Chapter 1: Disembarking at Fiend Island
The Free City of Sheldan, located in the northwestern part of the Continent. From its strategic position within the northwestern sea route (the Elven Forest to the north, the Iron Mountain to the south, and roads leading to the Vance territory and its important bases to the west), it has become a leading city of the Free City Association that enjoyed prosperity as a major relay city.
After overcoming the catastrophe of the collapse in the old urban area—built above ancient ruins—, Sheldan had the bustle of many travelers gathering once again.
It was precisely to stop hearing this hustle and bustle that Leina closed the wooden door to their room. The room quickly got dark.
[If there’s many people coming and going, I should be able to fool Elina, who’s coming after me.]
With that idea in mind, she was living in a cheap inn at Sheldan along with Fio.
“Are you ready?”
“Yup.”
The boy tightened a blindfold around his eyes and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, wearing a bath gown. With the city having the most public baths in the Continent, such costumes were readily available.
“Lie… down.”
After checking behind himself just in case, the boy laid on his back.
The bed didn’t creak or rustle; it welcomed his small body as if he didn’t weigh at all.
In contrast, he could hear the sound of boots walking around him, and the curtains being closed.
“Okay, that should do it.”
Making sure the door and curtains were closed, the blonde gave a sigh of relief; no one should be able to see them now. She couldn’t very well let anyone see what they were going to do.
She looked at the boy lying on the bed. He had such a frail body, she had mistaken him for a girl at first, but now he looked even slender, in such a pitiful state it could be seen even over the gown.
Even if he ate nourishment or tried to take some rest, his body wouldn’t recover. Although, they knew what the cause was.
It was the curse of the “stake” he had taken upon himself in order to save the spirit tree from the elven forest, and the Devil Ring fitted around the Sword of the Unicorn—his other half—, which was sealing its songs. Both were affecting his body.
There was only one thing Leina could do to stop the progression of this double curse. She slowly took a deep breath, steadying her feelings.
[What I’m going to do now to him is just to mitigate the curse on him, it’s not anything naughty.]
Telling herself over and over, she started taking off her clothes.
[He might be blindfolded, but maybe I’m too self-conscious and still feel like he’s looking this way?]
The rich buttcheeks and the gentle waist she had been born with, both forged after her warrior training, was transformed into a lean body that made one think of the goddess’ statue.
“I don’t need to take it all off.”
She whispered, moving her hands away from her leather shorts.
“Tsk.”
A faint click of the tongue reached her ears.
“You can’t see, can you?”
As soon as she heard, she covered her breasts and scowled at him.
“What? I can’t see anything.”
“Guess it’s fine then…”
Feeling relieved at his reply, she reached for the small bottle with delicate sculptures that was on the table.
Inside it, there was a colorless, transparent liquid that gave off the smell of grass: the Soul Drop. It was a valuable elixir that the forest elves had provided them so as to ease the curse received when liberating their forest.
It was also proof that not even the elders of the elven forest—boasting of the strongest magic power of the Continent—were able to dispel his curse.
The warrior lifted both breasts with her left arm, and dropped the elixir into the valley of soft meat.
“Hyau…”
The chilly touch made a voice escape from her lips.
The Soul Drop was an elixir handed down by elves, to the point where they usually never gave any of it away to others, and special restrictions were placed on it if one wanted to maintain its efficacy.
The first of them was not touching it with one’s hands. The elixir had the effect of absorbing and diffusing all harm. And so, if before applying it to the afflicted area one touched it with their hands—which normally entered in contact with many evils in the world—, it would become polluted in a moment and lose its efficacy.
The second was rubbing it into the treated area after smearing it in the softest place in one’s body.
Those were the important instructions on how to use the drop Mother Elder had offered them.
When she mentioned the ‘softest place in one’s body’, Leina thought it could either be her breasts, or her butt. However, she couldn’t very well rub her butt on the actual parts that had received the curses of the “Devil Ring” and the “stake”.
The curse of the Devil Ring was at the base of his ‘proof of being a man’ (which towered in contrast to his emaciated body), while the curse taken over from the Dryad had become an ominous pattern steeped into his chest.
