Reincarnated as a Sword Vol. 5 Read online

  Chapter 1:

  Ulmutt Bound

  MUNCH, MUNCH.

  Gobble, gobble.

  You guys have been eating curry for days now. Aren’t you bored of it?

  “Nope.”

  “Woof!”

  I see.

  Three days had passed since we left Bulbola.

  We were on our way to Ulmutt, making camp in a clearing next to the forest. This area was a designated resting place for travelers. The ground was flat and even, and there was a small well to draw water. A convenient spot, which unfortunately meant it was often a den of bandits and monsters. Travelers who visited to drink could end up permanently relieved of their thirst, among other things.

  City soldiers and adventurers served as the area’s caretakers, but year-round maintenance was nigh impossible. We spotted some goblins making a mess of the place when we arrived, although they were easily eliminated with a few spells. Then we pitched camp and got to the business of dinner.

  Curry was on the menu again. Fran had a plate of hot beef, while Jet enjoyed a bowl of ultrahot fish. I’d have preferred they eat a well-balanced meal, but I had promised them a week of all-you-can-eat curry when we left Bulbola, and they still had a few days to go.

  “So good.”

  “Arf arf.”

  The phrase “bored of curry” didn’t exist in their vocabulary. Even though they’d had it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three days now, they always reacted like they had never tasted it before. It was a good thing I’d made several pots.

  Still, it was only a matter of time until we ran out of ingredients. That would be bad. Especially for Fran’s mental health. Fortunately, we’d loaded up on spices before we left Bulbola. All we really needed was a kitchen. I wanted to make a batch here at the outpost but didn’t want to risk a random traveler happening upon a flying sword stirring a pot of curry. I gave myself a pat on the blade for being cautious.

  “Yum… Teacher.”

  I know. Someone’s coming.

  “Woof.”

  Fran and Jet halted their feast and readied themselves for a fight, but the yellow splotches of food around their mouths stopped them from being intimidating.

  The newcomer was no ordinary man. We couldn’t pick up on their presence until they stepped into the outpost, which meant they were using some sort of stealth skill to conceal their aura. Our guest was no neophyte.

  We were concealing ourselves, too, but our campfire gave us away. The stranger must’ve seen Fran from afar, but I didn’t sense any malice from them yet…

  “Why, hello there.”

  “Hi.”

  “I didn’t think anyone would beat me to this place tonight.”

  “Hm…”

  An old man emerged from the darkness. He looked to be over sixty years old, yet retained an athletic symmetry to his body. Perhaps he was a warrior of sorts.

  His gray hair was slicked back to his shoulders, and he had a fashionable gray beard that made me think he’d been a dandy in his youth. His black suit was decorated with embroidery. It looked like a tuxedo from afar, but upon closer inspection, I saw it was a suit of light armor, made of fabric and leather.

  The man smiled as he addressed Fran, despite Jet standing right there. If he was skilled enough to track Fran from a distance, he didn’t need to be overly cautious around her. His attitude told me that the old man was a lot stronger than he looked.

  He slipped past Fran as she sat down, and stood right in the corner of her vision. Startled, Fran got up again.

  Fran, whatever you do, do not engage!

  He’s…that good?

  Yeah…about on par with Amanda, I’d say.

  …!

  I used Identify to reveal the old man’s immense battle prowess. For a moment, I thought the skill had bugged out.

  Name: Dias

  Age: 71

  Race: Human

  Class: Phantasmist

  Level: 76/99

  HP: 241; Magic: 668; Strength: 122; Agility: 291

  Skills: Sensitive Sole 4; Intimidate 4; Conceal 7; Stealth 8; Disassemble 8; Martial Arts 4; Sense Disruption 7; Fade 7; Sleight of Hand 8; Reveal Weakness 4; Royal Etiquette 6; Presence Sense 8; Conceal Presence 7; Illusion Magic 10; Phantasm Magic 6; Reveal Vulnerability 10; Hush 3; Abnormal Status Resistance 5; Dagger Arts 7; Dagger Mastery 7; Earth Magic 3; Magic Tricks 10; Throw 7; Poison Magic 4; Fire Magic 3; Mana Drain 2; Magic Resistance 3; Mana Sense 6; Charm Resistance 4; Carpentry 4; Play 7; Disarm Trap 7; Trap Sense 8; Lay Trap 7; Spirit Manipulation; Dull Pain; Fortitude; Split Thinking; Mana Manipulation.

