—Kael Drakewill's Point of View—
My fourth birthday is in two days.
Time has flown by while I've been studying and training. Not that I'm complaining.
Now, reading and writing is a piece of cake for me. It's amazing how much information and how many little details I'd been missing simply because I couldn't read the writings around me. There were so many things right under my nose while I wandered from place to place.
Today feels fresh and calm.
Right now, I'm with Dad at the central market.
These past few days, for some reason, have been rather hectic.
From what I've overheard, there's an upcoming event where, apparently, important people will be visiting the village.
Information is scarce, and even the people organizing the whole thing have no idea who exactly is coming.
Why do these people wrap themselves in a veil of mystery?
Well, it's not like I can do anything about it anyway. All I can do is wait. I don't think it'll be anything bad… right?
According to the organizers, it'll happen in about two weeks.
—Kael, tell me, do you like any of these?
—Mmm… not really. They look heavy and kind of old.
—True, I don't think you've got the strength to handle any of these yet, hahaha. And if they break easily, well… you know.
This trip to the central market is because Dad destroyed his weapons and a couple of artifacts during his last job. Of course, Mom scolded him for it. She said those things weren't cheap, but apparently Dad doesn't care much.
I guess he makes enough money to afford replacing all this stuff.
In fact, he even wants to buy me a weapon. Me. A kid who's not even four years old yet… isn't that crazy?
Still, I'm interested. In the future, I plan to work like Dad, though I still don't exactly know what he does.
We've been looking around various shops and street stalls for a while now, but I haven't found anything I really like yet.
Dad uses a pair of gauntlets. At first glance, they seem like clunky, boring weapons, but that's only because you haven't seen them when Dad activates his bond.
The gauntlets cover from the tips of the fingers all the way up to the forearm. The hands are layered with different metals and other heat-resistant materials, thanks to Dad's bond.
Around the forearm area, they're lined with rings. Apparently, the craftsman who made them is quite skilled. Not only do they withstand extreme heat, but the rings can also be detached from the gauntlets and manipulated freely.
Everyone probably has their own ideas on how to use this kind of invention. Dad's method is to heat the rings with the fire from his bond and use them as projectiles. What I didn't expect was to see the rings return to him like some sort of boomerang.
A clever way to make use of them, especially coming from Dad.
In my past life, I practiced Kendo, a martial art that uses wooden swords, bamboo swords, or something along those lines.
According to my instructor, Kendo meant:
"The Way of the Sword"
I reached the rank of Nidan, which I guess would be like a second-degree black belt in karate. Or not. I can't remember.
Now that I think about it, even though I was a lazy person, I dedicated years to practicing Kendo. It was probably one of the phases I enjoyed the most in my past life.
That's why I'm hoping that the weapon I'll use here will be a sword.
Maybe even a katana or something similar. Like in that one show where they hunted demons, hehe.
Unfortunately, I haven't seen any swords like that here. Do all weapon bearers in this world wield weapons twice their size? Their physical strength must be insane.
They're really crazy.
I'll just keep looking. Maybe there's a place I haven't checked thoroughly yet.
—So, Kael, do you see anything you like here?
—Not really…
—Alright, let's keep going.
Why can't I find anything!? Do normal-sized weapons just not exist in this world?
No, I must not lose hope. I'll endure a little longer.
I don't like this part of the market much—it reeks of metal and burnt coal from all the forges around. I think I'm starting to feel a bit dizzy.
—Alright, this is the last shop. They've got some slightly different weapons here. They've always seemed strange to me, though they're quite popular around here. People's tastes, you know.
Well, looks like this is the final strike.
Upon entering the shop, unlike the others and the outside, it didn't have a strange or unpleasant smell.
—It smells pretty nice.
—Of course, the owner here uses a mix of secret ingredients, which he won't share with me, by the way, to spread this scent throughout the shop.
—I see.
Looking around, the place is huge and neatly organized, with shelves, counters, and sections divided up.
Let's see…
—"Bows, Spears."
—"Shields"…
—Swords!
—So that's what you want to see, huh?
I just nodded.
Finally! Maybe this will be the moment I find something I truly like.
—They've got two-handed and one-handed swords, short and long ones. Hmm, plenty of options. Tell me, are you interested in any?
—Let me see…
There are all kinds of swords here… sabers, claymores, rapiers. So many things, but nothing that... oh!
Wait! I see something!
—"Single-edged swords."
—Looks like you can read pretty well now.
—Hehe, thanks.
This should be where they are. If I remember correctly, katanas and their variants had only one sharp edge.
—Let's see… no… no… not this one either.
Here it is!
—Oh? Did you find something?
—Yes, look!
—Well, well. A longsword. And it looks light, too. Let me see it.
I handed the sword to Dad, with some effort, since it was heavier than I remembered swords being.
—Hmm… It's good, well-balanced, and pretty sharp. I've seen a few people with this type of weapon. So, is this what you want?
—Yes! Can you buy it? Please!
—Alright, alright. No need to beg, you know? Consider it your birthday gift—early of course. Haha.
—Yes, that's fine! Thanks, Dad!
—You're welcome, kiddo.
We went to the main counter to pay.
—Good afternoon, old Raz. This one, please.
—Oh, Albert, good to see you again.
—Likewise. It's been a while since I came here.
—So, you're becoming a swordsman now, eh?
—Haha, of course not. It's for my son.
—Seriously? You're giving your kid this sword?
—Yes! Is there a problem?
—Don't you think he's a bit too small? He'll barely be able to swing it, you know.
—No problem. My boy can handle it. Right, champ?
—Of course!
—Such an energetic kid. Alright, that'll be 500 coins.
Honestly, I still don't fully understand the currency here. All I've seen are bits of metal in different shapes—circles, triangles, and so on. I guess each shape has a different value, but I have no idea which is which. I'll figure it out when I actually have my own money.
—Alright, here you go. Thanks a lot, Raz. See you later!
The man called Raz handed us the sword along with its scabbard.
—Come back soon!
—Bye!
—See you later, kid!
In the end, I managed to get something good. I can't wait to use it.
—Let's go home. Mom's waiting for us to eat.
I nodded, and we set off back home.