Read Novel Full Vol 22 Chapter 9
Vol 22 Chapter 9
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Chapter 9 – The Value of a Knife
I invited Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Adalicia to a hot sandwich party. As I expected, they were delighted, but the unexpected thing was that they were full before the proper food could be served. The next day, as planned, I went to buy a knife.
“Hey, don’t they make knives here?”
When I entered the workshop, weapons and armor, such as spears and shields, were lined up. It was completely different from the atmosphere I had imagined.
Marina-san and the others then got into the spirit of things and began to look at the weapons and armor happily.
Marina-san picked up a dagger, Carla-san picked up a shield, and Claretta-san looked around… Ah, I guess Claretta-san’s main weapons are holy magic and maces.
It seems that they don’t have maces because of the water resistance in the sea, and spears, thin swords, and daggers are popular.
Personally, I find it odd that they have a shield that is so water-resistant, and a large one at that.
I guess they use it in places where defense is important, but that’s outside my area of expertise.
More importantly, the kitchen knives… hmm?
“Don’t you want to take a look at them, Ines and Felicia?”
“If we see them, we’ll want them, and we’ve already had our master get us orichalcum weapons, so it would be too much to get more than that.”
“Even the orichalcum weapons were too much, but I generally agree with Ines’ opinion.”
I see, I was a little surprised by Ines’ quite reasonable opinion, but I was also happy that she seemed to think so highly of my gift.
“Um, Wataru, there are no knives.”
I was a little touched by that, but then Claretta-san started asking me about it. She’s so cute.
“Well, let’s see, I’ll ask the soldier who showed us around.”
The shopkeeper was busy with Marina-san and the others, so I went to ask the soldier.
I asked the soldier who had been watching us casually about the knife, and he went to the back of the store with a look on his face that said, “Oh, that reminds me.”
A little later, a mermaid came out with the soldier.
What is it? This mermaid looks like a craftsman. Or rather, he is a craftsman. I feel bad that the craftsman was called instead of the shopkeeper, but it’s lucky that I can hear the story directly from the craftsman.
“Hello, I actually came here because I wanted to buy a knife, but I couldn’t find one…”
“I’m sorry. Someone from the castle asked about the knives, so I was just polishing them up a bit. I’ll bring them to you right away.”
The craftsman mermaid told me why there were no knives in the shop.
I see, so if someone from the castle brings up the subject, you’ll go and clean them, even if you’ve just polished them.
After waiting a while, the craftsman brought out some knives on a stand.
“I’m sorry there aren’t many, but these are all we have.”
There were five knives. It seems that they only make Yanagiba and Deba knives. Maybe they make them to make it easy to cook fish since they are a country surrounded by the sea.
But even though there are only a few types, it seems that they didn’t cut corners, and the knives on display make the most of the beauty of the shells, and just by looking at them, you can feel how sharp they are.
“They’re wonderful. It’s just a shame there aren’t more of them.”
If there aren’t enough of them, I hesitate to buy them, even though I don’t cook that much.
“My real job is making weapons. And knives are a bit difficult. They have to be much thinner than weapons, and they have to be strong and flexible enough to withstand that, so only a small part of the magic shell can be used.”
I see, I couldn’t understand what he was saying for a moment, but in the Western style, spears and other weapons are often thick.
On the other hand, thick blades are unsuitable for preparing fish, so perhaps the original concept is different.
“So what kind of knife do mermaids use in their daily lives?”
This knife could be called a work of art. I don’t think it would be used in an ordinary household. If we were to use a Japanese equivalent, it would be like a short sword made by a Japanese swordsmith using the best techniques and materials and then used as a kitchen knife.
“Ah, that’s made of a kind of shell that can be easily processed and is not suitable for use as a weapon. Metal ones are also made with special processing, but they also cost a reasonable amount.”
I see. I’m also interested in that knife, but if possible, I’d like to have a good one in front of me. When I go shopping, I’m the kind of person who gets distracted by products that are a notch above what I was expecting to buy.
“Excuse me, is it possible for us to buy this item? No, it’s not that we’re trying to get it by force because we’re involved with the castle, but we’re talking about things like maintenance.”
To be honest, given my relationship with the Mermaid Kingdom, I can get my hands on most things. After all, I’m treated at a level where even sacred treasures can be given to me.
The problem is something else. When amateurs use their power and money to acquire things based on history and tradition, they often end up ruining them because they don’t know how to handle them.
I’ve seen people do that a few times in Japan and get themselves into trouble, so I want to avoid that kind of situation. I’m very sensitive to self-preservation.