  Unique Skill: Skill Amnesia 7

  Class Skill: Mental Suggestion 8; Visual Suggestion 8

  Titles: Illusionist; Trickster; Surpasser of Human Limits

  Equipment: Dragonfang Dagger; Dragonscale Suit; Fleetfoot Boots; Bracelet of Sacrifice; Phantasmist Ring

  At Level 70, this guy was stronger than Amanda and Forlund. A master magician, and a formidable fighter, too. His skills made him dangerous even while unarmed. Magic Tricks and Sleight of Hand could make him a talented assassin. He had a Unique Skill of his own as well.

  Skill Amnesia: Causes opponent to forget a targeted skill for a period of time. Duration is determined by skill’s level and rarity. Maximum duration of one minute. Recast is determined by skill’s level and rarity.

  Well, that was distressingly strong. A minute of forgetfulness was all this Phantasmist needed to finish a battle.

  Mental Suggestion: Plants an instantaneous suggestion in a target’s mind, making them more susceptible to persuasion.

  Visual Suggestion: Plants an instantaneous suggestion in a target’s sight, creating an illusion in their field of vision.

  These two skills, combined with Fade and Conceal Presence, made up an arsenal of stealth skills. I imagined he could make himself disappear in the heat of battle with Illusion Magic, too. As his Phantasmist class suggested, Dias was a master of mirage. Even up against a stronger opponent, I doubted he would be easy to hit.

  We didn’t know his intentions, so I thought it best to stay on his good side for now.

  He uses illusions. Listen—

  As I was about to warn Fran to stay at a safe distance, Dias opened his mouth. What he said sent chills down my blade.

  “You Identified me just now, didn’t you?” His tone was gentle, but his eyes weren’t amused.

  So he did notice! I had a bad feeling when I saw Identify Sense in his skill list. Did we sour his mood? I hoped not. I hoped the weathered old man could find it in his heart to forgive the curiosity of a little girl.

  Instead, Dias narrowed his eyes and focused on Fran.

  Identify gave you a peek at your target’s personal information. It was only natural that it was considered an attack by those with secrets, people with a guilty conscience, and, naturally, private individuals.

  I should’ve anticipated there was a skill which allowed you to know when you’d been Identified, considering all the other Sense skills we’d seen. If Identify provoked this old man to attack Fran, it would be my fault!

  Sorry.

  What’s done is done.

  Just get ready to teleport out of here if things go south.

  Hm.

  “Hmm…”

  The aura around Dias grew even more menacing. Were we in for a fight? We watched the old man for any sudden moves, but he broke the silence with a chuckle.

  “No need to be so cautious now.” His grim mask flipped into a smile. “I promise you I’m not upset.”

  He spoke teasingly, and the intimidating aura we’d felt a second ago was gone like a bad dream. He smiled.

  “You have every reason to be suspicious of strangers in a
place like this. Don’t expect everyone to be as understanding, however. There are people who will fly off the handle if you Identify them. You must pick your targets carefully.”

  I listened, despite my general dislike for being lectured. Fran took his advice the same way and answered with a docile nod.

  “Just a bit of advice from an old adventurer.”

  “Old adventurer”? The phrase had an odd ring to it.

  Fran felt the same way. “You knew I was an adventurer?”

  “Yes. People were talking about you at the guild in Bulbola.”

  Was he in Bulbola during the incident? People would’ve talked if a veteran of his caliber were around.

  “You were in Bulbola?”

  “Only two days ago. I could’ve helped if I had arrived a few days earlier.”

