***Arc 7 One Who Bare Their Fang on Reason, Chapter 163 Viewing Party***

A gigantic beast with a body that far exceeds the height of a human.

Black lines on its green fur.

Its limbs, which were as long a woman’s waist, easily mowed down trees.

It could easily leap over the height of the trees and close the gap of ten ken (~20 m) with a single step.

The speed at which the giant beast moves around, snapping the huge trees it uses as footholds――it is no longer something that an ordinary person can react to.

The thinly fallen snow was scattered, and the branches and leaves that hit its body did not pose any obstacles to its body.

The moment it makes eye contact with you, it is all over.

Once it roars, its voice echoes into the sky, sending chills down the spine of anyone who heard it.

The target of this magical beast, Suiko, was a girl with silver hair carrying a stick.

She twists her body and uses the branches of the trees as footholds, undaunted by the rush of the beast that attacks her.

She used all of the poor terrain to jump around freely.

Even with her imaginary muscles that have been streamlined to the utmost, the Suiko’s speed was even faster.

But she is safe and didn’t even let a nail scrape her black cloak.

Even if the tree she leapt from was snapped off at the base, she would not lose her stance.

She dodged its next charge by jumping backwards, and then jumps on top of its giant body――

"It's over."

――*Pon pon* she patted it’s head.

About half a koku had passed since the first roar of the tree trunk and branches breaking began to echo here.

The Suiko instantly quieted down and Krische lowered the stick.

"Ehehe, you're in a good mood after being able to run around for the first time in a while huh, Gururun."

At the end of the stick in her hand was a lump of meat the size of a human head.

She cyt the string with a curved sword and drop it in front of the suiko――Gururun.

Its huge jaws devour it in a single gulp, and it rolled over contentedly to reveal its belly like a kitten.

Krische jumped down and sat on its stomach.

Stroking the back of his chin with the back of his chin, the adorable――not, magical beast rubbed its back against the snow while making a meow――not, but instead a frightening sound.

"Recently, Gururun only eat and sleep. Gururun need to exercise once in a while."

*gururr* The Suiko squirms around happily, and the cheerful Krische.

The men, who were watching from a distance, looked at them as if half-terrified.

One of the purposes of the event was to relieve the lack of exercise for Gururun, who is constantly sleeping around, but it was not the original purpose of the event.

It was a briefing about magical beasts.

Gathered at this Black Flag Special Force training site――at the corner, were the corps commanders, battalion commanders, and centurions under Alberinea's direct control, in addition to Selene.

For the captains and below were only those who wanted to attend, but quite a few people had gathered, and they formed a large circle and watched the scene from outside the group.

“Well, Gururun...uhh, the abilities of the magical beast called Suiko are roughly as you have just seen. It uses a large amount of magic power at this size, so its leaping and athletic abilities are more amazing than Krische, and records show that every time a Suiko appears, it causes quite a bit of damage. The only ones who seem to be able to defeat it by themselves if they try hard enough would be Meow Meow and...Bagil, Krische guess?"

With so many people gathered around, she called out “Meow Meow”.

Kolkis, who had already given up, let out a sigh and opened his mouth while glaring at those around him.

“Certainly, it’s not like it’s impossible but…”

Kolkis was wearing a military uniform, bursting with muscles.

He looked at Krische and scratches his head, exasperated.

"Honestly, I don’t really feel like it. The risk is quite high."

"...As Corps Commander Agrand army said. Besides, if unlucky, I'll probably get eaten alive."

Ex-First Battalion Commander of the 1st Corps, currently Commander of the Third Corps.

Bagil followed up Kolkis words and spread his hand exasperated.

Kalua's face contorted and her lips pouted at those words.

Bagil, who was once Grunmeld's adjutant and has been trained for many years as a light infantry captain, is still a superior opponent to Kahlua.

Kalua, who had been wondering whether she could beat it, heard Bagil's words and realized that she probably still couldn't do it on her own.

Aleha, whose name was not called due to various circumstances, was looking at the Suiko with a grim expression on his face, just like the two of them.

"I have also defeated one in the past, but the century I was leading at the time was half destroyed. It would be difficult to deal with them, considering that most of the battles are not head-on battles but surprise attacks.”

Kahlua seemed dissatisfied, but there were probably only a few people here who were thinking about how to defeat a suiko like she was.

Countless trees were torn down in the short battle.

Mia and others were looking at Midoriya with pale faces, and many of them were showing similar reactions.

Most of the people who had never seen a magical beast before were frightened by the suiko and Krische, who had easily defeated it, and their thoughts did not go beyond that.

