“If I were looking for a new sword, Sir Petel’s would be the obvious choice.”
Sir Petel’s sword.
That blade would certainly provide excellent nourishment. As the weapon of a knight who had reached the level of a 「Sword Walker」, it would be steeped in the experiences of a seasoned veteran.
However, Liam scoffed at the idea.
「Don’t be ridiculous. My young descendant, you are nowhere near the level required to devour that sword yet.」
“…I’m not at that level?”
「That decrepit knight’s sword is far too large and heavy for you right now. It would take an eternity to digest. More importantly, wouldn’t that leave you with a month of idle time?」
I stared blankly at Liam and replied.
“Since I’ve finally become a 「Sword Beginner」, I assumed I’d be going through a month of special training or something.”
「Special training?」
“Yes. I’ve built up enough flexibility and stamina, so I thought I’d be doing the usual strength training swordsmen do, or perhaps you’d finally be passing down your secret swordsmanship to me, Master…”
「Haha, you’re still thinking like a commoner.」
Liam burst into a fit of laughter.
「Haven’t I told you time and again? A Caravan is special. We are different from the rest.」
“……”
「We, who have the blood of steel flowing through our veins, have no need for such ignorant training. A Caravan becomes great through combat. Just like a sword that grows harder the more it is hammered.」
Liam looked at me with chilling eyes.
“But fighting the uninvited guests who come here no longer provides any nutritional value.”
「True. At this point, you’d be better off fighting wild beasts.」
“Then…?”
「Fortunately, in this broken-down Iron Kingdom, there are plenty of humans who crave conflict.」
Liam’s eyes grew misty with nostalgia, as if reminiscing about the past.
「I wonder if that culture still remains in the Iron Kingdom.」
“…?”
「A place where those who desire nothing but blood and battle gather, regardless of status or origin. A place perfectly suited to temper you.」
Liam flashed a predatory smile.
「In my time, we called it the Fighting Pit.」
* * *
The 「Fighting Pit」.
A massive amphitheater located in the heart of 「Ferma」, the Steel City in the eastern part of the Iron Kingdom. Interesting battles were always taking place within that arena. There were ‘Species Duels’ featuring fighters from various races, ‘Beast Duels’ where ferocious predators fought to determine the strongest, and ‘Wild Duels’ that pitted humans against beasts…
I didn’t know who originally designed it, but they must have had a profound understanding of the human animal. It is a primal human instinct to judge what is stronger or who is superior. Thus, this massive amphitheater had maintained its history for centuries, hosting a wide variety of duels to this very day.
Among them, the most popular was the ‘War Duel.’ It was a spectacle where fighters of all stripes rolled around in the dirt and fought like dogs, while the audience gambled on their favorites.
“I looked into it, and it seems it’s still operating quite successfully.”
「I figured as much. Human nature never changes. The clown who designed that place must have been a genius.」
“However, they call it the ‘Arena’ now, not the Fighting Pit.”
「Well, it’s been a long time. Names are bound to change.」
The Fighting Pit from Liam’s era still existed, only under a different name.
「You’ll have a unique experience there. There are few places in the entire continent where such muddy brawls occur and such a diverse array of fighters gather.」
“…Is it really that big of a place?”
「Indeed. You’ve spent your whole life in this musty, backwater village, so you wouldn’t know.」
“No, I’ve heard the name before. I just didn’t recognize it because you called it a Fighting Pit.”
Liam chuckled at my words.
「The fact that you’re even asking if it’s a big place proves you’re a country bumpkin, young descendant.」
“…?”
「The very driving force that allowed Ferma to be called the Steel City and stand tall as a major metropolis of the Iron Kingdom is that very stadium.」
Well, it was hard to truly grasp the scale just by hearing about it.
Liam seemed to realize this and didn’t bother explaining further. Instead, he simply repeated his usual refrain.
