The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

“How do you like it?”

“We worked really hard on it! You know, to make sure it’s strong enough for you!”

As soon as I arrived at the craftsmen’s workshop, a staff was placed in my hands.

It’s a staff crafted by Don and Laeus Kisaragi — and they hailed it as their masterpiece.

It feels extremely familiar — even more so than anything I’ve ever wielded before. Its length and weight are exactly right for my abilities as a mage, helping to increase my Circle drawing speed with it. It’s a blunt weapon when swung, a piercing weapon when thrust, and a masterpiece of craft that surpasses even Garm Kisaragi’s Drynium Rod.

As I tried giving it a swing, it felt light as a feather — as if it was an extension of my limbs.

“…It’s amazing.”

I voiced my thoughts aloud before I even realized it.

The most surprising thing about this staff is the emblem on its handle. Without a doubt, it’s the symbol that signifies its Swift Magic compatibility.

“Yeah, those notes really were something else! It said someone named Garm wrote them down!”

“Hahaha… I remember him. He was a bit… well, actually, VERY stinky. Thanks to all the beer he’s been drinking.”

With me mentioning that, Laeus playfully pinched his nose.

“Oof, now that’s something I didn’t need to know…”

As I chuckled at Laeus’s nasal voice, Don proceeded to continue his explanation,

“The maximum number of Swift Magic spells a staff could hold was known to be five… as supported by the Damascus Rods, wielded by many among the Six Archmages such as Miss Irene-sama and the late Sir Gaston. However, this staff can hold SIX. You will have to do all the heavy lifting to make it work, but there’s no doubt in my mind — this is the strongest staff ever made.”

As quiet as Don’s voice was, his explanation carried a strong sense of pride and conviction.

Laeus, standing beside him, puffed out his chest, proud of his contribution.

“Thank you, both of you. There will be many battles on our way to get to Lucifer… this will help greatly in evening out the odds!”

I clenched the staff and declared, slightly disturbing Laeus’ expression.

“…W-wait, you mean… it might not even last by the time you get to Lucifer himself…?”

This staff has been crafted with meticulous care, and it’s precisely because of that that I have to be perfectly honest. 

I turned to Laeus and placed my hand on his head.

“Yeah, it should be fine against other Devilkin, but Lucifer… he’s not someone who’ll go down just because I have a strong weapon. I’ll have to use… this.”

I clenched my other fist for Laeus to see.

In response to that, Don spoke up,

“I knew that would be the case… You see, when I went to investigate the ruins of the Temple where you fought Lucifer, I also took the chance to collect the broken pieces of the Drynium Rod. After looking at them through a magnifying glass, it turned out that the steel had not lost its shine despite practically being dust. In other words, the Drynium Rod was hit with an attack so strong that it was broken apart before the steel’s structure could react to it. That staff… it was the result of my ancestor pursuing TOUGHNESS of the steel above all else — but at the end of the day, that toughness has a limit, as mentioned in the notes he had left behind. We made every effort to surpass that limit, but in the end, we couldn’t.”

“I understand. Still, both of you HAVE crafted a staff that is as good… no, even BETTER than the Drynium Rod. Really, I mean it. And I’ll make sure to put it to its fullest use.”

Don and Laeus, their eyes cast down the whole time they listened to me, proceeded to open their eyes and nod at each other. 

Then, Don scratched his nose bashfully and said,

“Well, what remains now is the person wielding it. No matter how exceptional our creation, it’s ultimately a tool — and a tool is only valuable in the hands of the right person. It’s truly a blessing that we could entrust it to you.”

“Yeah! Oh, by the way, Asley! Dad and I gave that staff a name, too!”

Laeus looked up at me with excitement. I turned to Don, excited to hear what they had come up with.

“It’s not a typical name you’d give  to a weapon, but… we’ve decided to call it ‘Infinite Hope’.”

Hearing them say that, I looked at the emblem on the staff’s underside — and sure enough, those words were engraved there. Nobody had lost hope. I realized once again that this battle was not about defeating Devil King Lucifer — it was about protecting everyone’s hope. 

I firmly grasped the Infinite Hope and met the determined gazes of the craftsmen whose spirits still burned passionately.

“Thank you, both of you. I’ll make sure it’s put to good use.”

