I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 10 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Change and Evolution

A FEW HOURS had passed since Aristea began her remodeling work. In the end, manipulating my unknown system wasn’t so easy. Her eyes were closed in concentration, and she hadn’t moved a muscle since she began. She really did have a superhuman ability to focus. Suddenly, she raised her head. 

“That’s the prep work done. Now, I can begin remodeling any time I want.”

Aristea wiped the sweat off her chin. She must be exhausted, especially because she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything the last few hours, but she didn’t seem worn out.

It’s late, I said. How about we call it a day? Take a load off?

I peeked out the small window to find the sun had set. It was nighttime, but the room was so bright that I’d hardly noticed. 

“I’m fine. I don’t tire easily.”

Wow.

She wasn’t lying. I couldn’t detect any weariness in her body.

“But you’re right,” she said. “We have much work to do. Perhaps a little break is in order…”

You must be tired, Fran.

“I’m fine,” Fran said, although she was clearly exhausted. 

We were involved in an intense battle barely a day ago. Her mind and her body were drained. She should really get some rest.

“Well, I certainly am. Rest with me a while,” Aristea said, despite having reassured us that she wasn’t tired. She was worried about Fran, and fortunately, Fran couldn’t read between the lines. 

“Okay,” she agreed.

“Very well,” said Aristea. “Then let’s go upstairs.”

“Can’t we just rest here?”

“No eating in the workshop.”

A true craftsman to the end. I wonder what would have happened if Fran had gotten hungry during my analysis and started eating. It could have broken Aristea’s focus, or maybe she would just have called the whole thing off. 

“But…” Fran said, looking at me. She didn’t want to leave me alone.

Don’t worry, Fran. It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’ll be fine.

“But still…”

I don’t need rest, but you do. You want to be well for when I’m fixed, don’t you?

“Oh, you can take him with you,” Aristea said, picking me up. “Now that emergency repairs are out of the way, he can survive anything except an intense battle.”

Why didn’t she say so sooner?! We were having a moment!

“Here you go, Fran.”

“Hm.”

Fran took me in her hands and sheathed me on her back. It was really nice to be with her again. The custom scabbard that Garrus had made for her was as comfortable as home.

Yep, there’s no place like being on your back, Fran.

“Hm. It’s good to have you back, Teacher,” Fran said. Her back really was as good as home to me now.

Aristea chuckled and sighed. “Come on then.”

“Hm.”

She led us up the stairs to an exquisite—though surprisingly ordinary—second floor. Her living quarters were modestly furnished and looked like the interior of a villa. Even the walls were made of polished marble.

She led us into a room that, judging by the fine metal cutlery, must have been her dining room. It looked like it could seat ten people, and mithril peeked out from under the tablecloth. It was fitting that a Godsmith’s furniture was made from precious metals. 

There was already someone at the table—a giant of a man sat on a small chair. He looked quite funny as he chewed daintily on some fruit. 

“Are you done?” he asked.

“Not really,” said Aristea. “I’m taking a break.”

“I see…”

“Make room, Stupid Ogre. Scoot.”

“R-right. Sorry about that.”

Was Urslars scared of Aristea? He was certainly reserved around her. They seemed quite familiar with each other, but he was holding something back. He’d been so chummy with Kiara that it seemed strange. He wasn’t acting like the Ogrekin we knew he was. Fran noticed it too, tilting her head in confusion. 

“Do you hate each other?”

Despite all the skills we’d picked up, she’d never quite learned the art of subtle conversation. 

Aristea frowned, while Urslars just looked around awkwardly. Had Fran brought up something she shouldn’t have?

“We don’t hate each other,” Aristea said at last, fighting through the awkwardness. 

“Yeah,” Urslars agreed. “We don’t…”

“So, what gives?” Fran pressed.

They definitely didn’t want to talk about this, but Fran was ignorant of the tension in the room. And I wasn’t about to stop her. After all, I wanted to know too.

“Let’s just say that he was extremely foolish during our first meeting. I gave him an earful, and he’s been Stupid Ogre to me ever since.”

“An earful?” Fran asked. 

“That’s right. What do you think he said when he first came to see me?” Aristea asked, glaring at Urslars. 

She was still angry. I could see it in her eyes. He must have made a terrible first impression. 

“He said, ‘You Godsmiths can destroy Godswords, right? Destroy this thing for me.’ Seriously!”

“L-look,” said Urslars. “I admit I was being foolish.”

“You were being an absolute moron!” Aristea shot back. “Even though Gaia was made by another Godsmith, the Godswords are like our children. And this idiot asked me if I could destroy one! Can you blame me if I wanted to crack his skull?”

“…”

Urslars rubbed his forehead in silence. Guess she wasn’t kidding about cracking his skull. After that, she’d set the bleeding Ogrekin on his knees and lectured him for half the day. No wonder Urslars still didn’t know how to act around her. 

