Page Title

481: Kindred Spirits and the Hypothesis of Transfer

 

"Aah! I lost!"

 

Breathing heavily, Frey lay sprawled out on the training ground, shouting. Hilda's wooden sword was pointed at her throat.

 

"It seems Hilda-dono is still better," Yae muttered with a slight sigh of relief. Well, as a parent, it's natural not to want to lose.

 

Besides, thanks to the wedding ring given by the World God, I have powers close to those of the subordinate gods. I shouldn't lose to anyone other than the gods...

 

"Still... It's impressive how many weapons you had."

 

Looking at the mountain of training weapons scattered around Frey, I couldn't help but be a bit amazed.

 

Wooden swords, wooden blades, practice spears, and even large mallets were scattered around, probably close to a hundred. Just like Musashibou Benkei.

 

Frey uses her [Storage] by utilizing [Apports], a spell to draw items to her.

 

Small crystals are embedded in the palms of Frey's gauntlets and the handles of her weapons. When she channels magic through them, they momentarily attract each other like magnets due to the [Apports] spell infused with divine energy. This allows Frey to instantly summon weapons from her [Storage] without the need for verbal incantation, but I hadn't realized she had so many.

 

[Storage] functions like a warehouse; if organized properly, items can be retrieved easily, but if it's messy, one might occasionally pull out the wrong item.

 

Yes, I also make mistakes when I'm in a hurry... I should probably organize it sometime... Well, my situation isn't the main issue here.

 

Frey likely has a mental map of where each weapon is stored. Is it numbered? Or sorted by type?

 

I wonder how many weapons she actually has. She can accurately retrieve the appropriate weapon depending on the situation, which is quite impressive.

 

Frey continuously pulled out various weapons to challenge Hilda, but Hilda skillfully handled each one.

 

From what I saw, Frey could use all the weapons to some extent, but she didn't seem to be particularly skilled with any specific one. Given her combat style, that might be inevitable.

 

She's not specialized, but she is versatile. Being able to adapt to various situations is a form of strength.

 

"Mom is still stronger."

 

"Frey, you're strong too. Hold your head high. You're my daughter, after all."

 

"Hehe, I'm pretty strong too!"

 

Hilda helped Frey up, and Frey hugged her. It seems they've become quite close.

 

"Your Majesty... Who is that child?"

 

"Um, a relative of mine, I suppose?"

 

"Your Majesty's relative... That explains it..."

 

Juutarou-san, who had been intimidated by Frey's strength, seemed to accept this explanation easily. Hmm. Let's not overthink this.

 

"You did well. Your fighting style is interesting. How many weapons do you have?"

 

"In addition to the weapons my father made, I have many more. I've collected a lot from dungeons and ruins. The ones not suitable for combat are displayed in my room."

 

Frey answered Anju-nee's question. A room full of weapons... Is that really suitable for a girl her age?

 

The weapons not suitable for combat are probably ceremonial swords with elaborate decorations or ones with low durability.

 

"Oh! Father, Father! There's a place I want to go!"

 

"Father?"

 

Shouting, Frey came running towards me. Juutarou-san looked puzzled, but let's ignore that for now.

 

A place she wants to go? For Kuhn, it was Babylon, but maybe she wants to visit a weapon shop? Or perhaps the Dwarves' smithy?

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

"It's amazing! A hammer that unleashes lightning! And the design is so cool!"

 

"Oh! You recognize it!? You have a keen eye!"

 

Admiring the weapons displayed in the room, a girl and a muscular man were both sparkling with excitement.

 

Who else could it be but my daughter from the future and the King of the Magic Kingdom of Felsen.

 

Frey had begged to be brought to this weapon collection room of King Felsen.

 

Here, weapons owned by various historical figures, heroes, and noble thieves from around the world are displayed.

 

I didn't expect her to want to come here.

 

"Is this the demon sword Bloodis used by the tyrant Rastli!? And this scar... could it be!?"

 

"Ooh, you noticed the scar! Yes! That scar was made by this holy sword Falsias, once owned by the wise emperor Fars! Impressive, isn't it!"

 

"It's amazing! Both the demon sword and the holy sword are here! It's so moving!"

 

They're getting along quite well... The sight of a small girl and a muscular old man excitedly discussing weapons is quite surreal.

 

"Did we make a mistake in her education...?"

 

"Well... Having a hobby makes life more interesting, so I think it's fine."

 

I offered words of comfort to Hilda, who was looking at Frey with a very complicated expression.

 

Having a daughter who's a weapon enthusiast is quite unusual, after all.

 

"This is the first time I've seen him get along with someone so well. He's so excited."

 

Elysia-san, King Felsen's fiancée, laughed cheerfully.

 

Elysia-san is the second princess of the Regulus Empire, Rue's second sister.

 

They're busy preparing for their wedding, which is a few months away. They are using our wedding as a reference and are currently busy with various preparations.

 

Speaking of which, 'Fashion King Zanac' mentioned that he received an order for a wedding dress from the Kingdom of Felsen.

