Ah…… So comfortable…… It feels like I am riding on a cloud, floating in the sky……
I am lying on the highest-grade fluff bed while floating in midair, and I might just ascend straight to heaven like this…… Wait, dangerous, dangerous.
My thoughts are melting and I almost reached nirvana.
By the way, where exactly is this heaven? It is so bright that I cannot open my eyes……
「Hmm. Is it over?」
「Haa…… Yes…… It is finished……」
「Ooh…… Kukuri, so beautiful.」
「That is…… Yes. I am truly grateful and happy, but……」
「Could you endure it?」
「Impossible…… Something like that is impossible…… Attacking the capital while surrounded by a horde of demons would have been far easier…… Just what kind of person is he……?」
「Hmm. As expected of lord. Beastkin unparalleled.」
I think Shiro entered the room, but I cannot see her.
It is too bright, and it feels like my vision is physically blocked, but it feels so good that I have no desire to move, so I will just stay lying here…… Fluff…… Fluff……
「So, what are you doing?」
「This is, um…… Everyone is hugging me with feelings of gratitude……」
「……You are not absorbing or anything, right?」
「Au au…… What kind of monster do you think I am……? It is fine. There is absolutely no chance of any harm. Everyone seems very satisfied with the state of the tails, and their emotions overflowed so much that they all rushed to hug at once. As a result, he ended up wrapped like a cocoon……」
Ah, I see. So that is the situation.
In other words, this brightness is the radiance of the tails, and this heavenly comfort is the precious experience of being completely surrounded by their fluff……
……All right. Since I have the chance, maybe I will stay like this a little longer!
「What? Is it over? Wow…… It really is beautiful. It was already pretty before, but my lord’s power has made it shine even more……」
「Aah…… This is mysticalssu…… I’m so jealous…… But why is she all curled up like that……?」
Even Sorte and Renge, who are beastkin themselves, are letting out words of admiration at this level…… Yeah. All that effort was worth it.
Though I still cannot open my eyes because it is too bright!
「Kukuri-sama…… This is wonderful! Truly divine, like a god……! We must ask him to do this before every future ceremony!」
Ooh, even Tachibana-san is giving high praise.
She seemed quite worried earlier, but now that she sees nothing bad happened and the result is this good, she probably has no complaints.
Even so, grooming before ceremonies…… huh.
With this level of beauty, simply appearing at ceremonies would surely raise Kukuri-sama’s dignity as the guardian deity even further, and the people would worship her with even greater reverence than before.
「N-No way! Doing this every single ceremony is absolutely impossible!」
「Eeeh…… But that would be such a waste…… At least for the most important ceremonies……?」
「Th-That might be possible…… But, but first we must ask Master-san……」
「That is exactly what I hoped for!!」
So I can experience that blissful time again?
In that case, I will gladly accept!
If that is the plan, I cannot stay like this.
To prepare for that day, I will have to train my skills and visit the boss regularly to level up the combs as well.
My hands are itching for it!
「Au au…… I am grateful that you are willing to do it, but you seem overflowing with motivation…… Now that I know what it is like, the fear stands out even more……」
「That thing, huh…… Uuu, I’m so curious. M’lord’s that thing…… It’s obvious something happened! I resent not being a beastkin right now……」
「Yeah. I understand, Shion. I’ve wondered many times why I don’t have a tail……」
「Aina-san…… Then let’s think of something together! Something that can captivate m’lord as much as a tail!」
The two of them seem to be sealing a firm handshake, but replacing a tail is going to be quite difficult, isn’t it?
After all, a tail is something whose very existence is already unfair.
「Anyway…… It is about time we head back.」
When I say that, the tails gently lower me onto the floor.
As my vision is freed from the blinding light and gradually returns, I take another look at the eight tails spread behind Kukuri-sama and nod in deep satisfaction at the result……
「Excuse me for a moment.」
「Hyoh!? Ah, wait…… Fwaaaaahn!」
Because they hugged me, a few strands of the tails have become slightly disheveled…… Yeah. There, perfect now!
「Au au…… Master-san…… Please do not do that so suddenlyyyy……」
「Sorry. I just could not help noticing……」
「Au au…… It is fine, but……」
Nn? Ah, there we go. That’s right. Since I just made them beautiful again, you cannot go around hugging people anymore, okay?
Well, as for me being hugged, I do not mind at all, but it would probably turn into an endless loop.
「Hmmn…… Ahem. Once again, thank you very much.」
「No no. I enjoyed it as well.」
It was very! Enjoyable!!
「I can tell it was enjoyable…… You looked like you were having so much fun…… Honestly…… Well then, until next time…… I will ask you to take care of me during the ceremonies. I will train so that I can endure it better next time.」
「In that case, I will work on improving my skills even more.」
「N-No…… I think there is no need to improve any further……? If possible, I would prefer it if you held back a little……」
No no, that will not do.
I cannot hold back when grooming Yae and the others, and I still need to train harder. I am sure there is an even higher level waiting.
So let us both do our best!
「Then, it is about time we took our leave. Thank you very much for everything.」
「Hmm. Kukuri. I will come play again.」
「Yes. I will be waiting. Everyone, please come visit Amatsukuni again. You will always be welcome.」
「Yes. We will be waiting for your next visit.」
Amatsukuni…… It really was a wonderful city.