“Once Gaia chooses a user,” said Aristea. “It cannot be used by anyone else. Throw it away, and it comes back. It doesn’t have a will of its own, but…”

She explained the situation to me. Apparently, Gaia had an artificial soul, a little like the P.A. If it was separated from its user, it always managed to find its way back. 

“I hated this thing back then,” said Urslars. “Why did it choose me?”

I understood where he was coming from. When the Godsword came knocking, he was already a Calamity Ogre. And the fact that he couldn’t get rid of the sword meant it would always be with him when Mad Ogre form triggered. Which made him capable of calamitous destruction. He couldn’t do anything about Mad Ogre Form, but he could find a way to get rid of the Godsword. 

“I let a dragon swallow it once. Even threw it into a volcano…but it always found its way back.”

When he put it like that, the Godsword sounded cursed. That’s when he sought out Aristea—but the Godsmith only busted his head and gave him a massive lecture. 

“But I can live with it now,” Urslars said. 

“Hmph.”

“I just hunt monsters in the wilderness, so I won’t hurt anyone…”

Urslars had accepted his Godsword, which was why Aristea didn’t chase him out of her house as soon as he woke up. Still, there was too much water under the bridge for her to start acting nice toward him now. 

“I still ended up causing you trouble, though,” he said. 

“You didn’t kill Kiara,” Fran told him.

“I know. I wouldn’t be able to kill that woman if I tried. Do you mind if I ask…how did she die?”

“Hm.”

“I’ll give you the rundown,” Aristea said, trying to be kind.

“No,” said Fran. “I want to.” 

She hadn’t known Kiara for very long, but she respected her and wanted to honor her memory. And Fran was the only one who was actually there when she died. The least she could do was to tell the story. I supported her decision. After all, it was better than keeping her emotions bottled up. 

In the end, the story she told of Kiara’s final moments was anything but tragic. She told Urslars exactly what she saw: how Kiara fought a powerful opponent and died a warrior’s death. Once she’d finished, Urslars didn’t seem so gloomy. In fact, he was smiling. 

“So, the old cat put the rest of her life into one fight and went out with a smile… I have to say, I’m jealous.”

I would never fully understand these combat junkies, but I knew what he meant. Kiara had died on the battlefield after a satisfying fight. The way that Urslars was now, there was no way that he could do the same. If he was ever in a fight to the death, Mad Ogre Form would trigger. And while he may die valiantly in the aftermath, he would have no say in it. 

“I don’t understand,” Aristea said. “But I cannot imagine Kiara dying in the palace, surrounded by her students.”

I guess she knew Kiara too. And she was right on the money.

“Exactly,” Urslars agreed. 

“A sword is made for battle…and for the warriors who fight on that battlefield. I think she was happy to die that way. Maybe one day, I’ll understand it.”

Aristea didn’t get it, but she didn’t pretend to.

After that, they went on eulogizing Kiara and telling stories about her life. Their accounts weren’t detailed, but it did help to paint a clearer picture of her life. After what seemed like an endless number of stories, Aristea noticed the time. 

“Looks like I got a little carried away there. Let’s get some food.”

“Mind if I have some?” Urslars asked. 

“Fine. Just for today.”

“I wanna eat too,” said Fran.

“Of course,” said Aristea, getting to her feet.

Fran and Urslars kept talking, until they finally noticed that Aristea hadn’t left the room. 

“Who’s cooking?”

“My golem. I made one that can cook.”

A cooking golem? I’d never seen one of those before.

“Is the food good?” Fran asked. 

“It’s…edible,” Aristea said, refusing to look either of them in the eye.

Judging by the grimace on Urslars’ face, the food wasn’t great. Even Fran was sharp enough to pick that up.

“It’ll take too long anyway,” she said. “Have this instead.”

Fran took out a pot of curry and placed it on the table.

“You store food with Timespace Magic as soon as it’s made? That’s useful.”

“Hm,” said Fran. “Then I can have the ultimate cooking whenever I want.”

“It does look delicious.”

“This is curry. The ultimate food.”

She took out a pot of rice and set it next to the curry, along with some deep dishes.

“You use this plate,” she said. “Here. Watch.”

“I’m not a fan of the color, but it smells great. Can I have some?”

“Of course. Put these on top. Then it’s perfect.”

Fran took out some toppings that she’d taken a liking to recently: pickles from Bulbola (which looked like fukujinzuke), crispy fried onions, and a boiled egg.

Aristea followed her instructions and lifted her spoon suspiciously. She didn’t tell us what she thought of the curry, but after her first spoonful, she immediately scarfed down the rest of her plate, so I guess she liked it. 

Fran and Jet soon joined in, and the dining room was filled with the sounds of munching curry and clanging silverware.

Five minutes later, the whole pot was empty. More impressive than that was the fact that Fran had shared her monster meat curry with Urslars and Aristea. She must really like them. 

Urslars gave his stuffed stomach a hearty smack. He wasn’t exactly a paragon of good dining etiquette, and I really hoped that Fran wouldn’t imitate him. Meanwhile, Jet finished his sumptuous dinner and burped. 

