A Maiden’s Unwanted Heroic Epic

Chapter 10: U.E. C.10: Ten Thousand Pumpkin Shopping

The technical difference between villages and towns is the presence of a town office administered by nobles. The town office collects taxes, conducts public works and manages the population.

Indiscriminately letting people live in town would quickly lead to the deterioration of security.

Since nobles live in towns, that must be avoided. Excessive increase in population would also lead to a lack of land and other resources.

So the town office controls the flow of people and resultingly, the majority of people living in town are merchants or artisans.

This is because living in town requires a strict review by the town office and the usual method of getting through it is to rely on the merchant or artisan guild.

People from the countryside that wish to live in town would usually become the apprentice of a merchant or an artisan.

Even though Krische has been adopted by the great Christand family――the margrave and general in charge of the north, she still has to go through the formalities. So Krische has come to the town office with Bery and Selene to do the paperwork.

Bogan could have written a short note and gotten someone to deliver it, but it is better for Krische to meet the officials since she will be living in town.

That is the main reason she is visiting the town office.

Krische is still learning how to write, but she has learnt how to sign.

She signed a few documents after Bery explained them to her and that was it, the paperwork at the town office did not take long.

Their main objective today lies elsewhere.

“Now then, next is the blacksmiths.”

“Haa……we could just go at a later date.”

“It takes a while to make and she’ll be troubled if she needs it while its not ready. You saw it too. Her swordsmanship is not normal. She should have a proper sword of her own.”

This trip was for the paperwork and to buy ingredients for dinner.

Selene had taken time off to accompany them so she could bring Krische to the blacksmiths.

Selene could not accept that Krische had such skill but not own a sword. She is skilled enough that the general, Bogan Christand said he only won through luck.

So naturally, Selene wants to give her a sword that suits her and Bery could not strongly oppose her.

It is even harder to object considering Selene made time in her busy schedule to spend with Krische――Bery had long wished for Selene to take more breaks, she was working too hard. Taking that into account, Bery gave in.

Krische is a domestic girl that enjoys housework, especially cooking.

Her swordsmanship is wonderful, but Bery is not comfortable with letting such a girl wield a sword. But Krische herself did not seem to mind either way and was not particularly against it.

As a result, Bery reluctantly agreed and let Selene do as she wished

Dressed in a red one-piece dress, Selene led the way. On the other hand, Krische was dressed in a white one-piece that was handed down from Selene, following while holding Bery’s hand.

They walked for a while, going through a few alleys before arriving at the blacksmiths district which mainly consisted of brick buildings.

There is no precisely established district, but blacksmiths are noisy and naturally gather at the outskirts of the town.

Even without that, artisans usually have many connections with each other and tend to live close together.

This is because even the task of making a sword is divided into the work of crafting the blade, making the sheath, making leather for the sheath and the fine details, all done by different experts.

“We’re going in there. This blacksmith is skilled and is otou-sama’s long time acquaintance. This is also where my sword was made.”

They arrived at a two-story brick building.

Blacksmiths deal with fire and their homes are usually fire-resistant brick buildings. The first floor is usually the store and workshop while the second floor is their living quarters.

This building is not an exception to that.

As Selene pulled open the simple door, Krische could see countless swords displayed carelessly.

Some were hung up on the walls while the others were just leaning against the wall or in barrels, too crude to really call it a ‘display’.

Bery likes things neat and looked slightly astonished by the sight.

There was a young man at the counter, yawning. But he quickly straightened up upon seeing them.

“Wel, welcome! What do you need today, Selene ojou-sama?”

“Is the master in? I want him to make a sword for this girl.”

“That ojou-sama……?”

The slender, but muscular young man asked with his eyes locked on Krische.

There were rumours in town that the Christands had adopted a daughter and he had heard that she was as beautiful as Selene.

But he had not expected her beautiful silver hair and clear, white skin.

She was emotionless, like a doll, and her fae-like beauty did not feel real.

He was unable to hide his surprise at her beauty that exceeded the rumours. But it was just as clear that he was confused by the combination of this girl and swords.

“Yes, she’s Krische. She will be a regular customer.”

“Haa……I will call for him.”

The young man left through a door to the back of the store.

They could hear him shout, “Dad, it’s the Christand ojou-sama!”, but they could also hear the sound of metal striking metal.

This will take a while, Selene thought as she turned to Krische.

The sound of metal means he is working.

Since he is working with heated metal, he can’t stop immediately.

And it will also take some time for him to tidy himself up.

“Krische, take this time to think about what kind of sword you want. You have preferences right?”

“Preferences?”