I can’t afford to let their passion go to waste.

Time is no longer on our side. The battle against the Devil King’s army… the battle against Lucifer is drawing near.

I reminded myself of this as I tightened my grip on the Infinite Hope once more.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

“You know, Master, it’s been quite a while since we last walked together like this… just the two of us!”

“I mean, yeah, I’ve been working on my magic, and you’re busy training your Heavenly Beast powers, right?”

“Yes, yes! I’m studying super, super hard right now! Preparations for fighting the Hell Emperor are also coming along nicely!”

Pochi’s proud boasting prompted me to widen my eyes in surprise.

“What’s wrong, sir? That look on your face is even weirder than usual…”

“Uh, I mean… you seemed SUPER reluctant when you started, but look at you now — you seem to actually be quite into this.”

“……You do realize that that was a joke to get a reaction out of you, right, sir? I swear, you’re an endless source of fried chicken!”

“The word you’re looking for is ‘frustration’! And watch the way you open your mouth — your drool’s gonna drip all over the place!”

“Whoops, my bad! But seriously, sir, maybe you should think about this kind of thing more often!”

“What kind of thing?”

“About how we don’t get to spend time with each other much these days — and when we do, it’s over just about as soon as it starts.”

“You’re bringing that up NOW?”

“Well, is there any better time to!? What we’re with everyone else!? Do you have any idea how embarrassing that would be, sir!?”

“Okay, okay, I get it! I’m sorry, all right!? …But you know, I really didn’t expect you to bring that up today.”

Pochi is quite serious today — which is unusual of her.

As we walked into the southern district of Eddo, I took a seat on a nearby rock.

Pochi also sat down in front of me.

…Hmm, when it comes to serious conversations like this, I’m not sure what to talk about.

Maybe Pochi feels the same way? …With that in mind, I turned to Pochi to take a look. Right then, she blasted a big, long yawn right in my face.

“Damn it! So much for a serious conversation, huh!?”

“It’s a physiological response, sir! Haven’t you ever yawned before?”

“I do it almost every day! It feels good!”

“Oh, wow! What an incredibly healthy behavior! I see you’ve been taking good care of yourself! Now I won’t have to worry about you getting sick, sir!”

“Yeah, and you’re the weird one, never getting sick despite eating so Goddamn much all the time!”

“No, YOU’re the weird one, sir! You’ve never gotten sick either, despite living an unhealthy lifestyle!”

“What the hell!? I work out all the time!”

“That’s amazing, sir! But I’m not about to let you outshine me! I mean, I was praised by Kokki just today!”

“Really!? The most elder of all the Heavenly Beasts!? That’s awesome!”

“Now, praise me more, sir!”

“Okay, slow down — what was that praise for!?”

“What, do I really have to explain every single thing to you!?”

“What– Hey! It’s not about me, is it!? I mean, since you don’t wanna talk about it, I can only assume that you were badmouthing me!”

“Gah–!? That’s exactly right, sir! He praised me for how I could go on and on whenever I badmouthed you!”

“Yeah, I don’t think he meant that as a compliment at all!”

“No, sir, he totally was praising me! Aren’t I amazing!?”

“Okay, I get it! Let’s make a deal, then —  I’ll praise you when you beat the Hell Emperor!”

“Oh, and I’ll praise you when you beat Lucifer!”

“All right! Deal!”

“Yes, sir! Let’s race to see who gets it done first! “

“Big talk, coming from a little black wolf!”

“Fool!”

“Furball!”

“”HMPH!!””

We argued even after we were both out of breath, eventually finding ourselves taking our usual… tone.

Once this whole convo is over, I know Pochi will feel refreshed just like always.

As our argument went on, Pochi and I randomly stood up and then sat down — both of us at the same time, without any signaling.

Oh, there it is — that look on her face right there is Pochi’s post-argument clarity.

“…Why do you look so refreshed?”

Pochi cut me off and asked me exactly what I was about to ask her.

…Come to think of it, this is how it always has been. Whenever Pochi and I talked about important stuff, we would always end up getting into an argument — venting everything before starting our actual discussion.

Past, present, and future — our conversations would all be in this formula.

And so, with a refreshed expression, I threw out one last sarcastic remark at Pochi,

“Shut up. You’re an endless source of fried chicken, you know that?”

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