 

The wedding dresses we wore at our wedding became quite popular, and orders poured in once people found out they were made by Zanac.

 

Zanac quickly set up a wedding dress department and is now very busy. It's good for business.

 

"Since she is His Majesty's relative, that makes her a distant relative of ours as well."

 

"Ha... Well, you could say that..."

 

All I could manage was a strained smile in response to Elysia-san's words.

 

Since she's Rue's sister, Elysia-san is my sister-in-law. That makes her not a distant relative but an actual aunt to Frey.

 

It's all quite complicated... Frey also has a real uncle, the current King of Restia.

 

"By the way, Your Majesty. About the golems in the new world... the western continent, can't they be manufactured here?"

 

"Golems? Factory-made ones without special abilities can be made, but the G-Cube for power and the Q-Crystal for the brain is still impossible. They require skilled techniques and rare metals."

 

Especially the Q-Crystal, which is difficult. According to the professor, it's a collection of the golem's behavior program. The base principles are engraved with magic inscriptions, then they branch out into different types. This gives the golem its personality or individuality.

 

Each country's factories consider these secrets valuable assets, so they don't reveal them easily. Well, we have Elka the technician who managed to create them, though.

 

"I see... That's disappointing..."

 

Oh dear, Elysia-oneesama looks quite downcast.

 

Oh, right, this onee-sama originally came to Felsen to study magic engineering. During her studies, she caught the eye of the King of Felsen.

 

She's always been interested in magic artifacts and such.

 

"Oh, but we do have golem parts. I think we have G-Cubes and Q-Crystals too..."

 

"R-really!? Please show me!"

 

Elysia-san, who had been feeling down, suddenly came towards me with sparkling eyes. Too close. Too close, Onee-sama.

 

Since we couldn't display it in the collection room, we moved to the courtyard of Felsen Castle.

 

In the open space, I took out the remains of the golem that the Hell Gaia bandits had from my [Storage].

 

"My, my, my! Are these golem parts?"

 

"Yes, they are. Um… this. This regular cube housed in the chest is the G-Cube. And this crystal with grooves carved into it inside the head is the Q-Crystal."

 

I pried open the remains and pointed out the G-Cube and Q-Crystal. Elysia-san was examining the surrounding structures with great interest.

 

"The magic circuits come from here to here… I see. Huh? But if they interfere with the ether line here, this part won't move…"

 

Muttering to herself, Elysia-san was checking something on the golem parts. Her eyes looked different...

 

"Elysia is an excellent magic engineer. She was involved in the magic train built at our place. Elysia is definitely one of the top five engineers in Felsen."

 

"No way!? Seriously...!"

 

The King of Felsen explained to me, who was a bit taken aback. Is she really that skilled? I'm a little surprised.

 

Though she probably doesn't surpass Dr. Babylon or Engineer Elka, she's still impressive. For the Kingdom of Felsen, she's indeed a priceless talent, fitting to be their queen.

 

"It seems like she'll have a lot to talk about with Kuhn-chan."

 

Indeed. As Frey said, Kuhn would probably get along well with someone from the technical field.

 

"Excuse me, Duke! Could you possibly let me have the G-Cube and Q-Crystal… no, all of these golem parts?"

 

"Huh?"

 

Elysia-san asked with an intense fervor.

 

Since the fusion of worlds, golem technology and other such things have started flowing from the former underground world to the former surface world, as the Leaflease Kingdom and Panaches Kingdom became connected. While the western countries of the eastern continent, like Leaflease, Belfast, Lianea, and Paruf, can benefit from this, it's difficult for the eastern countries like Felsen. So, I can understand why Elysia-san would want them.

 

Since these were taken from bandits, I guess it's fine. It's not like they're ancient Legacy units.

 

As I thought about it, perhaps thinking I was hesitating, the King of Felsen also pleaded.

 

"Please, Duke Brunhild. I'll pay you properly, and if necessary, I'll even part with some of my collection..."

 

No, I don't need that.

 

But, Frey was looking at me with sparkling eyes from behind him. Huh? You want it? Ugh...

 

"Alright. Then please give one of your collection pieces to her. That'll be the payment."

 

"Hooray! I did it! I love you, Father!"

 

Frey hugged me tightly. Is this too lenient...? I really can't laugh at Ende's doting anymore.

 

"Father?"

 

"Oh, please don't mind it."

 

Hilda waved her hand at the two who tilted their heads with a wry smile.

 

"Now that it's decided, let's go pick one!"

 

"Wait a minute! I'm the one who'll choose! There are some things I can't part with!"

 

Frey dashed towards the collection room again, with the King of Felsen hurriedly chasing after her. They really get along well.

 

"Hehe. If I analyze this, we might be able to make golems in Felsen too. I'm excited!"

 

Elysia-san was looking at the G-Cube and Q-Crystal she had removed with a beaming smile. I secretly felt a bit uneasy about the future of the Felsen royal family.

 

　　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

 

"Frey Onee-chan, long time no see! Have you been well?"

