One month has passed since the fight with the Cordova army.
They’d left the village half a month after the fight ended. Fortunately, none of the injured villagers died. It could be called a complete victory.
Although the village chief still looked anxious, they knew they couldn’t stay there forever. So after a month of not receiving any news, something was probably being dealt with in Cordova. The person responsible was dead.
The journey couldn’t be called safe.
They lacked the fighting strength to attack the four mages that were also in the party. Ria mercilessly beheaded the bandits that were pleading for their lives.
“Ojou, it’s fine even if you don’t dirty your hands you know?”
“To dirty your own hands, I think that’s the fate of nobility.”
“Besides, Carlos.”
“For me, it seems I like to kill people.”
“Don’t worry. When I kill, I won’t kill anyone other than those who deserve death.”
Ria doted on her literal cat, Maal.
Angry at the slave hunters, Ria tried to help even after knowing the danger.
That is, she liked killing people.
She probably wanted to keep it to herself. However, Carlos wouldn’t consent to it and talked to Lulu.
After thinking for a while, Lulu sighed.
“Concerned, is it?”
That certainly was the case, Carlos scratched his head.
Though it had become a bit of a good story, honestly, the reason why Ria killed those people was much simpler.
She was trying out her new blade.
“Muu… the blade was chipped just from being tested… Not good enough.”
She didn’t particularly know much of the manufacturing process of the old katanas from her previous life. To begin with, even the refinement method of the iron was a complete mystery.
Though the time period was different from Nagasone Kotetstu’s, the katana actually felt like an extension of her hand, it was properly created.
“So, do you have any hints?”
“No, though they were in things like games and manga, I don’t know much about katanas.”
“Usually, materials used for weapons production is oricalchum or mithril.”
“How about adamantite?”
“Umm, vermilionite?” [1]
“Nothing else is coming to mind… There were things like titanium and tungsten in our last lives though…”
“That so? I thought they could only be made out of iron.”
“Well yeah, basically, Japanese swords could be made from steel. This steel is carbon steel, harder than iron. The carbon content changes the hardness—”
Serge’s expertise only went into magic, and now that he had magic, it was hard for him to study systematically. Referencing the magic book he got in the labyrinth, he would ask Lulu and Ria things he didn’t know, covering over the scientific knowledge of his previous life.
“I should be able to make make something like carbon based iron, titanium, and chromium…” [2]
Grumbling, Ria returned to making katanas.
The journey continued smoothly.
As for whose increased the most, that would be Maal who was skilled in spirit magic.
Fuzzier than the usual organized magics, it was easy to use. Though it was called spirit magic, it was definitely different from magic, and would have been better called a spirit technique.
Serge also became skilled in magic.
“At this rate, there’ll be nothing left for me to teach you.”
That could also be said for Lulu, her support magic was more effective and progressed faster. Actual experience from combat surpassed everything.
The warriors that made up the front line also had their levels increase. Especially Carlos, becoming familiar with the cursed sword, he could stare at his blade absent-mindedly, becoming closer to the likes of Ria.
“I didn’t think about it when you got it, but genesis magic is convenient.”
If it wasn’t too large, made of magic, or contain complex mechanisms it could be produced.
Even so, Serge said he hadn’t realized.
“Even so, we don’t need to worry about money anymore. Hey, wouldn’t it be a commotion if we don’t hide it?”
When she tried to make gold coins as an experiment, she was easily able to make Casalia’s solid gold coins. Even without knowing its composition, she could make it much more easily than katanas.
“If it could be solved with money, I would’ve done so from the start. There’re few blacksmiths that make katanas to begin with.”
Even if they had money, there were things they couldn’t buy.
Serge didn’t know about things like that. Ria had looked into it in the past, but despaired.
It was said that most of Krasli Kingdom’s were handed down from the far east areas. Curved swords had their own good points of course, and to some extent the technology extended into the continent, but its origin was still the southern part of the continent.
There were dwarf villages in mountainous regions. Particularly the mountainous regions near Casalia, due to the high quality of ores, there were many dwarves living there.
Despite that, Ria’s favorite cross spear wasn’t a treasure made by dwarfs, but something she got from extorting her royal father.
There was a dwarf town nearby, but they would have to double back. It was a little troublesome.
Saying that, Ria felt a bit lonely. The end of the journey would mean parting with Maal. At the very least, Ria would keep her promise.
Maal spoke from the driver’s seat. Serge was sitting next to her as he spoke with Ria.
Despite being bought as a slave, in these several months Maal hadn’t felt like she was a slave. Even if she was teased, it was like an older sister doing so to a younger sister, you wouldn’t think of them as a vassal and princess.
“Ah, I see it.”
After following the mountain pass’ road, at the foot of the steep mountain and on the side of the dark labyrinth was the last town.
You would usually need to come to this city inside a caravan. Small groups heading all the way there like Ria’s would be filled with very competent people.
The group smiled wryly with Ria’s standard question.