Hana’s Weapon

As Vim sat on the sofa, lost in thought, Hana came downstairs.

“Oh. How are you feeling? Is your condition okay?”

“Yes, Master Vim. Since you healed me, I actually feel better than I ever have before.”

“Glad to hear it. Anyway, take a seat.”

Vim gestured for her to sit on the sofa opposite him.

“Understood.”

With that, Hana sat down.

“First off, I want you to help me with my work from now on. Of course, I’ll pay you a reward consistent with your efforts. Can you fight?”

“Eh? I get to receive money too?” Hana’s expression went blank with surprise.

“You’re working, so of course you do. I intend to distribute the rewards properly.”

“Thank you so much! I’m confident with a one-handed sword!”

“That helps a lot.”

Since Vim’s combat style relied heavily on magic, having a companion who could move on the front lines was a huge relief.

“Then, let’s head out right away to find you a sword. Also, do you have any other clothes?”

“This is the only outfit I have,” Hana said, looking down at her current clothes.

“Alright, let’s buy a few changes of clothes, too. Wait just a moment.”

Vim stood up. He called out to James, who was just outside the living room.

“Is there a weapons shop around here?”

“There is indeed. I shall write down the details for you now.”

James pulled a notebook from the inner pocket of his tailcoat and began writing fluidly with a pen.

“It is here, sir.”

He tore the page out and handed it over. It contained an address and a simple map. If he had drawn it that quickly, his skills were borderline otherworldly; the map was remarkably precise.

“Thanks. You’re always a big help.”

“I am honored, sir.”

Vim tucked the memo into his pocket. From the looks of it, the shop wasn’t very far. It was further proof of how excellent the location of this mansion truly was. He returned to the living room with the note.

“Sorry for the wait. Shall we go?” Vim said to Hana, who was waiting on the sofa.

“Yes!”

Hana stood up.

“I’m heading out for a bit,” Vim called to Aria, who was in the garden.

“Understood. Please take care.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Upon leaving the mansion, they decided to head to the weapons shop first. Following James’s map, they soon found a shop with a weapon merchant’s sign.

“This is the place.”

Vim pulled open the heavy door of the shop.

“Welcome!”

As they entered, the voice of a man—presumably the owner—boomed out. The shop wasn’t particularly large, but a quick glance suggested the selection was impeccable.

“Looking for something specific?”

“Yeah. I want a one-handed sword for this girl.” Vim gave Hana’s back a light nudge.

“Ho, for the little lady? I’m Marcus, the owner here. Nice to meet ya.”

“Ah, yes. I’m Vim Abel.”

“I knew it. I could tell from your aura you weren’t an ordinary guy.” Marcus looked Vim squarely in the face.

“So you know who I am.”

“Of course. You’re the world-renowned S-rank adventurer. I’m honored to have someone like you use my shop.”

It was becoming clear that the name Vim Abel had spread throughout the entire country.

“But why did you think I wasn’t ‘ordinary’?” Vim had intended to suppress his aura as much as possible.

“Well, when you work with adventurers as long as I have, you just start to sense things. You can tell someone’s real strength.”

Apparently, it was an intuitive thing.

“I see. Anyway, about the lady’s sword.”

“Right, right. Hold on a second.”

Marcus went behind the counter.

“I don’t keep these out on the floor, but since you’re the companion of an S-ranker, these should be about right.”

He lined up several swords on the counter.

“U-um, may I try holding them?” Hana asked hesitantly.

“Naturally. Whether it fits your hand or not is the most important part.”

“Then, starting with this one…”

Hana began taking the swords one by one, giving them practice swings to test the feel.

“Oho, those are some clean swings.” Marcus seemed impressed by her form.

“Thank you very much.”

Having finished her assessment, Hana put the swords down.

“Don’t worry about the price,” Vim said. “Choose based on what you’ll be using for the long haul.”

“I understand!”

To be honest, it would be a problem if she chose a mediocre sword just because of the price.

“Then, I’ll go with this one.” Hana pointed to the sword in the middle.

“Much obliged!”

Marcus put the other swords away and handed the chosen one to Hana.

“How much?”

“Two gold coins.”

“Here.”

Vim pulled the gold coins from his pocket and placed them on the counter.

“Exactly right. Stop by again if you need anything else. I’ll give you a discount next time.”

“Y-yes. Thank you very much.”

With that, they left the weapons shop. Hana held the sword as if it were a precious treasure.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes! Thank you so much for such an expensive item!”

Vim realized that for Hana, who had been a slave, a sword worth two gold coins was a fortune. Even though the law technically guaranteed a certain standard of living for slaves, the reality was that those protections weren’t always followed. A slave’s position was incredibly precarious.

“Alright, clothes next.”

“Understood!”

Vim then headed toward the clothing shop.