At Juzo-san’s prompting, I took another look at the armaments lined up against the wall. To be honest, I had no idea what I was looking at. The only weapon I could even recognize by name was a Japanese sword.
I decided not to put on airs and instead rely on the wisdom of my senior.
"...I'm sorry. I don't really know which would be best. Do you have any recommendations?"
"What’s this? What's the matter, Kokonoe boy? You’re free to pick whatever you like, you know."
"Even if you tell me that, I don't know the names of these weapons or what they’re used for. I have no way of choosing."
"Hmm, I see... How about you, Hiiragi girl?"
"I feel the same as Kokonoe-kun. Do you have any recommendations for me?"
When I gave him my honest impression, Juzo-san wore a suspicious expression before asking Hiiragi-san the same thing. When she confirmed she was of the same opinion, Juzo-san suddenly broke into a grin.
"I see. You passed."
Huh? Passed?
As Hiiragi-san and I tilted our heads in confusion, Juzo-san explained himself.
"I knew you were amateurs. I never expected you to be able to pick out weapons that suited you from the start. Above all, a weapon is a tool for killing. It’s not something to be chosen out of curiosity. If you had just picked something immediately because I told you to choose what you liked, I wouldn't have handed over a single thing in this room to you."
It seemed that Juzo-san had been testing us without our realizing it. Yuji, who was watching silently from the side, seemed to have sensed his grandfather's scheme.
"If an amateur picks a weapon they can't handle, the best they'll do is hurt themselves or their companions. Very well, I shall choose what suits you myself."
Juzo-san carefully observed our hands and our builds before picking up a few items.
"These are what I’d recommend."
He brought over a Japanese sword roughly ninety centimeters long and a spear measuring about one hundred and eighty centimeters.
"Rather than trying to use some unfamiliar weapon, it’s better to use something where you can actually visualize how to wield it."
I had to admit Juzo-san had a point. I’d swung a bamboo sword in PE class before, so I could at least imagine the motion for a Japanese sword. If he’d suddenly handed me some strangely shaped foreign weapon, I wouldn't have known where to start.
Hiiragi-san seemed convinced as well, looking at the blade and spear with interest. Juzo-san handed the sword to me and the spear to her.
"That sword is a type of Japanese sword known as a gunto."
"A gunto...?"
"That’s right. It’s a Japanese sword made at an arsenal, what we call an industrial sword. As you’d expect from a military weapon, it’s built for longevity. Even if the edge dulls, it’s sturdy enough not to snap, even if you handle it a bit roughly. It lacks artistic merit or tradition, but if you’re looking for practical combat use, this is the superior choice."
I released the locking latch of the black-painted gunto and eased the blade from the scabbard. As I drew it out slightly, a silver blade without a temper line emerged from the black sheath. My face was reflected in the mirror-finished steel, and I felt a sensation as if I were being drawn into it. The sharp edge of the gunto possessed a dangerous allure.
"A few strikes against a living target and the fat will dull the edge. They sell anhydrous ethanol at pharmacies; you should take some of that into the dungeon and wipe the blade with a cloth. It’ll serve as a temporary emergency measure. Also..."
Juzo-san’s voice pulled me back from my fascination.
As I listened blankly to him describe how to maintain the weapon after use, I remembered that I would be using this gunto to slash monsters. The thought sent a shudder through me. I was going to use this to cut living things.
In that moment, I recalled something I had forgotten by lumping everything under the vague label of "monster." Because my daily routine involved watching slimes turn into particles of light and disappear after being sprinkled with salt, I had lost sight of the reality. The monster disappearing—that was the moment I killed it. Arriving at that realization, I couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
I was no better than the people I’d looked down on. I, too, had been caught up in the excitement without facing reality, unconsciously treating the dungeon as some sort of fictional fantasy.
"What is it?"
"No, it's nothing."
Juzo-san, Yuji, and Hiiragi-san all looked at me with puzzled expressions. It was certainly a strange time to laugh. But there was no other moment but this to laugh at my own stupidity.