“That was nice,” said Aristea. “I don’t remember the last time I had something so delicious.”

“Me too,” Urslars agreed. “Where’d you get it?”

He thought she’d got it from a restaurant. 

“Teacher made it.”

“Did he, now?” said Aristea. 

“Who’s this Teacher person?” Urslars said. “Is he Fran’s master?”

Can I tell him? she asked, glancing at me. She had taken a liking to Urslars, and I wasn’t about to deny her.

If you want to, it’s fine by me.

“Hm. Teacher.”

“Uh-huh…? What’s with the sword?”

Urslars tilted his head in confusion as Fran brandished her sword. After all, she didn’t seem to have any desire to fight him. 

Hi, I’m Teacher. Fran’s Intelligent Weapon.

“Wha…? Did the sword just talk?”

Urslars almost fell out of his seat. Apparently, owning a Godsword didn’t prepare him for a talking one. Fran and Aristea explained everything, and after the obligatory poke at my odd name, he looked at me with great interest. Still, he didn’t stay bewildered for very long. Guess he wasn’t a Godsword user for nothing.

“I see,” he said. “So, you’re the one who took Mad Ogre Form from me.”

It’s probably temporary.

“Like I told Fran, I still owe you big time. Give me a holler if you ever need help, you hear?”

Mad Ogre Form must’ve been a greater burden than we thought.

Do you mind if we look at your Godsword? I asked.

“Gaia? Sure, go crazy.”

Urslars placed his greatsword on the table. When it unleashed its true potential, it became Land Sword Gaia. But for now, it was Earth Sword Gaia, its ordinary state. It looked like a barbaric greatsword—with a long leather-bound grip and a plain, unceremonial scabbard. The blade was straight, like Western swords, and around thirty centimeters at its widest point. It looked more like a bludgeoning weapon than a cutting one, but it was still plenty intimidating. Although it looked like an ordinary greatsword at first glance, a closer inspection showed that it was anything but.

Looking at it, I felt utterly defeated. Maybe it was the sword part of me talking, but I knew I was in the presence of a superior blade. In the end, I was still a pseudo-Godsword. Gaia was the real deal, and the difference was staggering.

“Teacher…will surpass this one day.”

Fran?

“Just you wait!”

It pained her to admit defeat, but she was still motivated. I was so happy that she believed in me.

You’re right!

“We’ll have to get him back to fighting shape, then,” said Aristea.

“Hm! Yes, please!”

I’m in your hands.

I felt my spirits lift. I was still worried about losing my skills, but I needed to get it over and done with, so that I could get back to fighting. 

“I think that’s enough of a break,” Aristea said, giving Fran a gentle look. “Back to the workshop.”

“Hm!”

Ten minutes later, I was lying on the workbench again. Aristea prepared another batch of potions, then laid her hands on me. 

“I am about to begin the procedure,” she said. “Are you ready?”

Yeah.

“Hm,” Fran agreed.

As she began, I felt the mana flow through my blade. Once I was primed, the magic circle on the workbench started to glow. I could feel something rising within me. And then, a slight pain.

Urgh…

It felt hot. Like I was burning up from the inside. Or like something was crawling through my metal. It felt like my blade was bubbling.

Gah!

“Teacher!”

…!

I tried to reassure Fran, but I couldn’t. The pain was immense. Mana roared through my body like a flood. Something was changing. I was being remade. I felt like I was losing myself, but something told me that, while I would change, I would still be the same. 

Evolution.

That was the first word that came to mind.

Maybe that’s why I wasn’t afraid. I was almost looking forward to it. This was necessary. I just had to put up with this blade-shattering pain.

Aaaaaargh!

Although I wouldn’t mind if it hurried up a little!

“Aaaaaaaaah!”

“…”

“……”

“………”

Where was I?

What was I doing?

I couldn’t remember… 

I felt light. Like I was floating in a sea of hot water, or falling from a great height. Which was it, floating or falling? Maybe it was both. An odd sensation spread throughout my body. 

What was I now? A man? A sword?

I could be either, if I put my mind to it. But instead, I drifted through this strange space, never quite deciding. 

Finally, I heard something.

“…”

What was that?

A low rumble seemed to shake this strange place. Was it lightning? The roar of an animal?

“…”

No, it was a voice. It wasn’t forming words, but it was coming from below me. At least, that’s how it felt—although I wasn’t sure if this place even had up and down. 

I flung my consciousness downward and saw something black. I don’t think it was there before…

“…!”

I’m not sure how, but I knew this thing was the source of that voice. Whatever it was, it was as large and deep as the netherworld. It appeared to be some kind of animal, but it didn’t feel that way. Either way, it wasn’t inanimate. I didn’t know if it was intelligent, but it definitely had a will.

I stared and stared at it, but I still couldn’t figure out what it was. Did it possess a physical body? Or was it some kind of spirit? The only thing that was certain was its presence. 

