The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 251: Enchanto!

Passing through the arena area, we arrived at the workshop of Zaga and Bon. Rollodeen immediately raised her two fore legs as if performing a wheelie upon arrival.

――I ain’t Napoleon, damn it!

I wanted to make such a retort at Rollodeen while thinking of the painting depicting Napoleon Bonaparte crossing the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard, but I was holding Viine in both arms.

Rollodeen-san, I’ll massage your back with my thighs as you’re enjoying yourself at full throttle! It’ll be a ballz attack from my nether region!

Immediately after my partner meowed “Nyaoo? Nyaa～” with a voice similar to laughter or delight, I jumped as if shoving my partner’s back with the underside of my leg while holding Viine. I flew through the air while revolving towards the main street’s side.

At that moment, Rubia yelled, “Oh, Shuuya-sama!”

I turned around after helping Viine stand up in front of me in a manner of propping her up. Viine snuggled up to me.

Rubia was waving her hand at us from the end of the street. It looks like she just returned from her adventurer activities.

She wore a scarlet light armor with a neck warmer which allowed for a vague peek at her chest. She was also wearing the silver-threaded dress I had given her.

――Nice, it fits well with her short-sleeved, hemp cloth attire. It totally suits the slender Rubia. She’s a fashionable beauty.

Her skirt with the attached frill was charming as well. A waist belt emphasized her slender waist atop the cute skirt. The ancient dragon longsword I had given her as present was hanging down from a sword belt affixed to her waist belt with a leather strap.

I had heard that she was a combat priest type. It appears that she has been properly using the longsword as her main weapon.

A small knapsack was protruding out from the tip of Rubia’s shoulder. Is it filled with monster materials from the labyrinth? Well, it seems like she was able to procure lots of materials for Zaga and Bon. It’s great to see that the activities of 【Blue Wind】 seem to be going well.

As I looked at the smiling Rubia…I had a hunch that I had been rescued by her more than having saved her.

With a feeling of gratitude towards Rubia, I answered, “Yo, Rubia.”

“――I’m happy that you came visiting us. Hello to you as well, Viine-san.”

Rubia greeted us briskly and cheerfully.

Viine had just dismounted the black horse-like Rollodeen, so her long ears were drooping, but suddenly those ears stood up erectly. The moment her ears recovered their original state only lasted an instant, but their movements were funny. It kinda felt like a slime expanding after air entered it, as if going from 『Funyo～n』 to 『Punyo?』.

I wanted to check how it felt by touching them, but right now it was a bit difficult. I think I’ll try asking her next time while we’re sleeping with each other. Oops, no good. I made a retort as if hitting my own chest.

I laughed while harboring an image similar to the old man of Yoshimoto Shinkigeki1, but…

“…Today ― yes, today I allowed Master to stop by for a short visit on our date.”

Viine unleashed a restraining punch as a woman. She arranged her slightly disheveled hair by brushing it behind her ear with her fingers.

“I-I see.” Rubia answered with her goldern eyebrows subtly twitching due to the way how Viine’s words seemed to ooze with a womanly sex appeal. She immediately felt shaken.

“Nyao.” Rollo meowed after having turned into a kitten.

She moved up to Rubia’s feet and looked up at her as if giving a greeting.

“Rollo-chan ― I’m happy! This time you greeted me first! Even though Bon was always the first one! Is it okay to go with me today?”

After rubbing her head several times against Rubia’s shins, Rollo also nuzzled her back, or rather, her torso and thighs against Rubia’s leg with her tail standing up erect, just as it did when she made a scent mark as divine beast. Her tail was trembling slightly, as if she was about to pee, but once Rubia’s eyes met with Rollo’s…she put down her heavy-looking knapsack, and squatted down in a cute manner.

“Shall I take that bag?”

“Nah, I’m almost home, it’s alright.”

“Okay.”

“N, nya.”

I don’t know whether Rollo understood Rubia or not. Hmm? She’s showing her butt to Rubia? Don’t tell me, she’s really going to…

“Fufufu, what a wonderfully soft-looking fur you have! Besides, your butt is cute! Jeez, totally irresistible!”