"...I see. Well then, moving on. Regarding that spear the Hiiragi girl is holding..."
Juzo-san began explaining the spear to Hiiragi-san, but his voice sounded distant to my ears. I returned the blade to its scabbard and looked at the gunto once more. The weight of it in my hands felt several times heavier than it had just moments ago.
Because slimes vanished so easily with salt, I hadn't been able to truly grasp what "dungeon exploration" actually meant. By holding this lethal instrument, the true shape of it finally became clear to me. Dungeon exploration was nothing more than a kill-or-be-killed struggle. Explorers hunt monsters, and monsters hunt explorers. That was all there was to it.
"Kokonoe boy. Looking at your face, it seems you’ve sensed the weight of carrying that thing."
"...Juzo-san."
Juzo-san, having finished his explanation to Hiiragi-san, was directing a sharp gaze at me as I stared down at the gunto with a brooding expression. When I gave a listless response, his gaze suddenly softened.
"Well, in the end, it’s just a tool. Whether you use it or not is entirely up to you."
"..."
"That’s enough for picking weapons. Yuji, you take those."
"Is it... okay for me to have these?"
"It is. All of you, move to the dojo. I'll teach you the basics of how to use and maintain them."
Juzo-san pointed to two kodachi hanging on the wall and gave Yuji permission to take them. Yuji asked for confirmation in surprise, but Juzo-san’s mind was made up. Yuji closed his eyes, took a breath, and then tentatively picked up the two short swords.
Once he confirmed we were finished, Juzo-san re-covered the remaining weapons, urged us to head to the dojo, and quickly headed down the stairs. After exchanging looks, we tucked our respective weapons under our arms and followed after him.
Once we arrived at the dojo, we sat in a row in seiza before Juzo-san, who was sitting cross-legged. We placed our weapons on the floor in front of us.
...Yeah, this felt just like when we learned kendo in PE class.
"Now then, since you’ve chosen your weapons, I’ll teach you how to use and maintain them. Using real blades right off the bat is a bit much. Yuji, bring the wooden swords."
Following Juzo-san's instructions, Yuji stood up and brought over wooden swords—tachi, kodachi, and a spear—for everyone. Taking Juzo-san's standing up as a signal, Hiiragi-san and I stood up as well. The wooden sword Yuji handed me was made of a reddish wood and felt quite heavy. When I tapped it lightly against my hand, it felt incredibly hard.
"First, I'll teach the Kokonoe boy. Yuji, you show the Hiiragi girl the basics of the spear. Boy, take a stance."
Prompted by Juzo-san, I held the wooden sword toward him, trying to remember the grip I’d used for bamboo swords. I thought I was taking a decent stance for a beginner, but seeing Juzo-san furrow his brows, I clearly hadn't made the grade.
"Hmm. Well, for an amateur, I suppose this is all we can expect. I’ll start by teaching you how to actually grip the sword."
In other words, I was fundamentally hopeless.
And so, Juzo-san's instruction began. It turned out there was a lot to learn—from the grip to the footwork—before I was even allowed to swing. According to Juzo-san, if you swing a sword without learning how to move your body, you’ll just end up injuring yourself.
To test this, I tried swinging the wooden sword repeatedly. On the tenth or so attempt, the sword I swung diagonally from the upper right struck the shin of my left leg, which I had stepped forward. It hurt like hell, and I shuddered to think what would have happened if it had been a real blade.
"If you keep swinging with the proper form, your body will eventually memorize the motion. Even if it's only a few, you should do practice swings every day. If you swing poorly, you'll hurt not just yourself but everyone around you."
I felt the weight of Juzo-san’s warning along with the throbbing in my shin. He was right; if I was reckless, I might end up slashing Yuji or Hiiragi-san before I ever reached a monster.
"When you swing, imagine you are drawing the character for 'rice.' There are eight basic trajectories, plus the thrust, for a total of nine."
"...Rice."
Just as Juzo-san said, I swung the wooden sword to follow those paths. The shaky trajectory of my blade gradually began to stabilize.