「Better to see it for yourself than to hear a thousand words. See it with your own eyes and judge for yourself.」
* * *
There were two reasons why I had stayed in this deserted village and silent mansion until I reached the level of 「Sword Beginner」. First, I didn’t feel a strong need to leave, and second, I hated the idea of my precious space being defiled by uninvited guests.
「You don’t have to worry about that anymore. Now that you have a reliable neighbor.」
As Liam said, the second problem was solved.
“Sir Petel, I have some business that requires me to be away for a while. I would like you to protect this village so that no uninvited guests can defile it until I return.”
“If that is your request, I shall gladly fulfill it.”
Like an honorable knight, Petel accepted my request.
“I shall guard the masterless shacks of this village. And I will ensure that no one enters that magnificent mansion, which must hold your precious memories, Young Master. I swear it on my honor.”
The words ‘I swear on my honor,’ coming from such a stiff-necked knight, were incredibly reassuring.
It was a good thing to have a neighbor I could trust.
Watching me receive Petel’s confirmation, Liam spoke.
「To satisfy your greed, you will need to grow stronger yourself, but you also need to make reliable allies. You can’t protect everything alone. Unless, of course, you are as great as I was.」
“…That last part was unnecessary.”
「Haha, if only the records had remained, I wouldn’t have to say such things. It is quite annoying.」
Though he spoke in jest, Liam wasn’t wrong.
The path ahead of me was long, and I couldn’t reach the pinnacle of the heavens while cooped up in this tiny estate. Eventually, I would have to travel the wider world.
And to do that, I needed to find neighbors who would protect my precious territory—people who were trustworthy, strong, and compatible with me.
「Well, don’t worry too much.」
“Is there a reason for that?”
「If you become strong enough, people will naturally flock to you. That is the way of the world.」
It sounded like he was grasping at clouds, but Liam’s words were usually right. I nodded and stepped outside the village for the first time in a long while. It was the first time in my life I was embarking on such a long journey.
The Steel City, Ferma, was considered one of the major cities of the Iron Kingdom, and it was quite a distance from this rural village. But I couldn’t let the journey daunt me. As I had seen in the memories of the swordswoman Mary, facing the wider world would be of great help to me.
「Get in the carriage, child.」
Listening to the clatter of hooves and the coachman’s shouts and cracks of the whip, I watched my estate recede into the distance. I stroked the new, long, thin needle I had obtained to replace the broken one.
After five days of traveling by carriage, I finally reached my destination.
* * *
The Steel City, 「Ferma」.
One of the major cities of the Iron Kingdom and a holy land of the sword, where the technology for handling steel was highly advanced. This was the place where all the armaments of the Iron Kingdom were forged, and where they were all put to use.
And standing tall in the center of Ferma was the massive, magnificent amphitheater, the 「Arena」—the very symbol of the city. Its sheer size was so imposing it was hard to believe it was a man-made structure. From this grand edifice, screams and cheers echoed constantly.
“…It really is impossibly huge.”
「Don’t look so surprised; you look like a total country bumpkin.」
I was momentarily stunned by the overwhelming scale of the Arena. But it wasn’t just the Arena that was surprising. The city itself, bustling with people and moving at a pace incomparable to my quiet estate, was an unfamiliar sight. Merchants haggling over prices, hawkers grabbing passersby, people loudly boasting about their purchases.
Bards singing at the top of their lungs in the middle of the street, gypsies dancing and tempting people to spend the night, and drunks grabbing each other by the collar in the middle of a brawl.
All sorts of people were tangled together in a chaotic mess.
“Oh—that’s—”
While I was half-dazed, what caught my eye were small Dwarves. They were short, like children, but possessed massive, heavy builds. With thick beards and faces covered in soot, they laid out blades on the ground and shouted gruffly.
“Those in need of weapons, come this way!”
It was the first time in my life I had seen another race in person.
Dwarves.
A race as numerous as humans in the Iron Kingdom, these little people made their homes on the mid-slopes of the 「Sky Mountain Range」. They were born friends of fire and steel. It was often said they were a race created by God specifically to be blacksmiths.