“Nyaa~”

Rollo-san, you’re funny. She’s making the fur at her buttocks sway, and then gets further spoiled by Rubia. 2

“Oops, I got sidetracked by Rollo’s weird greeting. I came to meet you, Rubia.”

“Eh? Meet me…”

“Aye. Well, I want to see Zaga and Bon as well, though. Oh, let me give this to you, it’s a present.”

I operated my item box, and took out the Sword of Casheen.

“This sword is Legendary. It has apparently been used by the Hero Casheen in a place called Azel Boundary or something. According to that classy shopkeeper, Mr. Suloza, it’s possible to clad the sword in wind when pouring mana into it, unrelated to your attribute. It seems to also give a small increase to your body’s speed.”

“L-Legendary!? Whoaaaa.”

Rubia jumped up to her feet, and straightened her back.

“I’m super happy!”

She fixed her posture as if to salute.

The leather wrapped around Casheen’s hilt had a reddish-brown color, turned yellow with age. It was a longsword with small, circular designs added to the round, thick part of the blade’s edge. The detailed patterns within those small circles looked like the crest of some military force, seeing how they depicted wings entwining each other over and over again.

If you were to use an example from Earth, it’d resemble a kora, a sword considered to have been used by the Indian Gurkha tribe.

Rubia seemed to be very excited. She walked over to me with both her arms and legs stiffly moving in unison, like a tin soldier. And then she received the Sword of Casheen from me while politely lowering her head as if accepting an honorable certificate with both hands.

“The sword of hero Casheen…” Rubia kept looking at the sword’s blade in a trance.

I’m pretty sure that the blade fully reflected her clear blue eyes.

She swung down the sword, raised it overhead, and thrust it out at empty air to get a feel for it.

Hee, her stance has started to look quite good there. It appears she’s growing up as a battle priest.

“…Rubia, your movements are quite good. Is the 『Raise and Defend』 style just now something you have learned in the labyrinth?” Viine asked.

She appears to be full of admiration after seeing Rubia’s sword skills.

“Ah, yes. Leader Kashim of 【Blue Wind】 is a magnificent swordsman. He has apparently learned one and dual sword styles, the Flying Sword Style, and the Peerless Sword Style. Imitating his way how he killed a medium-sized goblin…I naturally picked it up…”

“I see, that’s splendid. To learn the movements to such an extent through self-taught swordsmanship…your mana from the other day was great as well. I think you have a good grasp for combat, Rubia.” Viine frankly praised.

“Y-You think so? Thanks――”

Hearing Viine’s open-hearted praise, Rubia’s eyes widened in surprise as she apparently considered it unexpected. And then she bowed deeply, showing us the crown of her head.

After raising her head again, Rubia pulled out the ancient dragon longsword hanging at her waist with such swift movements that you might as well call it instantaneous, adopting a dual-wield stance. She compared her new Sword of Casheen and the ancient dragon longsword I gave her.

Then she looked at Viine. Viine averted her eyes from Rubia and nodded.

“Let’s head over to Zaga.”

“Okay.”

Taking Viine along, I stepped into the workshop where Zaga and Bon probably were. Rollo followed at my feet.

Zaga and Bon were at an anvil deeper inside the workshop. Zaga was hitting a hot, black piece of steel with a hammer. It was similar to what was called 『Tempering』.

Donning an ecstatic expression, Bon was next to Zaga, who currently gave me the overflowing feeling of a dwarven smith being present. Bon was releasing his Enchanting magic at the black steel through his two hands.

They’re in the middle of work, so I think I will watch for a bit. Both are smiths who can create Legendary-class items.

Zaga’s way of striking down his hammer was way too cool. Even when his beard caught fire at his chin, he didn’t mind it. I had seen that happen before as well, hadn’t I?

For a change, Rollo didn’t head over to Bon either. She put her two front paws together, and gazed at the mysterious, magic light released from Bon’s hands, sitting there like a porcelain doll, and thus resembling Alray and Hueremy.

When the enchanting and smithing work settled down after a little while, “――Oh, I didn’t see you coming in, Shuuya!”