“…!”

I winced as the thing called out to me. Did it know I was watching? 

Anger, resentment, hunger, hatred, envy, contempt.

I still couldn’t hear its words, but I knew it was filled with negative energy. It was evil, yet afraid. Regretful, yet blasphemous. Teary, yet hateful. That’s how it felt. It appeared to be fixed in place and could only scream into the silence of these strange depths.

“…”

I tried to descend to get a closer look…

“Not a step closer.”

Huh?

Wait!

Who was that?

I didn’t know what to do, but somehow, I was still descending. Slowly but surely, I sank toward the black thing.

“Turn back! Think about the bonds you’ve forged!”

I turned around and…noticed something on my back. A glowing blue rope.

Immediately, I stopped falling. 

“You don’t have to think about that thing. It can’t do anything bad like this.”

I could hear another voice. It wasn’t the black thing. It sounded reasonable and reassuring. But who was it? I felt like I’d heard their voice somewhere before.

“Just don’t go anywhere near it.”

The voice was clear about that. I tried talking back to them, but they couldn’t hear me. They sounded so familiar, but I couldn’t work out why.

I couldn’t think straight. Who was that? And this rope…

When I looked closer, the rope turned out to be a beam of light. I tried to touch it, but my hand went right through. Still, the light was warm and reassuring. Mysterious, yet familiar. What was it…?

As I focused on that light, I slowly lifted away from the black thing. But where was the light taking me? As soon as I thought of that, Fran’s face flashed through my mind. 

Fran.

Fran was at the other end of this light.

Then everything was fine. Somehow, as soon as I knew that we were still connected, I felt a blessed assurance. 

And then…

My consciousness…faded.

<Sleep now.>

What?

<All will be well when you wake.>

The P.A.?

“………”

“……”

I awoke to a remarkable silence. It was several seconds before I noticed that my scream had faded in the stillness.

Is it over…?

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but the pain was completely gone.

Is it really over? I asked again.

It didn’t hurt. I wasn’t tired, and it didn’t feel like there was anything wrong with me. In fact, I felt the best I had in ages. The only thing off was my sense of time. 

How long was I screaming in pain? It was pitch-black outside, so it must have been at least several hours. Was I dreaming? I couldn’t remember for the life of me. 

At least a day must have passed.

My memory was hazy, but it definitely felt like a long time. If it had only been a few minutes, I’d be genuinely worried. 

Where’s Fran?

She was right next to me, leaning on the workbench and fast asleep. But she wasn’t sleeping peacefully. She must be worried sick. There were bags under her eyes, and her hair was disheveled. It looked like she hadn’t taken a bath in days. I could lie here forever, just listening to the rhythm of her breath, but I should probably let her know I was okay.

I patted her head with Telekinesis. I was a little worried about using it, but it activated without pain or lag. If anything, it was working better than before. Was that because I felt so refreshed? 

Fran? Fran.

No problems with Telepathy either. The remodeling must’ve gone smoothly.

I called out to Fran and gently shook her awake. 

Wake up, Fran.

“Hnh.”

Her eyes squinted open and she rubbed them, as if making sure that I was really there, floating in front of her.

“Teacher…!”

Whoa!

She threw her arms around me, and I immediately transmogrified myself. That worked perfectly too. I was used to doing it of course, but I’d had no idea if it still worked. 

“I’m not dreaming, am I…?” Fran asked. 

Nope. I’m Teacher in the flesh. Erm, steel.

“Hm…hm!”

Fran was very intense tonight.

She hugged me tighter, and her shoulders started shaking.

“Thank the gods…”

Her voice was trembling too.

Looks like I worried you.

“Hm…like you couldn’t imagine.”

I see. Sorry about that.

“Hm.”

Fran clung on to me, tears rolling down her face while I stroked her back and head. Eventually, she calmed down and loosened her hold. Now it felt more like she was leaning on me. She nuzzled against me, purring like a kitten. 

Someone’s a little needy today.

“Hm…”

Fran?

“Zzz.”

Aaaand she’s asleep again…

I knew she was terrible in the morning, but to fall right back to sleep like that? I guess Fran would be Fran.

Fran? Hello?

“Let her be,” Aristea said. 

She was sitting across from us. Her hair was similarly disheveled, and she had bags under her eyes too. It looked like she’d pulled an all-nighter.

“How are you feeling?” she asked. 

Great, actually. Telepathy and Telekinesis work great. And I feel excellent!

“Good.” She yawned. “Very good.”

You look tired too, Aristea.

She wasn’t as worn out as Fran, but she was still blinking to stay awake.

“After five days without sleep, even my body gets worn out.”

Excuse me, did you say five days?

“Yes. I see you didn’t know. Tonight is the fifth night since I started the remodeling ritual. I had to stay up in case something went wrong.”

Seriously…? That long?

I’d thought we were still on the same day…

“Well, given the state you were in, I don’t blame you for not knowing.”