An extraordinary monster called a magical beast and a girl playing with it.

The shock was so strong that it stopped their thought.

"As you heard. Even Meow Meow and Bagil, who are fairly strong in this army, are like this. Even if there were people among you who said they were confident in their skill, Krische think they would have the same opinion."

Krische holds up a finger, satisfied that she is attracting the attention for now, and continues.

Most of them had not recovered from the shock, but Krische was not familiar with the subtleties of such emotions.

She was pleased to see the stupefied gazes directed at her and the Suiko, and she was pleased to see that they were listening to her.

“It's best for both side to not encounter each other, but if there is a battle with Elderant in the future, Krische think there's a pretty high chance that we'll encounter a child like Gururun. That's why Krische showed Gururun today... First of all, Krische wanted people who didn't know what kind of creature a magical beast is to gather to see it...''

There are quite a lot of forests in the western part of the kingdom, and if Elderant invades from the west, there was a high possibility that those place will be the battleground.

Elderant is mostly covered with forests, and all of its soldiers are more familiar with forests than theirs. There was no reason why they would not choose it as the site of a decisive battle, and one of the problems that could arise in that case was magical beasts.

There are more magical beasts in the forests of the western part of the kingdom than anywhere else.

While marching or fighting, there is a great possibility of encountering magical beasts.

"Well, that’s all from Krische, next is Ojii-sama."

Krische stroked Gururun’s chin, who was in a good mood with his belly showing, and looked at Gallen, who had come to her side.

Gallen nodded and looked at them.

“When you encounter them, it is usually a surprise attack, as corps commander Sandika (Bagil Rinea Sandika) said. Don't think that this kind of violence, mowing down trees, is all there is to a magical beast. They are intelligent and surprisingly cunning beasts. They will creep up to your side without a sound."

Gallen especially turned his gaze to the centurions.

It was not they, the corps commanders or battalion commanders, who faced these threats.

"And it will take reap of lives in a single breath. I hate to say this, but it's something you can avoid. It's an accident of sorts. What's important is what happens after that――how to deal with the chaos."

Being attacked by a demon beast is just bad luck.

It is impossible to avoid it unless you are very careful.

Finding the beast that killed its presence is more difficult than spotting an enemy's ambush.

Gallen looked at the faces of the centurions, one by one, and continued.

“The loss of troops due to a surprise attack, the situation is the same as if you were ambushed. Run a messenger to the next unit, raise your voice and keep the unit in order and maintain control. Of course it's not easy in that situation, but first of all, look at what you need to be done and what you can do."

The centurions listened to those words with serious expressions and thought about it.

Gallen nodded his head in satisfaction, seeing they seemingly had recovered from the shock.

Gallen had never been directly attacked by this, but he had seen a neighboring unit being ambushed by a magical beast in the past.

He was an excellent centurion, but it seemed that he was unlucky, he was the one who was targeted.

With the sudden loss of their commander, the century were scattered and consequently destroyed.

Gallen was able to handle it without a hitch because of the presence of Bogan, Nozan, and his men including Kolkis and Granmeld, but most importantly it was because the first surprise attack was the neighboring unit, and he was able to maintain his composure.

As long as they can work together, even though its brutal, it’s not impossible to kill.

"If you don't lose your composure, you can do it. With its huge size, athletic ability, and hair that protects it from blades, if you meet it in the forest, you might think it's a monster that has no choice but to use someone as a decoy and run away, but it's a creature with the same blood as us. If it bleed, it will die."

The fear that comes from the intimidating appearance and the confusion from the surprise attack.

That was the most terrifying part of all.

“This body hair is strong against line slashes, but not so strong against point attacks such as spears. Even arrows can bite into flesh at point-blank range. The same goes for throwing spears. If you use a sword, you should use it as a stabbing tool, and even an old man like me will be able to kill it. The point is whether you can handle it correctly or not.”

The flesh is hard, but if you put your weight on it, you can pierce it.

It was an opponent that could be dealt with by a century alone, if they cooperated calmly.

“A formidable opponent――but if you all understand, you won't just run away. And if you defeat it, a great reward is promised. If you do encounter one, take it as a kind of opportunity rather than bad luck. There is no way you can escape from a magical beast, and if you run away in fear, the damage will only increase. We have no choice but to fight, so it's better to hold resolve yourself."

Gallen's stern face broke into a smile.

"If you encounter one, kill it first and think about not causing damage to your allies. Even if the mission fails, if the reason is to kill the demon beast, everyone understands the situation. You’ll even be praised as a hero."

At those words, Kolkis remembered his son Gran and lowered his eyes.

