Chapter 51

Under the moonlight, Homura stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

---

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

"Have you been waiting for me?"

Meeting up with Galahad and the others, they visited Ruba's house and workshop. Upon being welcomed, the sword shown to them, which had been long awaited, was extraordinary.

"Thanks, old man! I really appreciate it!"

"Thank you, it's a great help."

The two received it with bright smiles.

"Only my sword has a different characteristic."

Galahad's broad and thick greatsword, a sword that Eagle could wield with one or both hands, and the elegant curved sword given to me.

"Aren't you going to fight the Felfarsh with a sword? Instead of the ability to cut through illusions, I've extracted a more versatile ability."

So, Felfarsh is an illusionary creature. From the context that physical attacks don't work, I had imagined something like a wraith or a ghost.

---

**Moonlight Blade**

Crafted by: Divine Smith Ruba Spiritz

Rank: 65 Evaluation: 10

Attack Power: 659 Durability: 100/100 [Indestructible]

Enhancements: [Great Attack Power Boost] [Great DEX Boost] [Blessing of the Dark Spirit]

Material Characteristics: [No Equipment Rank Limit] [Non-Transferable] [Cuts Mental Attacks] [Cuts Magic] [Demon Slayer Growth]

A blade forged using moonstone. A sword made by the divine smith Ruba for Homura.

The 1.1x multiplier for blade skills due to the evaluation of 10.

For reference, the sword I received from Ruba now has a rank of 22 and an attack power of 229. The highest rank weapon I saw on commission recently was rank 30 with an attack power of around 300. Considering that before I received my first sword from Ruba, the best attack power I had was around 100, the progress of the production classes is impressive.

Equipment rank up to rank 5 can be equipped by any class without level restrictions. Up to rank 9, if you have the appropriate skill, either as a main or sub class, there are no level restrictions. After that, rank 10 at level 10, rank 11 at level 11, and so on. If you only have the appropriate skill, the limit is rank 19. From rank 20 onwards, only the appropriate class can use it.

I can only equip up to rank 32. While I can equip higher ranks, my abilities will be significantly reduced, and in severe cases, I might even take reflective damage. The [No Equipment Rank Limit] is very helpful.

Galahad and Eagle's swords have the material characteristics [Effective Against Illusions] and [Increased Damage Against Illusions]. Of course, [No Equipment Rank Limit] is not included, but instead, they have [Moon Phase Resonance], which increases their abilities as the moon approaches full.

My [Demon Slayer Growth] increases attack power based on the number of monsters I cut, but it resets during breaks, making it suitable for long battles. [Indestructible] is very helpful because the base value never decreases, and while the durability value can drop and affect sharpness, the sword won't break and be lost. The enemies here are much lower in rank, so the durability value should be less likely to decrease. 100/100, durability value/base value.

Ah, I need to level up [Stealth].

"Honestly, I feel it's too much for me, but I'm grateful."

Since it's a sword made for me, I accepted it without hesitation, and Ruba smiled contentedly.

---

After that, it was a feast.

I thought it would start here where there are tables, but we were led to a room with carpeted sofas and low tables.

"Every time, there's a guy who ends up on the floor."

"Haha! Drink in moderation, Eagle."

"It's you."

A single elbow to the solar plexus.

While watching this, I started setting out the dishes.

Fried chicken, fish and chips, squid rings, seared skipjack tuna, golden sardine fry, sashimi (with ginger instead of wasabi), caprese, pizza, roast beef, and tail soup.

"Wow."

"There's more, so eat a lot."

Chilled black beer, whiskey, and sake.

"Ruba, I don't know if you'll like it, but drink this as a thank you for the sword."

I placed the other drinks on the table and handed the sake to Ruba. For some reason, there was also firewine.

By the way, with an evaluation of 10, I managed to make pure rice daiginjo (unpasteurized). Is unpasteurized just freshly made? I don't know much about alcohol. There seem to be dry and sweet types, but to me, they're all just alcohol! I'll look into the differences in production methods later, in case I get rice again. The rice I have now is for making rice, so it's not possible.