So, Fran…

“Didn’t sleep a wink the whole time. She stayed by your side. Be nice to her when she wakes up. She finally gave out about three hours ago.”

Sleepyhead Fran stayed up for five whole days? No wonder she was almost delirious! I kept stroking her head, moving her to the floor while she clung to me. After all, a body pillow does a worried heart good. She definitely looked more peaceful now. Sweet dreams, sweetheart.

So, is the remodeling work done? I asked. 

“Who knows?”

I was kind of hoping you would…

That wasn’t very reassuring, but Aristea didn’t seem to be kidding. She watched me with deep interest. 

“That was my first time remodeling anything. Mind if I ask you some questions?”

Go ahead…

“Does it still hurt?”

No. Like I said, I feel amazing.

“That makes one of us. I feel like crawling into my bed and dying.”

Really sorry about all this.

“I’m kidding. The last time I made a Godsword, it took me ten days without rest. I’m still running on half a tank.”

I knew forging a Godsword was difficult, but ten days without sleep sounded like an ordeal. No wonder Godsmiths had Prime Physique.

“You don’t look any different to me,” said Aristea. 

You don’t think so?

It felt like my body had changed, so I assumed I’d look different. But I guess not. 

I was remodeled, right?

“That’s what I’d like to know. How are your skills? Was the compounding successful? Are you more efficient now?”

Hang on, I haven’t checked.

I was scared, to be honest. But I’d have to look sooner or later. I suppressed my optimism and, trembling with fear, Identified myself.

If nothing else, I really hoped I’d kept Sword King Arts, Thunder Magic, and Timespace Magic.

Bwuh?

I was bewildered enough to make a dumb noise. As messed up as I was, I still knew my own stats.

This is…quite the difference.

My appearance might not have changed, but my race had.

Name: Teacher

User: Fran (Exclusive)

 Race: Unique Intelligent Weapon

 Attack: 1182; MP: 9500/9500; Durability: 9500/9500

Mana Conductivity: S+

 Evolution: [Rank 15; Crystal: 0/12000; Skill Capacity: 50; EP: 0]

Skills: Identify 10; Identity Protection; Transmogrify; Rapid Self Repair; Telekinesis; Telepathy; Timespace Magic 10; Skill Sharing; User Status Up (Medium); User Recovery Up (Small); Heavensight; Seal Immunity; Monstrology; Mage; Stealth Evolution; Chaos God’s Grace; Wisdom God’s Grace

I’d always been a regular Intelligent Weapon, but now I was a Unique Intelligent Weapon. Did that mean I was one of a kind? Or just strange? I didn’t know the answer. Either way, I was more powerful now. Was that because of the race change? My Attack had increased by 300, and MP and Durability were both up by 3,000. Mana Conductivity had gone up two tiers, from S- to S+.

But my Evolution was an absolute mess, and my crystals and EP were at zero. I’d expected my crystal count to drop to nothing since I’d lost control and pushed myself beyond my limits with Unleash Potential, but I’d hoped for some EP as recompense, if nothing else. After all, when the P.A. compounded my skills last time, they were turned into EP. Although I guess that my current circumstances were different. Either way, it couldn’t be helped. 

The real shocker was my skill list. Some of my skills were just gone. Telekinesis Up (Small), Attack Up (Small), Durability Up (Small), and Skill Capacity Up (Medium) had all vanished. But my stats increase was more than enough to make up for it. Now that I thought about it, maybe that’s what my skills had been converted into. 

My most recent prize, Mad Ogre Form, was gone too. Still, I wasn’t sad about that. I didn’t need a skill that made me lose control without warning.

The biggest hit was to my skill capacity. I only had fifty now, less than half of my original capacity, and couldn’t equip as many skills as I used to. It was unfortunate, but it was the only way to save my processing power. Even if I never used a bunch of skills, equipping them clogged up my processes. I could only hope that I still had usable skills left in my memory bank.

And with that, it was time to find out. I examined the skill list apprehensively and was relieved to discover that it wasn’t empty.

Oh, thank God…

There were no major changes to my Combat and Magic Skills. Sword King Mastery and Arts were still there, and my spells remained untouched. 

However, there were some slight changes. Skills like Spear King Mastery Earth and Bow King Mastery Earth had increased in level, but I couldn’t work out why. They hadn’t leveled up, even after fighting all those bow-using Fiends and monsters, so why now? 

Hmm…

“Problem?”

It’s more of a puzzle, really.

I explained it all to Aristea. 

She nodded. “Maybe the processing overload weakened this other soul inside you and stopped them from accessing the vestiges of Cherubim. That might be why he couldn’t give you as much power.” 

So, all the latent power I’d accumulated had finally transferred after the remodeling? I guess my processing speed wasn’t the only thing that was fixed. It had affected something deeper inside me too. 

Most of my non-combat skills were gone. Things like Drawing, Musical Instrument, Grooming, and Enhanced Scales were either useless or impossible to use, and they hadn’t made the cut. It really was very similar to what happened when the P.A. compounded my skills back on the sky isle.