The mere thought of pushing her buttocks against each part and shaking her body was enough to make her face light in embarrassment. It didn’t change the fact that doing it with her breasts was embarrassing on its own, but it was always better than with her buttocks. At least, with her chest she would be able to move while confirming where she was smearing it.
[Even the captain of the forest elves, the Fighting Master Alleyne, eased Fio’s curse with her breasts. This isn’t an indecent act in the least!]
Making an effort to convince herself, she slowly sat down at his feet.
“Oops-a-daisy…”
Scooping up the breasts with her right hand so as not to spill the elixir stored in her cleavage, she exposed the boy’s gown.
He wasn’t wearing anything underneath. On his emaciated body, there was the pattern of a curse due to the “stake”, and in the affected part of his crotch, there was a stain like a black ring caused by the effect of the Devil Ring.
“Let’s go, Fio.”
With a soft whisper, she laid down on the bed, hanging over him so as to sandwich the affected area with her breasts.
“Hm… your body… sure is warm, Leina…”
Her heart pounded like a hammer when she heard him.
“J-Just be quiet, and let me treat you!”
She raised her voice to hide her embarrassment, and pressed her breasts—wet with the Soul Drop—into the affected area.
“Auh… kuuh…”
He squirmed as he moaned; maybe he was feeling ticklish.
“Ah, hey, I said don’t move.”
“Even if you say that… ah…”
He bit his lips, taken aback. The afflicted area in question was the place curse with the Devil Ring, the one that would be considered his symbol as a man. No matter if she called it ‘treatment’, when that place was sandwiched between breasts and rubbed, it was impossible for a man not to react to it.
However, unfamiliar with men’s physiology as Leina was, she mistook it as being swollen when she saw.
“Huh? It got big.”
“I-It sure did!”
“Does it hurt?”
“W-Well… it doesn’t hurt, but…”
[Maybe the pus accumulated in the affected area is going to come out due to the Soul Drop.]
As she thought that, she pressed her breasts harder against it. She was completely unaware about her misunderstanding causing the kid to go through an even harsher ordeal.
“Kuuh… s-say, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Nh? What?”
Leina looked away from her cleavage, awaiting his words.
“About how to use the Sword of the Unicorn.”
“Ah, I actually wanted to ask you too.”
Leina had missed her timing so far to ask about that power that consigned to oblivion the Frost Dragon in one hit, and about the mysterious voice she heard at that time.
“How to use its true might is easy. Just call me from the bottom of your heart.”
“That’s all?”
“Yup, you’re the master of the Sword of the Unicorn I chose, y’know.”
“Fio…”
[Is he maybe regaining his memories?]
The sensation she had felt when leaving the forest of the elves reappeared in her chest.
“After this, even if you and I get separated, I can be at ease since the Sword will always be by your side.”
“It’ll be fine, that won’t happen.”
She took his ominous words as a prank.
“I have to treat this next.”
From the part affected by the Devil Ring, she slid up her wealthy breasts so as to pile them on top of the “stake” on his chest.
***
It was a frugal room compared with their home, with furniture items akin to those of local lords. Which meant that, every single one of the items were masterpieces that ordinary people couldn’t ever touch.
The ruler of the city had prepared it that way so as not to offend the room’s owner. It was just a pity that the person in question didn’t care much for those attentions.
“So, I guess that intel was right.”
With eyes like a wild animal aiming at prey, the owner in question gazed at the maid kneeling in front of her, with her characteristic red hair that hung from both sides of her head.
Her clothes didn’t cast a shadow, despite being illuminated by the lights in the room. The hem of the skirt spread lightly on the floor and the big ribbon that extended from her back produced no shadows either, only her supple body had one.
“Do you wish me to check if it is reliable?”
The kneeling maid turned to look at a corner of the room. A maid with blue hair waited quietly there, so as to not attract attention.
“However, there’s also the possibility that while you are checking, the person you are looking for will leave.”
The owner softly closed her eyes, and lightly tapped the armrest.
“Do you mean I should decide here?”
“I’m only saying, the sooner the better.”