“――Encha? Enchaaanto!!”

“Nyaaa.”

As if saying that she had waited for this, Rollo ran over to Bon.

“Enchanto!”

“N, nyaon, nya.”

“Enchaaan.”

“Nya.”

The usual M?rchen story began. Let’s leave Bon and Rollo alone in their fantasy world.

I faced Zaga whose beard had taken on a weird shape after getting burned. Its shape was…queer. However, I didn’t point it out.

After lightly lowering my head, I approached Zaga. I touched the item box’s tiny glass panel, as if looking at a watch, and then retrieved the special ink, the baseball cap, and the fishing rod, which I had intended to give them as presents, from within.

“…We obtained a heap of treasures in the labyrinth again. I will give this special ink to you, Zaga. According to Suloza’s shopkeeper, it’s called Magic Secret Ink. It’s a special ink that will change its color in response to a certain amount of mana. It’s apparently often used for secret messages among nobles and royalty.” I handed Zaga the ink.

“Oooh, even though the Magic Black Soft Steel from the other day gave me already plenty of profit…you’re giving me something rare once again! Thanks, Shuuya!” Zaga accepted the ink.

After sniffing at the lid, he checked the ink by peeking inside the bottle.

“Next, for Bon…”

“Encha?”

Bon, who had been playing with Rollo, stopped moving and energetically turned my way. It looked as if “Are you going to give me something?” was written in his perfectly round eyes. Bon ran up to us with small steps with his look being full of anticipation.

“…I’m giving this cap and fishing rod to you, Bon.”

“Enchantoo!”

Bon-kun immediately forced the cap on his head. The string extending downwards from the cap bit into the flesh beneath his chin. And the sidelocks next to his ears, which looked like a natural Afro, spilled out at the cap’s sides.

Somehow it might be a bit cute. As if singing, “Oisa, bonbaye? Ha ha, bonbaye?”, Bon-kun started to dance with the fish rod in a hand and the cap on his head. 3 Rollo was lured into dancing as well. She repeatedly jumped around at Bon’s feet, skillfully standing on her hind paws. Is she going to unleash some cat punches? I’m pretty sure she’ll target Bon’s plump ears which are similar to those of large Buddha statues. That’s the hair sticking out from beneath the cap, isn’t it?

“It looks like you really like that cap, Bon.”

“――Encha, encha, enchanto!”

Bon-kun is sure happy. Each time he says “encha”, he dances with a hooray, hooray.

Just like that, he ran up to me, and hugged me tightly around the area of my waist. …It’s heart-warming. Support the translator by reading this novel at Infinite Novel Translations!

In return, I also stroked his back lightly.

“…There’s also an explanation for that bluish-white fishing rod. You can catch fish without using bait. The soft and flabby part at the hook’s end turns into a fake-bait.”

“Encha? Encha…”

Bon-kun turned his face upwards for a moment. It appears that he didn’t really get it. Then he buried his face into my waist again, continuing to hug me powerfully.

“――Thank you very much.”

Even Rubia, who had come back to the workshop, came to hug me, obviously lured in by Bon’s actions. She wore clothes that exposed her breasts a bit, so it felt really nice to have her boobs pressed against me directly.

“Master!”

Viine nonchalantly joined the fray, too.

Probably as an effect of that, Rubia, who had been hugging me, separated her body in a somewhat reserved manner. She turned her face upwards.

“…Shuuya-sama! I have been using this Evil Dragon King-made weapon I received from you before as my main weapon, but I’m going to master this Sword of Casheen and learn a dual-wield style as well.” Rubia smiled.

An attempt at dual-wielding, huh?

Exactly because she was a battle healer using a sword, I was slightly curious about her combat occupation, but I didn’t ask her about it. I’m looking forward to her future…

After separating from Bon’s and Viine’s hands, I looked at the state of the smithy. Its interior design had changed a bit. The number of decorations had increased, making it look luxurious. It looks like their business is going well, resulting in them making good profits.

Banners, which were moderately adorned with metallic inlays I had never seen before, were exhibited on the walls.

