I'd already learned the identity of the sword I'd been after, and I'd even been given the clothes my ancestor wore.
There was no reason to stay in Lacia any longer, so Aiz and I left at once.
"..."
"Does it really suit me that badly?"
"N-no, it suits you."
Aiz stared at my clothes and blushed.
"Hey, Bellf..."
"What?"
"Are you going to keep wearing that outfit?"
"...I probably will."
This outfit did leave my upper body exposed, but I could cover it with the cloth that came with it, and it was convenient when forging.
And maybe because it was a magic tool, it was more durable than most things.
It looked like something from the Far East. Did my ancestor keep wearing this sort of thing?
The road back to Orario was very peaceful, with no one trying to stop us.
"So Lacia really gave up..."
Honestly, I'd expected Ares to come charging in with his army and say,
"I'll take you back by force, Bellf Crozzo!!!"
Thankfully, it seemed Marius, that damned father, and my grandfather had all done a good job of mediating.
"What are you going to do now, Bellf?"
"I'm going to restore the sword."
"I see..."
Since my ancestor had made it, restoring it should be possible.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to the Dungeon."
As usual.
About two days later, we returned to Orario.
"Then I'm going back to the smithy."
"Mm..."
After parting with Aiz, I headed straight for my workshop.
"Long time no see."
After carefully setting the two books I'd brought back in a corner of the workshop, I took out Excalibur, which I'd wrapped in cloth and stored away with care.
"Now then..."
When I drew it out after so long, Excalibur was still emitting that faint golden light from before,
and at the same time, it was trembling ever so slightly.
As if something was about to be released.
"What in the..."
This sword was the magic sword made by my ancestor... no, an unusual sword made by the founder.
They said the first Crozzo had burned everything to create it.
So did he inscribe something into the sword?
It didn't look like anything had been inserted into it...
Then had someone tampered with the sword?
I'd locked the workshop door, so it must have been tampered with long ago, and the only beings who could have done that back then were... spirits, maybe.
"The Dungeon? Or... Urrs?"
Almost unconsciously, I looked at the sword and spoke the name of the spirit my ancestor had met, and the blade immediately began to shine with intense light.
"!?"
[■■■]
"What the hell—"
A blinding light burst out of Excalibur.
The light gradually faded, little by little,
[It's been a long time, Crozzo!]
"...Huh?"
A flame in the shape of a human spoke to me.
"Don't tell me..."
[That's right! I'm the spirit Urrs who traveled with your ancestor!]
"...Why the hell was a spirit inside Excalibur?"
[Because I wanted to meet you.]
"Meet who?"
[You, the reincarnation of the first Crozzo!]
"...Huh?"
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