“I know that you fought Big Sis in a preliminary battle, and that you’re interested in the Silver Singer who goes with her.”
“As expected from the Lady Captain of the Royal Guard, you’re well-informed.”
The redhead maid kept talking, now with a wide smile.
“The Exiled Warrior for you, the Silver Singer for us, I would say our interests align, do they not, Lady Captain?”
The Captain of the Royal Guard Elina smiled at the words of the Infernal Temptress Airi.
***
As a result of the treatment, Fio began letting out a peaceful sleep’s breath.
Leina wiped her body with a towel—moistened with a bottle of water in the corner of the room—, and she started dressing, her skin flushed crimson.
Even using the Soul Drop, it was impossible to completely eliminate the effects of the curses on him. In order to dispel the double curses of the Devil Ring and the “stake”, they had to go to the place Airi and her gang had designated; that much was for sure, but Leina lacked the courage to put it into action.
From the very moment she had met Fio back in Sheldan, Airi and those moving behind the scenes had already been aiming for him. Not to mention how it was a place they had mentioned after causing such a large-scale catastrophe.
She couldn’t think of it as anything else than a trap.
Besides, she couldn’t overlook how their forces had been increasing significantly, considering the large number of wraiths they had brought to invade the forest.
[And yet, Fio will only keep weakening at this rate. I don’t have much time left.
In that case, I’ll have to push myself even harder.]
She opened the curtains a bit, overlooking the city just covered by the veil of darkness, and nodded to herself.
[There’s still time before it gets truly late. I’ll have to do all I can, no matter how small it seems.]
She stuck the talisman she had received from Tomoe on the doorway, and left the room with the Sword of the Unicorn in her hand.
***
“And that’s why you came to see me, didn’tja? Hm, wise choice, wise choice.”
A petite girl smiled as her distinctive curly hair shook around. She, who at first glance looked younger than Leina, was the proprietor of the store the Iron Mountain firm was running at Sheldan’s main street, the best commercial district: she was the Iron Princess Ymir herself.
She had cleared the room of people as Leina wished, and now, the Sword of the Unicorn casually rested on top of the negotiating table.
“Miss Leina, don’t be such a stranger. Once you managed to get your hands on this kind of complicated treasure, you should have shown me first.”
“How do I put it, this—that shape, kinda makes one hesitate to show it, or should I say…”
The Vance daughter looked away, using vague language.
At the base of the Sword’s grip—which closely resembled male genitalia—, there was a black ring fitted, and from there a tentacle-like object extended to block the hole that made it a serenading sword.
One could say that it was common for members of the Dwarf tribe to be older than they looked, but it still didn’t sit right with Leina to show something like that to a girl who appeared younger than she was.
“Nuhahaha, your consideration is misplaced. No matter what it looks like, this Iron Princess won’t flinch before anything other than a snake.”
The dwarf laughed heartily, puffing up her small chest.
“How about it? Can this Ring be removed? Or it can’t?”
“Just wait a tad, youngins today sure are impatient.”
As soon as she said that, Ymir off-handedly grabbed the Sword of the Unicorn.
“Ah!?”
“What’s wrong? I can’t touch it?”
“It’s not like you can’t, but…”
The weapon was Fio’s other self, and as such was synchronized with his body. The feeling of Ymir’s fingertips would probably have been transmitted to him by now.
[It’s probably fine though, he should be sleeping soundly after the treatment.]
“Just be gentle.”
“Hm, leave it to me.”
The dwarf trained her eyes over every nook and cranny of the Sword, as if absorbing every detail in it. The expression on her face was truly that of a serious, earnest engineer.
“Hm~…”
“You don’t know?”
“Hey, don’t jump to conclusions. There are no seams, and yet it has delicate sculptures, plus its size changes. Since it can be used as a flute, its contents are hollow…”
While muttering, she was writing her findings on the Sword of the Unicorn on a parchment she had by her, in the dwarven language.
“Miss Leina?”
“What? Did you find something?”
“You keep asking that. I don’t think I can draw a conclusion by myself; fortunately, we have here some blacksmiths who are the pride of our Iron Mountain. I might as well ask them for their opinions.”
