The Tale of A Man Who Believed That His Reincarnation Had Granted Him A Japanese Sword And The Greatest Battle Sense, Only To Have The God Finally Inform Him "Huh, I Didn't Give You Any Combat Sense… That's Scary…" - Episode 32

“Woo-woo! Look, look, hurry up! This person, this person! This beautiful lady! She was really here, right?”

“This guy is surprising. I can’t believe the woman Rogos mentioned actually exists. And yet, this guy, with such a seemingly innocent face, managed to bring a woman on the first day. Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Woof woof! Dad! What are you going to do with the woman you brought home?”

“Alright, you little ones. Go play outside. I’ll talk with this big brother.”

In the drowsiness, I heard someone’s voice. Then I heard the sound of someone leaving the room, and my consciousness began to surface from the drowsiness.

Waking up from the bed, I looked around the room with sleepy eyes and saw Himehiko, slightly disheveled in her kimono, breathing steadily right next to me. Then, I locked eyes with Jin-san, who was sitting in the corner of the room, staring intently at me.

“Yo, sleepyhead. It’s almost noon. …So, do you have anything to say? Keep it brief, please.”

Jin-san. Hashihime. Jin-san. Hashihime. After alternating glances several times, they gently drape the crumpled blanket on the bed over Hashihime.

“No, no, that’s impossible. You can’t hide it; we’ve all seen her perfectly well, me and the triplets too. Where on earth did you bring such a beauty from?”

“No, that’s not it… It’s not like I brought him in or anything… I just can’t think of any excuses at all…”

I ended up being seen in a situation that could easily lead to misunderstandings by the host I’ll be staying with for the next month…!

No, that’s not it. I was thinking of waking up a bit early and having Hashihime take on the form of a katana so that Jin-san and the others wouldn’t get the wrong idea. But it seems like I was a bit more tired than I thought and ended up sleeping soundly. To be honest, I did wake up once but might have dozed off again.

“Hehehe… no, sorry. I know you didn’t bring a one-night stand from outside.”

Mr. Jin, feeling unable to hold back any longer, chuckled a little, stood up from his chair, and walked over to the bed.

“The youngest of the triplets, the one who goes ‘woo-woo,’ has been saying since yesterday that there’s a beautiful lady near you. I told him to go check it out if he’s curious, and when Rogos peeked into your room to clean it for the guests… well, you get the idea.”

“Rogos-chan, the triplet, did you see the bridge princess who had turned into a katana in human form?”

“Japan? Hashihime? …I see, this seems to be quite a heavy secret. But, well, if you’re human and alive, there are always some things you can’t share with others. Don’t worry about it.”

Jin-san, sitting up on the bed, lightly tapped my shoulder, which was freezing up in thought. Jin-san then showed me a peace sign made with his index and middle fingers in front of my face.

“Well, I won’t pry into your secrets. I won’t dig too deep into your girlfriend either. We’ve got our own things to deal with. However, I’ll charge you for two people’s lodging.”

Jin-san simply said that and left the room. Phew, I’m so glad Jin-san is a good person. If I had been asked about Hashihime in detail, I would have had trouble answering myself, and if by any chance Hashihime’s situation got to Laila-san or Utsuho-san, it wouldn’t just be a matter of asking questions anymore. It would be an interrogation, an interrogation. I’d definitely be cornered.

“Mm… uhh… are you…?”

When I looked towards the bed, Hashihime was languidly waking up, as if to expose her chest, with her hands clasped together.

“Good morning, Hashihime.”

“……..Yes, good morning, sir.”

“The innkeeper and his triplets found out about Hashihime.”

“Oh my, my. Well, well… I never imagined that the people of this foreign land would come to know that we are a couple bound by an unbreakable, true bond of fate…”

No, it’s not like everyone knows we’re a couple… Well, since Hashihime seems happy, I guess there’s no need to deny it.

After consulting with Hashihime, who was still groggy from just waking up, we concluded that if I could take on a human form within this inn, it would be fine to live as a human while keeping the circumstances from being too obvious.