 

"I'm good! I'm glad to see you looking well too, Alice!"

 

At the café "Parente," Frey and Alice, who had reunited, high-fived each other.

 

Kuhn, who was also there, didn't join them and was peeking under the tablecloth.

 

"What are you doing, Kuhn-chan?"

 

"Just checking something."

 

"Even the queens don't do that anymore, I think."

 

Alice, who knew the reason for Kuhn's actions, said so. Kuhn also understood. Just to be sure.

 

After confirming there was nothing, Kuhn sat back on the chair and sipped the tea on the table.

 

However, her gaze was fixed on a black curved dagger placed on the table.

 

"So, Frey Onee-sama? What is that dangerous object?"

 

"I'm glad you asked! This is the phantom blade 'Shadow Edge,' a magical sword used by the righteous thief Medius from the Regulus Empire two hundred years ago!"

 

"Another strange weapon..."

 

Kuhn looked at her sister, who was explaining excitedly, with a cold eye. This sister had a weakness for unusual weapons and armor. It wasn't the first or second time she had brought back cursed weapons from the dungeon island.

 

Usually bright and with a strong sense of justice, her sister would turn into a fool when it came to unusual weapons and armor.

 

Kuhn was the same with magic tools, so she couldn't really criticize. In this regard, they were very much alike.

 

"The hilt and blade are both black, huh? It has a strange magical aura. Does it have any unique abilities?"

 

"Exactly! The Shadow Edge has a unique characteristic! Watch this!"

 

Answering Alice, Frey unhesitatingly stabbed the jet-black knife into the table.

 

It was, after all, the store's table. This alarmed the other two. What if they got banned from the store? They wouldn't be able to eat Parente's sweets anymore.

 

However, the jet-black blade protruded from a different spot on the table. The blade spanned the distance between Frey's raised left hand and its shadow.

 

The knife stabbed into the elbow part of the shadow, with its blade protruding from the shadow's fingertip.

 

"Is this... teleportation magic?"

 

"That's right! Shadow Edge can extend its blade to anywhere within the same shadow! There are detailed conditions like range and visibility, but still."

 

Kuhn quickly realized the sword's terror. A blade that could pierce through shadows. Without knowing its ability, it could certainly take someone by surprise.

 

As long as there was a shadow connected to the opponent's shadow, it could even attack from beneath their feet. It was a terrifying weapon suited for assassination.

 

"Yakumo Onee-sama also uses a similar technique..."

 

"That's cheating, using [Gate] to transfer just the blade. Yakumo Onee-chan only uses that in 'anything goes' situations though."

 

Alice looked at the two of them with a displeased expression. Yakumo, one of the sisters in question, was fundamentally serious and valued honesty and fairness, so she didn't favor techniques that bordered on sneak attacks.

 

However, just because she didn't favor them didn't mean she wouldn't use them. Both her parents had told her to use such techniques without hesitation when necessary.

 

While fairness was important, they also emphasized not getting the order of priorities wrong.

 

One shouldn't place their small pride above the things that absolutely must be protected.

 

Frey was the same; in the spirit of chivalry, she would employ tactics that might be considered cowardly, depending on the time and place. Brunhild's chivalry wasn't about protecting one's own pride.

 

When Yakumo was mentioned, Alice seemed to remember something and looked at Kuhn.

 

"By the way, Kuhn Onee-chan, you mentioned something about the order we came here during our phone call. What did you mean by that?"

 

"Oh, that. It's just a hypothesis, but do you remember when we were hit by the dimensional quake?"

 

"Of course. At that time, the 'core' of that thing went out of control—"

 

Frey looked up as if recalling the moment. She wouldn't forget that 'moment when time stopped.'

 

"Remember where we were at that time. Where was Yakumo Onee-sama?"

 

"Uh, I think she was with me?"

 

Alice answered Kuhn's question.

 

"Try to remember exactly. Who was in front?"

 

"Huh? Who was in front... Hmm... Oh, Yakumo Onee-chan was in front. She was about to jump forward at that moment..."

 

"Then who was in front of Yakumo Onee-sama?"

 

"In front of her were Kuhn Onee-chan and Frey Onee-chan. Did you forget?"

 

"Oh! Could it be...!"

 

Frey seemed to realize something and raised her voice. Her sister nodded slightly in response.

 

"Yes. Alice, who was farthest from the 'core,' was the first to come to this world from the past. Then Yakumo Onee-sama, then me, and finally Frey Onee-sama."

 

"...? Oh, I get it! We're coming here in order of our distance from the 'core' when the dimensional quake happened!"

 

Alice finally arrived at the correct answer and raised her voice as well.

 

"It's just a hypothesis, so we don't know if it's correct."

 

"Which means the next ones to appear here would be..."

 

Frey recalled the two people who were in front of her at that time. Those two were almost in the same place, or rather, they were stuck together. Those two were particularly close among the sisters. Given that their mothers were sisters, it was only natural.

 

Kuhn also remembered. Her two younger sisters, Erna and Rinne, who were in front of them.