The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

Both of them watched the chick as it soared through the sky, circling the tree where its nest was nestled.

“You see, if you rely on someone else all the time, you won’t have any room to grow,” his mother said gently. “Of course, it’s good to help others and watch over them—just like that mama bird protecting her chick while it learns to fly.”

“But… the chick has to experience hardship on its own. Without struggling, it won’t be able to overcome challenges and become strong—both in mind and body.”

She paused for a moment, then added with a playful smile, “It’s just like kids in school! Teachers can teach them manners and discipline, but it’s up to the kids to apply those lessons on their own. Not just in school, but at home and in public too. That’s how they grow into fine adults—just like me!”

…Even though I’m really not.

Soru didn’t say a word as a response. His mother quickly realized that her lesson might be a bit too complex for a four-year-old.

“W-Well, I guess you won’t understand it yet. You’re still a child, after all…”

She turned back to the sky just in time to see the chick disappear into the clouds, its small figure vanishing from sight. Soru followed her gaze and noticed the mother bird leaving its nest, flying off in a different direction.

“When you grow into a fine young man, you’ll understand it,” she said, looking at him with a warm smile.

Then, she gently patted his head before standing up and extending her hand toward him.

“Come on, let’s go home. It’s getting dark out here.”

...

Remembering those childhood memories, Soru found himself drawing a connection to what Reika had told him earlier. He began to understand why she didn’t want to rely on him too much—why she insisted on growing strong enough to protect those she cared about on her own.

He realized that he shouldn’t interfere with her path.

As an individual, Soru understood emotions in a logical sense but couldn’t incorporate them into his own actions. He was aware of what feelings were displayed before him, yet he's incapable of instinctively responding to them. He simply acted based on what he deemed efficient, making decisions purely on reasoning and deduction.

But with someone like Reika reminding him of morals and ethical responses, he avoided most missteps when dealing with others.

By the time his thoughts settled, it was already an hour before midnight. The village had fallen silent; the people had long since retreated into their homes. Only Soru remained outside, while the dwarves and Silas slept soundly in their rooms.

With nothing else left to do, he quietly made his way inside.

Upon entering his room, he saw Reika fast asleep beside Veylir. The flickering candlelight cast soft shadows on her face, making her peaceful expression stand out even more.

As he slowly walked to his bed, he found himself staring at her in silence.

Then, for a brief moment, under the dim glow of the candlelight—he saw his mother’s face in Reika’s.

Even though they had been transported to another world, Soru didn’t worry about what his mother might think of his sudden disappearance. Despite her being his mother, he had always viewed her more as an individual—someone he simply grew up with rather than someone he deeply depended on.

Hmm… That’s strange…

Seeing her image reflected in Reika made him wonder, for the first time, if she missed him. But he quickly dismissed the thought. He knew she was capable of living on her own, even without him there.

Adults can live by themselves without needing anyone beside them.

With that conclusion, Soru lay down on his bed, turning his gaze toward the window where the night sky peeked through. As the seconds passed, his eyelids grew heavy.

Slowly, he closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

...

“…Oi, Völun! Hurry up, will you?”

“Alright! Just gimme a… secoooond~”

“You…!”

SMACK!

“OW! Hey, what was that for!?”

Soru groggily opened his eyes, stirred awake by Aeden and Völun’s loud voices from the other side of the wall. Judging by the faint morning light filtering through the room, it was still early.

He sat up and stretched before making his way past Reika’s bed—where she was still snoring, a bit of drool trickling from her mouth. He paid no mind to it and instead walked to the window. Outside, the villagers were already busy with preparations for the impending monster wave.

Deciding to step out, he was immediately greeted by Völun, who was still mid-yawn.

“Oh, good morning, Mister Soru!”

“Good morning.”

“Aeden’s about to start training the volunteers with some basic combat techniques. Wanna come?”

Soru gave a small nod.

“Sweet! Then, come along with me.”

As they walked toward the training grounds, Völun suddenly glanced at Soru, noticing something different about him.

"I may be rude to ask, but why haven’t you changed your clothes? Ever since I first saw you, you’ve been wearing that same strange outfit," Völun said, glancing at Soru.

"These are the only clothes I had when I arrived. I have nothing else to wear," Soru replied.

"Hmm... You could borrow from the humans, you know? Even us dwarves got some clothes from those kindhearted folks. Miss Reika, too—she’s wearing clothes she borrowed from that human girl, Sylva."

Soru looked at his uniform. It was still as clean as new, thanks to his power.

"I'm fine with this."

Völun stared at his clothes.

His outfit is surprisingly neat, and he smells fine too. Maybe he washes them while bathing and puts them back on afterward? But they wouldn’t dry that fast…

Then, his eyes widened.

Oh! Maybe he’s using his ability to dry them faster! That makes sense!

Although his guess was close, he was wrong about one thing—Soru wasn’t using his ability to dry his clothes. Instead, he transferred any dirt from his uniform onto something—or someone—else.

