Chapter 55

When Rio asked to borrow the kitchen, the innkeeper readily agreed.

"Sometimes, guests want to cook their hometown dishes. In a town with many wanderers, there are often people who can't return home for various reasons, so I let them use the kitchen. I do charge for the firewood, though."

"I understand. I'll pay in advance."

"Ah, I've got it. Come back in about an hour after I've finished preparing the food for the guests."

As Rio and Shiraha watched the cook skillfully chopping vegetables, they returned to their room. They could hear the innkeeper and the cook talking from the kitchen.

"Quite a luxury to have her homemade cooking while on the run, huh?"

"You can't keep running if you don't have that kind of comfort."

Rio sighed, thinking, "That's not it at all." He considered going back to correct them but ultimately returned to the room without saying anything. Sometimes, denying a rumor only makes it more believable. Rio opened the door, thinking that sharing a room to save money was also causing misunderstandings.

"I have some time, so I'll check my sword."

Taking the bag by his bed, Rio drew his beloved sword from its sheath. Despite frequent use in actual combat, it still gleamed like new because he never neglected its maintenance. Tomorrow, they would finally head into the depths of the forest where the Teloup appeared, so he couldn't afford to be unprepared. As he carefully inspected the sword for any minor issues, he called out to Shiraha.

"Shiraha, you might want to get a new sword."

"…Why?"

Shiraha, who was reviewing the recipe book given by her mother, tilted her head. Rio began wiping the blade with a cloth as he answered.

"Didn't you get some advice from Galdrat? Your movements have improved, so a sword that fits your body and movements better would be good."

After receiving Galdrat's advice, Rio's sword speed had improved dramatically, but he often struggled with the weight of the sword. Rio had adjusted by gripping the hilt differently, but Shiraha, who had less muscle mass, found it harder to deal with the weight.

"Can you compensate with body strengthening?"

Shiraha glanced at her sword.

Shiraha's sword was a custom-made piece supervised by Oggan. If she were to get a new one, she would have to show it to Oggan first.

"It's a bit heavy, but I can handle it with magic."

"Is there a spell to make it lighter?"

"No, but magic is all about how you use it."

"Alright, if you're fine with it, that's good."

Deciding it was ultimately up to her, Rio began removing the hilt wrapping. Shiraha peered at his hands with interest.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm unwrapping the hilt. Changing it might make the grip more stable."

Currently, the hilt was wrapped with durable, tanned leather. He planned to replace it with a braided cord he had bought. While the braided cord was more prone to wear and tear compared to tanned leather, it didn't absorb water, making it less slippery from sweat or blood. Watching Rio efficiently remove the tanned leather, Shiraha looked at her own sword.

"…My sword has nothing wrapped around the hilt."

"Of course not. The engravings serve as a grip."

Shiraha's sword, like most swords in this world, had engravings on the hilt for grip. However, these engravings were actually magic arrays that activated when Shiraha channeled her magic power. Rio's sword, on the other hand, was made by Kalil and the others in the village, tailored to his budget and self-taught sword techniques. The hilt was reinforced with wood and secured with braided cords or tanned leather, allowing for adjustments as his techniques evolved.

"It seems to be a common way to make swords in the east. Reducing the amount of iron used for the hilt helps keep the budget in check."

Thanks to this, changing the grip was relatively easy. Shiraha, who had been observing Rio's hilt wrapping with interest, glanced at him.

"It looks complicated."

"Well, like clothes, they wear out over time, so maintenance does take more effort."

Smiling wryly at Shiraha's blunt comment, Rio picked up the braided cord.

"It's important, so you want to adjust it to fit you, right?"

At the word "important," Shiraha nodded seriously.

"I understand."

"You mean you understand, not just agree, right?"

Rio, who had been seeking empathy, was taken aback by Shiraha's response. He began wrapping the hilt, twisting the braided cord to create diamond-shaped spaces for better grip. Shiraha watched the hilt wrapping intently and murmured.

"Beautiful."

"It also serves as decoration. With the braided cord, you can enjoy the colors too, which is nice."

Feeling a bit proud of his sword, Rio saw Shiraha smile slightly.

"Tomorrow, if we have time, I want to go buy some clothes."

"…I can guess, but I'll ask anyway. Why do you want to buy clothes?"

"To adjust Rio."

"I'm not a sword!"

As Rio complained, he looked down at his clothes. They were bought by his father when he went to town while they were living in the village. They weren't his style, and they were getting a bit old. Clothes were a luxury in the village, and even secondhand ones couldn't be picky about. However, now that both Rio and Shiraha earned their own money from quests, they could spend it freely.

"Let's go buy some."

"I'll choose carefully."

"I'll choose myself! I can't imagine what you'd pick, but I have a bad feeling about it."