a blade longer than a normal short sword, it was clearly superior in terms of attack range. And since it was a short sword made from a Silver Lion's claw, it was also clearly superior in attack power compared to a normal one.
"How is it? With this, it shouldn't be difficult for that little girl to use as her weapon, right?"
"Yeah. ...Still, considering she's been using short swords up to now, she'll need to get used to the differences... but fortunately, it's winter right now."
Right? Pamidor nodded with a hint of pride.
Watching Pamidor's demeanor, Rei — holding the short sword that would surely be beyond reproach in performance if not for its handling — called out to Byune, who was stroking Set.
"Byune, come here for a sec!"
Called over, Byune tilted her small head to the side with her usual expressionless face, but approached nonetheless since Rei had called her.
Whether intrigued by Byune's behavior or not, Vihera came over as well... and so did Set, moving toward Rei's group.
"Try holding this. It's a short sword I had Pamidor forge as your weapon."
"Mn!"
Byune murmured a single word in response and picked up the short sword.
She raised her eyebrows slightly at the fact that it didn't weigh what its appearance suggested, then froze for a few seconds as she took in the unusual white color of the blade. Eventually, she swung the short sword.
Since the blade length differed from the short sword Byune normally used, the sensation when swinging it was probably different.
She swung the short sword once, twice, three times — and still tilted her head as if the feeling wasn't quite familiar yet.
At that adorable sight, cheers once again erupted from the direction of the inn, but Rei paid them no mind and asked Byune.
"How is it? Think you can use it?"
"Mn!"
Byune showed him the hilt of the short sword with some hesitation, and Rei directed his gaze to Vihera.
Rei could generally understand what Byune wanted to say, but at times like this, he still couldn't comprehend her actual words.
Meeting Rei's gaze, Vihera smiled and spoke.
"She says the grip is a bit too thick."
"...Hm? Ah... my bad. That was my mistake. Right, she's not an adult, so I needed to adjust the grip to fit her hand."
Pamidor looked confused for a moment about what Vihera was saying, but he quickly understood that the one using the short sword he had made was Byune — in other words, a small-handed child. He nodded in understanding.
Granted, this was also somewhat unavoidable for Pamidor.
The people who came to his shop wanting him to make weapons were, for the most part, those who had already come into their own as adventurers. Considering that commissioning the skilled Pamidor required a commensurate amount of money, this was only natural.
...There were also those who, laboring under some misunderstanding — sons of nobles or merchants from wealthy families — would request weapons far beyond their ability. Naturally, Pamidor would never accept such commissions.
On one previous occasion, a man from some noble family — with a build as wide as he was tall — had come in brimming with confidence, declaring he would have Pamidor craft his weapon.
Naturally, Pamidor had no intention of accepting such a request. When glared at by Pamidor — whose face was fearsome enough to begin with — the man had immediately fled.
At any rate, due to such circumstances, Pamidor had almost never made weapons meant for children to use.
Moreover, this time it wasn't just any short sword, but one made from the claws and bones of an S-Rank monster — a Silver Lion.
He was thrilled about that, and even if he made a minor mistake, it was understandable.
"Alright then, I'll adjust it to fit the little lady's hand properly. Try gripping the hilt for a sec."
"Mn."
Byune gripped the short sword's hilt just as Pamidor instructed.
Watching her, Pamidor checked how much he needed to adjust the grip.
The sight of Pamidor — whose appearance was fitting to be called a bandit boss — holding the hand of Byune, a girl who depending on perspective could be called a little girl without it being strange — was a scene that under different circumstances might have even resulted in the guard force being called.
If it came to that, that would've been kind of amusing in its own way, though.
Rei had been thinking that while watching the two, but when Pamidor pulled away from Byune, he asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Come to think of it, that was pretty fast for making a short sword. Asimov, who I asked to strengthen the Sleipnir boots before you, is still struggling with it."
"Obviously."
Pamidor answered Rei's words as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Obviously?"
"Yeah. What Asimov's doing is the act of strengthening an already completed Magic Item. Compared to that, what I did was make a short sword from scratch. What's more, in my case, the process of making the short sword wasn't all that complex."
That was why it was incomparably easier than what Asimov was doing — or so Pamidor stated, but he opened his mouth before Rei could say anything.
"I'm telling you, just because the process was easy doesn't mean it was simple. Using Silver Lion materials, I had to work with considerable focus and precision on every single step."
"Well, I think I get what you're trying to say."
In other words, even if the process itself wasn't difficult, each individual action required more care than usual. Rei understood it that way and was satisfied.
"Hmph, as long as you understand. And unlike Asimov, who has to consider things from various angles, my case has a certain degree of established technique. Of course, depending on the monster's materials, various modifications are necessary, but the Silver Lion is close to an exception. Minimal modification was sufficient. No, rather, if I tampered with it unnecessarily, the quality would drop."
Rei seemed to understand the craftsman's pride in Pamidor's words, spoken with confidence in his own work. He offered nothing further and simply returned a nod.
"Alright then, I'm heading back. The short sword should be done today... or by tomorrow at the latest."
"Got it. Then I'll come pick it up tomorrow morning."
After exchanging those brief words, Pamidor left the backyard.
"Mn."
Seeing Pamidor leave, Byune murmured briefly to Rei.
Seeing that, Vihera told Rei what Byune wanted to say.
"She's asking if it's all right for her to keep it."
"Ah. That. As long as we're forming a party together, improving Byune's abilities is a top priority."
At those words, Byune, still expressionless... nevertheless gave a small bow.