He was suffering restrictions from losing the vassal weapon and had also lost his SP. So I performed a limit break on him and enhanced him further. That said, I could only make my own exclamations in surprise at him raising close to 100 levels in just three days. I had to wonder what further potential lay in this seabed level-raising as suggested by the killer whale sisters. It seemed that taking a hero along further boosted the experience received. Ethnobalt had grown a lot since his arrival in the village and was now even a similar size to his library rabbit form. As for me, I had reached 150. It was good but still a far cry from a certain fake hero and his 350.

During that time, I also checked in with the weapon shop in Melromarc.

“Hey! Good to see you, kid. I saw the coronation of the princess!” The old guy greeted me with a smile, just like always, and I immediately felt at ease.

“I just came to say thank you,” I told him. “All the gear you made us really helped during that last battle.”

“Glad to hear it,” he replied.

“Huh? Hey you, punk! You at least avenged Atla for me, right?” This question came from Motoyasu II, the old guy’s master, as he appeared from the back of the store.

“That’s right, although I didn’t do it for you. Takt and his cronies have been punished, all across the world,” I informed him.

“Surrounded by all those women, I don’t understand why he felt the need to rule the world as well. I’d be happier just putting together a harem,” he slurred back. I almost responded, because I certainly didn’t see any women around him. Booze and money were the only things he probably ever had any fun with. Still, he did have some pretty impressive skills as a blacksmith. There might have been something there, maybe even the possibility of a harem, if not for . . . what? His personality? If he was just a bit more serious about his forging, I wouldn’t be surprised if some people actually started to take a liking to him.

“All those women wouldn’t have ended up like that, either, if they’d just picked their side with a little more care,” Motoyasu II mused.

“I would have thought you’d be against the killing of women, even as enemies,” I commented. We’d executed a large number of them from Takt’s forces. I’d expected Motoyasu II to complain about that. The old coot’s eyes glazed over for a moment, and then he looked back at me.

“I understand the nature of such things,” he replied. I wondered if that was really something to boast about. “I’ve been involved with more than my fair share of horrible women. You can’t worry about the fates of them all, or there’d be no end to it.”

“You really can pick ’em,” the old guy agreed.

“Shut it,” he snapped back. “I prioritize the women I know over those I’ve never seen before. That should go without saying. Those Takt bitches took the life of sweet, courageous little Atla and brought suffering to women across the world.”