“It looked difficult for you to wield the training sword, so order something that suits you and is easier to use. I also had my sword designed to be lighter and specialised for thrusting.”

Krische did not have any particular preferences as long as it works.

If you could kill with it, anything is fine. The shape was not important as long as it was made of steel.

In that sense, she had no preferences for weapons. But after seeing the collection of amazing cooking implements in the kitchen the other day, her thinking had changed.

Most dishes can be made with just a kitchen knife and a pot.

But if you wanted to make high-class dishes like Bery does, that would not suffice.

The proper cookware is required to make those wonderful dishes and it is because of such specialised tools that those artistic dishes could be created.

Krische had experienced a shock when she first saw Bery’s cooking and could now understand the meaning behind Selene’s words.

If that is the case for cooking, it is the same for swords.

She would need something good to be better at killing.

Something versatile, sturdy and easy to use.

The sharper it is, the better. It would also be nice to have something light so that there is less strain on her body and she is not tired out too easily.

Krische randomly picked up a nearby sword.

It was a thick longsword. It seems sturdy but is heavy and is more suited to chopping than cutting.

It is not bad for hacking through armour, but it is inefficient.

By aiming for weak spots, even light cuts with a knife can easily kill a human, so this is too excessive.

Recalling her own experience and Grace’s death, Krische put down the sword.

“There are a lot of longswords.”

“Well, most of the swords sold here are those commonly used. The length of the weapon can increase range and cover for a difference in skill. Most mercenaries would use a long weapon rather than a short sword. Conversely, short swords are mostly used in battlefields though.”

“……short swords?”

“It’s because they are better for fighting in crowded situations like in line formation. Longswords are useful only when there is space. Soldiers that have to fight without much space prefer more easily handled short swords. Of course, their main weapon is still the spear though.”

The length of the weapon increases the range.

But the longer it is, the harder it is to handle or carry around.

Something easy to use and carry around but more useful than a knife.

Krische recalled the curved sword that the bandit, the one that pretended to be a merchant, had used.

That sword was light and fit her hand well, the blade was thick at the tip and curved, making it cut well.

Krische looked around for a curved sword and found a calvary sword.

Calvary swords are curved swords meant to be swung with one hand from horseback.

They are curved and sharp, but long and narrow, they did not look very durable.

After some hesitation, Krische put it down and moved on.

There were long weapons like spears and glaives, but those are out of the question, they are too difficult to carry around.

Stabbing weapons are fine for killing one person, but you are exposed right after stabbing.

A simple longsword has problems with weight and cutting ability.

Krische considered her preferences and looked around, but each had their pros and cons.

There was nothing that felt right.

Selene showed her various options, but they did not fit Krische’s tastes.

Bery seemed to be very interested in the knives, she is probably looking for something she can use for cooking.

Krische was more interested in that and honestly, she would prefer to choose knives with Bery than look for a sword.

But she knows that Selene wants to give her a sword and could not just ignore Selene.

As Krische mulled over it, the young man from before returned together with an old man.

“Hello, sorry for interrupting.”

“Aah……no problem, welcome. So, you wanted me to make a sword for……”

“This girl, Krische. I want you to make one like you’re making it for otou-sama. She may not look like it, but she has the skill for it.”

“Hmm……”

The bald, bearded old man looked at Krische with sharp eyes.

He is large, muscular and his right shoulder is slightly raised.

There were multiple burn scars on his cheeks and arms and he was dragging his left leg a little.

Injured――no, crippled.

Krische naturally observed all that and judged from his posture that he could still fight quite well.

Probably a soldier that retired because of an injury.

“She’s Gallen-sama’s granddaughter……Koz-san, do you know Gallen-sama?”

“That’s a surprise. Of course, I am greatly indebted to him.”

His eyes relaxed and he smiled warmly at Krische.

“Is captain Gallen doing well?”

“Yes. He is in the village now though.”

“I see……if he comes by again, could you ask him to stop by my place?”

“Okay.”

The old man――Koz fell into thought for a while, staring at Krische, then nodded.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from captain Gallen. You certainly are a splendid and beautiful ojou-san. So, what kind of sword are you looking for? Let’s hear your preferences first.”

“Nn……a small curved sword would be nice. Err”

Krische showed him the calvary sword she had examined earlier.

“Something like this but shorter and one-sided, thicker and more curved at the tip and thicker overall. I used something like that a while ago, it belonged to a bandit but it was quite good.”

(T/N: 刃を前に寝かせて, not sure of this part and can’t find anything online. Could also mean have the edge further out(like further from the handle?) but one-sided seems to make more sense.)

