I was bewildered. No way. No, seriously, no way.
"So you've finally broken the tenth one, I see."
She put on a smile that was close to empty.
But I had absolutely no memory of it. None at all. Not even a shred.
"No. That's not it."
The Goddess of Knives denied it immediately.
"That's not it?"
"Correct. This time, it's a separate matter."
"A separate matter?"
"…Wof. You cannot wield a sword."
The moment she said it, my heart skipped a beat.
So there actually was a reason I couldn't hold one after all.
"Why is that?"
"Because you are cursed."
"A curse!? But… if that were the case, I should have been able to sense it."
Curses are debuff Relics. Since they're Relics, they're carved into the soul's vessel, so you can always feel them.
And indeed, I had felt the debuff Relics in the death dungeon.
"Strictly speaking, it is a Relic."
"A Relic…?"
Yes. This is the effect of the Relic.
"...That..."
"It is a Relic whose effect applies only to you."
"Huh? Wh-what does that mean... e-eh, what are you saying?"
"It is a Relic whose effect applies to you alone in the entire world."
Huh? Wh-what... is that?
"Huh? ...S-so, what... what kind of effect does it have...?"
"The effect is that you become unable to hold any sword, and that is all."
"...Can't hold a sword...? Th-that's all...?"
"Yes. Because the target is a single person, and the effect is not severe, it is considered the most potent Relic across all of time and space, factoring in the user's own power."
"What is that."
What the hell is that? No, seriously, what is that!?
"All of time and space"? What's that supposed to mean? A Relic that works on past and future, what the hell is that for real!?
(It is precisely because you, the generous one, have
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"Huh, other... women...? And I'm not Generous."
(Yes. I know you're the holder of the pseudo-deification Relic. And you're the closest to Generous.)
"Because I'm close, so I get a Relic?"
"Yes. She — that person — you using other women—"
"Wait, what do you mean by 'other women'?!"
That's terrible phrasing!
(Swords. For that person, swords are women. Because that person is a sword.)
"? Swords are women? Who exactly is this person?"
(The chief god of all weapons. The divine sword. A gigantic OOPArt.
Ikusagatsurugi
— Lord "■■■■■■■," Generous's beloved sword.)
"Huh? What's the name?"
(Lord "■■■■■■■.")
"Um, I can't really hear you."
"Ah, I see. You don't have enough divine authority yet."
"I never had any to begin with."
"Very well. For now, just call me the Divine Sword."
"The Divine Sword... so, that's what's cursing me... keeping me from being able to hold other swords..."
"Yes. That is correct."
"So does that mean the Divine Sword is a woman?"
"Yes. That is correct."
Generous considers me hers, so she won't let me hold other women — swords.
She's jealous. Whoa... so heavy... so scary. A shiver ran down my spine.
"...What about other weapons?"
"Swords only. Knives are women too, but those are permitted."
"Could it be that the reason I broke the knife was also that Relic's doing?"
I see. So that's what happened.
It wasn't my fault after all.
"No. That was definitely your fault."
The goddess of the knife shot me down flat.
An archaic smile, but her eyes weren't laughing.
"S-sorry. Does that mean I'll never be able to hold a sword again for the rest of my life?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"...W-what should I do then?"
"I don't know."
"N-no way..."
I'll never be able to hold a sword again for the rest of my life?
"...There is one thing. Just one single ray of hope."
"Oh, there is?"
"Yes. You need to find that person."
"Find them?"
"Yes. That person exists somewhere in this world."
"You don't know where exactly?"
"No. Nobody knows anything."
"...So you're saying I should start by looking for them?"
"That's right. If you want to wield a sword, that's the only way. Find your beloved blade."
"...My beloved blade? I'm not a Generalis or a God or anything like that."
And yet.
(Yes. You are human. However, the possessor of a Pseudo-Deification Relic is recognized as both human and god. You are close to being a demigod or a half-god. Moreover, you are a Generalis. That meaning is very strong.)
"...But a second coming is a different matter, right?"
"A second coming? I'm sorry. I don't know anything beyond that. I am the Goddess of the Knife."
"Ah, I'm sorry."
"It seems it is almost time."
"Thank you... for everything."
"Wof. Let us meet the next time you break the tenth blade. I pray that day does not come."
"Y-yes. I'll do my best not to break it."
"It's probably futile, though."
"Huh?"
"Then, may your knife be good."
After the Goddess of the Knife's holy smile, full of loving kindness, faded, my consciousness slipped away.
Then, I woke up.
"Haa... Seriously..."
I got up and let out a huge sigh.
Since it was still dark, I yawned and went back to sleep.
Something shocking had happened, but after going back to sleep, I calmed down.
Searching for the sword of a god whose location you don't even know is unrealistic.
Besides, even without being able to use a sword, I'm human. I can live.
