Chapter 77

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After finishing our meal, we sang passionately for about three hours at a karaoke bar, then retrieved our luggage from the coin locker and headed home. On the way back, Mika said she wanted to see my dungeon equipment, and Sae said she wanted to see it as well for reference, so after a moment's thought, I gave them permission to view it. Since we finished shopping earlier than planned, we still had time until dusk.

After we got home, I had the two wait in the living room while I tidied up my messy room.

"In situations like this, having a spatial storage is really convenient."

I picked up the clothes and magazines scattered on the floor and put them into the spatial storage one by one. The room, now free of clutter, looked much cleaner.

Next, I opened the window to let in fresh air, sprinkled deodorizer around the room to eliminate any odors, and remade the bed. I couldn't change the sheets, but at least I could make it look presentable.

"…Well, that's about it."

The clutter on the floor was gone, and a faint mint scent filled the room, creating a refreshing atmosphere. Despite the short time and hurried cleaning, it turned out pretty well. I think it won't cause too much discomfort for the girls.

I would have liked to vacuum, but there wasn't enough time, so I'll have to give up on that.

"Oh, I forgot."

I took out the case containing Zunko and the bag I brought to the dungeon from my spatial storage. I haven't told Mika or Sae about the existence of spatial storage, so I had to take them out in advance to avoid any strange situations.

I placed the Zunko on the desk and the bag next to it.

"Alright, everything is ready. Now, let's call Mika and Sae."

With everything prepared, I opened the door to head to the living room. As I opened the door, I met the eyes of Mika and Sae standing right in front of it.

"…What are you doing?"

"Haha, well, um…"

"…Sorry."

Mika tried to laugh it off, but Sae bowed her head apologetically. I stared silently at Mika, who was trying to laugh it off. Mika, defeated by my gaze, finally explained why she was standing there.

"…I heard the sound of cleaning coming from your room, so I thought I'd peek to see how messy it was…"

"…Hmm. Sae, was your reason the same as Mika's?"

Hearing such a trivial reason, I couldn't help but sigh. I shifted my gaze to Sae, who looked embarrassed.

"Um, yes. Sorry."

"Hmm…"

Both of them were driven by curiosity, but I wish they would have shown some restraint. I can't even remember why I hurriedly cleaned the room.

"Standing here arguing won't get us anywhere. Let's go inside, both of you."

"Ah, okay."

"…Sorry."

I led the dejected girls into my room.

I sat in the chair at the desk, Mika sat on my bed as if it were a familiar place, and I gestured for Sae, who was standing at the entrance, to sit next to me.

"Sorry, but there's only the bed to sit on."

"I, I see."

"Here, Sae. Sit here."

"Sorry."

After hesitating for a moment, Sae sat down next to Mika. However, perhaps because the bed was uncomfortable in this unfamiliar environment, Sae's face was slightly tense, and she was swaying slightly.

"Alright… Our schedule is a bit off, but let's take a look at the dungeon equipment, shall we?"

"Sure!"

"Yes, please."

"Alright, first…"

I stood up from the chair and picked up the storage bag with Zunko from the desk. I opened the bag, took out Zunko and the tanto, and handed the tanto to Mika and Zunko to Sae.

"Mika, you've seen this before, but this is the weapon I use in the dungeon."

Mika looked at the tanto with interest, while Sae, holding Zunko, stared at it with a tense expression. Their reactions were quite different.

"Are you okay?"

"Ah, yes! I, I'm fine!"

It seems Sae was quite nervous holding Zunko. After all, for an ordinary person, the chance to touch a real sword is rare. Being handed a real sword unexpectedly would make anyone nervous.

As I worried about Sae, Mika, who had finished examining the tanto, spoke up.

"Hey, big brother, can I draw this?"

"Sure, but be careful not to hurt yourself."

"Okay."

Mika, having received my permission, cut the saya (scabbard) and drew the blade.

"Wow!"

"…"

Mika let out an exclamation at the sight of the blade, while Sae stared at the drawn tanto.

The blade reflected the light from the lamp, emitting a mysterious glow.

"This is the tanto I received from the swordsmith when I had Zunko reforged. I don't use it often, but it's a reliable secondary weapon in emergencies."

I explained the tanto to Sae, who was staring at it as if entranced.

"…Zunko?"

"Right. The name of the sword Sae is holding is Zunko."

"…Zunko."

Sae shifted her gaze from the tanto Mika was holding to Zunko, then looked up at me after a few seconds.

"Big brother… Can I draw Zunko too?"

"Sure, but it's dangerous, so only draw it a little."

"Okay!"

Sae's eyes lit up as I gave my permission.

…Wait, is Sae a sword enthusiast?

I was puzzled by Sae's reaction and was about to explain the presence of the chuzawa (blade lock) when Sae, gripping the hilt of Zunko, tried to cut the saya with force.

"Um… Sae?"

"Yes! What is it!?"

"…Well, Zunko has a lock mechanism to prevent the blade from falling out accidentally. You need to release it to draw the blade."

"…What!?"

Sae stopped, her face showing shock as she stared at me.

Well… I can't blame her for that look, but it was Sae who tried to draw Zunko without knowing about the lock.

"Here, press this metal part on the tsuba (guard) while slowly drawing the blade."

"…This one?"

Sae pointed to the metal part I indicated.

"Right, that one."