We did get caught up in some trouble, but it was good trouble that even let me experience being a beastkin.
Next time I will bring Mizera along.
If I tell her I became acquainted with Kukuri-sama, the most important person in this country, she will surely be surprised.
And so, we left the castle and headed back from Amatsukuni to Ainzheil where Mizera was waiting――.
「Waaaait a minuteeeeeee! Haven’t you forgotten something? Haven’t you forgotten one very, very important matter, m’lordaaa!?」
「Too loud…… What is it all of a sudden……」
We were in the middle of leaving with nice memories of Amatsukuni, so why is this girl suddenly shouting right next to my ear?
My ears are ringing now.
「What do you mean ‘what is it’!? The main reason we came to Amatsukuni! Have you forgotten!?」
「The main reason……? The tail?」
「The tail is already done! My shopping! What I was going to spend money onnnn!!!」
Shion’s shopping……………… Ah, right. She did say she was going to buy a weapon.
Yeah, yeah. I didn’t forget. I remember it properly.
「I thought you had already bought it.」
「There is no way I could have! Eh? Shion-chan was with m’lord the whole time, right?」
「Was she?」
「Yes I was!? I was diligently guarding m’lord the entire time!」
When I was making the combs, I was so focused that there are parts I do not remember clearly……
Still, she was definitely with me when we went to Gouki-dono’s place.
「Sorry, sorry. That’s right. Then let’s go buy Shion’s weapon.」
「Your reaction is too light! Apologize more! Treat Shion-chan with love and care! Hug me tight enough to make my heart flutter!!」
And so, we came to a weapon shop to buy the long-awaited weapon for Shion…… but I wondered if it would not have been better to buy it at Gouki-dono’s place. The shop we visited was a small store located far from the main street, at the edge of town.
A sign read:
『Appraisal skill refused. I do not sell weapons to those who cannot trust their own eyes.』
It must be a craftsman’s stubborn shop run by an unfriendly old man who insists on his own standards.
He must have quite a lot of pride and confidence.
Come to think of it, I have been using only the Mana Eater and Yin Yang Blade – Yin – for a long time. Trying out a good weapon if I find one would not be a bad idea.
「Eh……? Ohh……」
When we stepped inside, the interior was far cleaner than the outside suggested. Each weapon was carefully displayed inside show cases, giving an impression completely different from a typical weapon shop.
I had imagined a more rugged place…… with some weapons leaning against the wall without cases, or cheap ones tossed casually into barrels……
This felt less like a weapon shop and more like an exhibition of fine arms.
「Hou…… A sword made from molten demon rock. Quite rare.」
「Hey, look at this one. Isn’t that a Wolf Swallow spear? The one that rarely drops from those incredibly fast and hard-to-hunt Wolf Swallows in the lower layers of the dungeon…… This is my first time seeing one.」
「There are a lot of rare weapons here…… Quite a few I don’t even recognize.」
「It is a well-known hidden gem! As you can see, you cannot touch them, but there are many truly rare pieces and bargains! Though some fakes are mixed in as well!」
Eh…… There are fakes too?
Ah, so that is why appraisal is prohibited?
But would they even be able to tell if someone used appraisal?
I do not know if it exists, but perhaps there is a barrier that reacts to appraisal……?
Well, I will follow the rules and not use it, but buying here feels a little scary……
「Well, even the fakes are not complete junk. They still have decent performance.」
「But they are still fakes, right?」
「Yes, well. However, the items themselves are genuinely not bad. They are all quite practical for real combat, and they were made by the owner of this shop, the vice-director of the Yaoyorozu Agency!」
The Yaoyorozu Agency…… If I remember correctly, it was a research organization for weapons and magic tools, right?
It is supposed to be a fairly large organization, yet this is the vice-director’s own shop……
Just hearing that makes it sound like a trustworthy store, but why would they have fakes as well……
「Hey…… That’s supposed to be classified information, you know.」
「Oh, Vice-Director! It has been a while!」
The man who suddenly appeared was a calm, middle-aged gentleman with a low, deep, and heavy voice. He gave off a similar presence to Darwin, though this person seemed to have more dignity…… So this man is…… the vice-director?
「There are no other customers, so it’s fine, but call me Daikoku. It’s been a while, Kyutei. Looks like you’ve been doing well.」
「Of course I’ve been doing well!」
Kyutei…… Ah, that must be Shion’s name when she was in Yaoyorozu.
Wait? Then does that mean this person is technically Shion’s former superior?
「Ah, right. From now on, please call me Shion.」
「Shion…… That’s your shinobi name…… Ah, so the rootless one has finally decided on a master. Which means……」
「Yes, of course! I have gathered all the impossible tasks you gave me!」
「……I see. Well, do as you like.」
「Yes! Now then, m’lord, let’s go!」
Shion grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the back of the store. There, inside an exceptionally sturdy transparent case, was a magnificent sword…… Huh? One of them looks familiar……
That is……
「Fufufu! M’lord, look at this! This is the sword I’ve wanted for so long! A one-of-a-kind item that exists nowhere else in the world! The two Yin-Yang Blades!」
……Ah, so they really are the Yin-Yang Blades, huh?
There are two of them, so the one I have never seen before is probably called the Yin-Yang Blade – Yang – or something like that?
And this one…… is the Yin-Yang Blade – Yin –……?
No, but I feel like she said there were only two in the world…… Hmm?
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