Deception
The first thing thrown was a dagger.
Then, judging by the throwing stance, some kind of spear.
After getting closer, what was swung was probably a two-handed sword.
Ellen was watching Frondier's fight. Over and over again.
She could identify the invisible weapons of Frondier, one by one, from the countless times she had seen the scene replayed. She could guess the type of weapon, its length, and even its weight.
And then, lastly.
The sword with which Frondier had cut down the golem.
That sword was not invisible; Ellen could clearly see it with her own eyes.
Even though Frondier didn't use aura, he cut down the golem effortlessly, without losing the awkwardness of his technique.
The weapon itself must be of a different class.
But, somehow.
It seemed familiar──
"Ellen, Ellen!"
"…!"
Ellen opened her eyes. She was in the classroom.
Gisele, a classmate, was waving her hands in front of Ellen.
"What's the matter? The one who used to sleep only while walking is now sleeping in the classroom. Or is this actually more normal? Should I be relieved?"
"I wasn't sleeping."
She had been sleeping.
Ellen, who had grown accustomed to sleep, had surprisingly reached a stage where she could dream the dreams she wanted.
If it was about the recent event, she could even review her memories as she was doing now.
Anyway, Frondier is a real mystery.
Lazy, lacking ambition, talent that barely surpasses the ordinary, just a good-for-nothing living off his family's name.
…At least, that's what the rumors clearly said.
But rumors are not to be trusted, yet could they really be this different?
What exactly did the people spreading the rumors see in Frondier?
"How's your side?"
"…Ah, it's okay."
Having answered Gisele, Ellen checked her own side.
She was still bandaged, but there was no discomfort severe enough to hinder daily activities. Of course, by her own standards.
The fact that she had been deeply cut by the golem's spear, even though she had avoided it, was also true.
"Really, you always sleep, yet recover so quickly from things like this. I don't know if it's because you have good or bad physical strength."
"Me walking in my sleep is solely a method to conserve energy,"
"Yes, yes. I know."
Gisele waved her hands dismissively, not wanting to hear Ellen's explanation she had heard so many times.
Hmm, Ellen felt a bit embarrassed and closed her mouth. Had she talked about it that much?
"Even if it was for a friend's sake, it was too reckless to do it alone. You should have called for more people or told a teacher. It's good that it was resolved, but still."
"…There wasn't time. Edwin's condition looked dangerous."
While saying this, Ellen also felt a bit of guilt.
As Gisele said, the other students at Constel think that Ellen solved this incident all by herself.
In fact, there was one more person who contributed even more than her, but Ellen didn't mention it.
This was because the person who helped her, Frondier, asked her not to.
"You don't have to lie, but please don't tell anyone that I was there that day. It would only make things more complicated. It could also cause unnecessary misunderstandings with senior Edwin."
That's what he said, so Ellen didn't mention that Frondier was there.
...Could it be that Frondier had been hiding his achievements like this all along?
...No way?
"You need to get a new sword?"
"Yeah. I'm going to look into it today."
After the fight with the golem, Ellen's sword was ruined.
It was because of the technique the golem used to disarm her, 'Falling Edge.'
Originally, the original 'Falling Edge' of Azeti doesn't even leave a scratch on the opponent's weapon.
However, the 'Falling Edge' that the golem showed her was too crude and rough, and her sword was already tattered after using it.
...It's a little annoying that she fell for such a crude technique.
However, the blacksmith she was indebted to before was too far away.
Ellen and her younger brother Aster had come this far to enroll in Constel, so she had no choice but to find a weapon shop or blacksmith near Constel.
Gisele smiled pleasantly and said, "Should I come with you? You look like the type of person who would easily get scammed when buying a weapon."
"...Ugh, no, it's fine."
Actually, she was going to ask first, but when she said that, she didn't want to ask.
Yes, she should see for herself and decide.
Getting scammed? What a joke.
* * *
"Customer, when it comes to swords, shouldn't you choose a lifelong companion?"
"...You're right, but still,"
"Yes. That's why you should use this sword made of our indestructible steel."
It was getting ridiculous.
Ellen's eyes were spinning from the merchant's long-winded sales pitch.
At first, she was definitely examining the swords carefully with her own eyes.
But then the merchant approached her subtly, recommended various weapons, and gradually increased the price range until it reached this point.
She felt pressured and thought she would end up buying this sword. And she started to think that it would be okay to buy it.
In fact, she had already decided to buy it, and all that was left was for her to rationalize it to herself.
The astute merchant noticed this and became even more enthusiastic in his sales pitch.
"How about it? A legendary sword made from the highest purity vipersteel does not negotiate its price. But should you acquire it, it can serve as a reliable companion for your safety, and even protect the lives of your loved ones—"
"Vipersteel, you say?"
At that moment, a voice interrupted the merchant's pitch.
Quickly, the merchant turned his head towards the man who had interrupted him, flashing a friendly smile.
"Ah, yes, indeed. It's steel forged from ore mined from the 'Yearlong Glacier of Bastères' in the north, processed through a special method."
The man just quietly looked at the sword, seemingly indifferent to the merchant's explanation.
And Ellen, a bit surprised, stared blankly at the man.
It was Frondier.
"Wouldn't you agree, sir? If you wield a sword, this item is particularly suited for you,"
At that, Frondier laughed. It was unclear what he found amusing about the merchant's claim, but he said,
"It's like calling cubic zirconia a diamond."
"...What? What did you say?"