They didn’t easily burn even when touching red-hot iron, they could craft anything excellently without being taught, and they felt an intense euphoria in creating armaments and tools.
And actually, calling them another race wasn’t entirely accurate.
Because…
「It’s been a long time since I’ve seen my kin.」
According to Liam’s explanation, the Caravan family was of Dwarf descent.
That meant half the blood flowing through my veins was that of a Dwarf.
「Are those Dwarf boys? It looks like they’ve plucked up the courage to come out and show off the weapons they’ve made.」
“…Those are boys? They look like middle-aged men well over thirty.”
「Can’t you see the youthful look on their faces? Look, if you look closely—」
To me, they all looked like middle-aged men, but apparently, it was different from Liam’s perspective.
Liam went on and on, explaining how to distinguish the ages of Dwarves—something I hadn’t even asked about—until he sensed my boredom and finally changed the subject.
「A Dwarf is a Dwarf, after all. Even though they were made by young ones, the quality is overwhelmingly good.」
“I’d like to use a Dwarf-made sword myself someday.”
「You should. Though it’s still far too early for that.」
I was currently in a position where I could barely manage to devour swords found in slum trash heaps.
I let out a hollow laugh and turned my eyes away from the swords the Dwarves were selling. The new environment was interesting at first, but as time passed, fatigue set in more than wonder. I looked for an inn to stay for the night and asked Liam.
“So, I just have to fight various fighters in the Arena and take the swords of everyone I defeat? I suppose I could get strong quickly that way—”
「No, that won’t do.」
It won’t?
Duels in the Arena usually ended when one person took the other’s life. And the winner was given the right to take the loser’s equipment as a trophy. So, I naturally assumed that was how it would go. Liam looked at me and shook his head.
「Not only would those low-quality swords be of no help to you, but indiscriminately swallowing swords that don’t suit you would actually ruin you. If you could get strong that way, I would have told you to eat every single blade in that slum trash heap.」
“Ah…”
「If you did that, you would be consumed by the swords and lose yourself. We can’t have that. The sword must not control you; you must be the one to control the sword completely.」
Losing myself—it was an expression that somehow made sense.
Then what kind of sword was I supposed to eat?
I didn’t yet have the ability to look at a blade and know what was contained within it.
When I looked at him with that expression, Liam spoke.
「Don’t worry. Until you open your ‘eyes,’ I will personally choose your swords for you.」
Those were reassuring words.
「So, always show your gratitude for the help I, the great one, am giving you, child.」
“Ah, yes…”
It would have been perfect if he hadn’t added that last part.
Anyway, after wandering for about two hours, I found a suitable inn, paid in copper coins, and stayed the night. Just because it was a major city didn’t mean the inn was particularly good. In fact, they seemed to be taking advantage of the location, providing a trashy bed and a trashy dinner.
「When you become a Swordmaster, you should challenge that unfriendly landlady to a duel of honor.」
“I agree.”
Well, I was the one in need, so there was nothing I could do.
Regardless, after a terrible night, I headed straight for the Arena early in the morning.
「There are many here itching for a fight.」
Even in the early morning, there was a long line in front of the Arena. These weren’t spectators; they were all fighters who had come to fill out applications to participate in the matches.
During the tedious wait, Liam spoke.
「This will be exciting. Even I occasionally reminisce about my hot-blooded days in the Fighting Pit.」
Like an old man, Liam would ramble on about old stories I hadn’t asked for, but fortunately, it helped pass the time. The line moved quickly, and upon entering as guided by the guards, I saw a receptionist with a friendly face.
And then.
“Are you here to participate in a match?”
“Yes.”
“Then please show me your medal first.”
“…?”
A term I hadn’t heard before popped up.
Stunned for a moment, I whipped my head around to look at Liam.
He said with a confident face:
「We didn’t have those in my day.」
Shit.
