Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"..."

Grace waited patiently for Ais to speak, and after a while, the little girl confessed in a soft voice:

"That person... said I was like a sword..."

"..."

"She said, I am a sword...that's what she said..."

As Ais spoke, she didn't understand why she was so deeply affected.

However, the way he looked at Ais and the smile he gave her back then are etched in my eyelids and I can't shake them off.

And that statement that hits the nail on the head.

Am I the sword?

Not people, but weapons?

Is it a sword destined to slowly decay and eventually break?

Ais suddenly felt lost and didn't understand herself anymore. She couldn't deny what Chun had said, and her heart was wavering.

An uneasy heartbeat plucks at the heartstrings.

Ais doesn't want to see the mirror right now.

It felt as if I were seeing another being, someone who looked completely different from myself.

"Seriously, that guy... he's always causing trouble."

Faced with Ais like this, Grace let out the heaviest sigh of the day.

He vented his frustrations to his personal blacksmith, with whom he had a "direct contract" and was well aware of his personality.

Grace spoke to the little girl, who was still soaking wet:

"Ais, after you warm up at the bathhouse, come to my room."

“…Huh?”

"I'll explain things to Riveria and the others."

Grace only gave Ais, who had raised her face, a few words before trudging heavily back into the mansion.

After standing there for a while, Ais slowly began to move, obediently going to the bath to wash her cold body with hot water. Once her hands and feet had gradually warmed up, Ais changed into the loungewear that had been prepared for her sometime earlier. After hesitating for a long time, she finally decided to go to Grace's room.

Directly north of the mansion, which is made up of several spires, and directly below Finn's office, lies Grace's private room.

"Oh, you're here."

Ais felt that this room was a perfect contrast to Riveria's room.

The room was furnished with numerous weapons and shields, primarily axes and greatswords, giving it a rustic feel. In one corner sat an old, blackened treasure chest—a large storage box—that immediately drew Ais's attention. On a large table with legs adjusted to dwarf height, several mechanical devices, seemingly for play, were placed. Even if not as extensive as Rivelia's collection, the library was still quite large. Glass lanterns, reminiscent of those used in mines, replaced magic stone lamps.

Grace sat on the edge of the bed in the room and laid out his axe, what appeared to be a short sword for Ais, as well as small items such as a handkerchief, wool, and a dagger on the sheets.

"Grace, these are..."

"Hmm, I'll teach you how to maintain your weapons."

Hearing him say that, Ais blinked a few times.

Grace ignored her reaction and beckoned, "Hey, come here."

Ais was confused, but at Grace's urging, she still climbed onto the bed where he was sitting.

Just as Ais shifted to a more relaxed sitting position and kept glancing at Grace looking for tools, Grace shoved a handkerchief and a sword into her hands.

"Try doing as Lao Tzu said. First, along the spine of the sword..."

"Is this...like this?"

Just as Grace had said, the two began maintaining the weapons. Ais was flustered and couldn't get anything done right, realizing once again how clumsy she was, but since there was nothing else to do, she remained silent and focused on her work.

After teaching Ais how to do it, Grace silently focused on polishing his own weapon. Whenever Ais made a mistake or didn't understand how to do it, he would say, "Like this," and wrap his large hand around Ais's hand, explaining briefly.

Ais had always thought Grace's words and actions were very bold, but she never expected his hands to move so gently.

This was an incredible time. Ais and the now taciturn dwarf worked together tirelessly to polish their weapons.

If I had a grandfather... I might interact with him like this.

Just as Ais was murmuring this to herself in a corner of her heart...

"Ais, weapons need to be maintained with such care."

"...?"

Grace spoke up.

"Blood spilled on a monster will rust if left unattended, and even a speck of dust will dull its sharpness. Weapons may seem tough, but they are actually quite delicate."

"..."

There's a saying: "A weapon is half of the user." We must personally reward this other part of ourselves.

"What...does this mean?"

Grace didn't look up, her gaze remaining fixed on the axe, her pupils narrowed.

"Adventurers are the same."

"!"

This sentence……

Make Ais open her eyes wide.

"Look at the sword in your hand. This is a weapon you used before, covered in scars... just like you are now."

"...!"

"That's what Tsubaki meant."

The reason Ais refused to understand became connected with the short sword in her hand and appeared before her eyes.

Just as Grace said, the short sword bore scars, and the blade still had nicks. Ais's "half of herself" was still gasping for breath in pain.

Looking at the steel-colored blade reminded her of her withered hands and feet, her scarred skin, and her damaged blonde hair.

"If you don't take care of it, it will keep wearing down, wearing down, wearing down... until it breaks and then breaks easily."

"what……"

"But look, with careful maintenance, like this, even a damaged weapon can regain its shine."