Firewine, from what I understand, is a high-alcohol distilled spirit like vodka, brandy, or shochu, which can be ignited. However, the high-alcohol beer I made was called firewine. It might be correct, as it can also be ignited.

"Whoa, what's this?"

"What is it? Is it alcohol?"

Ruba poured some for the interested Galahad.

"Transparent? I've never had this before."

"Me too."

Camilla and Eagle also tried it.

"Is it melon? Peach? It has a fruity aroma."

"I like this firewine."

"Ruba, it's a thank you, so don't be greedy."

"I don't mind, I like this one better."

Ruba preferred sake, Galahad preferred firewine, Eagle preferred chilled black beer, and Camilla preferred wine. I wonder if Galahad, who is weaker in alcohol, will be okay.

"Homura provided delicious food and drinks, and thanks to Ruba, who ignored the cost and added the spirit level and enhancements, we should be able to take down Felfarsh without making a big mistake. Let's dive into the dungeon with determination from tomorrow."

While saying thanks for the moonstone, Galahad drank it with a satisfied look.

"Since it's dinner time, I'll eat. I don't drink."

Ignoring the three who were getting into a lively discussion about alcohol, I took out a bowl of beef bowl!!!!

Thanks to the rice, soy sauce, and pure rice daiginjo (cooking sake), the belly pork I obtained today transformed beautifully.

"Homura, what's that?"

"It's my dinner."

"Homura, what kind of food is that?"

"...It's a beef bowl."

Starting with Galahad's question, Camilla sat next to me, put her hand on my elbow, and leaned in, while Eagle asked with a bright smile. Ruba was watching with a smile.

I want to say that her chest is touching me, but I can't because I might get responses like "I'm doing it on purpose" or "So?".

Damn, if they had just quietly eaten their bread! My beef bowl was quickly devoured by the four of them, which was terrible.

I'm currently distracting Galahad, who is demanding more, with sukiyaki. I'm worried about the amount of cooking sake, but can I substitute it with white wine?

In the end, it turned into a meat battle, and we ended up with grilled meat.

The seared skipjack tuna was well-received by Ruba, and the sashimi of sardines, though disliked by Galahad, was well-received by Camilla and Eagle. According to Galahad, "I'm fine with roasted whole pigs, but fish eyes are scary!" He was loudly complaining and looking away. Next time, I'll try to make sashimi with a melon baller.

If there are pigs, I'll get a pork loin cut when I get one.

While thinking about this, I took a bite of the pizza. I want to use rice freely, and I wonder if there's glutinous rice in Fusou.

"Homura, is rice hard to get?"

"I've never seen it."

"Ah, I was lucky to get a small amount in the magic city Ail. It's originally from a country called Fusou, which has a small trade."

"Fusou? I've never heard of it."

"It's an island nation in a remote location."

"Oh, can you move between countries now?"

"Yes, thanks to C rank."

That's right, I got the sword from Ruba and was taken to the boss by the three, so I became C rank quickly.

"If it weren't for the four of you, I wouldn't have been able to leave this country or get rice."

Reflecting on this, I quietly offered some curry.

There, a drunk curry battle started.

Yes, curry is a drink, but serving it in a plate is terrible.

I'm currently making a lot of curry in the real world, but I don't have the same attachment to it as I do to the beef bowl. However, I won't give more because I don't have rice! Ah, I should have made curry udon, I realized, thinking about my real-world dinner menu.

Galahad, as expected, rolled onto the carpet, and Eagle and Camilla were breathing heavily, having done something foolish. Ruba was smiling wryly.

"By the way, do you know where the Starfall Hill or the Sea Serpent appears?"

"Oh, are you in love with someone?"

A drunk Camilla hugged me.

While her chest is a concern, her skirt is also disheveled!

"Are you in love?"

"'Starfall Hill' is a dating spot where if you go with someone you like and see a meteor, you can become lovers."

"...Can't you become lovers just by inviting them to come along?"

"That's the unspoken rule."

"I don't have anyone in mind right now, but where is it?"

