Slime Reincarnation

"Sir Yabe, you sure ordered quite a lot of these."

We’d received fifty sasumata, whatever the blacksmith had managed to finish today.

"Yeah, they’re a gift for Krelia, captain of the capital guard. It’s just the right weapon for holding back the thugs currently trying to destabilize public order in the capital. Great for striking, great for pinning down, a real all rounder."

I said this with a smile, gripping one of the sasumata.

"The way the curved and straight sections of the pole are joined uses techniques of my own craft. Quite an interesting weapon, honestly."

Goldin, the dwarven blacksmith, seemed genuinely impressed. Without needing the skilled work of tempering a blade, he’d been instructed to form the iron into a hollow pipe shape, keeping it cylindrical for strength. The semicircular curved tip was designed to pin an opponent down.

"Mind if my workshop makes these too?"

"Hm? Ah, sure, go right ahead."

"Are you sure? This was your idea, wasn’t it, Sir Yabe?"

I wasn’t bothered by the Coluna Frontier Count’s concern either.

"I don’t care about rights or royalties on this kind of thing. Better to have good tools spread around as widely as possible."

"You really are a man with no greed at all, Sir Yabe."

Honestly, I’m plenty greedy! I just don’t fully understand the rules of rights and royalties in this world, and it’s more trouble than it’s worth to bother with.

"You’ve got quite a spirit about you. I like it. You ordered two hundred of these, I’ll knock a bit off the price for you."

"Oh, that’s much appreciated!"

"I can manage about fifty a day for delivery, hope that’s alright. If you’ve got other requests, feel free to ask me anything. I’ll do what I can to help."

"Can you handle weapons with magic enchantments too?"

"Costs more, but it’s not impossible. Depends on the type of magic stone and what kind of enchantment you want."

"I’d like a halberd, a bit over two meters, with a powerful offensive magic enchantment."

Goldin stroked his prized beard, thinking it over.

"I’ve got fire stones and wind stones on hand, could work fire based magic attacks and explosive magic attacks into a halberd, maybe?"

"Oh, that sounds great! Let’s do that."

"You sure? Using two magic stones for a high quality halberd, that’ll run you seven or eight hundred gold coins."

"That’s fine, go for it."

"Ha ha ha, I like a man with that kind of nerve."

"Then I’ll leave it to you."

"Understood."

I shook Goldin’s hand firmly and left the shop.

That night, after returning to the Coluna Frontier Count’s residence and finishing dinner, we gathered in the living room at Fenberg’s invitation. Fenberg, his daughter Luciana chan, and his wife Flora san. Myself, along with Irina, Sarina, Fileontina, and Rina.

"Even so, I really can’t thank you enough, Sir Yabe. The Coluna Frontier Count household’s military strength has ended up being evaluated as absolutely tremendous."

Fenberg said this with a wry laugh.

"What do you mean?"

"Right now we’ve got plenty of your tamed wolf fang tribe resting in the garden, and Gerdon does intense training against them every morning. People who come to visit end up seeing all of it."

Apparently the halberd Gerdon swung around during training, too fast for the eye to follow, had become quite the talk of the town. And the wolf fangs effortlessly dodging that same untrackable halberd had also become a topic of conversation.

Rumors were apparently spreading that people of such extraordinary caliber were all gathered at the Coluna Frontier Count’s household.

"So, quite a lot of people have started reaching out to me lately. Well, some of those turned out to be useful connections, so I’m grateful in a way."

"Glad to hear I could be of some use, at least."

I took a sip of the tea the butler had brought.

"Now then, let’s discuss the important matter. When I had my outfit fitted at the castle, I also had a meeting with Chancellor Reberg. Confirming the flow of the audience with the king."

"How’s that going to work?"

"Only you, Sir Yabe, will step before the king, but I’ve gotten permission for the rest to stand behind you. So I’ve confirmed that Lady Irina and everyone else will all be present at the audience together."

"Fuoo! Can Rina meet the king together with Mashter too!"

Rina raised her hand excitedly, asking.

"Indeed, Lady Rina will get to meet the king too! We’ll need to make sure you’re properly dressed up for it."

"Yesh, ma’am!"

Rina answered energetically.

"There’s a reward planned for you, Sir Yabe. The offer was to grant you the title of baron and hope you’d accept it..."

"I’ll decline."

"Thought as much. There are plenty of people who’d love to become nobles, you know."

"Indeed, my husband. Isn’t being granted a title an honor?"

"It’s not something I need. I don’t think I’d be able to fulfill that kind of obligation properly anyway."

I didn’t budge even at Fileontina’s remark.

"Hmm, nobility does come with its own obligations, that’s true... honestly, if you want to become a noble, you could just marry me... mumble mumble."

Irina’s voice trailed off toward the end, too quiet to make out.

"I’d be grateful if you’d become my vassal, personally."

"Somehow that feels like a step down from being a guest, doesn’t it?"

Fenberg gave a wry laugh at my own wry remark.

"Come to think of it, that’s true. That probably wouldn’t sound very appealing to you, Lord Yabe."

Flora san, his wife, laughed along too.

"So then, the question remains what to do about the reward from the king."

"I don’t really need anything, honestly. If we have to settle on something, gold coins are fine."

"That’s probably the safest choice."

Fenberg murmured this while sipping his tea.

"By the way, about tomorrow, I’d like to request a visit to Baron Harknar’s former wife."

"Right, I’ve already arranged for advance notice. Not from me, but through my vassal, Viscount Korzea."

"That’s a relief."

Tomorrow meant another day making rounds through the capital. And based on everything I’d gathered so far, I’d need to figure out how to deal with the people cooking up something dangerous. ...Though I’m no assassin or hired gun. I can’t exactly go crush them before they’ve made a move. I set about working out tomorrow’s plans in my head.