“Cap… Commander, is it really okay to come this far?”
“Huh? Don’t start whining now! Hey, you all, run, run!”
The stout and heavy armor of a middle-aged female knight commander, worthy of leading a hundred soldiers, booms as she commands.
While shouting at her pathetic deputy who is muttering weakly, she slays a Spada person she happens to encounter on the road with her sword, passing by without so much as a glance.
At this point, the number of fleeing Spada people has already outstripped the allies.
After breaking through the gate and surging into the town, a widespread urban battle has erupted with the Spada soldiers, but she has successfully led her about a hundred men through the combat areas and advanced into the Spada town.
“But, weren’t we supposed to take a detour and ambush the enemy forces?”
“Are you stupid? Are you a scarecrow with an empty brain? That’s obviously a lie. Let the main force deal with the Spada people.”
“Whaaat!? Then where are we actually headed?!”
“Tch, it’s pathetic that a rookie like you, who’s just aged without learning anything, doesn’t even recognize that. It’s amazing.”
She pokes her deputy, who is about the same age, and he lets out a pathetic sound like, “Ahii.” This lanky man is indeed a knight who has trained in armor and sword, but it seems to be his first time on the battlefield. Such a thing is typical of guard soldiers from a peaceful local town.
On the other hand, the female commander, having grown up in a conflict zone where disputes with heretics never cease, has abundant experience both in battlefields and in invading enemy towns and villages.
“Now’s the time to earn! Look around, here, there, and over there, the flames haven’t reached anywhere and there’s no fool running around. We’re the first here. It’s the best reward time to take whatever we want, as much as we want!”
“I-I see… But if the main force takes any damage…”
“Hah, whether that arrogant superior of ours dies or whether our employer, Baron, dies, it doesn’t matter. Listen up, it’s all about money in this world. If you have money, you can manage most things. Those who can’t earn when they should will only regret it. That’s what being a knight corps is about.”
Though she has a mentality somewhat like a mercenary, it is precisely because she has managed to earn well on the battlefield that she finds herself in her current position.
If they can earn significantly here, further advancement is possible. Even if her knight corps were to be annihilated, as long as her pockets are full, she will be able to continue elsewhere.
“Attacking such a large city is my first time as well. If I can make a big score here, quitting being a knight and becoming a reasonable landowner to live a leisurely retirement isn’t just a dream.”
“Oh, that sounds nice…”
“Whether returning to Sinclair or staying here, having money is always better, right? So, follow me. I’ll make sure you all earn plenty too!!”
“Wooooo!” The morale of the soldiers under her command rises.
They can win, they can earn, it’s impossible not to be excited.
Yet, knowing the battlefield well, the female commander does not indulge in any frivolous behavior and efficiently executes the method to earn.
“Listen up, three blocks from here is the Mordred Weapon Trading Company, a weapon shop. It’s a big one. We’re targeting this.”
“A weapon shop? Isn’t there a more profitable place, like a noble’s mansion?”
“This is why amateurs are…”
She laughs mockingly, yet in good spirits.
“Places that look obviously profitable are just where others are easy to swarm. It’s not unusual to have fierce fights over spoils.”
“But we’re the first here, so…”
“With this chaos, soon more will come rushing in. I don’t want to gather gold coins and then get stabbed in the back.”
“Ah…”
“Thus, we aim for places that seem unattractive to the shortsighted idiots but still promise harvests. A big weapon shop has both earnings and valuable goods. Although inferior to jewels, if there are rare magical tools or magically endowed weapons, it could yield a significant profit.”
Additionally, a large weapon shop would surely be equipped with transport carriages.
If they can seize the carriages and load them up with all the valuable equipment, it could result in a considerable profit.
“A weapon shop, abundant in weapons, yet having no guards, is what a town’s weapon shop is. I’ve made a hefty income from this before, no doubt about it.”
“Oh, I see! I’ll follow you, Commander!”
“Yeah, work hard! Oh, we’re coming up to it—”
The Mordred Weapon Trading Company is the largest weapon shop in Spada. If you squeeze nearby Spada people, its name will be among the first mentioned.
