Chapter SS4: Lit’s shotel course
Translator: Tseirp
Ordinary magical weapons that have had strengthening magic applied on them will be extremely sturdy compared to regular weapons and will not rust even with normal levels of dirt and grime on them.
They are basically maintenance free.
That said, they are still a luxury item and most people will grow attached to them.
Maintenance of their weapon may not be the job of soldiers working for the country but at least for the Bahamut Knight Order that I was in or the Principality of Logavia Royal Guard unit that Lit was in, the practice was to maintain our own weapons.
“To sharpen the inner side of the shotel, you just have to take a whetstone like this and grind it back and forth several times. Do it with the intent to recondition the blade rather than sharpen it.”
“““Yes!”””
“If you have strengthening magic in place, basically there is no need to sharpen it but by running a whetstone over the blade, you will be able to feel the condition of the blade. If you grind the blade regularly and remember the condition of the blade, you will immediately be able to sense any irregularities. When that happens, don’t put it off because it is a hassle and get a blacksmith to check it. After all, just because it is a magic weapon doesn’t mean it can never break.”
In our shop’s courtyard, Lit was giving a lecture on shotels to adventurers who looked up to Hero Lit and started using shotels.
I sat at the back and was also staring at Lit demonstrate her grip on the shotel.
Today was an adventurer lecture day that Lit started on a whim.
It was truly a whim so there was no prior notice but regular adventurers were not discouraged and attended the lecture.
The fee was to purchase my medicine.
Even though they could attend just by buying a painkiller that cost only 1 quarter peryl, the all adventurers who adored Lit bought more than necessary.
As such, to match their demands, I tried to prepare medicines that were more frequently used.
For example the medicine called Zombie Oil. Contrary to the name, for three hours after drinking it, it will strengthen a person’s vitality.
That said, it would not be effective enough to heal wounds but it could at least stop bleeding from certain injuries.
It could be said to be an advanced hemostatic agent.
It was a medicine effective for battles.
The price was 7 peryl.
It may be called Zombie Oil but that doesn’t mean zombie fluids were used to create it.
It was a secure, safe and hygienic medicine.
“Now then, let’s end there for maintenance.”
Lit said as she walked around to look at the adventurers’ shotels.
“It is only necessary to do it so carefully on days you return from adventures where you cut down many monsters. Also, for part-time adventurers who don’t use your swords frequently, you should apply a thin layer of rust-preventive oil.”
Incidentally, we sell rust-preventive oil too.
Please purchase some on your way home.
“Lit-san.”
After the lecture on maintaining the weapon ended, a young female adventurer spoke up.
She had the 『Warrior』 divine protection and was the youngest participant today, probably a fledgling adventurer.
“I received the shotel yesterday but what kind of sword is the shotel?”
Lit nodded understandingly to the adventurer’s question.
“It is true that you must first understand the characteristics of the weapon before you can understand how you should handle it.”
Lit raised her Shotel.
“A shotel is a greatly curved double-edged sword. It has an S-shaped curve.”
Lit’s shotel had a griffon feather adorning the handle.
It was a lot more fashionable compared to my and the adventurers’ swords.
That looked more fitting for the sword of a Hero Princess.
“The well-known characteristic of this weapon is to bypass shields with the curve to attack behind it.”
Lit thrust the shotel with a shout. Even against opponents with a shield, the unique trajectory of the S-shaped blade would stab the opponent.
Then, with the elbow as the fulcrum, Lit swung her shotel left and right.
“With this swinging motion, the shotel also has the characteristic of a stabbing weapon using the protruding tip rather than typical slashing attacks. Even a small swing can leave a deep wound on the opponent.”
The curved blade like a sickle worked differently from an ordinary sword.
A veteran swordsman skilled with ordinary swords would be like an amateur if he held a shotel.
A lot of training was needed to wield one.
Then, Lit looked and beckoned me.
“Red, please be my assistant.”
“Me?”
“It’s a lot easier with an opponent.”
Lit waved her hand.
Oh well, it’s the duty of the store owner to cooperate with Lit since she’s contributing to the sales of the store.
“Yes~ pay attention, this is my Red, clap.”
A crackling applause ensued.
It was a little embarrassing.
Lit grinned when she saw my blushing face.
All right, I’ll have to think of a way to counterattack and make Lit’s face red tonight.
I adjusted my thoughts and held the spear and shield taken from Lit’s item box while Lit held a training shotel with blunt blades.
“The shape of the shotel can be used in many ways. First of all, like mentioned earlier, is to avoid the shield and land a blow.”
Lit demonstrated a few techniques against me as I braced with a shield.