Uh-huh.

“Would you mind trying out your skills?” Aristea asked. 

Oh, yeah, I should do that now. Hold on…

I looked up Fire Magic in my memory bank and equipped it.

All right, I can use it.

I cast Torch using No Cast, and a small orb of light hovered in front of me. It felt about the same as before, but my skill precision was a little iffy, and Telekinesis felt different. Perhaps my increased mana was improving its effectiveness. Smoother mana flow meant that I needed less mana to achieve the same result. So, Telekinesis was more sensitive than I was used to, and I was just going to have to get used to it.

“Well?”

I’ll need some practice before I can get back to where I was.

The same thing had happened with my Sense Skills. They delivered more information now, which meant that they were more difficult to control.

“You just underwent some radical changes,” said Aristea. “It will take some time to get used to it.” 

Then I need to learn as fast as I can. In battle, a millisecond can make the difference between life and death. 

I might be stronger, but my actual combat performance could have decreased. I needed to remedy that immediately.

“You have your work cut out for you,” said Aristea.

You can say that again.

The last change I could see was Blessing Skills. Two of them, in fact…

I’d been half-expecting Chaos God’s Grace. After all, I was her servant. The skill increased my affinity with Chaos and gave me a high level of Chaos resistance. But what was Chaos power? Was it the same as Chaos Magic? I asked Aristea, but she had never heard of it.

What a weird skill.

“Maybe you’ll get stronger in dungeons,” she suggested, “since they’re the domain of the God of Chaos.”

Which leaves the question of how I got Wisdom God’s Grace.

Maybe it was the P.A. The skill allowed me to train spells more quickly, which probably meant that my Magic Skills would level up faster from now on. That would be a lot of help.

Of course, I was still grateful for the grace of the Chaos God. And I was definitely not just saying that to avoid her smiting me. 

“What is it, Teacher?” Aristea asked. 

N-nothing. Just coming up with excuses for myself…

“?”

So, all my unnecessary skills had been pruned away or compounded into something else. It was quite refreshing, but as satisfied as I was, it felt a little lonely. I’d spent a lot of time collecting those skills.

Aristea frowned. “I’m not sure whether I should consider this a success…”

Wh-what do you mean? It all worked out, didn’t it?

“I’m not sure. You still have more skills than I thought you would.”

She was right… I was so attracted to my enhancements that I forgot the whole purpose was to reduce my skill count and lighten my processing load.

“You still have more than a hundred. Do you feel any pain or discomfort?”

N-not for the moment…

It didn’t hurt when I used my skills either.

“Let me analyze you again.”

Go for it.

I lay in Fran’s slumbering arms while Aristea began her analysis. This time, she knew what she was looking for, so the whole thing went much faster. A few minutes later, Aristea’s eyes widened in surprise.

H-how do I look?

“My, my,” she said. “You really are an interesting piece of work.”

What exactly had she seen?

“The mysterious soul and unknown system have linked with the vestiges of Cherubim,” she said. “That must be what’s compensating for your lack of processing power.”

So, my other parts are making up for the damage done to the P.A.?

“One more thing,” she said. “The flow of power inside you may have changed.”

What do you mean?

“Put simply, your physical growth has been greatly reduced, in order to make more room for processing power. The next time you rank up, you probably won’t get much in the way of stats.”

Wait, really?

I’d been so happy to see my Damage blow through a thousand…but apparently, it might not grow much further. 

“But in return,” said Aristea. “Your skills should be far more effective. You didn’t lose your physical growth for nothing.”

Hmm… I guess using our skills better will help Fran. 

My power no longer lay in sheer physical strength, but in my myriad skills. The fact that my physical growth had been nerfed was genuinely disappointing, but being able to use my skills more effectively was more than enough consolation. Besides, it wasn’t like my growth rate was nuked to zero.

“Looks like your insides are far more fluid than I initially imagined,” said Aristea. “I didn’t think your other soul could change so much.”

Will I be okay? What if the stress just falls on this unknown system and the mystery soul instead of me this time? 

“Can’t say. They’ll definitely be affected, but as for what will happen? We can only wait and see.”

You don’t have any predictions?

“No.”

I was still a bundle of mysteries, but at least the most pressing danger had passed.

Am I better than before, at least?

“Yes. You’re certainly not as taxed as you were.”

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. 

The remodeling was a success, and I had more processing power now. I was stronger too. Although, to be honest, I was just happy to be back in Fran’s arms. 

Aristea sighed. “Well, I’m exhausted. Let’s get some dinner.”

Fran? Wake up, Fran.

Fran mumbled.

Nope, not happening.

She’d been watching over me for a long time, so I should probably just let her sleep. I’d have to find a way to carry her. 

Jet, are you awake?

“Woof!”

You look…really well.

“A-arf?”

Jet was fully rested and annoyingly upbeat.