Encountering a green tiger while taking a flanking detour, falling into confusion and making a mistake in dealing with it――that's how it all began.

Gran, who was undoubtedly excellent, lacked only the determination to accomplish something.

A commander who stands at the front line needs a kind of insanity, a kind of self-discipline.

Like his mother, his delicate temperament was his fatal flaw as a warrior.

Kolkis looked at Gallen, bowed lightly, and turned to the men behind him.

"If you are in a situation where you cannot kill them, you can stick out your spear and throw it at it to make them wary and buy you time. Your opponent is wild beasts, they won’t take any action that is not worth the risk. If you buy time in this way, the neighboring unit will soon arrive. If the enemy is close by, it would be better to just rush in and put them to the ground.

Then, as a corps commander, he lifted his cheeks.

"Efforts to be able to laugh no matter what kind of adversity you face. As long as you have calm in your heart, you will have an infinite number of options. The point is whether you win or lose because of your own cowardice――As Gallen-dono said, there is no one who can criticize courageous actions. As you can see, a Suiko is an opponent that even I have no choice but to challenge with everything I have. There is no shame in being afraid. But to smile despite that is true warrior."

Colchis said, pointing his palm towards the Suiko.

"You guys are lucky. Thanks to the one and only Krische-sama, you can calmly see such a Suiko alive. You probably know this already, but normally you can’t get this opportunity even if you want it. Take a closer look at your future achievement’s neck. And when you meet them on the battlefield, show them a laugh. that magical beasts are nothing more than a mere beasts.”

At those words, Krische got off the top of Gururun and nodded with satisfaction.

"That's right. Meow Meow said a good thing. The point is it’s just a big Meow Meow――a cat."

Gururun rolled its body, which was too large for a cat, clinging to the snow and rubbing against Krsische.

She patted such Gururun, and it rose up,

"This child is quite quiet, so it's fine. Well, then, let's start from over there."

Krische said with a smile.

Krische showed Gururun to each of the men, and once they realized that he――or rather, she (Gururun) was really quiet, they became more interested in her.

The animal lovers were surprised to find her surprisingly adorable, and after asking for permission, some of them stroked her body――the Suiko viewing party ended in a great success.

The fear of magical beasts as widely spread throughout the military, but not many people have actually seen them.

There was no doubt that that was causing even greater confusion.

That's why Kolkis suggested showing off the Suiko when she saw Krische bringing Gururun along for a walk.

The plan was a success, and after the Suiko viewing party was over, Kolkis and the others returned to their work with a satisfied look on their faces.

Those who remained at the scene were Selene, Gallen, and the members of the Black Flag Special Force.

“K-Krische, it was quite tiring, so today is...”

“I see, so tomorrow will be fine.”

“Uuu...”

Krische, who was sitting on Gururun, looked to the left and right as if asking for help, in order to escape from Aleha.

"Ah"

She stood up quickly as she recognized the red-haired servant walking toward them.

If she had ears, it would have stood up straight, and if she had a tail, it would have swung from side to side.

Krische rushed out and hugged her as if jumping on her.

"Hehe, Berry, what's the matter?"

"Hehe, I have something to deliver to you. I just received a sword from Korze-sama."

Berry said and lightly lifted the bag wrapped around it.

The two soldiers guarding her looked at it with a wry smile, saluted her, and headed over to Dagra.

It was the first time in a long time that the members of the escort team had met Dagra in person like this.

“Did you come all the way here to deliver it?”

Selene stared at Bery exasperated.

There was quite a distance from the royal territory to this training ground.

"Yes, I thought it would be fine later, but I heard that Gallen-sama is also here so"

"ah I see……"

Selene nodded as if she understood.

Krische, who was in a good mood, has her arm wrapped around her, and as she watches her seem happy, she suspects that she has simply made up an excuse for her to come see Krische.

As expected, after the incident the other day, the two were very clingy wherever they go.

She was invited by Krische, ‘here, here’ and sat in a chair――Gururun who acted as the chair, she smiled wryly, and the way their shoulders were pressed together was indescribable.

However, they had kissed in front of the Dragon.

The relationship between the two had become a tacit understanding in the military, especially in the Black Flad Special Force.

No matter what was said, it was too late to say anything, and Selene rubbed her eyebrows while looking sideways at Gallen.

She doesn't really know what Krische’s grandfather thinks of these two, but judging by his kind expression as if he's looking at something that makes him smile, he might not be too concerned.

No matter what, Selene sighed because she didn't feel like nagging in front of this elderly.

"Maybe it's because Gururun was able to go outside, she's in a good mood today."

