My Goal Isn’t Grail

—Why don’t I aim for Sword Saint?

At those words, Misha let out a wildly startled cry.

“Eeeeeeeh!? Sword Saint!?”

“Yeah.”

I traced the warrior skill tree in my head.

Swordsmanship.

It gave a fixed attack power +100, raised overall attack power by 20%, and furthermore, it allowed one to become a swordsman, which had higher attack power than a warrior.

However, that was not the endpoint for a warrior who fought with a sword.

Beyond that existed the peak skill called “Sword Saint.”

It gave a fixed attack power +150 and raised overall attack power by 25%. If one upgraded one’s class to “Sword Saint,” one would surpass a swordsman in stats and even unlock powerful unique skills represented by “Ground Shrink,” which closed the distance in an instant.

“Can Swordsmanship and Sword Saint not coexist?”

“The effect gets overwritten by Sword Saint.”

The fixed attack power increase was not 100 + 150 for 250, but only the 150 from Sword Saint. The other numbers were the same.

In other words, if one had the Sword Saint skill, Swordsmanship became a completely dead skill.

Normally, one could not take Sword Saint unless one had Swordsmanship, so it was a rule one had no choice but to accept, but I could ignore that.

“In other words—Swordsmanship’s value goes down for me.”

“Nishishishi! If that’s the case, you certainly don’t need it!”

Misha clapped both hands and continued like this.

“The Swordsmanship skill is trash! It’s nothing worth bragging about!”

“…No, well, I wouldn’t go that far…”

I answered that while scratching my cheek.

The Swordsmanship skill was powerful. Taking it was an honor as a warrior. I could understand the feeling of wanting to be proud of it—

Because I had wanted it for so long too.

“But, you know, it isn’t something I should prioritize when I can pick and choose top-tier skills.”

If I were to take it—it would only be out of rivalry toward Grail.

But that was not important. It would be wrong to pour 30 precious skill points into something like that, for that much alone.

That emotion did not have that much value.

“So I’m going to take ‘War Cry.’”

Just as I said, I selected “War Cry.”

It was a skill that awakened “courage” along with the user’s “roar” and raised attack power and defense power.

I thought it was perfect as the spoils from this battle.

In the fight against a strong foe called the Giant Lizardman, I had encouraged my heart, which had nearly broken, with roars again and again.

Those voices had no effect, but—

It was true that they had continued to support me. Surely a voice had that much power. The power to tear through the darkness of despair and show a single ray of light.

With the skill “War Cry,” it would not only have a mental effect, but would also display a definite effect in terms of numbers.

It would set my heart ablaze and give me courage and strength.

Surely that—

Would illuminate the path I would walk from here on, many times over.

Misha opened her mouth.

“Then, our goal from now on is to get all the highest-tier skills, and the final goal is ‘Sword Saint,’ right!”

“Yeah.”

Sword Saint—huh.

If I recalled correctly, it was a realm one could not reach unless one was at least level 70. It was the highest peak that all warriors admired.

But at the same time, they knew.

That there was no way they could become something like that.

An ordinary adventurer’s limit was level 40, or 50 at best. Even just taking Swordsmanship was “well done.”

But the height called Sword Saint was in a different dimension. It would never be reached by an ordinary person.

That was obvious.

I should not even feel like dreaming—

And yet.

The current me was different. I was an ordinary person, but my skill “Schrödinger’s Cat” embodied that impossibility.

I might be able to reach the height called Sword Saint.

That fact exhilarated my chest.

The infinite possibilities spreading out in my future—my emotions kept rising at the outrageously open world.

I—

“Misha. Let’s work hard. From now on too! Farther and farther ahead!”

“Nishishishi! Of course!”

When we looked at each other, continuing from yesterday, we struck each other’s hands with a paan!

After that, I spent two weeks quietly.

That was to heal the “damage remaining in the core of my body.” Misha said,

“You have to heal properly! You got beaten up a ton by the Giant Lizardman, after all!”

And she became overprotective toward me.

I honestly thought two weeks was too much rest, but… Misha absolutely would not give permission.

Since it could not be helped, I only continued my daily hunt for “alchemy stones” and steadily saved up 110,000 gold every day.

On one such day, after gathering alchemy stones—

I did not return to the inn, but headed to Milmas Weapon Shop.

It was to receive the equipment I had requested to be made.

“We have been waiting for you, Ios-sama.”

The clerk welcomed me with polite movements.

…Apparently, because of my previous purchases, he had finally remembered my name. Also, I felt like his treatment of me had become more polite.

“The item you ordered has arrived. Please wait a moment.”

The clerk brought out a shield from the back of the shop, one whose surface was designed in the shape of scales—a scale shield.

It was a Great Green Scale Shield.

When I defeated the Giant Lizardman, what I picked up with Schrödinger’s Cat was “Great Green Scale Ore.”

Ore became material for making armor.

We had brought the ore to this weapon shop and had them make armor from it.

From here on, we would challenge the D Layer.

It was best to raise my defense as much as possible.

“Thank you.”

I placed the “high-quality large shield” I had carried until now on the counter, then took the scale shield in hand.

My defense power had risen.

The feeling that I had become stronger was irresistible. On top of that, it was my first piece of armor, made from ore I had obtained myself.

From the monster I had struggled so much to defeat.

A heat like a fever scorched my chest. To think defeating an enemy and becoming stronger from it would feel this good.

I could become even stronger.

If I did that, I could hunt even stronger monsters.

Normally, one could not obtain rare ore so easily, but—

My Schrödinger’s Cat reliably obtained ore.

Not just skills.

Even in terms of equipment, I could become stronger at an absurd speed.

That imagination set my heart ablaze. How far could I go? How far would the skill “Schrödinger’s Cat” take me?

Truly, truly—

The world spreading out before me was filled with radiance.

“Thank you. It’s good equipment.”

“Not at all. Above all, I am glad that you are pleased.”

The clerk bowed respectfully.

Then his eyes shifted smoothly to the high-quality large shield.

“Shall we take that off your hands?”

“Yeah, right… please.”

After saying that, I left Milmas Weapon Shop.

The preparations were complete.

At last—

The attack on the D Layer would begin.