Chapter 13: "For the First Time!"
The next morning, Lala and Eel woke up with the morning sun. The fire's vigor had subsided, and it was a bit chilly.
"Morning!"
"Morning."
"Oh, good morning to both of you!"
Romi, who had been gazing at the fire absentmindedly, noticed them and stood up. Eel stretched and moved his joints to get the blood flowing, while Lala, cat-like, yawned and crawled toward the pile of luggage to fetch some water.
"Is breakfast also portable rations?"
"Yeah, that's right. Let's finish up quickly and get going."
And so, the three of them quickly swallowed their portable rations and began packing up. Eel donned his armor and inspected his sword, while Romi checked her priestess attire and the tools beneath. Lala, on the other hand, proudly took out various small silver tools from the grass and began inspecting them.
"What's that?"
Eel, adjusting his belt while looking at Lala's actions, tilted his head. Seeing his curious gaze, Lala grinned with pride.
"Oh, you're curious, aren't you? Well, of course you are! Hehe, let me show you. Ta-da! Battle Action, Activating Combat Form!"
Following her words, the silver stick she held emitted a bright white light. It was the light emitted by nanomachines. The built-in mechanism unfolded, and the stick changed its shape, becoming long and thin. It extended beyond Lala's height, reaching about two meters. Furthermore, blade-like fan shapes and sharp diamond-shaped tips appeared on one end, and protrusions on the other.
"What is this..."
"Battleaxe-spear...?"
With a triumphant smile, Lala brandished the halberd and glared at the two of them.
"When did you make something like this?"
"I made it during yesterday's fire watch. See, that silver lump I was carrying on my back?"
"Is this also made with nanomachines?"
"Well, nanomachines are used for processing, but the material itself is different from nanomachines."
"May I touch it for a moment?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Eel reached out his hand hesitantly. Then, he was astonished. It was unbelievably light. Its weight was so light that even a child could swing it.
"Is it hollow?"
"Yeah. In standby mode, it's packed tight, but..."
Waving the halberd lightly, Eel handed it back to Lala.
"It's too light; it feels weird."
"Hehe... well, it's true."
With an honest impression, Lala chuckled. Originally, the appeal of the halberd was its destructive power due to its weight and versatile use. The fact that it could be handled easily with one hand was an unfamiliar sensation for Eel.
"Even though it's light, I'm confident in its strength and sharpness. Probably the toughest material on this planet."
"And why did you suddenly make a halberd?"
"Yesterday, Romi said not to use nanomachines recklessly in public, right? So, I thought of using this as a disguise during normal times."
"By the way, how skilled are you with a halberd?"
"For the first time!"
With a proud declaration, Lala, wielding the halberd, looked at Eel with confidence, while he gave her a skeptical look, and Romi offered an awkward smile. In reality, Lala swinging the halberd looked more like children playing sword fights than a skilled warrior.
"...Why did you choose a halberd?"
"With a polearm, you can attack enemies without getting too close, right?"
"What's your real reason?"
"It looks cool!"
With words that seemed to ruin the atmosphere, Eel finally hung his head.
"It's okay. I also have a protector made of the same material."
Saying that, Lala took out a thin armor made of silver plates. It protected her elbows to the wrists, shins, and chest, fitting snugly against her body.
"Isn't there too much exposure for armor?"
"Well, my body strength is significantly enhanced by nanomachines..."
Thanks to the convenient nanomachines, her body had durability close to that of heavy soldiers even with bare skin. The protective armor was mostly added for appearance.
"I made various other tools too, but I'll explain them later."
Saying this, Lala lastly revealed a belt with various tools hanging from it. Even just by appearance, you could see items like knives and a water bottle, necessary for travel.
"...No need to buy tools in Yalda?"
"Items like water bottles don't need to be made from special metal. I'll buy replacements when we get to Yalda."
For Lala, this was just a temporary measure for emergencies. After introducing the weapons and armor, their preparations were complete. Eel, making sure there was no remaining fire, grasped the reins of the rod.
"Well then, we don't have time. Shall we depart?"
"Yeah!"
And so, the three of them started walking the dirt road again. Eel led the way, followed by Romi and Lala. Lala, feeling the touch of her new companion, remained vigilant of her surroundings. However, the morning air was calm, and there were no signs of animals. Time flowed leisurely.
"Oh right, Lala."
"Huh? What is it?"
After walking a bit and the sun fully rising above the horizon, Eel suddenly spoke up.
"Your halberd handling is too awkward. We'll practice every day starting today."
"Eeek!? Um, you know, you can install the handling techniques from the database..."
"I don't understand what you're saying at all, but practical experience will stick with your body better."
"Eeek, Eel is my opponent!?"
Lala, who had been joyfully swinging the halberd, suddenly turned pale. She had no experience in close combat, relying entirely on nanomachines for everything so far. That's why she intended to install the movements into her body using nanomachines from the database.
"What? You have a problem with me as your practice partner? Don't worry; I'll teach you thoroughly."
"P-Please be gentle!"
With a sinister smile, Eel, and Lala had no choice but to accept.
"Oh, if it's combat against magic users, I'll help too!"
"Eeek!? Romi, you're joining in too?"
"I owe you for helping me, and combat against magic users is important."
"Didn't Romi crush all the temple people with just magic?"
"I haven't done anything so gruesome!"
It seemed like Lala had made a slightly wrong choice. With that thought, she gazed into the distance with a distant look, looking at the blue sky.
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