I’m putting Fran on your back. Carry her upstairs.

“Woof!”

I placed Fran on his back with Telekinesis, and she stayed fast asleep as he carried her upstairs. I held her in position as Jet brought her into the dining room. The rocking didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. 

When we got there, Urslars was already waiting for us. He seemed surprised at the state Fran was in, but I guess she was riding a direwolf while fast asleep. 

“You’re done?” Urslars asked. 

“For now,” Aristea said. “Pass me those?”

“Have at it,” he said. “It’s your house…”

Aristea munched on a bowl of nuts, but she wasn’t satisfied. She rubbed her stomach, looking for something else to eat. 

“Guess I’ll get the golem to make something.” She paused. “But then again…”

What?

“That dish called curry. It was very good.”

…

“Don’t suppose I could have some for payment for five days and nights worth of hard work?” she asked.

All right, I get it. Coming right up.

I was genuinely thankful for all her work and didn’t mind forking over some curry as payment.

Here.

Aristea beamed. “Such a delicious smell! I can feel it reverberating right to my stomach!”

“…”

Now Urslars was the one staring. His gaze could’ve drilled a hole right through my blade. Fran looked at me the same way when she was hungry. In the end, I fed him too.

“This is really good.”

“Yeah. I’d love to have this every day.”

“Woof!”

Jet dug in too. He couldn’t resist the allure of curry. Soon, his mouth was dripping with it, and I was feeling quite annoyed. He hadn’t done anything during the five nights that Fran was worried sick.

Hmph.

Jet whimpered as I yanked his tail.

At the same time, Aristea and Urslars were causing a huge dent in our curry supply. I hoped Fran wouldn’t get too upset. She was still fast asleep on the sofa, although her nose was twitching. Then eyelids began to flutter.

“Curry,” she mumbled.

E-everyone’s tucking in.

“I…food…now…”

She’d only been asleep for an hour, and her brain’s language center was still foggy. I was honestly pretty amazed that she could react to the smell of curry in her sleep. I prepared a plate for her, but she still wouldn’t get up. 

Fran?

“Curry…”

She was just too exhausted. Her body was telling her to sleep, but her mind was reminding her there was curry.

Oh, well.

“Hunh?”

Come on.

I sat her up with Telekinesis and guided a spoonful of it into her mouth. She munched, swallowed, then opened her mouth again like a baby bird. I didn’t mind. She was so cute right now, and telekinetic spoon-feeding was quite fun. In the end, even though she was barely awake, she managed to finish three plates.

“You’re very skilled with Telekinesis, Teacher.”

“So that’s how you manage to cook.”

Urslars and Aristea were very impressed. I guess they’d been puzzling over how a sword could cook anything.

Aristea burped. “That was good eating.”

“It’s been four days since I had anything decent,” Urslars said. “Thanks.”

You’re welcome.

When they’d finished, we kept on talking.

Did anything happen while I was out? I asked. 

“You mean with the war?”

That’s my main concern, yeah. Fran would be sad if the beastmen lost.

“I don’t know, I’m afraid,” Aristea apologized. “News doesn’t travel my way.”

We weren’t exactly in the middle of the country. If she wanted to know the latest developments, she’d have to send a messenger. And besides, she’d been too busy keeping watch over me. Meanwhile, Urslars didn’t seem the type to keep up with that sort of thing. If anything, I was surprised he was still here.

Do you have an appointment with Aristea? I asked.

“What do you mean?”

Well, you’ve been here for five days.

Urslars gave a dry chuckle. Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked. He must’ve wanted to thank me first. He might be a big man, but he was still a gentleman.

“Like I said, I owe you,” he said. “I couldn’t leave without saying anything.”

Which reminds me, how’s the Mad Ogre situation?

“It’s back. But I’m not fighting right now, so I don’t need to worry so much.”

It had only been a few days, but it was back. I had hoped the skill had gotten lost during my remodeling, but it seemed that as long as Urslars was a Calamity Ogre, it would always return to him. 

“Oh, I wanted to talk to you about Fran’s equipment,” said Aristea.

Yes, I was about to ask you that.

In place of her usual Black Cat set, Fran was wearing some very loose-fitting pajamas. They probably belonged to Aristea, and the sleeves and legs were rolled up to accommodate Fran’s small frame. If she hadn’t rolled them up, they would have looked quite charming. And these pajamas were as tough as leather armor. It was probably enough to protect from the knife of an ordinary burglar.

What happened to the Black Cat set?

“First, let me compliment its maker by saying that it’s a very good set of armor. However, all the battles are taking their toll. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice its reduced self-repair capabilities?”

Wait, really?

Our last battle was actually a string of intense battles. Fran’s armor could repair itself, but it was already damaged before it had the chance. That’s probably why I didn’t notice.

As a magic sword, I knew that even enchanted gear had its limits. I’d overtaxed my processing power until it was shot, and the same applied to manatech. The more you used them, the more they decayed.