If I don’t get killed, I’ll live a long time. It’s better to have as few worries as possible later on.
“Oh, you mean maintenance? First of all, it is said that this knife can be used on land without any problems. However, this is just an old legend, so it cannot be said for sure. However, the quality and toughness are certain, and it will not break even if it cuts through the bones of a sea monster. Therefore, I think it is okay to use it, but when it comes to sharpening, it is better to have it brought here for maintenance.”
Hmm, if it can cut through the bones of monsters, it should be fine for normal cooking.
As for sharpening it, it’s a bit of a hassle, but if you think about sending it to the manufacturer for repair and maintenance, it’s not that strange.
Given our relationship with the Mermaid Kingdom, we’ll probably be visiting regularly, if not frequently.
I’ll buy it… no, I haven’t even asked if we can buy it yet.
“It’s okay for maintenance, but is it okay for us to buy it?”
“We don’t have any purchasing restrictions, so it’s okay. To tell you the truth, these knives don’t sell well. The price is reasonable, and these knives were made by the previous generation. The chef at the castle uses knives from the previous generation. If there are unsold items, it’s hard for me to make new ones.”
The craftsman told us with a wry smile.
It seems that they were actually unpopular products. I see, so they are good products, but they are the kind of products that don’t meet people’s needs.
But it’s too late to worry about the price now. If I was going to be scared off by the price, I should have been scared off by the orichalcum knife when I made it.
“I’ll buy it.
If I can buy it, I’ll buy it. It’s only too convenient that I have more than I need.
＊＊＊
I ended up buying two knives, a Deba and a Yanagiba.
The craftsman smiled wryly as he said they were expensive but less than a tenth of the price of the orichalcum bread knife.
I could really see how sinful I had been.
Claretta-san also agonized over the price and ended up buying a Deba knife. Normally, when you buy something expensive, you agonize over the price, which is the right thing to do.
If I don’t cherish these feelings, I will probably drift further and further away from the world. I think I’ll try to keep my spirits up.
“Fufu, I bought it. I want to cook, Wataru.”
Claretta-san spoke to me with a smile.
“That’s right. It would be a nuisance to bother the kitchen staff at the Mermaid Castle too much, so how about we cook together when we get back to the surface?”
“Yes, I’m looking forward to that.”
I promised to cook with Claretta-san. We’ve cooked together before, but it’s always nice to make a promise like that.
Oh, I wanted to make tempura, so let’s cook together. I’ve already done some of the prep work, but there will be plenty of opportunities to use the knife. Like for kakiage.
While chatting about cooking, we return to the castle.
We bought knives, but the other members didn’t buy weapons. Apparently, the quality was quite good, but the weapons made for mermaids have different details, such as the center of gravity.
When it comes to weapons that you trust with your life, you can’t just buy them because they’re rare, like knives.
＊＊＊
We are on our way out to sea on the White Dolphin.
This visit was just to make our presence known, but we came away with many things, including fresh seafood, kitchen knives, and the possibility of trade with the Beastman City.
Camille-san and Princess Adalicia were seriously considering trade, in particular, and we agreed to begin a trial run once the Beastman City was more self-sufficient.
As soon as I return to Beastman City, I’ll submit the proposal for tomatoes, millet, and poultry farming to the board of directors of the Toyomi Trading Company. Oh, and I also have to think about choosing a representative, or rather, a person in charge of the Beastmen.
I can’t see what will happen to Beastman City yet, but I think we’re starting to gather the materials we need.
However…
“It’s been a while since we were on the sea.”
“That’s right, I’ll only be able to go if you invite me, Wataru-sama.”
As you can tell from the conversation, Her Majesty the Queen and the First Princess are accompanying us.
When I told them that I just wanted to show my face and that I would be leaving soon, they gave off an air that said they wanted to come, too, even though they didn’t say so directly. You know what I mean, right?
When they’ve been so kind to us, and Her Majesty the Queen gives off such a vibe, it’s impossible not to invite them, right?
Well, their two purposes are to pray to the Sea God-sama in the church on the luxury liner and to watch magical girl shows at night.
But the church… I’ve been looking away the whole time, but I feel like I have to deal with Creator God-sama soon, or it will be dangerous.
It’s about time I invited the gods to the luxury liner, so I’ll deal with it when Her Majesty and the others return.
But what should I do?
The gods have been waiting for this moment, so they must be harassing Creator God-sama to their hearts’ content.
Even if there is a contract with the world, I have no idea how to deal with Creator God-sama, who is stressed from being overworked.
Just thinking about it gives me a heavy heart.
For now, I’ll do my best to entertain the queen and princess.
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