"Well then, let's wrap up the introductions and questions for now. It’s getting late. As for tomorrow’s schedule, I’m planning on us diving into the Great Labyrinth right away. The goal is to get a feel for our coordination as a new party with Orun. We'll be heading for the Lower Floors, but I’ll give you the specifics tomorrow. Everyone gather here at nine in the morning, as usual. Orun, generally speaking, consider this the meeting point for nine o'clock whenever we have an exploration scheduled. I’ll let you know if that changes."
"Understood."
The first meeting was over. Based on Selma’s tone, I assumed we were being dismissed.
Just as the thought crossed my mind, Wil spoke up. "Hey, how about we go out for a meal to celebrate Orun joining the team?"
"Ah... I appreciate the offer, really, but could we do that another day? There’s actually something I want to take care of today in preparation for tomorrow’s dive."
It pained me to turn down a friendly invitation, but this was something I needed to get done before the day was out.
"Preparing for tomorrow? Mind if we ask what it is?"
"I’m going to go buy a sword."
I had lost two of them during the fight with the Black Dragon two days ago. It would have been better if I’d picked them up yesterday, but I hadn't realized I was short on stock until right before I went to bed.
"Wait, what?! You don't have a weapon right now?!" Wil let out a shocked cry.
The other three wore similar expressions of disbelief.
"No, I still have one left, so I can go into the Labyrinth. I just wanted to build my stock back up, just in case."
"If that’s the case, wouldn't it be fine to wait until tomorrow or later? It’s not like you can have a weapon forged in a single day anyway."
"Oh, the ones I use are just off-the-shelf. I can pick them up today."
"Huh?! They aren't custom-made?!"
Once again, the whole group looked stunned. I suppose it was only natural for them to react that way—once you became a Senior Explorer, custom gear was the standard.
"Well, I was only a B-Rank back when I was active as a swordsman, so I never owned a custom-made blade. Besides, I can compensate for things like sharpness and durability with support magic anyway, so I never saw the point in buying something expensive."
"I don’t know much about swords," Rain chimed in, "but even if they look the or the same, isn't the balance different on mass-produced ones? Doesn't that feel... off?"
"I can adjust to it after a few swings. As long as I don't buy something with a massive discrepancy, it's not an issue."
"That’s—! Ugh, seriously! That might be true for you, but you’re the ace of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky’s First Unit as of today! You can’t let people see someone in your position using cheap, mass-produced junk!"
Before I could respond, Rain grabbed my hand and started marching off.
"Wait, Rain?! Where are you going?!"
Ignoring Wil’s voice behind us, she pulled me along, walking briskly through the headquarters.
◇
She led me to a building on the same premises that looked like a forge. Rain didn't stop, dragging me further into the back of the workshop. The other three were trailing along behind us.
Finally, she let go of my hand once we reached a large, elderly man with a powerful, stocky build.
"Whoa, whoa. The entire First Unit? What’s the occasion?"
I couldn't blame him for being startled by our sudden appearance.
"Alan-san! Please, forge a sword for this boy!" Rain made her request without any preamble.
Based on context, I assumed this man named Alan was the clan’s blacksmith.
"A sword, huh?" Alan said, narrowing his eyes as he looked me over. He scanned me from head to toe before asking, "Are you the rumored Dragon Slayer?"
"I don’t know about rumored, but I am the one who defeated the Black Dragon the other day."
"I thought so. You’ve got the presence of a veteran warrior. I could tell the moment I saw you."
"...Thank you?"
"So, you want me to forge you a blade? Well, it’d be an honor to make a sword for a man with a reputation like yours. But weren't you in the Hero Party? I figured you’d already have a contract with some world-renowned smith."
"That’s what you’d think, right?!" Rain interjected, her voice rising with indignation. "But he says he’s been using off-the-shelf weapons this whole time!"
"The hell?! Hey, kid! Is she serious?"
"I mean... yeah, it’s true."
"You're entrusting your life to your gear, aren't you?! Why are you settling for some random crap you bought at a shop?!"
Alan sounded genuinely offended. They say the sword is a swordsman’s soul, after all.
That said, my perspective was starting to shift. Rain’s words had struck a chord with me. It was true that I was now a Front-line Attacker for the First Unit of the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky. In a way, I had to set an example for other attackers. Settling for mass-produced swords was probably a poor choice given the optics.
It wasn't exactly about giving people something to dream about, but if the attacker of a top-tier party used high-quality equipment, it might serve as motivation for others to aim higher.
"Until a moment ago, I thought off-the-shelf was fine, but Rain scolded me and made me realize I was wrong—"
"Wait, you thought I was scolding you? Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't actually angry!" Rain waved her hands frantically, trying to clarify.
She wasn't angry? She’d been a little scary, to be honest.
"No, you were definitely scolding him. You dragged him here without a word and your face was terrifying," Wil pointed out.
"Yeah, Rain-san was scary," Lucre agreed.
Selma offered a wry smile. It seemed we were all in agreement on that one.
"You guys, be quiet!"
"Whoa, see? She's definitely angry!"
"...Are you lot here to perform a comedy routine or something?" Alan sighed.
"Of course not! We’re here with a serious request!" Rain insisted.
"I-I see... Right, back to the topic then. Er... Dragon Slayer, what was your name again?"
"It's Orun."
"Orun, right. I’ve got it. I’m Alan. As you can see, I’m the smith here. So, what’s this about a change of heart?"
"Until now, I didn't care much about how others saw me, so I figured shop-bought swords were good enough. But since I’ve joined the First Unit, I realized I should be using equipment that matches my position. So, please, forge a sword for me! I'm asking you!"
I bowed my head deeply to Alan, pleading for his help.
"...Like I said, being allowed to forge a blade for you is an honor. I’d be happy to do it."
"Glad to hear it, Orun," Wil said, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "The old man here is the best smith in the Silver Rabbit. He made my partner, too. I can personally guarantee his work."
So this man was the top blacksmith in the clan. My expectations naturally began to swell.
"Hey, don't talk me up too much. Besides, even if I want to make it, there’s one problem."
"Is it something that can be solved quickly?" I asked.
"The problem is the materials. Right now, we’re completely out of materials from the Deep Floors. I used the last of our stock without holding back on the weapon I made for Wilkes recently. To make something worthy of you, we’d need to dive into the Deep Floors first. Kind of puts the cart before the horse, doesn't it?"
"So it's all Wil's fault! Wil, go solo the Deep Floors and bring back some ore right now!"
"Don't be ridiculous! I wouldn't have enough lives to make it back if I went alone!"
Wil dutifully retorted to Lucre’s absurd demand. They really were quite the duo.
Deep Floor materials, huh?
"If that’s all, then it shouldn't be a problem."
"Eh? Orun-kun, what do you mean by that?"
I looked around and moved to a spot with a bit more open space.
"I actually happen to have quite a lot of Deep Floor materials on hand."
As I spoke, I began pulling out ores and Magic Beast materials from my storage—everything I’d gathered in the deep that looked like it could be used for a sword.
"Whoa, that’s a ton!"
While Lucre was cheering in excitement, the other four were simply staring, mouths agape.