“Zaga, those wall decorations are…”

“You noticed, eh? It’s one of the new items we made. Rubia pointed it out to us that we could tamper a bit with the metal fixtures designs.”

“Hee…Rubia did? However, the design on the armor pieces is nice as well. Your molding taste is outstanding, you know?”

“Stop it, you’re making me all shy.”

“Zaga-san is really embarrassed! How unusual～” Rubia pointed out with a grin on her face.

“Guuh, Rubia, this is based on your design, isn’t it?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Based? This was designed by Rubia?

Not bad, Rubia. So you do have talent in crafting-type work as well.

Now that he mentions it, the adjustment of the bushy fur located at the metallic edges of the banners is neat. It seems to have the modest feel typical of a woman. It made me think that it might be interesting to add painted woodblock prints.

“…Rubia, you have talent in this as well?”

As I asked this with a quiet voice…Zaga nodded his head several times, making his agreement clear. “She really does.”

“You sure? I think that most of it is influenced by Zaga-san and Bon-kun.” Rubia answered humbly.

“This by you, Rubia….it’s a magnificent talent. It’s beautiful…” Viine frankly stated her impressions as well.

Hearing her words, Rubia was surprised over being praised by Viine, just like earlier. “…Viine-san, thank you. I’m very…happy.”

Viine smiled at her. Rubia and Viine, they might fight each other as women, but I think their relationship will be alright.

“Influence, huh? That might certainly…be true.” Zaga said proudly.

True, he’s a craftsman among craftsmen. I can fully understand Rubia getting interested in it.

“Enchanto!”

Bon also answered with a thumbs-up.

“Bon says so as well.”

“Yes! Bon-kun, thanks!”

“Nyaa.”

Rollo acted like a spoiled child by pressing her head against Rubia’s shin as if to praise her.

“A continuation from before? But that’s okay, Rollo-chan. You’re cute after all!”

Rubia held up Rollo in her arms, and brought her face close to my partner’s white whiskers. Then she kept rubbing her cheek against Rollo’s, and kissed Rollo’s cheek.

My partner meowed, but it didn’t look like she hated it. However, Rollo-san is messing around with her blonde hair.

Rubia started to rub her cheek against Rollo’s again while smiling. It makes me wonder which of them is the cat, but I won’t voice out that retort.

At that point I recalled how I got my favorite weapon appraised at Suloza’s Old Sorcery Shop.

“…Zaga, It’s about the Magic Halberd Baldok which is your creation and my favorite…I got it appraised over at Suloza’s Old Sorcery Shop, and when I did, I heard that the creator of the halberd was called Zaga Aulonso.”

When I told him, Zaga was surprised.

“――What, appraisal, you say…so you heard about the name Aulonso…?”

“Enchanto! Enchaaanto!”

Zaga’s and Bon’s behavior completely changed.

“…What’s up, Zaga? Is anything wrong with Aulonso?”

“That name…”

“Enchanto.”

“However, I heard of him in rumors, but to appraise through the mana of Bon’s < Sage Engineer >…the appraiser Suloza is quite remarkable, I’d say.”

The two were fidgety and unable to settle down. Both continuously looked around them, despite being in their own workshop. It looks like the name Aulonso was a secret.

“…I’d like to know the reason.”

“…What are we going to do, Bon? It seems Shuuya wants to know about it.”

“Enchan, Enchantan.”

Bon folded his arms together, and placed his index finger beneath his chin, thinking. It was a cute thinker pose.

And I felt like I heard a questioning Enchanto language for the first time.

“I see, if you’re fine with it, Bon, then I guess I will explain. It’s our friend Shuuya after all.”

“Enchanto!”

It looks like he gave his approval.

I looked in Rubia’s direction, but she shook her head.

“I haven’t heard anything about this either.”

It appears that the dwarven brothers hadn’t even told Rubia, whom they regarded like a daughter.

On this occasion, I also shifted my look in Viine’s direction. Of course she shook her head as well.

“…Shuuya, we will tell you exactly because you’re our friend. Rubia is our daughter. And we will also tell the dark elf since she’s your beloved attendant, Shuuya. It’s a story based on mine and Bon’s family name…”

“Enchanto…”

“Daughter…Zaga-san, thanks.” Rubia was moved to tears after hearing how Zaga called her his daughter.