"Hmm. Seeing as you aren't out of breath after all that, it seems we don't need to worry about your stamina, Kokonoe boy. Do you do some kind of sport?"
...Ah, crap! I got so absorbed in the swinging that I forgot my physical abilities had been enhanced. I was checking every movement, so the speed of the sword was within the realm of common sense... but even so, I was swinging with the kind of power an average person my age would only have at a full sprint.
And yet, I hadn't even broken my rhythm or breath. To a normal person, this was a very strange sight.
"Y-yeah. I do some light jogging."
I blurted out the first weak excuse that came to mind. Even as I said it, I realized how ridiculous it sounded. No amount of "light jogging" gives you the stamina to swing a heavy wooden sword at full power for ten minutes without breaking a sweat.
"...I see. Well, you’ve become able to swing a sword respectably enough, so let’s switch to the real thing."
"Ah, yes."
I placed the wooden sword back on the rack and picked up the gunto. I released the latch and drew the blade. The silver steel caught the dojo lights, emitting an eerie glow. Sensing my tension, Juzo-san offered a word of advice.
"Don't overthink it. Just swing it like the wooden sword. If you get too tense, you'll put unnecessary strength into it, and that’s when it gets dangerous."
"Right....Phew."
I placed the scabbard on the floor and exhaled to steady my heart. I raised the gunto high over my head and swung it straight down as I breathed out.
"Hmm. Not bad. The edge was aligned. For your first swing with a real blade, it’s a passing grade."
"Th-thank you, I guess?"
I was actually being praised by Juzo-san? While giving a half-hearted response, I adjusted my stance and swung the gunto through the trajectories of the "rice" character. One swing, two swings, three swings... As I repeated the motion, my speed gradually began to climb.
"Boy, that's enough for now."
"Ah, yes."
"You have a good feel for this for an amateur. How about it? Why don't you start coming to my dojo properly?"
Juzo-san, looking like he’d just found a new toy, suddenly started trying to recruit me. Uh, I didn't really have any intention of dedicating my life to the way of the sword.
"I'm sorry. I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to decline."
"I see. Well, if you change your mind, let me know anytime. I'll whip you into shape."
"Ha-ha..."
After that, while receiving more detailed pointers from Juzo-san, Hiiragi-san and I continued to learn our respective weapons. Yuji was also receiving corrections, but far fewer than us. As expected of someone with a background in martial arts, his foundation was on a completely different level even with a different weapon.
After the combat instruction, we moved on to maintenance. It was a tedious process, but since skipping steps would directly impact the weapon's performance, we followed every instruction to the letter. The sharpening process with the whetstone required intense focus; at one point, I had the blade at a bad angle and actually made it duller than when I started.
The thought of having to do this every time I returned from a dungeon was a bit depressing.
By the time Juzo-san was finished with us, the sky had begun to turn orange. To think it had taken from early afternoon until evening...
"That should cover the basics."
Thank you very much!
Hiiragi-san and I bowed deeply. He had given us weapons when we had shown up uninvited and then spent hours teaching us how to use and care for them. There was no way we could ever thank him enough. I felt a surge of frustration at my own powerlessness, having no better way to show my gratitude than a bow.
"It's fine. Just make sure you do your best in the dungeon, you hear?"
Yes!
"Oh, that's right! I forgot to tell you the names of the sword and spear I gave you."
Names? Ah, he meant the smith's signature or the weapon's title. Wait, were these actually legendary items or something? I felt a sudden flicker of anxiety about whether I should have actually accepted such a gift.
"The gunto's name is Shiranui. The spear is named Isuzu."
"Shiranui..."
"Isuzu..."
Hiiragi-san and I repeated the names. Even though it was just a word, I felt a strange sense of attachment welling up inside me. I held the gunto—Shiranui—up before my eyes and whispered in my mind.
(...I'm counting on you, Shiranui.)
This was my first encounter with Shiranui, the partner that would join me on my journey into the depths of the dungeon.