We were locked out of the blacksmithing facility (former site) and we had no choice but to return to the village.

''Is........is it okay, that?''

　In the meantime, I'll ask the village chief.

''I think this is beyond the scope of what a mere adventurer is allowed to do on his own, don't you?

　No, it's not the right thing for me to say, if I'm wrong.
　I know that.

　I was the one who took back the mine without permission. I was the one who negotiated with the demon tribe and got them to agree to a ceasefire without permission.

　Or he could have been inspired by seeing me doing what I wanted to do.

''No, that young man's actions must have been backed up.
Buck?

　The village chief made a meaningful statement.

'That young man has been sent from the city of Campbell. Perhaps that city wants to bite into the great profits that will be reeled in from the retaking of the Mithril mine.
Can't you chew?　What are you doing now?
'Currently, that city is not directly related to the city just because it's nearby. It's only the center guild that stands above all the guilds to run the mine. And only our village, which is in the path of supplies, is involved.

　The windy guild executive who was currently in charge of everything seemed to belong to the center guild.
　He himself has brought in many elite adventurers who belong to the center guild, but he was still worried about the number of heads, so he asked Campbell Street, the largest in the local neighborhood, for support.

　So far, that's the only factor Campbell Street can chew on in this case.
　That support unit is also a great success (?) for me. I've been able to suppress my defensive forces in the first place, so I'm rid of them.

　In light of this, it's not hard to understand why people are so impatient.

"Did I do something bad...?
I don't mind. It's none of their business to begin with. It's more brazen to butt in when it benefits you.

　The village chief has a point.
　So, let's not feel sorry for them, but let's keep it firmly in mind.

　I'll talk to the guild leaders about the movement of the Campbell Street forces later...

◆.

　Anyway, when we got back to the center of the village, something unusual had happened.

　Maleeka had beaten up her grandfather.

'Why?'

　A tragedy occurs in a peaceful country village.
　At the feet of the most beautiful woman in the village lies a ragged old man.

'Oh, Dariel, welcome home.
''Even if you're greeted by a hoot in such a horrible situation!

　Maleeka is strong, although it was no longer obvious.

　Maybe it's because of her father's blood, who was a former adventurer, that she can usually win in a fist fight between amateurs. If you gave her a weapon, she would be able to take down a monster.

　But that's why you can't be violent with an old man!

Marika, what's going on here?
This?　Oh!　Listen to me, Mr. Dariel!　This old man tried to touch my tits!

　This is an attempt and this punishment.
　But it's worth a thousand deaths.

　I'll keep an eye out for the old man crawling on the ground.

"Grandpa?　You can't do that if you're a child molester.　Do that again and I'll kill you.
I don't care.　This village has lost its sense of humor after being away for so long.
..........
I'm sorry.

　I hope you understand.
　My silent plea was understood, and the old man paled in remorse.

　But wait?
　This old man didn't belong to the village, did he?

　It's a small village, as expected, and I've memorized all the residents' faces in a month or two.
　This old man doesn't match my memory at all.

'A traveler?　But what brings you to this empty village?

　I'm a newcomer to the scene, but I can't just abandon a suspicious person as a resident of the village now.
　In fact, they've already caused an unpleasant incident of attempted molestation, and in some cases, as an adventurer in the village, I have to maintain security.

The only thing you can do is to get your hands dirty.　Would you mind coming along for a moment, if you could?

　I was going to take him to the village chief's house or something, but the old man was crawling on the ground and staring at something.
　.........hmm?
　Me?

Hey, you little bummies.

　I call him "Grandpa".
　That would be me, in other words, but instantly Marika stomps on the grandfather.

"Guffaw!
Who's the belly button?　If you're going to insult my friend Dariel, you're not going to get away with it, are you?

　Maleeka is still strong.
　But you should stop stomping on it, if you step on the old man's back so much, the damage to his back is bad.

"Geeeeeeee........?　Still, a headache is a headache!　If you're making such a lousy premium...!

　An encumbrance?
　Ah, you mean the sword I'm carrying around my waist.
　I was wondering what I was gazing at, and then I saw that this was bothering me.

Let's pull it out for a minute.

　Grandfather says.
　I have no reason to obey him, but I also have no reason to refuse him, so I'm going to pull out my sword honestly.

It's a very old sword, after all. Half of the blade is gone because it was sharpened too much. That's why it's wobbly even when it's sheathed.

　And you've been watching it?

The only thing is, it's well maintained. That's why it's still useful even though it's a piece of junk like this, but no matter how you look at it, it's beyond the point where it can be used in a real battle.

　The old man said that the sword must be very happy if he used it to this extent.
　But......

The adventurer who tries to use a weapon that is no longer usable is not managing danger well. What do you call it if you don't call it a bogeyman?
Is that...?
All adventurers always choose the right weapon to put their lives in your hands. That's just what I'm trying to say.

　It was a claim that neither I nor Marika could refute.
　This sword is a piece of equipment that was in the village and has been allowed to be used as is.
　I knew it was an old item, but even so, it's hard to say that I want a new one as a housemate.

It's a good thing that this sword is good enough to fight with. The other day, you defeated a giant snake with this sword, right?

　Nevertheless, Malika still managed to try to argue with him.

''Even the demon soldiers were defeated by this sword, right?　If you're as strong as Dariel-san, you're invincible even if your weapons are no good.

　Maleeka.
　Maybe we shouldn't spread that around too much...?

'....isn't that story too much?

　Hola!　Even your grandfather is looking at you with suspicion!

　But first, who the hell is this old man?
　We don't know, but the story is spinning out of control!

Is this giant snake a monster?　I don't know if it's great or not, but...?
It's called a Blazidesize.
''What?!''

　As soon as I told him the name of the giant snake monster, the old man was visibly surprised.

''You mean to say that you slayed that death snake with such a rotten sword?　Are you sure it's not heaping up?　How is that possible?
"Is it really that impossible?

　It's true that the serpent's scales were hard and seemed to repel most attacks.

''But if I recall well, it wasn't a sword to finish the job...''
What have you done with it?
"Throwing stones.
"Why?

　The old man is more and more astonished.
　I can't help but worry about his overreaction.
　I'm worried that he's going to lose his temper and ascend to heaven.

"You're an idiot!　If we can kill a monster just by throwing a rock, there's no reason for us blacksmiths to exist!

　Huh?
　Blacksmith?

'Old man!　Let me see your hands for a minute!
What?

　I can't understand why my grandfather would call me an old man, or...!

Just go!　When you're a craftsman like me, you can tell how much of an adventurer you are just by looking at your hands!

　He took my hand and stared at it. It's not only that, but it's also sticky.

It's not just that.

　Isn't it a nice feeling to be touched around by the same s*x, as expected...?

"What is this aura quality...?　Slash, sting, hit, and guard. He's got optimum efficiency in all of them...?

　Do you really know what you're doing?
　What the hell is this old man...?

Well........I guess I'll have to say my name again....

　Grandfather says, with a complete change of attitude from the first.

'I am Smith the Blacksmith. I came to you because I heard you could forge mithril.