“Yeah, Rubia, that’s our belief.”

“Enchanto!”

The short Zaga and Bon hugged Rubia after running up to her with small steps. They’ve really become parents and child by now, haven’t they…?

Even at my eyes, tears…

“…Alright, listen.”

Zaga separated from Rubia after gently tapping her back, and looked at all of us.

“…You’ve probably heard the name Aulonso, Aulonso with the standing hair?”

I haven’t really heard anything like that, though…

If it’s Viine…I looked into her eyes.

“An old god, Old God Aulonso with the standing hair…I have seen a book with that name, a book related to dwarves. But I haven’t read it.”

Nothing less of Viine.

“Wow, Viine-san, you’re well-informed.”

It looks like Rubia didn’t know either.

“It’s just as you say. Do dark elves have a good memory? Well, the elf species have many smart people among them.”

“Enchanto!”

Bon repeatedly did a thumbs-up as if to praise Viine, drew close to her while humming. Viine looked at me as if asking for my help, but I only smiled back at her.

Or rather, I feel like something similar had happened before…

Since I haven’t heard the crucial part of the story yet, I turn my eyes back to Zaga.

“So, you’re saying you’re related to that old god?”

“Correct. Aulonso is the name of an ancient god, an old god, a cursed god, and a family with a lineage going back far into ancient times. It’s a mere shadow of the former dwarven clan, the Aulonso family. Long ago it was apparently a great name connected to an inheritance of smithing skills, but it’s said that a certain ancestor woke up to the powers of Aulonso, receiving a curse in the process. Ever since then, the Aulonso family was driven out of the underground. It seems that the truth is them having been dragged into a power struggle, but since it’s a very, very old story, I don’t know the details. Because of that, Bon, who was considered eerie by even our father and mother, was harshly chastised by our family…”

Bon’s mana and crest power seems to have to do with Aulonso.

“…I guess such things happen everywhere.”

“Enchanto!”

Understanding from my expression that I was depressed, Bon hit my waist as if telling me, 『Buddy, don’t pull such a face!』.

“N, nyanya!”

Rollo joined in as well. A combination of using one leg and one tail, huh? It might be somewhat ticklish.

“…I got it. Thanks for telling us about your past.”

“Don’t mind it. I’m repeating myself, but the Magic Black Soft Steel I received from you before, it allowed us to make quite a lot of profit as rare metal, you know? Besides, we’re happy about your souvenirs this time as well.”

Zaga’s wrinkled cheeks moved into a broad grin. Zaga often had a stiff expression, but this kind of gap is sure nice.

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s the fruit of my activities as an adventurer, I’d say.”

“Gahaha, As expected of the sole solo participant who came along on the Evil Dragon King subjugation and contributed heavily to it… Say, thinking about it now, that Evil Dragon King…wasn’t it by chance you who defeated him, Shuuya?”

Zaga guessed the truth correctly while laughing.

“…You’re overestimating me. That was the achievement of Cecily, the hero of the griffon unit.”

“…Hoh, I wonder about that. You can’t deceive my eyes! Well, let’s leave it at that. It looks like that griffon unit had a skirmish after the cease-fire agreement between Zamalia and Oseberia was broken. There was some kind of battle in an earldom close to the border along the Heim River, south-east of Hekatrail, and I heard that this Cecily played an active role there.”

A hero stays a hero, huh? However, war in the east and the west. I feel like Oseberia is spreading its front too widely. I wonder whether Chardonnay will take command of the east.

I know the motive. It’s simple. With Hyatos dead, it has probably become easier to rally everyone under one banner.

Ah, speaking of Hekatrail…Quiche’s hometown is close to that place. Is it going to be alright? The green-haired Quiche with her pure smile. The days we happily spent together flashed through my mind. Are her rocket boobs still going strong? It’d be great if she was in good health, though.

At that point, I suddenly recalled the twin adventurers as well.

“…Say, Zaga, was there anyone among your adventurer clients who caught your attention?”