I put the sword belt away in the closet, took out a dozen or so gold coins from the living expenses pouch given by Lyra, and tossed the pouch into the bottom drawer of the desk in the room. Dressed in the clothes from the laundry basket in the hallway, I took the hand of the beautiful bridge princess, who was wearing a kimono made of white and pink fabric, and headed downstairs.

In the tavern on the first floor, there were about four male customers sitting at their seats, having a late breakfast or an early lunch. As I led Hashihime down to the first floor, the sound of the black wooden clogs she was wearing echoed through the first floor.

As the sound of clogs echoed, on the way to the counter at the very back of the first floor where Jin-san was, all the customers who were eating stopped their meals and were fixated on Hashihime.

“Oh, you two have arrived. … This is quite exotic, isn’t it? I’ve never seen such a beautiful dress before, my lady.”

“You are the owner of the inn, aren’t you? I apologize for the unsightly appearance I showed you earlier. My name is Hashihime, the wife. Please remember me from now on.”

Even from the sidelines, her graceful and elegant demeanor was mesmerizing. Hashihime gently lowered her head, her long cherry blossom-colored hair swaying. Jin-san, following her lead, also bowed his head and scratched his cheek.

“This is quite something, isn’t it? …No, let’s not say anything. Henri, leave two gold coins on the counter and take a seat wherever you like.”

Following Jin’s instructions, I placed the gold coins on the counter and sat down at an empty table with Hashihime. A few minutes later, while savoring the honey toast generously drizzled with honey and tea that had been brought to us, I decided to discuss with Hashihime what we should do until the finals of the swordsmanship tournament.

“Hashihime. Is there anything you want to do? You’ve been working hard with the sword all this time, so if there’s something you want to do during the time until the finals, I want to help you with it.”

“Such, such. You don’t need to worry about what I want to do. The most important thing for me is to closely watch over you as you do what you need to do and what you want to do.”

Things I have to do, things I want to do, huh… Well, if I were to look back on yesterday’s story about the bridge princess and try to find something I have to do, it would be to remember without missing any details what kind of person I was when I met the bridge princess.

When I talk to Hashihime, who adores me so much, I feel really sorry that I can’t vividly remember her and end up speaking with fragmented memories. I feel that if I could just recall my past memories, I would be able to handle the katana more quickly, strongly, and gracefully.

In the future, when I navigate through this world, encountering someone strong like Roga and barely making it through is not ideal at all. You can’t always rely on someone to help you, and it’s not guaranteed that there will be just one person. If I experience various things and cut through different obstacles, maybe the memories of me that the Bridge Princess knows, which are buried deep in my soul, will come back… I hope so.

Speaking of recent events, first we have to defeat Rito, the Knight of Dusk. His remarkable spear skills, the vicious red thorn spear that can destroy an opponent from the inside with just one stab, and the “power to crush an opponent” which he didn’t use against the white monster the other day. Hmm, when I analyze it calmly like this, Rito is really strong.

Especially that magic? power that seems to manipulate gravity, I don’t have an answer for how to deal with it. In the case of Roga, it was just using lightning, so I could read and predict it by making eye contact and cut it down, but when it comes to using such abstract powers, I don’t know what to do. Should I cut gravity?

“Your face, adorned with a most beautiful smile, is truly wonderful. The way you fiercely contemplate how to strike your opponent, it is exactly as it was in the old days.”

“……No way, was I smiling like that?”

“Yes, like a wolf in front of its prey. The corners of his mouth were turned up.”

Hashihime pinched the corners of her mouth, pulled her cheeks with a squishy motion, and raised the corners of her mouth to look at me. So cute. Overwhelmed by her cuteness, I couldn’t help but reach out with both hands and squish her cheeks, squish squish squish.

“Oh, you know, please don’t twist your cheeks like that~”

After savoring the soft cheeks of Hashihime, I finished my meal, returned the dishes to the counter where Jin-san was, and then headed upstairs.

