Arrival

Previously, when I had Miria-san rejoin the rest of the Dark Elves, I had given her a non-fruit-bearing type of World Tree as a landmark.

And in fact, that World Tree had been planted in the settlement Miria-san and the others used to live in, just in case something ever happened.

I had meant it as a precaution, thinking that someday in the future I would probably turn my attention farther north… but I never imagined I would be using it this soon.

Using Group Transfer Between Trees, we flew to the former settlement site.

This time, the members were me, Nadja, Aira, Miria-san, and Lulu-san—the five of us.

Since Group Transfer Between Trees could not transfer anyone other than humans, we decided to transfer to the World Tree first and then walk north under Miria-san and Lulu-san’s guidance.

The Wood Golems deployed around us were carrying saplings of the World Tree in flowerpots, and the Tree Barrier repelled the sand, so the journey was comfortable as well.

“Hmm, somehow this feeling is nostalgic too.”

“It is, isn’t it… Back then it was just the two of us, but now we have become quite a large group.”

“Of course we have! Even if Woody were exiled to the desert, he is not the sort of man who would just end there!”

N-Nadja’s expectations are heavy…

When I answered that she was right, she must have taken heart from it, because she immediately started swinging her sword around enthusiastically.

“Come to think of it, were the swords you and the others use made by dwarves?”

“Y-yes. We Dark Elves had no ironworking technology, so we traded things like monster materials and animal pelts for them.”

“Could you let me see one?”

“Yes, of course.”

Miria-san was a master of physical enhancement, and even without using a sword, she possessed more than enough combat ability.

So she did not actually carry a sword that often.

Apparently, since she could not apply physical enhancement to a sword, she was basically stronger fighting barehanded.

She did use a sword depending on her compatibility with the opponent, but when we first met, she had not been carrying one because the smell of blood would attract monsters.

Miria-san drew the sword from its scabbard.

The blade, gleaming as it reflected the strong sunlight, had a shape very similar to a single-edged sword I had seen before.

It was shaped a lot like the sword Akabane-san carried.

Umm, what was it called again…?

“Could that be… a katana?”

“Yes, that is what the dwarf craftsman called it as well. Could it be that Woody-sama is also well versed in bladed weapons?”

“No, I just saw one in the family armory…”

“Is that not obvious!? Woody-sama’s mind’s eye sees through all things in the world, so asking such an obvious question is disrespectful to Woody-sama!”

“T-this was—my apologies!”

For some reason, Aira was puffing out her chest with a smug look, while Miria-san bowed her head apologetically.

Watching that, I did my best to ignore the way my already aching stomach had started twisting even more, and fixed my gaze on the sword.

“How about the durability of that sword?”

“It has been more than half a year since I began using it, but so far it has not shown any signs of wear. I maintain it carefully, of course, but it withstands quite a lot of rough use.”

“Oho, that is fairly impressive…”

Bladed weapons were basically consumable goods.

Even if they were maintained, lasting half a year was, I thought, pretty good.

Then what about the sharpness… I thought, so I had her cut a dead branch I had pruned, and it split cleanly in two with a smooth motion, like a knife passing through butter.

That was considerable sharpness and durability… the performance was far higher than I had expected.

In fact, it might even have been too high.

The dwarves at Magros Volcano might have been much more skilled in swordsmithing than I had imagined.

“That said, this was apparently a special piece made with various monster materials worked into it as well, so I do not think ordinary mass-produced swords would perform this well.”

“Yeah, the swords the other Dark Elves use often just snap in half pretty normally.”

I see, so in other words, they could handle both high-end one-of-a-kind pieces and mass-produced swords…

That made me want to win those dwarves over even more.

If I asked them, maybe they would make a beautifully patterned katana just for me.

Cool bladed weapons really did stir a man’s heart, no matter how old he got…

After continuing onward for some time after that.

If we wanted to, we could have had Miria-san and the others carry World Trees while walking, but this time I was the one in the position of doing the recruiting.

I felt it would not be right to cut corners like that, so though it was a little tough, we walked through the desert over the course of several days.

That said, things were different now from when I had first arrived here.

We decided that from sunrise until so late at night that the moonlight made our footing uncertain, we would walk as far as we could, then plant a tree there and use Group Transfer Between Trees to return.

That way, everyone could at least sleep soundly in their own homes at night.

The distance was much longer than I had expected.

Even while taking a day off from time to time and dealing each day with unfamiliar exchanges with people from merchant guilds I had appointments with as the lord, we advanced steadily day after day.

And so, after one month of progressing like that.

At last, we could see mountains in the distance.

Whew, thank goodness… it was not so far away that it would become too late to matter.

That said, it still looked like there was a long way to go, but if there was a place to reach, then I could keep going.

“We can finally see it… Compared to before, the difference is like heaven and earth.”

“Back then we brought only an elite group and risked our lives, after all.”

Miria-san and Lulu-san looked off somewhere far away.

Apparently, when they had previously gone to the dwarves’ settlement to have swords forged, it had been quite an ordeal, and remembering that time made their expressions turn bitter.

“And yet this time, not only have there been no injuries, there is hardly any fatigue left at all. That too is thanks to Woody-sama. Truly, thank you very much.”

“No, no, when someone is in trouble, we help each other.”

“When Woody-sama says that, it almost sounds sarcastic…”

Lulu-san said that with a wry smile.

Miria-san and Nadja wore much the same expression.

…Really?

I meant it sincerely.

They had helped me many times when I was in trouble.

Besides, for someone with power to use it was the duty of a noble.

“Alright, just one more push. Let’s do our best!”

“““Ohhh!!”””

And so, after walking for one full day more.

Around the time the sun was setting and the color of the sky shifted from orange to blue, we safely arrived at Magros Volcano—.