  So he wasn’t there when Linford nearly razed the city. Wait…two days ago? We’d departed Bulbola three days ago, and ridden Jet the entire way here. With his ability to run through the air, Jet could cover a lot more ground than a horse. Had Dias caught up with us in spite of all that?

  Fran looked at Jet, then back at Dias. The old man knew what was bothering her.

  “I’m light on my feet, you see. I have a bit of endurance as well. I ran all the way without stopping.”

  He wasn’t lying. He’d run a straight marathon without even slowing down. Dias’s stats were a testament to his superhuman strength. There was no need to treat him like an old man.

  “I had business to take care of in Bulbola when I heard people talking about you. A Black Cat and a black wolf. The student of a chef who cooked strange yellow food. You are quite difficult to mistake, Swordceress Fran.”

  Dias had deduced Fran’s identity instantly.

  “You already know my name, but allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Dias. An adventurer.”

  “I’m Fran, D-Rank Adventurer. This is Jet.”

  “Woof!”

  “A pleasure to meet you both.”

  They maintained their distance, even after making their introductions. Fran kept her eyes on Dias as he tried getting her to let her guard down. Faced with Fran’s apparent rudeness, his smile only broadened.

  “Yes, very good. You won’t make it far as an adventurer without being careful.”

  He was like a wise old grandfather teaching his grandkid. They were the right ages for the comparison at least.

  “I’ll give you another piece of advice, young Fran. Identify is a common skill, but I sense that you use it quite often.”

  “Hm.”

  I was the one using it, to be exact.

  “As I said, you should pick your marks carefully. Royalty tend to have the Identify Sense skill, and they don’t take kindly to people snooping around.”

  If we caught a whiff of a royal secret…

  “You have a bright future ahead of you, and I’m sure you’ll have an audience with royalty one day. Take care you don’t offend them, or…”

  Dias made a chopping motion across his neck with his hand. He was right. I should be more careful.

  “Got it.”

  “Well, I’ll be on my way then. It looks like my presence is making you tense.”

  “Hm.”

  “Goodness, you won’t do me the kindness of saying that isn’t so?”

  “No. Because it’s true.”

  “Hahaha, how mean. Well, a healthy dose of paranoia is a necessary part of the job. I’ll see you soon.”

  Dias laughed as he walked away. He waved to Fran before disappearing into the darkness.

  He’s gone…

  “Hm.”

  “Woof.”

  Despite his lack of hostility, dealing with a stranger leagues stronger than us was still exhausting. We relaxed as he faded away.

  Looks like he’s bound for Ulmutt, too. Maybe we’ll run into him there.

  Munch, munch. “Yeah, maybe.”

  Gobble, gobble.

  They sure didn’t waste any time returning to their dinner!

  “Hm?” Munch.

  Nothing. How’s the food? Good?

  “Hm! Amazing.”

  That was good enough for me. The terrible encounters with monsters and powerful adventurers seemed to have prepared Fran for Dias. I, on the other hand, needed to do some introspection.

  I needed to be wary of Identify Sense, and more discreet about Identifying dangerous entities, and even nobles, from now on.

  The day after we ran into Dias, and three weeks since we left Alessa, we finally came within sight of the Dungeon City of Ulmutt.

  “Teacher, is that the one?”

  “Woof!”

  Yeah, that must be the Dungeon City.

  Ulmutt was located in the middle of a forest and surrounded by thick walls. Alessa felt like such a long time ago… Even though not much time had actually passed, the things we’d been through lengthened our perception of it. We’d fought a Lich on a floating island, aided a revolution in the naval kingdom of Seedrun, participated in Bulbola’s great cooking contest, and somehow faced an archfiend immediately afterward.

  Fran had grown mentally and physically stronger.

  We’d promised Garrus the blacksmith that we would see him again in Ulmutt, and I was sure he would be surprised at the progress she’d made. He might not even recognize her!

  “Hm?”

  Fran seemed to notice my gaze, and turned her head to look at me. Her face was adorable, as usual.

  I…might have been getting ahead of myself.

  “What do you mean?”

  Don’t worry about it. I was just thinking that we’ve finally made it.

