First, the materials I need are...
"Since its creator is one of the Demon Kings, I'll need the magic stone of a floor boss—the closest thing to a king of the Dungeon."
Udaeus was subjugated recently, so its magic stone should still be with the Guild. Hmm... It'll be pretty expensive.
"The blade doesn't need to be kobuse construction this time. It should be solid mithril. Rather than strength or sharpness, I need to focus on magical conductivity."
[Kobuse: A method of combining soft iron and steel. It is used in Japan, where folded-steel methods are favored, and there are various ways to combine the metals.]
Since its essence is that of a sealing sword, the best approach is to forge it from a material capable of accepting magic power well.
"As for the other materials... I don't need to agonize too much over choosing them."
I have somehow settled the core creator and the essential aspect, so there should not be much of a problem. Ah, though just in case, will I need some of Zeke's blood?
What I intend to make is a demon-sealing sword, a magic sword that seals demons and draws out their power to wield it.
In that case, it is a kind of transaction: offering the price of a demon to the sword and receiving its power in return.
The owner makes a contract with the sword, offering it a price and receiving power in exchange.
I have twisted it quite a bit, but it does fit that guy Zeke's magic and convictions.
In the original work, the highest-grade materials had already been offered to the demon-sealing sword, continuously feeding its fire. There are no such materials here. The closest thing would be the heart of a Deus Dea—a heart from when their divinity has been fully released—but there is no way that is possible.
...Anyway, aside from materials beyond all standards, I have put together the entire framework.
First, shall I go to the Guild?
Rumors had begun spreading through the back alleys some time ago.
Rumors that someone was going around "hunting" only the vile adventurers who abused supporters.
Ritro, a Level 2 adventurer of the Anubis Familia who loaded his supporters down with Molbols that lured monsters to them, abandoned them, and then made money by hunting only the monsters—Death's Death, the Reaper of the Underworld.
He was found somewhere in Daedalus Street, savagely bitten all over by "something."
Sochin, a Level 1 adventurer of the Penax Familia, who pretended to treat supporters well, gained their trust, then sweet-talked them out of every last possession before disappearing.
He was found abandoned at the entrance to Daedalus Street, bleeding to death, with the word "swindler" carved into his entire body with a blade.
Carlson, a Level 1 adventurer of the Murugan Familia, who would punch supporters as though using them to vent his stress whenever he got the chance.
He was found near the Dungeon entrance with every bone in his body broken and his internal organs ruptured.
There were numerous other deaths as well, and the matter nearly fell under the Guild's jurisdiction... But because most of the victims were vile adventurers, public opinion formed in support of the killer, making it difficult for the Guild to act rashly.
And every one of these incidents had one thing in common: ashes had been scattered somewhere on each corpse.
As the rumors spread among supporters as well, the hunter was given a name...
[Ashen One].
Side Story: Zeke Albin
...It is hot.
There is nowhere to vent this hatred, this rage boiling within me. As I keep it bottled up, it feels as though it is burning not only my chest, but my entire body.
That bastard—man or woman, I do not know—slaughtered my family, my Familia.
They cut off their legs, stabbed through their stomachs, and tore out their hearts.
I do not know what kind of grudges and vendettas were entangled for my Familia members to have died so horribly.
There is only one thing I can think of.
[An eye for an eye.]
"...A tooth for a tooth."
"...Big brother?"
"Hm? Ah, sorry. What did you say?"
"No, it's nothing."
The ash-covered one began hunting in earnest after wiping out our Familia. As though the deaths of my Familia were nothing more than a stepping stone, they continued their hunt, one victim after another.
As the rumors spread, there were idiots who saw them as some dark hero and started calling them the Ashen One, but... no. Absolutely not.
That bastard is no noble one. They are nothing but a blood-crazed murderer.
I still do not understand why we were their first victims. We were a Familia that acted as a private investigation agency, a moneylender, and a broker, so we rarely used supporters. Even when we did, we ran the Dungeon quietly to avoid giving anyone a handle to use against us, and we never paid supporters much attention in the first place.
...What does the reason matter now? One thing is certain: that bastard will face a bloody vengeance. Without fail.
"[Here, I offer up my mind. In exchange, grant me the lightness of the wind.]"
As I retreat to avoid the ugly-faced orcs swinging their clubs at me, I focus and chant. I can feel my swordsmanship growing sharper and the speed at which I move becoming faster.
My magic, [Equivalent Exchange], which appeared on my back after that tragedy.
The chant that appeared was incredibly malformed. Part of it was blank, as though I had to fill it in myself, and the refrain was divided into three separate verses.
The first verse, which raises strength and endurance.
[The Heaviness of a Great Boulder]
The second verse, which raises agility and dexterity.
[The Lightness of the Wind]
And the third verse, which encompasses both and gives a far greater boost, but consumes an enormous amount of Mind.
[The Majesty of a Heavenly God]
With the Mind I currently possess, one minute is the limit for the third verse. I have heard that the moment I exceed it by even one second, I will faint from Mind Down, so I do not intend to use it unless I have no other choice.
...I can use it when I chant [mind], thinking of Mind as the price, but it bothers me that the price is not stated precisely. Perhaps, in addition to Mind...
Slash!
...By the time I come to my senses, the hunt is already over, and it is time to gather the drops.
"Bell, I'm finished here."
"I'm done here too. Hup!"
"But why didn't Welf come today?"
"Ah, I heard him say before that he has to focus on meeting the Familia's orders for a while, so he probably won't be able to come into the Dungeon."
"Is that so?"
...I wanted to hear how Smith was doing. What a shame.
"I want to get a supporter soon too, but lately, the supporters have been..."
Creak.
"...They rely on that ash-covered bastard and try to make trouble or cheat us on the split. What is this fifty-fifty nonsense?"
"Um... How are shares normally divided for supporters, then?"
"At best, it is usually sixty-forty, and most of the time it is around seventy-thirty. Well, people without a conscience do sometimes go eighty-twenty, but those are especially vile cases."
"But even if they are supporters, shouldn't giving them fifty-fifty be right?"
"..."
Even if he is our captain, seeing him like this is absurd...
"Bell, let's put you in our position for a moment."
"Me?"
"You and... let's see. Right, somehow you end up forming a party with Ais Wallenstein."
"What?! Me, with Ais?! Aaaah!"
"It's just an example, an example. Listen first. You two are in a party, but since your ability is so lacking, all you do on the way down is pick up magic stones and provide a little guidance by looking at the map."
"Wah... wah... waah!"
"...Then, after you go down to around the twenty-seventh floor and return, when it is time to divide the spoils, how much do you think you would receive?"
"...Even being generous, it wouldn't be fifty-fifty."
"Right. Having a supporter makes the trip easier and lets you gather more magic stones, but that does not warrant splitting the shares in half. On the contrary, since their level is relatively lower, they become dead weight in combat. That is why supporters have received smaller shares."
"Yes..."
"Anyway, once that bastard gets caught and killed, all this will die down..."
His goal was unmistakably clear, so much so that I could vaguely see killing intent flickering around his eyes.
"...Let's beat that bastard to death."