「So moving……」
「What are you doing, kid?」
「Oh」
While I was staring at the great hammer on display and sinking into my thoughts, Jered papa appeared from the back of the shop.
「Hello」
「Yo」
「I mean…… huh? Something feels――」
「Huh?」
「Doesn’t it feel like it’s been a really long time……?」
「What?」
It really feels like it has been a long time. It feels like I am meeting Jered papa again after a very long absence.
「How many years has it been? About seven years?」
「Hah? What are you talking about?」
「The last time we met was when we talked about making Reversi, or maybe not making it, something like that?」
「What are you even saying? Reversi? When was that?」
「Seven years ago」
「Is that so…… Then why does that mean we haven’t met since then?」
「Who knows……?」
I do realize I am saying something strange myself.
Still, I just cannot shake the feeling that this is a reunion after a long time.
「Wow, long time no see」
Feeling strangely sentimental toward Jered papa as well, I wandered over to the counter and started patting and rubbing around his forearm.
「What the hell are you doing」
「Ah……」
He roughly brushed away my hand.
「Come on, it’s fine, right? It’s a reunion after seven years」
「It’s not seven years」
「That’s pretty harsh treatment for a comrade you have not seen in ages……」
「What do you mean, comrade……」
We are comrades who fought through hell together. The infinite Reversi hell.
「Anyway, this is that thing, right?」
「Huh?」
「Jered told me about it. He said sometimes you kid acts like it’s a long-awaited reunion and starts clinging to people, even though it’s not」
「……When you put it into words like that, it sounds like a completely incomprehensible problem」
「Yeah, I had no idea what Jered was talking about either, but today I finally get it….No, actually, I still don’t get it」
I don’t get it myself either……
But Jered-kun, you were talking to your father about that……
I might have creeped him out for no reason. I should apologize next time I see him.
…Whenever that might be.
「Well, it’s not seven years, but it has been a while」
「That’s true. A lot has happened recently」
At the very least, I have not come to this shop for the past month.
If I had come, I am sure I would have wanted a hammer.
But I could not buy one. It would have been a bad time to do so.
That is why, for about a month, I had consciously avoided coming anywhere near this place.
「What is it today? The bow is not done yet」
「The bow? Oh, I see, it is not finished yet」
「It will take a bit longer」
「I understand」
Actually, I have asked Jered papa to make a bow for me.
A bow made from a branch of the World Tree that I received from Yggdrasil-san.
After receiving the branch from Yggdrasil-san and spending some time thinking about what to make, I decided on a bow.
Thinking about it normally, a bow made the most sense. For some reason, Father suggested, 『How about making another sword, as a spare』, proposing a second World Tree sword, but still, a bow was the obvious choice.
Once I decided on a bow, I started making it under Jered papa’s guidance.
To be honest, since I had never made a bow before and the material was so precious, part of me wanted to leave everything to Jered papa from start to finish. But I needed to collect the wood scraps, or rather, the leftover pieces of wood, so I started making it myself at first.
Because of that, Jered papa kept giving me all kinds of instructions, and Yggdrasil-san also started cheering on my bow making. In the end, it somehow turned into a situation where I had to do most of the work myself.
Making a bow is different from making a wooden sword where you just shave it down. While struggling in various ways, I continued working on the bow, and after several months of effort, I finally reached the finishing stage. For the very last steps, I decided to ask Jered papa to take over.
So, I entrusted the in-progress World Tree bow to Jered papa. That was quite a while ago as well, but apparently it still has not been completed.
「Even you cannot finish it yet, Jered papa-san?」
「The material is special, after all. I want to adjust it properly and finish it right」
「If you are taking your time and making it carefully, I am grateful. I can wait as long as it takes, so please take care of it」
「Yeah」
Well, it cannot be helped. I will wait patiently.
Besides, that is not why I came today. I am looking forward to the bow, but that is not today’s main topic.
「I did not come here about the bow today」
「Huh? Is that so?」
「Yes. Actually, I came to ask you to show me a combat hammer」
「A combat……? Oh, this again……」
「Huh?」
Jered papa put a hand to his forehead, wearing a clearly exhausted expression.
「Is something wrong?」
「What do you mean, what is wrong. It is about that girl, the one living in your house」
「That girl……?」
「Yeah」
「My mother?」
「Bufu—!」
The moment I asked that, Jered papa burst out laughing.
That reaction feels a bit rude toward Mother, does it not?
「Laughing is cruel. It sounds like you are saying Mother is not a young lady at all」
「She is obviously not a young lady」
「That is harsh」
「If anything, it feels like you are the harsher one here」
That is a false accusation.
「Anyway, I am talking about Nana, the girl living in your place」
「I see, Nana-san」
To be honest, I had already suspected that much.
「That girl suddenly barged in here, demanding to see a combat hammer」
「So I have heard」
「I told her it was right there, but she said it was not」
「I see……」
What Jered papa pointed at was the iron great hammer I had been staring at earlier with such deep emotion.
It seems that when Nana-san came here, it was indeed displayed on the shelf as usual.
Despite seeing this great hammer, Nana-san apparently said, 『That is not it.』.
What in the world could that mean?
「What was different about it?」
「According to her, it was not that. She wanted to see combat ‘soil’ instead」
「What? Not this combat hammer?」
……What does that mean?
From Nana-san’s perspective, this great hammer is not for combat?
Maybe Nana-san wanted to see a hammer that was even more suited for battle.
For example, a hammer that was bigger and heavier?
Or maybe one covered in lots of spikes?
「Does something like that even exist?」
「Nope」
So it really does not exist….
If a spiky hammer did exist, I would have liked to see it myself, but if it does not, then it cannot be helped.
Besides, this great hammer is more than good enough for combat. Nana-san is being greedy.
「Even after I told her we did not have one, she started yelling, accusing me of hiding it」
「That happened……」
「She was saying things like, 『Hiding it is pointless』, and 『I have the Sword Saint, the Sage, and the son of the Sword Saint and the Sage backing me up』」
「Eh……」
What is Nana-san even doing……
Using my parents’ name value to threaten Jered papa……
And she even used something like my own name value too……
「Um, I am very sorry. Our Nana-san really……」
「I can tell she was joking, so I do not really mind」
「But it seems she even told you to go bald……」
「She did not say that, though?」
Huh? Was that wrong?
I thought I heard she said something along those lines.
「Ah, but she did say that a blacksmith ought to be bald」
「Yes, that is it. I am sorry. Nana-san said something strange again――」
「She also said that if I wanted to call myself a weapon merchant, I should wear a horned mask that completely covers my face」
「Eh……」
She said that too……
What was Nana-san planning to do if Jered papa actually put on a mask and started wearing a harness belt over his bare torso?
「I am really sorry. Nana-san has a habit of saying strange things from time to time」
「She is a lot like you, kid」
「Eh……」
That is a bit unfair……
It is true that because I have memories from my previous life, there are moments when I accidentally let something strange slip out.
But still, I do not think I say things as eccentric as Nana-san does.
「You and that girl. You really feel alike」
「No, but――」
「I do not know why, but you felt like siblings to me」
「Siblings……?」
Nana-san as the older sister, and me as the younger brother?
No, that feels a bit……
If anything, I would rather――
「I would prefer father and daughter……」
「The way you say nonsense like that is exactly why you feel alike」
Next chapter: emotional sledgehammer
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