Hero Lit was demonstrating practical skills so the adventurers watched intently.
“Next, you hook the opponent’s body and break their stance.”
Lit’s shotel hooked my feet.
As my posture was broken, she quickly followed up with a slash.
“The blade is double-edged so you don’t have to change your grip and just slash upward from the flank with the opposite end of the blade.”
It was the same for my copper sword. A double-edged sword could slice just by swinging it left and right.
That was quite convenient during actual battles.
There are some single-edged swords that have a double-edge blade on the tip such that the back of the blade could be used as well.
“This hook could also be used to drag enemies down from horseback. Shotel soldiers focus their trainings for that purpose rather than bypassing shields.”
“I see!”
The adventurers nodded many times.
The shotel’s characteristic of bypassing shields to attack has been emphasized so heavily that they forgot the function of regular sickle swords.
Many of the ways to utilize the shotel that Lit showed surprised the adventurers.
“And the most important characteristic of the shotel.”
Lit flipped the shotel and swapped her grip on it.
The front and back were reversed to resemble an inverted S.
In other words, it was no longer a sickle-shaped sword but similar to ordinary curved blades such as scimitars.
“Doing so will give you a straight center of gravity similar to regular swords.”
Lit showed a glimpse of a flowing sword dance using the shotel as a scimitar.
“Ooh!”
The adventurer with the best skill among the adventurers present exclaimed.
The greatness of Lit’s current movements were probably conveyed to him.
It was difficult to understand the unique movements of the shotel but I could understand the movements resembling the movements in the scimitar dojo in Zoltan.
“Just now the shotel was used to drag opponents on horseback down whereas this grip is used to swing down while on horseback. It is both an anti-cavalry sword and a cavalry sword. That is one of the shotel’s characteristics.”
I put down the shield and held the spear with two hands to act as an opponent for Lit to show off the technique using a curved blade.
Using it as a sickle sword, she showed continuous blows unlike before.
The adventurers’ eyes were sparkling from watching Lit’s sword technique.
As expected, using it as a curved sword had a visual appeal and their reactions were straightforward.
“The charm of the shotel is its versatility. If you devise a plan to use it according to the situation and the opponent, you will be able to defeat any kind of opponent. But it is a fact that it is a difficult sword to use. It is important to practice swinging the shotel everyday until you are accustomed to it.”
“““Yes!!”””
Not only the adventurer who asked the question responded but everyone present responded as well.
Today was only supposed to be a lecture on maintaining a shotel but the content of the lecture has turned out to be quite substantial.
The adventurers also had a more satisfied and excited look than usual.
“Let’s all go to the training ground together! Let’s immediately try out what we have been taught!”
The adventurers said and rushed out of the store.
“Haha, they enjoyed Lit’s lecture quite a lot.”
“It would be great if they turn into strong adventurers and people stop asking me to return from retirement.”
Glad that there was nobody left around, Lit hugged me from behind.
I worked on closing the store with Lit on my back.
“Today’s sales were great thanks to Lit.”
“Yay, my reward please.”
“Reward huh ... if you tell me that so suddenly. What about hamburgers tonight?”
“I’m excited for that too but.”
I was trying hard to think when Lit hugged my body tighter.
“ ... Let’s sleep together tonight.”
“I-I see, it’s a reward for you after all.”
“Ehehe.”
In the end, today was the day I was made to blush.
Today was a happy day as well.
☆☆
On a highway near Zoltan’s border.
“Girurururu!!”
A flock of death worms roared with grinding teeth.
Two cavalry were riding among the death worms that were the size of horses and had their large mouths wide open.
“Ha!”
One of the cavalry.
Charles, an adventurer of Zoltan, straddled his summoned spirit mount and was slashing the death worms with a shotel in one hand.
Following Hero Lit’s teachings, Charles held the shotel like a curved blade and swung it whenever he passed by an enemy.
The shotel blade easily sliced through the death worm’s body.
“I see, this is good!”
He never had actual practice on horseback combat but he wanted to reassess if he could fighting a herd of opponents outdoors.
“I never thought deeply into it and it was only a pretense to admire Lit-san but ... as expected of a hero’s weapon. My battle capabilities broadened just by using a shotel!”
His opponents were more than 30 death worms.
He thought it was impossible for a while but it seemed that he would be able to fulfill the escort request.
After putting down the final worm, the adventurer Charles calmly returned to the merchant group that he was protecting.
The adventurers from other countries also on the escort request were surprised by Charles’s success, as he was despised as a lazy Zoltan citizen previously, and they threw praises with some jealousy mixed into it.
Even that was comfortable for Charles and he felt a taste of how a hero felt.
(That said, she was the greater hero.)