Cat, Fox, and Dog ③
Verent-san looked us over and spoke.
“Yeah. Witch. I’ve got a proposal. Once you’re done inspecting the Legendary, help make the Bozu’s Gauntlet and Knife.”
“Hmm hmm. And how much is the reward, hmm?”
“I’ll add a bit extra to the inspection fee and throw in some Magic Metal. How about that? Yeah. You want it, right? Magic Metal.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Good, good. Then Kon shall accept for the sake of her disciple, hmm?”
The Witch smiled, looking satisfied. The word ‘glee’ popped into my head.
Just then, Juicy-san asked the Witch.
“Um, um, um, Witch-sama. Won’t you do it for free or something for your disciple, Wof-sama?”
“Oh my, oh my, little doggy. That’s the opposite, hmm? Rather, precisely because it’s for my beloved disciple Wof, I must properly receive what is due, hmm? Listen closely, listen closely. A reward isn’t just payment; it also includes responsibility, hmm? The responsibility, the resolve, to not create something half-baked. The manifestation of that is what a reward is, hmm?”
Saying that, the Witch patted Juicy-san’s head.
Doing it for free for my sake would be easy. But the Witch shouldered the responsibility that comes with a reward.
I think by doing so, she imbued it with the intention of crafting it with utmost seriousness.
“Wafu! That’s professional!”
“Yeah. Despite appearances, the Witch is the best artisan on the continent.”
“Hoh. The best on the continent, you say?”
She’s my master, someone I can boast about and be proud of.
The Witch fidgeted restlessly, swaying her three tails back and forth. Her cheeks were red. Is she embarrassed?
“Oh dear, oh dear, hmm? Being told that makes me blush, hmm? Well then, Blacksmith. Shall we start right away, hmm?”
“Hold on, hold on. First, we start by measuring the Bozu’s hand size.”
Oh, right. Since it’ll be custom-made, they need my hand and arm sizes.
“In that case, in that case, it’s not necessary, hmm? When it comes to Wof, from his height and weight, to his finger size and spacing, arm thickness and length, shoulder width, neck, facial contours, ear size, torso size, waist circumference… size, hip joints, leg thickness and length, toes, and soles of his feet, I know absolutely everything, hmm—hey, what’s wrong, hmm? Why is everyone backing away from Kon like that, hmm? Ahhhh, of course, it’s a joke, hmm? A Witch Joke, as they say, hmm? All Kon knows is just his finger and arm length and size, hmm?”
“…”
Correction. She’s a master I can neither boast about nor be proud of. And a Witch. Definitely a Witch.
Or rather… I’m extremely curious about that ‘waist circumference… size’ part, but I absolutely do not want to know.
“…So this is that Witch… is it?”
Ms. Pachira looked completely put off. Me too.
“Um, um, um, i-it’s okay! Samaniya-neesama does similar things to Rell-niisama and Dova-neesama!”
Trying to smooth things over, Juicy-san blurts out something outrageous.
That’s some serious Tasan family darkness, isn’t it? Ms. Pachira recoiled even further. Is it even possible to recoil more from this point?
“Nothing about that is okay, not even in the slightest.”
“No, no, um, um, Kon’s was just a Witch Joke, hmm? It’s a Witch Joke, hmm!”
The Witch desperately tries to recover her lost favorability points.
“Um, um, um, was it a joke? That’s good.”
“That’s right, that’s right, hmm? It was a joke, hmm?”
“Um, wan. I was surprised. I thought it was possible because you’re Witch-sama.”
“Ahaha, ahaha, that’s not true at all, hmm?”
“…”
“…”
You’re the only one who believes that, Juicy-san.
“…Yeah. W-well, if you understand, then that’s fine. Still, you have it rough, Bozu.”
“Y-yes… But she’s not a bad person.”
That’s the only saving grace.
“That’s true. Even like that, the Witch is ill-natured, but she’s still a maiden.”
“Maiden— Um, Verent-san. There’s something I’m curious about.”
