The next day.

　I met up with Reflair in the morning and headed toward the blacksmith's.

"Are you really just picking up a sword today? You've been diving into the labyrinth nonstop lately—wouldn't it have been better to rest a bit? I'm planning to go in again for three days straight starting tomorrow."

"Yes, I'm just having the sword inspected today. After that, I'll rest at the inn."

That seemed to be the plan.

Well, honestly, it's hard to say how often people actually take breaks—this world's explorers' habits aren't quite clear to me.

According to Grapeflour, most explorers take a day off after one expedition. It's a physically demanding job, so that might be the right balance.

Well, in our case, it's a matter of convenience. If Reflair finds it too harsh, we can adjust it, but for now, I'd like to keep it at this pace.

"Yeah, it's done."

Upon arriving at the blacksmith's shop, my father immediately handed me the newly forged dagger.

My father is gruff, but he works quickly and carefully.

　

"I don't think there'll be any issues, but please check it yourself. The scabbard and handle are made from black cherry wood, and the handle is wrapped with leather cord for grip. If you don't like it, you can replace the wrapping with any cord you prefer."

The dagger my father made had both scabbard and handle in black.

Probably because I showed him my dark arts, he matched it to that.

Maybe it was also because my own clothing was black.

Though it looked like a short sword at first glance, it had a solid weight that made me briefly doubt whether I could even handle it. Perhaps because I'd specifically asked for a thick, rugged blade, or maybe because of the recent sword( )swing( )test( )experiment( )that( )led

to the conclusion that something of this size should be manageable.

"Hikaru, Hikaru, hurry up and show us the blade!"

"I know, I know... I'm kind of nervous..."

I draw the short sword from its sheath.

I'd imagined a gleaming white blade—but—

"O-oh... It's black...!"

"Perfect for Hikaru!"

The short sword was black all the way through the blade.

Truly, this is another world. I never thought I'd see a black blade...I had it forged from meteoric iron. Actually, this iron wasn't very popular, so we had extra stock lying around. But it seems perfect for you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I really like it... but is it really meteoric iron? Like, from outer space?"

"Heavenly Iron(, also known as )amafugane

. It's quite a special kind of iron, but it doesn't come in large quantities, and it's mostly only useful for short swords or tanto blades. Plus, many customers dislike the black blade, so I was wondering what to do with it. They say this iron was loved by the goddess of the night. It should suit your spirit magic quite well.""Hikaru, the Great Spirit of Darkness is considered a goddess. The Great Spirits of Fire, Earth, and Light are male deities and servants of the Sun God, while the Great Spirits of Water, Wind, and Darkness are female deities and servants of the Moon God. Among them, the Great Spirit of Darkness is said to be the closest to the Moon God."

Is there really such a distinction?

Well, the Great Spirits do actually exist and can communicate with us, so it's probably just a straightforward fact.

The idea of gods existing in reality is hard to grasp for someone who's been transferred from modern Japan—it feels unreal, or I don't know, just strange.

It's hard to tell whether you're telling me a fairy tale or giving me actual information.

"The Great Spirit of Darkness is also known as the Goddess of the Night, which is why she rarely reveals her form to people."

"There's only the natural temple, right? I'd love to visit the Dark Cathedral of Miliestas someday."

"The priests are frantically searching for the Dark Great Spirit, but unlike the Light Great Spirit, they only appear at night, don't they? Isn't it impossible to find them with just moonlight?"

"It's said finding the Light Great Spirit is difficult too. So I think we'll just have to keep looking for the natural temple, just like before."

The foreman and Refleia had already started chatting about the Great Spirits.

Maybe the two of them are actually big fans of the Great Spirits—some completely unfamiliar terms are flying around.

Meanwhile, I ignored the two chatting away and got to work inspecting my dagger.

My honest impression is that it turned out surprisingly similar to a Japanese sword. It could be said that this is simply how it turned out since it was made exactly as ordered, but the black lacquered scabbard, the black handle wrapping—also, the pommel is ring-shaped, so if you tie a cord to it, it might not slip out of your hand.

The blade is about 35 centimeters long, and the hilt is roughly 25 centimeters, allowing for a two-handed grip. With a total length of 60 centimeters, the blade is quite heavy, but due to the long hilt, it doesn’t feel overly heavy when held.

I bring it out into the open and swing it around.

It’s definitely heavy, but swinging and thrusting it pose no problems.

At least as far as my current fighting style goes, since there’s no offense or defense per se, the key is being able to strike accurately.

"Nice... Really nice..."

Above all, it’s just so damn cool.

Even though I said "wakizashi," there was a chance it wasn't coming across clearly since there are no Japanese swords in this world. Still, the thing before me—seven centimeters wide and two centimeters thick, more like a blunt weapon than a blade—far exceeded my imagination, boldly asserting its presence as a weapon specifically designed against supernatural beings.

So cool...!

"Looks like you're taken with it. Moments like this are what make a blacksmith's life worthwhile."

"Hikaru doesn't usually smile like that. I think he's really happy."

I realized, somewhat embarrassingly, that the two of them had been watching me all along.

I sheathed the sword.

"Thank you. It's amazing. For so long I've been relying on a weak little dagger, so now I finally feel like I've properly (a real one )

""Ah. There's an inseparable bond between explorers and their weapons. Consider your new partner someone worth taking care of. You know how to maintain it, right?"

"Was it oiling it?"

"That's right. Wipe off the old oil with a cloth when it gets dirty, then just apply a thin layer of fresh oil. Since you'll be using it in the labyrinth, it probably won't get dirty much anyway, so you don't need to worry too much about it."

I see. The monsters in the labyrinth leave no corpses behind. That means there's no chance of blood, bodily fluids, or flesh sticking to your weapon.

In fact, it's more likely to get dirty from the sweat or blood of the wielder.

After learning the maintenance method, I paid the remaining silver coins—twenty in total.

I received a cleaning cloth and oil as a courtesy, and then strapped the sword to my waist.

"Alright, Refrea. I said it yesterday, but I've got something to do today, so I'll leave you here. I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Eh, oh yeah. Sure. See you later, Hikaru."

Refrea's face clearly showed she wanted to play more, but today I really do have something important to attend to.

I'm not going to lie—I was tempted to stay, but I shook off the urge and started walking.

I cut through the alley, took a detour, and headed toward the guild.

I obtained my dungeon access permit, bought a few potions, and entered the dungeon alone.

The way to achieve first place in viewership.

I've said it many times—risking my life is the most efficient way.

After all, the viewers want me dead...