Chapter 34: A Gradual Transition Chapter
"Master... are you looking for a new weapon?"
The girl's voice was very soft and faint, barely audible, giving the warrior the illusion that Ying hadn't spoken at all. However, both the look in her eyes—like a kitten guarding its food—and the fierce, almost tearing grip on his sleeve reminded him that what he had just heard was no illusion.
Stop pulling, or the sleeve will tear...
"Didn't you already have a legion greatsword before... why do you need another one?"
This time, the girl's voice was slightly louder. Joshua couldn't help but sigh softly, turning his head to whisper to his Divine Mechanism: "Alright, alright, I never said I wanted one anyway. Let go of my hand first."
Hearing her master's words, Ying naturally released her grip on the warrior's beast-hide sleeve. The inner fibers of the leather that made up the sleeve were already starting to fray.
No one would have guessed that this slender, fair little hand contained enough strength to tear through magical beast hide.
Joshua shook his head. He knew that no matter what, a Divine Mechanism possessed at least Silver-rank strength. But because Ying looked so delicate and small, he always forgot this fact...
Turning his head back, he looked at Brandon and Verdani. The warrior said bluntly: "Thank you both for your generosity. If it's armor, I would gladly accept it. But I'm not lacking in quality weapons, so rest assured on that front. And when it comes to weapons, only those that feel right in hand can kill enemies smoothly."
While Joshua was speaking, Ying, still standing slightly behind and to the side of him, fixed her gaze—completely devoid of any threatening presence—on the Countess of the Skalant family and the equally irritating blonde swordsman beside her.
(Purple-haired woman and golden-haired man, I've got my eye on you!)
Meanwhile, despite being stared at like this, Verdani didn't feel any disgust—in fact, she found it rather amusing.
Although she didn't know why she was being disliked, such an adorable little girl was hardly worth getting upset over, even if she was glaring. Who would hate a cute little kitten guarding its food? With that in mind, she might as well guess at the intriguing relationship between this master and servant.
...Though after watching for a while, it just felt like a father comforting a willful daughter.
Speaking of which, the purple-haired mage couldn't help but think of her own two daughters—lovely children. The older one was mature and sensible, acting like a little adult, always saying she wanted to become a lord, as dignified as her mother. The younger one was innocent and lively, with exceptional talent... When those two little ones fought over toys and she went to separate them, that look of guarding their possessions was exactly the same.
As for Brandon, who had been secretly marked as "golden-haired man" by the Divine Mechanism girl, he knew Ying's identity as a Divine Mechanism. Watching this scene, he couldn't help but chuckle softly. Feeling a mix of emotions, he also vaguely understood why he was being disliked.
(I never thought that in the eyes of Divine Mechanisms, other weapons would be viewed this way... How strange. But why hasn't this happened before?)
Thinking back, the golden-haired swordsman suddenly realized that although past Divine Mechanisms had been male and female, old and young, the vast majority had appeared as young men. Young women weren't unheard of, but this one before him, who clearly hadn't reached fifteen, was truly a first.
"Then let's leave it at that..."
The purple-haired mage responded to Joshua's answer: "To avoid any issues with dislikes or unsuitability, we'll grant you access to the fortress warehouse later. When you have time, you can go pick something out. Please don't be polite."
"No need for such trouble. Just give her the permissions."
Shaking his head, the warrior swung his hand back, patting the silver-haired girl on the shoulder. He turned to her and said: "Alright, Ying. Here's a task for you: later, go pick out some armor for me, how about that?"
"Huh?"
Suddenly given this task, Ying couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation. But then she perked up with fighting spirit: "Yes, master! But... what are your measurements?"
"Hmm, for a good fit, I'd need..."
When he said this, Joshua did hesitate for a moment. As an all-around warrior proficient in all combat techniques, he knew both berserker rage and frenzy. When fighting, his muscles would swell, tearing through clothes and leather armor. A well-fitting suit of armor needed to be custom-made, ensuring perfect fit in both normal and berserk states. This was usually something handled by enchanted armor procurement, and he had no idea what the warehouse held.
After all, this was a fortress, not a city. No matter how wealthy the Moldavia Territory was, they wouldn't casually stockpile a large number of precious magical armors in a place where almost no one would use them.
Brandon, as a Gold-rank swordsman, usually wore leather armor, but as a noble, he had extensive experience with armor. He naturally understood what the warrior was troubled by and quickly explained: "Don't worry about the fit. The fortress has the best enchanters and dwarf blacksmiths. Just pick a set that's close to your size, and they'll have it modified in half a day."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Nodding, the warrior recited a string of numbers to the silver-haired girl, then patted her shoulder encouragingly: "Go on. I look forward to you completing the task."
"Yes!"
Before the girl took her leave and exited the meeting room, Verdani granted her and Joshua high-level access permissions to the fortress, allowing them to enter and exit most places freely.
After these scattered matters were settled, it was time for business. The atmosphere in the meeting room immediately turned serious.
"Countess, what's the current situation at the fortress?"
Joshua was the first to ask. He sat on the left side of the table, while the others sat across from him: "Is there still enough strength to handle the next beast tide? That should be the final assault."
"Not good. Our main problem is a lack of ammunition and supplies. As for other materials—like food, cold-weather clothing, and coal—we have plenty. And since my territory has many mages, repairing the city walls isn't too difficult."
Verdani spoke with some frustration. Her expression was still not great; from the way she kept rubbing her forehead, it was clear the mental backlash was still affecting her: "We have a little left, but we can't fight another prolonged attrition battle like before. For the next beast tide, if no Gold-rank magical beasts launch a surprise attack, the fortress can hold out for a few hours with its own capabilities. If all three of us intervene, defending it shouldn't be a major issue."
"Supplies are indeed the big problem. If we had enough supplies—enough alchemical cannons, enchanted equipment, and arrows—we could ensure the walls hold even against Gold-rank magical beast attacks."