kscans

Chapter 172 - A Famous Sword, It Seems, Act Two, 2. Adon Joins In

"If you weren’t already so used to the movements of this... katana thing, I’d recommend a different weapon..."

"But Kudol-san, weren’t you the one who told me to stop using a dagger because it made me look like an assassin?"

"Yeah, that’s the thing..."

On their journey last year, he had witnessed Yuri’s skill in finishing off the bandits. It was brilliant, but it was almost too brilliant. There was a risk he might be suspected of being one of those people. More importantly, Yuri's assassination... or rather, his dagger technique... was premised on his Stealth skill. The moment Kudol advised him to hide that skill, it automatically meant his dagger skills had to be kept secret as well.

"It would be better to have a weapon I can actually use, not just one for show. That makes something like a bow a bit iffy... especially against the magical beasts that appear near my house..."

"Ah..."

"It is Salt-Sour Mountain, after all..."

"A bow would be tough against a Gambit Grizzly or a Thrustboar, wouldn’t it..."

Even Dalia, the archer, expressed her agreement, and so the option of a bow and arrow was eliminated.

"A spear seems difficult to handle in the forest, and besides, I can’t use one."

"It’s not a weapon a child would normally use..."

"And I certainly can’t use a hand axe, a war hammer, or a poleaxe. Besides, they’d make me stand out in a bad way, right?"

"Well... I wasn’t planning on recommending something like that, but..."

Really, couldn’t he just choose a normal straight sword?

"I thought about that too... but those kinds of swords seem to rely on putting your weight into it and cutting things down with brute strength, don’t they? I don’t think it’s suited for a weak child like me."

"Ah... that’s true..."

"It’s not that you couldn’t use one, but its power would be diminished."

"...Wait. Does that mean your... katana... is different, Yuri?"

"You can use it to slash and cut down, but it’s more about drawing it through to cut, like a kitchen knife. I just can't do it well, which is why I was hoping Kudol-san could teach me..."

"No, the system of techniques seems entirely different from my swordsmanship. I don’t think that’s possible."

"The most realistic option would be learning how to use a one-handed sword at the guild, wouldn’t it?"

"You’re right... that’s probably it."

"Still, it would be good practice for your sense of distance and body movement."

"I see... I’ll think about it that way."

Just as they were about to settle the matter, Adon popped his head in.

"What are you all discussing so intently?"

"Ah, Adon-san."

"Oh, it’s nothing important..."

Adon also knew of Yuri’s circumstances. In a manner of speaking, he was part of the same crew. So Kudol and the others had no hesitation in explaining the situation.

"I see. ...Come to think of it, there was a man among my guards who uses a curved sword..."

As he casually let that slip, Yuri’s interest was suddenly piqued. He learned that the man was quite old and usually responsible for training the younger guards.

"Adon-san, would it be possible for me to receive his instruction?"

"Of course, it’s no problem at all. I’ll introduce you as soon as we arrive at the mansion. ...However, the katana from your country, Yuri-kun, seems different from the curved sword he uses."

Seeing is believing, as the saying goes, so Yuri took out the actual sword.

"Hmm... It certainly is a peculiar sword. And if what you say is true, Yuri-kun, it doesn’t require much physical strength?"

"It might not need physical strength, but I think it does require skill. I’m lacking in both, though."

He decided not to mention how he had sliced an arm-thick log in two with no resistance during his test cuts with the Mottled Blade Sword. It’s fine, this is just a normal iron sword.

"However... according to Appraisal, this is also a 'Magic Iron Tool,' isn't it? Does its sharpness not increase when you channel magic into it? Or perhaps, could it be that elves can use it without any issues?"

Adon, the merchant, casually and precisely poked at the very point Yuri had hoped he would not. ...That was right. Even if it was not a Mottled Blade Sword, even if it did not use special steel, the fact that it was a 'Magic Iron Tool' was an undeniable truth. It was also an indisputable fact that it was stronger than ordinary iron, and that its sharpness, rigidity, and toughness increased further when magic was channeled through it.

Therefore, the reaction of the half-elf who noticed this fact was...