Abandoned in the mountains, I was adopted by a lizard ~I mastered magic and surpassed my parents, but I didn't know they were legendary ancient dragons~ - Chapter 63

Chapter 63   Amido’s Hobby

Afterward, I arranged to meet Amido, the personnel director, at the headquarters of the Knights in a few days and left the tournament venue.

Five days later.

On the morning of the promised day, I woke up and headed to the living room… where the former rabbit maid was waiting with a table full of luxurious food, beaming with a broad smile.

“Good morning… What’s this?”

“Good morning! Today, you’re joining the military, right?”

“No, I’m not joining. It’s not like there’s a draft. I’m just starting an internship to teach tactical and technical skills.”

“Oh, you mentioned something like that. Well, either way, you’ll be sharing meals with the military, right?”

“Well… that’s true, I guess.”

Technically, it’s not the military but the Knights, but for her, there’s probably no distinction, so I decided not to correct her.

“With that in mind, I thought I’d get you used to military food and made this! Ta-da, ‘MRE’!”

The former rabbit maid proudly pointed to the dishes laid out on the table.

MRE… oh right, that was the name of military rations used in an ancient superpower. But with seafood bowls and crab rice mixed in, it clearly looks like something entirely different… was it really like this?

“Well, I couldn’t read most of what was written in that book, so I made about half of it up!”

I knew it; it was different. She couldn’t read ancient texts yet decided to try cooking based on an ancient recipe book…

Well, it looks delicious, so it’s okay. Besides, there’s no real need to get used to military food in advance. Since she went to the trouble of making it, I should enjoy it properly.

“Thank you. Just looking at it makes me hungry.”

“Please, dig in!”

The seafood bowl and crab rice were so delicious that the umami seemed to shoot straight to my brain. Could she possibly win the tournament in Buono Village with her skills?

After enjoying an excellent meal, I left the mansion. Riding on the cloud of Great Seitan, I headed straight for the Knights’ headquarters building.

◇

At the Knights’ headquarters.

Upon landing in front of the gate, the guards immediately escorted me inside, and I found myself waiting for Personnel Director Amido in the reception room.

“These sofas are really soft…”

As I observed the room, Amido entered after about two minutes.

“Thank you for coming today. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

He said this while placing a few boxes of sweets in front of me before taking his seat.

“Thank you for entrusting me with this task.”

“Who wouldn’t want to work with a prodigy like you? I feel like I’ve used up all my luck for a lifetime today.”

That’s quite an exaggeration…

“Anyway, that’s beside the point.”

I gave a wry smile as Amido changed the subject. Ah, finally getting to the main topic.

“We barely spoke the other day, and it feels odd to jump straight into business… How about a little ice-breaking first?”

…Nope, not yet. I’m fine with diving straight into business talk.

But if he prefers to start with some small talk, I don’t mind going along with it.

“Yes, please.”

“After the tournament, I did some research on you. The stories I heard sounded almost unbelievable… but there’s one thing that particularly piqued my personal interest.”

“Yes…”

What could it be that piqued his interest?

“I heard you made an extraordinarily high-spec sword for your entrance exam. I must admit, I’m a bit of a weapon enthusiast myself. While I can’t handle a sword made mostly of adamantite… have you made any other unique weapons?”

“U-unique weapons, you say…”

As I listened intently, the subject of the swordsmanship exam for the entrance exam came up again, much to my dismay. That incident is something of a personal black mark for me, and I’d rather it not be widely known…

In any case, “unique weapons,” huh? I’ve crafted various magical items—though most were just revivals of ancient lost technology—but I couldn’t think of anything off the top of my head that a weapon enthusiast would particularly enjoy.

Things like the Mana Plasma Cannon or the Dragon Cannon at Ashgano Cape are more strategic-level weapons. And while the Magic Element Particle Cannon might have some weapon-like aspects, it’s really just a magical effect, so I can’t exactly let Amido try it out.

Was there anything else?

…Oh, right.

“I do have something. It’s quite ‘unique,’ though I’m not sure it’s particularly excellent as a weapon. It might not meet your expectations.”

At the last moment, I remembered a weapon that would be perfect to showcase, and I decided to suggest it.

“That’s perfectly fine! I love weapons that are just ‘unique’ too.”

“Then please take a look at this. It’s an interesting weapon, at least.”

With that, I brought out a sword I’d created by incorporating a magic circle I found while disassembling the Great Seitan’s staff. This sword could change its reach freely.

“A sword, huh? So, what kind of sword is this?”

“If you channel your magic through it and think of the length you want, it will change to that length. Like this.”

To demonstrate, I doubled the length of the sword for a moment before returning it to its original size.

Seeing this, Amido’s eyes widened in astonishment.

“Wha…? Wha-whaaaaat!?”

A moment later, he let out an incredibly loud voice of surprise, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just seen.

“A-a sword that extends? I’ve never heard of such a thing! And the speed at which it changes length… It outclasses attack magic and arrows. This isn’t just an impressive weapon; it has the potential to revolutionize combat as we know it…”

He cautiously took the sword in his hands, making sure not to point the blade toward himself, and marveled at it.

“It’s really not something to be praised so highly… I just modified the Great Seitan’s weapon for fun without considering durability or anything. I’m not sure how practical it really is.”

“The fact that you can casually modify a legendary monster’s weapon is impressive enough. But I see your point; even an amazing-looking weapon might not be that practical in actual combat. Still… would it be possible for you to lend it to me for a bit…?”

“I can mass-produce them, so if you want it that badly, I can make one for you as a gift.”

Feeling that he might be overvaluing it, but thinking it could still be a treasure for an enthusiast, I decided to make one as a greeting token. I quickly alchemized a sword and handed it to Amido.

“W-wait, did you just complete a sword in the blink of an eye? That was incredibly fast…”

Amido looked at the newly forged sword twice, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. Then, with great care, he took the sword in his hands and said,

“Thank you. I will treasure this for life.”

With that, he left the room to put the sword with his belongings.

At this rate, I’m worried we might spend the entire day just on icebreaking. When Amido returns, I think we should move on to the main topic.