Even Chuunibyo Need to Eat

Andrea's thoughts were interrupted by Edward's teasing, and whatever she had been trying to grasp slipped away without notice. Fortunately, she was the sort who never let anything weigh on her mind. Shaking her head, she linked arms with Alice, who had walked over, and continued looking around.

The latter half of the Cold Weapon Area was less like a market and more like an exhibition hall for the shop owner's wild creations. Starting with the greatsword named Frostmourne, every item had not only a note plaque covered in tasteless remarks, but price tags that leaped from Copper Coins and Silver Coins straight to Gold Coins. It was practically begging people not to buy them. No one would buy such flashy but impractical things.

The place was not large to begin with, and after only a few steps, they reached the end of the Cold Weapon Area. In the corner stood a female mannequin on a round pedestal.

The mannequin had no painted facial features, only an attractive outline of a face. It had the same golden hair as Andrea, with braids coiled behind its head. A tuft of hair stood high at its forehead, while loose strands at its temples seemed to drift in the wind. Its blue outer layer and white-lined Battle Skirt also fluttered in the breeze. Shining silver armor protected its chest, arms, hips, and calves.

It held a longsword with a golden Sword Guard, raising its head slightly as it gazed into the distance. It looked like an unparalleled knight standing alone against the wind.

"What a beautiful skirt—oh, no, what a handsome Battle Skirt." Alice shook Andrea's arm and sighed before continuing.

"Cousin, Big... Aunt's Husband always complains that you never like wearing dresses for formal occasions, right? How about this one? If you bought it, you'd become the center of attention."

Andrea snorted. "It's only pretty. Flashy but impractical..." Whether she had been tempted, however, was something only she knew.

"Besides, Alice, this outfit is too small. It would suit you quite well, though."

"Huh? Isn't it the same height as you? Oh, I forgot about the pedestal underneath." As she spoke, the young Mage stepped onto the platform and compared her height with the mannequin's. At the same time, she curiously touched its armor and skirt.

Edward, standing nearby, reminded her.

"Don't touch the hair. I couldn't find a wig, so it's made from drawn Aluminum Brass wire. Be careful not to prick your hand."

Andrea had a Black Line across her face. Her precious female cousin was good in every way, except that she could be too willful at times, making her seem unlike a noble. Andrea had just been about to Pull the girl down when her scream gave her a fright.

The girl jumped down from the pedestal, threw herself into Andrea's arms, then hid behind her and pointed at the sword in the mannequin's hand as she shouted.

"Andrea, th-that sword is alive... It... it bit my hand!"

"How could you be so careless? Did you cut your hand?" Andrea took her cousin's hand and examined it carefully, but there was not a single wound on it.

"No, I didn't touch the blade. I only touched the Sword Hilt."

"Did this sword absorb your Magic Power? Did it feel like some little animal licked your finger?"

"Mm, I think so..." Alice replied timidly.

Edward smiled and lifted the longsword from the mannequin's hand, explaining.

"This is just the normal Magic Power siphoning reaction when touching high-performance magic-conducting materials. Actually, if you injected just a tiny bit more Magic Power into it, you could lift it. An ordinary person wouldn't feel anything at all. Your Magic Power senses are simply too sharp."

"What is this?"

"One of my ideas," Edward said, rather proudly, beginning his explanation.

"Other than silver, gold, and Mithril, metals have very poor magic-conducting properties.

Actually, aside from Mithril, even silver and gold are barely adequate.

But the human body has excellent magic-conducting properties, and plants do as well. That is why Mages use hardwoods like walnut for their staffs.

This sword was made by combining an ordinary material with metal. Its interior is filled with veins like the veins of plant leaves.

When Magic Power is injected into it, it gives you the illusion that it is part of your body.

It would not be wrong to call it alive. Though it has no life, it breathes Magic Power.

Because the Magic Power in the surrounding void fluctuates ever so slightly, the pressure difference between the Magic Power inside and outside causes Magic Power to flow as though it were breathing."

