Starting with Frieren

Truly, he had utilized the dark dragon's remains to their fullest potential.

Ivan repeatedly practiced holstering and drawing the gun, aiming to develop a natural feel for using it. Although he was proficient in the illusionary world, translating that experience to reality required extensive practice.

"A long-range sniper rifle is ready for practical use, but mid-to-close range combat is equally important."

With this in mind, Ivan invested significant effort and time into crafting a second firearm—a dragonbone handgun. The gun was pure white with a smooth, jade-like texture, offering an exceptionally comfortable grip.

While its power couldn't match the sniper rifle, it was far more portable. Ivan named it Draco, and naturally, the other gun became Night.

Creating meaningful objects was a gratifying process, and that night, Ivan slept soundly, even dreaming of wielding Night and Draco to vanquish enemies.

As for the sword-drawing ceremony tomorrow, he had no concerns at all.

The hero sword was a safeguard left by the goddess, designed to grant extensive permissions to its wielder. Becoming powerful and capable of cutting mountains were just the basics. Its purpose was to eliminate existential threats or external invaders, so under normal circumstances, it couldn't be drawn.

Fortunately, in the illusionary world, Serie had taught him a trick to bypass the goddess's mechanism. By avoiding the activation of the sword's permissions, he could extract the blade. Even if Ivan didn't return the hero sword afterward, he could simply place a random branch in its stead to gain full permissions.

While the blade alone couldn't unleash the hero sword's full power, Ivan didn't care much about that. His interest lay in the title of "Hero," which would make his plans more convenient.

--

"Urgent Notice: The sword-drawing ceremony has been postponed."

While eating breakfast, the tall and imposing village chief, Winry, stood on tiptoes and announced this to everyone.

Behind her stepped out a middle-aged man with an arrogant expression and lavish attire. Puffing out his chest, he proclaimed to the crowd, "My name is Felo Puskash, envoy to the viscount's family. I am here to declare that the sword-drawing ceremony has been delayed until next week. By then, His Majesty the King, along with talented young elites from across the nation, will personally attend. The one who draws the hero sword might even be granted the title of viscount on the spot!"

"A viscount?!"

Adventurers and villagers alike were dumbfounded. For ordinary folk like them, even a knight's title was an unattainable dream.

Becoming a knight marked the first step into the nobility, while barons gained land, and viscounts owned entire cities and surrounding villages. Village of the Sword itself was under the jurisdiction of a viscount named Hicks.

The sudden royal decree puzzled many since, in legends, heroes who drew the hero sword were never made nobles. They simply drew the sword to avert apocalyptic crises and returned it afterward. The closest they got to fame was perhaps a bronze statue or two.

Soon, Felo explained the reasoning behind the decree: fear of death.

"Recently, demon invasions have intensified, with several border cities engulfed in war. One of them is less than 100 kilometers from Village of the Sword. Although His Majesty's entourage includes royal guards and the newly formed Court Mage Division, Viscount Hicks has commanded that Village of the Sword prepare thoroughly for the King's arrival. Clear the roads and present our finest hospitality to leave a lasting impression on His Majesty and the visiting elites!"

Ivan: "..."

Sensing a painfully familiar atmosphere, Ivan instinctively felt a pang in his stomach, even though these tasks weren't his responsibility.

The young village chief, Winry, looked even more distressed. By lunchtime, she was still sulking.

"Do you find roadwork that troublesome? You're not even eating properly," Ivan said, sitting beside her and patting her head.

"Ivan!" Winry pouted indignantly, her cheeks puffed in protest. "Don't pat a lady's head like that! I won't grow taller!"

"Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself. It seems like it developed a mind of its own. I'll make sure to fix it when I get back."

"Pfft."

The girl couldn't help but laugh at Ivan's joke. The frown that had been etched on her face relaxed for a moment. "Ivan, are you here to cheer me up? I didn't expect you to have such a humorous side."

"Life is full of burdens, so finding joy amid hardship is a lesson every adult must learn."

After his lighthearted opening, Ivan wasted no time and got straight to the point. "Now, can you tell me what's been bothering you?"

"Well… it's not really a secret. As you probably guessed, it's about the road repairs and the village renovation."

Winry sighed heavily, her brows knitting together again.

"It's currently winter, and after hiring adventurers to help clear out the monsters, the village's funds are already stretched thin. We've been carefully budgeting just to make it through to spring. But now, with road repairs and hosting duties added to the list, it's overwhelming. What's worse is that there's no clear standard set by the higher-ups. If we don't do it properly..."

She trailed off, letting out another sigh.

Inspections are tough; loli village chiefs sigh deeply.

Ivan frowned in confusion. "That's odd. Normally, for such large-scale events, the higher-ups should allocate funds and resources, shouldn't they?"

"I asked the envoy, Felo, about that. His expression turned sour, and he said the local finances were tight. He told me to figure it out myself. The grain and a few scrawny slaves he brought along were apparently the best support Viscount Hicks could offer."

Ivan had noticed the slaves and carts at the village entrance. Initially, he thought they were refugees. It turned out Viscount Hicks wasn't shy about showing his miserly side.