“Quite good……”

“Yes. It cut well even when Krische swung lightly because of its weight and curve. The cutting ability did not drop much even after cutting ten people……even when Krische was a little sloppy and hit bone, there was only a slight nick on the blade, so Krische would like to use a sturdy sword like that.”

The old man frowned and glanced towards Selene.

Bery looked a little sad, her eyes on Krische.

“She came to us because of particular circumstances. Her skill is incomparable to any common martial artist, but because of that, it was a little hard for her to stay in the village.”

“……I see. Her situation seems complicated.”

Krische tilted her head in confusion, but the old man changed the topic.

“……if a bandit used it, it should be some kind of barbarian’s sword. Those are not well liked so I do not display them here but……Keiz, bring that.”

“Ah, okay.”

The young man went into the back and quickly returned with a curved sword.

Krische examined the shape and nodded.

“Something like that.”

“This sword is from barbarians that live in the mountains. The weight is in the tip like a naginata and has good cutting ability. I think it is a good sword but most do not like it.”

The curved sword the young man had handed Krische felt right in her hand.

It was quite small overall.

It bent forward sharply near the base, curving back and growing heavier at the tip, like an axe or a naginata.

There was a slight forward curve in the handle so that her hand would not slip. It was comfortable to grip.

There was a ring at the bottom of the handle that a cord could be threaded through.

It might also play a part in balancing the sword.

Krische drew it from its sheath and lightly spun it around, checking how it felt.

The sharp sound of the sword slicing air――followed by the smooth sound of her sheathing it.

The young man let out a gasp of astonishment and the old man widened his eyes.

This should be just right to hang at the hip, with that thought, Krische turned to Selene.

“Selene, this is good.”

“Er, that sword?”

“Yes. This fits Krische’s preference.”

Selene looked at the sword in Krische hand with exasperation.

The sheath and grip were old and quite worn.

It was definitely secondhand. Selene took it from Krische and returned it to the old man.

“Is this for sale?”

“No, I bought it for reference a long time ago. It is a good sword, but I can remake the same sword. I will deliver something even better than this sword.”

“Please do then. I’ll pay well……Bery.”

“Yes.”

Bery took out three small gold coins from a leather purse and passed them to him.

With slightly surprised expressions, they lowered their heads in gratitude.

“Is this enough?”

“Yes, more than enough. I promise to deliver something worth the price. I will do my best for captain Gallen’s granddaughter.”

“Fufu, okay. Please do so then. Krische, do you have any other requests for the sword?”

“Er……”

Krische was frozen, still shocked by the amount that Bery had paid so casually.

Krische had grown up in the countryside, but she still had a rough understanding of the value of gold coins.

One could buy a few thousand pumpkins, no, with three that would be more than ten thousand pumpkins――Krische was surprised by the number of pumpkins the sword was worth and turned to Selene.

“Er, Selene? Krische does not――”

“My sword is the same price, your skill is better than mine, so your sword can’t be cheaper. Just accept it. You are a daughter of the Christand family now……so, any requests?”

“……Krische would like a little more curve and weight at the tip.”

Krische could only nod and answer.

“……ten thousand pumpkins for one sword.”

Even after they left the store, Krische was still in shock.

Krische only had experience using small change to buy ingredients, this was a culture shock for her.

She had seen silver coins but rarely gold. The only times she saw those was when the village was bulk purchasing to stockpile reserves.

She knew how much a gold coin is worth and the huge amount of food and supplies just one coin can buy, so it shocked her to use three of them for just one sword.

“That much is normal. You should spend money where its necessary. And you probably haven’t realised, but those kitchen knives in the kitchen are worth even more combined. Bery spends most of her salary on cooking.”

“Really……?”

Krische looked at Bery in surprised. Bery smiled wryly, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

“I gathered good ones little by little over many years, so……the total price would be around there. You could probably buy a few dozen thousands of pumpkins.”

“That much……”

“You might feel it is wasteful, but by spending money like this, the artisans have more leeway to go through trial and error to make better things. Money is not just for hoarding.”

Looking around at the stores, Bery explained.

“For example, the delicious dishes made using various ingredients are created because there is leeway. In poor times, gathering enough food to fill your stomach is hard enough…… but as nobles, we can grant people that leeway and with it, they can buy better tools for themselves. That comes around and goes around.”

“That is basically how the economy works” Bery laughed

“Nobles buy a lot to distribute the wealth they have. Spending three small gold coins on a sword is certainly a lot. But with that money, the blacksmith-san can make something even better and concentrate on perfecting his craft. Of course wasting money should be avoided, but if you use it in the right place, it is okay.”