“Speaking of which, Hashihime, it seemed like one of the triplets recognized you as a woman when she saw you in the form of a katana.”

“I remember one of those small, cute wolf triplets, the one named Rogo-su. It seemed like she had a keen sense of smell and was sniffing out my scent, which shouldn’t have been visible, ever since she entered this inn.”

Isn’t Rogos-chan the first resident of this world to notice Hashihime? Those triplets are amazing. Jin-san seems like an ordinary person, but maybe their mother was an incredible magician or had some amazing skills that got passed down.

While talking about how amazing the triplets are, we head back to the room on the second floor and proceed to put on the sword belts we had just put away earlier to get ready to go out.

“Excuse me, where are you headed today?”

“It’s the Adventurers’ Guild. I’m going to explain that the status check magic didn’t work, take on a job that involves something like magic or slaying monsters, and if I have time left, I’ll come back and practice writing.”

“Slaying evil spirits… I think it’s a very good thing. The you I know also used to cut down wicked demons, malevolent spirits, and vengeful apparitions in such a decisive manner.”

The bridge princess knows that I was also slaying monsters. By the way, were there such beings in the previous world too? I mean, the way I’m using it might be wrong, but bl00d is thicker than water, right? No, in my case, it should be said that souls are thicker than bl00d.

As I finished getting ready and looked at Hashihime, she had somehow transformed into a katana and was lying on the bed. Thank you, Hashihime. I probably will get you bloodied again today, but please forgive me. While expressing my gratitude and apology to her in my heart, I sheathed the katana in my belt.

Relying on the memory of yesterday when I went with Rito-san, I proceed along the road bathed in the gentle sunlight towards the Adventurers’ Guild. Moving slightly outward from the center of Redinbara, I pass through the tavern run by the elf woman who detoxed extensively yesterday, and there stood the magnificent Adventurers’ Guild building I had seen yesterday.

At the entrance space on the outer wall surrounding the Adventurers’ Guild, just like yesterday, two guards stood watch.

However, as I passed by with a nod, they did not glare at me as they did yesterday.

“Hello~”

After opening the grand door of the Adventurers’ Guild and stepping into the entrance hall, Kate, dressed in a formal and chic dress with a cardigan, came from the reception counter at the back of the hall.

“Oh, Enri-san… g-greetings. I’m relieved as the person in charge that you came today as well. If you hadn’t come, it would have been a problem for me, you know…”

Kate, speaking with her eyes downcast and fingers fidgeting, explained why the status-checking spell didn’t work on her. Since it wasn’t appropriate to talk about the bridge princess, she gently hinted that it might be due to the blessing she received from the sword she was using.

“I see, the blessing of that rare sword… is it? W-well, we were discussing Mr. Enri’s matter in this morning’s meeting… um…”

Kate, who seemed hesitant to continue, took a guild card out of the pocket of her work uniform. It had my name and age written on it, and in the most prominent place, it boldly stated, “Adventurer Rank: D.”

“I’m so, so sorry! The initial rank is determined by status, so it’s really, really! Sorry, but giving Mr. Enri, who has made it to the finals of the swordsmanship tournament, the lowest rank is very, very! Sorry!”

“It’s the result of the meeting! Because of the meeting, if we don’t know the status, we have to start from the lowest rank… Eek! Please don’t get angry! Please don’t hit me!! I have a precious girlfriend waiting for me at home!!”

While skillfully managing to simultaneously apologize, tremble in fear, and cry, Kate handed over the guild card, visibly shaking with genuine fear.

“I don’t really care about the rating. From my perspective, I’m just grateful that it’s being issued properly.”

“……I-I see… I’m relieved. I thought for sure you’d make me pay with your body, like ‘Hehehe’…”

“Not doing such a thing. That’s something a bad magistrate, a bad landlord, or a bad noble would say.” Someone poked Kate-san’s shoulder, who let out a deep sigh of relief.

“Excuse me, Kate… Is that the person you were talking about?”