As they arrived at the training grounds, they saw Aeden gathering the volunteers.

Out of the seventeen families that had settled in the village, a total of twenty-one men had stepped forward for training.

Soru and Völun walked up to Aeden, who immediately took notice of them and let out a sigh.

“Finally, you’re here, Völun! What took you so long?”

“Hahh… Can’t you see I brought Mister Soru with me? Of course, I was delayed because I accompanied him.”

Aeden rolled her eyes, knowing his excuse wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Whatever…”

Turning to the gathered villagers, she observed them carefully before giving a firm nod.

“All of you have volunteered to train in preparation for the upcoming monster wave. That means you’re ready—both in mind and body—to face the threat that will endanger this settlement.”

“YES, MA’AM!” the villagers shouted in unison.

“I don’t want weak-willed people in this group. If you’re prepared to lay down your lives to protect this place, then you must strengthen your resolve to fight to the death. Am I clear?”

“YES! WE ARE PREPARED, MA’AM!”

Aeden could see traces of fear and hesitation in their eyes, but their determination was stronger. They were willing to fight—not just for themselves, but for the families relying on them.

“Since you’re all prepared to face this threat with such resolve, we’ll begin training. Pick up your wooden swords!”

With that, she started teaching them the basics of swordsmanship, demonstrating each movement with precise swings. The men followed her lead, imitating her motions as they practiced.

Meanwhile, Soru and Völun sat on a wooden log nearby, watching the training unfold.

Then, Soru noticed Silas approaching, carrying a sheathed sword in his hands.

“Sir Völun…! Here’s the sword I mentioned yesterday.”

“Thanks for your help, Sir Silas,” Völun said, taking the weapon from him.

“I apologize for the delay. That sword was given to us as a gift at our small wedding. It has no use to me anymore, but I hope it serves you well…”

Völun unsheathed the blade and examined it. Despite its age, it was still sharp, untouched by years of neglect.

“It’s alright. We’ll handle it with care,” Völun reassured him.

“Thank you, Sir.”

Silas excused himself and left the scene, heading toward another group busy fortifying the perimeter with barricades.

Völun remained seated, staring at the blade in his hands. He caught his own reflection in its polished surface.

“To think it’s been this well-maintained after all these years… That old man truly values this sword, even if he has no interest in wielding it.”

With a sigh, he lowered the blade slightly.

“Hah. We’ve got a sword, but there’s only one. With so many people training, only one of them will be able to use it.”

He clicked his tongue. “If only we had enough swords for all of them…”

“How many do you need?” Soru suddenly asked.

Völun blinked at him. “Based on their numbers, about twenty more.”

Without hesitation, Soru extended his hand.

“Give me that sword.”

Völun, confused by the request, hesitated before handing it over.

“…Okay?”

The moment Soru took the sword, he closed his eyes. Völun watched him curiously, wondering what he was about to do.

Then, without warning, the sword vanished from Soru’s grasp.

“Eh!?”

A series of clanking noises followed, and Völun turned to see several sheathed swords scattered on the ground.

“What the…?!”

Soru stood up, picked up one of the swords, and handed it back to Völun.

“There are twenty in total, not counting this one.”

Völun was too stunned to respond immediately. He hesitantly took the sword Soru handed him.

“H-H-How…?”

“I used the sword you gave me and duplicated it,” Soru replied calmly.

Still in disbelief, Völun rushed to the pile of swords and inspected them.

He’s right… There really are twenty swords here!

Standing up, he gripped one of the swords tightly and turned to Soru.

What Sir Alguis told us the other day was true… He can duplicate objects too!

“T-This should be enough to arm the villagers with swords! I need to tell Aeden about this!”

Without wasting time, Völun sprinted toward Aeden, who was still in the middle of training the volunteers.

Soru watched as the two dwarves spoke. He noticed Aeden’s eyes widen in shock before she immediately turned to her trainees and ordered them to halt their training.

Without hesitation, she and Völun hurried toward him. Upon reaching the pile, Aeden’s breath hitched as she took a closer look at the neatly arranged swords.

“This is…” She reached down, gripping one of the blades, still struggling to believe what she was seeing.

To think he could pull this off with his ability… Aeden thought, still in disbelief. Sir Alguis wasn’t kidding when he said Mister Soru could duplicate objects…

Without hesitation, she turned to the trainees and called them to gather in front of her.

"Due to some unforeseen circumstances, we’ve managed to obtain twenty-one swords, thanks to Mister Soru. You should all give him your thanks for providing each of you with a weapon to wield!"

At her words, the trainees immediately bowed.

“Mister Soru, thank you for these swords!” they said in unison.

Soru gave them a slight bow in return.

Excited, the volunteers eagerly reached for the swords—only for Aeden to stop them with a raised hand.