While introducing the sword, Edward selectively explained some of its concepts. After all, the rule of Alchemists was never to reveal all their secrets. People who did that died miserable deaths. That ordinary material was called carbon, a component essential to all life. Yet the carbon within the blade was not ordinary carbon. In his Previous Life, it had been called Carbon Nanotubes.

"What about Battle Qi?" Andrea asked.

"I haven't tried it. In theory, Battle Qi and Magic Power are the same thing, only with different properties. You can give it a try. Don't wear Gloves or hold it through anything."

Holding the longsword upside down, Edward offered its Sword Hilt to the blonde beauty. A faint trace of anticipation stirred in his heart. This beautiful woman had golden hair and Green Eyes, and she appeared to be a powerful knight. She looked so much like "My King." Though she was quite a bit taller than the My King in his heart, wasn't this the height My King ought to have? Perhaps if he poured all his heart into bringing it into this world, it would find the place where it truly belonged.

Half doubtful yet full of anticipation, Andrea gripped the offered Sword Hilt.

As if shocked by electricity, Edward instantly pulled back the hand holding the blade.

A powerful surge of Battle Qi burst from around Andrea. It was somewhat beyond her control, and she could even feel it boiling with cheers of delight.

The thin Golden Light covering her entire body was called Battle Qi Release by the knights of this world, the mark of a Great Knight. Ordinary knights could only inject Battle Qi into weapons or manifest it in certain parts of their bodies. Only Battle Qi Release covering the entire body qualified one as a Great Knight. The color of one's Battle Qi was closely related to a knight's Breathing Technique and personal attributes.

At that moment, the Golden Light rapidly traveled through Andrea's arm and into the sword. A burst of golden radiance bloomed along the blade, dazzling enough to make people squint.

"This sword is a little heavy. But it really is a fine sword." The female knight praised it. At that moment, she felt her bloodline tightly connected to the sword, as if it were an extension of her arm.

"It's heavy because I mixed in some Adamantite. So it's denser than you imagined. With your strength, you'll be fine after getting used to it a little." Edward wore an expression that said he had expected this. He took out a Steel Rod as thick as an arm from his Spatial Ring.

"Come on, give it a try. Gently."

Edward extended the Steel Rod before the glowing sword. Andrea slowly raised the blade and brought it down lightly. There was no sound of impact. A section of the Steel Rod fell away, its cut smooth and gleaming with a faint metallic sheen.

"Haa..." Andrea's entire body relaxed, and her Battle Qi instantly receded. The longsword immediately lost its luster and drooped, its forward blade sunk straight into the floor.

"This sword wastes too much Battle Qi. I can only keep it up for such a short time." Andrea looked somewhat drained, her entire body weak.

"You're just not used to it yet. You need to learn restraint. Becoming familiar with this sword is also a form of training. When you can control it freely, I believe your realm will improve noticeably." Edward spoke in the manner of a reclusive master, making it easy to overlook his pathetic Apprentice-level strength.

"Does this sword have a name?" Andrea asked expectantly.

At that moment, an inexplicable mixture of excitement and sorrow appeared on Edward's face. Slowly, he recited in a deep, powerful voice.

"That sword is the dream, sad yet noble, held in the final moments by all the Soldiers who vanished upon the battlefields of past and future.

Such a will deserves praise.

Such faith must be carried through.

The King of Everlasting Victory calls aloud the True Name of the miracle in his hand.

That is—

Excalibur!"

With Edward's final shout, the longsword embedded in the floor seemed to hum in response.

The weakened Andrea was inexplicably roused. Alice beside her, along with the Family of Three eating by the counter, all stood frozen. It was as if a divine artifact had descended into the world, demanding the worship of all.

Then Edward put on a shrewd merchant's smile.

"This sword is not for sale. Back when I was only an Apprentice, I could make it 'grow' no more than a fingernail's length in a day. This represents two years of my hard work. If you truly like it—five hundred Gold Coins, please!"

Even chuunibyo need to make a living!

These two chapters got a little unrestrained. I'm thinking about how to make the plot work again later.