“……I see.”

“The reason the fruits and ingredients in this town are so delicious is because there is a good flow of money and everyone does their best to make better things. This is the result of them having the leeway to go through trial and error. If you think about it like this, it does not feel like a waste right?”

Krische nodded, blushing as Bery petted her head.

That view is much wider and profound than Krische’s.

From individuals to village, from village to towns, from towns to society.

Even things that feel wasteful are not wasteful in the long term.

Like why children in the village are taught swordsmanship, Krische recalled, impressed by Bery.

“I feel like you could spend on other things too though. You are pretty, but it’s such a waste that you’re always wearing an apron dress.”

“Fufu, this is my favourite.”

Bery replied as she lead Krische by the hand towards a store.

“Come, let’s buy the ingredients for dinner. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Er…….Krische, wants to know how to make, the gratin we ate recently……”

Krische stammered, slightly embarrassed.

Rather than wanting to know how to make it, she wanted to eat it again.

“Okay” Bery nodded happily.

“Fufu, I am glad you liked it. That one was simple, so let’s try making it with chicken this time. Ojou-sama, how about you?”

“……hmm. I want meat pie.”

“The oven will be very busy then. So that leaves the soup……”

“Ah, Krische can make pumpkin soup.”

“You must really like pumpkins, Krische.”

Bery smiled wryly as they entered a store.

Bery is quite popular in town and is welcomed with smiles anywhere she goes, the ingredients offered to her are always of the best quality.

“Argan-sama, how about this? It’s a good round and plump bird. I thought you would be coming by today and set it aside for you……”

“Oh my, I cannot very well refuse my favourite store. I was also thinking of using chicken today……I will take it.”

The male storekeeper looked very happy as he received the money from Bery.

Part of it is her looks but they also like her for the atmosphere around her, Krische thought absentmindedly.

Bery is somewhat similar to Grace, always smiling and gentle-mannered.

After leaving the butchers, they were walking by a fruit stand when the man there greeted them. He quickly did some cutting and handed them a plate.

“Krische ojou-sama, please accept this. You seemed to like it, so I chose a good one for you.”

“Er……okay.”

The plate had small slices of rakura.

Rakura is a sweet red fruit that with a slight sour taste.

It is crunchy like an apple and tasty, but it is very juicy and the juice tends to overflow.

Last time, he had told Krische the skin could also be eaten, so she had bitten into it and the juice spurted onto her dress, leading to many apologies.

That is why he sliced it for her today.

She popped a slice into her mouth and smiled as the sweetness spread over her tongue.

“……very tasty.”

“Haha, that’s good. I’m sorry for not warning you last time.”

“No……Krische was just foolish.”

Krische blushed as she replied shyly, making the man laugh cheerfully.

“Would you like some, Argan-sama? I can make them cheaper as an apology……”

“Baiting Krische-sama with food……is not fair. Please wrap some for us.”

“Haha, thank you very much. And as an extra, here is something nice――”

When Krische goes shopping with Bery, people look at Krische with soft expressions.

Krische does not remember doing so well in the village and it is strange for Krische to be welcomed like this even though she had only come here recently and not much time has passed.

Their trust in Bery is probably why they trust Krische, just like with Gallen at the blacksmiths just now.

Being trusted is a good thing and this is thanks to Bery, making Krische’s respect for Bery grow even stronger.

“Ah, Krische will hold that.”

Krische took the handbasket with the wrapped fruits and entwined her other arm with Bery’s arm.

Bery thanked her with a smile.

Selene stared at them with a frown.

Krische tilted her head for a moment, then quickly nodded and released Bery’s arm, taking Selene’s arm instead.

“Wh, what are you doing……”

“I wanted to hold Selene’s arm too. Both Krische and Bery are carring baskets, so Selene can be in the middle.”

“Do, don’t be stupid, I’m not such a child……”

“Oh my, that is a great idea. Come on, Ojou-sama.”

Bery ignored her protests and caught Selene’s other arm. Selene glared at Bery, blushing bright red, but did not say anything and just pouted.

Smiling wryly at Selene, Bery looked at Krische with kind eyes.

Krische tilted her head, not understanding.

The sun was starting to set and night is approaching.

Under the orange sky, the three of them walked home together.

-End-

So apparently curved blades are better for a dragging cut with the way the force is distributed and less likely to get stuck in the body. Now I know.

Edit: Changed all previous mentions of the bandit’s sword from sabre to curved sword or just sword. Technically not a sabre. The original just said curved sword.