Tatsu: "being reincarnated sucks. Not having air conditioning sucks, relying on the stove for heat sucks. I've got no TV, no music, and no video games. This so-called 'next life' of mine really sucks."
Alone in his room, Tatsu has now spent a whopping total of sixteen years in this 'parallel world'. He'd grown accustomed to the way of life his parents had taught him, and was in training to become an adventurer like his mother. She was a swordswoman for around fifteen years before settling down with his father, who was a blacksmith. From what his father told him, their relationship dated back to his mothers first years as an adventurer. He really seemed to love telling that story. About how they first met, and how he'd "scored a hot older woman". They were only three years apart.
Tatsu: "oh, that's right. I have to get ready for today."
Rummaging through his clothes, Tatsu thought about what outfit he should wear for his adventurer's coronation. By the time a child reaches the age of sixteen, they are required to pick a profession and start working. Most tend to stick to professions they can learn from someone else in their family. My father comes from a long line of craftsmen and blacksmiths, which is why he was pretty bummed out when I decided to become an adventurer over a blacksmith. I still assist him with his work, but I don't have the muscular build that he does, so long term smithing was out of the question. "Maybe becoming a swordsman would be best." is what i'd always thought to myself. But my mothers forced me to undergo some pretty intense training.
???: "Tatsu, godammit! Aren't you dressed yet?!"
Tatsu: "in a minute, mother!"
Crap, where are my boots? Frantically searching, I could still hear my mother shouting at me from downstairs.
Tatsu's mother: "c'mon you idiot, we haven't got all damn day!"
Tatsu boldly decided to shout back: "In a minute, you old hag!"
Tatsu's mother: "..."
There was a long silence and all Tatsu could think was…
Oh crap…
She's gonna kill me.
Tatsu's mother: "STOP YELLING SO LOUD DAMMIT! YOU'RE GONNA DISTURB THE NEIGHBORS!"
Tatsu: "your yelling is much louder than mine! What makes you think they aren't already upset?"
Oh, that's right, remember what Zuriel said about granting me one thing from my past life to take with me into this one? Yeah, I asked him to transfer the machine I was working on from there to here, but he misunderstood me and instead sent to me something completely different.
???: "Excuse me? Lady Gildaroux? Is he ready yet?"
When she heard that voice, Tatsu's mother's tone did a complete 180.
Tatsu's mother: "Not quite, sorry. Please be a little patient with him. you know how he can be sometimes, being such close friends and all. There's no need for formalities when we've known each other for so long, please, call me Lucia."
???: "Sorry ma'am, but I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. But regarding Tatsu, I feel as though I've known him my entire life, perhaps even in my previous one as well."
That strange voice is Kori, my next door neighbor. And in case her last remark wasn't enough for you to piece it together, she's the squirrel that died alongside me in my previous life. Apparently we both wound up dead because of that machine I built. While it was running, a certain someone threw a rock right into the core of it, causing it to blow us both to smithereens.
In this life, she took on the appearance of a demi-human tanuki. She looked mostly human, but with Tanuki ears and a tail. Her face was heavily freckled with a big black freckle right on the tip of her nose. And she was short, even for her species of demi-human, she was short. Also, she was born at the exact same time as me, in the house next to me. Both of our parents came together and figured that because we were the same age, we would become friends. To make sure we didn't cause trouble, we later agreed to act friendly when either of our parents were around. But in truth, we didn't like each other much. It wasn't hatred so much as it was simply disinterest. The only thing we had in common was the fact that we both wanted to become adventurers, and even then, our reasons were completely different. I wanted to explore the world and find more adventurers to team up with, she just wants to do as she pleases and make money.
Tatsu's mother: "Hey, Tatsu! Get out here and say hello to your friend!"
Tatsu: "hold on! I'm almost done!
Rushing out the door, Tatsu quickly adjusted his boots and made his way outside.
Tatsu's mother: "There he is! Say hello, moron!"
Tatsu: "Umm, right… Hello, Kori."
Kori: "Hiya… Tatsu."
Yeah, most of our conversations are like this. It's just awkward. Both of our parents have it in their heads that it's because we like each other, but adults are stupid. Having been one, I can say that without hesitation.
