Four days had passed since I named her Dagaa.
To cut to the chase, all Dagaa could do was become "something like a knife."
She seemed to understand what a sword was, thanks to the Relic's [Blade Transformation].
So it could cut, at least. That and it was incredibly awkward to hold at first.
But after I showed her other knives… I nearly got eaten… the handling problem was resolved.
Well, that part wasn't a big deal. The real issue was the creature's whims.
Turning into a knife whenever it pleased, then reverting whenever it felt like it.
I should probably train it out of her, but right now, whether Dagaa turned into a knife or not—
To put it simply, did I actually need a "Dagaa Knife"? Not really. So I figured I'd just take it easy.
Four days. It was the same routine every day: going back and forth between the witch and the Junkyard.
The hole Juicy had opened in the Junkyard? When I went to check, it was already filled in.
Actually, the whole surrounding area had been buried. A mountain of trash had collapsed and covered everything.
Digging it out didn't look feasible.
At the Junkyard, I managed to find a few rare items, which added up to a decent amount.
But there was no blue light. And no purple light.
"Nya!"
"Hey—cut that out! Those are my meatballs!"
"Nya?"
"You—don't think you can get away with it just because you put on that cute, dazed little face. You're dead wrong! Ah—stop, that's my scrap-meat soup!"
"Nya!"
Mineha launched herself at Dagaa. Wait, that's my food, though.
Just because she finished eating doesn't mean she can help herself to my portion. I really wish she'd stop.
With no other choice, I ate the leftover bread-beans. Good. Good.
For the record, Dagaa and Mineha were about the same height, but Dagaa's body volume was nearly twice as much.
Once again, they were fighting over my dinner, this pair of one beast and one girl.
In just four days, they'd gotten incredibly close—sleeping together, riding on Dagaa's back while flying, and whatnot.
And then there was Mineha. Apparently, she could more or less understand what Dagaa was saying.
"Oh, we'd better get going soon."
"Hm? Going somewhere?"
"I'm heading to the blacksmith's that Arifa-san recommended."
"Now that you mention it, she did say something about that."
"Nya!"
"Huh? You're coming too?"
"Dagaa. You want to come?"
"Nya!"
"—A blacksmith means I can learn about swords. And that, in turn, means learning about the Inner Sanctum. Yes, that does make sense."
"...Did she really just say something that long?"
"Nya?"
Dagaa tilted her little head. Hey, she didn't deny it.
Mineha said casually.
"I feel like that's more or less what she was saying."
"Na!"
Dagaa raised her paw. All four ears perked up and her tail wagged.
So the big long message came down to "more or less," huh. Well, whatever.
For the record, when I tried reading Dagaa's inner voice with the Relic [Stillness], it came back as (Na!).
"Well, I guess that's fine."
And then Dagaa turned into a knife.
"Na!"
She barked even in knife form. I guess she was telling me to take her like this.
"Don't turn back halfway."
"Na!"
I grabbed Dagaa-knife and slid her into her dedicated sheath.
Then tucked it into my battle belt made specifically for knives.
Mineha spoke up all of a sudden.
"Wof. Got a second?"
"What?"
"Pick up some meat on your way back, okay?"
"Sure, sure."
"Alright then, be safe out there."
"I'm heading out."
I gave a light wave back to Mineha, who was fluttering her hand in farewell, and headed out the door.
The opposite side of the central noble district from Arifa's shop in Hydrangea.
That was the industrial district. Workshops and factories for all manner of crafts lined the streets, and the blacksmiths' avenue was here as well.
Because smoke poured ceaselessly from the chimneys, it was also known as Sootcloud Road.
Past the slopes and stairways paved with fine stone, rows of brick buildings stood in formation.
Every last one of them was a blacksmith's forge.
"During the Industrial Revolution, there were hundreds of times as many chimneys as this, weren't there?"
In a corner of my past life's memories, there was a scene of countless chimneys lined up, black smoke blanketing the sky.
As for environmental pollution in this world — that was probably thousands of years away.
"Nya?"
"Oh, right, um, the person I was introduced to was…"
"Wof? If it isn't Wof!"
"Oh, Pakira."
When I turned at the call, there she was — Pakira.
Long, lustrous light-green hair with white streaks woven into her bangs.
A hairstyle that covered one eye, and features that were cute for her age. In other words, a beautiful girl.
Large cat ears and a white tail of varying length swayed gently. In other words, a beautiful cat-beastkin girl.
Dressed in white robes. She was in delver attire. Probably heading back from an expedition.
"Well now, running into each other in a place like this."
"That's right. What about Lupinus and Riv?"
"Ah, those two... they're at the guild's training grounds."
"Training?"
"I suppose you'd call it a match. Their opponents are the Twin Fangs of the Demon Sword."
"Huh?"
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"The Twin Fangs of the Demon Sword?!"
Why did I perk up like that.
"Indeed. They're serving as guards for Marquis Tassan's household."