Grace finished the maintenance and easily lifted the axe with one hand.

He was right; although the axe was scarred, it once again radiated a powerful and vigorous brilliance.

"Weapons... swords are not only destined to break. They can shine again like this, and by gathering the scattered fragments, they can be reborn."

"Grace..."

"Therefore, you must learn to cherish. Not just your weapons, but yourself as well. Only by doing this can you be called a capable adventurer."

Grace looked at Ais and forced a wide grin across her wrinkled face.

His smile, hidden in his beard, was as cheerful and kind as that of a benevolent old man.

The rough fingers that roughly patted my head were full of warmth.

Ais felt a tingling sensation deep in her eyes for a moment, but she immediately told herself that it was an illusion and that such a thing could not be happening.

Ais stared at the sword in her hand and began to wipe it vigorously again.

Under Grace's gentle gaze, she slowly made the sword glow.

*

From that day on, Ais developed the habit of taking care of the sword every night.

In the room on the top floor of the tower assigned to her, she did not turn on the lights. Instead, she would lie in bed every night before going to sleep, gently stroking the injured blade of her sword and tending to it, all by the moonlight streaming through the window.

Ais stopped demanding powerful weapons. She used the weapons Grace had chosen for her as if they were part of her own body, employing both fierce swordsmanship and delicate swordsmanship depending on the situation. She stayed with her weapons until the moment of parting, and each time she felt she had gained something.

She also started eating her meals seriously. Even carrots, which she didn't like, she would put into her mouth with a serious, doll-like face, and then make a pained expression. The senior members who didn't usually interact with her were initially surprised to see the little girl spending so much time in the large dining room, but then they couldn't help but laugh at the sight.

"Ais".

"Rivia..."

"Um, how should I put it...would you be willing to let me...take care of your hair?"

"……Um."

Then, she also started to comb her hair.

Rivera asked Ais in a strange manner, and was surprised to see her nod. Finally, she smiled and tidied Ais's hair in her room.

At first, Riveria's trembling was so obvious that even Ais could see it, and the two would occasionally exchange words like "It hurts!" and "Bear, bear with it!" However, as time went by, the elven royal's hands seemed to recall memories of the palace—memories of her admired attendant—and became more and more elegant and gentle.

Ais sat in the chair, and a gentle "whoosh, whoosh" sound of combing hair came from the person behind her. Riveria, reflected in the dressing mirror, revealed an unprecedentedly gentle expression.

"Eh... Riveria."

"What is it, Ais?"

"Are you growing your hair out?"

"Hmm? Yeah. My hair naturally grows fast, and I found it inconvenient when exploring dungeons, so I cut it off as soon as it got long after coming to Orario, but..."

"...?"

"...Loki encouraged me, saying that people like me should keep their hair long."

"Your stance?"

"N-nothing!"

Rivera's emerald hair had grown long enough to reach her back, and was tied up in a bun with a hair accessory. That golden hair accessory was a gift from the blonde, golden-eyed girl, who insisted it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.

Although Ais still has longer hair, the two of them already look like sisters or mother and daughter from behind.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Behind the crack in the door, where the sound of combing could be heard, even the first-class adventurer of the Elven royal family failed to notice that Finn, Grace, and Loki were cautiously peeking into the room, exchanging knowing smiles.

At the same time, the leader of the dwarves nodded deeply, as if granting permission for all matters.

*

"Ais, we're going to forge weapons for you."

Ais was called to the office and heard Finn tell her this.

At first, she didn't understand what she had heard and was stunned.

"What's wrong? Didn't you want to order something specially for a long time? Be happier!"

"……May I?"

"Yes, I've spoken with Rivera and the others, and they believe you're fine now."

Grace and Finn smiled at Ais, who looked away from them and saw Riveria standing beside them, her eyes closed and a gentle smile lingering on her face.

Before Ais could even process what was happening, Loki was already excited and thrilled.

"Fantastic! Ais's first custom order! Just like with the armor, I'll arrange it. I'm going to prepare a super-universe-special, peerless sword...!!"

"It's just a weapon for novice adventurers, don't try anything fancy."

Loki's clenched fist pointing towards the ceiling, expressing his enthusiasm, was knocked to the ground by Riveria's raised wand. "Goohoo!?" Ignoring the main god who was rolling on the ground clutching his head, the day ended just like that.

However, as the days went by, Ais couldn't help but feel more and more excited.

She didn't know whether she was excited or nervous; probably both.

Ais visited the craftsmen who made custom weapons several times, lying in bed with her eyes wide open, spending each sleepless night tossing and turning.

Then, exactly one week had passed since Finn announced it.

"You've arrived..."