With assured profits, an easy-to-understand location, and a gigantic store, even if it’s her first time stepping into the city, it would be easy to find, and since it’s not a military facility, it’s a good target. Just as the female commander said, it is a perfect spot for plunder.
She points to a building that is larger than the surrounding ones facing the main street.
There is a big sign that reads “Mordred Weapon Trading Company, Academy District Branch,” clearly indicating that it is undoubtedly their destination.
If she had the chance, she would prefer to raid the main store, but that appears to be beyond the other barrier in the upper district where nobles reside, making it impossible to infiltrate at this stage. However, the Crusaders will soon breach that second barrier as well. They can then make a big score in the upper district once again.
Tonight is merely a precursor to the battle.
“Guys, what do you see?”
“There are no Spada soldiers around.”
“Just some Spada people. Just as you said, now no one will disturb us.”
She smiles in satisfaction at her subordinates’ reconnaissance report.
The town of Spada is in utter chaos due to the invading Crusaders. There’s no way they could spare soldiers for defense in such a place. Even if they did come, they would be the local gendarmerie.
As they have led a hundred men here, they need not worry about such small enemy forces.
“If they resist, it’ll be troublesome. Alright, we’ll take over all at once.”
“Y-Yes!”
The unreliable deputy’s voice quivers as the real battle approaches. However, the female commander, without mocking him, leads the charge herself and stands before the closed door marked with a “Closed” sign.
“Let’s break in!”
With a kick enhanced by physical enhancement magic, she kicks down the door and rushes into the shop.
The attack—none.
The shop is silent in the night, and there is no sign of people.
“There’s no one on the first floor.”
“Good, you all fortify the front door. Send a few men to the back entrance too.”
It is nighttime outside business hours, so it is only natural that the shop is empty. Even during the day, in this situation, people would likely flee without collecting anything.
Nevertheless, the female commander thoroughly checks each floor to ensure no one is lurking, proceeding floor by floor from the first.
Finally, she climbs to the topmost fourth floor of the building.
It appears that this fourth floor is not a customer area but rather an office-like space for the shop.
Then, one could assume that the sales money and a considerable amount of cash would be stored here. With the pile of gold coins just ahead, both the female commander and her accompanying soldiers are filled with eager anticipation as they ascend the dark stairs—
“Welcome to my Mordred Weapon Trading Company.”
Just as they reach the fourth floor, the voice of someone echoes.
“Who is it!!”
Feeling a sense of ambush, she is tempted to click her tongue and shouts to identify the voice.
In response, the lights suddenly come on in the room, revealing whoever was waiting there.
“… Undead!?”
“Please, call me Lich, my dear.”
Standing before them is a tall skeleton draped in an exquisite pitch-black robe adorned with brilliant golden decorations. In its hand is a lavish staff embedded with a rainbow of gems.
Its flamboyant appearance is reminiscent of a nouveau riche, but its presence standing boldly in front is awe-inspiring, much like a dungeon boss. Indeed, it is understandable that it is a higher species of the skeleton-type undead monster known as a Lich.
Moreover, undead in the context of the Cross Religion are particularly deemed an evil presence. While the female commander may be someone who prioritizes gold over divine belief, she heightens her vigilance at the emergence of undead as a matter of common sense in the Sinclair Republic.
“Tch, a monster, take this!”
In an instant, she readies the crossbow that was slung on her back and fires an arrow.
A beat later, her subordinate with a crossbow sends a follow-up shot.
“Hmm, it appears you all are not customers but rather thieves.”
All of the arrows are blocked in front of the Lich by a dark defensive magic. Judging from its appearance, it boasts robust mid-level defensive power. No matter how many arrows are shot, it seems impossible to pierce through.
“However, choosing the Mordred Weapon Trading Company shows you have good eyes. My company aims to be number one in Spada and eventually in Pandora.”
“There’s no need to spout nonsense. An undead like you shouldn’t be speaking the words of humans!”
She adjusts her crossbow and draws her sword.