"Then I'll take you, Homura. It's about two kilometers southeast of the magic city Ail. It's the only open area in the forest, so it should be easy to find. Hehe."

"The Sea Serpent appears in the bay at the southwestern tip of Fagat. However, I don't recommend it."

"Is it strong?"

"It's not that high in attack power, but its defense is. It's not very effective against magic or physical attacks, and the drops are not good. The effort required to defeat it is not worth the reward. Once a year, the guild issues a request to cull them because if they overpopulate, they will eat the Fagat clams and attack fishermen."

The Sea Serpent cull is one of the conditions for advancing from C to B rank, and many adventurers participate each year. If there is a large outbreak, the guild may encourage B rank adventurers to participate, or the country may request A rank adventurers. C rank adventurers are restricted from moving between countries, and B rank and above must respond to guild summons. You can refuse, but if you refuse without a valid reason too many times, your rank will be lowered.

I think I'll stay at C rank for a while; it seems troublesome.

"Understood, thank you."

If the attack power is not high, I can prepare for a long battle and eventually defeat it. It seems that the materials for the alchemy recipe to prevent possession, which I learned from Tasha, can be obtained without purification.

Well, I'm not sure if it's really an event flag, but it's better to be prepared. I want to distribute possession prevention items to residents who have exchanged partner cards.

Ah, I need to improve my accessory production skill.

"By the way, Ruba, is it okay to ignore the cost?"

"Yes, I've already taken it from these three, so don't worry. However, other production classes are using it, and there's a shortage of silver in the market. I'm curious if a new technology for using silver has been developed while I was on a break. If you find silver on the way, please sell it to me."

That's because the material used for leveling up production classes is silver. They all started leveling up at the same time, so the items they make overlap, I'm sorry.

"Ah, speaking of silver..."

I was planning to terrorize with furniture, but since I received an extraordinary sword, I'll give it to Ruba. I took out the silver statue of Leo from my item pouch.

"Please melt it and use it."

"Ha!"

Galahad burst out laughing at the silver, shining statue of Leo in a pose, and rolled on the floor.

"Homura?"

"What kind of taste do you have?"

"No, it's not my taste at all!!!"

I told the story of kicking Leo into the fountain and the goddess.

"Hey, did you meet Fal too?"

"Is a god that funny? It's different from the gods I know."

I'm also confused, as it's different from what I thought.

"Statue of a goddess in a bikini... hahaha"

Galahad couldn't stop laughing.

Meanwhile, Ruba was looking at the statue with a serious expression.

Is he interested in Leo's naked form?

"This is not ordinary silver."

"Huh?"

"It's called 'Water Dragon Silver,' a rare and expensive metal. I've never seen such a large amount before."

"Really...?"

That goddess made this with such a rare metal.

"Is it a gift from a goddess?"

Eagle also looked confused, and Galahad was still laughing.

"Probably, the golden one is 'Water Dragon Gold.'"

"Hearing that, the statue looks divine, ... but I can't see it."

I can't see it either, which is normal.

I hadn't appraised the statue, but when I looked, I saw words like "artifact." It says, "Can be melted and used for weapons, but cannot be melted in a regular furnace."

"The silver is used for weapons, and the gold for armor."

Ruba, with a serious expression, caressed Leo's shoulder. If I didn't know it was a valuable metal, I might have suspected him of being a pervert.

I quietly sent a message to Leo: "The golden Leo is a valuable metal suitable for making armor. By the way, I processed the moonstone, and I think Leo has the title of ignoring material rank in production."

"Please accept it as payment for the sword."

"I've received too much."

"Well, if I keep it, it will just stay as a statue."

He shrugged in response.

He hasn't taken his eyes off the silver Leo, and he must want to process it.

"I don't know anyone else who can process it. Take it without hesitation."

Galahad and the others seemed to want to continue the party, and Ruba invited us to stay, but I declined and headed to the inn. I'm going to sleep in the real world too, so if I stayed, I'd be out for a few days.

It's almost midnight here and there, so I might log in early.

My break ends tomorrow.

Let's enjoy it.