The one who touched Kate’s shoulder was a blonde girl. She was about 150 centimeters tall, with well-groomed, wheat-colored hair braided and hanging down to her chest, and she had a kind-looking face. She wore a large hat with a pointed brim on top of her head, known as a witch hat, and at first glance, she looked like a classic witch.

“……….. Ms. Alice… Ah, yes, yes, that’s right. Ms. Enri, this woman here is Ms. Alice, a C-rank adventurer.”

As if remembering, Ms. Kate began to speak, and the girl she called Alice politely bowed her head with her hands clasped in front of her. Thanks to the corporate slave reflexes carried over from my previous life, I also returned a slight bow. So, Alice is a C-rank adventurer, huh? I wonder what happened to her.

“The issuance of the guild card has been completed, so I thought it would be good for you to actually experience the entire process from accepting a quest to reporting its completion… Since many adventurers have their quirks, I asked Alice, who is the most reasonable and cooperative, for her help…”

I see. So it’s like a tutorial for the quest. Indeed, having someone assist you and learn the flow from start to finish is quite helpful.

“You’re that Enri-san who made it to the finals of the swordsmanship tournament, right? I’m Alice Ail! I’m registered as an adventurer, just in case, as a magician.”

While swaying her witch hat, she directed a friendly, bright smile towards me. A witch, huh? So the hat she’s wearing is a real witch hat, then. I lowered my gaze from the witch hat and looked at her outfit.

She is wearing a cream-colored cape over a sturdy-looking white blouse, and from the waist down, she has a long skirt with several belts hanging down. The belts hold small flasks filled with contents, and glossy black boots peek out from under the skirt.

“I was thinking that I need someone to teach me how to take on quests and stuff. Kate-san, Alice-san, thank you for everything.”
“Uh, um… Well then, Alice-san, I’ll leave the rest to you… Please make sure to handle it properly…”

After Ms. Kate bowed repeatedly to Ms. Alice, she returned to the counter. After watching Ms. Kate walk away, I turned to Ms. Alice, intending to ask her various questions.

“Whoa!! Is that Enri over there?!”

“Hey Leo! Stop it already!”

Clang! Clang! The sound of metal parts clashing echoed as a man came running. Following him, a woman also ran over, as if to stop the man who was ahead.

The person who came here was a man in his early twenties with dark brown hair, wearing a metal breastplate and shoulder guards with numerous scars. He had a well-worn sword hanging from his waist.

The woman who arrived late, out of breath, was wearing a hat and robe very similar to Alice’s, and in one hand, she held a wooden staff adorned with decorations often seen in RPGs. Additionally, slightly faded blonde hair extended down to her waist from under her hat.

“Whoa! Amazing, it’s the real deal! Enri-san! Enri-san! Are you going on a quest!? Can I come with you, please!!”

He approached me with an intense energy, getting closer. As I was at a loss on how to handle it, Alice stepped in silently between him and me. Then, the man who had been closing in on me was suddenly restrained by a woman who seemed to be an acquaintance of his from behind.

“Leo! Stupid Leo! The Grovener swordsman is in trouble, stop it!!”

“Please, Enri-san! Your sword is so amazing! I want to see it up close! Please! Please! I’ll do any chores or anything!”

Alice, who had stepped in, looked at the man called Leo, who was being held in a bear hug, with an exasperated expression.
Then, turning to me, Alice gave me a sidelong glance and asked what we should do.

“What will you do, Enri-san? Personally, I think either option is fine.”

“…W-what should we do? W-well, I guess it’s okay to go together. Is that woman over there coming along too?”

“Excuse me! Excuse me! I’m really sorry for causing you trouble!”

The man called Leo, who heard the somewhat confused words of consent, broke free from the hold and raised his hands above his head with enthusiasm, shouting “Yay!” to express his joy. Next to him, the woman, with her long blonde hair swaying wildly, repeatedly apologized.

Thus, my first quest began with a two-person party and was expanded to a four-person party.