With this magically enhanced beloved sword and the power of her martial arts, she believes she can break through the dark defensive magic.
Besides, she also has a small amount of holy water from her supplies. Few things are more reassuring against undead monsters than this.
“Thieves, barking like that. But you’ve come all the way from the distant Ark Continent to my company. As the president, I shall offer you an appropriate welcome.”
Though the skull’s face bears no expression, it somehow seemed to ‘smile.’
In fact, its words carry a certain joy.
“Behold my prized collection, etch it thoroughly into your memory—‘Summoning: Low-level Skeleton Soldier,’ ‘Dark Domain: Release.’”
As a large shadow spreads across the floor, numerous dark purple magic circles rise up.
From the one-meter diameter circular magic circle, skeletons begin to pour forth one after another.
At first glance, they appear to be ordinary skeletons with no intelligence or special abilities. They are armed with no weapon or armor, mere fodder easily dispatched by a fresh recruit.
Although they number many, the female commander assesses that such weak monsters are nothing to worry about, but a sense of crisis suddenly shoots up.
An aura of strong, ominous malignant magical power, which should not be present in mere skeletons, stimulates her entire body.
“W-What is this —”
The shadow that spread across the floor resembled a dark space magic. From that darkness emerged weapons.
Swords, spears, axes, various types and shapes with no sense of unity.
However, what they all have in common is that they emanate an extraordinary and bizarre magical aura.
And she, with her rich battlefield experience, has seen this kind of ominous aura around weapons a few times.
“————Cursed weapons! All of them!? This is no joke!”
“Bwahahaha! Now, enjoy the power of my cursed weapon collection to your heart’s content!”
As the Lich laughs heartily, the skeletons grab the nearest cursed weapons and charge at the Crusader soldiers.
Skeletons holding cursed weapons are no longer just mere weak undead. Their previously near-nothing awareness is instantly overtaken by the malice embodied in the weapons, and they ravenously leap toward their prey.
“Gyaaaaaaahhh!”
The screams rise immediately.
Even if they are barely holding their own with just the skeletons, the weapons they wield are all powerful cursed ones. The ones with mere iron swords face…
Infantry cannot win by fighting head-on.
Many have been reduced to mere prey for the cursed, mad blades after their swords were easily shattered.
“How about it? The cursed weapon. Isn’t it magnificent? With a normal weapon, it wouldn’t be like this.”
The Lich spoke to the soldier who had fallen, split in two from the top of his head by the large sword emanating a red aura.
“This red great sword, ‘Crimson Aspiration,’ possesses not only enhanced power but also induces a berserk state in its wielder, showcasing a very simple effect. It is a product that embodies the basics and the royal path of cursed weapons.”
Originating from Spada, ‘Crimson Aspiration.’
Generations ago, King Spada wielded the royal sword Crimson Spada, gaining great fame. There was a certain swordsman who admired this King Spada and devoted his days to battle, striving to someday surpass him.
However, admiration eventually turned into jealousy towards an unreachable height, and the swordsman, seeking strength by any means, resorted to forbidden sorcery and became a demon who strayed from the path of humanity.
In the midst of this dark path, the swordsman was defeated by a Spada knight, but the crimson blade he cherished continued to seek further battles and the death of enemies in pursuit of an unachievable aspiration.
“Uwaaaaaah! It hurts! It hurts, dammit!!”
“Ahahaha, yes, it hurts. That ‘Torture Blade: Dual Pain’ is designed, as you can see, to widen wounds and inflict pain. However, the most terrifying aspect is that there is an invisible second blade hidden within.”
It was a sword of ambiguous length, neither a long sword nor a dagger, curved and with irregular, jagged edges like a grotesque saw.
Originally crafted as a torture device to intensify the pain inflicted upon cutting, a knight observed its effectiveness in actual combat even with minor cuts and began to use it.
Thanks to the knight’s skill, the results were as expected on the battlefield, and satisfied, he further honed his mastery of the torture sword. A sword that could turn even a slight wound into a victory was refined to make it easier to injure opponents, intertwining winds to create an invisible blade.