“Hup! I never said you could use these swords right away.” She crossed her arms. “You need to prove yourselves first by honing your swordsmanship to an acceptable level.”

Their enthusiasm instantly deflated.

“Aww man…”

“Hahh… And here I thought I could wield a sword right away.”

Aeden smirked at their murmurs.

“Pft. Did I just catch you all sulking~?”

Grinning, she grabbed one of the sheathed swords and pointed its handle toward them.

"If you want to earn one of these, then don’t slack off! Persevere in your training!" Aeden declared.

Their moods shifted instantly. Determined to receive their swords, the trainees straightened up, their motivation reignited.

"Yes, ma'am!" they shouted in unison.

As they returned to their positions, Soru noticed Völun sneaking toward the edge of the training grounds.

"Since Aeden’s personally training them, I guess staying here would be pointless—"

Before he could take another step, he suddenly felt a tug on his shirt.

"And where do you think you're going?"

A familiar voice sent a chill down his spine. Turning his head, he found Aeden staring at him with a serious expression.

"Y-You can handle their training on your own, right?" he stammered. "If that’s the case, then my help won’t be needed here—"

"Should I tell Sir Alguis that you were slacking off and neglecting his orders?"

Völun jolted, his body stiffening at her words.

“Ghk…!”

Aeden picked up one of the swords from the ground and tossed it at Völun. He caught it instinctively, staring at her in confusion.

“W-What am I supposed to do with this?” he asked, unsheathing the blade.

Aeden met his gaze with a smirk but didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to face the trainees.

“Since I’ve already taught you the basics of swordsmanship, it’s time for you to see those techniques in action,” she announced. “We’ll be demonstrating them in a duel.”

Völun’s eyes widened.

“You…! A real sword? Are you serious!?”

Aeden swung her own sword in the air, letting the scabbard slip off, revealing the gleaming blade.

“H-Hey, Aeden, don’t you think we should teach them a little more before jumping into this? A demonstration seems a bit early, don’t you think?”

“Since you didn’t help me earlier, you have no right to refuse,” she shot back. Then, with a sly grin, she added, “Or should I tell Sir Alguis about your negligence right away?”

Völun stiffened, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He knew full well that if Alguis found out, he’d never hear the end of it.

“Sigh… When it comes to reasonable threats, you’re simply unmatched…”

Resigned to his fate, he took a stance, gripping his sword tightly. Aeden did the same, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

Then, miraculously, they both lunged at the same time.

The clash of steel rang out, and the trainees watched in awe. Being mere villagers, they had never witnessed swordplay of this caliber before. To them, such skill had only existed in stories and dreams—until now.

Thirty minutes had passed since their duel began. While both Aeden and Völun were skilled with a sword, the difference between them was becoming clear—Aeden held a slight edge over him.

Determined to finish it, she went for a decisive strike.

“Hyaaah!”

Völun saw the attack coming but wasn’t fast enough to avoid it completely.

“Urk…!”

He stole a quick glance at the trainees, who were watching intently, eager to see the climax of their duel.

Losing to her is one thing, but losing in front of an audience… that’s a different matter.

As Aeden’s blade closed in, he made a split-second decision to save himself from humiliation.

It’s now or never!

He raised his sword to parry, but the moment their blades clashed, he immediately felt the full force behind her attack.

“Rrrghhh! It’s too heavy!”

In an instant, Völun let go of his sword, causing Aeden to lose her balance.

“Woah—!”

Seizing the opportunity, he caught the falling sword with his right hand and swiftly closed the distance between them.

“Hah!”

Gasps filled the air as the duel came to an end. Völun now stood inches from Aeden, holding his sword like a dagger, its blade hovering just above her neck.

"Hahh... Hahh... I-I won?"  

Völun suddenly felt a light tapping against his waist. Realizing what it was, he glanced down—Aeden’s blade was aimed directly at him. If this had been a real battle, his abdomen would have been cut clean through.

“Woaaah!!”

The trainees erupted into applause, cheering at the spectacle they had just witnessed. In the end, the duel had ended in a draw.

Both fighters retracted their blades and faced each other.

“You sly bastard…” Aeden muttered, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you pulled that trick. I almost lost.”

“Hah… I had no choice. You’re simply too strong—I had to resort to something like that!” Völun admitted with a grin.

They clasped hands, officially marking the end of their duel.

The trainees, still thrilled from the match, began talking excitedly.

“Miss Aeden’s swordsmanship is incredible! She moves like a pro!”

“Hey, don’t underestimate Sir Völun! His tactics were precise and well-executed!”

Hearing their students praise them, Aeden and Völun exchanged amused smiles. More than anything, Aeden was glad that they had been paying close attention.

“Alright,” she said. “Since you’ve had enough rest, it’s time for you to pair up and begin a joint sparring session. Are you all ready?”

Fueled by excitement from watching their duel, the trainees sprang to their feet without hesitation.

“We are ready, ma’am!” they shouted in unison.