"Wait, that wouldn't happen to be Sheshu, would it?"
"Hm. How do you know that, lad?"
"Well, that's..."
I touched on the matter of the ring, keeping it brief.
As for Riv and Juicy, well, never mind about that.
"My, what an important ring. How terribly romantic."
Pakira was looking all dreamy-eyed. She's really into this sort of thing, isn't she.
Come to think of it, she was an avid reader of romance novels. That hint had been absolutely terrible.
If she found out it was an engagement ring, she'd probably be even more delighted.
"But still, why would Sheshu and Riv end up fighting each other?"
Was there some connection? Maybe it was through Lupinus, since she's nobility.
"Indeed. House Tassan supports female delvers, you see. I applied for that, and today was the interview. The interview was quick — we talked briefly and I passed right away. But Riv had been admiring Dual Fang, the demon sword, also known as Sheshu, for a while. So once we got talking, it turned into a challenge."
"I kind of get it, but also kind of don't. What about Lupinus?"
"She was the referee."
"Got it. Pakira, didn't you want to watch?"
"I was curious, but I already had a prior commitment — there was an OOPArt I'd asked to have restored. That's why I'm here."
"OOPArts can be restored?"
"Depending on the item, yes. It's expensive, though."
"I had no idea..."
There was a lot I didn't know — like the fact that even legendary ones could be restored.
"So, what about you?"
"I'm heading to the blacksmith Arifa introduced me to. I want to have a gauntlet made."
"Oh. A gauntlet, you say? What material?"
"A fragment of the Great Demon Blade Rhino."
"Say what!? That Great Demon Blade!?"
"Y-yes."
The moment I answered, Pakira's ears and tail bristled with shock.
Huh, it was that impressive?
"How did you manage to get your hands on that...?"
"Mr. Axe gave it to me."
"The leader of Thunder Fang, was he? Come to think of it, I did hear he went somewhere with Agaro. Don't tell me that was the Great Demon Blade Rhino... Hmm. Wof, you've received a fine material indeed. The finest for an OOPArt. And materials from the Mazan mountain range are rarely obtained. So, which blacksmith are you going to?"
"The introduction letter says the place is here."
I showed Pakira the letter.
Pakira looked at the letter and grinned.
"Perfect timing. I shall guide you there."
"You know the place?"
"Indeed. I happen to be heading there myself."
"Meow?"
"What was that just now?"
"So we're going to the same place."
"Y-yes. This way."
I followed after Pakira, who seemed oddly flustered.
I gently touched Daga-a's handle and whispered.
"Daga-a. It's hard to explain, so could you stay quiet for now? I'll introduce you properly later."
"Meow."
She replied at the same volume as my whisper. I wasn't sure if she actually understood.
Just then, Pakira turned around.
"What's the matter?"
"Nothing. It's nothing."
"Come now. It's easy to get lost around here. Stick close to me."
"Y-yes."
The streets with blacksmith shops were all the same, lined with nothing but brick buildings. It really would be easy to get lost here.
"If you look at the signs, you can tell which blacksmith shop is which, more or less."
"True, there are all sorts of shapes and designs."
The protruding signs were variously round or square, made of bronze or iron.
Their symbol designs were equally diverse: fire, birds, frying pans, fire pokers, hammers, and more.
"A frying pan?"
"That's a blacksmith specializing in cast iron work."
"I see. What about those shears and knives?"
"A long-established shop for household blades."
"It's not all about weapons, then."
"That's right. Look, even that one's different."
"A cup?"
A large, iron cup stood proudly as a sign. A three-dimensional sign was quite stylish.
"It's a blacksmith for iron tableware."
"Ah, so that's... rare, isn't it?"
"Ceramics are the mainstream nowadays. Oh, we're here."
"This is it?"
The sign was bronze, and for some reason depicted a bracelet and a cup.
It was a three-story brick building, right at the corner of the street.
"Vellent's Blacksmith Shop."
The metal sign above the double doors was inscribed with those words in ancient script.
"I'll have the usual."
Pakira said as she pushed open the door.
The blacksmith shop had a stone floor, and the walls were lined with brick.
All manner of weapons and armor were crammed in as far as the eye could see, and from deeper within came the sound of a hammer striking an anvil.
A faint heat drifted toward us, along with the presence of a previous customer.
The moment the door opened, she turned around. Wait—she was…
"Woof? U-Um, from earlier… you're Pakira from Torquetam, right?"
"Hmm. You're that maid from the tour, aren't you?"
"Woof! Wof!?"
With that bark, she rushed right up to me.
Sleek, jet-black hair cascading past her hips. Sparkling chestnut-brown eyes.
A small, adorable, lively face. Large dog ears—rather, wolf ears—and a fluffy, bushy tail.
"Juicy. What are you doing here?"
"Wof?"
"Huh?"
"Woof woof. Wof! U-Um, what are you doing here?"
It really was Juicy.