As he did this, he found joy in watching his enemies scream in pain. This sword, mercilessly delivering cruel pain, became dearly beloved to him.
In the end, the sword initially used for practical battle became one solely for tormenting and playing with enemies. Ultimately, this sword reverted to its original purpose as a torture device.
However, after numerous battles and gaining results, cursed by the ends of ghastly torture, ‘Torture Blade: Dual Pain’ still exerts its dreadful power.
The hidden blade of wind allows no room for clumsy defenses from enemies. A mere infantry cannot withstand this strike, which is also a magical sword.
“What, what is this?! I can’t see! I can’t see anything!?”
“Oh, it seems you have fallen under the effect of ‘Vision Kill (Blackout).’ It’s a shame you can’t see this beautiful blade, but I hope you can feel it with your body instead.”
While dodging the wildly swung white spear of the Skeleton, the soldier suddenly lost his vision.
The cause was the thin, black mist-like gas emanating from the shimmering tip.
Inhaling this gas or having it touch his face would envelop his vision in darkness. At first, it merely darkened his sight as a result of dark magic, but prolonged exposure would lead to total blindness.
The spear’s owner was an adventurer who, at one point, had been trapped in a trap and abandoned by his comrades. Due to the trap, he lost both eyes and trembled in fear in the darkness.
Miraculously, he managed to survive, but driven mad by the terror of the darkness, he began his revenge on his comrades to make them experience the same fear——now, only this cursed spear, specializing obsessively in depriving others of vision, remains.
“Hey, get it together! I’m going to use a potion—”
“Hold on, it’s better not to use a potion there, is it not?”
Ignoring the enemy’s warning, which didn’t even reach his ears, the soldier pulled out a small bottle of potion from his pouch to heal his wounded comrade.
Then, as he uncorked it and splashed it on his bloodied ally,
“Ugggghhhhh!?”
The wounded area burned and blistered with a sizzling sound, as if a powerful acid had been poured over it.
“What the hell is this!? I definitely used a potion—”
“———’The Murky Cup of St. Marsh.’ The potion used within has transformed into a poison of acid.”
Long ago, there was a priest known for potion-making named St. Marsh.
At that time, with cutting-edge magical techniques and original formulations, he created superior potions, sharing them even with the poor who could not pay for them.
One day, hearing of the potion’s excellent efficacy, a lord took it on faith and used it for a chronic illness——at that moment, the lord’s throat burned and rotted away, leading to his death. The contents of the potion had been substituted with acid poison.
It was clear that a colleague envious of the priest’s success orchestrated this, but the truth never came to light, and the priest was executed, burned as the lord had been.
However, without even a burial for his corpse, he was abandoned and resurrected as an undead. The resentful cleric, filled solely with the grudges of his life, came to hate potions themselves and crafted a special barrier that turned all potions into acid, tormenting the people.
The barrier that transforms into acid was from the potion refining cup he had treasured in life. The grotesque short staff, supported by a human bone, is filled with boiling, bubbling acid.
“Ughhhh! You monster! Retreat! Everyone, fall back!!”
“Are you already leaving? I still have plenty more in my collection. I’d sincerely like you to experience them all.”
“Get out of here, you useless fools!”
Ignoring the Lich, who laughed with rattling jaw bones, the female captain slashed the skeletons approaching with cursed weapons while desperately trying to escape from the fourth layer of hell.
“Waahhhh! Captain, help! Don’t leave me behind!”
“Tsk, you slowpokes…”
The deputy commander was surrounded by skeletons, desperately swinging his sword in an effort to keep the enemies at bay.
The situation was dire. Without hope of help, the female captain quickly made the decision to turn away.
“Ah, no, wait! Help! Please, Captain! Captain!!!!”
“You’re really good at screaming, aren’t you? A victim needs to be lively like this. Now, four cursed weapons are targeting you… How fortunate! Enjoy them all, and tell your comrades in hell that the pain of these four cursed weapons would make hell itself seem mild.”
