Katanas were meant for cutting. With the weight of the blade on the center with the user shifting it per swing. Rapiers on the other hand had extremely thin blades with the weight resting in the handle guard, which allowed for a quicker thrust but lacked the power for slashes.
Perhaps a side effect of [Sword Saint] Hiro saw how quickly his sister grasped the difference and augmented her stance, battle tactics, and even how she gripped the weapon.
'If I didn't know any better, I would say my sister is the greatest swordsman on the continent.' Naturally, as a siscon, the brother became proud of his sister for every little win. Alan, who could not delay any longer asked Hiro if it would be a good time to depart.
"Sure, I was just going to ask you, can I buy a battle suit for a woman from you? It's for Tsugumi. How far are we from Partisan?"
Pleased they can finally start traveling again Alan answered in high spirits. "Certainly, Should I get one for the young miss as well Musashi-sama? Regarding Partisan, we are still three days away if we take breaks, if we rush we can do it in one."
Although Alan's body didn't like the non-stop tension that came with having the Wolfen butcher as a traveling companion, his wallet thought otherwise. To anyone in his profession. Time is money, so if it is possible to save on time he would naturally do it.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWhile Tsugumi wept and slept in Hiro's lap, Alan naturally came by to ask if the pair needed anything. The air around the butcher felt like a bear guarding its cubs. The merchant being extremely sensitive to such things, understood how important this nanny was to the butcher.
He let the situation play out and waited for the opportunity to capitalize on it. Hiro gave him a large number of gear to sell. Alan who saw hundreds of intricate weapons, pieces of armor, and accessories knew that these would be the loot from the murdered auction hall.
As he sold some of his items in Anvil, he had space for them and had his men clean and remove any identifying features from the pieces. To him, he suddenly found a carriage's worth of high-end goods without spending a single Val.
Hiro requested a 70/30 split on the sales. With 70% going to him. Such exchanges pleased Alan greatly, as they provided extra income that he didn't even expect. The fortune he has made due to Hiro's presence could be considered a blessing in its own right.
He threw away any thoughts about selling information about him, due to Hiro's own words. (Oy nanny, didn't you see the mark? He is under my protection.)
Betraying someone like that would grant you negative karma, thus if Hiro considered Alan an ally he would do the same. He met the man as a savage only less than a week ago. Yet the man slowly trained followers and increased in power steadily.
The merchant had yet to understand where Hiro's end goal lay, but the amount of money he can make sticking to him could be considered significant. Whether in the form of selling spoils for him, arming his men, or buying monster parts he was like the ultimate customer.
This second meeting confirmed it for Alan Srayver, he will stick to this man as much as he possibly could and use his actions to guide his business. Thus being both up to date on his matters and being able to predict what he would need are critical to his plans.
While Alan made his plans Hiro on the other hand answered with a bloodthirsty smile."Okay, get me new battle suits for my men, Tsugumi, and my daughter, you can take the money from the sales of the weapons. Tell Hach that we will rush to Partisan today."
Hiro then called for Tsugu who started sword drills and sent a message to his men via the messaging system. After a little while, Hiro's entire party assembled. He had Alan and Hach participate so they were aware of the things to come.
"Okay, our next destination is where my wives are, I do not know what we will find there, but I will get them back no matter the cost. As you four wish to remain by my side I need you all to get stronger to keep up otherwise you will die.
"Alan told me we are a day away from Partisan by running non-stop. So we will have a new kind of fun camp. Before I guarded you all to ensure you didn't die, now you all are strong enough. So I will change my tactics.
"This time I won't be able to help you but you will face more monsters than you can deal with. I need you to push harder than ever before Victory is the only acceptable outcome."
The San-Baka and Tsugumi who knew Hiro never joked about such things felt unease creep up their spines. Would they prevail? Would they die? Such questions started to foster doubt in their abilities.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIf even Hiro said it would be difficult it must be worlds harder from the hunting they did. While fear and worry tried to break into their hearts as all four had their own reasons it was given no quarter.
The commonality between all of them they wished for strength. Hiro's approach to battle gave them results period. How the auction massacre went showed how the once barely formidable San-Baka turned into absolute monsters.
Their master hadn't shared it yet but giving all his buffs to weak-willed people will produce cats instead of monsters. It was not about the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog. As the four stayed silent and showed neither panic nor fear the butcher applauded them in his mind.
Hiro grew pleased with his men and his sister. Their desperation mirrored his by a large degree. In this world how many would follow him for the same reason?
The man continued. "I will be invoking a skill that calls forth every single monster in the area. You will need to fight while running. The caravan will not wait for you. Take too long and you will get left behind and surrounded.
"Attack targets by order of importance. My skill will make all of the monsters berserk. So do not expect any of them to back off. Your role is to kill as much as you can. Our goal is to maximize the kill window and level up.
"Use Butcher to heal yourselves. I will try to heal you once in a while but you need to begin managing your own damage. I asked Alan for new suits we will begin when you get dressed.
"San-Baka here are upgraded versions of the swords I gave you before. The limit is 1000 points, use them well. Do not worry about defense, I will take anything that aims at the caravan. Any questions?"
Contrary to what he expected no one asked questions as if everyone believed in him through blind faith alone. The San-Baka were able to rest as last night could be considered extremely boring for them. Tsugumi itched for a good fight since being reborn.
Alan and Hach who grew terrified at the warnings of the Wolfen Butcher started to regret their decision to allow such an event. In their haste to get home faster, they forgot the nature of the man with them.