Tatsu's mother: "you two are both becoming adventurers, right? Why don't you go register together? You can even form a party and travel together and do this and that and all those other things…"
Kori: "No thanks, I still have a few things to do before then, but you can go on ahead of me, Tatsu"
Tatsu: "m-hm, sure."
Mothers really going off the deep end with her long-winded rant. Although, she isn't wearing her usual get-up today. I can't even remember the last time she wore what she's wearing now.
Tatsu: "your adventuring outfit…"
Tatsu's mother: "hmm? Oh, this. Yeah, I just felt like wearing it today."
Tatsu: "I see… Alright then, I guess it's off to the adventurers guild for me."
Tatsu's father, who was listening to all of this go down, chimed in at the last minute: "Oh, that reminds me! Tatsu, remember that thing you wanted a while ago? I finally finished all of the fine tuning, and now it's ready!"
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Tatsu's father: "you want me to make you a what?"
Tatsu: "I need a weapon if I am to be an adventurer, father. And I can't exactly use any of mother's greatswords."
Tatsu's mother: "you're damn right you can't, kiddo. M-hm, if you tried to lift one, the weight of it'd squish you like a grape. Just imagining that makes me laugh."
Tatsu turned to his father: "Disregarding the uncouth way she said it, she isn't wrong. I don't have the bulk that mother does to carry huge swords like the ones she uses. Which is why I want you to make me a weapon I can use."
Tatsu's father thought for a good while, then nodded his head.
Tatsu's father: "very well then, I will make your weapon on one condition. You must draw me a full diagram of exactly what it is you want, I want every specific detail of the item I am to make. Can you do it?"
Tatsu grinned and gave him a thumbs up: " I shall prepare the ultimate blueprints of the finest weapon ever to exist! I will not rest until my perfect design is complete and oh that's right I already did it…"
Tatsu's father sighs: "Unusually prepared as always, huh? Alright, fine. Let me eat somethin' first, then we can get started.
△▼△▼△▼△▼△
And now, 15 months later, the weapon I had designed was finally finished. My father, though fascinated by its practical and efficient use during combat, wasn't a fan of using magic to assist with his work, so everything was done by hand. "It would take less time, but the product wouldn't be as effective and it'd probably break much easier" is what he would tell me what would happen if we used magic to speed up the process.
Apparently, weapons, armor, and other goods that are manufactured with magic have a lower durability than items that aren't, so "magic smithing", as it's called, is often looked down upon by other artisans who stick to hand-crafting their goods. This method of "magic smithing" is how a lot of weapons for military use are mass produced and distributed throughout the country next to us. But as a border town between there and the Ankoku empire, we don't receive assistance from either country, this is what makes our little town a hot spot for adventurers to make a decent amount of money. With no army or aid from anyone, the town relies on those who are willing to do freelance work for the guild. Things like monster slaying, material gathering, and even frog gigging (which is harder than it sounds) are frequent jobs on the task table at the guild.
Tatsu's father: " It's finished, but… it's kind of small don't you think? And it's quite an unusual shape as well…"
Tatsu: "Not at all! In fact, it's the perfect size!"
Picking up the familiar, yet unusual tool, Tatsu examined his new, yet old, reliable weapon.
Tatsu: "I've always loved using my vise-grips, so this is indeed a fitting weapon for me to use."
Yup, the weapon he now held was in the shape of a vise-grip, or locking pliers if you prefer that name. The tool that's perfect for holding sheet metal or plywood in place, or even for stripping damaged bolts. Tatsu had once gotten mugged in an alley on his way to work in his past life, and in a panic, conked his assailant on the head with one. From then on, he had always kept one on him. He would finally be able to do this once more, as this was now the tool of which Tatsu would master and use when he became an adventurer.
The tool itself was mostly light gray aside from two magic stones that glow a lime green color. One on the front of the upper section of the tool, the other right in between the jaws of the vise-grip. The primary function of the tool was a blade mode that consisted of pure magic energy.
Tatsu: "Now I have the ultimate vise grip! None stand parallel with me now that such a weapon is within my possession now!"
Still giggling over his newfound power, Tatsu hadn't realized his mother was standing behind him.
Tatsu's Mother: "oh, is that so? Why don't we test your skills with that irregular weapon of yours, whaddya say? A quick sparring match should tell us just how good this scrap metal of a weapon you like really is."
Tatsu: "oh crap…"