“Nooooooo————”
While hearing that ear-piercing scream, the female captain managed to retreat from the fourth layer with her diminished subordinates.
“This place is a no-go, a terrifying monster is lurking here. You all better get moving!”
Hurrying to gather the subordinates left on each floor, she plotted to escape from Mordred Weapon Trading Company.
Behind her, the skeletons wielding cursed weapons were hot on their heels, seeking further prey.
In a hurry to leave the laggards behind, the female captain burst through the front door,
Taan!
As a dry sound echoed, she collapsed on the spot.
“Ah, my leg… damn it!”
She had been shot in the leg.
She quickly recovered from the shock of falling and understood.
And she grasped that it wasn’t fatal.
Fortunately, it seemed the high-quality knight’s armor had managed to deflect the ranged attack. It hadn’t reached her bare flesh. However, she had stumbled due to the shock of the significant impact as she started to run.
The investment in good armor had paid off. The female captain immediately got back on her feet, trying to evade the enemy’s attacks when,
Taan, Taan—
With a series of attack sounds, the soldier beside her fell, blood gushing from his body. It seemed the power was too great to be blocked by mere cheap chain mail.
“Scatter! We’re being attacked by magic!”
In response to that instruction, the soldiers who had come out of the store hurriedly tried to dive into nearby alleys, but with the continuous sounds came a series of them collapsing one after another.
It appeared only a few had managed to escape and find cover.
Meanwhile, she herself was barely able to dive into a thick pillar next to the store.
The moment she tried to dart out from the pillar, something hard came flying toward the ground at high speed, exploding and sending sparks flying. She was still being targeted. There was no escape from here.
“———Tch, as expected, it couldn’t pierce through the knights’ armor.”
Peeking around the pillar, she spotted a large shadow approaching from the dark night street, making heavy, resounding sounds.
It wasn’t a carriage. Not a dragon cart. It was a multi-legged silhouette resembling a massive spider monster, upon which a small person was riding.
“What the heck is that, an iron spider…? Was it that elven kid on it who fired!?”
The female captain, with her decent night vision, accurately discerned her opponent’s identity with just a glance.
It was a metallic spider clad in steel armor, reflecting a dull shine, and atop it was a child with gray hair, holding what resembled a long, thin staff.
It quickly became clear that it was this child who had cast the offensive magic.
However, what drew her attention more than the weapon in the elf child’s hand was the iron machine mounted right beside it.
It was a shape she had never seen before, but its nature as a weapon was unmistakable. It resembled a ballista that would be mounted on castle walls, and it was pointed directly at her.
“If that’s the case, great. I’ll let you test the power of that machine gun————”
Immediately after the elf’s muttering, a tremendous roar resounded.
Bah-bah-bah! A harsh sound like a storm — no, indeed, it was a storm. Bullets flew at lightning speed in numbers, a metallic storm.
“Damn it, not this—ugghhhhhhhh!!”
The iron storm ripped through the wooden pillar she was hiding behind, and unable to move, the female knight was shattered.
As the pillar burst into pieces, countless bullets crashed into her sturdy knight armor, pulverizing it. In the blink of an eye, the next bullet surged through her body, which had only received partial physical enhancement, easily violating and trampling it.
In just three seconds, the female knight became a heap of meaty chunks, hands, feet, and entrails strewn about.
“I never imagined the Mordred Weapon Trading Company would be attacked… I hope everyone is safe.”
With a worried expression, the elven child—Simon—dismounted from the iron spider.
January 22, 2021
Everyone, I trust you remember Chairman Mordred? He does make a humble appearance in the book version with illustrations.
He first appeared in episode 169, so he’s been around since the early days of Spada and can be considered an early character. This time, it truly felt like the cursed weapon collector’s glory was revitalized.
It was enjoyable to write a cursed weapon story after a long time here. However, summarizing the cursed weapon story briefly was quite a challenge. Just to clarify, even if it’s not yandere-related, cursed weapons do indeed come into being. Yet, in this world, those born from yandere tend to be the stronger ones…