Shop 122

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Chapter 122. Three Companion And the Light Sword

“We need to start earning some money soon.”

“Once we reach the big city, we can earn a lot. We all need to make some money somewhere.”

As I muttered to myself while preparing breakfast, Hagg, ever so dutiful, answered me.

He’s a muscle-bound dwarf, but basically a good guy. A bit overbearing, though.

“Yeah, you're right. It’s not like you guys have endless funds, either.”

“Indeed. For now, food isn’t costing us much, but that’s just putting more burden on you. Ideally, I’d like to earn money through inventions, but it might be better to pick up some work from the commercial guild.”

“Ah, Yaralai mentioned earning money by hunting buffalo.”

“Hmm… come to think of it, he does seem to be doing well for himself... If we need a guard for a job, we should count on him.”

“Yaralai probably has his own things to take care of. Let’s think about all this once we get there.”

“True enough. But isn’t breakfast ready yet?”

“I’m working on it... Why don’t you help out?”

“I made the kiln, didn’t I? If I help, it’ll only ruin the food. Not helping is my way of helping.”

“What kind of twisted logic is that?”

Not that I really needed the help. The small kiln Hagg quickly built is a gem that makes adjusting the fire easy, almost making the gas stove obsolete. I’d praise him as a true inventor for that, though I won’t say it aloud.

Breakfast is the usual bacon and eggs with bread. I added a salad. Making something by habit is the easiest way.

The reason I’m cooking outside with the kiln is because Hagg got interested in adjusting the fire. When he learned that the flame control directly affects the taste, he immediately began working on it—impressive as always.

Unless otherwise noted, assume our breakfast is the following:

Eggs (10) = ¥298

Bacon = ¥376

Bread = ¥135 × 2

Lettuce (whole head) = ¥197 → (half head) = ¥98

(Miscellaneous like water or coffee ¥100, including water tank refills)

Total: ¥1,142

With two big eaters, the Engel coefficient is off the charts. I owe Hagg and Yaralai, but what about Faf? Is this hush money too...?

Remaining funds: ¥269,939

After breakfast, Hagg, Yaralai, and Faf inexplicably formed a huddle and started discussing something.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

“...Hmm. That’s certainly important, but...”

“First, Tornado, martial arts, must be mastered.”

“Heh, think about the priority.”

After about ten minutes of heated discussion, Faf enthusiastically approached me, timing it just as I finished washing the dishes.

“Heh. Rejoice. I shall personally train you.”

“...Didn’t you say it was too much trouble last night?”

“Heh, I’m going to teach you how to use the Kūrigu. I’ve heard the way you use the ‘Light Sword’ is rather unique. Show me.”

“You’re acting all high and mighty.”

“Heh...”

I mimicked his tone, but he didn’t even flinch at my sarcasm. People who aren’t bothered by being mocked are truly strong.

Since my policy was not to go against strong people, I obediently took out the Light Sword Kūrigu. I had been thinking of having it turned into a metal card at some point. Maybe I’ll do that once we earn some money.

I aimed the Kūrigu at a large rock a bit further away and activated it.

The image in my mind is of a Vulcan Phalanx mounted on a modern warship. It’s that thing you see in flashy movies, carrying a massive white canister on its back.

As I slid my thumb across the center of the Kūrigu, I felt something akin to blood flowing into the card.

A Light Sword... No, it’s easier for me to imagine it as a Light Spear. I then fired a series of those Light Spears, not all at once, but in rapid succession.

About 500 bluish-white spears per minute, just as I imagined. In a few seconds, the large rock was shattered to pieces. The power of this Light Sword is still no joke.

“Heh... I see. That’s incredible power. It would be hard to replicate with Kūsōritsu. It’s more like a cheat code that only works with Kūrigu.”

Faf crossed her massive gauntleted arms as she made that assessment.

For some reason, she seems skilled with magic too.

“Can you use Kūsōritsu, Faf?”

“Heh, I don’t use it myself, but I understand the theory well enough to teach it.”

I’ve yet to meet anyone who can actually use Kūsōritsu directly, so they must be pretty rare.

“Heh, now try firing continuously, not just until the rock breaks.”

“Continuously?”

I frowned. What’s the point in that? But Faf insisted, so I ended up doing it anyway.

Aimed at the ground in the distance, I unleashed a barrage of Light Swords.

And then, about 30 seconds in, I started feeling dizzy. Apparently, I was suddenly anemic. Before I knew it, I was about to collapse, but Faf caught me, having moved in at some point.

“Heh, just as I thought.”

“...Sorry.”

This is weird. Was it something I ate?

No, it can’t be. This was a luxurious breakfast. No way I’d get anemia after that. When I was a kid, all I had were bread crusts.

It’s not the water... it’s from the SHOP.

“Heh... You had a big fight in the last town, didn’t you? But you didn’t feel like using the Light Sword much, did you?”

“Uh... Yeah, it’s kind of an unknown thing, and it’s just too powerful.”

“Heh, some people have a strong aversion to killing. That’s a big part of it, but you were probably subconsciously aware of the usage limit.”

“Usage limit?”

“Heh, yes. In the past, they called it magic power, but nowadays, it’s just considered one aspect of mental fatigue. In other words, using it makes you extremely tired. Mentally.”

“Oh... so this is fatigue... Now that you mention it, it does feel similar to those mornings after staying up all night dealing with complaint lists...”

That job was depressing.

About 90% of the complaints were baseless venting...

“Heh, it takes a lot out of you. If you rest a bit, you can use it again, but of course, the power and duration will be reduced. If you want to use it for longer, you should lower the power. Maybe you should find a level you can use regularly after some rest.”

“Ugh.”

Not that I really want to use it that much. I’m not getting caught by the pig king again, after all.

“Akira, I can see what you’re thinking. Just accept the training. I know nothing about Kūsōritsu.”

“Ugh.”

As I sighed for the second time, Faf started giving me various tips on the imagery. He suggested lowering the power of each Light Sword to about 10% and then firing them in rapid succession like before.

Since there was no real issue, I decided to follow that direction. Originally, I had modeled it after the image of a half-naked warrior from a certain Hollywood movie. Somehow it had turned into a ship-mounted weapon...

I guess a stronger image took over at some point. Maybe I’m still a bit childish in my thinking.

I tried again, reimagining the brutish ex-beret warrior’s machine gun as accurately as possible.

Bullets about the size of my thumb, with the same rapid-fire rate.

As I channeled this image into the Light Sword Kūrigu, it fired light bullets with several times the power of an M4A1. When I first activated it, I must have subconsciously thought, “Make it stronger.” I’ll have to be careful about that from now on.

“Heh... The grouping is a bit off, but I guess you’re too focused on adjusting the power for now. If you practice every day, you’ll probably be able to keep it up for about 15 minutes.”

“Come to think of it, I heard that the more you use it, the more powerful it becomes.”

“Heh, for now, it’s a good idea to give the strong version and the regular version distinct names. Associating them with words makes it easier to solidify the image. Usually, people come up with a phrase to help with the imagery, but for you, just shouting the technique name should be enough.”

“I’ll pass on the last part... Well, I’ll call them Vulcan Phalanx and Machine Gun Light Sword.”

It’s simple and easy to understand. I don’t want another incident like last night.

“Heh. Not bad, but... Shouting the technique name is romantic, you know?”

“In what world?”

When I answered curtly, Faf sighed and told me to keep practicing for a while. I still have driving to do later...

Of course, my objections were ignored, and I ended up spending about 30 minutes alternating between firing and resting.

...These people are all muscle-brained.