"Maybe it's better to let her play like this from time to time. She seems to be gaining weight from eating all the time."

Bery smiled troubledly while looking at the broken trees behind her, and stroked the yawning Gururun on the head.

The servant, who looked like a little girl, was sitting and chatting with Suiko, which even a big man would be scared of.

The picture was indescribable and caused some embarrassment to the men, but the person in question care much and happily unwrapped the package.

"Um... there is a letter, too."

The sword was double wrapped.

The first one was a letter, rolled up and stamped in wax with the seal of the scribe's company.

"Shall I read it first?"

"yes"

Berry breaks the sealing wax, untied the string and looked inside.

A beautiful handwriting.

Many artisans were literate to some degree, and some can write.

Korze was no exception to this, but when sending a letter to a nobleman, unless one was extremely confident, it was normal to ask a scribe to write it.

Even if it was a simple letter, there was a certain etiquette for writing letters, and if you want modified grammar, fixed phrases, and accuracy, one need a certain amount of education.

Inside the letter was an apology for being a little late.

It seems that the decoration, craftsmanship, and accessories took a lot of time.

The finished product was unquestionable, the best one yet, it said.

"――Although it's meager, I hope that this will be a contribution to the Kingdom and to Krische-sama. I wish you good luck in the future. Blacksmith Korze and all the craftsmen of Gargain. ...That's it."

"Huh... seems promising."

Selene, who had been peering into the letter, said, and looked at Bery's lap——the rest of the package.

Bery nodded and handed it over to Krische.

The surrounding men were also frightened by the Suiko, but they seemed to be interested and closed the circle.

“Krische, open it.”

"yes"

When Krische unwraps it, it reveals a curved sword wrapped in a unique sheath.

And there was a belt with a little metal fittings.

The first thing she picked up was the curved sword.

The wide black leather scabbard was engraved with a soaring hawk and thunderbolt, and the hard, dark Argana handle was also engraved with a camellia, perhaps to prevent slipping.

The pommel was also dark gray——it was a silverwork falcon.

Unlike Krische, who looked at the sword with admiration, Selene frowned, and Bery and the other men widened their eyes a little in surprise.

Krische pulled the sword out of the sheat.

The solid weight of the sword, thick and sturdy, but with the graceful curve of a woman's body, bends sharply forward from the middle, and curves back at the tip.

A coulisse was cut into the waist of the sword, and along it were thin engravings of Alberinea and ancient characters.

At the base, a chipped, arcing moon was carved on both sides.

The balance of weight was the same as before, and although it was solid, it felt strangely weightless.

Although it was elegantly carved, it was not conspicuous as a whole, and the reflection was dull.

The practicality of the sword was sufficient for her.

It also seemed much stronger than the previous one.

"It’s a really good sword. It looks like it's easy to use."

“...It’s not just really good.”

“...?"

Taking the sword from Krische, Selene looked at its workmanship.

He must have asked for the help of craftsmen all over Gargain as he forged the blade.

The carving was more than superb, it was too good to be done for just six gold coins.

From leather workers to craftsmen, just how many people put their efforts into this one piece?

All of it were exquisitely crafted and artistically produced.

If this were an ordinary sword——even if it’s not, some would be willing to pay dozens of gold coins for it as an ornamental piece.

"...All the craftsmen of Gargain, so is this what he mean?"

Bery said in surprise, and Selene nodded.

"Probably. How surprising."

The best sword.

There was no lie in those words, this sword was created by the best craftsmen in Gargain.

"It's not just a sword made by Korze, but numerous Gargain craftsmen made it for you. It's a sword that's worth not just six gold coins, but dozens of gold coins, so take good care of it."

"Dozens...?"

"It would take about that much to have it made normally."

Selene said exasperatedly to Krische.

Krische, who received the sword again, looked at the sword with a troubled look and looked at Bery.

“It means that everyone at Gargain made it for Mr. Cliché, ignoring profitability, and not for business. I am sure that Korze-sama and his friends will be grateful if Krische-sama accept their kindness.”

"...Ehehe, yes."

Krische smiled and handed it over to Gallen, who was watching from the side.

Gallen raised his eyebrows and groaned quietly, looking at with Dagra who was next to him as if glaring at it.

"The craftsmanship is wonderful, but above all, the body is good. It's a splendid sword."

“…Certainly.

"He was a man who was good with his hands even when he was my subordinate...but blacksmithing must have been his calling. I never thought that that brat would be able to create something like this."

Korze was originally the only son of a blacksmith.

After quarreling with his parents, he became a soldier, suffered a serious leg injury, returned to his parents, and took over the store.