Yeah, I can live.
Indeed, a sword is an aspiration.
The royal road of fantasy might be magic, but the royal road of royal roads is still the sword.
A sword... of course I'm still attached to the idea. I want to use one.
But I don't want to go meet the woman of the divine sword, the one who'd cross all of time and space just to keep me from using one.
Jealousy and all that—I feel like I've moved past that already. But the emotional weight is too heavy, too scary.
That sort of thing isn't just too heavy for a 13-year-old boy to shoulder. It's past that entirely.
I haven't even had a kid's romance yet. There's no way I can handle the deep, murky waters of adult love.
I dunno about this.
I felt like I'd learned something I never wanted to know.
With that on my mind, I stood in front of the mansion.
It was the Torquetam base. I knocked, and the door opened to reveal—
"Wof."
It was Pakira. Those blue cat eyes fixed right on me.
"Hey, Pakira."
"Mm. I heard from Bid you'd be coming. Said you had something to tell us."
Yesterday at our parting, Bid had told me—
"I'll pass along that you've got something to say, so swing by tomorrow." And so here I was.
"Yes. I figured it'd be better to tell you in person."
"Hmm. Come in, then."
"Sorry to intrude."
I was led straight into the living room.
Riv and Lupinus were already there.
Both of them were sitting on the sofa, drinking tea.
I already knew Bid wasn't here. She'd gone out on a request with Mineha this morning.
Dagaa had gone along too. Probably to practice [Fleet Foot].
— "Hello, Wof."
Lupinus set down her tea and greeted me.
— "Hello, Lupinus."
— "Yo."
— "Hey there, Riv."
I sat down on the sofa where I was directed.
Pakira sat down too. Torquetam joined us on the sofa.
It was like this last time too, wasn't it.
— "So you said you had something to tell us?"
— "Yes. Um, I became a delver. Under special circumstances."
— "Oh my, so you finally did it."
Pakira perked up her cat ears and swished her two white tails — one long, one short.
— "Yes."
— "Hm… congrats."
Riv clapped.
Lupinus smiled.
"Congratulations. A special exception — that would make you the same rank as us, wouldn't it?"
"Oh, no, that's not right. I'm Class V."
"Hmm?"
"Oh my."
"Hm…"
"It was the Witch's decision."
"Well, that does make sense."
"I see, I see."
"Also, about the tower—"
"Right. Did you find something out?"
"Yes. Actually—"
I went into detail.
When it came to Alhazred = Abraimyrin, everyone had the same reaction as a space cat.
Especially Pakira, who was a cat-person, so she was literally a space cat.
When I finished explaining, Pakira let out a deep sigh.
"I see, I see…"
"I had no idea the tower in the courtyard had turned out like that."
"Hm… Wondaho."
"So, what are you going to do?"
"I'll take on the challenge once. I intend to do everything I can."
In my current state, I'd probably hit something impossible.
Even so, I wanted to try my best now.
"That's exactly what a delver should be."
"Hm... and what about the members?"
"They're not all assembled yet. We need at least two more, though."
"Then, Riv. What about you?"
"Yes, well. The truth is, there's a reason, but Pakira and I have to go to the Tasan territory."
"To Tasan?"
Tasan. The hometown of Juli and Rel.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen Juli in a while.
"Mm. Riv will be staying behind, so that works out perfectly."
"Hm... is that really okay?"
Riv asked the two of them a bit hesitantly.
"It is. Wof. I'm entrusting Riv to you."
"Please take care of her."
"Y-yes. Understood."
"Somehow... this is different. Hm. But... nice to meet you... young man."
Riv turned to me and offered a faint smile.
"Likewise, Riv."
That made two. One more to go.
And then came the day of the Alhazard = Abramilin designated quest.
"To think I'd be going to the Junkyard at my age."
"So you've been to the Junkyard before?"
"No, there aren't any dungeons around where I live. I became a delver right after coming of age, so this is my first time at the Junkyard."
"Hm... Riv too... same."
"Come to think of it, you were pretty well-off, weren't you."
"That I was. They say Hydrangea is the biggest Junkyard in the borderlands."
"Hmph. This is casually my second time, you know."
"Ahaha... Mineha. I'm in your care again."
"Leave it to me."
"Nya!"
"Wof, didn't the knife just make a noise?"
"Huh, you didn't know about that?"
"Now that you mention it, I don't think I'd told you yet."
"Hm... interesting... living creature."
"What the heck is that supposed to be."
"Nya?"
I'd explain that to him later.
"Well then, let's go."
"Hey, say it properly!"
"Yeah. That's right. Boss."
"Mm... Boss."
"Na!"
"Th-then, the"
Makeshift Wolf Pack
"is heading out!"
And so, our Makeshift Wolf Pack headed to the Junkyard.
To the holy chamber.