As I nodded, Sae pressed the chuzawa and slowly cut the saya. This time, the blade of Zunko slid out smoothly, reflecting the light and casting Sae's face on the blade.

"…Amazing."

Sae whispered, her eyes fixed on the drawn blade of Zunko, as if she were a museum visitor captivated by a masterpiece. However, did I imagine it, or was there a slight smile on her lips?

"It's nice to hear that. I always take good care of it."

"…You take care of it?"

"Yes. It's just simple maintenance like wiping the blade, but if you neglect it, it can affect the blade when you need to use it. The surface can become discolored or rusted."

The monster blood usually gets cleaned off before leaving the dungeon thanks to Hime's cleaning skill, but why does it rust? Maybe it's the moisture in the air?

"That's true… It must be a lot of work."

"It is. But it's my partner that I entrust my life to, so I can't neglect the maintenance."

Sae, still staring at Zunko, gave a half-hearted response.

In the worst case, you can fight monsters with your bare hands, but considering the drop items, it's better to use weapons. Fighting low-level monsters with bare hands always results in a messy explosion. …Ogres don't explode, though?

"If you're going to the dungeon, you'll need weapons like these…"

Sae, still staring at Zunko, seemed to be imagining herself fighting monsters with a sword. But…

"I don't recommend this type of weapon for you and Mika."

"…Why not?"

Hearing that I don't recommend it, Sae shifted her gaze from Zunko to me, looking puzzled. Mika, having sheathed the tanto, also looked at me with a similar expression, waiting for my explanation.

"Of course, there are good reasons why I don't recommend swords to you two. The simplest reason is that swords are difficult to handle, and an ordinary person without swordsmanship skills will likely damage the sword if they swing it carelessly."

"Damage it? Break it?"

"Not exactly break, but the blade can bend or chip."

"…Swords can be damaged that easily?"

Sae looked at Zunko in her hand, seemingly disbelieving.

"If you use it improperly, it can be surprisingly easy. Japanese swords are different from Western swords; they are designed to cut rather than strike, so the blade is thin. If you don't swing it correctly, it won't cut properly."

"…Properly?"

"Right, properly. If it doesn't cut properly, it means the sword is under more stress during the cut. If the stress exceeds the blade's capacity, it will break. So, if an amateur uses it, it might only last a few uses."

"…"

"To prevent that, you need swordsmanship. Have you or Mika ever learned swordsmanship?"

"No."

"…No."

Mika answered immediately, and Sae answered regretfully. Hearing their answers, I continued with my questions.

"Also, just to confirm… What martial arts did you learn in physical education in middle school?"

If kendo was an option after I graduated, there might be some hope, but Sae's expression suggested the answer was clear.

"Kendo, right?"

"…Yeah. We only learned judo in physical education."

"Ah, I see."

When I was in my first year, the physical education teacher was a kendo practitioner, so we learned kendo. In my second year, the teacher transferred, and the new teacher, a judo practitioner, changed the curriculum to judo. I had hoped the curriculum might have changed after I graduated, but it seems not.

So, Mika and Sae have never even held a shinai (bamboo sword).

"Given that, I don't recommend you two use swords as weapons."

"…I see…"

Sae sighed, looking genuinely disappointed, and sheathed Zunko.

Mika, seeing Sae's dejected state, looked at her with sympathy and asked me a question.

"Then, what do you recommend for us?"

"Let me think… Just a moment."

I told Mika to wait, opened the drawer of the desk, and took out the official product catalog issued by the guild that I had obtained earlier. I flipped through the pages and handed the catalog to Mika, stopping at the page with the item I wanted to show her.

"Here, this."

"What is it?"

"It's the official product catalog issued by the dungeon guild. It lists various new items, from weapons to miscellaneous goods, so it can be a useful reference."

"Hmm. Is this what you recommend?"

The page Mika was looking at showed a super-hard alloy war hammer.

"…It looks like a pickaxe."

"Well, it's a combat pickaxe. This won't break easily even if you use it carelessly, and it's easy to handle."

You can deal decent damage to monsters even if you swing it haphazardly. The war hammer has a handle about a meter long, with one side of the head flat and textured like a meat tenderizer, and the other side a triangular pyramid with a blood groove.

"See, here. There are grooves on the sides of the triangular pyramid. Thanks to these, even if the pyramid gets stuck deep in a monster's body, it's easy to pull out. It's a feature you won't find in a regular pickaxe."

"Hmm. But it still looks like a pickaxe…"

"In the dungeon, practicality is more important than appearance. A weapon that looks good but breaks easily is not as useful as a rugged and durable one. Even Zunko, which Sae is holding, needed to be reforged after about six months of careful use…"

I sighed, thinking about the cost of reforging Zunko. No matter how carefully you use a sword, it's a consumable item. As long as you continue to use Zunko, you'll have to pay for regular reforging. I regret not choosing a better first weapon.

…Is there a skill for weapon repair?

After that, I showed the girls a variety of equipment, including armor and lighting, and explained them. Although they were slightly dissatisfied, they understood that, in general, used items would suffice for anything other than weapons and armor. The deciding factor was probably the estimate I showed them for the cost of buying all the equipment new. When I showed them the estimate, both of them stared at the amount with wide eyes.

The weapon I recommend to the girls is a blunt weapon. However, Sae seems to be slightly captivated by the dangerous charm of bladed weapons.