  “Hm. It’s smaller than I thought. There’s something weird going on, too.”

  “Arf?”

  Ulmutt was a small city. It was nothing compared to Bulbola, and only about half the size of Alessa. However, the city’s diminished size did nothing to lessen its imposing stature. We had a clear view from Jet’s back, and the first thing that caught my eye were the walls which protected the town. You could tell the walls were thick, even from a distance. And they built them high too. I suppose they needed all the protection they could get from the local monsters, but even Bulbola, the jewel of Granzell, was nowhere near this fortified.

  The defenses seemed heavy for such a small city. Did it really need to be so well guarded?

  A gigantic tower-like structure loomed on the eastern side. It was difficult to miss. Was it built using magic? The structure reminded me of the concrete towers back on Earth. It was about thirty meters tall, and looked like it could be used as a stronghold, but I could only speculate about its true purpose for now.

  We’ll have to go there to find out.

  “Hm.”

  “Woof.”

  Getting into town was going to be difficult. A thousand people were waiting at the city gates. I should’ve expected that. The fighting tournament was famous throughout Granzell and attracted adventurers, merchants, and tourists alike.

  With Bulbola’s Festival of the Moons wrapped up, I figured most of the people who’d attended it were here now. Anyone who left the port city before the incident with the Archfiend would be arriving in Ulmutt around this time. Thinking about having to wait in that line was enough to make me ill, but we weren’t nobility, and didn’t have the privilege of skipping the queue. And riding Jet over the walls was basically asking for trouble.

  Oh, well. Let’s find the back of the line.

  “Hm.”

  Jet, land somewhere away from everyone. Landing right in the middle of the line would cause a commotion.

  “Woof!”

  Jet found a quiet place in the forest, about 200 meters away. From there, we walked to the highway and set out for Ulmutt on foot.

  We were greeted by a huge crowd. After some questioning, we confirmed that this was the only way to get into Ulmutt, so we joined the line. A girl with a sword on her back and a wolf familiar would’ve stuck out like a sore thumb anywhere else, but not in the Dungeon City of U
lmutt. There were a lot of adventurers here, and, because the dungeon itself wasn’t too difficult, many beginners.

  Kids around Fran’s age weren’t a rare sight. Further in line was an adventurer who looked to be in their mid-teens. There weren’t too many Tamer classes, although I still felt the presence of their familiars.

  That said, none of them were quite as young as Fran.

  Let’s just get in line.

  “Hm.”

  We finally joined the queue, but…

  This line isn’t moving. At all.

  Progress was as slow as molasses.

  Listening to the merchants in front of us, we discovered that Ulmutt had two dungeons, which were home to substances used to make dangerous drugs and catalysts for dark rituals. If you weren’t an adventurer, you were rigorously screened on entry. Once you passed screening, you were allowed to freely enter the city for half a year, but at this time of year, merchants and spectators always crowded the gates for the fighting tournament. The yearly crowd was part of Ulmutt’s seasonal scenery. Someone had probably written a song about it.

  Some of the shrewder merchants were already selling food to those waiting, stationing themselves along the line with mats to hawk their wares. Some of them even cried to potential customers from makeshift stalls. Many things were on sale here: food, handmade souvenirs, even alcohol. It reminded me of the waiting line for back on Earth, where the event started as soon as you got in line.

  The veterans had already whipped out their folding chairs and started drinking. Just like home.

  Looks like we’ll have to be patient.

  “Hm.”

  Thirty minutes later…

  Goblin.

  Ogre.

  Uhh…dragon.

  Kobold.

  Hang on, let me think… Demon.

  Chimaera.

  Hmmm.

  We had decided to play a little word association game to pass the time. I’d explained the rules, and Fran genuinely seemed to enjoy it. The subject today was monster names. It made waiting our turn a little more bearable. However, not everyone was blessed with the virtue of patience. Adventurers, aggressive by temperament if not by vocation, got into arguments with each other as the line crawled along. The arguments hadn’t developed into shouting matches quite yet, but I could imagine a brawl breaking out soon.