In his younger days, he was exactly like a kid general (head of a group of kids), but this one sword seemed to convey everything he had been through since then.

After he left the army, he had visited him several times, and the sword he was using now was made by Korze.

The workmanship was also splendid, but this sword could be said to be the culmination of his life.

"It's a one-of-a-kind sword, made with all of his might. People change... I feel like I'm getting older."

"Haha... But what makes me happier than anything is that his subordinates who quit the military are now mastering some kind of path."

"Oh, I'm sure. Next time if I have a chance to meet him, I'll have to bring some good sake with me."

Gallen said happily and handed the sword back to Krische.

Krische looked at it with satisfaction and muttered that it looks like it will be a little difficult to take care of because of the carvings——Selene sighed when she heard this.

Decorating a sword for Krische is like giving jewelry to a dog.

Selene rubbed her temple but that said, she was happy for his thoughtfulness.

Korze probably knew that Krische was only looking for practicality in his sword.

But even knowing that he gone to all this trouble to give her what she deserved.

He was surely not looking for anything in return.

This was a sword made with his dignity.

That said, it's also awkward if they didn’t do anything even after receiving such sword.

"I'll write you a thank you later, Bery."

"Yes, Ojou-sama."

“I think I will allow a simple Christian emblem on their signboard. I think that would be better than money, but…”

"Certainly. At least Korze-sama won't accept the money even we I give it to him."

There are several crest (coat of arms), but simplified crest are those that can be used externally.

Such a crest indicates that they were artisans or merchants recognized by that noble, and the noble's name vouches for their skill and quality.

Bogan, who believes that skill is better than name, doesn't like it, and he had never allowed anyone to wear Christand simplified crest, but that's precisely why the brand was significant.

If you have the simple crest of Christand, who could now be said to be the Kingdom's number one noble, at least you won't have any trouble eating from now on.

Korze, a genuine craftsman, was not a person who would be conceited because of it.

Listening to their conversation, Krische picked up the belt from the package and looked at it.

It looks sturdy, and on the inside is a thick patch that seemed excessive.

The belt had more metal fittings than a normal belt, and the leather hung halfway down over the hips.

Krische tilted her head and thought for a moment,

"ah I see"

She get down from the top of Gururun, removed her waist belt and put it on top of Gururun.

"What's wrong, Cliche?"

"Krische thought it was a very strange shape, but it looks like it can hold two swords."

The first one is the same as before, with two points on the left and right of the back waist.

The other one has three points, two in the front of the hipbone and one in the center of the back hip.

The weight of the second sword is distributed to the front as well, and the back is painless because the leather that matches its roundness presses the buttocks with its surface.

It seemed that it was supposed to be worn without armor and with ordinary clothes.

This was probably why the cloth lining looks excessive.

Wrapping it around her waist, she lightly jumped around.

Even when carrying two of them, it didn’t feel that heavy, and the noise was low considering the amount of metal fittings.

When she ran around, the sword would sometimes hit her buttocks and the belt would rub against her waist, which was sometimes painful, but it was not too bad, as it had been subsided to a great extent.

The ability to draw the sword with both hands at the same time, right and left, was also very attractive.

"Ehehe, how is it? Does it suit Krische?"

Krische rolled up her cloak and shook her hips, and Selene let out a sigh.

He probably custom-made the pants with the idea that they would be worn over regular clothes, rather than pants made of sturdy fabric.

She felt very indebted.

"Yes, you look good. How's the waist?"

“Even if Krische carry two, it might not hurt as much as before. It's a little better...”

“I'm glad to hear that. However,...I still want to do something about it. Sometimes it rubs against the hip and it looks painful...”

"It's all a matter of dressing properly like a soldier, really. Maybe I should just make you wear a corset."

The idea of carrying a curved sword in a skirt or dress was odd to begin with.

Selene glared at Bery and patted Krische on the head as she approached her, saying it looked good on her.

Anyway, there were two swords.

Considering that she would be on the battlefield with only that thin curved sword, Selene felt a little relieved.

"A corset... Ah, that's kind of a reversal idea in a way. Maybe it would be a good idea to have them make something like special underwear or underclothes so that it doesn't hurt from rubbing against the belt."

"...Haa. I guess you can do whatever you want."

"Fufu, let's do that. I have to order Krische-sama socks again."

Perhaps because she wore heavy boots outside, Krische socks always torn quickly, and the consumption was intense.

It's also a cold season.

Bery thought about getting her some long socks as Krische was sensitive to the cold.

Waistcoat and long socks.

No one could have imagined that a month later, this idea would lead to the birth of the garter belt, which would become all the rage among noble women.