“Yeah. What is it? About the Witch being a maiden?”
“No. Not that. When you hit it with the hammer, part of the horn turned into a pale blue silver. Does Magic Metal also change color like that?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“Hey, hey. Blacksmith. How about you show them the Magic Metal, hmm?”
“Hmm. I am curious what color it is.”
“Um, um, I want to see too!”
“Yeah. Since we’re at it, sure. Pachira. Can you take out the horn?”
“Mm… Juicy. If you would.”
“Um, wan. Yes. Heave-ho.”
She takes the horns out of the pouch one by one.
Verent-san takes one of the horns in hand and hits it with a small hammer.
A high-pitched kiiin sound rings out, and part of the gray horn changed into a pale, blue-glowing silver.
“First, this part that changed is Magic Silver.”
“Y-yes.”
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s such a mysteriously deep color.”
“Um, um, it’s very beautiful. I like this color.”
“I like this color too.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Kon is also drawn to this color, hmm?”
“Yeah. The Magic Silver in this horn is good quality. Good quality means good color. Now, next is Magic Metal.”
He strikes the yellow-glowing Monokeros horn with the hammer.
Instantly, along with a deep goooohn reverberation, ripples of reddish-black light spread, and a golden radiance burst forth from the tip of the horn.
“This is…”
“Magic Metal.”
”
“Actually, me too,” I thought.
“There’s no need to hide it,” Ms. Pachira said, prefacing her answer.
“It’s a base. Wof, do you remember? The party called ‘Zan Brave’?”
“If I recall, Bid-san was a member, and they disbanded, right?”
“Oh my, even though they were quite a skilled party, they disbanded, hmm?” The Witch chimed in.
“Yeah. So those guys quit?” asked the Blacksmith.
“Yes. So, we ended up buying the base that they were using,” Ms. Pachira explained.
“I see.”
A base means buying a house, right?
In that case, spending 60 million makes sense.
“I see, I see. Then that’s good, isn’t it? Yes. That’s good,” said the Witch.
“Y-Yes. Well then, I’ll take this.”
Ms. Pachira started to take only the Royal Coins from the safe.
“Yeah. Pachira. Take the whole thing,” the Blacksmith offered.
“Is that alright?”
“Yeah. Here are the keys.”
“…I’m indebted to you.”
Receiving the two keys, Ms. Pachira closed and locked the safe, and put the keys in her pouch.
Ms. Pachira was trembling slightly. Her expression also seemed somewhat tense.
Her cat eyes widened, her cat ears twitched slightly, and her long and short white tails were intertwined.
“Well then, well then, shall we get started right away, Blacksmith?” the Witch asked.
“Yeah. About Bozu, should I ask you?” the Blacksmith replied, gesturing towards me.
“Eh?”
“Of course, of course. You can ask me anything, you know,” the Witch beamed.
“Ah, no-” I tried to say.
“Yeah. So, that’s it for today, shop’s closed,” the Blacksmith announced. “Thanks, you guys. I got the best materials. I’m itching to get to work for the first time in a while. Bozu. I’ll forge you the finest masterpiece. Look forward to it.”
“Y-Yes. I’ll be waiting.”
He’s going to ask the Witch about me? I’m worried…
“Um, um, uh, how long will it take to make them?” I asked.
“Yeah. If the Witch helps out, around a week.”
“You can make them in just that much time?”
I thought it would take closer to a month, at least.
“Yeah. That’s ’cause the Witch is helping.”
The Witch. She really is amazing, huh. Everything else about her is terrible, though.
“Ah, I forgot. Verent-san. Here’s the Great Magic Sword fragment.”
“Oops, that’s right.”
I hand Verent-san the Great Magic Sword fragment.
I’d forgotten the most crucial thing. How careless of me.
So much had happened, I was about to go home without handing it over.
Verent-san and I share a wry smile.
And so, it was decided that a Gauntlet and Knife would be made for me.
I have my worries, but I’m looking forward to it.