As soon as she said that, without even waiting for the blonde’s reply, she pounded the table with a mallet that was by the side: *toc toc*, she went.
“Sten, Matoud, come here!”
She shouted downstairs.
“Rejected!”
A grave, powerful voice shook the floor.
“What’d ya say!”
“Can’t put out the fire now.”
By nature, the Dwarf clan tended to put emphasis on rank. It was quite a rarity for them to go against orders from their princess, the one among the highest ranking.
“Gnnnh, can’t any of you come, at the very least? Your princess calls you!”
“Nnnnh, no choice here.”
Shortly afterwards, the door leading downstairs opened, and two old dwarfs came out. Both of them had beards that reached up to their bellies. It was hard to tell them apart at a glimpse, but on a closer look, one had a braided beard, while the other’s curled in a spiral shape.
A characteristic of the dwarf clan was that they incorporated features that represented each family into their hair, be it moustaches for men or regular hair for women.
[That one with the spiral shape similar to Ymir must be one of her relatives. I guess it makes sense for him to have replied that way a bit ago.]
“Great, you came.”
The old dwarves looked at Ymir and Leina and gave a slight bow.
“This is Sten, weapon craftsman.”
The dwarf with the spirally curled beard nodded while stroking it.
“This is Matoud, armor craftsman.”
“Lady Princess, if you need something from us, could’ja make it quick? We’re in the middle of melting a new alloy.”
“Yeah, don’t get your knickers in a twist. I’d like to hear your opinion about this.”
She showed them the Sword of the Unicorn.
“Hm… princess.”
“What?”
“Before using such things, please choose a husband.”
Ymir’s face got dyed red after hearing Sten’s words.
“Gugaa! This is something from Miss Leina here! It’s not mine!”
The princess hit the table in anger.
*Crack*
They all heard a rather unpleasant sound.
And after a few seconds of silence…
“Gugyaa! My finger~, it hurts so much! It hurts!”
Her scream echoed in the negotiation room.
“Sigh~, just what are you doing?”
Even as Leina sighed, it occurred to her that this was a good opportunity for Ymir to experience the power of the Sword.
“Say, Ymir.”
“What?”
“Try to kiss the grip part of the Sword. I think the pain will go away if you do.”
[Ymir’s probably a virgin. Even if she uses the weapon’s healing ability, it should have no effect on Fio.]
“I-I can’t do something so indecent.”
Just by looking at the mere shape of it, the other not only didn’t hesitate, but rejected it completely.
“Dear guest, you can’t say that!”
“What a thing to ask of our princess.”
The two old men also protested.
“I just want you to experience the abilities of that weapon. Just try kissing it to see if I’m lying or not. If you’re checking a weapon, you should know what it’s capable of.”
“Nuuu… if you put it like that, Miss Leina…”
Maybe she thought that the heiress had a point, for Ymir reined the old men in and let her lips touch the rear end of the Sword.
“Mh?”
Ymir’s eyebrows wriggled in a weird way. Normally, a holy sound would come out then, but since the Devil Ring was blocking the hole, it didn’t seem like it would make any sound anytime soon.
“What’s this now?”
With a surprised expression, the princess moved the finger that had dealt the heavy blow to the table earlier.
“The pain disappeared completely, didn’t it?”
“Is that true?”
Sten inspected it, stroking his curly beard.
“Do you want to try?”
Ymir brought the weapon close to his lips.
“Hm, actually, my back pain has gotten fierce lately.”
“W-Wait a second!”
Leina rushed to stop them.
[A virgin like Ymir is just fine, but if the old man gets his fatigue healed too, there’s no doubt it will have an effect on Fio.]
“It’s a pity, but it only works on girls.”
She was quick to come up with a convincing lie. If she wanted to gloss over the topic, she didn’t have a lot of options.
“I see, too bad, Sten.”
“Hm, if only this lumbago disappeared, I’d be a bit more fired up.”
Ymir returned the Sword of the Unicorn to the table.
“That was one of the secrets of the weapon. The other one is sealed by this ring… so, how can I remove it?”
“I’m interested in that so-called other ability too.”
Joined by the two dwarves, they began inspecting the weapon.