“I’m in the middle of repairing…no, remodeling it,” said Aristea. “Honestly, I think you only survived that battle because you got stronger.”

The enemies we were fighting now were far stronger than the ones we’d faced when Fran first got the Black Cat set. Safe to say that was going to keep happening. As a Godsmith, Aristea knew that Fran’s armor wouldn’t last against our future opponents.

“I talked to Fran about it, and she gave me the go ahead. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to override the original blacksmith’s plan for it…but I’d rather apologize to him than see you end up dead. You’re seeing him soon, right?”

I felt bad for Garrus, but I wasn’t about to refuse a Godsmith’s offer to upgrade our gear. Fran probably knew that it was in bad form to let another blacksmith upgrade her armor, but she’d taken that into consideration already. 

All right, I’ll apologize to Garrus for you.

“Thanks. I’m ready to start remodeling. If I start today, I should be finished by the day after tomorrow.” 

That’s really kind of you, but are you sure? You haven’t slept in five days.

“I’m fine. I can go ten days without sleep, remember? Besides, I regularly stay awake for seven days in a row.”

Well, then, we’re in your care.

“I’ll craft you the best gear yet.”

She got up to leave right away. She really was nice to us. Of course, she’d never measure up to Fran, but I’d started to think of her as a friend. It got me wondering about whether I should still be hiding things from her. The guilt I felt suggested that it wasn’t. Still, I couldn’t tell Aristea without Fran’s knowledge. I’d just have to talk to her when she woke up. 

A few hours later, I explained the situation to Fran.

“Hm. Sure.”

Well, that was easy.

She agreed to my proposal right away.

“You want to tell her, don’t you?” Fran asked. 

Well, yeah.

“Then go for it.”

I mean, it’s kind of a big secret…

But Fran thought it was mine to tell. I guess that was what I normally told her. 

But my secrets are your secrets too.

“It’s all right. I don’t want to keep secrets from Aristea either.”

I guess we agreed on this too.

You’re sure about this?

“Hm.”

Okay. Let’s go see her.

We made our way to the workshop and found Aristea sitting down, wiping the sweat from her brow. It looked like we’d caught her in the middle of a break.

“Aristea,” said Fran. “There’s something we want to tell you.”

“Oh? Did you figure out something about Teacher?”

It’s not that, but it might still be relevant.

Aristea heard the serious tone in our voices and straightened up. 

“Are you still keeping secrets from me?” she asked. “Even after all that analysis? You might have more secrets than a Godsword. How exciting!”

She looked at us with expectant eyes.

Okay, well…you might think I’m crazy, but…remember how I said I used to be human?

“How could I forget?”

Well, it’s true, but I didn’t come from this world. I came from somewhere else.

“What? You came from another world?”

Pretty much, yeah.

“Wait, so does that mean you came from the Godsource? Does it exist?!”

Aristea was surprised, but not in the way I expected. She seemed to accept the idea that I was from another world without question. But then, what was this Godsource she was talking about?

She explained that, before the gods created this world, they came from somewhere else. According to their myths, the gods were born in another world called the Godsource. 

I don’t know if that’s where I come from. We don’t have magic or skills back in my world.

“You don’t?” she said. “Then how do you make things?”

I explained that Earth’s civilizations and cultures had developed through the use of technology. Still, I was only a salaryman in my past life, so I could only give her the gist of it. She was a naturally curious person and asked me lots of questions. She took particular interest in how Earth compensated for its lack of skills with technology. 

“How interesting! I could listen to you talk about this for hours!”

I’m almost disappointed that you believed me so easily.

“Well, I already knew about the Godsource. How could I not believe you?” 

But you don’t even know if it’s real.

“I believe it is. I’m a Godsmith, after all.”

“What’s that got to do with it?”

“The Godsmiths are mentioned in our world’s creation story.”

Specifically, the part where the gods fought the Evil One. No matter how badly he was injured, the Father of Fiends kept regenerating. That was, until the Sword God summoned a piece of himself from the Godsource to stop him. Once the Evil One was defeated, the Sword God broke his sword into pieces and scattered them across the world to keep the Evil One sealed away. Then the gods commissioned the Godswords, so that humanity had a way to fight back if he ever returned. That’s when the first Godsmith created Alpha. Because of this fragmented story, the Godsmiths believed in the Godsource. 

“That said, we don’t know where the fragments of this mythical sword are.” That information was lost to history. “But I digress. The point is, I believe in the existence of another world, and the people who live there. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you came from the Godsource…” 

There might be more worlds out there that we don’t know about.

Earth was a bit vague on the existence of gods. All I knew was that magic and skills didn’t exist there.

“Still, this must be why you’re inside this sword. Can you think of any reasons why it might have happened?”

Not a one. It’s not like I had any special powers. I was an ordinary civilian. The only thing that makes me different is that I don’t come from here…

“I see… That’s too bad. Let me know if you find anything else.”

Of course.

If we ever found out more information, I’d love to talk to Aristea about it.