They exchanged a lengthy professional conversation in dwarven tongue, that Leina couldn’t understand, and after a while stared at each other and nodded, satisfied. It seemed they were in agreement.
“Miss Leina, let me start with something we know for sure. As these fellows say, this isn't metal, it’s a living thing.”
“A living thing?”
The blonde couldn’t help being surprised at the totally unexpected observation. She had been regarding it as an inanimate object all the time since it was a weapon, but now that she mentioned it, considering how it changed shape and was synchronized with Fio, she could see where the other was coming from.
“Here’s the proof, look.”
Ymir casually put the Sword against the other’s cheeks.
“Ah…”
A mild warmth came gradually. It was a warmth she had never felt before.
“Warm, isn’t it? I only know one kind of warm metal in this large world, and this, it ain’t.”
“ ‘Warm metal’?”
Those words—the first time she had heard them—piqued her curiosity.
“It was made by Kuchinawa, Hinomoto’s swordsmith. I hear that the heat used in smelting remains in the core without cooling down, and so keeps the sword sharp by continuing the blade forging process. According to rumors, the Warrior Priestess who was fighting preliminaries in Sheldan until recently carried one with her… aah, I’d like to touch the real thing, even if it’s just once.”
After speaking so much at once, Ymir’s face had changed into a yearning maiden’s. Considering how she was an excellent craftsman herself on top of being a weapon dealer, she felt something like a crush when she saw strange weapons.
“Aah… what kind of warmth will it be…?”
With an entranced expression on her face, the princess rubbed her cheek against the Sword.
“E-Err, Ymir.”
Leina interrupted her, feeling like they were straying off-topic.
“What? I was getting to the good part too.”
“I’ll hear you out later, but bottom line: can you remove the ring, or not?”
The three dwarves faced each other after her question.
Another discussion in dwarvish unfolded… though this one didn’t take long.
“Ehem.”
Clearing her throat, the princess placed the weapon again on the table.
“Ah~, we’d like to investigate it a bit more.”
In the end, it appeared they didn’t know.
“If we can release a ‘curse’ that even the elves were no match for, it will be the best proof we could ever hope for of our excellence!”
The two old men nodded solemnly to her words.
It appeared dwarves and elves had been on bad terms since ancient times. From the eyes of a human being, both produced beautiful crafts and both lived long enough, but… the elves called the dwarven crafts unrefined, and the dwarves fired back saying that theirs were better since they weren’t delicate; there was no sign of any of them ever conceding.
This was also reflected in the weapons they used: elves used elegant fine swords and war staves, dwarves used heavy weapons like warhammers and battleaxes; enough to call it a sign of their ongoing rivalry.
“That’s why, we want a bit more time, let’s see… until tomorrow morning.”
[What should I do? It’s not only Airi and Melona who are aiming for the Sword. That angel, Nanael, is also aiming at it.
There’s also the possibility that after attaching the Devil Ring, they no longer need the weapon itself, so…]
“Deal. I’ll come pick it up tomorrow morning, be sure to keep it safe.”
“We pledge to protect the goods we’re entrusted with in the name of the Iron Mountain, you can go home without worries.”
“If you can’t remove it, I’ll have to go to Fiend Island. I’d like to avoid that if possible, though.”
“What, Fiend Island?”
Ymir’s ears—hidden behind her curly hair—twitched.
“W-What about it?”
“Do you mean THE Fiend Island, the legendary land where the weapons from the age of the gods lay dormant? If you’re going to go there, I’ll accompany you.”
“Huh?”
The sudden offer caught her by surprise.
“Even I want to go on an adventure every once in a while!”
At that point, hands came from each side of the princess to lock her in place: it was the two old men.
“H-Hey! Sten, Matoud, what’re ya doing?”
“There’s work to do before that, princess.”
“Business comes before adventuring, princess.”
“Kuh~, you two, I’ll remember this~”
Held by the other two, Ymir left the negotiation room, the Sword of the Unicorn in her hand.
“Now… I guess I can only go home.”
Having obtained not one piece of meaningful information in the end, Leina ended up going back to the inn.
***
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